This week: A much needed prayer for America. Not forgotten – the millions of Americans who are suffering from unemployment and desperation. Without religious freedom, we lose the right to be Catholic. Robert Gieb’s sharp observations on “Gracelessness” in our society. Rapping on the Communion of Saints. Vatican II and the New Evangelization. A quote of the week.

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Politics is important. How we vote is very important. But we must remember every day to pray for our country and to pray for our neighbors and our family. {{from CatholicVote}}

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Do you really believe people are doing OK? Do you believe things are “just about to turn around”? If so, you are in denial. Just think about the person YOU know who is unemployed – your neighbor, your relative, your parent, your child…   maybe even yourself. This video says everything that needs to be said:

America desperately needs a change so that we may hope again. The massively expensive (dramatically increasing our debt to $16,000,000,000,000), failed programs of the last few years have only made things worse and will burden us for generations. We need someone who has actual, non-government experience like all of us. We can buy into the false class warfare rhetoric – and maybe even make some rich people slightly less so – but at the same time will make everyone else much poorer. Use your head.

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We take so much for granted, particularly the freedoms that made America great. Religious freedom is so key, that it is the very first amendment to the constitution. It has allowed us as Catholics to feed the hungry, educate our children and care for the sick. For the first time in our history, religious freedom is under very serious attack. Unless reversed, this will be devastating to our faith, our good works and the nation. Without religious freedom, we lose the right to be Catholic.

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Robert Gieb recently wrote an excellent piece about “Gracelessness” in our society. He touches on a number of areas, skillfully describing the stark situation we find ourselves in and our hope. This is one gifted writer. Here is a sample:

I had recently watched parts of the quadrennial convention of the national Democratic Party, and the truly exuberant celebration of the killing of unborn children by both speakers and attendees, not to mention the enthusiastic endorsement of sodomy and the end of marriage as being a union of only a man and a woman. That convention was followed an announcement that the local Planned Parenthood affiliate at its newly constructed, state of the art killing chambers would be licensed to kill babies up to six months old in the womb. This announcement was treated in the same way a hospital would announce the addition of a new hospital wing making available a new life saving treatment, or a company might announce an expansion of its commercial services. There was no evidence that either local community leaders or the local media had even the slightest ethical discomfort.

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Father Dusty Burns (a/k/a Pontifex) raps on the Communion of Saints:

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Vatican II and the New Evangelization:

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The quote of the week:

The more a person loves God, the more reason he has to hope in Him. This hope produces in the Saints an unutterable peace, which they preserve even in adversity, because as they love God, and know how beautiful He is to those who love Him, they place all their confidence and find all their repose in Him alone.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Doctor of the Church

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary to address this blogging need. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen for hosting this project!

This week: Archbishop Chaput speaks on the politics of abortion and being Catholic first plus Father John Fitch’s excellent homily on the same topic. Two successful businessmen talk about religious freedom and the HHS mandate. Catholic social teaching and subsidiarity (hint: it’s not solidarity alone). At one time we had a free press that wasn’t an extension of 1 party. The government’s role in marriage, explained simply. The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles have a new CD in the works. The Benedictine Monks of Norcia are brewing up something of their own.

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Not Democrats, not Republicans…   not even Americans first. Catholics first. By that, Archbishop Charles Chaput means faithful to ACTUAL Church teaching first.

Father John Fitch (Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, FL) recently gave an excellent homily on the same theme as Archbishop Chaput. “The fact of the matter is I am neither liberal nor conservative. Simply put, I am Catholic.”

Note to Joe Biden – that also means not having a “private” set of morals and a “public” one. There is only the truth and opposing it is sin.

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The Green family talk about their Christian faith, their business (Hobby Lobby) and how religious freedom is being infringed.

Another businessman, employer and healthcare provider for many, speaks about the impact of ObamaCare on him. Listen to Autocam CEO John Kennedy:

Here, the issue is explained in 15 seconds:

Note to Joe Biden – you can not leave your faith at home.

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Does the Catholic social justice principle of subsidiarity still confuse you? If you care about social justice (and you absolutely should), then you must care about what the Church actually teaches.

Note to Joe Biden – large, every growing, powerful centralized government is NOT and never has been the Catholic answer.

