A View from My Bedside

2011-09-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

From my friend Patrick Gothman who is soon to enter a Religious community in France. See www.makeafriar.com

Strategy for Priestly Ministry

The night before hewas ordained, St. Maximilian Kolbe, OFM, made a retreat and wrote thisbullet-point plan for his life. While written for the life of a friar, I thinkthe virtues it extolls could very easily be applied to any one of us.

April 27, 1918
-Follow very faithfully the timetable of each day, and you will be safe.

-This very day begin to serve God.
-It may be that this is the last day of your life.
-Live it as if it were, indeed, the last day.
-Tomorrow is uncertain, yesterday is no longer yours. Only the present belongs to you.
-There is an ear which hears all, an eye which scrutinizes all the movements of the heart, a hand which takes note of all.
-Not being punished is the most terrible chastisement of all.
-'If you want to avoid judgment, stop passing judgment.' (Mt 7:1)

-St. Francis de Sales: 'Fidelity in observing the rule is the sacrifice God prefers above all others; it is a mortification and a penance.'
-Love the most Blessed Virgin very deeply.

-Every action you perform will remain forever.
-Choose the least desirable things in food, clothes, tasks, and you will be dear to Jesus.
-Silence.

-The souls in Purgatory. Pray and work for sinners, for Holy Church.
-Make up by your fervor, for the time you have lost.

-Be a man, a Christian, a Religious.

-Be a man:
...-Don't blush for your convictions
...-Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
...-Have a sense of duty, fulfill it well, without being concerned whether anyone is watching you. Act instead with a noble ambition.
...-Don't worry about the evil in others.

-Be a Catholic:
...-When you kneel before an altar, do it in such a way that others may be able to recognize that you know before whom you kneel.

-Be a Religious:
...-A good intention in work is like the number '1' in front of a lot of zeroes.
...-Men deprive themselves of great treasures when they work without a good intention.
...-As you arise in the morning, so you will be all day long.
...-Every action you do is noted down. Nothing will fail to be either rewarded or punished.
...-You might die this very day!
...-Be recollected; whoever pours himself out on exterior things quickly loses the graces he has acquired. A full jewel box is always kept closed.

...-Humility:
......-Avoid all those words which can draw down on you glory, esteem, or the appreciation of others.
......-Let us listen unwillingly (without interest or reflection) and with interior reluctance to the words of those who praise or commend us. It is dangerous to listen to one's own praise in the mouths of others. It makes one lose his good judgment. When others praise us let us keep our sins before our eyes. In this way we shall judge ourselves unworthy of any commendation, and consequently, we shall find an occasion for being ashamed of ourselves and for humbling ourselves.
........-Rejoice when you hear others praised.
........-Jealousy, attachment to one's own glory, is a defeat.
......-Never do anything so that men may see and esteem you.
........-Never do anything out of human respect.
........-Do everything perfectly, because you are working in God's presence, for God and not for men. In every situation think more about loving than about working.
......-Don't offer excuses when you make a mistake. Don't cast the blame on others. Do not offend by sarcasm those who correct you. Do not renounce in advance your errors which someone is trying to point out to you.
........-Practice for a long tima and with zeal until you succeed in willing that your defects may not be hidden any longer, and until you learn how to rejoice when the others judge you imperfect. Do this to make up for your errors.
........-When you are reproved unjustly, do not excuse yourself.
......-Cut short all thoughts of pride.
......-Consider every friar superior to yourself, and yourself the least of all. Recognize everyone as better than yourself, not only in your thoughts, but also in your external deportment.
........-If you consider another superior to yourself, then:
............-You will converse with him more calmly.
............-You will never insult him in words, nor do anything to displease him; you will not suspect him.
............-It will be easy for you to accept a harsh or disrespectful word from him.
......-Willingly accept every opportunity for humbling yourself. Don't be offended at:
........-A harsh word.
........-An imperious tone of voice.
........-Not being respected as much as you would like to be.
............-Welcome occasions of being disregarded and humiliated, first with patience, then willingly, without raising any difficulties and finally with joy. That will be perfect humility.
......-Make acts of humility (as also of the other virtues on which you are in your interior examining yourself), beginning with a rather small number of them; then increase these continually, and make more and more progress. This, in fact, is how one acquires a good habit and makes it grow strong.
.........-Humility is the foundation of the virtues.

2011-03-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

17, March 17, 2011
Feast of St. Patrick

Hello dear ones,

I have not had a long and chatty blog post for some time—none this year. Life keeps getting in the way of our success it seems.

What a wonderful couple of glorious feast days today-St. Patrick’s and Saturday-Good St. Joseph’s. Though I look forward each year to Lent and all it brings into our lives as we focus on penance, alms giving to the poor, and prayer-My heart has always found such comfort to take the time to truly reflect and acknowledge these two wonderful godly men, to come as it were, fresh and anew under their strong arms of love, guidance, and protection.

The house is beginning to fill with that wonderful aroma of fresh, cured corned beef, swimming in the biggest pot of Irish brew—Stout for me and my lads—and enough to have a swig ourselves as we add the little Red potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and onions.

So many of you are kind to say how you enjoy my old family recipes—so here you go for this wonderful feast day. And then following the family favorite is one of my very favorite prayers of protection from dear St. Patrick. If you are not going to attempt the wonderful green cake—so yummy, you must try the Green Tea and the crystalized ginger—such fun little treats.

For those of you who have not gone to the blog here is the address. I am very eclectic, but when I do write it is from the heart.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fa-view-from-my-bedside.blogspot.com%2F&h=1b1fb

You will have to copy the above address into your webpage to pull it up.

If you want to go the archives I have a short one on St. Joseph from March 19, 2007
And, my most requested blog on St. Paddy from March 17, 2006. That is a particular favorite of several—giggles.

God bless,
Daniel and boys
St. Patrick Feast Day

Aunt Nonie’s Crystalized Ginger & Green Tea St. Paddy Day Cake

What you need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Matcha green tea (see notes below on Matcha Green Tea)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger—please only use fresh Ginger root
Unsalted butter-1 cup or 2 sticks
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
5 eggs, Room temperature and separated
¼ cup crystallized ginger, rough chop (my favorite kitchen snack—I keep in a Waterford Crystal Biscuit Jar on the Island—you can buy at Sprouts or Whole Food—delish and highly addictive but less harmful than Laudanum)
¼ teaspoon Sea salt—get a nice salt bowl to keep by the stove—a must for every kitchen
Baking pan: 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan buttered and floured—I prefer a red, Ikea pan, but really any will do

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine flour, Matcha green tea and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
Add yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Really be aggressive—beat the hell out of them.
2. On slow speed, add flour mixture in 3 or 4 stages, mixing well all the while. Stir in crystallized ginger.
3. Separate bowl-beat egg whites with salt until white-holding a soft peak. Fold whites into cake batter. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan and bake until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before unmolding and transferring to rack to cool completely.

Matcha Japanese Green Tea $19.95 www.teavana.com
Since the 12th century, Matcha tea has been celebrated in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony known as Chado, or 'Way of Tea.' Using ancient techniques green tea leaves are carefully shaded with straw mats 30 days before picking. The shading allows the tea leaves to become rich in chlorophyll and amino acids. Once picked and dried, the leaves are ground into fine bright green Matcha tea powder. Harvested in Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, this Imperial Grade Matcha is delicious and very high quality. 40g equals approximately 12 teaspoons. 80g equals approximately 24 teaspoons.

If you could put after-a-rain fresh air in a can, that's what this tea tastes like. This is very green, green tea - beautiful flavor, beautiful color. I've got an electric frothing tool that I mix mine with. But, to really do it right-you need a Matcha whisk and bowl. The only odd thing about this tea is the fact that there will be sediment in the bottom of your drinking vessel. This is normal for Matcha green tea; however, some people may not like it. It tastes great, but looks like swamp sludge.

Turns out that lumps are only a problem when trying to mix with HOT water. Matcha is a powder so it doesn't need to steep like leaves do. So mix it with COLD water first...a tiny bit of water at a time until it's dissolved...and THEN you can heat it up in the microwave. While I love Matcha hot, I also love it cold. I add it to my water bottle with a bit of Stevia- shake it to mix well. Yum! If it separates in between drinks, shake again. It is extremely convenient for travel and at work and I have 3 or 4 bottles of green tea a day. I drink this tea every morning-- 1 tsp., 8oz purified water (boiled to 180F), with 1/2 tsp. organic honey. I feel great after drinking this tea it seems to give me energy that I need, so that I can go out and ride hard on my bicycle. Cheers....

The Lorica of St. Patrick
Here is St. Patrick’s most famous and magnificent prayer. It is entitled “The Lorica” or “Breastplate,” an armor of defense. As you pray it you will feel the protection and power of God watching over you as He has His Saints down through the ages-a blessed feast day to you and yours. Let us hold each other in our prayers as we pray this prayer of divine Providence and Protection today.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation

2010-07-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 01, 2010
If you do not read anything else I write all year—Read this NOW-Please--
the Indulgence given directly from Jesus to St Francis--you have till Sundown on the 2nd. (reprint from 8/01/08)

August 1, 2010

PORTIUNCULA INDULGENCE

The Portiuncula indulgence, which we can gain every year on the first Sunday of August, we owe to the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. Portiuncula or Portiuncula (in Latin) simply means small portion in Italian and refers to the wonderful Little Church of the Benedictines right outside of Assisi, Italy.
During the time of St. Francis it had fallen into terrible disuse and it was here while prostate before the Crucifix that Francis first heard the voice of his Beloved—“Build my Church, stone by stone, build it Stronger…” It was here that Francis first had his first of many experiences with Christ and Our Lady. It was here he received his first followers, were he received the Lady Clare as his first spiritual daughter and founder of the Poor Clares, were he received his wounds adoring Christ in the San Damiano Cross, and here where he died still ever before Our Lord.
The Benedictines wanted to give Francis the church but in order to remain faithful to Lady Poverty, Francis rented it from them with the annual compensation of a basket of fish from the Tescio river. Of all the many beautiful devotions that he gave to us or helped restore to the Church—his commendation of this place to his brothers was paramount.

During the night in July, 1216, Francis was praying in the little church of the Portiuncula devoured by love for God and a thirst to save souls. He prayed for the forgiveness of sins of mankind. Suddenly a brilliant light shone all around. In great splendor Jesus and Mary appeared in the midst of a dazzling cloud surrounded by a multitude of radiant angels. Out of fear and reverence, St. Francis adored Our Lord prostrate upon the ground. Then Jesus said to him: “Francis you are very zealous for the good of souls. Ask me what you want for their salvation.” St. Francis was rapt in ecstasy before Jesus.

When he regained his courage he said:"Lord, I a miserable sinner beg You to concede an indulgence to all those who enter this church, who are truly contrite and have confessed their sins. And I beg Blessed Mary, your Mother, intercessor of man that she intercedes on behalf of this grace." Our Lady at once began to beseech her son on behalf of Francis.”

"It is a very great thing that which you ask Me; but you are worthy of even greater things, Friar Francis, and greater things you will have. So I accept your request, but I want you to go to my Vicar, to whom I have given the power to bind and loose in Heaven and on earth, to ask him on my behalf for this indulgence."

With one of his companions, Francis hastened to Pope Honorius III and prostrate implored him to proclaim that every one visiting the church and confessing their sins with a contrite heart would be as pure from all sin and punishments as he was immediately after baptism. Honorius was astonished at this strange petition, and hesitated to grant it. But Francis said: "What I ask, I do not ask of myself; our Lord Jesus Christ sends me to you and commands me to make this request." The Pope having been convinced of the truth of his speech granted his petition and ordered that the little church should be solemnly consecrated and the indulgence proclaimed for the second day of August.
From that time pilgrims from all parts of the world flocked to the Portiuncula church in order to gain the indulgence, and numberless were the conversions which occurred at that shrine of grace. In order to make this indulgence more accessible to the faithful, the Popes subsequently extended it to all the churches of the Franciscans. Afterwards it was extended to all parish churches, and the first Sunday of August was appointed as the day for gaining it.

The date was set from vespers of the first of August until sundown on the second of August, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. It is said that St. Francis was given this day by Our Lord because the Feast of the Chains of St. Peter celebrated on August first is the day Peter was released from prison and his chains removed. This is an extraordinary demonstration of God’s mercy in removing the chains of sin from those who devoutly and faithfully seek to gain the indulgence by completing its requirements.

The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi is (for oneself or for a departed soul) as follows:
-- Sacramental Confession to be in God’s grace (during eight days before or after.)
-- Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist
-- Recitation of The Apostles Creed, Our Father and a prayer for the Pope’s Intention.

The Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to miss not only for yourself but for the many suffering souls in Purgatory.

Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels beginning on the First of August to August 2. Tell everyone of the magnitude of this gift. Once again, we see the unfathomable Divine Mercy of God. In the words of St. Francis: O my Brothers and Sisters, I want you all to go to Heaven!

“The Catholic faithful may gain a plenary indulgence on 2 August (the Portiuncula) or on such other day as designated by the local ordinary for the advantage of the faithful, under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff), by devoutly visiting the parish church, and there reciting at least the Lord's Prayer and the Creed. The Indulgence applies to the cathedral church of the diocese, and to the co-cathedral church (if there is one), even if they are not parochial, and also to quasi-parochial churches. To gain this, as any plenary indulgence, the faithful must be free from any attachment to sin, even venial sin. Where this entire detachment is wanting, the indulgence is partial.”

The Portiuncula indulgence is the first plenary indulgence that was ever granted in the Church. There were indeed indulgences at all times, but they were only partial, and only a partial remission of the temporal punishments could be obtained by them. But, as already remarked, he who gains the Portiuncula indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after holy baptism. This was also the reason why Pope Honorius was astonished when St. Francis petitioned for the confirmation of this indulgence, for such an indulgence, up to that time, had been entirely unknown. It was only after he had come to the conviction that Jesus Christ himself wished it, that he granted the petition of the saint and confirmed the indulgence.

This indulgence is granted for all time to come, i. e., until the consummation of the world. In the primitive ages of Christianity it was not customary to grant indulgences for ever, they could be gained only during a certain period. It was with them as it is with our jubilee indulgences, which are limited to a certain time, and which, after the lapse of that space of time, cannot be gained. When St. Francis preached in the Portiuncula church in the presence of several bishops, and solemnly announced to the assembled people the indulgence granted by Christ and confirmed by his vicar on earth, the Pope, and added that this indulgence could be gained on the second day of August for all time to come, the bishops were shocked at this addition and would have it only for ten years. They therefore raised their voice and were going to say, only for ten years, but miraculously guided by God, they unanimously cried out, for all time to come! The Portiuncula, indulgence, which has already continued for more than six hundred years, will continue till the end of the world, and even shortly before the coming of Christ to judgment this indulgence could still be gained.

Finally, what distinguishes the Portiuncula, indulgence especially from all others is, that on the day on which it is granted, it can be gained not only once, but oftener. You can gain other indulgences only once on the same day, but the Portiuncula indulgence you can gain on the first Sunday of August, and that, too, as often as on that day you visit a church of the Franciscans, or the parish church, and there pray for some time according to the intention of the Holy Father. The Congregation of the Council has twice so decided, on the 17th of July, 1700, and again on the 4th of December, 1723. In fact, when doubts were submitted to the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences as to whether the faithful who visit a church of the Franciscans on the second Sunday of August can obtain the indulgence as often as the visit is repeated, the answer was in the affirmative, February 22nd, 1847, and it was declared at the same time that it is not necessary to receive Communion in any of the churches of the Franciscans. Pope Pius IX. confirmed these decisions by a decree of the same Congregation, dated July 12th, 1849.

It is indeed true that on one day we can gain a plenary indulgence for ourselves only once, but this does not interfere with the doctrine that the Portiuncula indulgence can be gained more than once on the same day, for we may apply it to the souls in purgatory, if we gain it the second and the third time, etc.

The Portiuncula indulgence then is a great grace of which we should avail ourselves every year. Try to gain it. See above all, that you make a humble, contrite and sincere confession, for a good confession is the first and most necessary requisite for the forgiveness of sins and the gaining of the indulgence.

Receive Holy Communion with the most profound humility and adoration.

Say the prayers for an indulgence with devotion and sentiments of repentance, according to the intention of the Holy Father, and relying on the merits of Jesus Christ, on the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis, and the other saints, beseech God with confidence to impart to you the indulgence and to deliver you from all temporal punishments.

Promise to be thankful to him for this grace all the days of your life by carefully keeping your conscience free from even small faults.

Visit the church several times and after repeating the prayers for an indulgence apply it to the poor souls that they may partake of the grace thereof. Thus the Portiuncula will be to you a key with which you will open heaven, both for yourselves and for many poor souls. Amen.

You and yours remain in my heart and in my prayers as we enter this lovely month of August. We will get through the heat of Summer and Septembers song will be here soon.

Daniel

2010-02-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

To my 987 closest friends,

Several of you have already asked me for suggestions on what to do--or as I like to say--Add To what we already do on a daily basis for the 40 Days of Lent.

Whatever you add to your daily devotions is always good--but just for giggles I thought I would forward what a new friend of mine put together for his Catholic Study Group--a way to Read Through the Compendium of the Churches Social Doctrine of the Church--and I thought for those of you who have not yet gotten around to it--even though the English edition came out in 2004--come on guys--giggles.

Keep in mind he said it would only take "a few minutes a day" since he did divide it up for you---for full disclosure sake I must tell you that it is 480 pages and my copy weighs 1.5 pounds. You will feel better to know that the text is really only 225 pages and the sources at 25 pages and the subtopics at another 165 can easily be skimmed.

If it makes you feel better, I must tell you that way back there in 1994 when it was hot off Father Fessio's presses at Ignatius Press and my Spiritual Director had it dropped shipped to me-- the Catechism and the Companion Compendium (itself 975 pages) were a wonderful read. I must prepare you this Compendium is a little more heady--theological if you will --although the Church says it is written at High School level--giggles.

Anyway--blessed Lent to you all--keep blessing yourselves at the Holy Water fount--none of this cover it and keep it away during Lent nonsense--and add to your faith--and please remember me and all the Vinzant's in the Arms of God on your HOPE bead now and always.

With deepest affection to you all, your friend,
Daniel

And as priest always tell me--"The Darker the ashes, the Deeper the Sin." hmmmm what does that mean when they are the ones who apply it to my forehead?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hays, Rob
Date: Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 1:23 PM
Subject: Reading Through the Compendium During Lent & Easter

In case any of you are interested, I’ve attached a schedule for reading through the entire Compendium for the Social Doctrine of the Church during the Lent and Easter seasons. I did this last year with several people and found it incredibly informative and helpful in developing a better understanding of social doctrine. It only took a few minutes a day since you’re reading only 5 to 6 points a day on average. The link to purchase the book via Amazon is http://www.amazon.com/Compendium-Doctrine-Pontifical-Council-Justice/dp/1574556924 and the link to view the Compendium directly from the Vatican website is http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html. Feel free to send this around to others that might be interested. Enjoy!

Rob

Rob Hays

2009-12-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

It becomes you to be mindful of us, as you stand near Him Who granted you all graces, for you are the Mother of God and our Queen. Help us for the sake of the King, the Lord God Master ,

Who was born of you.

For this reason you are called "full of grace".

Remember us, most holy Virgin and bestow on us gifts from the riches of your graces, Virgin, full of grace. St Athanasius 373

I have been blessed to become a part of the Bagel Brothers—an unofficial coffee klatch of men who attend morning mass at St Ann in Coppell. I even received my own reusable Coffee Tumbler this last week, which allows me marvelous discounts and offsets global warming by reducing the increasing load of disposable paper cups into the local land fill. As men of good will are wont to do—we turned to deep theological discussions today and some had to come and go—so I thought I would put together a quick smattering of the uniquely Catholic tenants we touched on today and what they mean.

Papal Infallibility and Ex Cathedra –Although a uniquely Catholic concept and though it has had tenants in Sacred Scripture and statements to support it all the way back to the Early Church Fathers—you may be surprised to learn that it was until the Council of Trent (which was an answer to the Protestant questions opened by Luther and then expanded upon by later dissenters) the term papal infallibility was used mostly as a charge against the papacy by such dissenters. We must understand that it is long Catholic tradition to not going around defining things definitively until there is some question or statement of heresy to answer and correct.

Vatican I address’ the question to the Church and answers with an affirmation that indeed papal infallibility was real and therefore a tenant of the Church and as such had been believed from the beginning. But dogmatically papal infallibility was not defined as a Catholic belief that must be held until 1870.

Ex cathedra, ("from the chair"), refers to a teaching by the pope that is considered to be made with the intention of invoking infallibility. This “the chair” does not mean from the actual papal throne but refers back to the Biblical concept from the Old Testament and practiced by all the Tribes of Israel and upheld by the kings of Israel and Judah when they speak of the “chair of Moses”. God Himself tells us that Moses was unique of all men in his day that God chose to speak to him face to face, when we refused to speak to anyone else in such a manner and they live. Speak of protocol—God established from the very beginning how and when he would speak to men and then breaks those very rules to speak straight to Moses as a friend to friend.

