Spiritual 911

The following is a neat little teachings from Father Corapi. I like it and wanted to share it. Pray it and enjoy it.
Robin


All of us have had times and experiences when we’ve needed help. Spiritual help, right now!

In the United States and Canada, the telephone number used to call for
police, fire, or ambulance emergency services is “911.” When we call “911”
we need help immediately.

Well, it often happens that people, suffering many and various things, need
help from God right now. I have a “Spiritual 911” for you if that’s the case.
I received most of the inspiration for this from Mother Teresa of Calcutta, although she didn’t relate any of it to the term “911.”

If you find yourself in dire need of help from God pray the following prayers
with as much trust as you can muster. This trust, or childlike confidence, is of extreme importance. In a sense the more you trust God, the more you permit Him to help you.

NOTE: All prayer is centered on Jesus Christ. Know with absolute certainty that all that we give to Mary, she takes to Jesus.

With great trust pray:

9 Memoraries. “Remember, o most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help, or
sought Thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I
fly unto thee, o Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To Thee do I come. Before Thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in Thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.”

1 Rosary. Pray 5 decades of the Rosary (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or
Luminous Mysteries. The choice is yours). Try to meditate well on the Mysteries, bringing them into your own life. Pray the prayers of the Our Father and Hail Mary with great love and trust. The prayer of the Rosary is the prayer of the Gospel. That is why it is so powerful. When we pray the Rosary, we are praying the Gospel. The Gospel or “Good News” is Jesus Christ: Infinite Power!

1 Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This is an age especially in need of God’s
mercy. Jesus gave this prayerful devotion, dedicated to His Infinite mercy,
to Saint Faustina. Once again, pray with trust, even if it hurts. Just do it! It
is not a feeling. It is a decision. An act of the will. The prayers “Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood, soul and divinity, of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world;” and “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world,” are filled with power. The ending prayer “Holy God, holy mighty One, holy immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world” call down Gods grace and mercy on us and all of our brothers and sisters.

So, you have a direct line to God. Call to heaven with the Spiritual “911” when you need to send a distress call for heavenly help.
It will take less than an hour in most cases. If you don’t have that much time, make the solemn intention to do it as soon as possible. God loves you and will help you. He may not remove the problem, but he’ll always give you the strength and means to triumph over it.
9 Memoraries
1 Rosary
1 Chaplet of Divine Mercy

May God bless you and keep you safe in his merciful love!
Father John Corapi, SOLT

Just say NO to the government

Two of my favorite talk show hosts are Mark Levin and Mike Church. Listening to them the last couple of days, along with reading the headlines on the Drudgereport and Fox News has brought about a painful realization. The people in Washington DC, (BHO and Congress) don't care what you or I think or say.

At least not as long as it does not threaten their power or their plans to enslave us. Make no mistake about it. There is a deliberate plan to reduce the American people to the socialist slave status that is inflicted on most of the rest of the world.

This plan is a conspiracy conducted at a much higher level than the Office of the President of the United States. It is being orchestrated from a higher level than the United Nations. These are but tools in the hands of the enemy.

The enemy of is Satan, i.e. Lucifer, the Devil, the Adversary. I reference Ephesians 6:12

"For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." NRSV-CE

Our leaders in Congress and the President are going to continue to march us down the path of godless socialism whether we want to go that way or not. Every time we resist their agenda, i.e. the overwhelming “no” to amnesty for illegal immigrants, they just put it on the back burner and look for ways to do an end run around the Constitution and the people.

Unfortunately at this point, I do not believe this can be fixed through the ballot box. There is too much division among the people. To many Americans are able to vote themselves money and benefits from the neighbors' pocket.

Just look at the Cap and Trade legislation. This is one of the worse pieces of legislation ever written by any government. It is based on bad science, bad economics and bad faith. The majority of Americans would never vote for such a pile of lies. Yet the Democrats in the House of Representatives bribed and bought their fellow legislators to strong arm passage of this America killing bill.

Here are two examples. Rep. Buchanan (Rep.) from Fl. voted for the bill after securing from Rep. Waxman millions of dollars of taxpayer money for a hurricane study center in his district. Rep. Marcy Kaptur secured an amendment that provides as much as 3.26 billion in taxpayer financed loans for her district. These are just examples of the many “deals” that take place everyday in Congress. This is nothing more than influence peddling, blackmail and bribery.

There is just too much money and power in Washington, DC. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

So, what do we do about it? That is the question I am most often asked. Here is the best answer I have.

We must first realize that they (the corrupt leaders in DC) are only able to do this because we let them. We need to realize that we the people have the real power in this country. Let them pass their laws. Let the Supreme Court make their rulings. Then let them try to enforce them.

I am talking about peaceful civil disobedience. To quote Nancy Reagan, “Just say no.” You are under no obligation to obey an illegal or immoral law. In fact you have a moral obligation to disobey such a law.

