And the stupid liturgical award o' the week...

...goes to the celebrant who, although steadfastly refusing to participate in the purification rite during the Offertory (again I ask...what in Heaven's name is the symbolism we uninformed laity are supposed to get from this omission?) elaborately cleansed his hands, wrists and, indeed, forearms with a portable hand sanitizer before distributing the Blessed Sacrament.

No urban myth...I was there.

Health care, China, and connecting the dots

From today's New York Times:

Now, Chinese and foreign health officials say that some of those contested measures — more easily adopted by an authoritarian state — may have helped slow the spread of the disease in the world’s most populous country. China has not had to cope with a crush of cases, and it began administering a vaccine for swine flu in early September, the first country to do so.

Yay, China!

I guess my question is pretty simple: why couldn't those measures to help slow or eliminate the spread of swine flu been left to free enterprise — not The Government?

My opinion is not changing. Expect more —and more blatant — accolades to "solutions" offered by "authoritarian" states. Expect more — and more blatant — suggestions that Big Government will solve all our problems.

Expect the worse, in so far as this country is concerned.

(On the other hand, my hoped-for citizenship — and I pray this is the same for you — is not of this world at all. Given that, expect the best.)

Tuesday rant: health care, terrorism, and Obama

Howdy,

Forgive me, but I'm feeling a tad ticked off. Why? Because I'm growing weary of living in Alice's Wonderland.

Here's the facts:

Last Thursday, 14 people were massacred at Fort Hood, which is an American defense post in Texas. (We keep hearing "13" but that's BS. One murdered woman was carrying an unborn baby. So we're talking 14.)

42 people were wounded.

The "alleged" perpetrator is a fellow named Nidal Malik Hasan.

This was a terrorist attack on American soil -- on an American Army base! -- and I don't give a bleep whether the terrorist's name is Hasan or Maloney. We're talking no brainers, here, friends.

And it happened on Obama's watch.

Remember the swine flu? It hasn't gone away. You enter "swine flu" into Google and guess where you're taken? Directly to the government-run CDC. This stands for "Center for Disease Control" but so far the government hasn't done much in controlling the disease.

My niece is a physician. She got the disease a couple of weeks ago.

I work part time with hospital patients undergoing bone marrow transplants.

Neither one of us have been vaccinated. Have you? I thought not.

And yet this country is actually considering the notion of putting health care in charge of the federal government!!! Are you kidding me???

Folks, it's time to wake up. Under the Obama watch, this country has been attacked on her own soil by a terrorist. Under the Obama watch, this country has been deprived of a vaccine to prevent what we've been told is a deadly disease.

Under the Obama watch, we've seen more "czars" -- people with enormous power who need not undergo any congressional approval or even investigation -- than pre-revolutionary Russia had ever seen.

Do we pray for the terrorist? Of course we do. Do we pray for Obama? Of course we do.

Do we just sit back and let this bleep happen?

You decide. I've already decided.

While President Obama is fit -- and evidently more than eager -- to be an emperor, emperor status is not afforded under the United States Constitution.

He should be impeached and removed from office.

I'm Kelly Thatcher and I so approve of this message.

Keeping the lines of Communication open

All Souls' Day is not the only day to pray for the Church Suffering, but it's a good start if you've been remiss in doing so. Do it every day.

Yesterday, All Saints' Day, wasn't the only day to ask the Church Triumphant for prayers, but it's a good start if you've been remiss in doing so. Ask for their intercessions every day.

The Communion of Saints: still another gift from God Who is Love!

We pray for our brothers and sisters in Purgatory because it pleases God. And they pray for us because it pleases God and gives them joy to do so. And because they love us. We must love them in return because it pleases God and so therefore should give us joy to do so.

The saints in Heaven pray for us because it pleases God and because they love us.

All of this love emanates from the One Who is Love!

May His Kingdom come!

Planned Parenthood Director Leaves, Has Change of Heart

Planned Parenthood Director Leaves, Has Change of Heart

For those who generally make it to Mass on time...

...please turn your clocks back one hour -- might as well do it now -- and enjoy an extra hour o' sleep tonight.

For those who generally saunter in just after the Offertory? Kindly ignore this post.

This has been a pubic service announcement from the Lady in the Pew. I'm Kelly Thatcher and I approve o' this message.

Have you contacted your congressman yet?

Great post, and an informative one, from Unborn Word of the Day.

Attention St. Jude fans: he doesn't need a "magician's assistant"

It happened again this evening. As I was leaving Saint Clement's Shrine after a visit with Jesus, I spotted a stack of xeroxed sheets labeled "Miraculous Prayer to Saint Jude." Sighing, I glanced at them and, sure enough, there was a lovely prayer to the Saint of Hopeless and Desperate Cases...and a not so lovely instruction:

"Make 90 copies of this prayer and distribute 10 each to 9 different churches immediately...you will surely get your wish, guaranteed!"

Or some such drivel.

As usual, I tossed them in the trash. Where such garbage belongs.

I happen to consider Saint Jude a very good friend.

And as such, it pains me to see him used as a baal.

It is a good thing to ask for this good saint's intercession, particularly in situations which seem hopeless.

It is a bad thing to think that he's a magician.

It's a terrible thing to think that one can manipulate what is, after all, God's domain.

If you are facing what appears to be a hopeless or desperate situation, three things:

1) You're not, really. You're just facing a situation that you, personally, can't see how to handle.

