Top Ten Ways to Have a Catholic Halloween

This time of year introduces several debates. Among conservative Protestants it's "Halloween or no Halloween?" which sometimes becomes "Halloween vs. Reformation Day," the latter being the celebration of the Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses on Oct 31. Even some Catholics have become concerned with how Hallowe'en has become "so evil." No doubt, the devils have tried to highjack the hallowed day and its eve. 

I don't think that we Christians should retreat. Let's take it back!

Well, here are ten ways to keep good ol' Hallowe'en fun and sacred.

10. Don't call it "Satan's Holiday"!

There are many Christians who have written off Halloween as some sort of diabolical black mass. It's the vigil of a Christian holy day: All Hallows' Eve or All Saints Eve. Has it been corrupted by our culture and consumer market? You bet. However, Christmas has also been derailed by the culture. Does that mean that we're going hand over Christmas? No way! Same goes for Halloween. The Church does not surrender what rightfully belongs to her - she wins it back!

9. Don't feel that you have to opt for an "Halloween alternative".

Many churches (particularly Protestant ones) are now how hosting "Fall Festivals" (or worse, "Reformation Day"). I've been to several and they are particularly good if you have toddlers who otherwise wouldn't enjoying walking around the neighborhood "trick or treating". Unless you have seriously hesitations about your neighborhood, why not join your neighbors? It could be a great opportunity to get to know them and spark up some relationships. I've gotten to know some neighborhood dads as we stand out on the curb and watch our kids go up and the ring the door bells of every house on the street.

8. Be safe.

Check all the candy. Have the kids wear glow sticks. Dress warm. Stick together.

7. Be hospitable - Why not host the neighborhood party?

Christians are supposed to be hospitable, right? Why not host an after party at your house with hot chocolate and coffee for the adults. Open up your house or back yard for games. Remember bobbing for apples?

6. Don't be turned off by the ghoulish-ness of Halloween.

Every great Catholic cathedral has gargoyles carved into its stone work. Illuminated manuscripts are also full of ghouls in the margins. Catholics are into this kind of stuff. Why? Because Christ has conquered death and the devil. After Christ, death has lost its sting. Also, All Saints day is followed by All Souls day so it's okay to be a little macabre. (By the way the word "macabre" comes from Maccabees - those two books in the Catholic Bible that Protestants threw out.) And if you live in an Hispanic area like I do, you've got the whole Dia de Muertos to play up.

5. Have fun, don't force converts.

Look, nobody likes to get a religious tract in their candy sack. Don't pass out religious literature. Give out big handfuls of candy and the extra large candy bars, if you can. In the long run, you will make more converts with your charity. After all, you'll be known as "the house that always gives out good candy".

4. Have a bonfire!

We Catholics, once upon a time, used to specialize in bonfires. If you have the land and it's legal, stoke up a blaze. If you're kids are older why not set out a bunch of glowing jack-o-lanterns and roast marshmallows over a blazing-hot fire? If someone can play the fiddle, all the better.

3. Carve some fine looking Jack-O-Lanterns.

This is a no-brainer. Download some fancy cutting patterns from the web. Spend time as a family carving out some pumpkins. Put some candles in them and let them burn outside your house for a week or so before Halloween. My kids always like to see who has jack-o-lanterns in front of their houses. Do you want to make friends in the neighborhood? Have a carving party and give a prize to the best jack-o-lantern.

2. Visit the graves of your loved ones

This applies more to All Souls Day (Nov 2) than it does to All Saints Day (Nov 1). Still the point is to remember our loved ones and to pray for those who have died marked with the sign of faith. Death is not the last word. Christ has overcome death by His own sorrowful passion and death through the resurrection. That is is the source of our hope and strength of all the saints.

