As Usual the Bruderhof Publishes a Great Story (this time by Mark Twain) on Their Site



Here is a teaser...



"I come from the Throne - bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd and shall grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import - that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of - except he pause and think.



For the whole story go to

Bruderhof Communities - The War Prayer by Mark Twain

Today is the feast of St. Francis de Sales the Patron Saint of Writers



To read more about him, check out the CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Francis de Sales



There are two elements in the spiritual life: first, a struggle against our lower nature; secondly, union of our wills with God, in other words, penance and love. St. Francis de Sales looks chiefly to love. Not that he neglects penance, which is absolutely necessary, but he wishes it to be practised from a motive of love. He requires mortification of the senses, but he relies first on mortification of the mind, the will, and the heart. This interior mortification he requires to be unceasing and always accompanied by love. The end to be realized is a life of loving, simple, generous, and constant fidelity to the will of God, which is nothing else than our present duty. The model proposed is Christ, whom we must ever keep before our eyes. "You will study His countenance, and perform your actions as He did" (Introd., 2nd part, ch. i). The practical means of arriving at this perfection are: remembrance of the presence of God, filial prayer, a right intention in all our actions, and frequent recourse to God by pious and confiding ejaculations and interior aspirations.

Trying to Reign in a Good Idea Gone Awry



Archbishop of Newark Bans Eulogies at Masses



The interesting thing about this piece is that the "memorial" is allowed for within the ritual.

Long Overdue



Vatican to release guidelines for discerning alleged apparitions

An Excellent Piece!



Even though he is dealing with the demise of the Jesuits, what he says could be applied to every religious order and other aspects of Catholicism in the USA.



From theUS Jesuit Conference - Who are the Jesuits



For all the faults of the old theology, it at least recognized that a concupiscential struggle bedevils man and that supernatural salvation demands a conversion beyond the order of nature, that one’s own feelings and reasonings are not necessarily the norm of morality.

Rosary Stories Anyone?



Paul Thigpen wants them! Here is his appeal:



The Holy Father recently declared a Year of the Rosary, and he is asking us to rediscover this wonderful prayer. In response to his request, I am collecting stories about the Rosary to publish in a book: true stories, brief or not-so-brief, from people who have had their lives changed by the Rosary, or who have experienced a powerful intervention of Our Lady through the Rosary--the more specific, the better. (References pointing me to such stories already in print, or to historical testimonies, would also be welcome.)



I don't need for people to write the stories; I simply want them to tell me in an email what happened, and I will write them up. There would be no financial remuneration for submitting a story, but if it were used in the book, folks would have the pleasure of sharing it, reading about it in print (I already have the contract), and knowing they were helping others to rediscover this Catholic treasure.



Would you be willing to post this as an item on your blog? Readers who have stories to share can email them to me at rosarystories@yahoo.com.

I'd Like to Meet Him



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