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Les Miserables: Some powerful lesson about our human response in the face of trial and suffering

Rachel over at 'Movie Thoughts' offers an insightful review of Hollywood's latest production of 'Les Miserable' in which she explores our human response to suffering. If you're not interested in her opinion regarding the quality of the singing in this movie, skip down to her second point and read from there. Les Miserables

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

May the peace of the new born Messiah bring peace, happiness, and good health to all the visitors here... Where the Rubber Meets the Road. Fr. Tim

'Christmas Gets Worse Every Year' - a YouTube video that many among us can relate to.

Will God Still Be Able to Find Me? A Meditation based on an endearing Canadian Tire Christmas Commercial | Archdiocese of Washington

Children often have problems with generalization and conceptualization. For example, when I was very young I was told that Jesus lived in the tabernacle. Fine I thought, then that must mean there is furniture and stuff in there. So when the priest opened the tabernacle up on the high altar, I earnestly looked for the furniture and perhaps the little stair case going to a second floor, much like my sister’s dollhouse was set up. But then the Nuns threw me for a loop in Sunday School when they asked “Where is God?” And then they supplied the answer, “Everywhere.” But wait a minute, I thought they said he lived in the tabernacle. And thus I could not generalize and specify very well with my 6 year old brain Click on link below to read the entire article:   Will God Still Be Able to Find Me? A Meditation based on an endearing Christmas Commercial | Archdiocese of Washington

GEORGE WEIGEL COLUMN - A pastoral opportunity lost?

Dec. 26, 2012 - At their annual November meeting, the U.S. bishops failed to approve a pastoral message on the economy.  “The Hope of the Gospel in Difficult Economic Times” was approved by a clear majority of the bishops voting, but objections raised in large part by retired bishops were sufficient to deny the document the supermajority it needed. All of which strikes me as a lost opportunity. No doubt the draft document could have been improved; any ecclesial document can be improved (if you doubt that, try reading Vatican II’s Decree on the Means of Social Communication without taking a long winter’s nap). What was so striking about “The Hope of the Gospel in Difficult Economic Times,” however, was that it was different : it was the work of pastors, not policy wonks; it anchored its reflections in the Gospel, not in the dismal science; and in a public environment becoming ever more secular, it used terms like “sin” and “virtue” to describe our p

Pew Research issues 'Best of 2012' list

Pope Says Faith Includes Trust in Dark Moments | Daily News | NCRegister.com

In the latest installment of his weekly reflections on faith, the Holy Father emphasizes the need to rely on God in difficult circumstances. Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-says-faith-includes-trust-in-dark-moments?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCRegisterDailyBlog+National+Catholic+Register#When:2012-12-19%2017:35:01#ixzz2FbaQYpo9 Pope Says Faith Includes Trust in Dark Moments | Daily News | NCRegister.com

God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope | Column | Opinion | Pembroke Daily Observer

God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope | Column | Opinion | Pembroke Daily Observer

12 women died from abortion complications in 2008, double previous year: CDC | LifeSiteNews.com

QUICK! Time to mount up and rally to demand that abortions be outlawed! Time to protest, yell, and profane governments which permit such an outrage to occur!!! 12 women have died!!! No? Then why is this the proper response when one woman dies in Ireland because (in the opinion of her non-medically trained husband) her request to terminate a pregnancy was refused... especially when medical opinion states that performing an abortion would not necessarily have saved her life? Surely it's not because this tragedy is being used by some to promote a particular agenda is it? 12 women died from abortion complications in 2008, double previous year: CDC | LifeSiteNews.com

