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August 11, 2014Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin    Reading 1 Ez 1:2-5, 24-28c On the fifth day of the fourth month of the fifth year,that is, of King Jehoiachin’s exile,The word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel,the son of Buzi,in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.—There the hand of the LORD came upon me. As I looked, a stormwind came from the North,a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped in brightness,from the midst of which (the midst of the fire)something gleamed like electrum.Within it were figures resembling four living creaturesthat looked like this: their...

Pressured by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), Mary’s Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has terminated its offer of a 15% discount for customers who would pray publicly as they ate. Once the FFRF learned of the restaurant’s discount, its attorney Elizabeth Cavell threatened the diner with a complaint in an August 4 letter. Co-owner Mary Haglund immediately capitulated, emailing Cavell on August 6, "I am notifying you & the FFRF that as of today we are no longer offering the 15% discount for Praying in Public."

The Holy Suffering of the Saint " Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good . . . —1 Peter 4:19 " Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s...

Few seem to have good answers for the question: “Why didn’t God just create us so that we would never have to experience pain, suffering, or sadness?” After all, God has the power to make the world free of evil, yet He chose instead to make us creatures with free will. Thus, free will was the door left open for the possibility of evil entering our lives.What is the purpose of pain, suffering, and evil? Why does God allow humans, who were made in His image, to live on a planet where evil abounds? God could have made us...

August 10, 2014Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a At the mountain of God, Horeb,Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him,“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountainsand crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire...

Prayer in the Father’s Hearing " Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ’Father, I thank You that You have heard Me’ —John 11:41 " When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is exhibited in my human flesh. “. . . your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit...

As a Crusade historian, I found the tranquil solitude of the ivory tower shattered by journalists, editors, and talk-show hosts on tight deadlines eager to get the real scoop. What were the Crusades?, they asked. When were they? Just how insensitive was President George W. Bush for using the word "crusade" in his remarks? With a few of my callers I had the distinct impression that they already knew the answers to their questions, or at least thought they did. What they really wanted was an expert to say it all back to them. For example, I was frequently asked...

Full Title: Tips For Hospital Visiting, Here are some tips to help you when you're engaged in hospital visitation ______________________________________ Recently I was re-reading Brian Croft’s great little book, Visit the Sick: Ministering God’s Grace in Times of Illness, and thought I’d put together a few of his tips with some of my own gathered over 20 years of hospital visitation with the hope that it might encourage more of this ministry among Christians. Remember this is not something just for pastors and it also enters into our assessment at the final judgment: “I was sick and you visited me”...

At the tender age of seven, Brian Vanderpool experienced a life changing moment when he watched the movie, Saving Private Ryan. It left such a deep impression on him that he decided to become a Marine. He found out later the movie actually depicted Army personnel, but he had his mind made up.Recently, Lance Corporal Vanderpool, now 20, returned home on leave from an 8 month tour of Afghanistan. He was not expecting to be greeted by a cheering crowd at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, which, in his words, “left a big grin on my face.”Early on,...

August 9, 2014Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Hb 1:12-2:4 Are you not from eternity, O LORD,my holy God, immortal?O LORD, you have marked him for judgment,O Rock, you have readied him punishment!Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil,and the sight of misery you cannot endure.Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silencewhile the wicked man devoursone more just than himself?You have made man like the fish of the sea,like creeping things without a ruler.He brings them all up with his hook,he hauls them away with his net,He gathers them...

Water the Right Seeds Today's Scripture “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4:8, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria There was a report about children who had been bullied in school. It talked about how years later, those negative words were still having an effect on many of them. They interviewed this one man. He was in his 40’s. He looked to be a bright, intelligent man, but he had not been able to hold down a good job,...

Prayer in the Father’s Honor " . . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God —Luke 1:35 " If the Son of God has been born into my human flesh, then am I allowing His holy innocence, simplicity, and oneness with the Father the opportunity to exhibit itself in me? What was true of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Son of God’s birth on earth is true of every saint. God’s Son is born into me through the direct act of God; then I as His child...

Shortly before taking leave of this world, Sir Winston Churchill, who had lived a very long and illustrious life, was reportedly asked about the state of his soul: “I am perfectly ready,” he said, “to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter.” Only someone of the stature of Sir Winston could pull off a piece of effrontery that egregious. And, thank God, there’s probably not much of him in most mortal men. I doubt that there was any at all in my brother Michael. He was far too humble to...

Friday, August 8, 2014 In 2000, Cardinal Ratzinger admitted Russia has not been consecratedBy Brian Kopp Despite all the claims to the contrary, Russia has not been consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as requested at Fatima. Cardinal Ratzinger himself admitted this at the press conference in the year 2000 at the Vatican when the "Third Secret" was "revealed." Here's the video in which Chris Ferrara reads Cardinal Ratzinger's own words regarding the consecration, from the transcript of that news conference, beginning at 48:50 but especially right at 50:00 minutes into the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxgDQZCrhLg Regarding a question about Fr....

August 8, 2014Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest    Reading 1 Na 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 See, upon the mountains there advancesthe bearer of good news, announcing peace!Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,fulfill your vows!For nevermore shall you be invadedby the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob,the pride of Israel,Though ravagers have ravaged them and ruined the tendrils. Woe to the bloody city, all lies,full of plunder, whose looting never stops!The crack of the whip, the rumbling sounds of wheels;horses a-gallop, chariots bounding, Cavalry charging, the flame of the sword, the flash of the spear,the...

In an ominous development Wednesday night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its highest level alert for a response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, even as reports came in indicating that the crisis may now not be limited to West Africa. Centers for Disease Control Chief Tom Frieden posted on Twitter: “Ops Center moved to Level 1 response given the extension to Nigeria & the potential to affect many lives.” According to Doug Stanglin of USA Today, Level I means that increased staff and resources will be devoted to the outbreak. He also said it is...

It’s Never too Late Today's Scripture “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? ...” (Isaiah 43:19, NIV) Today's Word from Joel and Victoria No matter what has happened in your life, it is never too late to become everything God created you to be. The key is to clear out all the negative things people have said about you and focus on what God says about you! You are not who people say you are. You are who God says you are. You have to clear out what that old...

Prayer in the Father’s House " . . . they found Him in the temple . . . . And He said to them, ’. . . Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ —Luke 2:46, 49 " Our Lord’s childhood was not immaturity waiting to grow into manhood— His childhood is an eternal fact. Am I a holy, innocent child of God as a result of my identification with my Lord and Savior? Do I look at my life as being in my Father’s house? Is the Son of God living in His...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A chapter of a nationally-recognized Christian group that seeks to reach children with the gospel of Jesus Christ is under fire for teaching kids the biblical doctrine of sin and eternal judgment, in addition to sharing about the love and mercy of God. The Portland chapter of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is facing resistance from some area residents as they conduct voluntary summer camps in the area and plan on hosting after-school Bible studies in local public schools. The problem? CEF teaches children that each person is a sinner in need of the Savior. Those who oppose...

Christian leaders who uphold Genesis Modern-era theologians and prominent church leaders from around the world affirm biblical creation (historical Genesis) by Don Batten The modern creation movement is mostly driven by those with primarily scientific qualifications. Some of a theological bent argue that we scientists don’t understand the ‘genre’ of Genesis (i.e. we are theological ignoramuses) and that Genesis is not meant to be understood as history. In part answer to this, I have listed here just some of those with theological qualifications who have taken a public stand for understanding Genesis as straightforward history, just as we scientists do....