Let me give an example of what I am talking about. The Supreme Court says no prayer in schools, no prayer before high school sporting events, or at commencement ceremonies. I say to the Supreme Court, I don't care what you say. You have no jurisdiction in the matter. If the majority of the people in my community which to pray at school events then we will pray. If you don't like it, you are free to move to another location.

The point is this: America does not want a law demanding that people pray at school events, nor should she tolerate one prohibiting such prayer.

The first amendment states that Congress shall not establish a religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof. In other words, the government does not have a say in whether or not we pray in our schools. It is only because we let them that they have inserted themselves where they don't belong.

They do this because in the public schools they control the money. These state (government) run schools and the unions that support them are going to continue to support those that feed them and give them the money. To end this tyranny we must cut off the money.

Now is the time for us to join together and just say no to the tyranny. The smart people need to figure out how to organize the 10's of millions that are ready to move in acts of civil disobedience to expose the absolute tyranny of those who wish to destroy our country.

Tea parties are nice and represent a great starting place. But they do not go far enough. As long as the people continue to pay their income and withholding taxes and continue to support this corrupted government, those in power are more than content to allow “tea parties.”

This is a call to return to the limited self-government of our Founding Fathers. This can only be accomplished by a return of State Sovereignty. The President is often referred to as the most powerful man in the world. That is certainly true in many ways. But he is not a dictator nor should he be perceived as such. Externally, to the world, he is powerful because he is in charge of the most powerful nation of the world. Internally however, he should only be a normal citizen elected to represent, to the world, the collective voice of the 50 sovereign United States of America.

I could go on in this rant. I will however, pause here and wait for some feed back. I hope to hear from my fellow patriotic Americans soon.

God bless you and thanks for taking the time to read this blog.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray For Us

The following is from a prayer card I carry over the visor in my truck. I pull it out and pray it as I travel across America. Please join me and share it with others. Our Mother loves us and will certainly come to our aid. Let us pray to save our country and our fellow citizens from the grasp of the evil one.

O Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, who as Our Lady of Guadalupe didst aid in the conversion of Mexico from paganism in a most miraculous way, we now beseech thee to bring about in our times the early conversion of our modern world from its present neo-paganism to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of thy divine Son, Jesus Christ, starting in the Americas and extending throughout the entire world, so that soon there may be truly “one fold and one shepherd,” with all governments recognizing the reign of thy Son, Jesus Christ, the King.

This we ask of the Eternal Father, through Jesus Christ His Son Our LORD and by thy powerful intercession – all for the salvation of souls, the triumph of the Church and the peace in the world.

Amen

This prayer card does have ecclesiastical approval.

Thank you and God bless.

87 year old father-in-law's letter to the editor

This is a letter that my father-in-law recently wrote to the editor of the Fort Worth Star-telegram. I want to share it with everybody for several reasons.

First, I want to share it to honor him and his service to our country. He flew bombers in WWII and is a bonafide, decorated hero. He has earned the right to have his voice heard.

Second, he is 87 years old and still fighting the enemies of his country. This is a great lesson to all of us. The battle never ends and neither does our call to serve. He is a great example to his children, his grandchildren, and future generations to come.

The third reason is he has lived through several different phases of American history. He has seen many Presidents and administrations come and go. He has a valuable perspective on the current situation in America. It would do us all well and good to listen to the voices of those who have the experience and wisdom that come only with age.

Letter to the editor

Outrageous Disrespect

Having fought in three wars for the United States of America, beginning with World War II, I never thought I would ever hear a U.S. President disgrace my country the way Obama did on his recent trip to Europe.

The asinine statement he made in France claiming Americans are arrogant (notice: not “we Americans”), not only desecrated the honor and memory of Americans buried in Flanders Field in France, but it embarrassed the French people. They are well aware that Americans saved their country twice in the twentieth century.

My aircrew was sent to Europe during the Berlin Air Lift in 1948 and every time we were In France the French people were very grateful to Americans for saving them.

If there are any French people now that think Americans are arrogant it would have to be younger people about Obama's age that are as ignorant of French and American history as Obama.

It is the duty of the few of us veterans still living to speak for the Americans who sacrificed their lives in World War I and World War II because the American news media and the current government in Washington, D.C. Will never do so!

Col. Frank D. Jackson USAF (ret.)

Huge immigrant population brings blessing and challenges to Catholics in Arkansas

Huge immigrant population brings blessing and challenges to Catholics in Arkansas

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A funny song: Enjoy and share

This is a funny well done video. Enjoy and share.
http://www.box.net/shared/k1eiic2da1

Local monastery provides deep spiritual formation for Little Rock community

Local monastery provides deep spiritual formation for Little Rock community

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Open letter to all priest, bishops, and archbishops

Dear Fathers in Christ,

Many of the faithful in the Church,  as well as many non-Catholic Christians, are deeply troubled by a scandalous phenomenon raging in the Church in America. Raging, in the sense that it has constantly been in the news and a major subject of discussion in all the various social media outlets.