1. Be "hallowed."

If you persevere in the love and grace of God, you too shall be a saint. The whole point of "All Hallows" is to remind us to be "hallowed" or "sanctified". Most of us won't have our own particular feast day and so All Saints Day will be our feast day (if God willing, we go to Heaven). It is the feast day for most of the Church's saints, those who lived peaceably, followed Christ, loved their families, accomplished their duties in life and passed on to the next life. May their prayers be with us.

Have other Halloween ideas? Share them in the comment box.

Oh, and don't forget All Hallows (Nov 1) is a Holy Day of Obligation. It's a mortal sin not to attend Holy Mass on this day (unless it is lawfully transferred by the bishops).

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Coming to a Nation Near You

One of the great film quotes comes from Tombstone when Johnny Ringo quotes the Apocalypse "Behold the pale horse. The man who sat on him was Death... and Hell followed with him."

A clever line, but what's the story of the biblical Four Horseman, the last of which is named "Death"? Who are they and what do they signify?

The Four Horsemen of the book of Revelation are summoned as the "seven seals" are opened by the Lamb of God who is our Lord Jesus Christ (Rev 6:1-8).

Here are the details of each of the four horsemen:

1. White Horse symbolizing Conquest
2. Red Horse symbolizing War
3. Black Horse symbolizing Famine
4. Pale Horse symbolizing Death

White Horseman
Saint Irenaeus interpreted the four horseman as righteous. He even taught that the White Horseman was Christ Himself riding out in victory over the world with the Gospel of salvation. The appearance of Christ on a white horse in Revelation 19 seems to confirm this interpretation - I certainly hold this view. This, then, would signify that the "Conquest" is the spiritual conquest of Christ over the hearts of mankind. It is the extension of the Great Commission.

Red Horseman

The rider of the second red (πυρρός, from πῦρ, fire) horse represents War. This indicates a universal war, or perhaps the martyrdom of Christians. If this is past, it represents the Roman persecutions. If it is future, it represents the great persecution after the "fullness of the Gentiles" come into the Church.

Black Horseman
The Black Horseman signifies a food famine. This is the most interesting of the four horseman. Here the means of exchange is silver - i.e. the actual metal. Paper money or currency isn't be used. Moreover, the price for wheat and barley is inflated beyond the means of  a day laborer. The idea is that people will not be able to purchase food. Now, the angel says that "see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." This means that the luxury of oil and wine will not be penalized. It's rather odd. Daily staples (bread) will inflate in price, but luxury items (wine and oil) will not inflate. The really interesting thing is that all three items (bread, wine, and oil) are the three elements used in Catholic sacraments. So perhaps the saving of wine and oil is a reference to the fact that the Church will be able to retain her sacraments. That's just a guess. I cannot really back this up with any Fathers - so take it or leave it.

Pale Horseman

The fourth and last horseman is named Death. The color of his horse is written as khlōros (χλωρός) in the Greek, which often refers to the color green. This why green represented death and the devil during the Middle Ages, by the way.

I look forward to any other thoughts or insights - especially about the wine and oil of the Black Horseman.

Logos: The Best Catholic Bible App

I've been using Logos Catholic Bible Software for a few years now and I love it. If you want the ability to do advanced searches and explore Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and sources, then you need this. Also, if you want immediate searchable access to Catholic resources (Church Fathers or Aquinas), please check it out.

I interviewed Andrew Jones about what's new in the Catholic Logos Bible Software:

1) Andrew, I'm a huge fan of Catholic Logos Bible software. For those who are not familiar with it, can you explain what the advantages of Logos?

Sure. Logos uses the most cutting-edge technology available to integrate the Scripture with thousands of other texts. So, with Logos the Scripture text acts as a hub around which revolves a massive library, some 17,000 resources. These texts are all linked together and to the Scripture in such a way that with just a couple clicks you can explore the entire Christian tradition’s interpretation of a certain passage or a certain doctrine. The Bible is literally surrounded by the Tradition. Logos also has hundreds of language tools and resources that allow you to delve deeply into the Scriptural text in the original languages, even if you don’t know them. The software is smart enough to provide hundreds of hours worth of research in seconds. And it is all presented in an intuitive and totally customizable interface.