Catholic belief that as Jesus, Himself establishes Peter as the first among the apostles and gives to him the keys of the kingdom and pronounces him the “rock” upon which He will build His Church—that HE, Jesus, was doing as His Father God had done in choosing to establish Moses as the “seat of Moses” or the one he would speak specifically to lead His people—hence we have the pope-the papal office, which we with full belief call the “chair of Peter”. When we refer to the Holy See we speak of this concept and when the Traditionalist who have broke in recent years from Rome speak of “sede vacante” they are saying the chair is empty. But, to be truly Catholic is to be someone who believes in the one who sits on the chair of Peter as being the one who affectionately and definitively speaks the Word of God to us fresh and powerfully as His Church.

In reality, popes are very select in the use of their power of infallibility. The Vatican has no official list of papal infallibility decrees and it is one of the things that moral and pastoral theologians such as myself (albeit arm-chair at best) love to sit around over coffee and debate over for hours such as issues of abortion, the preferential treatment of the poor, and the death penalty—are they infallible teachings or no? I like to laughing say that you can turn on any popular Evangelical, Protestant, or especially Charismatic preacher on the airwaves today and they will make more emphatic-infallible statements in one sermon then the Church has through her Popes in 2000 years. Rather we look to the Pope as the Holy Father to be the Pastor of the World and to be the final voice on deciding what is the accepted and formal beliefs of the Church and how they will be put into actual practice in any given age.

In fact--since July 18, 1870, this power has been used only once ex cathedra and that was in 1950 when Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary as a dogmatic dogma—an article of faith one has to believe to be Roman Catholic. Some of my readers are actually old enough that you actually had a choice to believe or not on this issue although from the beginning we have a strong belief in the Assumption of Mary. In 1950 it becomes an actual article of faith for one to believe to be Catholic—let the naysayers call us Mary worshipers—this we do believe (had to quote Father Fred). You still have many choices—even here, you can believe she died first or she did not die—that is up to you. I believe she actually did die surrounded by the beloved Apostles but if that is too much for you, you can go the other way—still takes faith since neither of us were there eh. I also buy into a young and viral St Joseph and not some tottering old man where remaining chaste was a burden—I see a manly, viral, and most upright St Joseph, but if you see an old one we can still be good and faithful Catholics. We may not even vote for the same people-hush Daniel and stop meddling—the point is we have many places where opinions are that, just opinions and many have different ones. But these things—Papal Infallibility, the Assumption of Mary body and soul into Heaven, and today’s holy day of obligation-the Immaculate Conception—these things are articles of faith-dogmatic dogmas-the things that yes we do believe to call ourselves Catholic.

J Some of you think right here you have caught me when I say only one time—remember we are Catholics—the way we say something is just as important as the thing itself. Of course now you get the brain teaser—the Immaculate Conception which was indeed defined December 8, 1854 by Pius IX ex cathedra was done so before the solemn definition of Papal Infallibility in 1870. Pius IX consulted the Bishops of the world from 1851-1853 to get a sense of how the universal faithful had believed from the beginning and in his papal bull (letter to the Church with a papal proclamation) “Ineffabilis Deus” (Ineffable God) he defines the dogma/doctrine of the Immaculate Conception: “We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and therefore should firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful.”—Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, December 8, 1854

Now, I must point out the beauty of the Magisterium (hierarchy of the Church-Pope-Cardinals-Bishops) and how the Holy Spirit guides and protects the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth even though He left it in the hands of very weak, frail, and the most mortal of men. The dogma of 1854 was defined in accordance with the conditions of papal infallibility which would not even be defined until 1870 by Vatican I. The papal definition of the dogma declares with absolute authority that Mary possessed Sanctifying Grace from the first instant of her existence and was free from the lack of grace caused by Original Sin. Mary's salvation was won by her Son, Jesus Christ the Son of God and Savior of the World through his Passion, Death on the Cross, and Resurrection from the Dead and was not due to her own merits. I like to say that God reached down outside of human time and saved Mary before she was born through the very merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Again believe with faith and do not add ridiculous wrinkles to your forehead. Is it any harder to believe this than to believe that God could save you and me that Jesus really did raise from the dead and that Heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace and one day God willing we can and will go and be with God as part of His family forever and ever? I know how much I loved honoring my Mom and Dad all the days of their lives and live to honor them even now long after they are both dead. I know how blessed and honored I am by my own children who strive so hard to please me and the many things they do for me out of such love. How easy it is to believe that a God who is love and full of All-power and who chose to empty Himself of Divine Attributes and become man—that such a God would not safe-guard the very vessel that would hold and nourish Him from the very moment of conception by the Holy Spirit. The God of Power and Might of the Old Testament had a very exact formula for the Ark of the Testament to hold his Written Word of God—how much more special would He feel about and protect His Ark that was to hold and carry the Word Made Flesh—Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God?

According to Vatican I and Catholic tradition, the conditions required for ex cathedra teaching from the Pope to be infallible are:

1. It has to be the Pope-the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church

2. He has to speak “ex cathedra" through the authority of his apostolic office

3. He has to define

4. A doctrine concerning faith or morals—he does not profess to be a brain surgeon or even to be able to drive the Pope mobile—but in matters of faith and morals-he defines the doctrine, and even then to be papal infallible it

5. Must be held by the whole Church-the teaching must be clear that the Church is to believe this—to consider it definitive and binding on them as Catholics.

Traditionally the manner of these definitive decrees have a time-followed formula which either has one or both—a verbal proclamation that the teaching is definitive—We declare, we decree, we define…and/or an accompanying anathema (cut off, separated, excommunicated, outside the Church) stating that to dissent from this separates you from the Grace of the Church, but that it is possible to be received back in the good graces of the Church by affirming the belief of the Church.

For example, in 1950, with Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII's infallible definition regarding the Assumption of Mary, there are attached these words: “Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which We have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.”

As I said earlier-the Vatican has given no complete list of papal statements considered to be infallible. But, again as a reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit and how He protects the office of the Pope-the Seat of Peter, it is interesting that in 1998 while still Cardinal Ratzinger—our now Pope Benedict XVI while the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith did list a number of instances of papal and ecumenical council statements of infallibility and to complete these musings by answering another—he lists as one point of reference on that list-- Leo XIII’s declaration in Apostolicae Curae that Anglican orders are “absolutely null and utterly void” as one of the teachings to which Catholics must give “firm and definitive assent”. These teachings are not understood by the Church as revealed doctrines but are rather those which the church’s teaching authority finds to be so closely connected to God's revealed truth that belief in them is required in order to safeguard the divinely revealed truths of the Christian Faith. Those who fail to give “firm and definitive assent”, according to the commentary, would “no longer be in full communion with the Catholic Church”.

J That should leave the door open for another coffee klatch indeed. If you are not coming to coffee, see what you are missing.

Final musings:

In July 2005 Pope Benedict XVI asserted during an impromptu address to priests in Aosta that: “The Pope is not an oracle; he is infallible in very rare situations, as we know."

Some declared statements from the Council of Trent (16TH Century) of interest to Catholics today:

Ordination (twenty-third session) was defined to imprint an ontological mark an indelible character on the soul. The priesthood of the New Testament takes the place of the Levitical priesthood. To the performance of its functions, the consent of the people is not necessary.

In the decrees on marriage (twenty-fourth session) the excellence of the celibate state was reaffirmed concubinage condemned and the validity of marriage made dependent upon its being performed before a priest and two witnesses—although the lack of a requirement for parental consent ended a debate that had proceeded from the twelfth century. In the case of a divorce, the right of the innocent party to marry again was denied so long as the other party is alive, even if the other may have committed adultery.

Quick musing and reflections after this morning’s coffee with the Bagel Boys of St Ann’s,

Daniel

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

December 8, 2009

2009-11-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer to Obtain Favors:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)

Imprimatur
+MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897

2009-11-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Drum Major Instinct
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Historic "Drum Major Instinct Speech" was delivered
at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia,
on February 4, 1968.
Note from Daniel: There is an impressive stained glass window depicting Martin Luther King, Jr. in the small chapel in Brooks Hall, Brooks College, Baylor University, Waco, Texas. This Sermon was delivered exactly 60 days before he was murdered.
This morning I would like to use as a subject from which to preach: "The Drum Major Instinct." "The Drum Major Instinct." And our text for the morning is taken from a very familiar passage in the tenth chapter as recorded by Saint Mark. Beginning with the thirty-fifth verse of that chapter, we read these words: "And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came unto him saying, ‘Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.’ And he said unto them, ‘What would ye that I should do for you?’ And they said unto him, ‘Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.’ But Jesus said unto them, ‘Ye know not what ye ask: Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? And then Jesus goes on toward the end of that passage to say, "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all."
Now very quickly, we would automatically condemn James and John, and we would say they were selfish. Why would they make such a selfish request? But before we condemn them too quickly, let us look calmly and honestly at ourselves, and we will discover that we too have those same basic desires for recognition, for importance. That same desire for attention, that same desire to be first. Of course, the other disciples got mad with James and John, and you could understand why, but we must understand that we have psome of the same James and John qualities. And there is deep down within all of us an instinct. It's a kind of drum major instinct—a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first. And it is something that runs the whole gamut of life.
And so before we condemn them, let us see that we all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. And you know, we begin early to ask life to put us first. Our first cry as a baby was a bid for attention. And all through childhood the drum major impulse or instinct is a major obsession. Children ask life to grant them first place. They are a little bundle of ego. And they have innately the drum major impulse or the drum major instinct.
Now in adult life, we still have it, and we really never get by it. We like to do something good. And you know, we like to be praised for it. Now if you don't believe that, you just go on living life, and you will discover very soon that you like to be praised. Everybody likes it, as a matter of fact. And somehow this warm glow we feel when we are praised or when our name is in print is something of the vitamin A to our ego. Nobody is unhappy when they are praised, even if they know they don't deserve it and even if they don't believe it. The only unhappy people about praise is when that praise is going too much toward somebody else. But everybody likes to be praised because of this real drum major instinct.
It goes through life; the drum major instinct is real. And you know what else it causes to happen? It often causes us to live above our means. It's nothing but the drum major instinct. Do you ever see people buy cars that they can't even begin to buy in terms of their income? You've seen people riding around in Cadillac’s and Chryslers who don't earn enough to have a good T-Model Ford. But it feeds a repressed ego.
You know, economists tell us that your automobile should not cost more than half of your annual income. Now the economists also say that your house shouldn't cost—if you're buying a house, it shouldn't cost more than twice your income. That's based on the economy and how you would make ends meet. So, if you have an income of five thousand dollars, it's kind of difficult in this society. But say it's a family with an income of ten thousand dollars, the house shouldn't cost much more than twenty thousand. Well, I've seen folk making ten thousand dollars, living in a forty- and fifty-thousand-dollar house. And you know they just barely make it. They get a check every month somewhere, and they owe all of that out before it comes in. Never have anything to put away for rainy days.
There comes a time that the drum major instinct can become destructive. And that's where I want to move now. I want to move to the point of saying that if this instinct is not harnessed, it becomes a very dangerous, pernicious instinct. For instance, if it isn’t harnessed, it causes one's personality to become distorted. I guess that's the most damaging aspect of it: what it does to the personality. If it isn't harnessed, you will end up day in and day out trying to deal with your ego problem by boasting. Have you ever heard people that—you know, and I'm sure you've met them—that really become sickening because they just sit up all the time talking about themselves. And they just boast and boast and boast, and that's the person who has not harnessed the drum major instinct.
And then it does other things to the personality. It causes you to lie about who you know sometimes. There are some people who are influence peddlers. And in their attempt to deal with the drum major instinct, they have to try to identify with the so-called big-name people. And if you're not careful, they will make you think they know somebody that they don't really know. They know them well, they sip tea with them, and they this-and-that. That happens to people.
And the other thing is that it causes one to engage ultimately in activities that are merely used to get attention. Criminologists tell us that some people are driven to crime because of this drum major instinct. They don't feel that they are getting enough attention through the normal channels of social behavior, and so they turn to anti-social behavior in order to get attention, in order to feel important. And so they get that gun, and before they know it they robbed a bank in a quest for recognition, in a quest for importance.
And then the final great tragedy of the distorted personality is the fact that when one fails to harness this instinct, he ends up trying to push others down in order to push himself up. And whenever you do that, you engage in some of the most vicious activities. You will spread evil, vicious, lying gossip on people, because you are trying to pull them down in order to push yourself up. And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.
Now the other problem is, when you don't harness the drum major instinct—this uncontrolled aspect of it—is that it leads to snobbish exclusivism. It leads to snobbish exclusivism. And you know, this is the danger of social clubs and fraternities—I'm in a fraternity; I'm in two or three—for sororities and all of these, I'm not talking against them. I'm saying it's the danger. The danger is that they can become forces of classism and exclusivism where somehow you get a degree of satisfaction because you are in something exclusive. And that's fulfilling something, you know—that I'm in this fraternity, and it's the best fraternity in the world, and everybody can't get in this fraternity. So it ends up, you know, a very exclusive kind of thing.
And you know, that can happen with the church; I know churches get in that bind sometimes. I've been to churches, you know, and they say, "We have so many doctors, and so many school teachers, and so many lawyers, and so many businessmen in our church." And that's fine, because doctors need to go to church, and lawyers, and businessmen, teachers—they ought to be in church. But they say that—even the preacher sometimes will go all through that—they say that as if the other people don't count.
And the church is the one place where a doctor ought to forget that he's a doctor. The church is the one place where a Ph.D. ought to forget that he's a Ph.D. The church is the one place that the school teacher ought to forget the degree she has behind her name. The church is the one place where the lawyer ought to forget that he's a lawyer. And any church that violates the "whosoever will, let him come" doctrine is a dead, cold church, and nothing but a little social club with a thin veneer of religiosity.
When the church is true to its nature, it says, "Whosoever will, let him come." And it does not supposed to satisfy the perverted uses of the drum major instinct. It's the one place where everybody should be the same, standing before a common master and savior. And a recognition grows out of this—that all men are brothers because they are children of a common father.
Now the other thing is, that it leads to tragic—and we've seen it happen so often—tragic race prejudice. Many who have written about this problem—Lillian Smith used to say it beautifully in some of her books. And she would say it to the point of getting men and women to see the source of the problem. Do you know that a lot of the race problem grows out of the drum major instinct? A need that some people have to feel superior. A need that some people have to feel that they are first, and to feel that their white skin ordained them to be first. Make it plain, today, ‘cause I’m against it, so help me God. And they have said over and over again in ways that we see with our own eyes. In fact, not too long ago, a man down in Mississippi said that God was a charter member of the White Citizens Council. And so God being the charter member means that everybody who's in that has a kind of divinity, a kind of superiority. And think of what has happened in history as a result of this perverted use of the drum major instinct. It has led to the most tragic prejudice, the most tragic expressions of man's inhumanity to man.
The other day I was saying, I always try to do a little converting when I'm in jail. And when we were in jail in Birmingham the other day, the white wardens and all enjoyed coming around the cell to talk about the race problem. And they were showing us where we were so wrong demonstrating. And they were showing us where segregation was so right. And they were showing us where intermarriage was so wrong. So I would get to preaching, and we would get to talking—calmly, because they wanted to talk about it. And then we got down one day to the point—that was the second or third day—to talk about where they lived, and how much they were earning. And when those brothers told me what they were earning, I said, "Now, you know what? You ought to be marching with us. [laughter] You're just as poor as Negroes." And I said, "You are put in the position of supporting your oppressor, because through prejudice and blindness, you fail to see that the same forces that oppress Negroes in American society oppress poor white people. And all you are living on is the satisfaction of your skin being white, and the drum major instinct of thinking that you are somebody big because you are white. And you're so poor you can't send your children to school. You ought to be out here marching with every one of us every time we have a march."
But let me rush on to my conclusion, because I want you to see what Jesus was really saying. What was the answer that Jesus gave these men? It's very interesting. One would have thought that Jesus would have condemned them. One would have thought that Jesus would have said, "You are out of your place. You are selfish. Why would you raise such a question?"
But that isn't what Jesus did; he did something altogether different. He said in substance, "Oh, I see, you want to be first. You want to be great. You want to be important. You want to be significant. Well, you ought to be. If you're going to be my disciple, you must be." But he reordered priorities. And he said, "Yes, don't give up this instinct. It's a good instinct if you use it right. It's a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be first in love. I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That is what I want you to do."
And he transformed the situation by giving a new definition of greatness. And you know how he said it? He said, "Now brethren, I can't give you greatness. And really, I can't make you first." This is what Jesus said to James and John. "You must earn it. True greatness comes not by favoritism, but by fitness. And the right hand and the left are not mine to give, they belong to those who are prepared."
And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.
And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant. This morning, you can be on his right hand and his left hand if you serve. It's the only way in.
Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.
If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school.
I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,
If I can spread the message as the master taught,
Then my living will not be in vain.
Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.

Delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, on February 4, 1968.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39.

2009-11-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is an Internet forward that made me giggle and giggle and reminded me so of my own Jeweled Princes when she was so young--the picture is even eerily familiar of mine own sweet girl. Apologies for not being able to give proper credit for picture and story---

Cup of Tea

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2 1/2 years old and had just recovered from an accident. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a get-well gift and it was one of my favorite toys.

Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought him a little cup of 'tea', which was just water.

After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my mom came home. My dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' My mom waited and, sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up.

Then she says (as only a mother would know...):

'Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?

2009-11-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

Aunt Nell’s Figgy Yummy's--a family favorite and Concepcion makes them even better then Auntie did-enjoy-from my kitchen to yours,

Daniel

Cookie Dough:

* 1/2 cup melted organic coconut oil
* 3/4 cup organic vanilla sugar
* 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
* 1/2 cup organic milk
* 1 large organic egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon organic sea salt

Cookie Filling:

* 1/2 cup organic Mission figs, chopped
* 1/2 cup organic apricots, chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh organic orange zest using your micro plane
* 1/3 cup spring water
* 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed organic orange juice
* 2 teaspoons organic vanilla sugar
* 1/4 teaspoons organic fresh ground nutmeg using a micro plane

* Cream together coconut oil, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and cream of tartar and salt. Mix well.
* Roll out dough and cut with a round cookie cutter.
* Place all the ingredients for the filling in a saucepan and cook on low heat until it becomes soft and thick. Cool.
* Place cookie on cookie sheet-add 1 teaspoon of filling on top and cover with a second cookie. Prick top of cookie with a fork.
* Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Makes-- 24 cookies. Yummy

2009-11-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

Dear ones in Standing Just for the Gospel of Life,

As you all know--just days ago--October 29, 2009 we received this news from Tom Clark,
the State Director of Pro-life activities for the Knights of Columbus:

Brothers all,....Horrible News - Late-term abortion facility opening in Dallas.

Fairmount abortion center relocates to new facility with new name. It is capable of killing a child up to 24 weeks (6 months). CPLC sidewalk counselors are standing at the entrances to the new facility's office park on Greenville Ave. They have spent the past days sharing with tenants and those arriving at the complex that a new late-term abortion facility was opening there. Not one person that they spoke to knew that this was a late-term abortion facility.

Building on the momentum of the current 40 Days for Life-Dallas Campaign, where 2,000 people of faith have come out to pray outside of Robinson's abortion center on Record Crossing, the CPLC is calling for a massive prayer and public witness effort, particularly at this new late-term abortion facility, to bring about an end to the killing of innocent unborn children at the 5 abortion centers in Dallas.

Here is a listing of the Catholic Churches closest to this new killing center (there are a number of nearby churches of other denominations as well):

St. Patrick – 3.78 miles
St. Paul, Richardson – 4.79 miles
Christ the King – 4.97 miles (the abortion facility is in the boundaries of Christ the King)
St. Rita – 5.34 miles
St. Thomas Aquinas – 5.53 miles

If you belong to one of these churches, will you please share this information with your pastor and/or your fellow parishioners?

Thanks and God bless,
Tom Clark
State Pro Life Chairman
Texas State Council KofC
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What you may not have known is that the White Rose, the Catholic Crisis Pregnancy Center that is next door to the Routh Street Abortion Facility over on Central Expressway-the very Catholic presences for Life that has been there each and every day for over 24 years-- and for years actually shared a wall between the centers--has long been longing to expand and meet even more needs in the diocese. The question has always been one of timing, greatest need, and ability to sustain the expansion once it began.

The Bishop of Dallas expressed his hopes just last October, 2008 to see many White Roses spread around the whole diocese--thanks be to God--in less than 16 days from hearing this sad news of such a horror sneaking into our community--they have been graced to find, procure and open their first Satellite Center--the Little White Rose-at 8499 Greenville Avenue.

The Surgi-Center [late-term abortion center] is in the middle of a series of medical complexes on the North-East corner of Greenville and Royal Lane. The Little White Rose is on the South-West Corner of Greenville and Royal Lane on the 2nd Fl
oor and looks down upon the heroic Side Walk Counselors--those who Stand for Life right at the very driveway of the Killing Center. They can point up to the Little White Rose and send each and every person they talk to for aide right across the street. The Little White Rose will throw open their doors Wednesday, November 18th and will be keeping the same hours as the main White Rose facility over on Central Expressway. They have three counseling rooms and of course the on-site sona-gram.

