Monday, November 30, 2015

Is ISIS a Spiritual Consequence of Abortion?

Killing began long before terrorism and abortion, so it’s easy to separate the two as having nothing to do with one another.  But in conversation,  if you link abortion to the rise in terrorism, most pro-life Christians will nod and say: Of course. 
Associating terrorism with abortion is not something done in polite company, or at least not in politically correct company.  It invites a religious wacko label. I will risk the disparaging label to say that I believe that the legalization of abortion around the world has created fertile ground in which ISIS and all terrorism has thrived. 

Monday, November 23, 2015

An Apology to The Blessed Mother

Nellie Edward/ PaintedFaith
Dear Blessed Mother,
I owe you a long overdue apology. Recently, in adoration, while contemplating the suffering and death of Jesus, I glanced upon an image of you. I thought of you watching the torture and death of your Son. I realized that it was thoughtless of me to never have told you that I am sorry for my part in his passion and crucifixion.  My sins, added to the sins of the world caused his suffering. That means that my sins also caused your suffering.   

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Does Ben Carson's Religion Matter?

 Dr. Ben Carson seems like a nice guy.  A lot of other people think so too because he is high in the polls in the Republican presidential race.  As a result, Carson’s Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) faith is a curiosity now.  Will it work for him or against him?  As Catholics learn more about it, it’s making many nervous.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Release Souls with This Devotion

Around 15 years ago, I discovered that we can wield unimaginable power for the souls in purgatory.  During the week of All Souls Day, from November 1-8, a soul can be released from purgatory by us on every one of those days.  That is no small thing.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Rise Above Family Imperfections

   
Sadness was not what I expected while listening to a popular Catholic speaker.  His love of God and family bubbled over as he described a beautiful coming-of-age tradition when kids became teenagers in his family. That’s when it hit me. “Wow, our families are so different!”

Friday, October 16, 2015

Bishop Sheen’s Words Define Argentina’s Protest as Diabolical

 The fury of hell was unleashed in Argentina, October 12 outside of the Cathedral of Mar de Plata in connection with their annual March for Women.  According to LifeSite, an angry mob of pro-abortion anti-Catholic women--many topless--violently assaulted a group of men that prayed outside of the Cathedral to counter the protest. 
  The protest demonstrated the manifestation of the diabolical.  In a talk by Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen, he pointed to an example in Scripture to identify the 3 signs of the diabolical: love of nudity (public), violence, and division.  The Argentina protest is a clear example. 

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Stumbling Block of False Apparitions

  
I love my Catholic faith so much that the idea of knowing inside information attracted my attention.  Since the Church approved messages of Fatima and Lourdes impacted my life in a positive way it seemed that more would be better.  But false apparitions are fool’s gold—all the glitter of heaven but underneath they are not from God.

Monday, October 5, 2015

How Powerful is Our Lady Undoer of Knots?


Our Lady Undoer of Knots
When the devil tells an exorcist:  “It is the novena to 'she who unties the knots' that destroyed my plans…,” it is a powerful endorsement.   
In the booklet, Our Lady Untier of Knots: Story of a Marian Devotion, the testimony of Capuchin Father Capriano deMeo during an exorcism in Torre LeNocelle Avellino, Italy, revealed that a possessed woman was reacting with loud screams and complaints of defeat. 

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Obama's Disrespectful Reception for Pope Francis

I prayed a rosary today for Pope Francis's visit to the United States. I trust that he can hold his own, or rather, God can hold him in the palm of his hand without my help.  But, I am troubled by the reception President Obama has prepared for him at the White House on September 23. 

Friday, September 11, 2015

911, A Survivor's Story by Michael Fineo


          Why me?  It is the very question that haunted me after I escaped from Tower 1 of the World Trade Center in New York City  on September 11, 2001. 

Friday, September 4, 2015

Father Calloway: Our Lady of Fatima’s Remedy for Our Times

“I expect to be imprisoned during my priesthood.”  I hear it over and over these days from priests and seminarians.  No doubt you have too.
The state-driven persecution has arrived, fueled by the Supreme Court’s annihilation of civilization’s primary institution of marriage.  Their 5-4 decision on June 26, legalizing same-sex "marriages" nullified the role of procreation and the basic emotional needs of children in marriage.  

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Ashley Madison, the Devil, and You

Ashley Madison, the company with the tagline: “Life is short. Have an affair,” has been fertile ground for the devil.  He now reaches beyond those that have fallen hard, seeking to also pull in the gleeful spectators.  For by enjoying the specter of moral destruction, Satan pits people against the will of God who desires salvation not downfall. 