2) Why the need for a "Catholic version"? What is unique about this package?

Logos is amazingly suited for Catholic Scripture study because it allows us to approach the Bible not as a stand alone text, but as a text in constant dialogue with the living Tradition of the Church. Basically, what the software does is organize massive amounts of information and orient it all on the Scripture. This means that every individual’s experience varies depending on the books they have in their library. So, what the new Catholic libraries allow is for you to start your Logos library with a huge list of great Catholic resources. You start with the Bible in the middle of the Tradition. From there, you can build a totally custom library based on your own interests.

3) Explain how the search apparatus works in Logos?

Well, the first thing to realize is that it is not a normal search engine like Google or something like that. Logos doesn’t just search for keywords. Rather, we’ve put human intelligence into the tagging of the books. So, for example, if you search for “Eucharist” the software will return references to the “Lord’s Supper,” “Communion,” and so on. You can search for citations: for example, every time a certain passage of Aquinas’ Summa Theologica is cited by any work in the library. But, what I think is really cool is what you can do with the original languages. So, say you are looking at John 15:4 where Christ says, “Abide in me as I abide in you.” and you want to investigate the word “abide,” Logos is smart enough not to simply search your translation for the English word “abide;” rather, it searchs for the underlying Greek word, here “meno,” and then gives you the results back in English. So, it returns all the places “meno” appears in the Greek regardless of how your Bible translates it in any given passage. You don’t need to know Greek or Hebrew in order to get behind the translations and into the original languages. I know for me, this has totally changed the way I study the Bible.

4) Is Logos for "scholars only" or could your normal layman benefit from Logos, too?

I think one of the things that is so great about Logos is that it is powerful enough for scholarly study, but at the same time it is easy enough and intuitive enough for anyone to use. In fact, what it does is open up avenues of Scripture study that up till now have been limited to the most advanced scholars. There is no substitute, of course, for study and education, but what Logos does is share the fruits of this study broadly. It offers to the faithful the results of centuries of research and makes them accessible.

5) And it works on your iPhone, right?

Actually, your Logos library works on Apple or Android devices. You can take thousands of books with you wherever you go. It’s hard to describe how awesome this is. In fact, it takes quite a bit of getting used to, being able to pull out your phone and do searches and find references whenever you need to.

6) What is your favorite resource in the new Catholic Logos package?

Well, I’m a medievalist by training and a student of Aquinas; so, I’d have to say my favorite resource is the Summa Theologica. I love being able to have the Latin and the English scroll together, and I love having St. Thomas always there with me in my studies. No matter what I’m working on, with a click I can find out what he thought about it. He’s become my permanent companion, and I love it.

Andrew thank you for sharing your thoughts on the new Logos Bible software. If readers want to learn more, what should the do?

Please visit our homepage Catholic Logos Library to learn more and register to win a free version.

Meet a Holy Bishop: St Anthony Mary Claret

Saint Anthony Mary Claret is one of those saints that you could not create in your imagination. He labored both in Europe and the New World. He wrote over 140 books. He actively preached against "Negro slavery" in the mid 1800s. He was also a "living tabernacle," something explained below.

Anthony Mary Claret was born at Salent in the Diocese of Vich in Catalonia, Spain, in the year in which Napoleon invaded Spain. He was trained for manual labor, since his father was a weaver, but in 1829 he entered the seminary at Vich. Ordained to the priesthood in 1835, he was assigned as pastor in his home parish. Later he went to Rome to work for the Propagation of the Faith. He also entered the novitiate of the Jesuits but had to leave because of ill health, so he returned to Spain and was assigned as pastor of a parish. His apostolate consisted of rural preaching, conferences for the clergy and books. Because of his successful apostolate he aroused the animosity of some of the clergy and as a result he left Catalonia for the Canary Islands (1848). After a year he returned to Catalonia and resumed his preaching apostolate.

