Monthly Archives: September 2012

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Papa Luciani’s Birth

  The Vatican City State is issuing a postage stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I. Sorry I couldn’t get a better picture of it, but here is what I gleaned from … Continue reading

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A Slippery Slope

The following video discusses the “slippery slope” that is created when society attempts to redefine marriage as something other than what it is, i.e., the union of one man and one woman. View, share with a friend, then vote “yes” … Continue reading

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34 Years Ago Today, Papa Luciani Died

In the early morning hours of September 28, 1978, Pope John Paul I died in his sleep. I was in Wiesbaden, Germany at the time, and I remember waking up that day and one of the Army base women telling … Continue reading

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The Cause for Canonization of Pope John Paul I Moves Forward!

  Pope John Paul I, the “smiling pope,” is pictured at the Vatican in 1978. (CNS/L’Osservatore Romano) The cause for the eventual canonization of Papa Luciani (Pope John Paul I) is moving forward! The official promoters of his cause met … Continue reading

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Church of the Week

Holy Cross Catholic Church Santa Cruz, California

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Quote for the Day

“We must live according to what we think, otherwise we end up thinking according to how we live” — Paul Bourget, in  Le demon du midi (How true this is, dear readers! So many in our world today relegate right … Continue reading

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Voting Starts Today

In case you will be away from your polling place on election day, and thus unable to cast your vote in favor of the Marriage Protection Amendment in November, did you know you can begin casting your absentee ballots today? … Continue reading

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Blessed Pope John Paul II on Creation and Womanhood

Blessed Pope John Paul II in 1995 wrote a Letter to Women in which he spoke of the dignity of women. Here is a beautiful quote from this letter. Bl. Pope John Paul II: Dear sisters, together let us reflect anew on the … Continue reading

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Leaders of Many Faiths Supporting Minnesota’s Marriage Protection Amendment. Will YOU?

Here is a press release from Minnesota for Marriage highlighting the support religious leaders and clergy from many faiths for the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment. Passage of this amendment is of vital importance for families, children, men and women of … Continue reading

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Invisible Hunger in Our Midst

Fides (www.fides.org/index.php) reports the following: Washington (Agenzia Fides) – The Christian organization Bread for the World has just released its annual study on hunger and poverty in the Latino community living in the United States, which shows that Latino families … Continue reading

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What About the Joy?

One of my readers put the question to me in my last posting about diaconal suffering, “Is there not joy?” Joy is one of those human experiences that often gets confused with pleasure. Somehow in the minds of many, you … Continue reading

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Congratulations, Diocese of Orange!

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Kevin W. Vann as the bishop of the diocese of Orange, in California. You may have been hearing of that diocese recently, as they purchased the “Crystal Cathedral” from the Robert Schuller ministries this … Continue reading

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“We Sang You a Dirge and You Did Not Weep. We Played You a Flute and You Did Not Dance!”

Today’s Gospel reading from Luke is one of those unusual head scratchers.  “What is the message here?” we ask. I like to think that Jesus, in reciting what must have been an idiom to the Jews of the time, was … Continue reading

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Diaconal Suffering

A good meditation for deacons on suffering is to place yourself next to St. Stephen as we find him in the Scriptures. In a nearby church in the apse over the sanctuary is a fresco of the martyrdom of St. … Continue reading

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Minnesota Marriage Minute: People are NOT turning against marriage

Despite what the popular media may seem to portray, people are not turning against marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Each time it has been put to the people to decide (31 out of 31 times!), … Continue reading

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