The scandalous behavior referred to is the seemingly brazen attitude of rebellion radiating from many Catholic universities in America.  Their open defiance of the bishops’ guidelines has caused much harm in the spiritual life of many people, including many non-Catholics.

The article, Key U.S. Bishops: No Ecclesiastical Sanctions against Notre Dame from EWTN news link, highlights an even more disturbing development. In the article Bishop Kicanas, in responding to the question of a university deliberately deifying  the bishops’ guidelines and the need for consequences for such an action, gave a political answer of which the Clinton spin machine would have been proud.

Few are so naive as to believe there is no politics in the USCCB.  But to try and spin Fr. Jenkins decision into an act of misunderstanding or blaming it on a lack of clarity in the guidelines issued by the bishops is, for lack of a better term, bovine scatology.

These bishop are more educated than most and yet most laymen can clearly understand the guidelines.  This pattern of defiance has been unfolding over the course of  40 years now, the affect of which has been the establishment of an anti-Magisterium.  This defacto dual system of authority has caused confusion and discord among the faithful.

No one is asking for a judgment unto condemnation for Fr. Jenkins, Notre Dame or any other university that has knowingly or inadvertently defied the Magisterium.  What is being asked is why the Magisterium allows these universities to continue to engage in  what appears to be acts of open defiance in the name of the Catholic faith and to do so unapologetically and with impunity? 

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Hunting for God and game

Rev. Classen, the author of the popular book, Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord, has done it again. This time, in Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice, he really takes us on an excursion into the wilderness.  And not just the wilderness of Missouri either.  But instead, just as C.S. Lewis took the reader through the wardrobe into Narnia, Rev. Classen takes the reader through the wilderness and into the soul.

In a very insightful and humorous way, Rev. Classen takes very complicated and deep theological thoughts and parses them into the language of the outdoorsman.  He, in his exceptional narrative style, is able to connect abstract spiritual truths with everyday experiences and life.

A good example is his ability to relate the theological virtues of faith, hope and love to turkey hunting.  It takes a gifted individual to pull this off but Rev. Classen does so in a winning and entertaining fashion.

Through the use of his excellent storytelling abilities, Fr. Classen brings to life the joy, adventure and struggles of hunting.  Even if you are not a hunter, you will enjoy these delightful, page turning stories.  Fr. Classen brings the woods to life and recreates the sense of beauty and wonderment that can only be found in the depths of the wilderness.

The hunter will find the stories truthful and real.  They will be able to relate to the many trials and struggles that every hunter faces and the joy that comes as a reward for those that are successful in their endeavor.

Above all, everyone will benefit spiritually from this book.  Fr. Classen demonstrates that, with a little reflection, everyday events in our lives are opportunities to put our faith into practice.  He shows the reader that theology is not just the subject of stuffy class rooms but real theology affects our response to the challenges we face and enhances the lessons we learn from facing those challenges.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice.

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Immorality of Income Taxes

In  the three part blog I posted entitled,  "Social Justice and Human Dignity'" I discussed my understanding of the totality of human dignity.  I won't regurgitate the whole discussion here but let me just hit the highlights in preparation for the following discussion.

There are three elements to human dignity.  There is the dignity that every human is conceived and born with by virtue of being made in the image of God.  There is the dignity man earns by living a virtuous life. And there is the dignity that man earns by the sweat of his brow and the fruit of his labor.  This last dignity is usually represented by monies and properties.

We, as Catholics, have two great resources of wisdom. The first is the Holy Scriptures.  The second is the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  In these pages are inexhaustible treasures of reason, logic and faith.  It is a sure norm for the rightful application of our faith into our everyday lives.

Paragraph 2240 states the following:

2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country:
Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.[45]
[Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners.... They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws.... So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.[46]
The Apostle exhorts us to offer prayers and thanksgiving for kings and all who exercise authority, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way."[47]

So the Catechism teaches that it is right and just to pay our taxes.  I joyfully submit to this teaching.

The Catechism also teaches in paragraph 2238:

2238 Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts:[43] "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution.... Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God."[44] Their loyal collaboration includes the right, and at times the duty, to voice their just criticisms of that which seems harmful to the dignity of persons and to the good of the community.

This teaches me that I also have a duty to "voice [my] just criticism of that which seems harmful to the dignity of persons." 

I believe that, based on the reasoning presented so far, income taxes and property taxes are immoral and unjust forms of taxation.  They have a direct negative impact on the dignity of all people by diminishing the dignity those people have earned via the fruits of their labor.

They also diminish the dignity of those who support such taxation by allowing them  to participate in the legalized theft of their neighbors property.  One should not vote for the government to do something that, as an individual, would be illegal, i.e. the taking of money or property from your neighbor by force.  This is called stealing.  If it is stealing for an individual to engage in this activity then it is reasonable and logical that it is stealing for the government to engage in the same activity.