In 1849 Anthony gathered together five priests who formed the basis of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (known as Claretians). At the suggestion of the Queen of Spain, Isabella II, Anthony was chosen as Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba in 1850. For the next seven years he made pastoral visitations, preached against the slavery of the Negroes, and regularized numerous marriages. As a result of his activity he was frequently threatened with death and on one occasion an attempt was actually made on his life. In 1857 he was recalled to Spain as confessor to the queen. In this way he was able to exert some influence in the naming of bishops, set up a center of ecclesiastical studies at the Escorial, and work towards the recognition of religious orders in Spain. 

In 1869 he was in Rome, preparing for the First Vatican Council. He followed Isabella II into exile and at the insistence of the Spanish ambassador, was placed under house arrest in the Cistercian monastery at FontFroide, where he died at the age of 63. 

The most interesting thing is that it was revealed to him by God that the Holy Eucharist remained in him undigested until he received the Eucharist again so that he was a living tabernacle without interruption.

Can a baby be validly baptized with beer? (Pope Gregory IX)

In July of AD 1241, a pressing matter was presented to Pope Gregory IX (reigned 1227-1241). The minds of Christendom were perplexed with a complicated theological problem: Would an infant baptized with beer be validly baptized?

Surprisingly, the question made it all the way to the Pope.

From the papal letter Cum sicut ex to Archbishop Sigurdof of Norway on July 8, 1241, Pope Gregory IX wrote the following:

Since as we have learned from your report, it sometimes happens because of the scarcity of water, that infants of your lands [Norway] are baptized in beer, we reply to you in the tenor of those present that, since according to evangelical doctrine it is necessary “to be reborn from water and the Holy Spirit” [John 3:5] they are not to be considered rightly baptized who are baptized in beer.

So there you have it. Although beer is mostly water, it doesn't qualify as proper matter for the sacrament. Save the Pale Ale for the baptismal reception.

HT: Father Pio Maria Hoffmann, CFR

Saint Faustina's Vision of Hell (The 7 Characteristics of Hell)

 Saint Faustina (1905-1938) Apostle of Divine Mercy

Today there is an unspoken assumption that "everyone" is going to Heaven. Fire and brimstone theology is certainly not fashionable, and it has never been comfortable. Moreover, Balthasar's "dare that we hope that all men be saved" has led to "how dare you suggest that not all men are saved!!!"

Yet, the two most important revelations of the 20th century (to the children of Fatima and to St Faustina) emphasize both that Hell exists and that Hell is inhabited by demons and humans. Below is Saint Faustina's vision of Hell that Christ revealed to her. It is as vivid as anything produced by Dante. The following is taken from the journal of Saint Faustina:

Today, I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is!

The kinds of tortures I saw: the First torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the Second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the Third is that one’s condition will never change; the Fourth is the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it - a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God’s anger; the Fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the Seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies.

These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin.

I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like. {TRM: This is similar to the vision of Hell and Our Lady's warning at Fatima}

What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. How terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. (Diary of St. Faustina, 741)

Let us trust in Christ, pray, repent of our sins, love God and neighbor and adhere to the true Faith "without which it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6).

Saint Faustina, pray for us.

Jesus, our Divine Mercy, have mercy on us.

HT: Christine McCabe

Photo: Occupy Rome Desecrates Statue of Our Lady

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy (40x)

At the recent economic "occupy" demonstration in Rome, the protesters decided to take their anger out on...our Blessed Mother! What? This is Satanic. 

Did the Virgin Mary take away their jobs? Did the Immaculate Mother ruin the Euro? Did the sweet Mother of Christ endorse the rotten assets of Euro-nation banks? No.

More and more, these rallies are revealing themselves as Marxist, and consequently, anti-Christ. Young people have tons of college school loans and no prospects. They're angry and their anger will rest first with "rich people" then to "government" then to "foreign governments" and then to "religion" and then to "God." By the looks of the photo above, Rome is ahead of the curve.