Monday, August 24, 2015

12 Things to Know about Pro-abortion Activists


How could they?  Looking at the undercover videos exposing the horrifying reality of all that comes with abortion, it’s a burning question.  How  could human beings callously kill and cut up babies; some with hearts still beating?  Our beliefs may be polar opposites, but our prayers can be fueled with compassion if we understand why they sit in the enemy camp.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Is it Wrong to Lie to Planned Parenthood?

     
Some prolife Catholics claim the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) lead investigator David Daleiden was wrong to lie to make undercover videos.  The latest video reveals that not only are babies cut up for sale, but also tissue is sometimes harvested while the heart is still beating.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Did Jesus Miss Opportunities?

Listening to the Gospel this morning at Mass—because Catholics are all about the Bible and Church authority—(1Timothy 3:15)—I was struck by Jesus’ missed opportunity.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Letter to Senators Loyal to Planned Parenthood

Dear U.S. Senators, 
If you support Planned Parenthood, then you have immersed yourself in lies to support the #1 baby killer in this country—330,000 babies on average killed annually.  Honesty is not an option for you because even liberal voters might flinch if you admitted the truth: I don’t care that babies are killed in the womb so why should I care if they are cut up and sold?

Monday, August 3, 2015

Baby Parts Not for "Life Saving" Science

A largely horrified public has watched five videos on the selling of aborted babies—sacrificed to the gods of “scientific research.”  The heartless defenders of their dismemberment for sale, claim that it contributes to “life-saving research.”  

Monday, July 20, 2015

Interview with Foreli, Mother of World Art Prodigy Akiane


World famous artist led her atheist family to God. At this point, 
they are not Catholic, but the story is quite amazing.

    Foreli Kramarik the mother of the acclaimed child prodigy, Akiane, was raised as an atheist in communist Lithuania.  Religion was viewed, as unsophisticated--intelligent people did not fall for such wishful thinking.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Oregon vs. Science & the Popes on Gender Issues


 In Oregon, the beaver state, it is actually legal to be dumber than a beaver.  Since January, it’s also legal for teens as young as 15 to have sex change operations paid for by the state and without parental permission.  Beavers can do better than that.
Adolescence is intended to be outgrown, not a time for making permanent, life altering decisions. Research shows that the prefrontal cortex of a teen is not fully mature.  Since it is the part of the brain that governs judgments, it has been dubbed "the area of sober second thought." After 4 meetings in 2014, the transgender policy was discussed by the Oregon Health Authority and passed without opposition.  There is no proof that they weren’t all drunk at the time.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Our Only Remedy

Is the Catholic Church dead?  After all, it is not been able to stem the tide against traditional marriage in such places as the United States and the once-very-Catholic Ireland. Even many Catholics are ignoring her teachings. 
“Many are saying the Church is dead or on life support,” Fr. John Riccardo pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, MI said during his homily on the heels of the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage. 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Grasshoppers, the Internet, and Pope Francis

It might be an exaggeration to say that grasshoppers changed our family’s life.  However, at least one of our 10 kids believes that by making room for grasshoppers in his life rather than sitting in front of a TV or video screen, his childhood was much richer.  Pope Francis would agree.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

I am Catholic for One Reason

 “Do you think Catholics are Christian?”  It was a question posed by a listener to a Christian, non-Catholic radio host.  I had inadvertently tuned in on my car radio while driving from Minn. back home to North Dakota. 
“Hang on and I’ll respond to your question after the break,” the host said. 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Badge of Courage, by Christine Trollinger


June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Fr. Vincent Capodanno, Servant of God and a devotion to the Sacred Heart came together for a miraculous story of mercy told by Christine Trollinger about her dear big brother Bill.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Love Like Jesus Even When You Don't Like Someone

 Jesus commanded us to love one another as he has loved us.  Yet, he loved us enough to suffer a horrific death for our salvation.  How can we possibility love like that; especially with people we don’t even like?
 Fr. John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, Michigan, whose Ave Maria radio program Christ is the Answer focuses on Catholic teachings, addressed this quandary in his May 10 homily.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Hillary vs. Ven. Fulton Sheen

Dear Hillary,
You are only running for president. The position of God is already filled.  Despite your April 23 speech at the Women in the World Summit, you cannot overturn his 5th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Two Best Gifts in the World


What are the best gifts that we can give in this world; even better than a clay handprint from a first grader?  Time and prayers.
When time is gone, no amount of money can buy it back. Prayers contain a power beyond this world.  If we could chose between a million dollars or a million prayers for our intentions, which do you think would be a better investment?   

