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Stumbled upon this today and wanted to share it. This wonderful little video brought back a lot of sweet memories. Plus, the beat isn't half bad! Ha ha!
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 Laws no longer protect but intimidate. Thanks to Catholic Vote for seeding. This article details the plight of a young photographer who refused her services to a lesbian couple looking to have photos taken of their commitment ceremony (since homosexual unions aren't recognized or legal in New Mexico).
Instead of simply finding another photographer, these miscreants took Elaine (the photographer) to court. Apparently their poor little feelings were hurt because Elaine didn't want to take pictures of their ring-exchange. So what's any rational couple to do? Silly me, if faced with such a decision, I'd simply type "photographer" into Google. Apparently it's way more entertaining to sue the person. With this being the great country of America, it's incredibly easy to do considering we don't understand our own Constitution! *Grumble grumble grumble* As I said, the homosexual lobby is attempting to manipulate laws into forcing folks to accept their lifestyle choices. Instead of simply finding another photographer to take photos of their "special day," they wanted to drag this woman through the mud to make an example of her in order to put pressure on others who would deny services to protect their consciences. Since when did people become so entitled to having the world conform to their opinions? Are they so really so insecure and desperate for acceptance that they're willing to stoop THIS LOW in order to intimidate folks into a false posturing of agreement? For shame. For absolute shame.  Our 1st Amendment rights as US Citizens... for now. I'm successfully irritated. My charity level is low to non-existent right now, so I apologize in advance.
There has been yet another striking blow to religious freedoms today... this time in Denmark. All over the world, governments are attempting to put religious freedom to death, and no one is any the wiser. Why? Because it's all being done under the guise of social justice. Danish parliament has just passed a law making it MANDATORY for all churches in Denmark to provide homosexual marriage ceremonies. Take a second and let that process (if you're not too busy hurling). A government is attempting to FORCE entire religious communities to utilize their sacred houses of worship for a ceremony that goes directly against their religious beliefs as a people. I'm beyond disgusted. Once again the issue of religious freedoms is ignored because folks are too busy crying foul over the issue of homosexuality. I don't care if two men want to get hitched through civil unions. Be my guest. I draw the line, however, when those two men attempt making a mockery of our Sacrament by committing such a sacrilege in front of the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic Church. As I said on Facebook, welcome to the reason I refuse to vote in favor of anyone trying to push this through our court system. As I said in a previous entry, Australia is quickly following suit. The US won't be far behind. I'm all for homosexuals getting hitched in churches that condone it. I am NOT okay with a government stepping in to force ANYONE to accept a union that cannot be recognized by aforementioned religion. Catholic priests cannot "consecrate" a union that is considered abhorrent and inherently sinful. No matter how much a government wants to kick, scream and cry, a faithful Catholic priest cannot (and will not) call a blessing down upon that which is mortally sinful. Even if one tried to, do you think God would say, "Ya know what? Alright... since you asked so nicely, I'll be sure to go against that which I've stated - repeatedly - and reward you for your impressively arrogant disobedience." Again, Lord, mercy. So remember that Perceived Parenting Fail entry I did not too long ago? God's got a great sense of humor. :)
In response to Lori Ann's question, this is a sample list that I use to do a quick inventory. It took me about 30 minutes to do this the first time. Now I'm able to do a pretty quick tally in under 10... five if I'm in a pickle. I still feel better if I write it all out, but that's just me. This is a basic list to go from, and once you've got the subheading suggestions down, you can come up with your own. Sample Examination Guide: 1st Commandment: I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. Do I prioritize material objects (money, clothes, food or television shows) over God? Do I put other people (family, friends, celebrities, etc) ahead of God in my life? Do I ignore God altogether? 2nd Commandment: You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. Do I say things like "I swear to God" when I'm not being fully honest? Do I use God's name as part of curses (ex: Goddamn it) Do I listen to music that takes God's name in vain? Do I consent to conversations that take God's name in vain? 3rd Commandment: Keep holy the Sabbath. Do I attend Sunday Mass and all holy days of obligation? Do I rest in accordance with God's Divine example? Do I do anything to profane the day set aside for special honor and appreciation of God's blessings? 