Remember what Our Lady of Fatima said to Blessed Lucia. We should attend Holy Mass, confess, pray the Rosary and meditate for 15 minutes on the Rosary every first Saturday for at least 5 first Saturdays.

When Lucia asked, "Why five first Saturdays?" our Immaculate Lady answered, "In reparation for the five offenses against her that most grieve the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

1) those that deny her as the Mother of God

2) those that deny her as the Immaculate Conception

3) those that deny her perpetual virginity

4) those that teach children to irreverence her

5) those that smash or desecrate images of her

So here we have the last offense in full view. Let us pray earnestly, and let us make reparation to the divine justice of Christ before His hand of judgment falls up on us.

Let us pray in particular for those that did this, and for those that just walked by, even taking photos of the tragedy.

Kyrie eleison (forty-fold)

Patron Saint of Compromised Financial Services (St Callistus I)

With all the contemporary uproar about banks, bailouts, and "lost funds," today's saint is an interesting one. 

Pope Saint Callistus began as a slave who formed a bank with his Christian master's charity fund - donations to be given to poor widows. One day it was discovered that all the money was gone, and Callistus immediately fled Rome. Legend says that he was identified in Portus but that he jumped overboard the ship in order to escape. He was captured and brought back to Rome. Soon after he was imprisoned for fighting with Jews at a Synagogue - apparently over money lost through bad loans.

Callistus was sentenced to the mines of Sardinia, but was later released through the intervention of  aRoman priest. Returning to Rome, Pope Zephyrinus appointed him to oversee the catacombs on the Appian Way. Callistus eventually became a deacon and then succeeded his patron Pope Zephyryinus to the See of the Saint Peter, becoming Pope in AD 217. 

His rocky beginning led to the criticism of Saint Hippolytus who was erected as the first "antipope." However, when Pope Callistus was sentenced to the mines for being a Catholic along with Hippolytus, the men were reconciled and died together as martyrs.

Much of this account is taken from the writings of enemies of Callistus, so they may be exaggerated. Still, it seems that today's saint lived a most peculiar life from bankrupt slave-banker to a Pope-martyr.

Saint Callistus, pray for us.

Rare Video: Pope Pius XI on the Loggia of Saint Peter's

I love watching real videos of the popes. The 20th century is the only era in Church History where this has been possible. Here's a video of Pope Saint Pius XI at Saint Peter's. You can hear his voice, too.

The Holy Chalice of Valencia: Is it the Holy Grail?

The Holy Chalice of Valencia is the alleged chalice used by the first 22 popes until Sixtus II who then gave it to St Laurence for safe keeping. After the martyrdom of Laurence, the chalice was taken to Spanish for safe keeping, The chalice is authenticated by a certificate said to date from AD 262. The physical properties of the Holy Chalice are described and it is stated the vessel had been used to celebrate Mass by the early Popes from Saint Peter until Pope Saint Sixtus II.

Details
The Holy Chalice as depicted above is a hemispherical cup made of dark red agate which is mounted by means of a knobbed stem and two curved handles onto a base made from an inverted cup of chalcedony. The agate cup is about 9 centimeters/ 3.5 inches in diameter and the total height, including base, is about 17 centimeters 7 inches high

It's a really old Egyptian cup
After an inspection in 1960, the Spanish archaeologist Antonio Beltrán asserted that the cup was produced in a Palestinian or Egyptian workshop between the 4th century BC and the 1st century AD. 

Spain and the Holy Chalice
The Holy Chalice was hidden during the Mohammedan occupation of Spain beginnin gin AD 711. Historical mention is made of it in AD 1134 and AD 1399.

The Holy Chalice Today
Pope John Paul II himself celebrated Mass with the Holy Chalice in Valencia in November 1982. In 2006 at Valencia, Pope Benedict XVI also celebrated with the Holy Chalice, on this occasion saying "this most famous chalice", words in the Roman Canon said to have been used for the first popes until 4th century in Rome, and supporting in this way the tradition of the Holy Chalice of Valencia.

