Holy Couple Goes from Celibate to Spectacularly Fruitful

I was just reading about the parents of St. Terese of Lisieux, since today October 1, is her feast day. They were extraordinary people. First her father, Louis Martin, wanted to become a priest, but was refused since he didn't know Latin. Her future mother wanted to join a convent but was likewise rejected. This was back in a time when people could be rejected because there were tons of vocations to the religious life.

So her mother, Marie-Azélie Guérin, known as Zélie, became a lace-maker, something she excelled at and opened her own business at the age of 22.

Louis and Zélie met in 1858 and married in July of that same year. At this is the amazing thing. At first, they decided to live celibately in order to devote themselves to God. However, after speaking with a priest, he discouraged them from doing this. Did they at this point end up having one or two children. Nope! They had 8. Unfortunately 3 of the children died early, but 5 daughters survived.

Here's the next amazing part: All 5 daughters became nuns! You can just imagine the level of piety and holiness in that family.

Sadly, Terese, the youngest, died at the age of just 24 years old of tuberculosis on September 30, 1897. She was canonized just 27 years later on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Her parents were canonized as well, an extremely rare occurrence, some 90 years later, on October 18, 2015.

Clearly this family wanted to do everything possible to glorify God. What an amazing story.

Feast Day of St. Teresa of Lisieux

Today October 1st 2016 is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Lisieux. She is known as the Little Flower of Jesus and is one of 3 female doctors of the Catholic Church. One of 33 doctors of the church overall. She died at the very young age of 24 after being a nun for 9 years joining at the age of 15 with her two Elder sisters in a Carmelite order of nuns.

The church I grew up in, was baptized and confirmed in, and essentially raised in and where I will be married in is named after her. It's called St. Theresa's Church and it's located in St John's Newfoundland. Let's all say a special prayer to Saint Teresa today.

Happy feast day of St. Jerome

St Jerome is a very important Saint in Catholic Church History. He was one of the four original doctors of the church and he translated the Bible which is in Hebrew and Greek into Latin and he was responsible for the Latin Vulgate Bible. Today is his feast day.

September 29, 2016: Feast Day of Archangel St. Raphael

St. Raphael is one of the 3 angels mentioned by name in the Bible. His name means "God Heals". Tons more information available here.

Should Catholics Vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?

So there's a big election coming up in the US. Two people, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Many people are wondering who to vote for. Well, the obvious answer is Trump.

Abortion

Let's get right to it. Abortion is a big thing. Trump thinks it's bad and should be illegal, Hillary think it's great and should be cheaper or free and accessible to everyone. Clearly this puts Trump on a morally superior ground. Legalizing abortion and making it free will obviously encourage it much more than making it illegal.

Now, Trump made a few statements about jailing women who had abortions and people got all up in arms. But he is humble enough o have since hired Fr. Frank Pavone, an extremely well loved pro-life priest who is best buds with Martin Luther King Jr's niece Alveda King. He is the #1 Catholic Pro-Life person in America. And Trump said he will consult with him and other Catholics to determine the best way to achieve a pro-life country.

If for no other reason, this is one good one to choose Trump of Hillary.

War

It seems to me that, not based on emotion, but on fact, that Trump is less bellicose than Hillary. She'll go to war over anything to teach the other side a lesson. She'll meddle in other country's business just to look good. Trump will mostly avoid going to war and if it's absolutely required, he'll not only go to war, he will go ALL OUT and absolutely destroy the opposition and make sure it lasts.

Overall I think war is terrible, but looking at history and statements made in the past, Trump seems less likely to go to war than Hillary. He's also less likely to create a vacuum which creates ISIS like Hillary did.

Freedom of Religion

Clearly Trump is much stronger on freedom of religion than Hillary. She like Obama is in favor of forcing religions to do things that they want them to do. They do not really believe in freedom of religion or allowing people to do an act as they see fit according to their religion. Trump is far more likely to respect people's freedom of religion and has said so on multiple occasions.