Leafs fan buys used dressing room toilet from the team for $5,300 - sportsnet.ca

A Leaf fan's dream possession? It's just way too easy to come up with reasons why this fan has purchased the PERFECT ICON of his team. In charity, I leave it to you, gentle reader, to come up with your own thoughts or suggestions. Feel free to share them if you'd like. :-) Given the state of the NHL today with half a season already flushed away in this stupid lockout, it might be the best symbol for the entire league. BTW, who was it that thought that the best way to work out a deal between players and owners of a professional hockey league was to give the job to a pint sized basketball lawyer and a large-headed baseball lawyer? Can you picture Betman playing point guard on any basketball team you've ever played on after leaving grade school?  And seriously, don't you think that maybe Fehr got out of baseball because people kept thinking he was the Met's team mascot?    Leafs fan buys dressing room toilet for $5,300 - sportsnet.ca

Church of England votes against women bishops | Holy Post | National Post

It is understandable that a church founded on an apostolic leadership model would be wary of making this change.  Women as priests is much less of an issue since a priest is theologically viewed as being subordinate to a bishop. An argument can be made, as it has already within the Anglican communion that priests could analogously be compared to the 'disciples', of which there were both men and women in biblical times. (It doesn't work for Catholics because of the 'in persona Christi' issue, but that's not at issue here.)  However, using the same analogy bishops are seen as the successors to the 12 apostles whom Christ placed at the head of the Church to fulfill the three roles of leadership, sacramental ministry, and teaching/evangelization. While it is clear that women were among his closest followers, some of whom even used their own wealth to support Jesus and his ministry, it is just as certain that among the 12 Christ only chose men. Theol

Archbishop Chaput: being a saint is the only thing that matters :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

A perfect reflection for a Sunday! Archbishop Chaput: being a saint is the only thing that matters :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

NCRegister | Drone Wars: The Morality of Robotic Weapons

NCRegister | Drone Wars: The Morality of Robotic Weapons

The Crisis of a Second Obama Administration | First Things

George Weigel examines the consequences of the 2nd Obama election for the RC Church. The Crisis of a Second Obama Administration | First Things

Elmo puppeteer accuser recants sex story - World - CBC News

Thank God. It's good to see that sometimes (alas too rarely) these allegations prove to be false.If Elmo had been proven to be a pervert, it could have scarred thousands of his young fans. Elmo puppeteer accuser recants sex story - World - CBC News

Remembrance Day: We Honor Them and the Principles They Served For - U.s. - Catholic Online

Veterans Day: We Honor Them and the Principles They Served For - U.s. - Catholic Online

Canada honours its military heroes - Canada - CBC News

Canada honours its military heroes - Canada - CBC News

+Archbishop Chaput discusses secularism

Boo! 9 surprising facts about Halloween in Canada - Business - CBC News

Happy Halloween! Be generous and kind to all the ghosts, goblins, and other various monsters who knock on your door tonight! And, please be careful if you're driving around tonight so as to keep all those costumed kids safe. Boo! 9 surprising facts about Halloween in Canada - Business - CBC News

Brian D'Arcy: I felt like giving up when the Catholic Church tried to gag me - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

'Giving up'? I wonder how he can square his religious obligation to obey his superiors (who ordered him to cease this public campaign of challenging Church teaching) with his participation in a documentary about the issue. It would seem that Fr. D'Arcy is having trouble understanding not only the Church's moral teachings but he's go a way to go to understand what it means to be obedient and silent!!  Brian D'Arcy: I felt like giving up when the Catholic Church tried to gag me - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

NDP threatens Family Coalition Party with legal action for 'hate literature' mail drop | LifeSiteNews.com

I never cease to be amazed that political parties like the NDP and the Liberals, which claim to be 'inclusive' organization, are the ones who are spearheading the drive to make illegal opinions that they don't agree with without recognizing the contradiction.  Here's another solid example to prove my point. Click on the link to read the entire article.   NDP threatens Family Coalition Party with legal action for 'hate literature' mail drop | LifeSiteNews.com

Is Freedom of Religion a 'natural right'? Here's an interesting article that tries to answer this question.