The 12 Apostles...of Ireland

October 11 is the feast of Saint Canice (515/516 - 600), one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland." The Twelve Apostles of Ireland were twelve Irish saints of the sixth century who studied under St Finian at the rigorous monastery of Clonard Abbey at Cluain-Eraird. These twelve "apostles" studied Latin and the Christian theology of Rome. We often forget that early Irish liturgy and theology were Latinate and Roman.

These great Irish saints transformed their nation. It only takes 12 holy people to make a nationwide difference. Their success was built on their rigorous penance, prayer, and dedication to learning and preaching. Their success also shows how a single teacher or leader like St Finian can inspire men to do great things.

In the hymns from St. Finian's office we read:

Regressus in Clonardiam
Ad cathedram lecturae
Apponit diligentiam
Ad studium scripturae.

Which translates:

Returning to Clonard {Monastery}
to the chair of lecture
He established diligence
to the study of Scripture

Here are the Holy Twelve of Ireland:

1. St. Ciaran of Saighir (Seir-Kieran)
2. St. Ciaran of Clonmacnois
3. St. Brendan of Bir
4. St. Brendan of Clonfert
5. St. Columba of Tir-da-glasí (Terryglass)
6. St. Columba of Iona
7. St. Mobhí of Glasnevin
8. St. Ruadhan of Lorrha
9. St. Senan of Iniscathay (Scattery Island)
10. St. Ninnidh the Saintly of Loch Erne
11. St. Lasserian mac Nadfraech
12. St. Canice of Aghaboe (today's saint for October 11)

Holy Irish Saints, pray for us!

iParent: Steve Jobs said Having Children is 10,000 times better than anything he'd ever done

Steve Jobs and his wife Laurene

Which would you rather have in your lap right now: a baby or a new iPad? If the answer is 'iPad' then you need to keep reading.

There are likely hundreds of CEOs and thousands of people in the world who wish they could be "as innovative and successful as Steve Jobs." In the days following the death of the Apple genius, a story caught my eye about his perspective on fatherhood in the shadow of death.

Dean Ornish, quoted in the New York Times, said of Steve Jobs: "I once asked him if he was glad that he had kids, and he said, 'It’s 10,000 times better than anything I’ve ever done.'"

To better appreciate this, let's just take a quick look at some things that Steve Jobs did:

• Macintosh (including the computer "mouse" and the "windows" style operating system - My family had a Mac IIsi when I was middle school - I was the only kid printing out pretty book reports - my English teacher always admired my fonts)
• iPods (do you remember the first time that you saw one?)
• iPhones (with touch screens)
• iPad (with touch screens)
• iTunes (the popularization of mp3s and podcasts)
• Apple Store
• Apps (yes "apps" is now an English word)
• Pixar Studies (Toy Story, Cars, etc.)
• a billionaire at least 6 times over

What a list. Yet Steve Jobs says that having children is for him "10,000 times better" than all these accomplishments combined. He had one child in his early 20s out of wedlock and later three more children with his wife.

As a father of six, I also know that having children is a blessing and a test. There is nothing so difficult and nothing so rewarding. You probably have not heard this Jobs quote because it is precisely what America and the West don't want to hear. Having a family is more rewarding and a greater accomplishment than anything that even the best inventor/CEO/billionaire can accomplish.

Jobs' epiphany reflects Odysseus' decision at the end of Plato's Republic. Happiness is not found in being famous, royal, or rich. The wise man, like Odysseus, knows that contentment is found in being a simple man with a simple life. Death is the app through which we can see what is most important: being a spouse, parent, and friend.

“Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.” (Psalm 126:3, D-R)

The Rosary Challenge: It's only 1% of your day!

Will you give 1% of 1440 minutes each day to God?

If so, pray the daily Rosary in 15 minutes - 1% of 24 hours.

