We are the Catholic Church

This is the coolest video!! I was listening to Sacred Heart Radio this morning and heard this commercial so I decided to try to find it hoping that it was a video and not just a radio clip! Lo and behold it is!! Enjoy! Celebrate being Catholic!!! Woohoo!!!


Catholic Church Commercial



Here's another cool one. It's from the Catholics Come Home website. Cool stuff!!!


I can't post it so if you want to see it click here

Vegan or Vegetarian

I couldn't resist posting this. This is hilarious. It's from the Catholic Answers forums. Hee hee!!!!


KARL KEATING'S E-LETTER
October 5, 2004TOPICS: Discuss
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EAT RIGHT--OR ELSE
Dear Friend of Catholic Answers:I warned you last week that this would be a pre-recorded installment of the E-Letter. As you read this I am on the Catholic Answers cruise; the itinerary says we should be at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, today.I suppose I could have figured out how to compose a fresh E-Letter while on board ship, but I prefer to leave the office at the office. Consider what follows your penance for the day.
* * * * *
On September 20 I came across an intriguing thread at the Catholic Answers discussion forums. The topic was "Why I Am a Catholic Vegan."When I first came across the word "vegan" some years ago, I thought it was a neologism that referred to extraterrestrials from a planet orbiting Vega, which is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. Maybe I had been watching too many science fiction movies.It turned out that "vegan" came into use around 1944 and means "a strict vegetarian, one that consumes no animal food or dairy products." A run-of-the-mill vegetarian refuses to eat meat but will consume milk, cheese, and eggs. A vegan won't touch even those items because they come from animals.My contribution to the discussion about "Why I Am a Catholic Vegan" was post number 27. I reproduce it below. If you want to read the whole discussion, go to:http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=15375

* * * * *

I find vegetarians and vegans to be inconsistent in their principles and inconsiderate in their practices. The chief problem is that, while both disapprove of killing animals, they approve of killing plants.

From Catholic theology we know that man, animals, and plants all have souls. Man's soul is a spirit and therefore is immortal. The souls of animals and plants, as St. Thomas Aquinas noted, are material principles. They die when the animals and plants die.

Thus there is a symmetry between animals and plants. There is no good reason to treat them differently. It is false to say that animals must be protected but that plants are expendable.

I don't think it's right to kill either animals or plants. Thus I subsist on water and minerals only. I use a mortar and pestle to grind up a complex of minerals that works for me. I admit that the taste leaves a bit to be desired, but that is a small price to pay for doing the right thing.

In this part of the country I can find all the minerals I want at abandoned quarries and mines. We do have a lot of sandstone, though, and I have to work around it because I don't care for the gritty feel in my mouth.

My favorite mineral is tourmaline, particularly the deeper shades. They result in a smoother taste. Garnet isn't too bad either, but I know it upsets some people's stomachs.Since I'm against killing animals and plants, I'm also against using their byproducts. Not only does this mean no fur but also no cotton or other natural fibers. Everything I wear is synthetic. This has made for some problems during humid weather--another reason I live in the arid Southwest.

Recently, I admit, I've come into a moral conundrum. I tardily have realized that the synthetics I wear are made from petroleum, and petroleum ultimately comes from animals and plants. If I don't believe in eating dead animals and plants, how can I justify wearing them?

I have tried to fashion clothing out of inorganic matter but am having trouble doing so. The best I have done is to make a long tunic out of wired-together oblongs of glass. The tunic looks okay, but I sound like a wind chime whenever I walk. I find I can't sit down because that would shatter the glass, and I could end up with shards in my posterior.

I am considering using metal instead of glass, but I don't have a furnace hot enough to work pieces of it. I suppose I could take the easy route and use an old 55-gallon barrel, but that would look cheesy (and barrels are heavy!). As with the glass tunic, I wouldn't be able to sit, since a barrel has no flex.

One alternative is aluminum foil, but I shy away from wrapping myself in it because it crinkles at every movement and can appear a bit immodest if not properly draped.

I always have prided myself in applying first principles consistently, but I seem to have brought myself to an impasse. Yet I can't escape the logic. If it is wrong to kill and eat animals, it is wrong to kill and eat plants. (I have known some plants that were smarter than some animals, so please don't tell me that what matters is the respective intelligence.)