Conclusion

When it came up for voting acts such as the religious freedom restoration act were strongly voted against by people like Hillary Clinton. They would rather Force religions to do their will and to violate their deepest morals than to allow freedom of religion. But Donald Trump understands that the United States was not founded on religious intolerance but in fact was founded on the ability of each person to decide their own religion and to act accordingly.

I think for these reasons and perhaps many more Donald Trump is by far a much much better candidate than Hillary Clinton can ever be for anybody who cares about moral issues and freedom of religion. Is Donald Trump absolutely perfect in every way? Obviously not! There are many areas that you can disagree with him on. But when you look at these most crucial issues nobody can honestly say that Hillary Clinton would be better in those areas.

September 28th: feast day of Good King Wenceslaus

Everyone has already heard the song Good King Wenceslas looked down on the Feast of Stephen. It is a popular Christmas tune or him that we sing all the time but what people don't realize is that he was an actual King in the Czech Republic just before the end of the first millennium.

He was taught Christianity by his grandmother who eventually ended up being killed. Later Good King Wenceslas himself was invited to a religious Festival where some people murdered him. At the time of his death he was only about 27 or 28 years old. I'm absolutely shocked that he was so young at the time of his death. To think we have a song about him even though he died at such a young age.

Also just in case you were wondering the Feast of Steve and refers to December 26th or popularly known as Boxing Day.

Stay tuned to this blog because at 8 o'clock a.m. eastern time there will be an article about who Americans should vote for in this upcoming presidential election.

September 27: Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul

Everyone has heard of St. Vincent de Paul but did you know he did not found the St. Vincent de Paul Society? It was founded after his death. Find out more here.

Monday, September 26, 2016: Feast Day of Cosmas and Damian

Cosmas and Damian Feast Day is Today

Quick Fact Sheet:

• Brothers
• Miracle medical workers - first to transplant a human limb onto another person
• Born in Arabia before Islam in the 3rd century
• Specifically lives at Egaea in Cilicia
• They were highly esteemed by the citizens of that area.
• The governor of Cilicia took, tortured and finally killed them for being Christian on September 26, 283.
• They are patron saints of pharmacists (or druggists).

September 25, 2016: Feast Day of St. Cleophas

September 25, 2016: Feast Day of St. Cleophas

One of two disciples who met Christ on the road to Emmaus. He was also identified as the father of Mary, one of whom stood with the Mother of God at the foot of the Cross. He has been identified as the father ofSt. James the Less and as brother of St. Joseph.

September 24: Feast Day of Martyrs of Chalcedon

September 24: Feast Day of Martyrs of Chalcedon

September 23: Feast Day of St. Padre Pio

September 23: Feast Day of St. Padre Pio

September 22, 2016: Feast Day of St. Thomas of Villenova

September 22, 2016: Feast Day of St. Thomas of Villenova

Eating Animals in Catholicism

Some people are very concerned about the killing of animals, far more than the killing of humans in many cases. I’ve never yet met a person who is a vegetarian for moral reasons who wasn’t also pro-choice. It doesn’t really make sense. But then there are high profile cases of the killings of Cecil the Lion and Harambe the Gorilla. People get way more worked up about these than the killing of human beings.

 

It’s like I said before, just because people are not “religious” doesn’t mean they don’t have a religion. People replace true religion with things like science or animal activism or whatever. They are just as or far more dogmatic than religious people. Some people will say “oh I’m so tolerant and open and accepting and loving and I care for all of the earth’s creatures.” But then if you appear intolerant to them, they will not be so loving and open.

 

So the new religion is worshipping animals above humans. Watch how many people who have made public bad choices in their lives or have entered into unseemly lines of business become huge time animals rights activists.

 

So what’s the deal. First of all, humasn are designed to eat meat. Physiologically thi scan be seen, including with our digenstive system, teeth, etc. Plus, predators have eyes on the front and prey has eyes on the side. Where are our eyes? FRONT. So our creator made us to eat meat. That’s enough reason. On top of that, it’s good for you.

 

But that’s all fine, say critics, but what about cruelty to animals. New research shows, as William Lane Craig explains, although animals experience pain as such, they do not experience suffering the way we do. It’s kidn of like “I am in pain, must leave.” But there isn’t the same EXPERIENCE of pain. They don’t think about it existentially. I’ve obviously not explained this very well. But that’s a very messy gist of it.