What a great blessing God has done in giving us the opening and ability to step up to this new and specific challenge the Culture of Death has thrown up to mock the Gospel of Life and seek to continue to seek and to save those who are being led to slaughter.

There will be an Open House, there will be Dedications and Blessings--more information will be coming soon--along with a list of things you can help provide to keep this new and vital center up and running. But, I wanted you to be some of the first to hear--light a candle and offer your prayers of thanksgiving that the vision of our Bishop is coming to pass at this desperate hour.

And keep pressing in with prayers for all the pro-life work done by so many good people and groups of good will in our metroplex.

And especially remember the Little White Rose, as up till now in Dallas women as late as 6 months could not even legally obtain an abortion, and now they can--they need this option to help them see that as John Everett long said--"there is no such thing as an un-planned pregnancy, there are crisis pregnancies, and if you can address the crisis then you can help the woman choose the life of their baby and complete their pregnancy."

I will keep you informed and am comforted that you will keep this new effort for the Gospel of Life close to your heart. How good and pleasant it is to get good news in the fight--that once again our Faithful Father has raised up a Defense in Jesus Name against the Foe--rejoice and keep Standing Just my friends.

Please forward to all your list--I do not care if I get this good news 20 times--spread the word and pray

For Life,

Daniel
Texans Opposed to Planned Parenthood
214-566-2298

2009-10-02T08:53:00.001-07:00

Howdy Dear ones,

My phone is on the fritz-intermittent-actually even calling some of you at wild times--it will be that way a few days while I negotiate a proper upgrade price with AT&T--not happy with the first offer. So if you want to respond, email is the best for now.

I have been given the pleasure and privilege of hosting a Table at the October 3rd Gala Event for The White Rose and the Invitation is included below as are a series of notes by the priest--Fr. Tom Eutenueur for those of you who are not familiar with him to get a feel for him. For those of you who trust my opinion--just let me say, he is one of my favorites, and he is head of the largest pro-life organization in the world.

Sorry to only give days notice, but I am coming to you who have not heard of the event or said yes to it as a late entry to try and round up nine loving, willing, able to pay, God-fearing, God-loving, baby-loving, available, fun-loving, wine-drinking, good looking, make me look good at my table sweeties--to be my heroes and sit with me at my now empty table. Think of this as one of those pay to get me out of jail events I always wanted to be a part of but the organizations were always the wrong ones to support--except you get to dress up to the nines, see me in dress shoes, get lots of good wine and food, and support my favorite local charity in the whole diocese.

Details:
White Rose Benefit
October 3, 2008--this Saturday
Brookhollow Golf Club
6:30 Drinks and 7:00 Dinner
(if I cannot get you into the Patron Party we will snag a bottle and have a tailgate--be there at 6:30 and I will find the drinks--hey I am a thirsty and crafty kind of guy for my heroes--and since becoming Catholic have become a creative host to fine drinks)
Cost--$150 for the evening and hopes you will want to become a regular giver to the White Rose Woman's Center

How to help me--if you can buy a seat at the table please click on the email below and make your intentions known to Susan Collis:secollis@verizon.net.Co st $150 per seat--respond as soon as possible as event is Saturday--not to late to respond and get a seat at the table--contact Susan at 214-455-4357 up to the event.

I suppose you could give any gift or even give the gift of $150 even if you cannot come--but just think how fun it would be for me to show up and find 9 wonderful friends waiting for me at my table for an unforgettable evening of good wine, good food, good fun, good friends, and good works. So here is the deal--write me back any time and visit about anything and everything--but do not write me about this--I will either show up to the only empty table on Saturday for too your sweet faces helping me help you do the wonderful giving for the Culture of Life in the midst of this Culture of Death. Please somebody save me from myself.

I know $150 is a lot of money and this year I am missing for the first time many of these good and noble fun events myself as we all have to cut back on our budgets--I am missing the Seminarian Dinner at $125, dinner with the Bishop of Fort Worth-but this is one opportunity to give I must beg you to attend, and give to if you have tithes, offerings, disposable income, good will giving monies left in your budget this year. Somehow I believe the Bishops and even the wonderful seminarians will plod along--we attend a party or not, but this is the group in the whole diocese who shows up day in and day out and has for the last 24 years to help the women, and the children--to save the babies--to make us real and truthful as Catholics when we say as a Church, we will help, we will care, we will help you...

The White Rose through my good friend John Everett and his sweet wife Gerri have been my good friends since 1994 when they met me as the Rosary Praying Baptist Preacher. I slept on their couch and spent many hours talking about the faith and my love for the Church all the while a Baptist pastor--many a good meal and pro-life event, an all night adoration, rosaries.

When I was making the transition from Baptist to Catholic and it did not go well with some national pro-life groups perceiving that I was "changing sides" it was John Everett, the White Rose, and Carol Everett of the Heidi Group who came to Waco-along with Norma McCorvey who Stood with me and validated the first 100 Days of Waco. The White Rose donated the very first Project Gabriel sign to me to put up in front of my church Mothers Day, 1996 in front of Trinity Church of Waco, Texas and we had babies saved because of the first calls to The White Rose on the Baby Due line and young Baylor co-eds who needed help got it through all our efforts. John Everett was one of my families sponsors into the Church when we came into the Church, Assumption, 1998 and stood with me, as we stood with Norma McCorvey when she came into the Church 2 days later. John Everett stood with us as Norma McCorvey made her great bombshell from my pulpit in May of 1999 at her Bethlehem in Trinity Church-- that she was entering the Catholic Church. And, when surprise, that cost me my job, it was the White Rose through John and his networking me into the Catholic community of Dallas that got me the jobs and connections I have made to become so much a part of this vibrant Catholic community. And it was the White Rose through John and Gerri Everett who saved my life--in October 2000 when horrors of horrors, we lost our beloved Sarah Ruth in an instant in a car wreck--the 14-17th of October are still my black days every year. I cannot say how and what all they did, my heart remains full that when it was too painful to connect to anyone and everyone, they were one couple that kept taking me in, kept taking me under their wing and just loving me through the simple deeds of small talk, Curia gossip, hot sauce and chips--week after week, year after year, one bowl of chips after another.

Those of you who have known my more than 10 years you know my dark days and you know I love you all and owe you all so much for not giving up on me--but for my money in charity giving--my debt of love is here--there are many worthy groups and I say give to them all, come on in, the water is fine--but as I have influence of any kind over you, if you can send anything to this noble group at this time, and stand with me, as I STAND with them in truly saving babies--send what you can, and if you can come and surprise me as my dinner guest at your own nickle--I would be so honored to sit with you and make you look good at this elegant evening.

Having mentioned my sweet Sarah Ruth, and it being so close to the day of her death, and my great loss, I am attaching a couple of sweet pictures of her--please keep us on your HOPE bead in your daily Rosary--the Vinzant family, and Sarah Ruth--and know that I love you all. Again--I do not want to know if you gave or if you are coming--email Susan and let me be surprised.

Anything else, I have much time to visit and would love to catch up with any and all--life makes us all so busy, I am glad to be learning at this stage to slow down, but if you got this you are in my heart, in my holy hours, and in my many prayers.

If you cannot give cash, I understand more then you realize, so just give the love and prayers and let us keep in touch.

Daniel

2009-07-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

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Well my dear ones--it has been sometime since I last shared a favorite old family recipe. You may not have a dear like my Concepcion to come and do the actual cooking for you--but I am sure that this will be a fast favorite for you and your loved ones if you just give it a try.

I am so enjoying my new kitchen and this break from the Texas heat with these delightful showers this week and decided to dust off a favorite that Concepcion whips up for Andrew, Lewis, and me. I have other favorite family recipes that Concepcion keeps treating us with on my blog: http://a-view-from-my-bedside.blogspot.com/

You remain in my heart, my prayers, and my recent happy memories,

Daniel
Grandmother Vinzant's Apple Pie
5 Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and the zest of the lemon
1/3 cup organic Vanilla sugar + 1 teaspoon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon good cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

2-- 9 inch pie shells
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup good Sour Cream

1 Egg beaten

Peel, core, and slice apples. Toss in lemon juice and zest of the lemon. Add 1/3 cup sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add apple mixture and simmer for 5 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally.

Strain and reserve the liquid and apples.
Whisk cornstarch with water and return the apple liquid to your pan.
Whisk in. While whisking, bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Pour over the apples and cool in the refrigerator for one hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the apple mixture with the pecans and pour into one of the pie crusts.
Top with sour cream.
Lightly flour the second pie crust and cut into 1 inch strips. Arrange over the pie in a lattice design.
Brush the lattice top, with the egg.
Sprinkle with sugar. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Bake pie for 40 minutes.

If the crust begins to get too dark, remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and return for the remaining baking time.

Make a nice pot of hot tea to sip from a porcelain cup--please do not attempt to sip a good loose leaf green tea from a coffee cup--gauche. If possible serve yourself the tea from a nice ceramic or porcelain tea pot while you are at it. Turn up your Bose music system and listen to music that stirs your soul--while this righteous pie smell fills your house with the smell of generations past and the hopes of generations to come. Add a schemer of Devonshire cream and some Laura Secord Raspberry jam to your favorite homemade scone (recipe to follow at a cooler date) and dive into the latest good book you have always laying about--currently I am reading: A Year in the World: Journeys of A Passionate Traveler, by Frances Mayes in the living room; St Augustine's The Confessions in the bedroom; a new Nicholas Sparks in the bath; an undisclosed thriller at the pool-side table; the Letters of Brother Laurence on the
i Phone; and The Second Edition of the Ignatius Bible at the kitchen table.

Kick off those shoes--if you putter in your beautiful kitchen with them on--better to prepare food barefoot I always say--more connected to the grounding and the soul of the food. And before you know it my Granny's wonderful pie will be yours for a first taste, and after the first piece, I promise you it will become your families favorite too.

And all you hearty guys like me out there---when the house is dead quite and everyone else asleep, this pie will call you cold from the Ice Box-- and a sneaked piece along with a ice cold barley soda--now that is a little reminder that Heaven is a real and waiting place--Land of Goshen.
‎

2009-06-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today is the Feast Day of the Two Hearts--please keep this and read when you can--you may want to print and take with you to your Face Time with Jesus at your next Holy Hour.

Love,
Daniel
Trusting in the Two Hearts and keeping each of you in mine.

JOHN PAUL II

Address at Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sunday, 6 June 1999

1. “We honour your Heart, O Jesus . . .”.

I thank Divine Providence that together with all of you here present I am able to give praise and glory to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the most perfect revelation of the paternal love of God. I am glad that the devout practice of reciting or singing the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus every day during the month of June is very much alive in Poland and continues to be followed.

I greet everyone gathered here this Sunday afternoon. In a special way I greet Bishop Andrzej, Pastor of this Diocese, his Auxiliary Bishop and the representatives of the Polish Bishops, the priests, consecrated men and women and all the People of God. I extend a cordial welcome to the pilgrims from Russia, from the District of Kaliningrad, who are present here with their Archbishop, Tadeusz. I also greet the faithful of the Greek Catholic Church. And I greet all the members of the young Church in Elblag, which is particularly linked to the figure of Saint Adalbert. Not far from here, according to tradition, he gave his life for Christ. In the course of history, the death of this martyr has produced in this land abundant fruits of holiness. In this place I wish to remember Blessed Dorota of Matowy, wife and mother of nine children, and also the Servant of God Regina Protmann, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Catherine, whom — God-willing — the Church will raise to the glory of the altars during this pilgrimage through my ministry in Warsaw. Another one to be enrolled in the ranks of the Blessed will be a son of this land, Father Wladyslaw Demski, who gave his life in the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen, publicly defending the cross which was sacrilegiously profaned by the executioners. You have received this magnificent spiritual heritage and you must care for it, develop it and build the future of this land and of the Church in Elblag on the solid foundation of faith and religious life.

2. “Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, have mercy on us”.

Thus we invoke Jesus in the Litany. Everything that God wanted to tell us about himself and about his love he placed in the Heart of Jesus, and by means of that Heart he has told us everything. We find ourselves before an inscrutable mystery. In Jesus’ Heart we read the eternal divine plan of the world’s salvation. It is a plan of love.

We have come here today to contemplate the love of the Lord Jesus, his goodness which is compassionate towards every person; to contemplate his Heart blazing with love for the Father, in the fulness of the Holy Spirit. Christ loves us and reveals his Heart to us as the fount of life and holiness, the source of our redemption. In order to have a deeper understanding of this invocation we must turn to Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman in the little town of Sicar, at the well which had been there since the time of the Patriarch Jacob. She had come to draw water. Jesus said to her: “Give me a drink”, and she answered him: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” She then received Jesus’ response: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink', you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water . . . the water that I shall give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (cf. Jn 4:1-14).

Jesus is the source; it is from him that divine life in man finds its beginning. To have this life, we need only approach him and remain in him. And what is this life if not the beginning of human holiness, the holiness which is in God and which man can reach with the help of grace? All of us wish to drink from the divine Heart, which is the source of life and holiness.

3. “Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times” (Ps 106:3).

Brothers and Sisters, meditating on God’s love, revealed in the Heart of his Son, requires a consistent response on our part. We have not been called only to contemplate the mystery of Christ’s love, but take part in it. Christ says: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15). He thus places before us a great calling and at the same time a condition: if you want to love me, keep my commandments, keep God’s holy law, walk in the way that I have shown you.

God’s will is that we keep the commandments, that is, the law of God given to Israel on Mount Sinai through Moses. Given to all people everywhere. We know the commandments. Many of you repeat them everyday in prayer. That is a very good and devout practice. Let us repeat them now, as they are found in the Book of Exodus, to confirm and renew what we remember:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife” (cf. Ex 20:2-17).

This is the foundation of the morality given to man by the Creator: the Decalogue, the ten commandments of God pronounced resolutely on Mount Sinai and confirmed by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, in the context of the eight Beatitudes. The Creator, who at the same time is the supreme law-giver, has inscribed on the human heart the whole order of truth. This order determines what is good, provides a foundation for the moral order and constitutes the basis of the dignity of man created in God’s image. The commandments were given for the good of mankind, for man’s personal good and the good of family and society. They are truly the way for all people. The material order by itself is not enough. It must be completed and enriched by the supernatural order. Thanks to this, life takes on a new meaning and man is made better. Life, in fact, needs the power that comes from divine, supernatural values; only then does it take on its full splendour.

Christ confirmed this law of the Old Covenant. In the Sermon on the Mount he spoke clearly to his hearers: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them” (Mt 5:17). Christ came to fulfil the law, above all to give it its proper content and meaning, and to show its full significance and depth: the law is perfect when it is pervaded by love of God and love of neighbour. It is love that determines man’s moral perfection and his likeness to God. “He who has my commandments and keeps them”, says Christ, “he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (Jn 14:21). Today’s liturgical celebration dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus reminds us of God’s love, for which man yearns intensely. It shows us that the practical response to this love is the keeping of God’s commandments in our daily lives. God does not intend that they should grow dim in our memory but that they should remain forever impressed on people’s consciences so that, knowing and keeping the commandments, they “might have eternal life”.

4. “Happy are they who practise righteousness”.

The Psalmist refers thus to those who follow the path of the commandments and keep them to the end (cf. Ps 119:32-33). Keeping the divine law, in fact, is the basis for obtaining the gift of eternal life, that is, the happiness that never ends. To the question of the rich young man, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Mt 19:16), Jesus responds: “If you would enter life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17). This response by Jesus is particularly important in our modern reality, in which many people live as though there were no God. The temptation to organize the world and one’s own life without God or even in opposition to God, without his commandments and without the Gospel, is a very real temptation and threatens us too. When human life and the world are built without God, they will eventually turn against man himself. Breaking the divine commandments, abandoning the path traced out for us by God, means falling into the slavery of sin, and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).

We find ourselves face to face with the reality of sin. Sin is an offence against God, it is being disobedient to him, to his law, to the moral norms which God has given to man, inscribing them on the human heart, confirming and perfecting them by Revelation. Sin pits itself against God’s love for us and turns our hearts away from him. Sin is “love of self carried to the point of contempt for God”, as Saint Augustine put it (De Civitate Dei, 14, 28). Sin is a great evil in all its many dimensions. Starting with original sin, to the personal sins committed by each person, to social sins, the sins which weigh heavily on the history of the entire human family.

We must be constantly aware of this great evil, we must constantly cultivate the subtle sensitivity and clear consciousness of the seeds of death contained in sin. This is what is commonly known as the sense of sin. Its source is to be found in man’s moral conscience; it is linked to the knowledge of God, to the experience of union with the Creator, Lord and Father. The more profound this awareness of union with God — strengthened by a person’s sacramental life and by sincere prayer — the clearer the sense of sin is. The reality of God lays open and sheds light on the mystery of man. We must do all that we can to make our consciences more sensitive, and to guard them from becoming deformed or imperceptive.

We see what great tasks God has put before us. We must truly form our humanity in the image and likeness of God, to become people who love the law of God and want to live according to it. The Psalmist cries out: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Ps 51:1-2). Is this not for us a touching example of the man who presents himself repentant before God? He desires metanoia for his own heart, so that he may become a new creature, different, transformed by God’s power.

Saint Adalbert stands before us. We feel his presence here because in this land he gave his life for Christ. For a thousand years he has been telling us, by the witness of his martyrdom, that holiness is attained by sacrifice, that there is no room here for compromise, that we must be faithful to the end, that we must have the courage to protect the image of God in our souls even if it means paying the ultimate price. His martyr’s death is a reminder to all that by dying to evil and sin they will enable the new man to come to birth in themselves, the man of God who keeps the Lord’s commandments.

5. Dear Brothers and Sisters, let us contemplate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is the source of life, since by means of it victory over death was achieved. It is also the source of holiness, since in it sin — the enemy of man’s spiritual development — is defeated. The Heart of the Lord Jesus is the starting-point of the holiness of each one of us. From the Heart of the Lord Jesus let us learn the love of God and understanding of the mystery of sin — mysterium iniquitatis.

Let us make acts of reparation to the Divine Heart for the sins committed by us and by our fellow men. Let us make reparation for rejecting God’s goodness and love.

Let us draw close each day to this fount from which flow springs of living water. Let us cry out with the Samaritan woman “Give us this water”, for it wells up to eternal life.

Heart of Jesus, burning flame of love,
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, expiation for our sins
— have mercy on us. Amen.

2009-06-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones in Standing Just for the Gospel of Life,

Here is another- too wonderful- opportunity for you to share with me. The White Rose is having a day of Adoration from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM in their chapel that overlooks by a wall of windows the entire property of the Rue Street Abortion Facility with Holy Mass at 1:00 PM celebrated by our own diocesan priest--Fr. Paul Weinberger. This is in celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi.

If you are able to schedule your day to come to mass or any of the times of Adoration, I promise you that your heart will be empowered to believe stronger for the goodness of the Lord to show up in the land of the living. You will be stirred to offer up prayers in reparation for the many sins committed in our society and in the whole world. And you will enter into the silence and the peace of our Mighty God as HE shows up in that precious little Chapel and as you agree with His Sacred Heart.

And here is the best part—starting June 11, 2009 it will be the beginning of weekly Thursday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at The White Rose. I know you are truly as excited as I am. Nowhere in the Dallas diocese can you find a closer spot to the Gates of Hell where Jesus shows up 24 hours a day in the Tabernacle of the Holy Alter—as you knell or sit in prayer looking out of that wall of windows watching all that goes in as the poorest of the poor are carried against their wills to be ripped out of the very bodies of life of their own Mothers—your cries will reach the very Heart of Heaven. I can tell you there is nowhere else I would rather be. I hope to bump into you or see your name on the list as one of the many praying Catholics in the Dallas diocese in this most Holy place.

You remain in my heart —standing for the Gospel of Life in the midst of this Culture of Death,

Daniel

214-566-2298

The White Rose Women’s Center and St. Joseph’s Helpers of Dallas

4313 N. Central Expressway

The Feast of Corpus Christi

Thursday, June 11, 2009

9:00am – 4:30pm

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 1:00pm

Celebrated by Fr. Paul Weinberger

You are invited to spend time with our Lord at the foot of Calvary to pray for God’s mercy in the conversion of all hearts involved in the killing of innocent human life and in support of all those in the prolife ministry. Adoration will be held in the chapel at the White Rose Women’s Center which overlooks Routh Street abortion mill located next door. Please come and pray with us.

Will you please sign-up for adoration by going to www.mysignup.com/stjosephshelpers or contact Darcy Maggio by email maggio@sbcglobal.net or phone 214-824-7314. Weekly Thursday adoration beginning June 11th.

Please park on the side streets to be mindful of our clients.

Directions: We are on the west side of Central Expressway between Knox and Fitzhugh. It is a blue building with alley access between Oliver and Lee Streets.