In that notable letter, so characteristically terse, and yet with it all, magnificent, George Washington remarked to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport that "it is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights." The "natural rights" here were the rights of "the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land" to live their Jewish lives with their rituals of worship. And in a biblical image, "every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid." Several years earlier James Madison invoked a comparable notion of the freedom of religion as nothing less than a natural right. In his "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments" (1785), Madison insisted that "this right [of religious freedom] is in its nature an unalienable right."    C

Is wealth more than welfare the problem? Mark Shea tackles an interesting question.

Mark Shea, a prominent American blogger and columnist tackles the question of wealth as it effects our state before God. Don't know that I entirely agree with him. but he does make a number of good points. Click on the link below to read the article and decide for yourself if you agree with him or not. For Debate

Oldest Auschwitz deathcamp survivor passes away - the obligation to 'Never Forget' passes to a new generation

Antoni Dobrowolski  1904-2012 Oldest Auschwitz deathcamp survivor passes away

Campaign 2012: What Kind of Country Do You Want? | First Things

Here's George Weigel's latest column dealing with the upcoming US elections. I haven't posted a great deal about the campaign because as a Canadian blogger it has little immediately relevancy. But I liked this column for the fact that the questions it raises can apply here in Canada as well. Campaign 2012: What Kind of Country Do You Want? | First Things

Justin Press - A Canadian Catholic Publisher opens up!

I recently purchased two books from a new Canadian Catholic publishing firm called Justin Press. The first is titled: ' Going Home ' by Fr. Denis Lemieux of Madonna House.  The second is by Michael O'Brien examining the disintegration of the social fabric in society called '' Arriving Where We Started ". It completes a trilogy which sounds the tocsin for the Christian Civilization of the Western World. ' Remembrance of the Future ' and the crisis of the family in ' Father at Night '. Click on the link below to examine their entire catalog.  Justin Press | Canadian Catholic Publisher

Mask off: Canadians now warning Americans

Imagine this: “You are summoned to a tribunal where you cannot have a defense lawyer and you cannot record the proceedings nor have a witness present. The people judging and prosecuting you have no legal qualifications. The accusation is ambiguous, having to do with ideas the state does not like. The penalties could include fines equal to several thousands of dollars, public recanting and rehabilitation classes.” Does this sound surreal or unthinkable to you? Unfortunately, it is all too real. These are the words of Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, from Ottawa, Canada. Click below to read entire article. Mask off: Canadians now warning Americans

Evolution, Big Bang all ‘lies straight from the pit of hell’ — U.S. Congressman | Holy Post | National Post

More proof that while it may be impossible for a 'camel to pass through the eye of a needle', it seems there's not difficulty for an ass to make it's way through the doors of Congress. This story says nothing relevant about religion per se, but it speaks volumes about the American political process. Evolution, Big Bang all ‘lies straight from the pit of hell’ — U.S. Congressman | Holy Post | National Post

Ontario's Education Minister goes one step too far

Ontario's embattled Minister of Education, Laurel Broten Laurel Broten, the Education Minister of Ontario,  — a professing Catholic who sends her children to Catholic schools — declared October 10th that the province’s publicly funded Catholic schools may not teach students that abortion is wrong because such teaching amounts to “misogyny,” which is prohibited in schools under a controversial anti-bullying law. “Taking away a woman’s right to choose could arguably be considered one of the most misogynistic actions that one could take,”  Broten said during a press conference. “Bill 13,” (The Accepting Schools Act) she asserted, “is about tackling misogyny.” Passed in June, Bill 13 was formulated in response to a series of teen suicides by students who were victims of bullying from their peers. It requires schools to provide “a positive school climate that is inclusive and accepting, regardless of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, se

Catholic Bishops against Eric Robert execution - KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, Sports

I'm pleased to see that the Bishops are defending ALL life... even convicted murderers. Being pro-life means fighting to end all killing in our society, not just the slaughter of the unborn. This is something that all Catholics should work towards: respect for the right to life for the unborn, handicapped, the aged, and the guilty. Catholic Bishops against Eric Robert execution - KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, Sports

Please consider signing this petition calling for the resignation of Ontario Education Minister who forbids RC Schools from teaching abortion is a sin.