 

The point is, God says to eat meat, and it’s good. It’s also fine to not eat meat. But don’t let people get on your back about it. Everyone eats living things. Some don’t eat root plants. How would a vegetarian feel being criticized by a Jain for eating a potato? Exactly!

 

 

September 21, 2016: Feast Day of St. Matthew

September 21, 2016: Feast Day of St. Matthew

Information on this Apostle here.

10 Ways to Share your Catholic Faith!

10 Ways to Share your Catholic Faith!

Talking about your Catholic Faith can be difficult at best. In today's world, not living like everyone else makes you a target for ridicule and ostracism. But many of us desperately want to share our deeply held beliefs with others. How can we do it? Here's a top 10 list:

1) Know your Faith
Not knowing your faith automatically makes people question your beliefs and makes it unlikely they will follow you. As we will discuss later, and as Thomas a Kempis points out in his book "Imitation of Christ", more important than being knowledgeable is being holy. Plus, no one likes a "know-it-all". But you know things you love, so if you love your faith, take time to know it. People will definitely have questions if you present yourself as a Catholic. Try to take statements they make as questions even if that's not how they were intended. And then answer with love and kindness.

2) Be a nice person
No matter how great a message you are sharing, no one will listen unless you are a nice person that people actually like. I've never yet heard someone say "wow, that guy has such compelling information. So much so I am powerless to oppose it despite the fact that I really dislike him as a person. I will follow this person wherever he goes, however unpalatable he may be!" In other words, be a decent human being and people are much more likely to care what you have to say.

3) Be compassionate and empathetic
This is very important. Realize that not everyone is on the same path. Many have veered so far from the path of goodness, you seem like a strange and mysterious being to them. Realize that to many, the things you say are absolutely foreign and possibly ridiculous. You may not get the response you are hoping for. That's why we need a heavy dose of compassion and empathy. Realize that people come from thousands of different backgrounds and situations. They are possibly just as passionate about their beliefs as you are about yours. So give people leeway and be very gentle and understanding.

4) Know your Goal
Realize that your goal isn't to browbeat people into submission. Rather, it is to portray the love of Christ in a way that compels that person to follow him. Your score is not being kept. God only measures how much love you are giving out.

5) It's in God's hands
Related to the last point, don't take the world personally. As Mark Twain pointed out, the world owes you nothing, it was here before you. People are people and you can only do so much. Ultimately everything goes back to God. He is fully in control. Don't give up and despair, don't label the whole world as evil or irredeemable. Redemption is God's job, not yours.

6) Don't be a broken record
You should try as best you can to remain interesting. Don't be that guy who erupts into a predictable speech every time something comes up. People will stop listening. Choose your words wisely and try to be interesting and different.

7) Be Holy
As Thomas a Kempis points out, holiness is more important than any other characteristic. He says there is no point in knowing the contents of every book in the world if you do not have love. This essentially echos the words of St. Paul who says that without love we are like clanging gongs - just lots of noise, even if we are the world's greatest scholar. So always strive for holiness. Plus someone observing a holy person will be much more attracted than observing someone who just talks a lot.

8) Prayer and Fasting
Related to #7, prayer and fasting is essential. This will increase our holiness and closeness to God. We will keep focused on what's important and be able to identify our flaws and need for improvement. We can easily become proud. We can use these opportunities to improve in that regard.

9) Love
Most importantly you must have love. Love for everyone you communicate with. Ultimately if the people you talk to are mere objects to prove to yourself how good and holy you are, then you are doing it wrong. Your main goal is to love the people you encounter. It is with this true love that you will bring them close to Love himself, God.

10) Zeal
This is the opposite of laziness and fear. Zeal is what makes us speak up, to be bold when it is needed, to be strong and to have courage when presenting the Gospel. Jesus wants us to be bold like the apostles were after they encountered the risen Jesus. Don't hide and be afraid. Instead, get out there and be bold!

I hope these 10 suggestions help you on your journey. If you have your own suggestions, please share them below!