2009-06-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

I trust you are well. A recent event made me think again of you and I wanted to share it with you.
I am having more of my T. S. Elliot and Alford Lloyd Tennyson moments in friendships and memories--

I am including a quick email to a high school friend who was writing me to tell me the boy I had dropped off at St Louis so long ago--sometime in the winter of 1973 and he was then Confirmed in 1974--under Bishop Harris--my first Mass--had died recently and his funeral Mass was at St. Louis last week. We had long lost touch, but the video of his Tribute service brought back so many memories--and happily so many pleasant memories and as a result of his passing I am now hearing and reconnecting to many I have lost touch with over the last 30 years--very touching.

It has been very nice to be reacquainted with the original joy of seeking after and finding so many of the wonders of the Church--all there at St. Louis. Such a sweet, unexpected surprise of joy in remembering.

God bless,

Daniel

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
Hi Danny,
So good to hear that you and your sons are doing well, in spite of the difficulties over the years with Jan and her decisions. I remember in HS you were very interested in Catholicism (didn't we drive with Mark Gilmer and Donna Perry to St. Louis church at night one time in somebody's VW, or did I dream that?) I was surprised to read you converted in 1998, when I thought it was 20+ years prior! I'm proud of the father you are, and it sounds like you have had a long and reflective spiritual journey over the years. What do you like/find in Catholicism that you didn't find in your former Baptist faith?

You may recall that I was Baptist for many years, but when I married Ed in 1977, he was Methodist, so I've been going with him to 1st UMC here ever since. It's okay - I deeply admire their commitment to mission work world-wide and tolerance, but on some levels (not all), I miss my Baptist days. I don't know if I'd ever go back to it, though, although the core beliefs are the same. My brother and family are Catholic, so we've had several worship experiences there with them over the years. Some of it I understand, all of it I deeply respect. My world view is there's room for all :)

Please don't be too hard on yourself for getting a bit out of shape over the years! It's a tough world out there, and we all have our comfort zones. I'm facing down a piece of carrot cake as we speak, and I truly hope my willpower to save it for a later date (in small bites!) wins out! But knowing me, I'll replace it with hot dogs, because those are also calling me (and chips, and watermelon...oh my...)

Take care of yourself and the boys, and keep being the good dad and good person you seem to be. I've enjoyed "typing" to you, so I hope you stay in touch!

Anne :)

Hi Anne,

Wow I have been taking back with so many memories since Donna emailed yesterday just before you on Mark's passing.

My charity is a bit weak for Bruce right now as I asked him about Mark last Summer at the Midway reunion for the 1970-1974 Classes and he only mentioned he was teaching in Chilton and when I asked if he had remained Catholic he said yes he had--did not mention him getting married or having the cancer---how I would have liked to catch up with him while he was still here and tell him how much he meant to me. And I would have driven down to honor his life for the Viewing or the Mass.

I just finished the Tribute video and Randy brought so many memories back to me--I was actually teaching a Bible study on Cardinal the night Mark ran his hand through Teresa's window and as soon as he had it stitched up--we talked all night long that night.

I have told the story far and wide of taking Mark and Teresa to St Louis and handing them over to the priest saying, "These two Baptist would like to be Catholic, can you help them?" It did not occur to me for over 30 years I do not even know how they got home--I left them there and walked off with the Rosary the priest gave me as a dumbfounded gift for bringing him a couple of Baptist and I still carry the medal Scapular medal he gave me. When Mark was confirmed the next spring that was the very first Mass I went to--so me taking him, him becoming Catholic, the priest giving me the gifts, and going back to the Church for his confirmation and then night after night all through the rest of High School was my beginning to the Church myself---I just wrote Randy a long note and asked for Mark's address so I can send a Mass card to his wife, and have a Mass up here said for him.

Yes, indeed we did go--I sat many late nights in that wonderful church, and I am so glad Mark continued to find comfort there and finished his funeral mass there--did they marry at St Louis? Was his wife Catholic--I saw they only married in 2006 and Donna thought he had been sick about 3 years--did they know each other long before his illness? Questions--tell what you know eh.

All of the songs he played at his Tribute brought back the vivid memories of our youth--the movie, the poem, the book--we had remained close in the things we loved although we lost touch these last 30 years---wow.
We may have not been the Great Generation, but we are what we are and who we are and our times have made us so.

God bless,

Danny

Hi Randy,

Anne and Donna just told me about Mark's passing. I am so sorry to not have the chance to connect with him again before losing him.

I saw Bruce at the 1970-1975 joint class reunion last year in Waco and asked about him, but he never let on he was ill and I just saw your FB page today to see you had mentioned him earlier in the month.

I would like very much to get his widows address and send a Mass card. I just finished watching the video and it brought back so many memories.
Mark came and found me at a party in Woodway the night he put his hand thorough Teresa's window and we talked almost the whole night that night with his wrist all bandaged up.

I have told the story about taking him and Teresa over to St Louis and dropping them off at the priest saying, "I have two Baptist kids that want to be Catholic, can you help them?..." and it took me 30 years to realize I dropped them off and never knew how they even got home that day from St Louis after talking to the priest. A year later when I went to his Confirmation again at St Louis was the very first Mass I attended and I still carry the medal Scapular medal he gave me but have long lost the rosary the priest gave me for bringing him two Baptist kids :)

I would have very much liked to have written him and driven down for his funeral Mass. I to have such memories of him and his VW and the love for hockey which I had never followed before meeting him. I do want to send a Mass card and have a lovely Mass said for him up here at the Cistercian Monastery which is a very fine Catholic Boys School in Dallas--you can see the Monastery on line--he would have liked it very much and they do the music in Latin.

I noticed they only married in 2006 and Donna thought he had been sick almost 3 years--had he known his wife much longer, did they have time together before the sickness--I would love to hear a bit more of his life--Bruce only told me he taught at Chilton last Summer which I thought was wonderful having driven through there many times and thought it was a sweet little Texas town.

I lost a very good friend up here--my mentor at 64 to the same cancer and it was a very hard death. I am very close to his widow and although it has been 3 years she is just now finding her own way again and is in fact leaving today for 36 days in Italy--I am so glad to see her getting out and onto something other than the routine she had always known.

Randy, any thoughts on his last few years would be very appreciated along with the address.

Thank you again for your touching tribute to such a long and continued friendship.

God bless,

Danny Vinzant

2009-05-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

FYI--of course being from me it will be long--but very informative--this group I never heard of before--Faithful America-- seems to be a code group for pro-Obama, pro-choice, why can't we be friends theology...Note there very skewed poll taken from among their own membership--talk about the fox in the hen house...i am sure this means to them that I too am a "hard-lined protester" nay-saying all the good and lovely things this President wants to do to bring about peace on earth....please God help us, and deliver us from what we deserve--Save us oh God, save a people for yourself O God...

I guess it is back to the streets for me along with dear Norma---
hey,hey,ho,ho, this common-ground foolishness has got to Go....

for Life,
Daniel

Following is a "dialogue" on finding "common ground on the abortion issue"
1st from a very dear friend who was the first to share Christ with Norma (jane roe of roe v wade) here in Dallas years ago:

Bullshit. Those of you with stronger sensibilities, please excuse my choice of words.

Dialogue? There is no dialogue. Do they really want to hear a Catholic perspective on how to reduce unexpected pregnancy?! Hell no! What concession is the "other side" willing to make in this dialogue/compromise? It was recently said that if there is nothing wrong with abortion, i.e., it is just another option or choice, then why should we want to reduce them?

There is no compromise. We should engage people with a different opinion. This does not mean we compromise our own convictions. When Norma McCorvey became pro-life then later a Christian and finally a Catholic Christian, she was always presented an uncompromising view of the the Faith. I know because I had a beer with her and three or four of her co-workers when she worked in an abortion clinic in Dallas. It was the first time she had engaged socially with a "sidewalk counselor". We talked for hours. Later other pro-lifers engaged her for days, weeks and months all the while presenting an uncompromising view of life based on a Christian perspective. Isn't it ironic then that she would be arrested at Notre Dame, witnessing to those who have a watered-down approach to Catholicism?!

If you really believe that those who have a non-Catholic approach to sexuality really want to dialogue then just ask Miss California, Miss Prejean. Make no mistake, there is not a dialogue taking place. If so, her response to the question regarding "gay" marriage would have been judged based on the substance of the answer and whether it was answered in an intelligent way, not whether she agreed or not. What do you think would have been said if a conservative would have raised the question of abortion in the question/answer portion of the Miss USA pageant? Likely, it would have been said, "This is not a forum for politics!"

I don't mean to draw a direct correlation between abortion and gay marriage. You can oftentimes, though, find the same people in the same camps. Whenever we find ourselves at odds with the Church, it is going to be because of our own desire to do what we want and a further desire to receive approval for the decision. Often we hear "I don't understand why the Church..." or the Church is outdated in..." because we want to do what we want. And we do. I do it all the time. Calling sin something else, though doesn't change the outcome. A little humility in this situation can get us back on track.
Rene
written in response to:
--- On Tue, 5/19/09, Angelica wrote:
What is this nonsense? I have never seen a more deceptive man in office and I am still so angry about the fact that a Catholic University gave him a platform to speak. This is the result of encouraging "open dialogue" at Our Lady's University! Read the fine print at the bottom of this e-mail. We really need to pray for our nation and Notre Dame.

in response to another:

FYI, Pax Christi is a local Catholic Peace group.

From:
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 3:55 PM

To Pax Christi El Paso --The president's words on this topic are powerful words. Especially the part about a "sensible conscience clause." Hope people on both sides of the issue are listening. And I hope our president truly is paying attention to voices on both sides. Here is a link to the full text of President Obama's talk at Notre Dame and a petition which some of you may want to sign if you have not already done so. Peace. Wayne

From: mail@faithfulamerica.org
Sent: 5/18/2009 12:13:06 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time
Subj: Abortion: a New Way Forward

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=giaDzN/29hgFymd39f+RuVDTEfoHjCFa

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rMp2uwoxZ46b5nTPl6c0U1DTEfoHjCFa

Dear Wayne,

Many think what we're doing is impossible. But we have faith.

Yesterday, during a highly anticipated speech at Notre Dame, President Obama outlined a strategy for people on all sides of the issue to work together to reduce the number abortions in America through decreasing unintended pregnancies and increasing support for women and families.[1]

Many, like the hard-line protesters at Notre Dame's commencement, believe such "common ground" can't exist, but President Obama believes it can, and we do, too.

Sign the petition: support Obama's new way forward on abortion.

We know we have both people who identify as pro-choice and who identify as pro-life in our Faithful America community, but we think we can all come together, as President Obama asked us to, with "open hearts, open minds and fair-minded words" to address this complicated issue that has been dividing our nation for decades.

We would never ask you to put aside or minimize your deeply-held beliefs on this issue, but we are asking you to join us in supporting the new approach President Obama outlined in his speech.

Our petition states:

President Obama, we support your call for civility and "fair-minded words" in the abortion debate and join you in seeking the common ground you outlined in your speech at Notre Dame: working together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, making adoption more available and providing care and support for women who do carry their pregnancies to term.

Sign the petition: common ground is possible.

Does this approach magically erase all the divisions on this issue? Of course not. But, it is a crucial step forward. It is a model for common ground without compromise and, if enacted into law, would mean real improvements in for the lives and health of women and families.

This is not the end of debate on this issue. But we are hopeful about this new direction. Back in January, we surveyed Faithful America members about your values and priorities and 83 percent of you said you would be excited about this new approach on abortion. [2]

We're excited too. Join us in supporting President Obama' new way forward on abortion.

Click here to sign the petition.
Thank you for all you do,
Beth, Katie, Dan, Kristin and Jennifer
The Faithful America team

Sources:

[1] Video and transcript of President Obama's speech: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=haYrOM1yTAQAcLNtwwpXK1DTEfoHjCFa

[2] In Faithful America 's 2009 member survey, we asked the multiple-choice question: "Some people are taking a new approach to the issue of abortion. Legislation has been proposed to reduce the number of abortions in America by both preventing unintended pregnancies and supporting pregnant women and new parents through sex education, access to contraception, improved health care options, and expanding adoption. This bill enables pro-life and pro-choice advocates to find common ground to reduce the number of abortions without criminalizing the procedure. If Faithful America were to make supporting this approach to the issue of abortion a priority, how would you feel?"

Forty-five percent (553) responded "very excited," 37.6% (457) responded "somewhat excited," 13.1% (159) responded "neutral," 2.6% (32) responded "disappointed" and 1.2% (15) responded "very disappointed"

2009-05-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Dr. Michael Foley of Baylor University and the St. Gregory the Great Society of Waco, Texas--I am lifting two wonderful articles from his monthly newsletter, OK as he lifted them from previous works. Thanks for all the heavy lifting Mike. :)

If you do not have time to read them now, print them out and read in bed later. And if you cannot read it all and want to dismiss it as more of Daniels love for all things Latin--the important point of both is the ancient and venerable beauty of our faith--here is one of our most famous churches in Rome who tomorrow celebrates its 1400th year as a Catholic Church--wow--and the other, not everyone needs to rush out and join the old things, but we must bring into the new rite--more and more, the silence and reverence that is due Mass as the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our dearly beloved Lord Jesus Christ. What a beautiful Church and what a beautiful Mass we have been given.

more glad to be Catholic every day,

Daniel

214-566-2298

Restoring All Things: A Column on the Liturgical Year

“To restore all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10) was the motto of the great liturgical reformer Pope St. Pius X and a fitting description of how the Church calendar sanctifies everyday life. In this column we present some of the customs that developed from the Church’s celebration of its sacred cycles.

The following is a great article on a great church which has a great anniversary tomorrow and a great connection to the upcoming feast of Pentecost.

Turning Temples Christward

By Elizabeth Lev

ROME, APRIL 30, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Rome may have celebrated its 2,782 year anniversary on April 21, but another important birthday is in the offing. On May 13, the Pantheon will celebrate its 1,400th year as a Christian church.

The jewel of Rome's historical center, the Pantheon was the most ambitious building project undertaken in Roman history. The giant hemispherical dome resting on the cylindrical drum drew on every lesson the Romans had learned in 800 years of conquest and construction.

The engineering mastery displayed in the Pantheon surpassed any country in the Empire. The concrete dome spanned 143 feet in diameter, twice as large as the next runner up -- a bath complex in Baiae. The sophisticated employment of pozzolana cement, instead of lime mortar, the structural arches countering the lateral stress, and the gradation of the density of the cement from foundation to dome testified to a people who had outstripped

even the Egyptians and their pyramids.

This monument to man's ingenuity was intended to symbolize the Roman fixation with deification. The first temple on the site, built in 25 B.C. by Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus, featured Mars and Venus, the divine ancestors of Julius Caesar and by extension, Augustus himself. The new building constructed by Hadrian in 125 at the zenith of the Roman empire went even further.

The height and diameter of the building are equal: 143 feet by 143 feet. The equality of the horizontal and the vertical signifies the conjunction of heaven and earth. The giant open oculus, a round hole at the very top of the dome, provides the sole source of light for the temple. It was conceived as an eye (hence the name oculus) through which the gods surveyed the emperor, the god-in-waiting on earth. And the decoration of the dome and floor were made up of intermingled circles and squares, symbols of heaven and earth, respectively.

A Pythagorean reading of the Pantheon saw the oculus as the sun, the 28 ribs extending from the oculus as the moon, and the three semicircular niches in the drum as a triangle with the emperor at the apex. This interpretation sees the design of the Pantheon as a symbol of the emperor's apotheosis.

After almost half a millennium as a pagan structure, the Eastern Emperor Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV who conferred new life and identity on the ancient structure. On May 13, 609, it became the first pagan temple to be transformed into a Christian church.

Instead of falling into disrepair and ultimately being quarried for new projects, the Pantheon was reborn as St. Mary of the Martyrs, ready to continue through the centuries with a newer and more glorious purpose. To cement its dignity among churches, the bones of hundreds of martyrs were brought from the catacombs outside the city for safekeeping within its strong walls.

As a result of the martyrs' translocation, the Pantheon celebrates its dedication on Nov. 1, All Saints Day.

In Rome, the roots of conversion were sunk so deep that the very urban fabric turned from its old pagan significance to a greater Christian message. Mirabilia Urbis, a medieval Roman guide book, recounts a convoluted tale of the Pantheon as a temple to the fertility goddess Cybele, claimed for Christianity in the name of Mary, mother of God.

The most wonderous manifestation of the Christianized Pantheon take place on Pentecost Sunday when red rose petals are dropped through the oculus into the church. Representing the tongues of flame of the Holy Spirit, the petals flutter among the gathered crowds, a festive reminder of how through God’s grace, all things can be made new.

Makes Sense: A Column Featuring Articles of Interest

This outstanding piece of homespun wisdom comes to us from Mrs. Christi Derr, who describes herself as “an average, church-attending, EWTN-watching, married mother of five, lay Catholic.” The Byzantine liturgy, incidentally, is the rite used by the Eastern Churches, both those in full union with the pope (such as the Ukrainian Catholic Church) and those not (e.g., the Greek Orthodox). It is an ancient liturgy that can be traced back to St. John Chrysostom (5th century).

True Worship of God is the Cure for Insanity

By Christi Derr

Three earth-shattering events converged in my life recently and radically altered my whole world view. I attended a Byzantine Divine Liturgy, I attended a Latin Mass, and I visited my hair stylist.

To begin with the last: Everyone knows that the most astute social scientists in the world are bartenders, taxi drivers, and hair stylists. So, recently I climbed the mountain, so to speak, to seek the latest wisdom from my personal stylist. In the midst of a cut and style she casually informed me that the most abused drugs are prescription anti-depressants. I later discovered through news articles that the abuse of anti-depressants is indeed a fact. Abusers range from pre-teen kids to every age of adulthood. I can’t even imagine how many children and adults are in therapy. I am completely overwhelmed by the obvious conclusion that so much of the treatment contains some sort of prescription! It is impossible to not ask the question, "Why?" The United States is one of the most affluent nations in history; there are no current wars on our soil, no famine, or great plague sweeping the nation. We have antibiotics, modern dentistry and indoor plumbing; even the economy cannot explain why we are all so depressed.

Next snapshot: Many Catholic families whose faith and lives I greatly admire have started attending Latin or Byzantine liturgies. There are not enough, probably to justify a trend article in the news, but enough in my personal sphere of acquaintance that I took note. Here, I must admit to a kind of impatience with criticism of Vatican II that I have listened to over the years. I had some initial reluctance over attending these “throw back” liturgies with them, but I eventually accepted their invitations. What I experienced at these parishes was truly life changing to me!

After participating in the liturgies I walked away with the same reaction from both. I was filled with a sort of holy awe and struggled to come to grips with what I was feeling. I had just worshipped the Almighty Triune God. I realized that up until participating in those liturgies, I had gone to Mass, but now I had worshipped God. I suddenly felt like I had never worshipped Him before. It isn’t very modern to worship; I was almost uncomfortable saying the word. I experienced a radical shift in my understanding of the sacrifice of the Mass. There are so many “helps” throughout these liturgies that make the average church goer really understand what he is participating in! Here are a couple of elements from both Masses that really struck me as a newcomer to worship.

In the Byzantine Liturgy the priest sings out, “Wisdom, be attentive!” before the readings and Gospel. How effective! I suddenly stop looking at the shoes of the woman in front of me and am attentive to the Word of God. Similarly, before the anaphora, again the lector sings out, “The doors! The doors!” the doors of the iconostas open and we are reminded in a physical manner of a great spiritual truth — that heaven itself has been opened to us and we are allowed (we do not by any means deserve this privilege) to participate in the heavenly banquet of the Lamb. The most powerful aspect of the Eastern liturgy, though, is its overpowering beauty! The prayers and praises sung throughout the celebration are so splendidly beautiful that one is almost convinced that the Holy Spirit dispensed with His usual custom of inspiring man to write, and just took up a pen and wrote everything Himself — so much does the beauty seem to be beyond anything man is able to produce.

In the extraordinary form of the Latin Mass there is an effective use of silence. If there is any single overpowering trait of the modern world, it is a lack of silence. Much of what the priest prays during consecration is prayed quietly. The people are left in silence to reflect upon what is happening, dare I say, to contemplate. In fact there is time for reflection throughout the whole of the extraordinary form of the Latin Mass. Brilliantly, this silence is then contrasted with Gregorian chant of the Psalms. The most powerful attribute of the “old Mass” to me though, is the time spent kneeling at the altar rail, waiting for the priest to bring Our Lord to each communicant. Why in the world did we ever do away with altar rails? I was raised on the Novus Ordo, so it is not like I am going all nostalgic here. I can not tell you how much that time for reflection accompanied by the appropriate body language helped to remind me of the great truth — Jesus Himself, God in the flesh, is allowing me to receive Him and thus become a part of Him! Look at the difference in symbolism and instruction: Waiting in line and putting out my hand is no different from a million different activities that I do daily. I wait in line and put my hand out for movie tickets, to get change, airline tickets, etc. In contrast, there is no time ever that I kneel down, open my mouth and someone “feeds” me. Body instructs spirit. My body is telling me that something is happening here that is like nothing else in my life. The fact I am “fed” reminds me of my true helplessness and the fact that God Himself is stooping down to feed me! The fact that I am kneeling tells me that God and I are not equals, He is greater than I. The fact that I have to wait teaches me that I do not command God; I wait on Him.