And if it is wrong to kill and eat animals and plants, it is wrong to kill them and use them for any other purpose, such as clothing ...

Wait a minute! I think I just reasoned myself into a solution! My problem has been using dead things, particularly dead plants, as clothing.

All I need to do is to figure out how to adorn myself with live plants. Maybe I could make a tunic out of small clay pots, each of which grows a leafy plant.

Yes, that's it! I even could do Adam one better if each pot grew a miniature fig tree.



* * * * *

Well, that was my contribution to the discussion. Make of it what you will.As I said, at the moment I am on the Catholic Answers cruise. Cruises are known for their cuisine. The chefs serve up just about every kind of dish one can imagine--and you can eat as much as you can stomach.Vegetarians and vegans have no trouble finding plenty to fill their plates when on cruises, but I'll have to see whether provisions are made for folks on a strict mineral diet. I'll let you know.


from: http://www.catholic.com/newsletters/kke_041005.asp

Fun tips for my engaged friends

So there were a few things that Jon and I did before our wedding that proved to be really wonderful and extremely fruitful for us.

1. Go to mass together as often as you can.
2. Get to confession together.
3. Pray the rosary every day and every time you're together.
4. Begin praying the psalms like a countdown to your wedding. We didn't start until the 40th(?) day until before our wedding. So start early if you can with day 150 on the countdown and start with psalm 150. It'll be fun once you start getting closer.
5. Stop kissing each other 40 days before your wedding. It's like a lent/easter sort of idea. (Ours was an extended Advent/Christmas 'cuz our wedding was in the liturgical Christmas season).
6. Begin praying the Novena to St. Joseph together 8 days before your wedding and finish the novena on your wedding night. I didn't fully realize what an amazing husband and father St. Joseph was until we began praying this novena (I'd never said it before.)
7. Go to adoration together the night before your wedding. We did it right before our rehearsal. It was our last hour alone as single people. We were alone...with Christ. It was so awesome.

Marriage is so awesome guys. We are just continually feeling the grace from this Sacrament. It's so powerful and so unique. Happy Wedding planning and marriage prep!!!

UIOGD

Lenten food from Benedict XVI

We have an awesome Pope! As I was searching for information on Food Fast which we're doing for our teens I found this on the Catholic Relief Services website. During Lent we're called to Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. This is an awesome message from the Pope about the spirit of Almsgiving. Enjoy!!

UIOGD,
Val

Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2008

"Christ made Himself poor for you" (2 Cor 8,9)


Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Each year, Lent offers us a providential opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian lives, and it stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters. In the Lenten period, the Church makes it her duty to propose some specific tasks that accompany the faithful concretely in this process of interior renewal: these are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For this year's Lenten Message, I wish to spend some time reflecting on the practice of almsgiving, which represents a specific way to assist those in need and, at the same time, an exercise in self-denial to free us from attachment to worldly goods. The force of attraction to material riches and just how categorical our decision must be not to make of them an idol, Jesus confirms in a resolute way: "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Lk 16,13). Almsgiving helps us to overcome this constant temptation, teaching us to respond to our neighbor's needs and to share with others whatever we possess through divine goodness. This is the aim of the special collections in favor of the poor, which are promoted during Lent in many parts of the world. In this way, inward cleansing is accompanied by a gesture of ecclesial communion, mirroring what already took place in the early Church. In his Letters, Saint Paul speaks of this in regard to the collection for the Jerusalem community (cf. 2 Cor 8-9; Rm 15, 25-27).

According to the teaching of the Gospel, we are not owners but rather administrators of the goods we possess: these, then, are not to be considered as our exclusive possession, but means through which the Lord calls each one of us to act as a steward of His providence for our neighbor. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, material goods bear a social value, according to the principle of their universal destination (cf. n. 2404)
In the Gospel, Jesus explicitly admonishes the one who possesses and uses earthly riches only for self. In the face of the multitudes, who, lacking everything, suffer hunger, the words of Saint John acquire the tone of a ringing rebuke: "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" (1 Jn 3,17). In those countries whose population is majority Christian, the call to share is even more urgent, since their responsibility toward the many who suffer poverty and abandonment is even greater. To come to their aid is a duty of justice even prior to being an act of charity.