There is also a plenary indulgence attached the family Rosary with the usual conditions. If you need tips on praying the family Rosary (something that can seem impossible with young children), please read this:

12 Tips for Praying the Family Rosary daily (Attention Catholic Dads) 

Please pass this on to your friends. The culture war will be won through the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary because it so quickly and easily leads us to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Darn Tooting: President Obama Openly Confronts Catholic Bishops

Yesterday in St Louis, the unthinkable happened. President Barack Obama publicly boasted about how he is flaunting Archbishop Dolan of New York and the American Catholic bishops. President Obama's new regulation via the Department of Health and Human Services will REQUIRE all private health insurance plans in the US to cover sterilizations, all FDA-approved contraceptions, and all FDA-approved abortifacients. 

Our President boasted about how he is moving forward despite the Catholic Church's insistence that this is an “unprecedented attack on religious liberty.”

Somone in the crowd yelled out: "Darn right!"

The President responded: "Darn tooting!"

I've said it once and I'll say it a thousand more times. Why are insurance companies forced to pay for contraception and abortion and why are they not forced to cover the BIRTHS of our American children!!!  America consists of people and we are making the mistake of Europe by subsidizing our decline. It's maddening that insurance companies hardly cover the costs of birth. 

The fact is that those who actually bear children and bear the burden of the cost for raising them will be the ones funding the future well-fare-state Shangri-La that these enemies of the Church propose.

There are now "two Americas" emerging in competition with each other. Saint Michael the Archangel, protect us in battle. 

To read Archbishop Dolan's letter to President Obama, click here.

Chartreuse: The Famous Green Liquor and Saint Bruno

Chartreuse is that famous French liqueur made by Carthusian Monks. The founder of the Carthusians was Saint Bruno, an amazingly dedicated man who sought Christ in all things.

In 1084, Saint Bruno and six of his companions, he presented themsleves to St Hugh of Châteauneuf, Bishop of Grenoble, who installed them in a deserted location called Chartreuse, not far from Grenoble. Here they built a monastery for their life of prayer, poverty, and study. The monks began producing a spicy liquor (it contains 130 herbs!!!) of the same name "Chartreuse" in the 1700s.

It's fantastic greenish color also gave name to the color "Chartreuse."

Although I never met my paternal grandfather, I understand that he favored this liquor.

The origin of the liquor is interesting. Around 1605, a French marshal of King Henry IV, named François Hannibal d'Estrées, presented the Carthusian monks with a manuscript recipe for an "elixir of life." The French name "Elixir Végétal de la Grande Chartreuse" comes from this manuscript. The recipe includes 130 herbs suspended in an alcohol base fermented from grape. The monks brewed this potion as a medicine and reached its current version in 1737 under the oversight of Brother Jerome Maubec.

Here's a dutiful Carthusian monk performing his divinely inspired chemistry for the sake of the green elixer:

 There is also yellow version which is flavored with saffron. So celebrate Saint Bruno and the Carthusians and enjoy a cocktail with Chartreuse.

One of these days, I'd like to do a study and post on the religious origins of various wines, beers, and liquors.

Godspeed,
Taylor

PS: The Catholic influence of Chartreuse is also witnessed to in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.. Anthony and the Charles Ryder drink Chartreuse after dinner. Anthony muses that it's "Real G-g-green Chartreuse, made before the expulsion of the monks. There are five distinct tastes as it trickles over the tongue. It is like swallowing a sp-spectrum."

Did you know about the Fleshy Nails in the Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi

I mentioned this once before on Canterbury Tales. Many do not know that the stigmata of Saint Francis contained something like nails in his hands and his feet. These nails could move within the wounds. Here's the account from the Fioretti:

On the death of St Francis his glorious, the sacred stigmata were seen and kissed, not only by the said Lady Jacopa and her company, but by many citizens of Assisi; among others by a knight of great renown, named Jerome, who had doubted much, and disbelieved them; as St Thomas disbelieved the wounds of Christ.