2) This is a good reason to ask Saint Jude to intercede on your behalf. Let him do it. Don't muck it up by adding your own brand o' witchcraft to the mix.

3) Remember that you're asking the good saint to pray for you! You're not asking him to wave a magic wand (he doesn't own one) and you're not helping matters by spreading idolatry around.

Okay? Thank you. When I approach Saint Jude, I often ask him to pray for folks who misuse his love this way.

Because sometimes it seems like a hopeless cause.

Maybe Barack doesn't totally own the MSM after all?

Short, but incredibly sweet article.

Abortion, health care reform, and the Dem's insisistence on the "status quo" blown apart by Charmaine Yoest

Pope to allow Anglican communities to join The Church!

Very, very cool news!

Remembering our babies: pregnancy loss support

Click here for more information.

Obama, Nobel "Peace Prize"...and "The View" (of all shows!)

Meet my cool new friend Lera

I met Lera for the first time today, along with her daughter and husband, and feel like I've known her my whole life.

Do, please, visit her wonderful website, check out her blog, and join this remarkable woman in her faith-filled battle. And for you Archbishop Fulton Sheen fans, there's a special place just for you!

Celebrating Fatima -- enjoy!

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

God! Save the Queen, and England!

When Pope Benedict visits this country next year, he is expected to stay at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the Queen. The warmth of her welcome will come as no surprise to the Pontiff, if senior sources at the Vatican are to be believed.

Read the linked story, and pray!

Father Damien of Molokai to be canonized this Sunday!

Image courtesy Hawaii Magazine

Father Damien, pray for us!

Supreme Court refuses message to choose life for Illinois folk

The U.S. Supreme Court Monday refused to review a lower-court ruling that said Illinois did not have to issue "choose life" license plates.

The rejection came without comment.

Well, I can understand that. I mean, no matter the comment, it would sound stupid.

Here's the plate, which, as you can see, is incredibly threatening. Sheesh. (Image courtesy Jill Stanek's blog.)

The Word of God on marriage, children

From Sunday's First Reading:

When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman, '
for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.

From the Responsorial Psalm:

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants.

From the Gospel:

"Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

A blessed Respect Life Sunday to you!

Could somebody clue in Father Richard McBrien on Adoration of the Eucharist?

Once again (70 x 7?) it's time to pray for priests. Once again, it's time to pray for Father Richard McBrien. And, if I might say so (and I hate to do it), once again, it's time for priests—good, orthodox priests—to face the fact that some o' their brother priests aren't exactly following Catholic teaching and, maybe...even say something about it?

Notwithstanding Pope Benedict XVI's personal endorsement of eucharistic adoration and the sporadic restoration of the practice in the archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere, it is difficult to speak favorably about the devotion today.

Now that most Catholics are literate and even well-educated, the Mass is in the language of the people (i.e, the vernacular), and its rituals are relatively easy to understand and follow, there is little or no need for extraneous eucharistic devotions. The Mass itself provides all that a Catholic needs sacramentally and spiritually.

Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward.

Source: what else?

"Glorious Guardian Angel" by Saint Therese of Lisieux

Glorious Guardian of my soul,
You who shine in God's beautiful Heaven
As a sweet and pure flame
Near the Eternal's throne,
You come down to earth for me,
And enlightening me with your splendor,
Fair Angel, you become my Brother,
My Friend, my Consoler!...
For you the Kingdom and the Glory,
The Riches of the King of kings.
For me the ciborium's humble Host.
For me the Cross's treasure.
With the Cross, with the Host,
With your celestial aid,
In peace I await the other life,
The joys that will last forever.

Thanks to our friends at Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament.

To celebrate "International Blasphemy Day," I give you..

The Curt Jester.

Cardinal Arinze makes it pretty clear

On kneeling, altar rails...and crawling to Christ. I love this man!

(Father) Richard McBrien must be humble...why else would he revel in displaying ignorance?

From the National "Catholic" Reporter:

Lest anyone question Benedict's personal preference in this matter, it should be pointed out that, beginning on the feast of Corpus Christi last year, those receiving Communion from the pope must do so only on the tongue. He has also expressed support for restoring the practice of the priest's celebrating Mass "facing the East," which means in plain English with his back to the people.

Uh...no. In plain English it means "facing God." By your logic, Father o' mine, if I sit in the first few pews I'm turning my back to my brothers and sisters in Christ. The Mass, my dear Father, isn't about the celebrant. Although you'd never know it when attending Mass celebrated by your comrades. It's distracting as bleep to be subjected to the showman trying to make eye contact with the audience -- excuse me, congregation -- instead of trying to reach God.

Given the possibility that such reversals (sometimes referred to as a "reform of the reform") will eventually be mandated, one can only imagine the confusion, frustration and anger that many priests and laypeople will experience.

One can indeed only imagine it because the doom you predict is...imaginary.

Father Longenecker's perspective on health care...I missed the point, I think.

Although the comments are interesting.

Reflection on today's Gospel (don't read if you're a Kelly's Catholic Crossword subscriber!)

If you wish the top spot, then head for the end of the line.

Have I mentioned wordXross lately?

Okay, 'course I have. But if you're a friend -- and I know you are! -- you'll visit the site and download the FREE game. In case you missed the link, here it is again:

wordXross

wordXross: not just a client...a paying client that allows me time to go to Mass every day. Please go now.

I'm Kelly Thatcher and I approve o' this blog. ;-)