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A pillar of democracy, the fourth estate, relentless seekers of truth – yes, the American mainstream media, is the topic of this Bill Whittle video:

I am reminded of a line Elizabeth Scalia used recently describing a reporter who (this is the amazing part) is covering an important national story even though it is damaging to the media’s candidate. She wrote “CBS News’ Sharyl Attkisson is committing journalism regarding Benghazi, on behalf of a citizenry that is entitled to know what the hell is going on.” See Elizabeth’s piece Benghazi Travesty: 7 Hours, 4 Lives: No Scheisskopf, Please.

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Confusion about the nature, purpose and governmental role in marriage is not a US only problem. An agenda against so-called “traditional” marriage has sadly spread much wider. This video is for a British audience, but it’s message is simple and applicable everywhere:

Fine you say, but how does “gay marriage” hurt you? It does, a lot. See my earlier post but how does “gay marriage” hurt you. For a very quick summary:

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The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, is an order outside of Kansas City. They are putting together a beautiful new CD entitled Advent at Ephesus. Here is a preview:

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The Benedictine Monks of Norcia at the Monastery of San Benedetto, Italy have a new means of support – a brewery! Birra Nursia has now launched in the birthplace of St. Benedict:

A nice video about their order is here .

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary to address this blogging need. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen for hosting this project!

This week: It’s time to revisit Raymond Arroyo’s interview with Mitt Romney. Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus explains why he is “frightened to death.” Another successful businessman, Hungarian immigrant Thomas Peterffy, talks about the loss of opportunity and our dangerous path. Guess who defends traditional values in the face of attacks on it by US and other western powers. Just how bad is the debt crisis? Thanks to abortion, sterilizations and contraception – all western powers will be predominantly Muslim after the next generation. Marriage = biology, not bigotry. Eye of the Sparrow.

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Many people oppose Mitt Romney based on 30 second attack ads produced by his opponent. That is a shame, as their vote will be uninformed. I invite fair-minded people to let him present himself, which he does here for EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo. Mitt speaks on religious freedom, prayer in his life, Paul Ryan, personal character vs. policy choices, robbing Medicare to pay for ObamaCare, permanent immigration reform, campaigning and his faith.

This is a few months old, but conveys well who he is. Two quotes that popped-out at me: “God’s work is to save souls and to bring, to return, to Him.” and “This is a time to get America back on track, not to vilify fellow Americans.”

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We have inherited a great country and will leave it for our children in far worse shape than we received it. The $16,000,000,000,000 federal debt is crushing our economy today and particularly for future generations. Bernie Marcus, the founder of Home Depot, speaks candidly from the heart:

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Thomas Peterffy created this ad as a concerned private citizen, concerned about the march to socialism that the Catholic Church has long denounced. This is where he is “coming from”:

Thomas Peterffy grew up in socialist Hungary. Despite the fact that he could not speak English when he immigrated to the United States in 1956, Thomas fulfilled the American dream. With hard work and dedication, he started a business that today employs thousands of people. In the 1970s, Thomas bought a seat on the American Stock Exchange. He played a key role in developing the electronic trading of securities and is the founder of Interactive Brokers, an online discount brokerage firm with offices all over the world.

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During the cold war, Russia was seen as a godless, communist force arrayed against the God-fearing, free people of the West. We stood for traditional values, they stood for anything but traditional values. My how things have changed. Now it is Russia, against western powers, who defends traditional values.

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Our debt crisis is very real and will, at some point in time in the not very distant future, affect every single American. It will greatly hurt the rich and the poor. There can be no bail-out.

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One of the most ironic aspects of leftism is how superior many feel over those who do not share their ideological views. Yet, consider the historical outcomes every time their way is tried. The western economic collapse is squarely on their shoulders IMHO. The culture of death and the destruction of the family is another result of their brilliance. Father Z posted this recently:

The video refers to “fertility rates” in the sense of babies who are not destroyed in the womb or whose conception was not blocked by artificial contraceptive means. This contrasts starkly with the natural notion of fertility.

Blocking births at the source, one way or another, is not the only culture of death offensive. Undermining or destroying the institution through which life is created and nurtured is another. Within an hour of Father’s post, Marcel happened to post this video:

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For a completely different presentation of the first presidential debate, Bad Lip-Reading presents Eye of the Sparrow:

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary to address this blogging need. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen for hosting this project!