The Gospel highlights a typical feature of Christian almsgiving: it must be hidden: "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing," Jesus asserts, "so that your alms may be done in secret" (Mt 6,3-4). Just a short while before, He said not to boast of one's own good works so as not to risk being deprived of the heavenly reward (cf. Mt 6,1-2). The disciple is to be concerned with God's greater glory. Jesus warns: "In this way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Mt 5,16). Everything, then, must be done for God's glory and not our own. This understanding, dear brothers and sisters, must accompany every gesture of help to our neighbor, avoiding that it becomes a means to make ourselves the center of attention. If, in accomplishing a good deed, we do not have as our goal God's glory and the real well-being of our brothers and sisters, looking rather for a return of personal interest or simply of applause, we place ourselves outside of the Gospel vision. In today's world of images, attentive vigilance is required, since this temptation is great. Almsgiving, according to the Gospel, is not mere philanthropy: rather it is a concrete expression of charity, a theological virtue that demands interior conversion to love of God and neighbor, in imitation of Jesus Christ, who, dying on the cross, gave His entire self for us. How could we not thank God for the many people who silently, far from the gaze of the media world, fulfill, with this spirit, generous actions in support of one's neighbor in difficulty? There is little use in giving one's personal goods to others if it leads to a heart puffed up in vainglory: for this reason, the one, who knows that God "sees in secret" and in secret will reward, does not seek human recognition for works of mercy.

In inviting us to consider almsgiving with a more profound gaze that transcends the purely material dimension, Scripture teaches us that there is more joy in giving than in receiving (cf. Acts 20,35). When we do things out of love, we express the truth of our being; indeed, we have been created not for ourselves but for God and our brothers and sisters (cf. 2 Cor 5,15). Every time when, for love of God, we share our goods with our neighbor in need, we discover that the fullness of life comes from love and all is returned to us as a blessing in the form of peace, inner satisfaction and joy. Our Father in heaven rewards our almsgiving with His joy. What is more: Saint Peter includes among the spiritual fruits of almsgiving the forgiveness of sins: "Charity," he writes, "covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pt 4,8). As the Lenten liturgy frequently repeats, God offers to us sinners the possibility of being forgiven. The fact of sharing with the poor what we possess disposes us to receive such a gift. In this moment, my thought turns to those who realize the weight of the evil they have committed and, precisely for this reason, feel far from God, fearful and almost incapable of turning to Him. By drawing close to others through almsgiving, we draw close to God; it can become an instrument for authentic conversion and reconciliation with Him and our brothers.

Almsgiving teaches us the generosity of love. Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo forthrightly recommends: "Never keep an account of the coins you give, since this is what I always say: if, in giving alms, the left hand is not to know what the right hand is doing, then the right hand, too, should not know what it does itself" (Detti e pensieri, Edilibri, n. 201). In this regard, all the more significant is the Gospel story of the widow who, out of her poverty, cast into the Temple treasury "all she had to live on" (Mk 12,44). Her tiny and insignificant coin becomes an eloquent symbol: this widow gives to God not out of her abundance, not so much what she has, but what she is. Her entire self. We find this moving passage inserted in the description of the days that immediately precede Jesus' passion and death, who, as Saint Paul writes, made Himself poor to enrich us out of His poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8,9); He gave His entire self for us. Lent, also through the practice of almsgiving, inspires us to follow His example. In His school, we can learn to make of our lives a total gift; imitating Him, we are able to make ourselves available, not so much in giving a part of what we possess, but our very selves. Cannot the entire Gospel be summarized perhaps in the one commandment of love? The Lenten practice of almsgiving thus becomes a means to deepen our Christian vocation. In gratuitously offering himself, the Christian bears witness that it is love and not material richness that determines the laws of his existence. Love, then, gives almsgiving its value; it inspires various forms of giving, according to the possibilities and conditions of each person.

Dear brothers and sisters, Lent invites us to "train ourselves" spiritually, also through the practice of almsgiving, in order to grow in charity and recognize in the poor Christ Himself. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that the Apostle Peter said to the cripple who was begging alms at the Temple gate: "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk" (Acts 3,6). In giving alms, we offer something material, a sign of the greater gift that we can impart to others through the announcement and witness of Christ, in whose name is found true life. Let this time, then, be marked by a personal and community effort of attachment to Christ in order that we may be witnesses of His love. May Mary, Mother and faithful Servant of the Lord, help believers to enter the "spiritual battle" of Lent, armed with prayer, fasting and the practice of almsgiving, so as to arrive at the celebration of the Easter Feasts, renewed in spirit. With these wishes, I willingly impart to all my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, February 2008

Taken from http://crs.org/united-states/pope-lent-2008/

Professional Photos

http://www.pictage.com/430819

Here's the link to the photos!