The modern Mass is of course, valid. Jesus in the Eucharist is still Jesus in the Eucharist. But it is too often celebrated in way that is “bare bones” and minimalistic. What are missing in the “normal” American Mass are the “helps” that some of us ordinary Catholics need. What is missing is our preparation to receive Him properly. He is not changed, we are. To me, it is the difference between pouring water on a sponge and pouring water over concrete. God is all powerful and in His Mercy He comes to us in any valid Mass but our disposition in receiving Him is radically different in the three discussed liturgies. The chants, the silence, beautiful music, bodily postures and poetic descriptions all help us to understand what great act is really taking place at the Mass and prepare us to receive Jesus with love. Should we ever be matter-of-fact or comfortable with the idea that Jesus comes to us in the Holy Eucharist? Shouldn’t we be in perpetual shock? Where is the awestruck gratitude? Where is the worship of the Word made flesh? Or are we so comfortable because we really don’t believe it anymore, or worse, can’t wait to change the subject back to us?

“Wait a moment, average church-going lay woman,” you protest, “didn’t you just say that you were impatient with complaints about Vatican II and handwringing over the Novus Ordo? Is this whole article a subversive way of encouraging rebellion against the new Mass and enlistment in Fraternity of St. Peter or Eastern Rite churches all over the country?” Well, no. Mother Teresa became a Saint by attending the Novus Ordo Mass; the Mass is still holy. What we need to rebel against is the way we have been participating in it. (And perhaps the music — well, one song at least and immediately. I would like to nominate, “Sing a New Church into being” as the first to go!) We need to blow on the glowing ember of our worship of the Holy Trinity and rouse it to bright and hot flame.

Pope St. Pius X, whose name, sadly, has been dragged through the mud by schismatic traditionalists, prophetically stated that the modern heresy would be man worshiping himself. He writes in E Supremi , “[M]an, with infinite temerity, has put himself in the place of God…[and] made of the universe a temple wherein he himself is to be adored.” And so the reason for our depression becomes clear. If man is god, what a pathetic and weak god he is! I mean, we can’t even solve the smallest of our daily problems — traffic for instance. We all are familiar with the pettiness, selfishness, lack of love, and sometimes even cruelty, we experience in ourselves and others. Who wouldn’t be depressed if we, with all these evils, are god?

Which brings me back to my hair stylist…A definition of sanity is when one’s perception of reality matches reality. For instance, if there is a paper in front of me, and I perceive a paper and not an army of flying monkeys, I am sane. On the other hand if mankind, despite all evidence to the contrary, starts to think that man is God, we are collectively insane. No wonder so many people are being prescribed anti-depressant drugs. For many of these people the answer to all this sadness and hopelessness is: Worship! Adoration! Our souls are nourished on truth, beauty and goodness in the same way that our bodies are kept alive with food, water and air. Without worship and adoration our souls become sickened.

Again, it is not practical, nor even a good idea for all of us to run out and join a Church with ancient liturgies. However, just as midwives making an entrance into health care reformed the ways doctors were delivering babies, and the remarkable success of homeschoolers in the educational scene has challenged schools to improve, we need collectively to be inspired by the worship that is occurring at these liturgies and emulate it. We need to quiet our souls and realize that participating in the Holy Mass is THE most important thing we will ever do in our lives. The most immediate and practical response to this challenge of worship would be to fill up the hours of adoration at our parishes, or to start adoration there. We need to cry out with the angels, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” We should fall down in worship before Almighty God, thereby realizing the truth that He is God and we shall not have any false Gods before Him! As with all things connected with Our Good Lord, if we begin by trying to render Him a service — true love and worship, He will turn it to a good for us — in this case, the reclamation of our sanity!
http://catholicexchange.com/2009/04/03/117256/

2009-05-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Dear ones,

I know you find it hard to believe--but another year has flown by. I still have a few-- last pounds-- to lose to make the swimming suit season--heheheh. And I have not yet convinced any of you I am a stellar athlete. But, soon you will see--I am working with the best classically trained Homeopath--Jacqulyn Dudasko--and I feel Good. :) Ask me about her and a referral.

Every year the first of May I come and ask you to sponsor me as I Walk For Life. You know that I am quite a strong proponent for the Gospel of Life, but for some reason some of my heavier contributors want pictures as proof that I actually do my own walking for this event--like I could ever bark orders and get anyone to do anything for me anyway--woo daddy.

I know gas is more expensive, and we are near-- riots in the streets over grocery prices and shortages--it takes a lot of work to make a living, and you are asked to give--more and more everyday. But, as my dear friends, you know I ask you to pray most and speak of funds very shyly.

Let me just say--this group lead by my very dear friend Kyleen Wright needs our help.
She has more fiduciary responsibility than any other group I know in the pro-life movement in doing lots with little. Her salary is little and she takes no high-priced junkets to events or conferences. She simply runs back and forth to Austin appealing to the law makers to do the right thing for our children, the unborn and the sick, the infirm and the elderly.

She along with my small group was one of the only brave groups to stand against the Big Names and the famous Big Guns of the "pro-life' movement to make sure bad language and even worse laws were added to the Texas futile care bill--a very badly written law. We still have work to do--but she made it easier to sleep at night knowing that "medical ethics" were not so easily going to be able to with-hold nutrition and hydration from the sick and dying...Thank you Miss Kyleen.

What a perfect day of service come Saturday--I will be helping with the Bar-b-Que for Life at St. Ann's where the best BBQ in the world is being prepared with love by Greg and his band of brothers, and my wonderful friend Jeff Vaughan and all his hard work in sales and marketing each campaign--the Knights of Columbus--200 beautiful briskets--with specific proceeds going to the favorite of my heart-- the White Rose Woman's Center--where for over 25 years they have served and helped over 2000+ girls and children in crisis each year--well over 45,000 women and children as the only Catholic first line of defense to serve the crisis pregnant women of Dallas. They have stood in the gap as close to the gates of hell for all the years--at one time the Blessed Tabernacle of Our Lord-- only one wall between Him and the killing room of Arron's Abortion facility.

I love it when Gerri comes out each year and the Knights present her with the White Rose check in honor of John Everett, her husband who died three years ago May 5th after 17 years of being Director of the White Rose and St. Joseph's Helpers. God bless you Gerri and Mary and Sue and all of our wonderful friends at the White Rose. Thanks for being on the front lines of saving babies and helping women chose a better life.

It was at John's bed-side his last week on this side--when he said "you will join the Knights and let me be your sponsor"--thanks to his request I am part of the most vibrant council in the diocese-3rd Degree.

And while the brisket is at its highest glory--offering that sweet smell and aroma as a sacrifice of prayers for God to heal our lands, I will do my two+ mile walk for Texans for Life right there at St Ann's. Thank you Kyleen for all you do to make me feel that God has chosen for the world to go on for a little longer. God bless you and all your wonderful volunteers.

And thank you Knights of Columbus--the largest pro-life organization in the world and the giver of more funds to pro-life than anyone else in cash and sweat equity for the Gospel of Life. I know you are one of the largest givers to the White Rose-- who like all my favorite pro-life works depends on each and every love gift given in Jesus' name to spread the Gospel of Life.

All you have to do is email back and tell me the amount you want to sponsor. That is it. Texans for Life will send you a collection of your pledge later in the month. If you have not sponsored me before, if you will add your address so they can contact you. Trust me--I am very careful with my pennies. This is an organization like the White Rose --that I whole-heartily like to support with my gifts and my efforts. Help me help you with your Gospel of Life gifts--I will do the walking and sweating--can you drop me a line so I can turn in a good amount of funds to this years Walk for Life?

God bless you all and if you would like to come and walk with me as we admire those wonderful smells this Saturday, give me a call.

YBIC for LIFE,

Daniel
214-566-2298

2009-04-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Jan and Sandy,

You two know the best so you get to share my days sadness. Not that others do not "share our grief" but the days have gone by and life is so busy--but you both seem to have similar emotions that hold us to our sorrow and grief--and yet we have HOPE.

I was just called into my boss's office--which is always a treat at this new place. It is rainy and no one wants to go out so he is ordering our favorite white pizza and balsa salad and we are going to have a lunch meeting to go over good things that are happening here. All good right--and as I am sitting there--on his Internet radio out of Chicago comes Dreams by the Cranberries---Sarah Ruth's very favorite song from when she was 15 going on 16. Looking out on a favorite rainy day suddenly turned into a rainy funeral day and part of me was caught on the Vinzant bench at the foot of our family section of the cometary looking from Sarah Ruth to Bryan to Alicia to rain drops and gray clouds, alone and with them and yet so far, so very far away from all 3 of them and missing them so very, very much....

Thankfully my boss was on the phone placing the pizza order as I was drying my eyes and hastening to my office to regroup.

Suddenly I was back at Circuit City with the Cranberries CD trying that one song over and over in every boom box that was in our price range to find the finest sound for our Jeweled Princess for her 16th birthday--and we gave her that boom box with the necklace for faith, hope and charity--the Cross, the Anchor, and the Heart pendants in sterling silver.

And for the longest time that is what I heard coming from her room--Dreams, over and over and over again.

"Dreams"

Oh, my life is changing everyday,
In every possible way.
And oh, my dreams, it's never quite as it seems,
Never quite as it seems.

I know I've felt like this before, but now I'm feeling it even more,
Because it came from you.
And then I open up and see the person falling here is me,
A different way to be.

Ah, la da ah...La...

I want more impossible to ignore,
Impossible to ignore.
And they'll come true, impossible not to do,
Impossible not to do.

And now I tell you openly, you have my heart so don't hurt me.
You're what I couldn't find.
A totally amazing mind, so understanding and so kind;
You're everything to me.

Oh, my life,
Is changing every day,
In every possible way.

And oh, my dreams,
It's never quite as it seems,
'Cause you're a dream to me,
Dream to me.

Ah, da, da da da, da, la...

Such memories--how they flood our days. Jan do you remember one of our many family trips to Abilene to be with your extended family and we learned that praise song at the service we went to as a family on Sunday and then Sarah Ruth taught it to us singing it over and over and over again in the car on all our car trips:

O God you are my God and I will ever praise you
O God you are my God and I will ever praise you
And I will seek you in the morning and I will learn to walk in your ways
And step by step you will lead me, And I will follow you all of my days....

So here we are in another fine mess--all the world is going and coming and life is good and beautiful and we stop to remember our pain--and yet, Here in our pain, Step by Step He leads us--and we are learning, learning to walk in His ways.

SR picked a wonderful song for 16--like her mother before her and her people before her--she always had a song in her heart. Whether it was the silliest of songs such as "I'm so blue, ue, ue, ue, blue....", "Little Bunny Fuw Fuw...", or her own compositions of her love for Jesus she was a soul that sang out loudly and clearly with full voice--her life. "So I will sing praise to your Name forever, that I may pay my vows day by day."

I miss her now as much as on that great and terrible day that she was first lost to us--I miss her and find my tears to have a well that never runs dry. And as good King David of old--I live in the fear of God to know that she can not come back to me, but it is still possible that one day we can go to Him and to her and to all those who have gone before us. Books may be written on who they would fill their dinner table in Heaven with--we KNOW beyond HIM whom we love, who our hearts ever desire to see fulfilled.

There are those in the very heart of God that fear God's name. They are those who are willing to forgo present comforts in the soul, in HOPE of future bliss in the Arms of God. Those that fear God have enough in him. We live in a world that pulls on our every desire, but we find as we offer up our present sorrow and turn in into God's love allowing Him to freely give Himself away to others through us that we need desire no better heritage than that of those who fear God.

Yesterday there were fears of impending financial disaster, today there are fears of impending doom through the Swine flu, tomorrow be sure there will be it's own evil--but God has promised, and promises fresh and anew each day--those who abide in Him, who abide ever before Him, who walk in His fear, who long to serve Him, to love Him, to know Him, and HOPE to live with Him forever--choosing to live
to good purpose in this world, shall abide before him forever. We need not desire to be better secured than under the protection of God's mercy and truth. And if we partake of that grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ, we may praise him, whatever be our outward circumstances.

You two remain in my heart and in my prayers and I take comfort in your shared sorrows, your love and prayers. Thank you for sharing my morning as if it were your own.

Daniel

2009-04-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

Divine Mercy Sunday—the Sunday after Easter Sunday—the Church offers the strongest HOPE of God’s Mercy being poured out on Sinners---
This next Sunday the Church offers strong, plenary indulgences to those who partake in the Divine Mercy. There are many things you can do, and as you grow in this devotional you will surely want to add the Chaplet, the daily prayers, carrying an Image of the Divine Mercy—and below I give you more info then you need—but here is the thing—know and do this when at your Sunday Mass obligation and you will receive abundant mercy: On Divine Mercy Sunday in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the Tabernacle, recite the Our Father, the Creed, and say-“Merciful Jesus, I trust in you."
Do it and make sure you share these simple prayers of our faith with everyone you know and love. And here is the larger teaching, and then the particular rubrics for the indulgence for those who want to dig deeper—but remember—just do the simple prayers above and SEE that Father God will pour out His Mercy to you through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Standing in the Need of Mercy for Life,
Daniel

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple-God loves us - all of us-all the time. Father God wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins. He longs for us to call upon Him with trust, to receive His mercy, and to let it flow through us to others. This is the way of Mercy and the Threshold of HOPE.
Simply remember the Heavenly ABC’s:
A - Ask God for His Mercy. God wants us to Ask for Mercy. Pray without ceasing is what the Bible says-to always and everywhere be coming to Him in prayer, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world. “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you…Jesus, Son of God, have Mercy on me a Sinner, and on the Whole World…”
B - Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy. And when we have received the Mercy of God we suddenly know what to do with it-there is only one thing to do-that is to let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us. “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us…”
C - Completely trust in Jesus. “Trust and Obey for there is no other way to be Happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey.” There is a heavenly principle in that the more we ask, the more we receive, the more we trust, the more we receive, the more we allow trust, mercy, faith, hope, love, and graces to flow through us to others, the more we get back to offer up to be given out…

The following is borrowed from the EWTN info on the Divine Mercy for those who want more in-depth instruction. You can also use your favorite Search Engine to look up more simply by putting in “divine mercy”. There is a lovely chaplet that can be sung or prayed along the beads of your rosary—it is a Chaplet I used for years to get those Separated Brethren through no fault of their own from the Catholic Church to pray ecumenical rosaries with me in front of Planned Parenthoods all across the country when I was a Baptist preacher. During those pro-life activist years I gave out over 14,000 rosaries as a Baptist pastor and NO one refused to pray the Mercy prayers with me on the beads I gave them.
Enjoy the “sure mercies of David” that God desires to give to all—daniel

EWTN website:
The Divine Mercy devotion is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God's mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread. The devotional practices proposed in the Diary of Saint Faustina are completely in accordance with the teachings of Church and are firmly rooted in the Gospel message of our Merciful Savior. Grow in trust, mercy through asking, praying, and seeking the Mercy of Jesus and live your life as merciful to others, as Christ is merciful to you.
The earliest element of the Devotion to the Divine Mercy revealed to St. Faustina was the Image. On February 22nd, 1931 Jesus appeared to her with rays radiating from His heart and said,
Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and throughout the world. (Diary 47)I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory. (Diary 48) I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature" :Jesus, I trust in You." (Diary 327)
The two rays denote Blood and Water. the pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. (Diary 299) Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush, lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace. (Diary 313) By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. (Diary 742)
In these texts the Church's doctrine on images, justification and grace are explained. First, by itself an image is merely a painting, no matter how beautiful and expressive. Yet, it can point us the mysteries of the faith and dispose us to grasp and receive what it represents, in this case the Divine Mercy. It is thus a vessel, not the source, a reminder, not the reality. The reality is the merciful fountain of grace flowing from the pierced Heart of Christ on the Cross, and flowing out visibly to represent the visible that is the sacramental, signs of grace, Baptism and Eucharist, standing for all the sacraments of the Church. Thus, St. John in his first letter insists on the presence of the invisible with the visible, the Spirit with the water and the Blood.
The image also reminds us that salvation is not just by faith, but by works of charity also. It takes faith to see and believe in what the Image signifies, Divine Mercy poured out from Christ upon the Cross, but it takes mercy, love going beyond the strict requirements of justice, in order to draw down mercy on oneself. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" (Mt 6:12) and”the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you" (Mt 7:2) The Image of the pierced side of Christ pouring out blood and water reminds us that the Cross, love in action, is the price of mercy. "As I have loved you so also should you love one another." (Jn 13:34)
Summary of the Decree of Indulgence

O God, your mercy knows no bounds and the treasure of your goodness is infinite..." (Prayer after the "Te Deum" Hymn)
"The paschal mystery is the culmination of this revealing and effecting of mercy, which is able to justify man, to restore justice in the sense of that salvific order which God willed from the beginning in man, and through man, in the world" (Encyclical Letter Dives in misericordia, n. 7).
"And so with provident pastoral sensitivity and in order to impress deeply on the souls of the faithful these precepts and teachings of the Christian faith, the Supreme Pontiff, John Paul II, moved by the consideration of the Father of Mercy, has willed that the Second Sunday of Easter be dedicated to recalling with special devotion these gifts of grace and gave this Sunday the name, "Divine Mercy Sunday" (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Decree Misericors et miserator, 5 May 2000).
Plenary indulgence
I. The usual conditions for every plenary indulgence:
• sacramental confession [according to previously issued norms, within about 20 days before or after]
• Eucharistic communion [according to previously issued norms, preferably on the day, or the days before or after]
• prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff [certain prayers are not specified]
II. The specific conditions for this Indulgence
On Divine Mercy Sunday
• in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy
• or, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!")
Partial Indulgence
A partial indulgence, granted to the faithful who, at least with a contrite heart, pray to the merciful Lord Jesus a legitimately approved invocation. [e.g. Jesus I trust in You. My Jesus mercy. or any other approved invocation]
Those who cannot go to church or the seriously ill
Conditions for a Plenary Indulgence:
• totally detesting any sin,
• the intention of fulfilling as soon as possible the three usual conditions of confession, communion and prayers for the Holy Father
• recite the Our Father and the Creed before a devout image of Our Merciful Lord Jesus
• pray a devout invocation to the Merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you).
If it is impossible to do even this:
• with a spiritual intention unite with those carrying out the prescribed practice for obtaining the Indulgence in the usual way and
• offer to the Merciful Lord a prayer and the sufferings of their illness and the difficulties of their lives, with the resolution to accomplish as soon as possible the three conditions prescribed to obtain the plenary indulgence.
Duty of priests
Priests who exercise pastoral ministry, especially parish priests, should
• inform the faithful in the most suitable way of the Church's salutary provision [of a plenary indulgence].
• promptly and generously be willing to hear their confessions [this does not necessarily have to be on Divine Mercy Sunday itself, since that is not a condition for the indulgence]
On Divine Mercy Sunday, after celebrating Mass or Vespers, or during devotions in honor of Divine Mercy,
• lead the recitation of the prayers
• when they instruct their people, gently encourage the faithful to practice works of charity or mercy as often as they can

2009-04-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones,

What a treat to see so many at Holy Thursday last night--my celebrations continued until Midnight last night and in the midst of our Good Friday fast and prayers, I suspect it will continue longer tonight. (see earlier post for details of tonight.)

Followed by the Great Silence of Saturday and a very special quiet time with my sons and a good and dear friend. Then Easter Vigil because I love it, followed by Early Mass with my sons and then Easter Brunch with extended family and friends, a sweet afternoon of remembrances of my sweet sister Alicia on her 57th birthday--we will fill our missing her with very loud and funny stories--of which thank God, we have so many. Then a late supper with my brother and sister-in-law.

A busy time--immersed in family and friends, and HOPE. And since it is a holiday--a feast day--from my kitchen to yours. Long tested, family favorite treats from these special holidays for you and yours to try and make your own.