This is not to say that all forms of taxation are immoral or unjust.  The use of excise taxes such as sales taxes, as well as import and export taxes, are just, fair and allowed by our Constitution.  They are just and moral because they are "voluntary" in that one can determine for themselves wither they will participate in the tax by their voluntary participation in the economic process.

One just has to look at the tremendous waste and bureaucracy created by the IRS to see the injustice and immorality of the current income and property tax structure of the US.  There are thousands of people in jail for income tax evasion, either by deliberate attempts to avoid paying the taxes or because of honest uninformed or misinformed intentions.  There are thousands of families and individuals that have had their properties, including some that have been in their family for generations, confiscated because of an inability to pay property taxes.  To those that support the current tax structure and seek to expand it, I ask "How does this benefit and uphold the dignity of people?"

As a Catholic and someone trying to be faithful to the God and the Magisterium, I have a obligation to work for social justice and the welfare of my fellow man. I do not have the obligation or the right, to take by force from my neighbor the means to meet those obligations.

 I cannot elevate the dignity of one person by reducing the dignity of another.

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Go Up the House of the LORD

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!"  Psalm 122

I was thinking this morning about how much I love going to church. I realized that it was something I had often taken for granted in the past. Lately however, I had been more aware of the joy, peace and comfort I find just sitting in the pews, surrounded by....what?

Wow, I just realized what all I am surrounded by.  Friends and strangers, people passing through, and people who have been here their whole lives.  All sharing the Blessed Sacrament on equal footing.  Rich and poor, from all backgrounds, nationalities, and races, kneeling side by side before the King of Kings.

I am surrounded by the saints that have gone before.  I see St. Anthony, St Joseph, and stain glass images of the Apostles. I am wearing my medals of St. Pio, and the Miraculous Medal which reminds me St. Faustina.  My brown scapula brings to mind the great Carmelite saints.  I realize that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are all gathered together before the throne of God.

Of course I see the statues of the Holy Family.  My Blessed Mother is there, beckoning me to come to her Son and receive all that there is to receive. The love, grace, forgiveness, healing, and the redemption of my soul are all present and available to me.

The Most Holy Trinity is here.  The presence is real, alive and vibrant.  I am actually in the presence, body and blood, soul and divinity of my Precious Savior.

I realize that going to church is like receiving a great big hug from God himself. In fact, that is exactly what it is.

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Dr. Tiller’s Murder and the Pro-life Response.

This is a hard blog to write. The reason it is hard is because I want to make sure that I am not misunderstood. What I have to say is hard and it is written as much for myself as it is for anyone else.

A friend on Twitter asked the question, “Why doesn’t the Pro-life movement and organizations response with as much speed, unity and outrage when a young lady dies from complications due to an abortion procedure, as they did when Dr. Tiller was murdered?”

Before I answer try to answer this question, let me say that I love Fr. Frank Pavone, and Operation Rescue, and all the other Pro-life groups who are on the front lines fighting the Pro-death culture. I consider these people to be heroes. I in no way wish to disparage their efforts or their faith.

The answer it seems to me can be summed up in one word, fear. These Pro-life groups were so quick to respond because they were afraid of the backlash from a corrupt government. They were afraid of the hysteria and bashing from a death loving main stream media. They were afraid of the lies and propaganda from the cruel and vicious pro-abortion advocacy groups.

And they were right to be afraid for these thing. They have all happened to one degree or another.

But the main reason thing they were afraid of is that we would not support them. I believe they were afraid that they would be left standing alone against what appears to be an overwhelming giant. And judging from recent anti-abortion protest attendance, they may have good reason to fear.

Social Justice and Human Dignity... (Part three)

The use of the term social justice is very common today, especially among politicians and special interest groups. It is so popular because it sounds so righteous. Everybody wants to live in a society that is socially just.

But are the policies and programs advocated by those calling for social justice actually socially just? Do they meet the foundational standard of Catholic social teaching? Do they really uphold, affirm and elevate the dignity of all persons in society? Do they even uphold, affirm and elevate the dignity of the people they are supposed to be helping?

The answer is yes and no. Programs run by charitable organizations have proven very effective and beneficial to society. They have also proven to be very efficient and responsive to the changing needs of a community. Government programs, on the other hand, have proven to be very inefficient and non-responsive to the actual problems of society. In fact most governments programs have actually compounded the social problems they purport to solve.

Now, before someone has an aneurism, let me insert here that I know that I am speaking in general terms. There are examples of a small number of individual success stories through government programs. There are always exceptions to every rule. Please hear me out before you totally reject what I am saying.

A system in which the government is expected to solve all social inequities is called socialism. With almost one hundred years of history in the books we can now say with absolute certainty that socialism/communism does not work. It has never worked. It will never work. It cannot work because it is founded on a lie. It is a socio-economic philosophy from hell. It cannot exist anyplace where there is individual or religious freedom. There is not enough space here to delve into the historical failure of socialism. I recommend the following article by Rev. Robert Sirico, “The Great Lie: Pope Benedict XVI on Socialism” as published at InsideCatholic.com for a concise historical overview of socialism as well as commentary on Pope Benedicts XVI”s encyclical Spe Salvi.
Socialism is not evil because it is a bad system. It is a bad system because it is evil. It is rooted in atheism, which denies the existence of God. This places socialism in direct opposition to the teachings of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us in paragraph 27 that “The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God.”