My husband is getting me interested in this stuff....

Here's a great article written by Archbishop Chaput called "Better Citizens, More Faithful Catholics". It's intention is to help us prepare for November.

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/politics/pg0190.htm

Check it out!

Sidenote** Just got the professional photos of the wedding!! I know it's silly and probably a bit vain, but it's so fun to look at wedding pictures!!

UIOGD.

Freakin' Politics

Well, all I have to say about politics is, this election is sad. Trying to vote your conscience where nothing works with your conscience is a rock/hardplace. I just felt like posting this important information from the Catholic Church. http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml

"Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. In these brief reflections, we highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our societyin economics and politics, in law and policy directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected--the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

Solidarity

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you want peace, work for justice.”1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

Care for God’s Creation

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.
This summary should only be a starting point for those interested in Catholic social teaching. A full understanding can only be achieved by reading the papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents that make up this rich tradition.

For a copy of the complete text of Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions (No. 5-281) and other social teaching documents, call 800-235-8722. "

It's also important I think to recognize that these themes of Catholic Social Teaching are arranged in a specific order. They all hold importance, but also build upon each other. If the basic dignity of the human person is not upheld then the following precept cannot be upheld etc. This is of the utmost importance when forming our consciences to make decisions which impact our country.

Don't take the Church lightly. She doesn't take you lightly.

January 5th 2008

I'm Married!! The wedding was the most beautiful nuptial mass I could ever have asked for. It was absolutely amazing.

Readings!!!

1st reading Jeremiah 31:31-34

Response Psalm 128

2nd reading Revelation 19:1, 5-9

Gospel John 17:20-26

These are the readings that we're having at the wedding.

Today's Feast Day

HAPPY FEAST OF ALL SAINTS

Music to set the tone…. http://www.spiritandsong.com/jukebox/listen/11867_1_5.asx



SOME QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS:

"Nothing but self-will can separate us from God." ~~ Saint Alphonsus Ligouri



"It is not hard to obey when we love the one whom we obey." ~~ Saint Ignatius of Loyola



"It is a form of trade, you see. I ask God for souls and pay Him by giving up everything else." ~~ Saint John Bosco



"To be criticized, denounced, and despised by good men, by our own friends and relatives is a severe test of virtue." ~~Saint Frances de Sales



"Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine." ~~~ Saint Thomas Aquinas



"God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry." ~~ Saint John Vianney



"Learn to hate your faults, but to hate them calmly." ~~ Saint (Padre) Pio



"To sin is human, but to persist in sin is devilish."!! ~~ Saint Catherine of Siena



"Even if you are committing mortal sins, keep on praying, and I guarantee you will reach the harbor of salvation." ~~ Saint Teresa of Avila




Here are some from Saints that I want to be closer to. These guys are awesome!



Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self"-St. Francis of Assisi



"When You have loved Him, You are chaste; when you have touched Him, You become more pure; when you have accepted Him, You are a virgin."-St. Clare of Assisi



"Listen carefully, my son, to the Master's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice. The labor of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. This message of mine is for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true king, Christ the Lord." -St. Benedict



"I asked a favor of you," Scholastica replied simply, "and you refused it. I asked it of God, and He has granted it!"-St. Scholastica
Ha ha! Funny story that goes along with this.

"I will wait for as long as you wish. It's just that I do not want our union to be delayed through any fault of mine. Meanwhile, I am going to do my best to make myself a beautiful wedding dress, all studded with jewels. I am sure, my Beloved, that when you consider it sufficiently adorned, no one will be able to prevent you from coming down and uniting me to you forever."

- St. Therese of Lisieux"St. Therese by those who knew her





"When Jesus told her, "Teresa, that's how I treat my friends" Teresa responded, "No wonder you have so few friends." "But what do I know. I'm just a wretched woman."



