[father_elijah]

Welcome dear friends in Christ!

My favorite quote from Mother Teresa:

"Very often throughout the day,
we should say,
'Jesus, alive in my heart, I love you'."

[ThomasMore]

Welcome home!

I love the Early Fathers of the Church.  St. Augustine being one of my favorites.

"Late have I loved Thee, O Beauty ever ancient, O Beauty ever new, Late have I loved Thee."

I highly recommend reading the writings of the early Fathers.  A good place to start is with William A. Jurgens, "Faith of the Early Fathers".  This is a three volume set that contains excerpts from the writings of all the Fathers.  It has a great cross reference index for apologetics and scripture quotes.  One cannot help but see how Catholic the early Church was.

 

My favorite site is:

 

There are links to other great Catholic sites from this site too!

and Father Ray's Corner has a lot of excellent homilies.

 

God Bless you all!!

TM

[constitutiongirl]

Count me in...a cradle Catholic who was (finally) Confirmed Saturday. Thanks to Dr. Brian (proud2bRC) and Aquinasfan for the thoughtful posts that answered many questions and showed me the way home.

God Bless.

[grumpster-dumpster]

Congratulations! At my parish there were two new adult Baptisms at the vigil...and 7 confirmands! Age's 20-30's.

A quote (excerpt) from Bishop Wilton D. Gregory (President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) newsletter of 29 March 2002:

"We all know that we are not perfect, yet we all know the call to holiness and integrety of life cannot be taken lightly, not because of the scrutiny of the press or fear of legal action, but because the Lord demands it of all those who would be His Disciples."

[annalex]

It's been 10 years of pure joy since I took my first communion as Roman Catholic. Congratulations.

Because the doctor of Catholic truth ought not only to teach the proficient, but also to instruct beginners (according to the Apostle: As unto little ones in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, not meat -- 1 Cor. 3:1-2), we purpose in this book to treat of whatever belongs to the Christian religion, in such a way as may tend to the instruction of beginners. We have considered that students in this doctrine have not seldom been hampered by what they have found written by other authors, partly on account of the multiplication of useless questions, articles, and arguments, partly also because those things that are needful for them to know are not taught according to the order of the subject matter, but according as the plan of the book might require, or the occasion of the argument offer, partly, too, because frequent repetition brought weariness and confusion to the minds of readers.

Endeavouring to avoid these and other like faults, we shall try, by God's help, to set forth whatever is included in this sacred doctrine as briefly and clearly as the matter itself may allow.

Summa Theologica

[Mr. Thorne]

bump

[SuziQ]

Welcome, ventana and roachie! Jesus's Body and Blood always gives you the strength you need to tread the world's paths each day. God Bless you, both!!

[Trebics]

Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home--
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene--one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path; but now,
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.

So long Thy power hath blessed me, sure it still
Will lead me on,
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

Cardinal Newman

Laetentur Caeli, et exultet Terra...

Welcome to the Church Militant, and the Communion of Saints!
Trebics

[ventana]

I just came across this thread father_elijah! How wonderful and what a kindness that these many freepers took time to offer blessings and well wishes to my husband! He has been working round the clock on a presentation he is giving today in D.C. so I know he is unaware of the thread.

The Saturday night vigil was really wonderful. Seven readings! As you know, and a wonderful homily by our priest urging us to not sit back and let what is happening to our church go by without a fight. He said you (meaning the audience) will, more and more, be called upon to be soldiers in the church, soldiers for the sacraments. He urged us to write and let our Bishops and even the Pope know our feelings and thoughts, but not, under any circumstances, sit back do nothing.

I was my husband's sponsor. The congregation was so overwhelmed by the homily and the pageantry of the evening, and, I think, at the fact that the brave seven souls at the foot of the altar, amidst such turmoil within the church, took the step anyway. People were crying; including me. V's wife.

[Salvation]

Gloria! Gloria! Gloria in excelsis!

[nina0113]

Welcome home to everyone - this Easter was my second anniversary.

At this year's Vigil there were eight people baptized, about a dozen professions of faith from other denominations, and about a dozen confirmations. Everyone was smiling, but the people being baptized were just glowing with joy. That's when I started sniveling.

[OxfordMovement]

While I am not Roman Catholic (yet), I want to congratulate roachie and ventana for their bold steps of faith. I hope it is not out of turn to include an Anglican prayer that is a treasure to me. I hope I don't offend by posting it here, but it is really the only thing I have to offer:

O God, the King of saints, we praise and magnify thy holy Name for all thy servants who have finished their course in thy faith and fear; for the Blessed Virgin Mary; for the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; and for all other thy righteous servants, known to us and unknown; and we beseech thee that, encouraged by their examples, aided by their prayers, and strengthened by their fellowship, we also may be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Campion]

Congratulations & blessings, roachie & ventana!

These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.

-- 1 Timothy 3:15-16

[Antoninus]

Here's one of my favorites from the masthead of the Wanderer (from memory - wording may be slightly different):

"No one can be at the same time a devout Catholic and a dedicated Socialist." --Pope Pius XI(?)

And here's a prayer for both of these new additions to the Church:

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus. Sancta Maria, mater dei, ora pronobis pecatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Literary Converts:Spiritual Inspiration in an Age of Unbelief
by Joseph Pearce

In Print & Available online

[roachie]

Thank you for the thread. I'm still full of joy. There are still two RCIA classes this year, but I'm returning to help with the next group. Our parish bapitsed 6 adults(one of them me)/6 children and in total Confirmed 22. Thanks to all here for the prayers and congradulations. I have included you all in my prayers as well. :)

[RobbyS]

Welcome to the new members!

[Aquinasfan]

Congratulations! Here's a link to my favorite saint.

[ltlflwr]

Congratulations to all and God bless you!

The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity... St. Therese of Lisieux

Quote taken from the Society of the Little Flower webpage.

May you be filled with God's good graces and remain steadfast in your faith.

[jrherreid]

Welcome!

[father_elijah]

Bump