prochildprochoice:

Also, let me just say….
Catholics CAN be Pro Choice. Catholicism is not defined by whether or not you let traditionally Catholic viewpoints be shoved down your throat.
It is defined by what your family is, and what church you regularly go to. Yes I go to a Catholic…

To call yourself Catholic is not the same as to be Catholic. Catholicism is not defined by what parish you attend or what parish your family has attended; it’s about believing what the Church teaches. You cannot redefine what it means to be Catholic.

To say you are not open to change, regardless of what Scripture says, makes it sound like you think you know better than God.

acatholicvibe:

Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace. Amen.

If you’re in a relationship…any kind of relationship…you should read this.

Of course, this means YOU.  When you finish the last paragraph, think of how it applies to your interactions with the people in your life…your spouses, friends, children, parents, siblings, romances, anybody else you have any kind of relationship with. So just go now, read it, and apply it to your life!

If you haven’t seen this story about the way an Archbishop responded to a difficult situation, you might be interested. There is a letter/petition going around to show support, and it will be given to him soon. If you want to be part of this, please sign and think about reblogging.

Show of Support

But the rockiest rise on the road to becoming Christian, at least for someone like me, is learning to love as Pope Benedict loves—especially those whom you’d much rather smack upside the head and who richly deserve far worse.

This is from an article well worth reading by Jew-to-Catholic convert Roger Dubin.

Then there’s this insight:

In fact, I figured the Yeshua who strode the dusty earth of ancient Israel had to have been a powerhouse—with one hand holding a dove, but the other a hammer, and always the smartest guy in the room. Otherwise, what Jew would have followed him?

Go! Read!

You will. You have to. Because I love you incredibly much.

This man is the face of suffering (though the picture doesn’t show it), and the face of courage.

After his wife died in 2006, he did a very thorough examination of his life. His sorrow for anyone he felt he had harmed was more than I have ever seen. He didn’t try to make excuses; he just faced things he had done and repented. I hope I can be as honest with the mistakes in my own life.

He was admitted to the hospital on January 21 with what seemed to be a simple problem, but things developed from there. Throughout the stay he battled it all and defeated almost every medical problem, even through some very unpleasant procedures. Each problem returned, only to be defeated a second time.

Some things he described as “excruciating”, yet there he was. He wanted to live, no matter how unpleasant the procedure, and he showed us courage in the process.

He left the Church several years ago, but was reconciled on March 2. We talked about it a few times, memorably in the wee hours of the morning at one point when he was near death. Even with all he had been through, during this conversation his face visibly lit up. I got to see just how much God and His church meant to him.

This remarkable man, a man who taught me about courage and repentance, left us on March 29.

This man is my dad. Pray for the repose of his soul for me?

Any of you who would like me to pray for the repose of a loved one, just let me know.