UPDATED: Obama and School Kids

Update: Enough people were upset to stir a reaction from the White House. Albeit, not much. The document still has quite a slant to it and the speech is still on. Maybe I will post my own study lessons = smile
See latest news update here

One more article that expresses my concerns, but not as emphatically as I would like.

OK, Obama may be just going to talk to all the public school kids in this nation on the value of a good education and hard work, but I do distrust him. History has taught the world that charismatic leaders can have a profound effect on the youth - to the point of following blindly. His focus on recruiting the youth for forced "public service", his dream of a civilian national security force, and the web site to report those who did not support his health care agenda are enough for me to question his motives for this speech. Could you imagine if George Bush would have done this right before or after the invasion of Iraq? Maybe just before the vote on some important legislation which he had campaign for?

See article at WorldNetDaily, here
and
to see the teacher's study guide for before, during, and after the speech, here

For those of you who have or know public school kids, please pass the word about "Stay at Home Day" on September 8. My guess is there is no opting out of the unit study leading up to and after the speech.

Quote

OK, I have been feeling really bummed out lately over a whole multitude of worries, so here is my thought for the day/week/month:

The world holds us to be fools; Let us hold it to be mad.
St. Francis de Sales

Although, I guess I should be thinking in these terms:

God bless thee; and put meekness in thy mind,
love, charity, obedience, 
and true duty!
William Shakespeare

A Great Article on What Might Come Next

This is a great article by David Kupelian explaining what may very well happen as a result of the killing of the abortionist. He actually wrote it before the attack. Read the entire article at WorldNetDaily.

Here is the beginning:

The real danger of right-wing extremists

---

Posted: June 01, 2009
12:23 am Eastern

© 2009

Author's note: Although I wrote the following article two weeks ago for the June edition of Whistleblower (titled "DON'T TREAD ON ME," for release later this week), the murder of Wichita abortionist George Tiller, M.D., makes its message especially urgent.

There's only one thing that could seriously, perhaps fatally, derail all the principled, well-intentioned, patriotic efforts currently taking place to rein in the shocking and unconstitutional power-grabbing by Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress. And that would be for elements on the Right to turn to violence.

New Blog - Alan Keyes

There is a new blog on the block, not homeschooling, nor even blatantly Catholic (although Mr. Keyes' Catholicism manifest itself frequently), but I expect it will be worth our time. It will be on my blog reader daily.

Check it out at Alan Keyes

Hi Everyone,
I'm writing to let you know that I've now developed a blog site that's available to the general public without the need to sign up for myspace.com or any other social networking service. You can find it at Loyal to Liberty . It is now my main outlet for sharing views and commenting on current events, updated daily. I will also be serializing longer works that will later be published as books or pamphlets.
Given Obama's push to overturn Constitutional government and make the U.S. a soviet style state, I think it's more important than ever that those of us who believe in liberty deliberate and work together. I hope you'll join me whenever you can at Loyal To Liberty.
Godspeed,
Alan Keyes

Archbishop Lefebvre and Vatican II

OK, after getting several emails about this "newsbreaking" article, I feel the necessity to post this response from Fr. Demet (a Fraternity of St. Peter Priest, not an SSPX one). He always does a nice job on his postings. It has been in my side "Shared Items", but obviously not getting enough attention there . . .
From http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2009/01/most-underwhelming-news-of-year.html

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The most underwhelming "news" of the year

Italian religious website Petrus repeats the "amazing" news "reported" by Italian weekly Panorama. In an article dedicated to several "finds" in the "Secret heart of the Vatican" (Nel cuore segreto del Vaticano, Panorama, n. 3/2009, p. 130-134), the newsweekly's reporters found the damning evidence that... Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre signed the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

No, really... Panorama's reporters found the top-secret signature (which it calls "The signature that unmasks Lefebvre") in some mysterious location, when they could have found the more "damning" document showing the Archbishop's signature of, among others, Gaudium et Spes (De Ecclesia in mundo huius temporis) or Dignitatis Humanae (De Libertate Religiosa) in our Rorate repository (see here).

The problem is: it is well known that Lefebvre placed his name upon the ceremonial lists of documents (for instance, both the list provided by Panorama and the one in our repository include a very diverse array of conciliar documents and, below them, signatures of bishops - the second list includes not only the above-mentioned documents, but also the only one which the Archbishop publicly praised, Presbyterorum Ordinis).

Irrespective of this, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Lefebvre's biographer and one of the Bishops consecrated by Lefebvre in 1988, had already written that the Archbishop had indeed placed his signature upon the Conciliar documents and among the Conciliar Fathers (Marcel Lefebvre: The Biography, published originally in French in 2002: cf. last pages of Chapter 13). This does not deny the fact that Lefebvre firmly voted against the final drafts both of Gaudium et Spes and Dignitatis Humanae.

Therefore, the only "new" information in the Panorama article is the attempt to create a false appearance of "scandal" in Italian-speaking Catholic circles in a very delicate moment. We will do our utmost to make clear that the shame is on Panorama, and on those who repeat false reports thoughtlessly.