PLEASE CONSIDER signing this petition. The Education minister in Ontario has violated the Charter of Rights & Freedoms (Article 29) in ruling that Catholic Separate Schools cannot teach that abortion is a sin to students. This must not be allowed to stand! Petitions

History’s View of Vatican II: Catholic World Report

History’s View of Vatican II: Catholic World Report

What Is Your Dog Thinking? A Lot | TIME Ideas | TIME.com

Fascinating! I wonder if soon I'll get to know what my buddy Mateo has on his mind. Up to now it's been 'Feed me!', 'Pet me!' and 'I've got to go pee!' Wonder what else he's got to say?? What Is Your Dog Thinking? A Lot | TIME Ideas | TIME.com

Ontario Education Minister: Catholic schools can’t teach abortion is wrong - that’s ‘misogyny’ | LifeSiteNews.com

Laurel Broten said that arguments against legal abortion are “misogynistic” and therefore should be banned under Ontario’s Bill 13, a law that bans bullying. The education minister said that “we’re very clear with the passage of Bill 13 that Catholic teachings cannot be taught in our schools that violates human rights and which brings a lack of acceptance to participation in schools.”  As predicted... here come's the onslaught forcing the Catholic system to change its moral teachings to accommodate current mores.  It's interesting how an Act that was supposed to be geared towards fostering 'equality' is being used to enforce an anti-Catholic, anti-life agenda. Sad... but interesting. Even I didn't expect the Ontario government to go this far. Evidently I was mistaken. Ontario Education Minister: Catholic schools can’t teach abortion is wrong - that’s ‘misogyny’ | LifeSiteNews.com

63 ex-Catholic priests in Washington: We back gay marriage

While I hardly find it shocking that men who once professed their commitment to uphold and teach the teachings of the Church - it's hardly a surprise that ex-priests might espouse a re-definition of the doctrines that caused them to put aside their vocational call. One might hope that some vestigial sense of respect for what they formerly believed, rooted in their own personal experiences as priests and pastors of knowing just how difficult it is to promote the Christian teachings in todays culture. It's hard enough to convince a generation that for the most part lacks the self-control and discipline to keep their consumer purchasing in check - so great is the craving for immediate self-gratification among people today - without having to confront the opposition of those we thought of as our  brothers in ministry too. These ex-priests should know better than to kick mud on former friends. They may no longer believe in the Church, perhaps they've lost their faith in God as

Pope opens bishop synod, names 2 church doctors

VATICAN CITY - (AP) --  Pope Benedict XVI  urged the world's bishops on Sunday to try to bring back Catholics who have left the church as he opened a three-week meeting to reinvigorate the church's evangelization mission. Some 262 cardinals, bishops and priests from around the world are in Rome for the meeting, or synod, called to give impetus to the pope's efforts to re-evangelize parts of the world where Catholicism has fallen by the wayside. At the start of the Mass, Benedict named two new "doctors" of the church, conferring one of the Catholic Church's highest honors on the 16th-century Spanish preacher, St. John of Avila, and the 12th-century German mystic, St. Hildegard of Bingen. They join the ranks of only 33 other church doctors who have been singled out over the course of Christianity for their contributions to and influence on Catholic doctrine. Click on title to read the entire article.

Bill Donahue of the American Catholic Rights Organization speaks about the censorship of its proposed advertising by Hollywood

Catholic theologian: Unseat pope and push ‘authoritarian’ church to radical reform | The Raw Story

Hans Küng has been a friend of B16 since their days teaching together. Then Küng comes out with something like this. Some friend, eh?  With friends like this, who needs to have an enemy? Catholic theologian: Unseat pope and push ‘authoritarian’ church to radical reform | The Raw Story