Reflections from the pastoral ministry of an Evangelical Catholic Priest.
31 May, 2016
30 May, 2016
29 May, 2016
28 May, 2016
Conrad Black: This isn’t religion, it’s madness
"This isn’t messianism; it isn’t even reverence, or spirituality. It is bunk. Are we all mad?"Given the way the courts have ruled recently, I have to assume Conrad Black is asking this question rhetorically. Click on the link below and decide for yourself.
Stop saying you're too old to do that
Too many of us are under the false impression that we’ve aged out of experiencing new things, challenging ourselves, or simply having fun. One writer explains why you’re never too old to hop on a hog and ride cross-country.
Stop saying you're too old to do that – For Her
Stop saying you're too old to do that – For Her
27 May, 2016
26 May, 2016
25 May, 2016
The pontificate might be stuck in the mud- a column from the National Catholic Reporter
I find it fascinating that folks like this columnist are so concerned about Pope Francis ensuring that any changes he brings about cannot be undone by future successors while at the same time celebrating the 'fact' that he had done that to the work of those who held office before him. I guess the NCR likes some forms of papal authoritarianism better than others.
Silly people.
The pontificate might be stuck in the mud | National Catholic Reporter
Silly people.
The pontificate might be stuck in the mud | National Catholic Reporter
24 May, 2016
Clues to origins of life may be found in Sudbury, Ont. crater
WOW! My hometown could be the origin of life on our planet? I guess that means that those of us born in Sudbury can claim to have the oldest family tree of everyone on the planet. How cool is that!!
Clues to origins of life may be found in Sudbury, Ont. crater - Sudbury - CBC News
Clues to origins of life may be found in Sudbury, Ont. crater - Sudbury - CBC News
23 May, 2016
22 May, 2016
Vince Gill Breaks Down During Performance At George Jones’ Funeral
If you find yourself needing something to touch your heart, I cannot offer anything more powerful than this performance by Vince Gill and Patty Loveless in tribute to his friend and mentor, George Jones. If it doesn't bring a tear to your eye, your heart is dead.
Vince Gill Breaks Down During Performance At George Jones’ Funeral – Superstar Music
Vince Gill Breaks Down During Performance At George Jones’ Funeral – Superstar Music
21 May, 2016
20 May, 2016
Andrew Coyne: Who says the Supreme Court won’t change its mind on doctor-assisted suicide — yet again? | National Post
Andrew Coyne of the National Post ruminates on what will follow the passage of the current euthanasia bill before Parliament.
Andrew Coyne: Who says the Supreme Court won’t change its mind on doctor-assisted suicide — yet again? | National Post
But that would hardly be the end of it. Advocates of assisted suicide have already served notice they will challenge the legislation in court: because it does not apply to children, or the mentally incompetent; because it defines “grievous and irremediable” to mean, in part, that the patient’s “natural death has become reasonably foreseeable;” even for imposing a 15-day waiting period (since amended to 10).
They will not rest, in short, until there is an unrestricted right to death on demand. The question is what those opposed will do. Will they, at a minimum, resist these attempts to expand assisted suicide from the beachhead just established? To push further, will they be content, as their opponents are not, with the status quo as defined by C-14? Will they accept that assisted suicide should remain lawful in Canada, or will they assert the same right to relitigate the issue as its advocates?
Andrew Coyne: Who says the Supreme Court won’t change its mind on doctor-assisted suicide — yet again? | National Post
19 May, 2016
Why a Catholic church should look like a Catholic church – CRUX
I am so fortunate to now serve in three parishes that all look like Catholic churches. In fact, St. Alphonsus Parish church is one of the most beautiful places of worship I've ever seen. The exterior is featured on this blog's front page. Posted below are a few photos featuring the interior. Having such a space to celebrate the sacraments serves to lift one's soul, making it easier to reflect upon the important realities they point us to. Click on the link beside the last photo to read this article from CRUX to learn why such a building is even more important that you might have thought at first glance.
Why a Catholic church should look like a Catholic church – CRUX
Why a Catholic church should look like a Catholic church – CRUX
18 May, 2016
Alberta appeal court rules against federal approach to assisted dying
Think the limitations included in the Liberal's euthanasia bill will last for long? Think again after you read this article where ALREADY the courts in Alberta are moving to strip away even the few protections included in the proposed legislation. Just as the protections in the original legislation legalizing abortions melted away like a snowbank in a summer heatwave, the 'protections' in the Liberals package will disappear before you can say 'But I don't want to be euthanized!'
Alberta appeal court rules against federal approach to assisted dying - Politics - CBC News
Alberta appeal court rules against federal approach to assisted dying - Politics - CBC News
Liberals threaten to take full control of the House as deadline looms
So here we have it. The Liberals turning Parliament into a virtual dictatorship to ram through their euthanasia bill, shutting out all voices opposed to it. So not only is the legislation immoral, the method and means of making it the law of the land will be too. I guess their commitment to an 'open and transparent' government that respected the traditions of Parliament will only be honored when they get what they want without opposition.
