Monday, September 23, 2013

This Week's Picks

POPE FRANCIS

His 12,000 word interview.
http://www.americamagazine.org/pope-interview

Like all your other crushes, Pope Francis will let the radicals down.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/09/23/pope_francis_on_abortion_ladies_he_will_let_you_down.html


SPACE AND GOD

...the final frontiers.

Voyager 1 has officially left our solar system.  This little probe (the size of a small car) has traveled where no man has traveled before.  It is the farthest human-made object from Earth in the Universe, traveling away from both the Earth and the Sun.  What an accomplishment! Now if we are able to do something like this, imagine another civilization that is merely 10,000,000 years ahead of us?  Unfortunately, I have a feeling that we will only be left with our imagination. 
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/09/12/voyager-1-has-left-solar-system-nasa-says/ 

PRO-LIFE AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD

More and more abortion clinics are closing down.  This year alone, it was reported that over 50 abortion clinics shut their doors for good.  Thank God and all the people who work tirelessly to bring this horror and scandal to a close.
http://www.catholicvote.org/abortion-clinics-are-closing-at-a-record-pace/

ANSWERED PRAYERS

Miracle Girl and Mystery Priest Meet Up
"Many wondered if the mystery priest was real or an angel?  It turns out he was both." 
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/20/mystery-priest-to-reunite-with-miracle-car-crash-surviver-katie-lentz/

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/guardian-angel-revealed-crash-survivor-meets-mystery-priest-19944826

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND FREEDOM FROM GOVER
NMENT INTERFERENCE (RFFG).


Turns out a little girl cannot write about her true "idol":  Jesus Christ.  So much for freedom of speech.
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/school-tells-child-she-cant-write-about-god.html

CONVERSION STORIES

Peter Hitchens was once an atheist like his late brother Christopher Hitchens, but he became a member of the Church of England.  In his book, The Rage Against God, Hitchens's describes his personal journey from the militant atheism to Christianity, detailing the influences on him that led to his conversion. The book is partly intended as a response to God Is Not Great, a book written by his brother Christopher Hitchens in 2007.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

This Week's Picks

ALL ABOUT POPE FRANCIS

In another surprise phone call, the Holy Father called a young woman who wrote him a letter explaining to him her situation.  Read this heart-warming story about mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/10/world/europe/the-popes-on-the-line-and-everyones-talking.html?_r=0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/pope-francis-the-cold-call-pope-reaches-out-and-touches-a-lot-of-people/2013/09/06/2f3c3db4-1724-11e3-961c-f22d3aaf19ab_story.html       

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/09/06/single-mother-says-her-heart-is-filled-with-joy-after-call-from-pope-francis/

As the winds of war begin blowing again, the Holy Father is doing his best to clam them down.  He recently invited all Catholics, religious people and people of good will to pray for peace in Syria.  The Vatican is once again, calling for calmer heads and taking the lead in calling for diplomacy.
http://www.religionnews.com/2013/09/05/pope-francis-peace-appeal-for-syria-marks-vaticans-return-to-global-stage/

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VATICAN_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-09-07-14-35-48

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Egypt.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/09/06/Morsi-backers-terrorize-christians-in-egyptian-town

CHURCH OF THE POOR

A priest from Rome gave the Pope his 20-year-old car with almost 200,000 miles on it.  The Pope accepted it and took off with it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24036965

Pope Francis called on all nuns and religious to convert empty European monasteries into refugee centers, not hotels.  Now if we would only convert all weapons into plowshares.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pope-francis-visits-refugees-at-jesuit-center-in-central-rome/2013/09/10/12be0c76-1a3a-11e3-80ac-96205cacb45a_story.html

CONVERSION STORY

A young man who converted to Catholicism through music and the writings of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2013/08/15/my-songs-are-a-humbly-offered-gift-to-catholics/

What leads someone to change their religion?  Great question.  Take a look at someone's answer.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2013/09/11/what-is-it-that-leads-people-to-change-their-religion/

 




Tuesday, September 3, 2013

First Week In September 2013: This Weeks Picks

KIDS AND TECHNOLOGY

Should children have smartphones?  The question really is:  Why do they want them?  Be careful moms and dads.  If you give your child (in elementary or in middle school) a smartphone, then you are also giving them the drama that goes along with it:  broken hearts; inappropriate texts; flirts from the opposite or SAME SEX; midnight messaging; broken home dramas; a ton of horrible ideas, etc... 

The experts in this article apparently didn't think of all these things.
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/08/16/children-and-smartphones-what-right-age/

ATHEISTS AT IT AGAIN.

American Atheists Inc. are calling a cross at a 9-11 memorial "grossly offensive."  Apparently, they are not so much against God as they are against Christians; that is, Cross, Christmas and Churches. 
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/atheists-call-9-11-memorial-cross-grossly-offensive.html

Sabrina Sunshine, from Virginia Commonwealth University, wrote the following in the comments section:  "So you're cool with me putting upside down crosses and "Hail Satan" all over your public buildings? Sweet!"  I don't know who she was writing to, but I would say, "Of course!"  Let the world see what (who) Americans believe in:  the good, the bad and the ugly.  Let all the world see what (who) people worship:  the good, the bad and the ugly.  Let them put their own names on their upside down crosses as well.  We  have nothing to fear.  If anything, it helps our cause!  It shows who we are and who they are.

RELIGION AND HOLLYWOOD

Not too long ago, I saw a list of the names of Hollywood stars who call themselves atheists.  Recently, I saw a list of twenty stars who left Scientology.  http://www.hollyscoop.com/galleries/20-stars-who-left-scientology/2033561

Looks like stars leave religion and swap religions as often as they leave and swap spouses.  Oh well.  That's Hollywood.

GOD AND NOTRE DAME

Do you remember him?  That's Jon Bon Jovi.  His son, Jesse Bongiovi, will be playing football this season at the University of Notre Dame.  He must have taught his son well...and maybe some of his childhood faith as well.



Best of luck to you Jesse...and may the Irish be ever in your favor.




http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/bon-jovi-kid-plans-walk-notre-dame-article-1.1326126