______________________
Source of image: click here.

posted by New Catholic at 10:50 PM

Retreat, RETREAT!!

Yes, I am retreating! I have not been on an Ignatian Retreat in about 6 years. I am looking forward to the peacefulness, but I am also in panic mode trying to get everything here ready for me to be gone for 8 (yes, 8) days. I am tempted to cancel - there is just too much to do with school, Christmas, and, and, . . . I learned from my first retreat to ignore this temptation. I never went when my older kids were little (under 6) because I could not leave them. Then during the retreat I realized that this was going to help them as much as it helped me. I should have been there much sooner. I went every two years after that, then when Michael came along, all those feelings came back - I just could not leave him. I am still having those feelings, but I know in my heart that I will be a better mom, wife, and Catholic on my return.
So, I am gone for a while. Keep the watch and please let me know what all I miss! Your prayers are very much appreciated.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I am retreating in warm, sunny, Phoenix! It will be a nice break from the 40ish weather we have been having here in NC!
I have scheduled some liturgical season posts to go up while I am away,

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Communion of Saints

An acquaintance forwarded me an article today. It really made me think about the Communion of Saints. Many Catholics I know do not even know what this is more less practice it! An excellent and must read from the archives of the now non-existent Seattle Catholic can be found here.

Here an excerpt from the article about the protest at the annual meeting of the US Bishops:

Bishop Sheen once said, “We priests usually don’t lose our souls because we do evil. Rather, we lose our souls because we fail to do good.” This “failure to do good” was reflected in the latest Election. One of the greatest tragedies of the 2008 presidential race is that most bishops, with some exceptions, simply made a weak pro-life statement, or signed a joint pro-life document, or printed a pro-life article in their diocesan newspapers. They never mobilized the faithful to effectively fight for the unborn.

And then a reminder of some valuable Church teaching from Wikipedia:

CHURCH MILITANT AND CHURCH TRIUMPHANT

The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant
by Andrea da Firenze

The Catholic Church, or Church Universal, is traditionally divided into:

• the Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans), comprising Roman Catholics who are living,
• the Church Triumphant (Ecclesia Triumphans), comprising those who are in Heaven, and
• the Church Suffering (Ecclesia Penitens) or Church Expectant (Ecclesia Expectans), comprising those Christians presently in Purgatory. This last term is used mainly in Roman Catholicism.

These terms are often used in the context of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints; although Christians may be physically separated from each other by the barrier of death, they nonetheless remain united to each other in one Church, and support each other in prayer.

The Latin word militans has a primary meaning of "serving as a soldier, military", but it acquired a secondary meaning of "to struggle, to make an effort", which is the intended sense here. Christians on earth (the Church Militant) are still struggling against sin in order that, when they die, they might go to heaven and be members of the Church Triumphant, those who have triumphed over sin. However, if this struggle is successful, but not completely so, then after death they temporarily become members of the Church Suffering before ultimately joining the Church Triumphant.

The Catholic Church commemorates the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering on two consecutive days: All Saints Day on November 1 (the Church Triumphant), and All Souls Day on November 2 (the Church Suffering).

Post Election Thoughts

OK, it is over and the pro-abortion candidate won. I have thought about a rant I would like to go on, but am resigned to God's Will. We prayed, we sacrificed, we hoped . . . and the majority of voters chose Obama. I believe God sends us tests, just as He tested the Angels and Adam and Eve. Sometimes it may be little tests of our faith or our obedience, and sometimes there are bigger stakes. I believe that we failed this test and I also believe there will be a sentence. That said, I will pray for our future president and all our leaders just as I pray for the present.
Now, can someone please explain the following article to me. I heard it from the SSPX pulpit, and the bishops of North Carolina "ordered" a statement to be read at Masses, as did many bishops throughout the United States. So why did such a large percentage of Catholics vote for Obama? Excuse me, but I am labeled the "disobedient" one for attending SSPX Masses . . . ????????????
From the Catholic News Service:

Catholic voters mirror general electorate in support for Obama

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholics pretty much voted the way the rest of the country did in supporting Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in the presidential race Nov. 4, according to some early poll reports. Exit poll data was still being compiled and analyzed Nov. 5, but early information showed 53 percent or 54 percent of Catholics supported Obama and 44 percent or 45 percent were for Republican Sen. John McCain. Of the total population, 52 percent of Americans voted for Obama and 46 percent for McCain. By comparison, 52 percent of Catholics in 2004 supported Republican President George W. Bush and 47 percent voted for Democratic Sen. John Kerry. The total nationwide vote in 2004 was 55 percent for Bush and 44 percent for Kerry. Final pre-election polls from battleground states showed there would likely be some differences between the Catholic vote and the overall vote in those states, however.