4th Commandment: Honor thy father and mother. Do I obey my parents? Do I obey my superiors and those who have authority over me? Do I reflect the morals and teachings they've worked to instill in me? 5th Commandment: You shall not kill. Have I been a party to murder (abortion counts on this one, folks)? Have I caused spiritual death through scandal or intimidation? Have I contributed to the emotional scarring of an individual through taunts, humiliation or bullying? 6th Commandment: You shall not commit adultery. Have I sought marital satisfaction (emotionally, physically, psychologically) outside the bonds of my own marriage? Have I remained chaste in my thoughts and actions (pornography, lewd thoughts, etc). Have I put another person / thing above my spouse? Have I intentionally dressed in an overtly sexual manner, thus giving away the modesty meant only for my spouse? Have I shared emotions and desires with another person and not my husband, thus taking from him / her the opportunity to connect and understand me on a deeper level? 7th Commandment: You shall not steal. Have I taken anything that doesn't belong to me without first asking? Have I borrowed something with no intent to return it? 8th Commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Do I participate in gossip? Do I spread lies about someone? Do I say nothing as others spread fallacious information about someone? Do I not strive for truth and honesty in my actions, thoughts and words? 9th Commandment: You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. Do I lust after anyone? Do I watch pornography or read lewd materials? Do I listen to suggestive music or take enjoyment in watching suggestive videos? Do I seek fulfillment outside of my own marital relationship instead of working to nurture and solidify it? 10th Commandment: You shall not covet your neighbor's goods. Have I gotten jealous of someone because of the blessings they have in life? Instead of being grateful for my own blessings, have I grumbled and demanded more than my fair share on the basis of what I perceive others to have? Have I lost faith in Divine Providence?  7 Deadly Sins - the Creepy Cousins you can't get rid of. Pride: Have I placed myself above others in life? Have I expected things of others that I don't expect of myself? Have I made excuses for my failings? Gluttony: Akin to Commandment 1, have I over-indulged on food, clothing or entertainment? Have I ignored my duties as a parent / wife / friend because I've prioritized gluttonous tendencies over my vocation? Wrath: Have I reacted with hatred or anger? Have I wished ill on someone? Have I allowed anger to boil up inside of me to flood out my love and patience? Envy: Akin to Commandment 10, have I been envious of others? Have I become ungrateful for my own blessings while comparing them to the perceived blessings of others? Sloth: Have I been lazy? Have I spent more time on Facebook than I have on the "big project" at work? Have I watched three movies in a row while I push off laundry and dishes for the 5th straight night? Have I said my prayers in bed instead of kneeling beside it because I was simply "too tired" to move? Have I pushed off prayer altogether (be it Mass, daily offerings, etc) because I just "didn't feel like" praying that day? Greed: Also akin to Commandment 10, have I taken more than my fair share of resources? Have I hungrily worked around the clock to amass food / money / materials for myself without thought to those who are also struggling to get by? Have I been willing to share my resources with others through Divine Providence? Lust: Akin to Commandment 9, have I lusted after a person or thing? Have I allowed myself to watch pornographic materials, listen to overtly sexual music, or partake in sexual activity that is outside the bonds of marriage?  One of the things I've tried to do better with is Confession. Ever since my reversion, I've sorta made inconsistent progress with this. Some months I'll amass a hefty "sin log" after doing a thorough examination of conscience. Other times I'll rush myself to the nearest confessional to hastily spout off a list of sins I've "probably" committed since my last trip to the box. Obviously you get out of Confession what you put into it. In my latter example, I wasn't getting much out of the experience, and I doubt highly that Jesus was thrilled with my half-baked effort. So how does one become better at Confession, anyway? For me, I went to a source that seems to have usurped Confession as his life's mission - Fr. Z. You folks have heard me prattle on and on about him in the past. I can't help it. I really have learned so much from following his blog. He talks about Confession - a lot - so I knew that a good breeding ground for knowledge would be his archives. The most helpful