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Join the Releasers

     An Irish nun from St. Albert the Great school in Dearborn, Mich. once told our second grade class that if we said 10 Our Father’s, 10 Hail Mary’s, and 10 Glory Be’s, we would release someone from Purgatory.  I imagined how happy I had just made someone whenever I completed the 3 decades of prayer.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

A Planned Parenthood Dropout is Redeemed by Grace

Another one bites the dust—the Planned Parenthood dust that is. Ramona Trevino is one of the latest former Planned Parenthood employees to free herself from the shackles of delusion and a paycheck from the #1 baby killer in the world. 

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Earth Day Catholic Style


Earth Day is a good time to ask: Did God Screw Up? It would seem, according to population mongers, that the planet got too small under the weight of humanity. Yet, would an all-knowing God create a world we would outgrow?

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

NY Times: No Kids for Me, Thanks


It’s not humility to declare one’s self as insufficient.  It’s a rejection of God.

Selfishness is trending. This month the NY Times article No Kids for Me, Thanks trotted out the latest self-centered choice gaining acceptance: choosing childlessness. Granted, selfishness is in our bones from the moment of birth when it was me, me, me, 24/7.  But just like diapers, we are supposed to grow out of it. 

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Jesus's Last Request Before He Died

On Holy Thursday, at the precipice of his horrible suffering and death, Jesus stated his deepest desire.  He knew upon leaving the  Last Supper, that it would be a short time before he was inflicted with unimaginable suffering and crucifixion.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Self-Centeredness Behind the Deaths of Jesus and Judas

 “It always amazes me that at the Last Supper, when Jesus said, ‘One of you will betray me,’ that no one knew who it was,” Msgr. Thomas Richter said during a Holy Week homily.  Such secrecy, he pointed out, is what led to Judas’s betrayal of Christ.  
All of Christendom thinks “betrayer” at the name of Judas. Yet, while the 12 apostles reclined with him at the Last Supper table, no one suspected Judas. 

Monday, March 23, 2015

Faith Beyond Alzheimers -A Holy Week Story by Rosemary Kadrmas

This story was originally submitted for Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart by Rosemary Kadrmas, mother for Fr. Chris Kadrmas.  It is a story of faith everlasting and a reminder of the dignity of all human life.

     In the late 1990’s I worked in the activities department at a local nursing home where we often brought out the Alzheimers Unit residents to join the other residents’ activities. Some days Arlene, my co-worker, and I really wondered if it was worth all the effort. 

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Conversions Coming Up

Dear Lord, I pray for the conversion of ______(fill in the blank).  We all have names to insert.  Divine lightening to strike them into holy submission would be lovely, but even a simple push in the right direction would be mightily appreciated.  
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son,” John 14:13. God will keep his promises, so in Jesus’ name we pray. And wait.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Sex Ed During Sport Physicals


Last Summer, the physician’s assistant that gave my 12 and 15 year-old boys their sport physicals, surprised me by also giving a mini sex talk.  I was somewhat speechless at the time, but after collecting my thoughts, I wrote a letter.

Dear ________
Last summer, you asked my 12-year-old son: “Do you know about sex?”  Following his slow nod, you rapid-fired your next question. “Do you know about condoms?”  He was there for a sport physical.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Bishop Proclaims a Fast to Maximize Prayers



What did Jesus do to get the maximum out of his ministry? He prepared by first going into the wilderness to fast for forty days.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:16: “When you fast...” not “If you fast...” The first Christians fasted (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23).  It was nothing new. Moses and Elijah had done the same. Fasting and putting on sackcloth saved the city of Nineveh from destruction. King David said, "I humble myself through fasting” (Psalm 35:13).

Monday, February 16, 2015

An Exorcist and his Deliverance Team Comment on Fifty Shades

-To spell it out for a morally challenged culture, I interviewed Fr. Patrick, an exorcist, along with three members of his deliverance team about the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon. 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Heartless Mother or Just Needing Time?

 I recalled knowing several loving parents of Downs babies; 3 originally wanted their baby to die, 1 gave hers away, and another was depressed. 

     What kind of mother threatens her husband to abandon their newborn?  You may have heard about Ruzan Badalyan who threatened divorce if the father, Samuel Forrest refused to abandon their Down Syndrome newborn. Samuel shared his story, claiming that his wife left him in her native Armenia.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Insights From Exorcists

  Face to face encounters with the devil is all in a day’s work for an exorcist; followed by dinner, prayers, and a good night’s sleep.  They walk amid evil on angels' wings with unwavering confidence in the power of God. 

Sunday, January 18, 2015

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.

Monday, January 12, 2015

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.