Sometimes her whole body was raised from the ground. If she felt God was going to levitate her body, she stretched out on the floor and called the nuns to sit on her and hold her down.

-St. Teresa of Avila http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=208





"Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus."



"The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness."



"Today it is very fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them."

-Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta



An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid the convent first.



Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the Sisters. "O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now," she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I will keep them always in My care."



"Totally love Him who gave Himself over totally for love of you."



"Ever since I have known the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ no suffering has been bothersome, no penance too severe, no infirmity has been hard."



St. Clare of Assisi http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=215


Pax Christi. Have a wonderful Feast Day!!

Revelations

Wow....I have to admit I'm not well read on the book of Revelations. I was checking out a facebook group that I belong to called "Warriors of Light" and this was on the group site. I never knew this was in the Bible. If you ever need any more evidence that the Devil does not like women and is trying to destroy the dignity of women check this out....



7 And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: 8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein. Woe to the earth, and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man child: 14 And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the desert unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman, water as it were a river; that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 18 And he stood upon the sand of the sea.


-Revelations 12:7-16


The attack of Satan on Mary, on the dignity of women, and those who believe in God. Mary's place in God's plan and her holiness. The saving Blood of Christ. Man, this passage has it all.

107

107 days and counting. I can't believe it's coming up so quickly.
Yay we for sure have a photographer. He's got awesome stuff

Take a look

We also have a priest, for sure this time.
Fr. Quithac is presiding.
Fr. Matthew is concelebrating.
Fr. Abbot is concelebrating and giving the homily.

Woohoo! I'll probably contact Fr. Frank sometime soon to see if he'd be able to come. That'd be sweet.

More Archbishops like this

Hey check out this awesome article about a rad Archbishop from Argentina! We need more guys like this to stand up and tell it how it is. Go Church!

Archbishop denounces “Catholics” who fight against Church teaching

Now this was a really interesting article. I wonder how this is going to play out for World Youth Day. Well the theme is based on Acts 1:8 so we'll see how everything works out in Australia!!

Australian Muslims to join in World Youth Day planning

While searching for info to give to my students I found this!!!

Take a look at this amazing article I found in a back issue of "This Rock". This is my generation!!! Woohoo!!! I was searching for information to give my youth group kids on choosing a good CATHOLIC University and I found this article. Definite pick me up after that nasty article with the bitter lady talking about Tridentine Mass. Check this out, it's from 1996 too.

"Sour Grapes and other Bitter Fruits"

Cool!

I couldn't resist posting this. Click to see the article. The videos are below.

Seminarians bring Church’s teaching on contraception, sexuality to YouTube

The Originals

FOCCUS

Ah it's been a while since I've blogged. So here's the update recently.

June - engagement party
July - engaged encounter and 1 year anniversary.
August - FOCCUS inventory.

So far we've discovered that we're okay and we can still get married. Phew!!

Engaged encounter was pretty good. The format was basically:

• hear a talk from a married couple on some issue like Unity in Marriage, or Finances in Marriage, or Children etc.
• Then journal on a bunch of questions relating to the talk separate from your "potential spousal unit" as they call them
• get back together and read your P.S.U.'s response and then talk about it.

It was a neat process. All in all, Jon and I had talked about.... oh 95% of the stuff brought up. It wasn't all new. But I did discover a lot about myself. It was also a good examination of the way I show love and go about loving in a self-sacrificial way. I think that was more of the spin Jon and I took on it anyways, becuase most of the material wasn't incredibly Catholic.
It wasn't anti-Catholic, I'd just say it was a little vague. The whole weekend was kind of a strange attempt at ecumenism at a Catholic Engaged Encounter, yet still fruitful for us and definitely worth going to. Especially after the bethrothal pledge part! So cool, but I won't ruin the surprise for those of you who don't know what it is. It's just darned cool. At least Jon's pledge to me was amazing. For those of you who have had the pleasure of reading his poetry/writing you can probably imagine what this would be like.

Hmm....as for the other stuff. The engagement party was hilarious. If you have "friended" me on facebook you may have seen some strange pictures from the games we played at the party. It was also really cool to have western people, friends from home, my family, and Jon's family all there having fun and eating, as Jess put it, enough food to feed a small African nation, as is Filipino custom.