God bless you and yours and thank you for your love and prayers--your HOPE beads,

The Vinzants'

Coppell, Good Friday, 2009

King's Cake Recipe - Torta del Re Recipe (from Italy) popular among Italian-Jews

5 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups sugar--you can substitute liquid Stevia but hey this is a holiday cake my friends
10 ounces (2 1/2 cups) blanched almonds, ground very fine--i use my burr coffee grinder
1 teaspoon vanilla--please use pure vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
Grated rind of one lemon
Sliced, toasted almonds for garnish--buy a small pack instead of doing these unless you have a mandoline which are wonderful and should be used often

Instructions: Line bottom of a 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with margarine, or grease a 10-inch spring form pan.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk together yolks, sugar, extracts and lemon rind in a large bowl. The mixture is very thick and hard to mix. Whisk until pale.
3. Stir in the ground almonds.
4. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form; either a mixer or a whisk may be used. (Don't make too stiff.) Stir in about one-third of the egg whites to lighten, and then fold in the rest of the egg whites.
5. Pour into the pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until firm. The top will be light brown.
6. Let cool completely. Cut around the edges with a sharp knife.
7. Carefully invert and remove the parchment. Re-invert onto a serving plate and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Serves 12-14-- Prep Time: 60 minutes-- Cook Time: 40 minutes

Whisk the yolks until they're foamy, then gradually incorporate the sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture is lemon-colored. Gradually incorporate the chopped nuts, the extracts, and the zest; at the end of this the batter will be quite stiff. Mix a third of the egg whites into the batter to soften it, and then delicately fold in the remainder.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake it for an hour without opening the oven door. Turn off the heat, open the door a crack, and let it cool for 15 minutes before removing it and standing it upside down to finish cooling. Remove it from a pan to a cake dish, dust it with confectioner's sugar using a sifter, and sprinkle it with the slivered nuts.
Coconut Macaroons

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut-- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk--1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract -- 2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature--1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or two teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

2009-04-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones in Standing Just,

Receive my prayers for you and your family as you have a very meaningful Holy Week. May God grant you peace and blessings this Holy season.

I have taken a very reflective Lenten Journey with all that has happened in our family since the First Friday of Lent with the unexpected death of my dear sister, Alicia. Remembering my recent horror of the violent death of my brother, Bryan last Holy Thursday makes these three Holy Days and events of this week of Passion all the more deep and real to me. I have long been struck down by the image of the emptying of the Tabernacle during Holy Thursday--they have taken My Lord and I know not where they have placed him... the scattering of the disciples/Apostles, the great beginning of the Church, holy orders, the Eucharist--the Mass, the re-presentation of Calvary, of the Bread of Heaven, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Beloved Lord Jesus continually given to us on all the alters of the Church and in Heaven.

If I have any influence on you at all may I urge you to not miss the Holy Thursday mass. And if you can make all three--Good Friday the Adoration of the Cross and the Exhaultant of the georgeous Easter Vigil--fire, water, light, dark, renewing of the baptismal vows, the renoucing of Satan...this is our Catholic faith---we believe....

After Holy Week I do hope to see more and more of you who my heart has been missing. The meals, the prayers and mass cards, the condolences and love have been very dear to our hearts during this time. I have sat often on my couch in front of the fire in this extended cool of Spring and gone over each mass and held strong the hope I find in each promise of the goodness of God in the land of the living and in the arms of God. Thank you and please continue to extend your HOPE bead to our entire Vinzant family. The comfort and peace I find from the beads of our Faith.

Each year I try to take a few special friends to a very special event--Holy Thursday and Good Friday in Lewisville at our Lady of Lebanon-I believe the numbers are great enough at our home parish, that no one will miss us for a couple of evenings eh. And I will be back to St. Ann's for the Easter Vigil. Do try to come and call if you have any questions. Our beloved Father Pacwa from EWTN is due to be there for Holy Week. You will love meeting him and they have Confessions till after 2 AM with him. If you would like to go to Father Pacwa for Confession on these two evenings after the mass and adoration of the Cross each night, you will find it a great blessing.

God bless,

Daniel
see notes below

Brothers,
A reminder and a some notes:

Reminder, Holy Thursday at Our Lady of Lebanon in Lewisville at 7pm.

http://www.ourladylebanon.com

You can find the address and a map at their website. I hope to see
many of you there.

Three main notes for those of you who have never attended a Maronite
service:
1. Communion is by Tincture. That means the Priest dips the Host in
the wine and puts the Host in your mouth. So don't hold your hands up
because you will look silly. :)
2. The sign of peace starts at the Altar and then is spread to the
congregation. Basically the Priest gives the sign of peace to the
Altar servers and then the Altar servers go to the first person in each
row and it spreads from there. Just don't sit in the first row and all
you have to do is watch and do what everyone else does.
3. The standing, sitting, kneeling is a little different. Again just
watch and follow. You will want to note in the Maronite rite, the proper form is to STAND and not knell for the Consecration so follow the book and STAND when it says too--or look to the Lebanese who know the way and not the Western rite visitors who will try to bend everyone to their will as being the only true and right way--oh those Anglos, what will we do with you.

I hope each of you has a blessed Holy week.

YBIC,

Daniel and boys

Holy Week 2009

2009-04-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones,

Come and join me and many others as we spend time in prayer at perhaps the most sacred ground in Dallas--The Chapel, The Tabernacle, and the Blessed Sacrament literaly are looking down through a wall of windows on one of the most active killing centers in Dallas, Texas. For the whole 24 years the White Rose has been in the same building across the street or now side by side to this killing center and the Blessed Sacrament actually shared a common wall with the actual rooms where the killing went on for over 8 years.

I can think of no better place to spend a day of prayer as we going into this most holy time of our Lord's Passion--Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Silence of Holy Saturday and the marvelous Exalutant of Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.

I personally plan to be there for Mass until 11:00 and then return from 2:00--4:30. I look forward to sharing some special time of prayer with each of you and thank you for your continuing to offer up you HOPE bead for the Vinzant family--those here in this Valley Tears and those in the arms of God.

Joining you in Standing Just for the Gospel of Life at the very gates of the Culture of Death here in Dallas Texas and praying for the good work done at the White Rose.

Daniel
214-566-2298

Come join the White Rose family and friends as we begin our 25th year with a visit from The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady will be in the White Rose chapel (our chapel overlooks the entrance to Routh Street abortion center) on April 8th, from 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. There will also be a Mass at 9 a.m. This is a very special event and we hope you will stop by and pray for our ministry, our city, and our nation. We are seeing more young women than ever and we need your prayers. Parking for clients is limited, so please park on one of the side streets. Let others know of Our Lady's visit.
White Rose address: 4313 N. Central, Dallas 75205
For other locations and times go to prolifedallas.org.

Thursday, April 2 through Easter Sunday, April 12 -Traveling Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dallas
olg.jpgThe traveling Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will travel by day to all five Dallas abortion centers and by night to diocesan parishes.
Testimonials
In Wichita, Kansas, the Missionary Image was taken to an abortuary where late-term babies are being killed and cremated in an incinerator on the premises. As the image was processed around the killing center, people smelled a strong fragrance of roses. Then, they saw rose petals miraculously flaking from the image in all directions. An eyewitness to this extraordinary event experienced an overwhelming peace and said that it seemed as if heaven had come down to earth and Our Lady was saying, "It is good for you to be here, as I, too, stood at the foot of the Cross silently watching and praying as my innocent Son was crucified."
On several occasions the image has wept tears of oil. Once it wept on Christmas Day before an entire congregation. The priest told the people, "Our Lady is weeping on her Son's birthday for all of her children who have no birthday because of abortion."
Many people have shared that they felt the heartbeat of an unborn child in Mary's womb on the image. This sound was heard by a nurse with a stethoscope!
Our Lady is teaching us that abortion is about a child and not a choice.
Click here for the schedule, novena and more information. .

2009-02-28T15:25:00.001-08:00

My Dear ones in Standing Just,

I was just preparing my mind to sit down in a few days and write on the one year anniversary of my younger brother Bryan Keith Vinzant sudden and tragic death last Holy Thursday. Following in the longstanding Jewish tradition of honoring their dead with an annual Candle lighting at Synagogue, I have maintained yearly anniversary Masses and Candles for my dead, and often on the first anniversary I find myself writing one of my long missives to my dear social network friends and loved ones.

This year will have to wait, as I share my family's sorrow in adding to those who have gone before us--my older sister Alicia Joy Vinzant Bell. I stood in prayer, agony, and tears last night at the Baylor Trauma Emergency room C 30 where they lost my dear sister after a valiant effort trying to bring her back from sudden onset cardiac arrest. She was 56, the mother of two-Robert and Sherri and lived in our Waco family home. She had been here with my brother in Carrollton this last week recouping from a respiratory aliment. We had all had wonderful visits with her this week, and she was in route home to Waco to see her doctor when she felt ill and was re-routed to Baylor Emergency.

The family of course is rallied together here this weekend and we will go to Waco Tuesday afternoon. There will be a family visitation on Tuesday night from 7-9 PM and then a Baptist funeral service Wednesday at 10:30 both at the Pecan Grove Funeral Home out on Hgwy 77 off the Circle in Waco, Texas.

Doubtless, I will at a later date write more on both these dear ones who have been in my family since the beginning, and yet who sadly I was just learning to really love at the hour of their deaths. You can be sure they are in my thoughts and prayers and that this Lenten journey has an even deeper, more urgent urging to dig in deep to our Jesus.

Although I can say with sad certainty I had not yet done all I should have or wanted to do for my dear sister--I do thank God for the privilege to be there at the hour of her death standing just outside her trauma room door praying, hoping, crying, agonizing, waiting, longing for Jesus for her. By the time they had her presentable in that same hour with my sons Andrew and Lewis, my remaining brother Michael-who when he got there fell on my neck not letting me go with his strong comfort and saying it is just the two of us now- and his dear wife Sandy, Alicia's daughter Sherri and son Robert and his wife Alicia, a couple of their friends and the Protestant Clergy staff all steps away in the Viewing Suite the hospital offers families--I entered into the adjoining room and laying my hand on her head and stoking her hair for the last time sang and prayer the songs and prayers of our faith:

I will lift up my eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my help,
My Strength cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and earth
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved, He that keepth thee will not slumber
behold He that keep Israel will not slumber or sleep

The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
T he LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121--I have now sung this same song at the hour of death for my dear Grandmothers, Grand Dad, Father and Mother, dear daughter Sarah Ruth, and now my sister Alicia and the grave of my brother Bryan.

With many tears I stumbled forward through hymns of my shared childhood:

He Leadth Me O Blessed Thought

He leadeth me, O bless'd thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, to let the world go by,
tis by Thy hand that leadeth me.

If That Isn't Love
He left the splendor of heaven
Knowing His Destiny
It was the Lonely
hill of Golgotha
There to lay down His life for me

if that isn't Love
Then the ocean is dry
There's no stars in the sky
And the little sparrows can't fly
if that isn't love
Then heaven's a myth
There's no feeling like this
If that isn't love

Even in death He remembered
The thief hanging by His side
Then he spoke of love and compassion
And He took him to paradise

Children of the Heavenly Father

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

I prayed the Our Father, The Hail Mary, The Hail Holy Queen, and the Memorare softly over her and placed my Scapular over her shoulders-- made the Sign of the Cross on her sweet forehead, kissed her forehead and stroked her hair for the last time.

When we chose a lonely grove of trees to safe keep Sarah Ruth's mortal body till the Resurrection, I had no idea she would have such company. Now we will lay Alicia to her side, by her brother Bryan.

You know you will hear more from me later. The others are napping now, and I am soon to follow. Jan is here with the boys and my family and me and is such a comfort. Her brother Tim, the Baptist minister will sing at the funeral and a former co-laborer when I was a pastor, will come and do the Baptist service. And I will suffer in silence, but continue to receive much comfort from your many prayers--my strong consolation. I know that there are many who have suffered much more than we do--really the tender mercies of Our God have been my Good, His many kindnesses have been my Good. But, how good to have you to share my thoughts and to receive your prayerful offerings of grace upon grace.

Our Merciful Savior loved Alicia all the days of her life, and He loved her last night at Baylor, and he will love her long after we leave the graveside, and long after I leave this life--we can Trust His Love and His Goodness--there is no better place to commend those we love in this life or in the life to come then to the Loving Arms of God. Thank you for sharing in my passions and in my triumphs, and more in my sorrows.

your friend,
Daniel and boys--Andrew and Lewis
the pictures were taken on February 19th in Jan's kitchen when Lewis drove me down to Waco to pray with Alicia

i am just shooting this out to a quick few--forward to any you think would have an interest or pray for our family

This is one of our childhood family hymns--I will leave theology for later and revel in the Promise and power of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our dearly Beloved Lord Jesus Christ

There is a Fountain Filled with Blood

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave

2009-02-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

13, February 13, 2009

I believe in getting into hot water, it keeps you clean
G.K. Chesterton

As we approach another Lenton journey, I have been asked by some who come to me for all things Catholic about why some parishes empty the Holy Water font during Lent. It occurred to me that you might enjoy the answer I have given. Please note, that if your parish is doing this practice incorrectly that an appeal in a loving and kind manner is always the Catholic way. God bless as you prepare your hearts for the many comings of Christ that we should find ourselves experiencing in these wonderful days of metanoia and penance.

Daniel

Holy Water Fonts and Lent

One practice that has become somewhat popular is to remove the water from the font or cover the font completely during the Lenten season. While this may be a dramatic sign of thirsting and dryness, this practice does not in fact support one of the main themes of Lent:

Lent is marked by two themes, the baptismal and the penitential. By recalling or preparing for baptism and by repentance, this season disposes the faithful…to celebrate the paschal mystery. The baptismal and penitential aspects of Lent are to be given greater prominence in both the liturgy and liturgical catechesis. Hence, more use is to be made of the baptismal features proper to the Lenten liturgy. (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 109)

If your parish is considering emptying your baptismal font and holy water stoops for the season of Lent, respectfully ask them stop.

We aren’t fasting from water

In light of CSL’s statement and encouraged by the Congregation for Divine Worship (see below), removing water from the font or preventing the faithful from touching the water in the font would be detrimental to the sign of baptism that is a focus of Lent. The baptized remain a baptized people throughout all of Lent. We do not pretend to be unbaptized as though we were catechumens, just as we do not pretend that Christ is not risen during Holy Thursday or Good Friday. Our Lenten practices should more explicitly emphasize our baptism so that we can recognize those areas in our lives when we are not living out the promises of that baptism. What the faithful should be hungering and thirsting for is not the symbol of their baptism but rather a world in which the faithful living out of that baptism is evident. For the catechumens, their hunger for baptism may even be heightened when there are full fonts of water, just as a person who fasts is more aware of their hunger when food is placed before them.

It would be appropriate, as is our Western Church’s tradition, to remove the water from the font after the Holy Thursday celebration, keep it empty during Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and fill it with new water at the Easter Vigil. One possible Lenten option is to use a smaller piece of purple fabric that does not fully cover the font but adds some color to the area. In this way, the Lenten color signifies the season while the water in the font is still accessible as a reminder of baptism for the faithful and a sign of God’s promise for the elect.

http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/holy_water_fonts_and_lent.htm

While the holy water fonts are emptied from the Mass of the Lord's Supper until they are refilled with water blessed at the Easter Vigil, they should not be emptied prior to Holy Thursday. The following letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments rejects this practice. Note the strong bias (reason 1) against inventing practices not called for in the liturgical law. Forcibly rejected is the argument used by some to justify their abuses that "It is not forbidden, so I can do it." In reality, no one may do in that liturgy that which is not prescribed by the Church, specifically the Apostolic See, who alone has authority over it (SC 22, canon 838.

CONGREGATION DE CULTU DIVINO ET DISCIPLINA SACRAMENTORUM

Prot. N. 569/00/L Dear Father:

March 14, 2000

This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.

This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.

2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).

Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ, [signed]

Mons. Mario Marini Undersecretary
Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL

2009-01-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

As you are reading this I am off for my annual 4 day Silent Retreat with the wonderful Jesuits over at Montserrat. You can imagine there is no coincidence why I would chose this weekend every year to offer up my holy silence to Our Loving God, the Father of All Mercies, and HIS SON, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

I continue to thank you from the fullness of my heart for how you have taken me and the boys into your hearts, families, rosaries, and for the HOPE beads you offer up for the Vinzant family.

Please be assured that you and your family and your intentions will be offered up in my Holy Hours especially these next 4 days.

And because so many of you know me only since 2000 or less with our arrival on the Dallas scene, I must give you some sweet remembrances, so that in your hearts and minds eye she will be real to you too. I give you updates on me and the boys when I share our holy days, our new recipes and such. She is the best part of who we are as a family--in our loss, our hopes, our dreams, who we are, and who we strive to be. The boys call her Sis--always have, and till refer to her today the same as if she were in the same room with us, Sis this, Sis that...as we pray our mass today and light our candles, please come a little inside our hearts. With all the people I know, with all the family I have left-- do not think there are more than 3 people who really know me. My regret is that Sarah Ruth knows me now so much better, than she did when she was here face to face. She has the benefit of so much more true knowledge--seeing things more and more the way those in the Arms of God can see and know things. I hear her laughter more and more these days as through her prayers I see the fleeting parts of my life, my defects, my failures, an my lack as temporary and transitory--and as through her prayers of HOPE I catch glimpses of that which is really TRUE,Eternal, and Worthy.

And for those of you who have children now older than the magical age of 3-4,even though in this Valley of Tears, these last 8 years, although she is more real to me then you could ever understand, in my head, in my heart, in my thoughts, in my conversations, in my laughter--in these "conversations" of LOVE we now have, she has never once argued with me. And now, because I am more comfortable in sharing my heart with you then ever before--here are a few snippets of our Sis, Sissy, Ruthie, Ruby,Sandra Sue, Lovey, Sara, Baby Doll, Sister--Sarah Ruth Leigh Vinzant.

When she was less than 3 and still riding in the child seat in the back--she and I were off on a specific errand and it took us past all the Mall shops. We were listening to music and I heard Sarah Ruth speak up, "Daddy I am hungry." We were in our early, poor as church mice working on my Seminary Graduate degree days and while I was contemplating the money situation, SR piped up with the sweetest, gentle question, "Daddy, do we have money today?" and as I shook my head no, she said with definitiveness, "Daddy, then I am not hungry anymore."

I went to school Tuesday through Thursday and had time off on Monday and Friday, so we would pack up and go out to a lovely, old cemetery in the country that had a lot of empty acreage filled with old Oak trees where she would play on the low hanging limbs while I said my daily prayers. Then she would line up her dolls and animals and she would play hair dresser--Sandra Sue. Often on trips to see the in-laws, Jan would drive and I would lean the passenger seat back and SR would work on my hair for the trip asking Bible questions all the way. If she was not asking questions, she would fill the car with song. I still have never seen a Veggie Tale show because we did not have TV at the time,but know the songs as Sarah Ruth had her two favorites from watching them at friends ---"I'm so blue, I'm so blue, I'm so blue,ue,ue, ue ue, blue.... and, I love my hairbrush, I love my hairbrush....."

We had visitors through our house all the time in those days. SR was the great delight of all our adult visitors, and one time this dear lady in her early 60's
was visiting with her 84 year old retired professor father. He had the beautiful unkempt, white hair of an academic and a full white beard. We left him in the recliner to his daily nap, toured the house, and came back to find SR aka Sandra Sue, giving Mr. Floyd a haircut with real scissors. In due time she also gave her little brother a haircut, and then finished her early budding carrier by giving herself a haircut that did not go well with her Mom's first inspection.

From earliest life, Sarah Ruth was fearless in sharing her faith. We were walking the mall before she was 4 years old towards the end on an evening and there were a few walkers, not a lot of shoppers, and Mall Security--an off duty policeman. Suddenly I heard a little voice say, "Why do you smoke? You should not smoke." only to look over to the policeman with his lit cigarette--and before I could quite her she was in for the kill, "Do you want to be like Jesus? Did Jesus smoke? No, then you should want to be more like Jesus and not smoke." I just knew I was going to get creamed, when we watched the policeman put out his cigarette, get down and thank Sarah Ruth face to face, and then stand and tell Dad, to not be ashamed when his kids shared their beliefs with others. And then he spoke of wanting to return to the Church of his youth. Years later, I stood with amazement and great admiration as Sarah Ruth begin her carrier going inside abortion centers pretending to be a client in crisis--going into the facilities and leaving brochures, putting them in magazines, handing them out quietly to others waiting, and then standing to her feet, screaming "you mean you kill the babies, you want to kill these babies..." until she was arm-handled outside, screaming all the way, "please do not let them kill your babies."

From the time she was 15-19 Sarah Ruth traveled with me to pro-life events far and wide, and never tired of doing her part to save babies. She was part of pro-life prayer sessions, walk-ins to confront clinic workers the girls in the waiting rooms,Sidewalk counseling, and a pro-life Drama group. She was very involved in a National campaign to convince American Express to stop giving direct grants to Planned Parenthood. She gave talks and wrote papers on the virtues of St. Athanasius in fighting Infanticide in the 4Th Century. She would stand toe to toe to the locked arms of the Little Rock SWAT team on the sidewalk and walk hours in prayer vigils and walks singing the haunting refrain,"Turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, turn the hearts of the children to their parents, turn the hearts of us all to one another, turn the hearts of us all to the Lord--hear their cry, won't someone save the children, hear their cry,oh Christian,please, don't let them die..."

My friend, Miss Norma made a prayer Garden in her back yard, and dedicated it to Sarah Ruth and another pro-life hero who left us too soon. She says those children taken from their mothers womb before birth--in the Arms of God--cry out and speak up for those who cared,who showed up, who prayed, who wept, who tried--on their behalf. I believe that. And I believe that though my missing her and my longing for her has not diminished these eight years, that in the Arms of God she is a strong advocate to pray for us for the rest of my life, even as I spend my life living better, believing stronger, loving deeper--in prayer, teaching, reparation,and Hoping that in the hour of my death she, and those voices that cry out, and the Holy Family will all speak out on my behalf.