Socialism should be opposed at every turn because it attacks and destroys the dignity of a person. The basics of socialism require the taking of property, possessions, or means of production from one person or group and giving this property, possession, or means of production to another.

As stated earlier in a previous posting “Social Justice and Human Dignity… (Part two),” the third element of human dignity is “the dignity humans earn from the fruit of their labor.” Socialism attacks this element of human dignity because it takes, by force of the government, from the fruit of a person’s labor, i.e. part of their dignity. It then in turn redistributes part of this thievery, ostensibly for the good of the less fortunate. I say “part” because it always keeps part for itself. This basically amounts to trying to buildup the dignity of one person by taking away the dignity of another.

This is very different from the Christian idea of charity. In Christian charity, a person is called to freely share as much or as little of his “dignity” as he feels led to do by God. In doing so, his dignity is replaced and/or protected by God Himself, thereby allowing him to uphold, affirm and elevate the dignity of his fellow man without diminishing his own dignity or that of his neighbor.

However, most social justice programs and policies today are really nothing more than socialism trying to repackage itself in better clothing. This is not a condemnation of those that support such programs. I am of firm belief that most people, especially those that are Christians, who support the call for “social justice “ programs, do so from the very best of intentions. They see the inequities that exists in our society and feel tremendous compassion for the less fortunate and downtrodden.

However, those social justice programs that call for the redistribution of wealth (property, possessions, or means of production) through the coercive power of the government, do not really bring about social justice. One only has to look at the results of the trillions of dollars spent since the inception of President Lyndon Johnson “War on Poverty” and the “social justice” programs it fostered. Again, there is not enough space here to delve into the details but suffice it to say, these social welfare programs have almost destroyed the African American community and are steadily eating away at all the lower income families in America.

(As a brief example I cite the following report: “…And Baby Makes Two“, by Emily Yoffe.)

The most recent danger posed by those the call for social justice programs is the attack on the greatest healthcare system the world has ever seen. I realize there are some problems with the current healthcare system in America. I do not pretend to be smart enough to say I know how to fix all these problems. I am smart enough to know what will not work, and that is the socialization of our healthcare system. It has not worked anywhere in the world.

Sure, some countries claim that everybody within their borders has health coverage. But having coverage and receiving care are two different things. I see very few people of means traveling to countries with socialized medicine to receive healthcare. The best doctors and hospitals in the world are located in the US for a reason. The current system has treated more people with far better care than any other system in the world.

As for the “millions” without coverage, that does not mean they do not receive care. Tens of thousands of people without health insurance are treated by doctors and hospitals everyday in this country. In many states it is illegal for an emergency room to turn away a patient, even if they don’t have any insurance--even if they have no money. Thousand of those that are in this country illegally receive some of the best healthcare in the world, with hospitals receiving only a fraction of what it cost to provide the service in return, and this at the expense of taxpayers who have to pay double (higher taxes and insurance premiums) while waiting in longer lines to receive their own health care.

This problem will only grow if the socialization of our healthcare system is allowed to expand. There is a very good argument that a large proportion of the problems in the current healthcare system are the result of government interference. Increasing the amount of government intrusion will only increase the size and scope of the problem.

The social problems facing our society cannot be solved by government. Government as it grows larger does not seek to serve the people but only serves itself. To quote Thomas Paine, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”

I want everyone in the world to receive the best possible healthcare. I want everyone to have plenty of food, shelter and clothing. I want everyone to live in peace with God and their neighbor.

I also believe that the best way for these goals to be achieved is for everyone to have the most individual liberty possible. It is through the propagation of individual liberty and freedom that the dignity of a person finds its greatest potential.

A truthful examination of history will prove my point. There has never been a more upwardly mobile society than the United States. No other country has had the religious freedom that has existed in our great land. Maybe that is why we have such a charitable heart. Maybe this freedom and the inherit understanding of the dignity that it provides compels us to share more of that dignity with our fellow man.

Maybe it is this heritage which leads Mississippi, our poorest state, to lead our nation in per capita charitable giving.

As we are challenged to solve these social issues, let us correctly identify the problems and offer solutions that not only sound good but that actually work and uphold the dignity of all people.

Social Justice and Human Dignity… (Part two)

The USCCB, in a document entitled "Themes of Catholic Social Teachings," states the following:

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.

The key element of Catholic social teaching is the dignity of the human being. But what exactly is meant by the "dignity" of the human being. After much study, prayer and thought I am ready to put forth my concept of the dignity of the human person.