We took the FOCCUS test this weekend.
If you're wondering what that is you can google it.
I was a little apprehensive about taking it at first because it sounded like a compatibility test.
(It gave me the feeling that if we passed this test we should get married, and if we didn't then we shouldn't, black and white, tough beans, try again later. Ick!)
And while it sort of is a test like that, it's really just an inventory to make sure that you've talked about various things that a couple should talk about before getting married. It shows you how much your agreement as a couple on certain issues agrees with the ideal Christian marriage.

For instance one of the questions might be "I am concerned that abusive relationships in the past will affect my role as a husband/wife" and then you check agree, disagree, or undecided.

There are certain topics like financial issues, family of origin, personality, communication, views on sex etc. So you take the inventory. Someone scores it, it was the PAFF at MQP that did ours, and then you get back together with the scorer and discuss the places where you disagreed with each other, and the places where you disagreed with the test's preferred answers (basically the preferred answer is the answer that you'd want if you were in a well functioning Catholic relationship) .

Well we scored very well. I think the test scorer even seemed a little surprized at how well we did, so things are cool. No more test anxiety. And again, even though I doubted and was a little anxious it was fruitful and well worth it. As it turns out, there are also a few things we discovered that we haven't discussed in detail. So, yeah, cool.
I think it would be great if all couples discerning marriage had to take that inventory to make sure that they've talked about all that stuff. Though, I wonder if that's what happens during regular marriage prep anyways. It's interesting how this stuff works.

Anyways, today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord. I hope you are having a wonderful summer and for those of you who take "vacay" during this time I hope you are being renewed and transformed so you're up and raring to go spread some more good news once the fall hits. I feel like it's Advent or Lent with all this preparation and anticipation. God is so cool.

UIOGD

This makes.....

a. Me sad
b. My blood pressure rise
c. Want to pray for the soul of Joan Chittister

Look at this horrendous article

If you haven't been caught up on the news here it is. You have to read the entire thing before you can comment intelligently.

From the US Bishops on Benedict's Motu Proprio

From EWTN on the statement from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith

The Actual Document recently released from the CDF from the Vatican

the problem with mantillas

okay so the spanish mantilla,
super cool. But does it work if you pull it forward to have a blusher as well? Take a look
http://www.weddingveil.com/veils2/content/show_xlarge_photos.php?id=20602

Yay!!!!!

update!!
We have a priest!!! Yay!!! We've been praying that he would say yes and thank God, he's answered our prayers!!!
Fr. Abbot John Braganza
of
Westminster Abbey in Mission, BC
will be officiating our wedding!



That's him showing off the bells in the huge bell tower. So excited!!! Yay!

Also, Arizona was great. It was nice to get away into the hot sun for a while and be refreshed with a kick in the butt for my ministry. At the end of the year it's easy to start feeling burned out, or allowing yourself to feel that way, or even slipping into the "good enough" mentality. This conference did a nice jumpstart to get me back into the mentality I had when I started the job. With God using me as his instrument my job is to lead teens closer to Him! It's a relief to have a savior! It's a relief to remember that the ministry isn't about me, it's about God. It was a refreshment to remember how exciting it can be to work on the front lines!! Good conference, not without things to improve on.....but nonetheless, in retrospect, I've deemed it a worthwhile for me.

Long time again..

I know, I'm a slacker. But I'll use wedding planning and work as an excuse again. It seems like the last month and a half has just swept by, but not without being productive. So far we've got

the Church booked. St. Edmund's in North Vancouver

The hall basically booked.

Click here for the virtual tour

The honeymoon booked....

...at the Secrets Excellence Riviera Cancun

I have a dress.

But I can't put up a picture because then Jon will know what it looks like.

It's a Maggie Sottero and I got it at Alicia's Bridal in Bellingham.

Send me a message if you want to see it :)

We have a guest list.

Around 150 people

We've started thinking about what to put on the invitations etc...They should be pretty cool looking.

So we're doing alright. We even had some time to go on a few amusement park rides last weekend. Unfortunately I went on a few too many spinny rides and got a little bit dizzy.....

Anywhoo, God is making things work out and is helping us grow closer and I think has helped me with patience a little bit. If not I must be too busy to notice :)

My new favorite thing, listening to Jon read "Light and Peace" by Quadrupani.