Merry Christmas!

O Heavenly Wisdom,
O Lord,
O Root of Jesse,
O Key of David,
O Dayspring,
O King of Nations,
O Emmanuel...
Welcome Lord Jesus, we love You!

Merry Christmas!

Praise God!!

Halloween Insanity

Is it just me, or have people really started to go crazy with Halloween decorations? It seems that each year, the "decorations" that folks place outside their homes get more elaborate and more macabre.

Front lawns now spend the month of October covered with skeletons, demons, vampires and mock graveyards. Even gargantuan inflatable death trains are making an appearance. (Seriously- I saw a gargantuan inflatable death train, complete with a skeleton engineer, a gravestone and a vampire passenger, while I was out walking the dog the other night. Picture above.)

Call me a prude, but I find the increasingly elaborate displays disturbing... I simply do not remember seeing decorations like that in the past. Heck, when I was a kid, my mom used to put a plastic pumpkin decoration on the front door, and we thought it was cutting edge! Today, that pumpkin is pretty tame compared to the gruesome displays popping up around town. Another sign that our society is losing its way, I suppose.

Still, in all things: Praise God!!

A Sad Day

The New York State Legislature passed legislation last night legalizing same sex "marriage" in New York State. Sadly, the passage of that legislation was made possible by votes from Roman Catholic politicians, even some from Buffalo. I am deeply saddened by the continued erosion of traditional morality in our society today.

I do not think I can state my position (or disappointment) regarding this matter much better than the New York Catholic Bishops did before and after yesterday's voting in the NY Senate:

BEFORE

The Bishops of New York State oppose in the strongest possible terms any attempt to redefine the sacred institution of marriage. The matter of religious exemptions has been and continues to be a secondary issue that in no way negates the fact that this bill is bad for society. We urge all Senators to vote no on Governor Cuomo’s bill. Marriage has always been, is now, and always will be the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong, life-giving union. Government does not have the authority to change this most basic of truths.

AFTER

The passage by the Legislature of a bill to alter radically and forever humanity’s historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed and troubled.

We strongly uphold the Catholic Church’s clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves. This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths.

We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.

Our society must regain what it appears to have lost – a true understanding of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in nature, and respected by America’s foundational principles.

+Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York
+Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop of Albany
+Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn
+Edward U. Kmiec, Bishop of Buffalo
+Terry R. LaValley, Bishop of Ogdensburg
+Matthew H. Clark, Bishop of Rochester
+William F. Murphy, Bishop of Rockville Centre
+Robert J. Cunningham, Bishop of Syracuse

A sad day, indeed...

Nonetheless: Praise God!

He and I

I am currently reading a wonderful little book called He and I by Gabrielle Bossis. The book was published in 1969 and, other than a somewhat flaky introduction by the translator, it is an amazing and insightful work.

The book was translated from the diaries of Ms. Bossis, a French woman that lived in the mid-twentieth century and who had a unique experience of Christ that she chronicled in her diaries.

I especially enjoy reading from He and I at Eucharistic Adoration.

Anyway, I wanted to post this quote, which struck me the other day as quite inspirational:

Give Me everything with your will firmly intent on pleasing Me. How astonished you will be when you discover your treasures. It takes only tiny little stones to make flowers in magnificent mosaic floorings.

I just love the idea that even our smallest actions, when made with the intent to please God, can be turned into something magnificent!

Praise God!!

Second Annual "Pick-a-Saint"

My family held its second annual "Pick-a-Saint" event yesterday. "Pick-a-Saint" is a bit of a misnomer, I think, because it is actually the Saint that picks the person... Be that as it may, the results this year are as follows:

1. Our Lady, as the Immaculate Conception;
2. St. Abraham, the Patriarch;
3. St. Luke, the Evangelist; and
4. St. Gertrude.

Yet again, Heaven saw fit to send some "Big Guns" to assist my little family. We look forward to getting to know each of those Saints better this year!

Happy New Year to all!

Praise God!!