The dignity of humans has three elements. The first element is the dignity with which everyone is born. It is the inherent dignity that comes from being made in the image of God. Every human has this dignity and deserves to be treated with respect and thoughtfulness because of this dignity. It is from this fundamental dignity that the foundation of human rights are established.

The second element is the dignity that humans earn from living a virtuous life. The practice of the cardinal virtues lends dignity to one's life regardless of their socio-economic or political status.

The third element is the dignity that humans earn from the fruit of their labors. This is often overlooked in our society today. As we have moved further away from an agrarian society toward a post industrial society the value of a man's labor is often neglected or devalued to strictly monetary terms. This is really tragic because there is much dignity in a good day's work. There is much value to the human soul in participating with God in providing for one's self, family and neighbors.

These three elements encompass the whole of human dignity and take into account the total of a person's life not just his conception.

Let us now take a moment to reflect on Catholic social teachings with this understanding of human dignity in mind. The goal of Catholic social teachings, as I understand it, is to uphold, affirm and elevate the dignity of all humans, with special attention paid to those most vulnerable in our society. This is a most noble and praiseworthy goal. I believe it captures the essence of the gospel commandment "to love our neighbor as ourselves."

It is obvious that we as Catholics and I daresay all Christians have a moral obligation to help those that are less fortunate. I believe it is the highest of human endeavors to care for the sick, widowed and orphaned. I also believe that "to whom much is given much is expected." We in America have been blessed with much. These blessings are not just limited to our material wealth but also include the wonderful spiritual and moral heritage that we have inherited. Americans are the most generous and giving of any industrialized nation. In fact it is not even close as the following website documents. (http://www.american.com/archive/2008/march-april-magazine-contents/a-nation-of-givers) Another study showed that the per capita giving of Americans more than doubles the closest per capita giving of any European nation.

This is not to disparage another nations or peoples. I point these facts out because it is important that we approach the issues of social justice from the foundation of truth not merely political hyperbole.

Having laid now a rather lengthy foundation, I will in the next part begin discussing the difference between the common political use of the term social justice and what I have come to understand as the substance of Catholic social teachings.

Social Justice and Human Dignity… (Part one)

What exactly is social justice? Why as a Catholic should I be concerned with social justice? Is social justice the same as the social teachings of the Catholic Church? These are just a few of the questions that have been puzzling me over the last several days. I am no expert in any field which would allow me to speak authoritatively on any aspect of the issues involved in the social justice or social teachings of the Church. Instead please allow me to present my thoughts, ideas and opinions as just that, knowing that this is an attempt to learn and clarify these issues in my own mind. Your comments and thoughts will be great appreciated as this is meant to be a dialogue not a dissertation.

The issue concerning social justice first came up when I heard the USCCB (Unites States Council Catholic Bishops) talk about the illegal immigration challenges. They spoke in terms of social justice and their tone seemed to suggest support for those breaking the just laws of our sovereign nation. At least this is how I, and others I talked to, perceived the message from the USCCB. As a convert to Catholicism and one who has great love and affection for the Magisterium of the Church, I was trouble by what I saw as the bishops taking a position I could not support.

In an attempt to not jump to any conclusions until I had all my facts straight I have set out to get a better understanding of this often used and rarely defined term of social justice.

In an effort of full disclosure let me insert here a brief description of my starting point. I am now and have always been a deeply patriotic person. I love this country and the founding fathers. I believe that the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution are the two greatest political documents ever penned by human hands and are second only to the Bible in their impact on humanity. I believe in State's rights and a constitutional republic form of government. I am a fan of Austrian economic philosophy and have been an ardent free market capitalist (I am however very interested in the distributionalist ideas of those like G.K. Chesterton and Hillarie Belloc). I believe in the maxim that a government governs best that governs least.

Social justice seems to be a hard term to pin down. Since it is basically a concept, it means different things to different people. Trying to find a good definition has proven difficult as most are too vague to be of any use.

Wikipedia defines it as, "Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which "justice" is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law."

BusinessDictionary.com offers the following definition, "Fair and proper administration of laws conforming to the natural law that all persons, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race, religion, etc., are to be treated equally and without prejudice. "

These two definitions in essence contradict one another. This is the inherent problem with the term. What does it mean when someone speaks of "social justice?" The most left wing socialist uses the term to mean many things. Hence we arrive at the heart of the controversy.

In almost all of the reading and studying I have done on the subject, in the realm of politics and government policies the term social justice is usually used to either mask or a hide a particular socialist program, or is used to simply justify or deem as necessary for the cause of social justice, a particular socialist solution to a problem.

I am of the firm belief that socialism is the most evil form of government that can be perpetrated upon mankind. It is the most dehumanizing of all known forms of government. It always leads to the most murderous, oppressive kind of dictatorship. It lifts nobody up and brings down all but the very elite. I understand no form of government instituted by man will be perfect, but it is obvious that some forms of government are better than others.