And to assure himself and others, he boldly, in the presence both of the brethren and of seculars, moved the nails in the hands and feet, and strongly pressed the wound in the side. By which means he was enabled to bear constant witness to the truth of the miracle, swearing on the Gospels that he had seen and touched the glorious, holy stigmata of St Francis, the which were seen and touched also by St Clare and her religious, who were present at his burial.

Here is another description of the wounds and their fleshly nails:

For upon his hands and feet began immediately to appear the figures of the nails, as he had seen them on the Body of Christ crucified, who had appeared to him in the likeness of a seraph. And thus the hands and feet appeared pierced through the midst by the nails, the heads whereof were seen outside the flesh in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, and the points of the nails stood out at the back of the hands, and the feet in such wise that they appeared to be twisted and bent back upon themselves, and the portion thereof that was bent back upon themselves, and the portion thereof that was bent back or twisted stood out free from the flesh, so that one could put a finger through the same as through a ring; and the heads of the nails were round and black. In like manner, on the right side appeared the image of an unhealed wound, as if made by a lance, and still red and bleeding, from which drops of blood often flowed from the holy breast of St Francis, staining his tunic and his drawers.

Clearly, this stigmata of the Seraphic Father was different from that of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. Father Solanus Benfatti of the Friars of the Renewal has recently composed a thesis in Rome on the stigmata of Christ. I hope to be able to read it soon.

On a related note, my friend the Reverend Father Solanus Benfatti of the CFRs has just published a fascinating study on the earliest texts witnessing to the stigmata of Saint Francis: The Five Wounds of Saint Francis (TAN, 2011). Please click on the link and order a copy.

New Book: The Church and New Media

If you're Catholic and you follow blogs and podcasts, here's a new book that you will enjoy reading: The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet edited by Brandon Vogt.

Following Pope Benedict's call to set sail on the digital continent, The Church and New Media explores the benefits and dangers of New Media, while guiding Christians through this new digital landscape. The book features more than a dozen contributors including:

-- Cardinal Sean O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap. with the book's Foreword

-- Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan with the book's Afterword

-- Brandon Vogt on "the digital continent" and New Media's benefits and dangers

-- Fr. Robert Barron on engaging the secular online world

-- Jennifer Fulwiler on blogging her way from atheism to Catholicism

-- Marcel LeJeune on using New Media to connect young adults with the Church

-- Mark Shea on the benefits and perils of blogging

-- Taylor Marshall on using New Media to unwrap ancient truths

-- Fr. Dwight Longenecker on ecumenical dialogue through New Media

-- Scot Landry on New Media in the diocese

-- Matt Warner on New Media in the parish

-- Lisa Hendey on growing online community

-- Thomas Peters on faithful online activism

-- Shawn Carney on how the world's largest pro-life movement was built using New Media

100% of the royalties from this book will be used to establish school computer labs throughout the Archdiocese of Mombasa, Kenya.

St Francis on How to Receive the Holy Spirit Permanently

So-called spiritual gurus of every age promote techniques by which a person becomes "spiritual." Contrast this to the perennial wisdom of Saint Francis. One acquires the Holy Spirit, says holy Francis, not by techniques but by simple consistency in penance, prayer, alms, purity, and charity. Such persons will gain the Holy Spirit "permanently." Is this not that for which we long? Here are Saint Francis' words on the subject:

Furthermore, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God’s sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father’s children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St Margaret Mary Alacoque once asked which saint besides the Immaculate Mary in Heaven was the closest and most devoted to the Sacred Heart of Christ our Lord. God revealed that it was Saint Francis. St Maximilian Kolbe concluded from this that Francis is the closest to the Sacred Heart because he is the saint most like the Blessed Virgin Mary. My suspicion is that this is so because Mary is the humblest creature ever created and Saint Francis also sought this special gift of humilty.

Immaculate Conception, pray for us.