May God have mercy on our souls.
Liberals threaten to take full control of the House as deadline looms | CTV News
May God have mercy on our souls.
Liberals threaten to take full control of the House as deadline looms | CTV News
Biblical Preaching and Healing the Culture | George Weigel
If Catholics in the United States (and Canada too) are going to be healers of our wounded culture, we’re going to have to learn to see the world through lenses ground by biblical faith. That form of depth perception only comes from an immersion in the Bible itself. So spending ten or fifteen minutes a day with the word of God is a must for the evangelical Catholic of the twenty-first century.
Biblical Preaching and Healing the Culture | George Weigel | First Things
Biblical Preaching and Healing the Culture | George Weigel | First Things
17 May, 2016
15 May, 2016
Some fascinating facts about the human body
The human body is a treasure trove of mysteries, one that still confounds doctors and scientists about how it works. It's not an overstatement to say that every part of your body is a miracle.
It's possible for your body to survive without large fractions of its internal organs. Even if you lose your stomach, your spleen,75% of your liver, 80% of your intestines, one kidney, one lung, and virtually every organ from your pelvic and groin area, you wouldn't be very healthy, but you would live.
During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. Actually, Saliva is more important than you realize. If your saliva cannot dissolve something,
you cannot taste it.
The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm. The egg is actually the only cell in the body that is visible by the naked eye.
The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue
and the hardest bone is the jawbone.
Human feet have 52 bones, accounting for one quarter of all the human body's bones. Feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day.
The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades. The reason it doesn't eat away at your stomach is that the cells of your stomach wall renew themselves so frequently that you get a new stomach lining ever three to four days.
The human lungs contain approximately 2,400 kilometers (1,500 MI) of airways and 300 to 500 million hollow cavities, having a total surface area of about 70 square meters, roughly the same area as one side of a tennis court. Furthermore, if all of the capillaries that surround the lung cavities were unwound and laid end-to-end, they would extend for about 992 kilometers. Also, your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.
Sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph, while coughs clock in at about 60 mph. Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.
Your body has enough iron in it to make a nail 3 inches long.
Everyone has a unique smell,
except for identical twins, who smell the same.
Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. This is why one out of every 2,000 newborn infants has a tooth when they are born.
A baby's head is one-quarter of its total length, but by the age of 25 will only be one-eighth of its total length. This is because people's heads grow at a much slower rate than the rest of their bodies.
Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood the number is reduced to 206. Some of the bones, like skull bones, get fused into each other, bringing down the total number.
Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents. But if you are a woman, you are a better smeller than men, and will remain a better smeller throughout your life.
(you probably smell better too.)
The human body is estimated to have
60,000 miles of blood vessels.
The three things pregnant women dream most of during their first trimester are frogs, worms and potted plants. Scientists have no idea why this is so, but attribute it to the growing imbalance of hormones in the body during pregnancy.
The life span of a human hair is 3 to 7 years on average. Every day the average person loses 60-100 strands of hair. But don't worry, you must lose over 50% of your scalp hairs
before it is apparent to anyone.
The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as an encyclopedia. Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream, and is itself made up of 80% water. Though it interprets pain signals from the rest of the body, the brain itself cannot feel pain.
The tooth is the only part of the human body
that can't repair itself.
Your eyes are always the same size from birth
but your nose and ears never stop growing.
By 60 years of age, 60% of men and 40% of women will snore.
We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening, because during normal activities during the day, the cartilage in our knees and other areas slowly compress.
The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb, even while you are sleeping. In fact, the brain is much more active at night than during the day. Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Neurons continue to grow throughout human life. Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons.
It is a fact that people who dream more often and more vividly, on an average have a higher Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger.
Facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body. This is true for men as well as women. There are as many hairs per square inch on your body as a chimpanzee.
A human baby acquires fingerprints
at the age of three months.
By the age of 60, most people will have lost
about half their taste buds.
About 32 million bacteria call every inch of your skin home. But don't worry, a majority of these are harmless or even helpful bacteria.
The colder the room you sleep in, the higher the chances are that you'll have a bad dream.
Human lips have a reddish color because of the great concentration of tiny capillaries just below the skin.
Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute.
Like fingerprints, every individual has an unique tongue print that can be used for identification.
A human head remains conscious for about
15 to 20 seconds after it has been decapitated.
(How on earth could they know this?)
It takes 17 muscles to smile
and 43 to frown.
Humans can make do longer without food than sleep. Provided there is water, the average human could survive a month to two months without food depending on their body fat and other factors.
Sleep-deprived people, however, start experiencing radical personality and psychological changes after only a few sleepless days. The longest recorded time anyone has ever gone without sleep is 11 days, at the end of which the experimenter was awake, but stumbled over words, hallucinated and frequently forgot what he was doing.