thing for me has been Father Z's insistence on completing a thorough examination of conscience using one (or more) "checklists." He even said if you're in a total pickle and don't have access to a specific list, run through the 10 Commandments in your mind. I've found that the easiest way for me to complete a thorough exam is to list all 10 Commandments and then the 7 Deadly Sins. And yes, I write them all out with my matching offenses underneath the various categories. I feel like those cover just about every dirty little deed I could possibly do, so taking inventory with those as my guide ensures I don't miss anything. The most helpful, in my opinion, are those 7 deadly sins, though. In compiling this guide for myself, I realized I needed to delve into a few that I hadn't really thought about before. Gluttony, for example. Oh, Lord... gluttony. I admit it. I had no idea that gluttony could be considered a mortal sin. Looking it up in the Catechism, though, I found that gluttony is most certainly a mortal sin (and with good reason). And oh, how gluttonous I am!!! Wrath, as well. I always assumed wrath looked like this:  After doing some more research into what constituted wrath, I learned that it could also look very much like me when I angrily react towards Vincent after a string of sleepless nights. Upon understanding the Church's definition of wrath, I came to understand that it was something I struggled with intensely. A mortal sin I'm most ashamed of as it not only hurts Christ, but my sweet little angel baby. A sin that hurts my husband when I verbally tear into him for a perceived insult or a forgotten pile of dirty dishes. A sin that hurts me because it destroys my relationship with God and those around me through severing trust, love and peace.
You see, I always thought mortal sin was relegated to things like murder, torture and stealing stuff from poor people. Eating a box of popsicles, reactionary punishments and even withholding forgiveness to satiate prideful arrogance never entered the realm of mortal sin thought because I simply didn't think of them as mortally sinful. In light of Church teaching, however, I really have come away with a much better understanding of these particular "dirty deeds" and as a result, I've been able to work on reigning them in. So yes. Mortal sin is definitely something that I've been thinking a lot more about in recent months. Instead of running around thinking it was darn near impossible for me to commit one, I've come to realize that it's a lot easier than I once thought. This understanding, I think, wasn't given to me to have me freak out over every failure I have as a mother, wife and friend. I do, however, think this in-depth reflection has been granted so I could pull myself closer to Christ. It's almost as if He threw out a rope to me to begin yanking myself up out of the muck. All the while I've been putting one hand over the other, struggling against the weight of myself, He's not only been holding up the rope, He's been pulling it steadily towards Himself, and with it, me. Again, the process isn't fun, but the reward is well worth the struggle. For as much as I'm against using Wiki as a reference, explanations for the Deadly Sins are actually pretty spot on, so it's a good place to start if you're interested in learning more.  Two women received heartbreaking news today regarding the miscarriage of their unborn children. Please keep them (and their husbands) in your prayers. Even though their beautiful children did not make it past the bonds of the womb, they made these women mothers. Their tiny heartbeats - their tiny feet - their very souls manifested a significant and unalterable mark on the hearts of these women. They are forever changed because once you become a mother, you remain a mother. Once you open yourself up to accepting a life hand-crafted by the Father, you ever carry a piece of that life within yourself. May these two mothers find comfort in the fact that their blessed little saints are now acting as their personal intercessors before the Throne of God. May they enjoy the Beatific Vision from the lap of Our Lady, and may their parents feel the comforting embrace of Christ. Motherhood, as Dymphna put it, is forever. Special thanks to her for sharing this artwork. Special thanks, too, go out to a woman named Dominique. She shared this reflection that I promptly fell in love with. My Lord, the baby is dead!
Why, my Lord—dare I ask why? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face—it will not see the beauty of Your creation or the flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord? “Why, My child—do you ask ‘why’? Well, I will tell you why. You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.” I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool—forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity. -- Mother Angelica  That's right, Satan... keep on walkin' So I had a strange experience on Saturday (one that I'm still grateful for, even though it left me somewhat anxious and confused).