In her death, Sarah Ruth taught me to grab hold of HOPE. Women of faith came to me after the funeral to say that Sarah Ruth would ask them for their HOPE bead when they prayed their Rosary. I had never thought of such a thing, but asking those I meet and connect with has been the strength of my heart these many years and I find from these prayers my greatest single comfort. If you have not yet dedicated yours for the Vinzant family--those in the Arms of God, those not yet reconciled with the Church, and those still here pressing on to stumble heavenward--please pray for us.

I heard from the young man who was one of Sarah Ruth's longest friends--they had their first date with each other, the went through home-school Coop and Music together and his family and ours have been close since our Andrew 25 was five months old. He dropped a line today reminding me that she is not forgotten and I am grateful. Now more and more, I want to share my missed opportunities to love her in the normal triumphs and trials of life-by loving His people deeper and deeper in the LOVE of Jesus. This is what we all must do as we draw deeply from the Wells of Love. Every day I hear of your heartaches and struggles with children you still have on this side of the Vail. Many I know and hear of bear much greater sadness and burden then I could ever imagine--burden that would surely make this grown man cry--you and yours are in my prayers. I do believe that we shall see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living while we yet live--wait I say upon the Lord and let your heart take courage--HE is Good and doth Good.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

This is one of the hymns of my youth--we Sing Truth, sometimes with smiles and sometimes through many tears--and at my local church in Coppell we sing the same truth, month after month---lest I forget the Cross--

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away You give and take away
My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name

Your friend,

Daniel and the boys,
January 8, 2009

2008-12-31T14:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Ones,

How marvelous to be Catholic and to know that the wonders of Christmas do not end in a single day—the Octave of Christmas is this wonderful 8 days that encompass such beautiful days as St Stephen the Martyr, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and the Feast of the Holy Family—and culminating on the First with our Feast of the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy and the Circumcision of our Lord.

And then of course extends to the 12 Days of Christmas which will culminate on January 6th for The Epiphany of our Lord. And then of course the Christmas season lasts for 40 Days—how wonderful to be Catholic. You should really get into the tradition like I do, I do not mail my Christmas cards till after the 25th and keep on writing them through the whole 40 day Christmas Season. giggles

Please do not miss this wonderful opportunity:
Two Plenary Indulgences are available as follows:
1. Reciting the Te Deum (privately) on December 31.
2. Reciting Veni Creator Spiritus on January 1st.

If you want to share my New Years Eve Celebration plans you can join me at the Monastery of the Infant Jesus of the Discalsed Carmelite Sisters on Flowers Street in Oak Cliff for Midnight Mass--you need to get there by 11:30 to be ready to do the Te Deum before Mass and then end Mass on the morning of the First with the Veni Creator Spiritus--you get your Holy Day of Obligation and the two Plenary Indulgences all in one fell swoop--what a deal--after some prayers of thanksgiving and Adoration, you are off to a good sleep and wake to your Black Eyed Peas for New Years Day Brunch. And of course we will all be keeping up our decorations and creche sets till January 6th--my Wise Men are still Traveling from Afar across the Living Room and Dining Room till that happy day--and I am still listening to my 25+ Christmas CD collection as I sip hot tea or Scotch as the mood requires in front of the the fireplace--ah the fireplace chats.

Those who claim that indulgences are no longer a part of the Church's teachings today are misinformed Indulgences are the enactment of the authority given to Peter and to the Church, which Christ established to extend the mercy of God to the Christian faithful. Temporal punishment due for sins is a Doctrine of the Church as explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1471 thru 1479., and Code of Canon Law, c. 994.

Te Deum, also sometimes called the Ambrosian Hymn because if its association with St. Ambrose, is a traditional hymn of joy and thanksgiving. First attributed to Sts. Ambrose, Augustine, or Hilary, it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana (4th century). It is used at the conclusion of the Office of the Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours on Sundays outside Lent, daily during the Octaves of Christmas and Easter, and on Solemnities and Feast Days. The petitions at the end were added at a later time and are optional. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it in thanksgiving and a plenary indulgence is granted if the hymn is recited publicly on the last day of the year.

TE DEUM laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.

O GOD, we praise Thee: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.

Everlasting Father, all the earth doth worship Thee.
Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi Caeli et universae Potestates;

To Thee all the Angels, the Heavens and all the Powers,
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:

all the Cherubim and Seraphim, unceasingly proclaim:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,

The glorious choir of the Apostles,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,

the wonderful company of Prophets,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.

the white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,

Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee:
Patrem immensae maiestatis:

the Father of infinite Majesty;
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;

Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.

and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.

O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.

Thou, having taken it upon Thyself to deliver man, didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.

Thou overcame the sting of death and hast opened to believers the Kingdom of Heaven.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.

Thou sitest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.

We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.

We beseech Thee, therefore, to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.
V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.

V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thine inheritance!
R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.

R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.
V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te.

V. Every day we thank Thee.
R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yea, forever and ever.
V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.

V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.

R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.

V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.

R. O Lord, in Thee I have hoped; let me never be put to shame.

Veni Creator Spiritus is a hymn normally sung in Gregorian Chant and is considered the "most famous of hymns." It was written by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th Century . The hymn is often sung at occasions such as the entrance of Cardinals to the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope, as well as the consecration of bishops, the ordination of priests, the dedication of churches, the celebration of synods or councils, the coronation of kings and other solemn events. It means "come Holy Spirit Creator" and commemorates the feast of Pentecost. The hymn was probably first assigned toVespers. Its use at Terce commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost at the third hour of the day. Below is the original Latin and its English translation:

Latin
English

Veni, Creator Spiritus
mentes tuorum visita
Imple superna gratia
quae tu creasti pectora.
Qui Paraclitus diceris,
Donum Dei Altissimi,
fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
et spiritalis unctio.
Tu septiformis munere,
dextrae Dei tu digitus;
tu rite promissum Patris,
sermone ditans guttura.
Accende lumen sensibus,
infunde amorem cordibus,
infirma nostri corporis,
virtute firmans perpeti.
Hostem repellas longius,
pacemque duces protinus,
ductore sic te praevio,
vitemus omne noxium.
Per te sciamus da Patrem,
noscamus atque Filium,
te utriusque Spiritum
credamus omni tempore.
Sit laus Patri cum Filio,
Sancto simul Paraclito:
nobisque mittat Filius
charisma Sancti Spiritus.
Amen.

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God's hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father, Thou
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
Kindle our senses from above,and make our hearts o'erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread,and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,of both the eternal Spirit blest.
Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven.
Amen.

God bless you and yours and the very merriest of Christmas to you and all of yours. I look forward to many more stirring chats by the fire in 2009.

Daniel
Eve of the Feast of Mary Most Holy, Mother of God, and our Mother

If you're confused about the Church's publications of several books on indulgences over the past 200 years, allow me to give a brief teaching:

The new 'Manual of Indulgences' or Enchiridion Indulgentiarum is a hardcover English edition of the 1999 Enchiridion Indulgentiarum published by the Holy See. It replaced the the 'Enchiridion of Indulgences' published by Liberia Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City in l968 and authorized by Pope Paul VI after Vatican II in the Apostolic Constitution on the 'Revision of Indulgences.' However, the Vatican's new l999 Enchiridon Indulgentiarum lists only 33 indulgences, instead of earlier 74, that one may gain. Before the Enchiridion of 1968, there was 'The Raccolta' or original manual of indulgences. 'The Raccolta' was translated into English in l950 from the official l807 edition 'Enchiridion Indulgentarum' issued by the Sacred Penitentiary Apostolic, with the latest revision being done in l898 by the Sacred Congregation of the Indulgences. 'The Raccolta' contains prayers and pious exercises to which indulgences have been attached by the popes; also the decrees granting these indulgences and the conditions necessary for gaining them.

I have both of these indulgence books in my home Catholic library. All of the indulgences in each book have been approved by the Popes of the Church, so they are all still valid and licit to use. I take the Raccolta with me to my Holy Hour. You can get a reprint easily on the Internet.

2008-12-24T12:34:00.001-08:00

I have my TIVO filled with Christmas movies and they have already brought more than a few tears as I experience the emotions they hold---I called a dear friend, one I always considered "tough as nails" only to find her sobbing over the Christmas Shoes movie. Too sweet, too wonderful--to let our hearts flow with the many emotions our Dear Saviour has Given unto us as children of men, who HE has now made children of the Heavenly Father. I go from the traditional to Johnny Quest, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and the Yogie Bear Christmas....hehehe

This is a sweet email forward--if you have already read it, know that to me it reminds me of you and yours....

Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, 'I love you and I wish you enough'. The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom'.

They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'

'Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this forever good-bye?'

'I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back
will be for my funeral,' she said. 'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?

She began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to
say it to everyone'. She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I wish you enough', we want the other person to have a life filled with just enough
good things to sustain them'. Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from
memory.
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no
matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even
more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive
and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of
joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you
possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final
good-bye.

She then began to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them but then an entire life to forget them.

* Only if you wish send this to the people you will never forget and remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you. If you don't send it to anyone it may mean that you are in such a hurry that you have forgotten your friends.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE.....
To all my friends and loved ones , I WISH YOU ENOUGH.....

This time of year is special in so many ways. I love the 12 hours of darkness, I love coming home to a blazing fire, and a warm pot of tea, with a crystal decanter and glass ready for the bedtime Scotch--just to take the chill off for the night of course. I love the books I keep ready and nestled in every room as I wander as I wander from room to room reading parts of five books at a time. I love working my way through my 25+ CD's filled with Sounds of the Seasons--this year i have added:
A Charlie Brown Christmas (remastered)--favs hearing over and over Christmas is Here, Greensleves, Fur Elise,
Angel Voices-Libera--Silent Night
A Christmas Celebration-Celtic Women--Panis Angelicus
Christmas Memories-Ella Fitzgerald
And of course till I can listen no more--Noel-Josh Groban--Panis Angelicus, Ave Maria, What Child is This?

I am home the next four days and there is a near by mug waiting for you to have a bit of my pot of tea and some shortbread from my ole Irish-Scotch Granny Walker. If you are quick enough a spot of Old Bushmill's Irish Cream, Nucello, or velvety smooth Tequila liquor--but, be fair warned, I can not predict how long they will hold out against the raging North winds of Coppell.

I can assure you that there are plenty of Drunken Raisins and Glogg. You can always bring a fav bottle of your own to share with us---giggles. Or cookies, or fudge, or...we are a household of fend for your self boys---have mercy on us.

I am off to my favorite Costco to close it down at this once a year we close at 5:00PM the only sad sound of the season--and then I am picking up Miss Norma and we are off to a fine steak dinner just the two of us and then to see It is a Wonderful Life in the Theaters at the Angelica at Legacy at 7:30--then I will get her to home in time to make Midnight Mass with all the wonderful sounds, smells, and the Arrival of our lovely Child Jesus in the Manager, in our hearts, in our homes, and in our bellies.

The boys and I sleep in on Christmas Day and then when they are fully roused, I serve them my truly wondrous and made from Scratch---Vanilla pancakes and real Maple Syrup, great bacon and eggs and eggnog and fresh Orange Juice....Andrew will read us the Traditional Gospel Christmas story and we will exchange our gifts and more our stories and laughter before the fire...

Here are a few of my sweet family memories to share with you. I will keep writing my Christmas cards throughout the Christmas Octave, the Twelve Days, and up to the end of the Catholic 40 Days of Christmas---how wonderful that the Church gives us so much times of celebration in our wondrous Church Calendar.

Please, KNOW that you are in my heart so deeply and so fully. YOU as an expression of HIS LOVE the FACE of LOVE have turned my mourning into dancing and turned my sack cloth into JOY. I did not think this was possible, but it is--HE IS.

I would love to hear from you during this wondrous time of peace and Goodwill to men, and on Earth tidings of Glad JOY.

Your friend,

Daniel, Andrew, and Lewis
Christmas Eve 2008 Coppell, Texas

2008-12-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

Traditional Christmas Pudding
First Sunday of Advent---Stir-Up Sunday also has an earthier meaning: it is the time to stir up the signature Christmas dessert, the pudding (which takes weeks to mature before reaching its peak). The process of making a traditional Christmas pudding has come to abound in allegory and harmless superstition. It should be stirred from East to West, it is said, to commemorate the journey of the Magi; it should have thirteen ingredients in honor of Christ and His Apostles; and every member of the family and guest should stir the pudding while secretly making a wish. Finally, the stirring represents the arousal of our hearts for the Lord’s coming, while the richness of the pudding represents the good things that He brings with Him from Heaven. There is even a little poem to accompany the task:
Stir up, we beseech thee,
The pudding in the pot;
And when we get home
We’ll eat the lot.

Christmas pudding may also include any number of good luck tokens, such as a coin for prosperity, a thimble for luck (or spinsterhood!), and a ring for marriage, with each of these blessings going to the person who finds the relevant object in their share (just make certain to tell everyone to look for it so that no one will choke on their new destiny). The pudding is usually presented to the family at the end of Christmas dinner with great fanfare, such as dousing it with warm brandy and setting it ablaze, where it is then consumed with zest.
1½ lbs. raisins (regular)
1¾ lbs. currants
1 lb. sultanas (golden Raisins)
2 lbs. sugar
2 lbs. bread crumbs
1 oz. cinnamon
6 oz. finely cut citron
grated rind of 2 lemons
1 oz. ground nutmeg
½ oz. ground bitter almonds
2 lbs. finely chopped suet (go to a good Butcher and get some good and fresh Suet please)
16 eggs
¼ pt. brandy, 2 tablespoons dark rum, and 2.5 oz of Stout

1 cup brandy (for the flambé)

Day 1 Chop the raisins but do not grind them. Wash and dry the currants. To the fruits add all the dry ingredients and the suet together, and moisten with the well-beaten eggs and the brandy. Don't forget to tick everything off so as not to leave anything out. This is where it is traditional to gather all the family round, especially the children, and invite everyone to have a really good stir and make a wish. The mixture should have a fairly sloppy consistency – that is, it should fall instantly from the spoon when this is tapped on the side of the bowl. If you think it needs a bit more liquid add a spot more stout. Cover the bowl and leave overnight.
Day 2 Pack the mixture into the lightly greased pudding mold, cover it with a double sheet of silicone paper (baking parchment) and a sheet of foil and tie it securely with string. It's also a good idea to tie a piece of string across the top to make a handle. Place the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water and steam the pudding for 8 hours. Do make sure you keep a regular eye on the water underneath and top it up with boiling water from the kettle from time to time.
When the pudding is steamed let it get quite cold, then remove the steam papers and foil and replace them with some fresh ones, again making a string handle for easier maneuvering. Now your Christmas pudding is all ready for Christmas Day. Keep it in a cool place away from the light. Under the bed in an unheated bedroom is an ideal place.

To re-heat, fill a saucepan quite full with boiling water, put it on the heat and, when it comes back to the boil, place a steamer on top of the pan and turn it down to a gentle simmer. Put the Christmas pudding in the steamer, cover and leave to steam away for 2 hours. You'll need to check the water from time to time and maybe top it up a bit.

To serve, remove the pudding from the steamer and take off the wrapping. Slide a palette knife all round the pudding, then turn it out on to a warmed plate. Place a suitably sized sprig of holly on top. Now warm a ladleful of brandy over direct heat, and as soon as the brandy is hot ask someone to set light to it. Place the ladle, now gently flaming, on top of the pudding – but don't pour it over until you reach the table. When you do, pour it slowly over the pudding, sides and all, and watch it flame to the cheers of the assembled company! When both flames and cheers have died down, serve the pudding with rum sauce, or rum or brandy butter.

Brandy Butter
6 tablespoons of brandy
6 oz of unsalted butter at room temperature
6 oz of dark brown sugar, softened
Use mixer and add the brandy slowly. When the right taste and consistency put in tight container and it will last two weeks in the fridge. Always serve cold.

Warm Rum Sauce
Place 2½ oz of the butter in a saucepan with 2½ oz flour, pour in the milk, then, using a whisk, beat everything vigorously together over a medium heat. As soon as it comes to simmering point and has thickened, turn the heat to its lowest setting, stir in the sugar and let the sauce cook for 10 minutes. Add the rum, the remaining ½ oz butter and 1 tablespoon cream. Pour the hot sauce into a serving picture, cover the surface with plastic wrap and keep warm until served.
3 (or more) tablespoons dark rum
3 oz butter
2½ oz plain flour
1 pint whole milk
2 oz superfine sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream

This is great fun for the whole family. Let me know if you try it, and how it works out!

Daniel Vinzant
Coppell--old family recipe
Feast of St. Nicholas

2008-10-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

VOTE EARLY
If you can vote early- do so. If you can vote in person- do so. If there is a neighbor who needs a ride- offer.

I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th.
Full article below:
[to non-Catholics- A Rosary is a nine day prayer. Please join us for these nine days with the prayer of your choice.]

ONE MINUTE PRAYER WITH USA
The United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever! If you would like to participate, each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend One minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the upcoming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U. S.[The call is for one minute during this particular time. This time will be a time when we are unified throughout the USA! We will -of course- be praying at other times as well.]

A CALL FOR A ROSARY NOVENA
Among the most important titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571.

This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peters Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it.

Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order a true battle between good and evil.

Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress- a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation.

God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition.

The group singled out for death -unwanted, unborn children. No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion.

I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th.

Pray that Gods will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being.

May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our conscience in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well-formed Catholic conscience.

God Bless You
Fr. John Corapi

A Pastoral Letter from Bishop Martino
http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/bishops/martino-respect-life-sunday-2008.htm

"Abortion is the issue this year and every year in every campaign. Catholics may not turn away from the moral challenge that abortion poses for those who seek to obey God’s commands. They are wrong when they assert that abortion does not concern them, or that it is only one of a multitude of issues of equal importance. No, the taking of innocent human life is so heinous, so horribly evil, and so absolutely opposite to the law of Almighty God that abortion must take precedence over every other issue. I repeat. It is the single most important issue confronting not only Catholics, but the entire electorate."
Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D.
Bishop of Scranton

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT

Prayer never hurt anyone only those who are against God This is the scariest election we as Christians have ever faced, and from the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. We all need to be on our knees. Do you believe we can take God at His word? Call upon His name, then stand back and watch His wonders to behold.

We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land. This election is the scariest I remember in my life time.

2 Chronicles 7:14...

'If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'

During WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace. This had an amazing effect as bombing stopped.

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America the United States of America and our citizens need prayer more than ever! If you would like to participate, each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend One minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, the upcoming election, that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U. S.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, please let everyone know. Someone said if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Thank you. Please pass this on to anyone who you think will want to Participate.

THE FEASTOF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 07, 2008

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted by Pope Pius V after the Christian victory over the Turks in 1571 and celebrates the powerful intercession and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary to those who are devoted to praying the Rosary and meditating on the mysteries of the life of Christ.

In the 1570s Pope Pius V had united the Christian armies against the Turks who were invading Europe from the east, and the outcome was the miraculous victory of the Christian fleet in the battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571.

The island of Malta was attacked by the Turkish fleet, and nearly every man defending the fortress was killed in battle. The Pope sent out a fleet to meet the enemy, requesting that each man on board pray the Rosary and receive communion.

Meanwhile, he called on all of Europe to recite the Rosary and ordered forty hour devotion in Rome during the time of the battle. The Christian fleet, vastly outnumbered by the Turks, inflicted an impossible defeat on the Turkish navy, demolishing the entire fleet.

In memory of the triumph he declared that day as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary because of her intercession in answering the mass recitation of the Rosary and obtaining the victory. For this reason he has also been called the Pope of the Rosary. Pope Clement XI, after another important victory over the Turks this time gained by Prince Eugene on August 6, 1716 in Hungary, extended the feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the Universal Church.

THE HOLOCAUST
Jewish columnist Ben Stein sentiment in the May, 1998 issue of American Spectator magazine:... "[Pro-abortionists] cannot look at their handiwork or the handiwork they defend. Across the country, they shrink from photos of the babies killed in abortions.

Through their mighty political groups, the pro-abortionists compel TV stations to refuse advertisements showing partial birth and other abortion artifacts. They will not even allow viewers (or themselves, I suspect) to see what their policies have wrought. They are, at least to my mind, like the Germans who refused to think about what was happening at Dachau and then vomited when they saw -- and never wanted to see again."

EDWARDO VERASTEGUI FROM BELLA

The following video was produced by Edwardo Verastegui from the movie Bella. It is a very powerful video. It does have some of these pictures that are so hard to look at. My question is, will we keep turning our head and closing our eyes to what is going on? Or will we look- get a big dose of reality- and do something to help end this horrific- modern day Holocaust that is happening right under our noses!

http://www.durarealidad.

NOVENA STARTS TODAY- DAY 1ELECTION NOVENA AND ANOTHER ELECTION PRAYER BELOW.

We must pray!
We cannot afford to think that it does not matter!
We cannot presume that God will's evil to win!
We can’t presume that this must be -since we DO deserve it!
We must run to God's mercy!

