A Refresher on Defending Your Pro Life Beliefs

For lack of time and planning, I refer you to a friend's site, JMJ's Totus Tuus Family. She has given a great synopsis of one of Fr. Frank Pavone's, Priests for Life, articles on rebuking "Pro-Choice" arguments. Also, a link to A Brief Catechism for Catholic Voters which is always good reading to refresh our memory and I wish mandatory reading on Catholic college campuses. Unfortunately, many of today's Catholic young people are attracted to youth and charisma rather than using their intellects to make choices in the voting both.
I will be posting later, but right now I have too much scheduled and too much undone! Does anyone ever get caught up and just sit down and go "ahhhhh"? I sit down, but there is always something egging me to get back up!

I'm participating in A Simple Woman's Daybook carnival.


FOR TODAY

Outside my Window... the trees, grass, and flowers seem to be relishing the great rainstorm we had during the night. Our area has not had any rain in almost a week!

I am thinking... about preparing for my 19 (!) year old son's birthday party tonight. He works today so I have the entire day to make a cake, fix dinner, and wrap a couple of presents.

I am thankful for... a wonderful husband, whose lead I need to learn to follow more closely. He backs me up even when he knows I may have over-reacted with the kids and he tries to diffuse those situations where I get too sensitive.

From the kitchen... I have everything together for the birthday cakeand the dinner, and I need to start planning the rest of the week's meals. I have to get back to making a menu and sticking to it because last minute grocery store runs are ruining my grocery budget. We also have friends coming over on Thursday for a New Mexican dinner of burritos, refried beans, and Spanish rice, so I need to prepare the chili peppers, so dear husband can make his great red chili sauce tonight.

I am creating... a plan to sponge paint the bathroom area that I still have not completed. I also have some flowers that need to be transplanted to new beds - where will I move them?

I am going... to visit a friend at her business later on today and maybe (?) treat myself to a first time pampering at the salon next door to her place.

I am wearing... my walking pants and a t-shirt. I have to get going and get dressed!

I am reading... (or re-reading) a new book - The Soul of the Apostolate. By Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard. I picked it up a few years ago and did not "get in to it", but a friend really likes it, so I think I should give it another try.

I am hoping... to have a productive, but relaxed and peaceful day. Many times the two do not go together. I also hope to catch up with a good friend who has been away for a week.

I am hearing... my 5-year old's never ending questions. I need to get off the computer.

Around the house... there is oatmeal on the stove, the dishwasher running, and the clothes calling out from the washer to be dried. Oh, and there is that ironing board I left up so I would make sure and finish my ironing this morning.

One of my favorite things... is sipping on a cup of coffee and catching up on my friends' blogs and emails. But I must get going and get dressed!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... starting a new sewing project and finishing several old ones, starting a home cleaning plan like my friend, Liz, (mine is all planned out, I just have to implement!), and exploring the Google docs tool on my dashboard so I might upload some of my plans.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you... one of my favorite pics of my middle son (use to be baby) who's birthday is today.

CHRISTIANITY'S FIRST CATHEDRAL

St. John Lateran is the oldest and most highest ranking basilica in Rome. It is the cathedral of Rome - the official seat of the Pope. It is dedicated to Our Saviour, St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist. On the front of the building is an inscription stating that this is "SACROSANCTA LATERANENSIS ECCLESIA OMNIUM URBIS ET ORBIS ECCLESIARUM MATER ET CAPUT" translated as "The Most Holy Lateran Church, Mother and Mistress of all churches of the city and the World". It is also known the Basilica Aurea, "The Golden Basilica", due to the magnificant decorations which adore it.

From Wikia:

The main façade is the work of Alessandro Galilei, from 1736. The first stone was laid by Pope Clement XII on 8 December, 1735. It has five large arches opening on the narthex, and is crowned by c. 7 metre high statues of Christ, Sts John the Baptist and John the Evangelist and other saints. The full list of the large statues, with the artists' names, is:

• Jesus Christ by P. Benaglia
• St John the Baptist by B. Pincellotti
• St John the Evangelist by D. Scaramuccia
• St Gregory the Great by Giovanni Battista de Rossi
• St Jerome by A. Corsini
• St Ambrose by A. Benaglia
• St Augustine by B. Ludovisi
• St Athanasius by P. l'Eastache
• St Basil by G. Riccardi
• St John Chrysostom by G. Frascari
• St Gregory Nazianz by C. Taodardini
• St Bernard by T. Brandini
• St Thomas Aquinas by P. Latour
• St Bonaventure by B. Casoni
• St Eusebius Vercelli by G.F. Lazzoni

The Loggia of Blessings is in the centre. From it, a newly elected Pope gives his blessing on the day that he first takes possession of the cathedral.