Is social justice then just a left wing code word for socialism? Why do the Church and her bishops use this term to describe their social teachings? What is the effect of social justice concerns on society? I will discuss these in more detail in the next post….too be continued.

This is Our Time

As Charles Dickens once wrote, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…" In this brilliant piece of prose, Dickens captures the soul of his time and of ours. This is the best of times and the worst of times simply because it is OUR time.

Man does not choose the times into which he is born. God makes that choice. God has chosen this time for us to be born. He has chosen this as the time into which we have come of age. This is OUR time.

God has chosen us to rise to the occasion and save the greatest nation the world has ever known from itself. No nation has ever been so blessed by God. No nation has ever been such a blessing to the other nations around the world. For all of its shortcomings this is by far the greatest nation the world has ever known.

The United States now faces it greatest challenge ever. It is threatened not by foreign enemies or terrorist but by its own people. It is threatened by those who would tear it apart to satisfy their own evil desires for power, wealth and control.

These enemies of our nation, some who may even have good intentions, are being used and guided by evil forces they cannot understand because they will not even acknowledge that they exist. They have denied God His rightful place in our society, thereby placing them as the only authority who can determine right from wrong, good from evil. In modern terminology this is called moral relativism.

It is our challenge to confront this enemy. We must defeat them at every turn. We cannot give them any quarter. There is no compromise with evil. One does not take a dragon a pet for it will one day turn on you. This is the task placed before us by God.

There is not a simple, single solution to winning this battle. This battle wages on many fronts. It must be fought spiritually, politically, economically, academically and socially.

The primary battlefield is spiritual. "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 NRSV-CE."
The first step in this great battle will be for us as Christians to live the Christian life. We must divorce ourselves for the materialistic, overindulgent society into which we were born. We need to transform the American dream from owning a big house with a 2 car garage and 2.5 kids, into the dream of living at peace with God and your neighbors. We must understand that we cannot win this battle while participating with the enemy in his moral decadence.

We must be willing to become martyrs for Christ if we are to have any hope in saving our nation. There is no political solution, no economic plan which can stem the tide of evil sweeping our country. We have reached the place where like at the Battle of Lepanto, only the prayers of the faithful and divine intervention can turn the tide of battle. Only after the winds shift can we began to have political, economic, and social victory. Our battle cry should be "For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Php 1:21. NRSV_CE."
We must, each one of us, be willing to take up the mantle of martyrdom, if we truly wish to see salvation return to our nation.

Once we as Christians unite through our sacrificial prayers, then God Himself will take up the battle for us. He will lead us out of this time of darkness in the valley and into a new time of joy, peace and prosperity.

The Challenge of this Memorial Day

One of my favorite quotes in the remembrance of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have fought for our nation is "All gave some, some gave all." It is simple and completely true. It is always moving to remember the great sacrifices so many have made that allow us the freedoms that we share. I humbly pray that I will never take those freedoms for granted nor forget their sacrifice.

I am also challenged by those memories. It is now my turn to take up the cause of liberty. My country is under a vicious attack from the most deadly of enemies. This enemy is ruthless, never sleeping and grows stronger every day. The enemy is apathy.

I look around at the news and this is the main cry I hear. We allow over 4000 unborn children to be murder everyday in this country and only a handful show up to protest this abomination. Instead of 20 people coming to a protest what do you think would happen if 20 million showed up. Why do we allow gangs to roam our streets, our towns, and neighborhoods, selling drugs, enslaving and murdering our children? Why do we allow our politicians to steal our money, give it to our foreign enemies and enslave our people in the tyranny of moral relativism and the hopelessness of secular humanism?

We are losing our country to the enemy because too many of us, myself included, are waiting for somebody else to do something about these problems. Do you really think for one moment that George Washington, John Adams, Patrick Henry, James Madison or any of the other great men that founded this nation, would tolerate the nonsense that is going on in our government today? We not only need great leaders like these men but we need to BE great leaders like these men. We can no longer afford to sit around in our Lazy-boys waiting for someone else to do the job for us.

It is time for all good men to rise up and take our place in the battle for freedom and liberty. We must rise up and shake off the chains of apathy, summon the courage of our forefathers and pledge "our lives, our fortunes and our Sacred Honor" to this most noble of endeavors. Let us pray to God the Father Almighty that we be given the strength to be counted as those that "gave all" for the glory of His Kingdom and the rebirth a free nation.

Birth of a Fascist Nation

This is a political commentary. I feel the need to write this because it is time to "call it like I see it."

There have been several articles on the Drudge Report lately reporting on the US government's involvement and eventual takeover of two of the big three US auto makers. This process has been going on for some time and has now reached the point where the current Presidential Administration is basically running General Motors and Chrysler, including hiring and firing CEOs, dictating certain financial plans, and the allocation of financial resources.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but this is FASCISM. I am not accusing anyone of wanting to wear swastikas, round up Jews and Gypsies in concentration camps, or start wars of imperialism. But the simple fact still remains that government control of privately owned corporations and business is fascism.