Every human spent about half an hour after being conceived, as a single cell. Shortly afterward, the cells begin rapidly dividing and begin forming the components of a tiny embryo.
Right-handed people live, on average,
nine years longer than left-handed people do.
Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears. Just think, all this cannot have been formed by accident.
God did an amazing job creating us.
14 May, 2016
Expert Q&A: 10 solutions to sticky wedding situations – For Her
'Tis the season for weddings so here's a little something to help make the preparations a little easier for all the busy brides-to-be.
Expert Q&A: 10 solutions to sticky wedding situations – For Her
13 May, 2016
12 May, 2016
11 May, 2016
Now what? | George Weigel | First Things
The reconstruction of a morally serious political culture is essential, if American democracy is not to descend into incoherence and what an eminent churchman once called the “dictatorship of relativism.” That reconstruction could start with U.S. Catholics leavening our politics—and the culture as a whole—with Catholic social doctrine.
Now what? | George Weigel | First Things
Now what? | George Weigel | First Things
10 May, 2016
Support Quinn Mitchell’s Mission Trip to Mynamar | Saint Bryce Missions
St. Bryce Missionary, Quinn Mitchell, is asking your support to travel to Mynamar (Old Burma) on a mission trip to meet with the Bishop of Mythinka, Mynamar (Old Burma), UN and WHO Officials with his father Mr. Gregory Mitchell to research the possibilities of opening a pregnancy hostel and center for evangelization mission and chapels for remote tribes. Quinn Mitchell aids the organization now with his photography and graphic design skills and will act as photographer and assistant to his father. http://stbryce.org/support-quinn-mitchells-mission-trip-to-
Support Quinn Mitchell’s Mission Trip to Mynamar | Saint Bryce Missions
Support Quinn Mitchell’s Mission Trip to Mynamar | Saint Bryce Missions
09 May, 2016
08 May, 2016
07 May, 2016
Barbara Kay: Unborn babies will stay persons in fact, but not in law
"That the unborn are not “legal persons” in law is true, but morally and historically irrelevant: women, after all, weren’t “legal persons” until 1929, but were always considered murder victims in their own right before that date."
Barbara Kay: Unborn babies will stay persons in fact, but not in law
News story on Syrian refugees making donation in aid of Fort McMurray victims - 'We know how they must feel'
There are still many Canadians who oppose Canada taking in Syrians fleeing from the war in their homeland because of the mistaken belief that as Muslims they intend to do us harm. Hopefully, this news clip will help to demonstrate that they are just people like ourselves who are moved when tragedy affects others who they do not even know and that they mean us no harm at all.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=865164&playlistId=1.2890530&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1
http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=865164&playlistId=1.2890530&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1
06 May, 2016
Report Shows 3 in 10 Illinois Hospital Beds Are in Catholic Facilities That Prohibit Essential Health Care for Women « American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois
Given that the study demonstrates that a clear majority (70%) of beds are not in Catholic hospitals, isn't the solution to go to one of them if you want a procedure that you know isn't available in a Catholic institution? Or is the ACLU more concerned with prohibiting hospitals owned by the Catholic Church from operating according to their own ethics and beliefs? I suspect that this latter question best captures the intent of this 'study'.
I guess the ACLU is interested only in promoting the values it considers right and proper and has no desire to respect or protect religious values it considers to be antiquated or inappropriate in our times.
Report Shows 3 in 10 Illinois Hospital Beds Are in Catholic Facilities That Prohibit Essential Health Care for Women « American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois
I guess the ACLU is interested only in promoting the values it considers right and proper and has no desire to respect or protect religious values it considers to be antiquated or inappropriate in our times.
Report Shows 3 in 10 Illinois Hospital Beds Are in Catholic Facilities That Prohibit Essential Health Care for Women « American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois
Assisted-dying bill fatally flawed for saying eligible patients must be terminal: lawyer
Don't think people will be 'duped' into being euthanized? I have a senior parishioner currently in a Quebec hospital with a diagnosis of cancer. The doctors were unsure as to the stage the cancer has progressed to and the biopsy reports are not yet in. But what was the FIRST treatment option presented to him yesterday? 'Doctor-assisted death'. Not only that, but given his limited education he thought the doctor was telling him he had a terminal condition. If his daughter had not been with him, he would have agreed thinking that he was being offered palliative care.
But the question should be asked: why was euthanasia the first option presented when all the diagnostic tests and procedures were not even complete?
Fr. Tim
Assisted-dying bill fatally flawed for saying eligible patients must be terminal: lawyer | National Post
But the question should be asked: why was euthanasia the first option presented when all the diagnostic tests and procedures were not even complete?
Fr. Tim
Assisted-dying bill fatally flawed for saying eligible patients must be terminal: lawyer | National Post
05 May, 2016
04 May, 2016
02 May, 2016
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