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Maybe I don’t get out enough, but this is the first article where I have seen Meriam Ibrahim regain the title Catholic. Everywhere else I have seen the media label her a Christian.

The patience of the saints is terrifying to those who are in darkness.

Mexicans were and it's interesting to see what low regard so many "Christians" have for Mexicans. They were put to the test and did in fact die in large numbers to defend their right to worship Christ in the Mass.

Meanwhile, it remains to be see whether US Christians will even take to the streets in significant numbers to protest the clear violation of the First Amendment embodied in the HHS mandate.

So far, it looks like folks will just grumble on the Web and kiss the 1st Amendment goodbye.

My husband and I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years while he worked for SAUDI ARAMCO, the big oil/natural gas company. Since there were so many Christians there the company provided men of the cloth for Christian services.

Our little camp had its own PRIEST and who celebrated daily Mass every morning at 9:00 A.M.
One of the larger clubhouse rooms was the "church." It was over there where I began attending DAILY MASS. I still do today, thanks to my SAUDI boss. But, that's another story.

The SAUDIS appreciated the Christian need for Christian services. We also had a Protestant minister (and wife) who led a Friday (Muslim holy day) service AND an Anglican priest who visited once a week for the six Anglicans on camp.

Not ALL Muslim countries are as bad as Iraq and Iran.

, “Amen, Amen, I say unto you; except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood you shall not have life in you.” John 6:54. Instead of watering down His statement Christ drives home what He is proclaiming to His audience, “He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life; and I will raise him up on the last day. For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in Him.” John 6:55-57.

Twelve times does Christ tell his audience that He is the “Bread come down from Heaven” and in four consecutive sentences Jesus uses the double phrase “to eat My Flesh and drink My Blood.” Hence His meaning is unmistakably clear.

He confirms His power and authority, saying, “As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me.” John 6:58. But this doctrine of the Teacher staggered the stiff-necked Jews who began to quit Christ. “Many therefore of His disciples hearing it, said: ‘This saying is hard, and who can hear it?”’ John 6: 61. “After this many of His disciples went back; and walked no more with Him.” John 6:67.

And receiving the Eucharist unworthily is a grave sin.
If it were only symbolic, it COULD NOT BE a grave sin.

Being relatively new to the Catholic Faith, I get a chill when I receive Communion. One of my prayers is that it never becomes “commonplace” to me. I too notice people at Mass who act like they would rather be someplace else. But most seem to be happy for the opportunity to worship. I may mention this to my Priest. He should bring this up in his homily that we are blessed to be able to attend Mass without the threat of a car bomb or a grenade being rolled down the center aisle. One other prayer I say is that if-when the day comes, I am able to find the strength of Faith not to deny Christ. Vivat Jesus!