This week: A surprisingly complete description of ObamaCare in one sentence. A Democratic pollster is alarmed at the danger posed by the highly biased mainstream media. An excellent explanation of Catholic Social Teaching. Our president is not just a staunch supporter of abortion, but is an abortion radical. A Philadelphia-area high school student wearing a shirt in support of Mitt Romney is told to remove it because they are a “Democratic school.” Last things. Emily’s promise.

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Describe ObamaCare in ONE sentence. Dr. Barbara Bellar accepts that challenge:

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Democratic pollster Pat Caddell raises an alarm about the danger to the country the biased media poses. He is absolutely correct.

No matter what your political persuasion, believe this – our country is in serious peril now that a credible “4th estate” no longer exists. It…   simply…   doesn’t. We all know it too. Gallup reports U.S. Distrust in Media Hits New High.

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This is a very good and faithful summary of Catholic Social Teaching. It would be better if it did not mention Paul Ryan. Personally, I like him, but some who really do not understand this, will immediately put on their political blinders when his name is mentioned instead of actually learning something.

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FYI – Charles Carroll High School in Port Richmond (near Philadelphia) is a “Democratic school” and support for Romney is akin to support for the KKK. So says the unnamed geometry teacher. This is newsworthy because the teacher lacked proper self-control to properly mask her indoctrination of students. Many public school teachers are as politically unbiased as mainstream media journalists (see #2 above). For parents who do not support the always expensive and often failed public education system, the solution is school vouchers. Phily.com has the story. Thanks to Matthew Archbold for spotting it.

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Ruth Ann wrote recently about Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, a topic rarely mentioned, often ignored and widely misunderstood. She also links to the always excellent Msgr. Charles Pope: Will Many Be Saved? A look at an important new book by Ralph Martin and Hell has to be – my response to blog comments disputing the teaching on Hell.

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Emily’s promise…

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary to address this blogging need. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen for hosting this project!

This week: Abortion – one story. What do Switzerland, Singapore, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany have in common? Stories of some Catholic converts. A convention features Naval power. A Florida party official shares his insights on Christianity. Andrew Klavan looks at the president’s proposal for Middle East peace. A quote of the week.

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A mature fetus / product of conception / clump of cells / fetal placental unit / mass or blob of tissue / primordial mass…   speaks of her abortion. That is, the abortion of herself…   in this new ad from the Susan B. Anthony List:

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What do Switzerland, Singapore, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany have in common? They are now all superior to the United States in competitiveness. In 2008, the US was #1 in global competitiveness. This is quite a slide in only 4 years.

A new report from the World Economic Forum has also found that the US has slipped to #140 (out of 144) on government deficit as a percentage of GDP.

We hit another milestone this month – public debt has reached an astronomical $16,000,000,000,000. That is well more than THREE TIMES our total debt when President Obama took office. It is enough money to paper-over the entire state of Ohio (1.5 times) in $1 bills. Don’t think that this is without serious consequences.

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Marcel at Aggie Catholics has put together a good collection of convert videos. These are folks telling their story and why they are Catholic today. Here is a sample:

If you have not seen my collection of convert stories, by all means CLICK HERE! There you will find a searchable database of convert bloggers, links to other excellent convert story lists and a list of books by converts.

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There is no better way to stir feelings of national pride and unity then paying tribute to our veterans. We are reminded too that our president is also the Commander-in-Chief of our powerful military. That awesome power was featured aspect on the huge display at the Democratic National Convention:

Very impressive, except that wasn’t our navy that was featured aspect. The Democrats featured aspect the Russian navy’s Black Sea Fleet. The NavyTimes first noticed this. Just another confidence builder isn’t it?

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In other convention news, Palm Beach County Democratic Chairman Mark Siegel shared his insights on Christian goals. It turns out, we simply want to slaughter Jews:

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Andrew Klavan makes a counter-proposal to the “two-state solution” for peace in the Middle East.

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A quote of the week is an oldie but goodie, quite apropos:

The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.

Margaret Thatcher

Some random thoughts or bits of information are worthy of sharing but don’t warrant their own full post. This idea was started by Jennifer Fulwiler to address this blogging need, but is guest hosted this week by Grace Patton at Camp Patton. So, some Fridays I too participate when I have accumulated 7 worthy items. Thank you Jen (and Hallie) for hosting this project!