I went to Confession at one of my new favorite churches in S. Jersey. The pastor is super Marian, unapologetically traditional, and a great lover of dogs. I love his half-hour homilies (again, for which he makes no apology - ha ha!). Anyway, I really - REALLY - needed to get myself to a Confessional (more on that in a later entry). I'd already gone two weeks without reception of the Eucharist, and I wasn't about to make it a third. I really didn't like the prospect of confessing this particular litany of offenses, but God was good and put His Foot down and tugged at me something fierce. I could almost hear Him saying: Gina, enough is enough. You know as well as I do that I want nothing more than to hug you and give you all the graces I have to offer. Get in the confessional already and ask Me for it! I miss you, and I know you miss Me, too. Stop being so stubborn! *Sigh* So off I went. I didn't want to go to my own church for Confession (c'mon - like you guys have never wussed out of confessing to a priest who knows you well enough to recognize your voice), so I went to Fr. Trad since I'm only a sporadic face in the congregation. I figured I'd have a better chance of not feeling like a total tool the next time our paths cross. When I got to the church, however, (about 15 minutes before I figured confessions would be ending), I was told he'd already gone back to the sacristy. One woman assured me that he'd hear my confession there as well, since he still had plenty of time before Mass. Welp - there went any ideas of being behind the grille. I looked towards the tabernacle and said (interiorly, of course), "Okay, Jesus. You knew that I didn't want to deal with the mortification of 'fessing up to Fr. Atlas, but you didn't want me getting off the hook that easily. Well played, good Sir, well played." So I trudged to the sacristy and found Fr. Trad sitting at a desk reading a Scripture booklet. His trusty little dog sat behind him on the floor. I poked my head in after a brief knock and stated / asked, "Hi Father. I was directed here by a parishioner for Confession?" He immediately put his book down and waved me in. He instructed me to close the doors (there were two). I did so and before I had even gotten back in front of him, he began with the sign of the cross. I dropped to my knees in front of him and followed suit, only to be near tackled by his friendly golden retriever. Mid-prayer, Fr. Trad pulled back Goldie's collar saying, "No. Down!" This then woke up a rusty colored dog who had been sleeping under the desk. I hadn't noticed her until she poked her head from under the desk to join the kiss-fest. It was adorable (I love, love, love dogs), but I have to admit being surprised. I never expected to take part in a Confession with two of those lovely little creatures. Ha ha! Fr. Trad quickly got them under control and they laid back on the floor. I then did my part and confessed what I needed to confess. I was curious to hear what Father's "advice" section would sound like. I fully expected it to be a little more in-depth than the normal "3 Hail Mary's and try to be a good girl" speech that's so typical anymore. I also expected it'd be a little more stern considering his hard-line approach with sin during homilies and such. I was right on both counts. He wasn't overly harsh with me, but he gave me incredibly good insight. He made me view this particular "sin-set" in a vastly different light, and made sure I understood how grave my mistake was. Better understanding your sins enables you to better steer clear of them and definitely serves to help you battle against the temptations as they arise. This is one of the often overlooked perks of Reconciliation - strength and wisdom to not find yourself in the same situation a month from now. I had my head bowed the entire time as I knelt in front of him, but I also had a little smile on my face. I half wondered if he could see it (and hoped he didn't think I was being a jerk or something). I was smiling because I could feel his words were what I needed to hear. It's like having an open wound and feeling the sting of alcohol. Yeah, it hurts, but you know the infection is being killed. Feeling the sting of his rebuke and then the salve of his absolution gave me peace. It always does. Once completed, I thanked Father Trad for his time and left. It was only after I got into my car that I realized he hadn't put on a stole before the Sacrament. In fairness, he was probably in a bit of a hurry because he knew he was celebrating a Mass soon. I have no doubt that he typically does things "by the book," but I was taken by a sudden fear that maybe the absolution wasn't valid because he wasn't wearing a stole. Then I thought, Doubtful Jesus was standing beside Fr. Trad during the absolution shaking His Head in refusal because a purple piece of cloth wasn't around his neck. However, just to be on the safe side, I did a quick Google search for Father Z's answer. I figured with all the posts he does on the topic, there'd HAVE to be one answering this. As usual, Father Z did not disappoint. :) Even though it wasn't an emergency, my guess is Fr. Trad didn't think he had time to vest himself because wanted to give me as much time as possible to make a good confession. Bless his priestly little heart for that. :) And bless Father Z for removing the last traces of doubt from my mind that I could go back to receiving Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. <3 |
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