The definition of fascism is hard to pin down. Most people know there is a difference between fascism, socialism, and capitalism but they could not describe to you the difference. Although the space here will not permit a thorough discussion of the differences, the economic differences can be summed up as follows:

Capitalism is the private ownership of business interacting in a free market with a minimum of government interference. Socialism is the government owning all means of production, distribution and consumption, i.e. the market place. Fascism is the government dictating to privately owned business the means, method and amount of production and a strict regulatory control of the market place.

I realize this is an oversimplification of the complexities of each of economic theories described. However, each definition offered captures the essence of that particular economic philosophy. Therefore, looking at the economic plans of the current administration, it becomes obvious that it is fascist in its economic philosophy.

There are other warning signs that suggest that the current government of the US is in the embryonic stage of fascism. The listing of those with political, social and religious disagreements with the current dominate political party as potential terrorist threats such as occurred in the recent declassified Department of Homeland Security Document, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." The corruption of the election process to try and ensure single party dominance (i.e. the numerous indictments against the group ACORN, which is a de facto arm of the Democratic Party receiving federal funds to drum up votes for Democratic politicians, regardless of the legitimacy of those votes, hence the indictments). The total disregard for the constitutional republican form of government (i.e. the overturning of the constitutional amendments overwhelmingly supported and voted for by the people of California by a small number (3) of unelected judges).

These and several other occurrences all add up to warn us. We are far down the path to a fascist dictatorship. The question is, have we traveled too far to turn back and do we have the WILL to journey back to freedom? No nation has ever made the return trip. I believe America, unique among the nations of the earth, can reclaim her place as the leader of Liberty. But first we must acknowledge where we are and only then can we chart a return course to freedom.

Father Jenkins is not a Judas

Father Jenkins is not a Judas Iscariot. He is much worse than that. He is more akin to the High Priest Caiaphas, who had Jesus arrested, mocked and brought before Pilate. His actions are beyond traitorous because he should, and does, know better. His actions were the result of deliberate choice, not simply a misguided mistake. He has examined both good and evil and chosen to cast his lot with the dark side of rationalization and moral relativism.

I cannot follow the logic. Fr. Jenkins will have President Obama give the commencement speech at Notre Dame because he wants to foster dialogue with those who think it is alright to murder unborn children. Following this same logic, then we should invite Osama bin Laden and Ahmadinejad to dialogue about the Holocaust and the Jewish homeland. This is insane.

Father Jenkins has repeated Eve's big mistake. She had a dialogue with the serpent and look where that has gotten us. One does not dialogue with evil. One cannot negotiate with evil.

People of good will can have disagreements and can enter into negotiations as long as both parties are willing to abide by the results of the negotiations. But when one party has deceit and total victory as their only goal, it is foolishness, to negotiate with that party. They will never adhere to any agreement. Adolf Hitler broke every treaty anyone ever signed with him. The former Soviet Union did the same thing. They never kept any agreement the US negotiated with them. The US even broke its own treaties with most of the Native American tribes. As soon as one side thinks it has the upper hand, it will break the treaty.

Our enemy in this case is not flesh and blood ( Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic power of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. NRSV-CE). Our enemy has no interest in dialogue, negotiations or anything other than the death and destruction of as much of the human race as possible.

The arrest of Fr. Wensil during the Notre Dame protest is a great example. There was no discussion or dialogue. He protested the university's support and honoring of a person that advocates murdering unborn children and was arrested for it. Do you really think that an anti-war protester would have been arrested for protesting against a George Bush commencement address? Of course not. Such a protester would have been held up as a hero. But disagree with the current "rulers, authorities and cosmic powers of this present darkness" and you will be arrested and persecuted. They persecuted Jesus our Lord and Savior, and they will persecute us.

A Special Note of Thanks

I just wanted to take a minute and thank all my new friends from Twitter. I have met many special and wonderful people, who have been very patient with me as I learn the art of blogging and twittering. Their Christian kindness and charity are just a small taste of heaven, and I want everyone to know how much I appreciate you and your faith. You truly make it fun to be part of the Body of Christ.

I especially want to give a "shout out" to Immaculatae for her incredible warmth and support. Her faithfulness to Our Lady and Our Blessed Savior is incredibly refreshing and encouraging. I am thankful that there are sisters and brothers out there like her that are praying for us. I will always be grateful to her for pointing me to the Mary Victrix website (http://maryvictrix.wordpress.com) which I thoroughly enjoy. Her own namesake blog, http://immaculatae.blogspot.com/ is wonderful and well worth following. Thank you Immaculatae, and may God richly bless you, and cause His face to shine upon you and give you peace.

There have been many people who have been very supportive and I hope no one is offended by not being mentioned. Everyone one of you has been prayed for and will continue to be prayed for and prayed with. (My grammar teacher would love that phrasing. LOL J) Too echo the Apostle Paul, "I give thanks to God at each remembrance of you…" God bless you all and keep on twittering.