The façade faces the east, as the basilica was built before the tradition of placing the altar in the east had taken hold in Rome.

This is the "papal altar" - not because only the pope uses it - but because it contains a wooden altar used by St. Peter and the early Popes. The relics of the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul are behind the grill above the altar.



Another altar, The Altar of the Blessed Sacrament, made by Pier Paolo Olivieri enshrines a table traditionally said to be that used by Christ at the Last Supper. The columns of this altar are made of bronze and marble, and are thought to have come from the columns of Cleopatra's ships.
It is an ancient tradition in Rome to have station churches . The faithful visit these various churches during the 40 days of Lent (and throughout the liturgical year) for the celebration of Mass and reciting of the Litany of the Saints.
St. John Lateran is visited 3 times during Lent (see here for more info on this practice).

For more on this beautiful church in addtion to the above links, see www.romanchurches and New Advent .

St. Anthony's Feastday

I am preparing to make our St. Anthony Bread today in honor of one of our favorite saints. Unfortunately, most crisis control ministries will not take homemade items, so I will share the loaves with neighbors and reserve others to be taken to church on Sunday to be blessed by our priest and then enjoyed by my family.
Many miracles are attributed to this great saint of the church and he is most often associated with the finding of lost items. The custom of giving bread comes from the story of a mother whose child was drowned:

ST. ANTHONY BREAD is a term used for offerings made in thanksgiving to God for blessings received through the prayers of St. Anthony. Sometimes the alms are given for the education of priests. In some places parents also make a gift for the poor after placing a newborn child under the protection of St. Anthony. It is a practice in some churches to bless small loaves of bread on the feast of St. Anthony and give them to those who want them.

Different legends or stories account for the donation of what is called St. Anthony Bread. By at least one account it goes back to 1263, when it is said a child drowned near the Basilica of St. Anthony which was still being built. His mother promised that if the child was restored to her she would give for the poor an amount of corn equal to the child’s weight. Her prayer and promise were rewarded with the boy’s return to life.

Another reason for the practice is traced back to Louise Bouffier, a shopkeeper in Toulon, France. A locksmith was prepared to break open her shop door after no key would open it. Bouffier asked the locksmith to try his keys one more time after she prayed and promised to give bread to the poor in honor of St. Anthony if the door would open without force. The door then opened. After others received favors through the intercession of St. Anthony, they joined Louise Bouffier in founding the charity of St. Anthony Bread. (http://www.americancatholic.org/features/Anthony/Bread.asp)

In today's world, we often find ourselves a little cynical when it come to giving to the poor. Remember graces flow from giving, not the return that are reaped from the gift. Excuses for not giving to the needy often show our attachment to material goods. To be totally detached is to give freely and not think of the gift again. It is not our worry as to how the gift will be used. So go out and give freely what you have and ask God's blessing upon your gifts. Charity is simply to love God and offer all for Him.

"She had one desire only: to love God and to serve Him in everything"

The Saint for mothers - Blessed Anna Maria Taigi. From Colleen's blog:

Blessed Anna Maria transformed her home into a real sanctuary in which God had the first place. Docile to her husband in every way, she avoided anything which might irritate him and thus disturb the family peace. Serious and hardworking, she saw to it that nothing was lacking to her family and, in so far as one in her impoverished circumstances could, she was generous to the poor.

I pray that we may find inspiration in the life of this holy wife and mother.

A Special Gift from God

Don't mess with this child's guardian angel! God obviously has major plans for this beautiful soul along with the obvious one of his birth. Hopefully, every woman who is making a decision whether to abort her child because of "possible" health problems will read this and make the right decision - LIFE. Leave things in God's hands He always know best. He never gives you more than you can handle! Please say a prayer of thanksgiving for this miracle. Deo Gratias!

Donna Young's GPA Calculator

Well, my little box garden is doing well and my dear husband has gotten a late, but very substantial garden out at his parents'. My plot will be easy to maintain with only 6 tomatoes, 4 squash, and 2 pepper plants, but the other is a decent size and will battle weeds from the beginning. He has worked very hard to get this garden out. Please say a prayer to St. Isidore that it thrives, so that he does not become discourage with gardening.
We have company in for a few days and then leave for a short camping trip, so I hope everyone has a great weekend!
While I continue to complete my lesson plans for the Fall, I wanted to make sure everyone has seen Donna Young's GPA calculator. Although I will not be using it at this point, I sure wish I had this when the other kids were in high school. I simple love all her forms!