Blog Follower

I have added Google's new feature, Blog Follower, to the sidebar. I am excited about using this as it will make it very handy to keep up with my favorite blogs. If you want to add it to your blog, click here or just go to your customize tab and add the new gadget

China - Post Olympics

Denise over at Catholic Matriarch in my Domestic Church aka Catholic Mom: A Study in Contrasts has an interesting article on China' s quick return to their "old" ways. This is why I refused to watch the Olympics.

Roman Catholic Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding, Hebei province, China, was arrested again by local authorities. Bishop Jia Zhiguo belongs to the “underground” church not recognized by China’s communist government. He was arrested on the morning of August 24, the twelfth such arrest since January 2004. Zhengding is a small village situated approximately 100 miles south of Beijing. Its Roman Catholic community numbers approximately 110,000. Bishop Jia Zhiguo was consecrated bishop in 1980.

Government officials arrived in vehicles at Christ the King Cathedral at WuQiu while his current whereabouts are unknown at this time. Bishop Jia Zhiguo was last arrested in August 2007 and released four months later. The reasons for his current unrest are as yet unclear. After his release in December 2007, the bishop was consigned to house arrest and not allowed to receive visitors unaccompanied by government watchers. Police patrols prevented visitors to the bishop during his house arrest.

Bishop Jia Zhiguo is nearly 74 years old and in delicate health, according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation. During his confinement at home, his requests for medical treatment were denied by Chinese authorities. The bishop has now spent at least 18 years in prison.

Olympics should remember quake victims

Now, I do not tend to be a political blogger on a lot of issues besides abortion, but it strikes me that at almost all national and world events we are constantly remembering victims of disasters or tragedies. Why then is China not remembering its own victims - those that died only 3 months ago? This news story struck a nerve with me. I welcome your impressions.
Now I must admit that I am not watching the Olympics and have not followed them very closely at all, so maybe I missed something here. But I am hearing much about the digitally-enhanced fireworks, the synchronized singing, etc. and little about the victims. For those of you watching, are you seeing memorials?
The Olympic torch did pass through Sichuan after Olympic organizers rescheduled the torch’s run to support relief efforts there (n.b. "Crowds selected by the local government cheered with gusto and waved Chinese flags and Olympic banners."). I have found an article where the Philippine President visited the area before her visit to the Olympics. See here.
Maybe it is just a mothering thing since the above story centers on the school children killed . . .

Back again!

Well, last Tuesday, our computer crashed. We had company in on Thursday and left for vacation on Sunday. Needless to say the computer did not get priority for a few days. We went to the mountains and truly enjoyed every minute away from the hustle here at home. I came back into town a couple of days early from the rest in order to attend a Spell to Write and Read 2-day seminar taught by Wanda Sanseri herself! I have studied the program for almost a year, but am really enjoying the real life instruction.
Boy, it sure is quiet around here with no little feet, questions, or people to care for. I actually got out of class and went and did some shopping for my daughter's upcoming birthday. I hope to have time over the weekend to update the blog, but now it is late, my brain is tired, and I need to do some homework for tomorrow's class, so I guess I will leave you with the following:

From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us! --
Sta. Teresa d'Avila

American Shakespeare Center

A couple of weekends ago, a good friend of mine and I went up to Staunton, VA to the Blackfriar's Playhouse and saw two plays - The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice. I have been to the Shakespeare Center before and absolutely love the evenings of plays and the days of shopping in Staunton. It is a quaint little town which is home to the American Shakespeare Center, Mary Baldwin College, and numerous stores of all my favorite things: antiques, books, arts, and architecture. Unfortuately, there is never enough time to fully exhaust all of the offerings. But then it makes me anxious for my return trip! Hopefully, I can make it back up to catch Henry V that I missed this time.

Three Back in College

Well, for 6 days I could say I had only 2 kids in college, but my oldest son who graduated with his BS in chemistry found out yesterday that he has been accepted into a Doctorate program in Medicinal Biochemistry. I have never seen a kid (he's 24), so excited about finding out he will be in school for another 4 years! Of course, he is still hoping to hear from the National Institute of Health, but he is very happy to know that he has this as an option. He is so excited about being almost full-time in a lab setting and out of most classrooms.
It's funny. We had some testing done when he was about 9 and the tester told us that he expected him to go into this field and be successful in his studies. After several turbulent high school years and still a lot of growing up in college, I really think he has begun to " mature". At least I hope this course of study will keep him so busy, trouble won't be able to find him!
Of course, my daughter will take the GRE next fall (her senior year at Belmont Abbey) and start deciding whether to go on in school or work for a year. But she is pretty level-headed and will do well either way. Now if I can just get the 18 year old to study like his sister, not go to every single sports event at UNCC, and get him through the next 3 years of math, science, and engineering courses. Oh, these boys . . . and Michael is only 5, but growing up so fast . . . How much I appreciate the babies I use to get up with in the middle of the night and rock.
I thank God for all the blessings He has sent to my family and pray to all the saints in heaven to help us to see His path and keep us on it!
Deo Gratias!

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