Imagine what would have happened if Nineveh thought it was just too late!
Imagine what would have happened if praying and fasting did not fit in their busy schedule!
Imagine if Mordecai had decided not to wear sackcloth and ashes.
Imagine if Mordecai and the Jewish people would not have listened to Esther when she asked them to fast for 3 days and nights!
We must do all we can- and then accept God's will as it happens!

PRAYERS TO OUR LADY OF VICTORY
Solemn Novena Our Lady of Victory ...
The Novena Prayer ...
Salve Regina ...
The Memorare ...
Father Baker's Prayer To Our Lady of Victory ...

Our Lady of Victory
Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us, Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The response for the following greetings is Pray for us.

Our Lady of Victory,
Victorious daughter of the Father,
Victorious Mother of the Son,
Victorious Spouse of the Holy Spirit,
Victorious servant of the Holy Trinity Victorious in your Immaculate Conception,
Victorious in crushing the serpent's head,
Victorious over all the children of Adam,
Victorious over all enemies,
Victorious in your response to the Angel Gabriel,
Victorious in your wedding to St. Joseph,
Victorious in the birth of Christ,
Victorious in the flight to Egypt,
Victorious in your exile,
Victorious in your home at Nazareth,
Victorious in finding Christ in the temple,
Victorious in the mission of your Son,
Victorious in His passion and death,
Victorious in His Resurrection and Ascension,
Victorious in the Coming of the Holy Spirit,
Victorious in your sorrows and joys,
Victorious in your glorious Assumption,
Victorious in the angels who remained faithful,
Victorious in the happiness of the saints,
Victorious in the message of the prophets,
Victorious in the testimony of the patriarchs,
Victorious in the zeal of the apostles,
Victorious in the witness of the evangelists,
Victorious in the wisdom of the doctors,
Victorious in the deeds of the confessors,
Victorious in the triumph of all holy women,
Victorious in the faithfulness of the martyrs,
Victorious in your power full intercession,
Victorious under your many titles,
Victorious at the moment of death,
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy, Lord.
Pray for us, blessed Lady of Victory.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Novena Prayer

Let us pray: Our Lady of Victory, we have unshaken confidence in your influence with your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Humbly we ask your intercession for all of us associated under your title, Our Lady of Victory. We beg your powerful assistance also for our own personal needs. (Please mention here your special intention in your own words.) In your maternal kindness please ask Jesus to forgive all our sins and failings, and to secure His blessings for us and for all the works of charity dedicated to your name. We implore you to obtain for us the grace of sharing Christ's victory and your forever in the life that knows no ending. May we join you there to praise forever the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, on God, for all the ages to come? Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)

Let us pray: Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve? To Thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears? Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let us pray: The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help, and sought Thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto Thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To Thee I come; before Thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate! Despise not my petitions, but in Thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
All this we ask of The Father in the name of Mary's Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with Him and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Father Baker's Prayer to Our Lady of Victory

let us pray: O Victorious Lady! Thou who has ever such powerful influence with Thy Divine Son, in conquering the hardest of hearts, intercede for those for whom we pray, that their hearts being softened by the rays of Divine Grace, they may return to the unity of the true Faith, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE ROSARY FOLLOWS

From:
http://www.ourladyofvictory.org/FrBaker/prayer.html

An Election Prayer to Mary
O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection. Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion and threaten the sanctity of family life. Grant our country the wisdom to proclaim that God's law is the foundation on which this nation was founded, and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new Culture of Life.

Monday, October 27, 2008
Bishop Robert Herman from St. Louis, Oct. 18, 2008
Bishop Robert J. Herman, the administrator of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, has written a column reminding Catholics that their vote will be a decision weighed on the Day of Judgment. He urged Catholics not to treat the unborn as the neglectful rich man treated Lazarus in the biblical parable.

“Judgment Day is on its way,” the bishop wrote in the St. Louis Review. “We cannot stop it. We don’t know when it will come, but just as surely as the sun rises daily, the Son of Man will come when we least expect.”

“For many, this coming election may very well be judgment day, for this election will measure us,” he continued, referencing Christ’s words of judgment in Matthew 10:32-33:
“Everyone who acknowledges Me before others, I will acknowledge before My heavenly Father. But whoever denies Me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

Bishop Herman asked the faithful to consider what kind of witness they give to God when they enter the voting booth on Election Day.

“The decision I make in the voting booth will reflect my value system. If I value the good of the economy and my current lifestyle more than I do the right to life itself, then I am in trouble,” the bishop wrote.

He cited Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Christifideles laici, which said outcry on human rights is “false and illusory” if the right to life is not defended to the maximum.
“The right of our children to be protected from destruction is greater than my right to a thriving economy,” Bishop Herman continued.

“My desire for a good economy cannot justify my voting to remove all current restrictions on abortion. My desire to end the war in Iraq cannot justify my voting to remove all current restrictions on abortion.”

Bishop Herman looked to the spiritual dimension as well. “Those 47 million children our nation destroyed are still living. We have destroyed their bodies, but their souls are still alive. When our Lord comes again, they may very well be there to judge us. Even worse, Jesus tells us that whatever we do to the least of our brethren, we do to Him. We would truly shudder if we heard the words, ‘I was in my mother’s womb but you took my life!’

2008-10-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones in Standing Just for the Gospel of Life in this Culture of Death,

Ah, fall weather is here and that means more long emails from your friend. This is a tough one as it is easy to say more rants and raves from an old, rich, white, male—with a perfect and easy life…

Below in the brackets you will find an exchange between three men in my local men’s group who are passionate for their faith and in interacting with each other. One sent out what he thought was a lovely offer from Purina Chow where they were donating $1 to STOPPING Breast Cancer all the while they were educating the public on Breast Cancer.

The next two are snippets of an exchange where the other two brothers share the sad and irrefutable link between SGK and Planned Parenthood--and worse the continual on-going cover-up between these two, both multi-billion dollar "non-profit, charities" that refuse—absolutely refuse to tell the women public that the number one way to safeguard from getting Breast Cancer is to never have an abortion or use birth control pills.

You may want to make Purina Chow aware that you are not pleased with where they are giving their money for Breast Cancer research. You may want to continue to reach out to the staff of SGK--I am sure each and every one of them are very caring women, to encourage them to publish the many, many studies they have funded and then buried when the research proved this very real link between abortion and Breast Cancer.

Please read the report on the link at the end of the brackets. It does quote the very real fact that SGK gave to the Planned Parent facility of North Texas right here in Dallas--right under the Presbyterian Heart Institute on Greenville and Walnut Hill and tucked behind Jason's Deli--$450,000 as the seed money to buy the $5.2mm building which is where Planned Parenthood performs half of all abortions performed in Dallas County--talk about a link. They were served with eviction notices because of our pro-life efforts and SGK "saved the day" for abortions on demand in Dallas for Planned Parenthood---talk about your Legacies.

Is it not amazing that 40 years ago Breast Cancer was an older woman's horror--and in the last 40 years it has become not only our Grandmothers, but our Mothers and our Sisters horror--it has exploded on the scene in the last 40 years--the same period of time that abortion on demand has been given legal and therefore "moral" status in our country. Of course not every woman who receives the horrible news she has Breast Cancer, has had an abortion--but if we knew the easiest way to "insure" you would not get Breast Cancer, is to not have an abortion---should we not tell women that? Planned Parenthood's response is that they will never tell of the link because it is medically irresponsible--Medically irresponsible you ask how? Why, silly, medically irresponsible because it promotes fear--the fear that they may have done something to make them self predisposed to Breast Cancer. Of course this is the same Planned Parenthood who instead of saying you could save yourself from horrible pain and suffering from many diseases by not having sex outside of marriage--found it easier to just change the name--you no longer have a Sexually Transmitted Disease--you now have a Sexually Transmitted Virus--a virus is something you catch, it is not your fault--even though it is the same disease you could never get without having had sex with an infected partner in the first place.

Again, this is info we want to get out to you and hopefully you will get out to your family and friends. Think how many lives it can save.

But most importantly--as pro-life Catholics we are not single issue. The primary goal in this educational piece is to offer love, support, care, and help to women in need. We are not against Breast Cancer research, we are not against stopping Breast Cancer--we hate Breast Cancer and the horrible pain and suffering that comes with this horrible illness. And there are many good organizations out there that do spend all their dollars on the care and cure of Breast Cancer--it amazes me that with a billion plus dollars, the SGK would be choosing to give their money to Planned Parenthood and to studies that keep trying to obscure or dilute the studies that show this very real link. Why are they not putting the billion into helping women in need avoid the horror of abortion--knowing what it could do to them in making them so susceptible to Breast Cancer and even death?

Remember the women-- love, serve, help and care for the hurting women--without judgment. Offer them the loving arms and shoulders to cry on--reminding them as we ourselves have been reminded--there is nothing we have done, no where we have been, or no one we have been with--that the Loving FATHER in HEAVEN is not willing to forgive, but HE stands with ARMS of Love saying Come Home my child, come home...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< com="" pink="" hqs="donate">
Please pass it along to everyone you know ... Thanks!!
Wed Oct 8, 2008 5:21 am (PDT)
Attached please find the humanist theology of Margaret Sanger - the founder of abortion by design to liberate women, group sex with multiple partners, and birth control pills - all of which Planned Parenthood facilitates, all of which cause breast cancer, all of which funded by Komen Foundation.

Please be aware that the Susan G. Komen foundation is one of Planned Parenthood's' largest contributors. They also refuse to publish the connection between abortion and an increase in the risk of breast cancer.
http://www.lifeissu es.org/AbortionBreastcancer/ komen/fact_ sheet.pdf
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The next part was actually compiled and written to a local company who is sponsoring SGK in this month of Breast Cancer awareness—it is incredibly well written with great facts and kindness. I was simply able to copy and paste it over into my email so you could use this as wonderful template in contacting many companies as you see their involvement with SGK.

We need to get this important message out to so many—there are simply too many people who believe that Planned Parenthood is a good and caring medical charity.
They in fact are the largest abortion facility in the world—they simply kill more children than any other organization in the entire world and they do so with your hard earned tax monies. SGK has had every opportunity to break the relationship with Planned Parenthood and continues to resist sharing this very important information—this real link and incredibly horrific medical fact, that having an abortion dramatically increases your chances of contracting Breast Cancer. In a world that seems intent on personal choices, does it not make sense to give people the right information so they can truly make the personal choice that may not only save untold emotional damage and the life of their very real baby—but save their very own life too?

To: Dr. Delphinium Customer Service,
I have retained and recommended Dr. Delphinium's services for many years for gifts to friends and colleagues. Their creative artistry is beyond compare and service unquestionably reliable. I am sorry to say that I will no longer be able to use or recommend Dr. Delphinium's services in the future because of the advertised support for Susan G. Komen. Please respectfully reconsider support for Susan G. Komen Foundation and Race for the Cure (see information below).
Please remove me from your email list or any future emails.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

1) Susan G. Komen gives large amounts of money to Planned Parenthood which is Interesting because the two most avoidable causes of breast cancer are elective abortion and estrogen birth control medication. (Research sited below) Planned Parenthood provides both of these services/medications to their clients. Susan G. Komen does not and will not warn women that abortions increase the risk of breast cancer.

2) Susan G. Komen has been secretive, i.e. does not openly advertise their financial/donor relationship with Planned Parenthood to the public and removed those links on their websites; which raises further question about the ethics of this organization.
3) It has already been proven from 29 out of 38 studies Abortion has a link to Breast Cancer. Thirty years ago Breast Cancer was known ONLY as a Older Woman's Disease. With the introduction of the predominant use of contraception & abortion in the late 60's and early 70's, Breast Cancer suddenly also became a Younger Woman's Disease.

Links to research/ studies:
_____________________________

ABC Summary http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/abc_summary.htm
ABC Research http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/ABC_Research.htm
---------------------------------------------------
Texas Passes Law Warning Women of Possible Breast Cancer Risk Prior to Abortion: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/may/03052303.html

related...
http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/3661/CWA/life/

More info:
TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Coalition's History
Abortion - A Preventable Risk Factor
Two Ways That Abortion Raises Breast Cancer Risk
1) Delayed First Term Pregnancy, Childlessness, Fewer Births, Decreased Breastfeeding
• The Strongest Protective Factor
• Increased Childbearing and Breastfeeding
2) The Independent Link
• Biological Evidence
• Estrogen - "The Smoking Gun"
• Biological Explanation for the Link
Epidemiological Research
• World's Only Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis
• Number of Additional Breast Cancer Cases
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Janet Daling, et al. 1994
• The 1997 and 1999 Melbye Studies
• Expert Testimony From the Center For Reproductive Law and Policy
The National Cancer Institute
Medical Authorities Acknowledge Link Privately, Not Publicly
Women's Right to Sue
Significance of the Risk
A Health Care Time Bomb
World's First Known Abortion-Breast Cancer Settlement
A Woman's Right to Know
__________________

I have held the hands of too many good women who have left their families and loved ones far too early as a result of this horrendous disease. I long as you all do to see cancer conquered, eradicated, and extinct. Many of my personal heroes are those who have bravely and silently suffered and survived these hard battles with cancer. And my heart has been rent too many times saying Goodbye to those who did not win the fight in this life, but who bravely fought the good fight as long as their body would let them, for just one more day with the ones they loved in this life. I have cried over so many. I love women, all women. And I must continue to raise a cry even though often misunderstood on this issue—whatever you think of these two, Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen—you must as people of good will admit and realize they must stop the lies, deceit, and abuse of women by withholding this very real life-saving information from each and every woman. Do not have an abortion and increase your chance of living a life without the horror of Breast Cancer. My heart aches for the woman who in reading this realizes what she might face in the future because of a private and painful decision she made in the past without the medical facts like this that may have helped her avoid that past regret. Talk to your Doctor, research these studies and links and inform yourselves with the facts of diet and exercise that may help give you an edge away from these statistics—hope and pray. The information we are trying to arm women with for their future choices should not be meant to be an irreversible judgment on you because of your past. I HOPE and pray every day to a real and loving God of Mercy over many of the Regrets of my past. I pray for mercy. But, now knowing this information should there not be an outcry to SGK and to Planned Parenthood that they put their billions to real research to find a Cure and to tell the truth about the very real ways that a woman can practically avoid Breast Cancer now by not having an abortion?
For Life—the preborn, the babies in the womb, the children, all women (who I love), the men, the young, the old, the infirm, those dying of illness and disease, those fighting the illnesses that plague mankind, the poor, the illegal, the immigrant, the solider on any side, the victims of war, those who rule the political systems, the disenfranchised, the unbeliever, those without hope, the displaced, those discriminated against—from conception, to birth, to death—and all the many issues that plague mankind and need us to step up and offer help—Stand and do what you can in the land of the living.
Daniel
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary…Pray for us now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

2008-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

What a great day to be a Catholic in America--thank you Nancy Polosi. How wonderful for you to take on the Catholic Church and Her doctrines--you broke a Wall of Silence and forced the Bishops of America to do the right thing and stand up and be Bishops--thanks be to God.

To date--October 13, 2008-- Sixty-two bishops have come out with powerful statements clarifying how Catholics should vote morally in the election Our wonderful local Joint Statement by Bishops Farrell (Dallas)and Vann (Fort Worth) along with that of Archbishop Gomez of San Antonio have been very encouraging here in Texas.

The following is a list of those bishops who have made public statements about Catholics in politics in this election. Regarding those bishops not on the list, it should be mentioned that the joint statement by Justin Cardinal Rigali, chair of the USCCB's Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William Lori, Chair of the Committee on Doctrine, carries the unified voice of all the bishops. This list is from InsideCatholic.com, Will the Church Split Along Red and Blue Lines?
http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4663&Itemid=100

1. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver
2. Bishop James Conley, auxiliary of Denver
3. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C.
4. Justin Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities
5. Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, chairman of the Committee on Doctrine
6. Edward Cardinal Egan of New York
7. Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo
8. Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh
9. Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs
10. Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio
11. Bishop Oscar Cantu, auxiliary of San Antonio
12. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville
13. Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa
14. Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas
15. Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin
16. Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston
17. Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando
18. Archbishop John Nienstedt of Saint Paul/Minneapolis
19. Francis Cardinal George of Chicago, President of the USCCB
20. Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker
21. Bishop Jerome Listecki of La Crosse
22. Bishop Richard Lennon of Cleveland
23. Bishop Ralph Nickless of Sioux City
24. Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco
25. Bishop Glen Provost of Lake Charles, LA
26. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn
27. Bishop Joseph F. Martino of Scranton
28. Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura
30. Bishop Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte
31. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh
32. Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Archbishop of Kansas City, KS
33. Bishop Robert Finn, Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MI
34. Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, WS
35. Bishop Ronald Gilmore, Bishop of Dodge City, KS
36. Bishop Paul Coakley, Bishop of Salina, KS
37. Bishop Michael Jackels, Bishop of Wichita
38. Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop of Palm Beach
39. Bishop Kevin J. Farrell, Bishop of Dallas
40. Bishop Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Fort Worth
41. Joint Statement by the bishops of New York State (22 bishops)

Hold Control down and click on the blue line and it will take you to each Bishop's website. Please spread these wonderful statements of LIFE far and wide.

Thank you all for all you do to Stand Just for the Gospel of Life in the midst of this culture of death,

Daniel

2008-09-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

No excuses, you have to at least TRY the following:

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you
have plenty of room at each side.

With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms
straight out from your sides. And hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a
full minute, and then relax.

Each day you'll find that you can hold this position
for just a bit longer. ----------------- After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks.

Now, keep moving up the ranks of sizes of bags.
Then try the 50-lb. Potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this
level.) :)

I know can you believe it--after all these years of finding a program that will work for me--I can not wait to tell my Internist when I have my physical at the end of the month--he will be so proud--I am actually up to 6 days a week on this program and I am telling you, that you can do this too. Believe me--it is life changing.

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks. That is what I am going to go for tomorrow. Let me know how this program works for you.

Well, dear ones--perhaps your physical exercise is going better than mine--pray for me, now and at the hour of my death--please-PRAY your HOPE bead for me and the whole Vinzant family.
But, today is the First Friday and Our Dear Sweet Jesus--the FACE of LOVE has made PROMISES--He wants to pour out HIS LOVE on us and today is a day of many Graces. Find one of the many places to spend special time with the Lover of our Souls today this day:
"Oh, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You, be Thou my only HOPE, fearing all in my weakness, hoping all in Thy Goodness, be Thou my constant stay and protection against all evil and desires of wickedness...Prone to Wander, Lord I feel it--prone to leave the God, I love--here is my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy Courts above--Come Thou Fount of every Blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy praise, steams of Mercy, Never ceasing, Calls for songs of Loudest Praise..."

Praying for you and yours,

Daniel
In the Sacred Heart of Jesus

2008-08-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Montezuma's Abortion Revenge

Men like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata may be remembered as some of the worst criminals of Mexican history, but yesterday's vote of the Mexican Supreme Court will make Villa's and Zapata's killings seem like so much child's play. Reminiscent of the US Supreme Court decision in 1973, eight (out of eleven) Supreme Court justices of Mexico legalized abortion yesterday, August 27th, and consigned themselves to the annals of history as the worst of their country's killers. They gave Mexico the disreputable distinction of being the first country in Latin America to legalize abortion on demand, and in fact, if the likely "domino effect" of abortion legalization in the Hispanic world follows, they will be guilty of the innocent blood of a whole continent.

Criminals are apparently not bound by logic or popular convention. Despite recent surveys of millions of Mexicans indicating that at least 65% of the people were totally against the legalization of abortion, the Supreme Court just simply ignored them - which is another way of saying that democracy is essentially meaningless in Mexico. And, despite the specific wording in the Mexican Constitution that enumerates a right to life "from the moment of fertilization," something the US Constitution could only dream of, the eight enlightened gods of law sitting on their lofty thrones simply declared that right null and void - which is another way of saying that the rule of law is meaningless in Mexico too.

These eight justices have now, arbitrarily and inhumanely, unleashed a plague of killing that will destroy the Mexican family, the already-plummeting fertility rate and the degrading morals of Mexico's youth. The Mexican bishops said it correctly in their televised ads prior to the killer decision that "when a society opens up a debate on abortion, what they are doing, in effect, is debating the very future of a nation." Yes indeed; and not only the future of Mexico, but of the whole Hispanic world.

I have continuously tied the business of abortion to the satanic work of child sacrifice which has tried to rear its ugly head in every age since biblical times. Abortion is a demonic industry, and every society that opens its doors to the killing of its infants becomes slowly possessed by these demons whose thirst for innocent blood will never, ever, be sated. Mexico was at one time home of the devilish Aztec religion which practiced bloody human sacrifice until Hernando Cortes and his troops defeated the Emperor Montezuma in the 16th Century thus preparing the way for the total Catholic evangelization of that land by Our Lady of Guadalupe. Yet, demons don't live in time. They live in the sinfulness of the human heart, and they have been given a new birth in Mexico once again.

I have no doubt that the recent appearance and immense popularity of the so-called "Santa Muerte" ("holy death") occult practice in Mexico, whose symbol is the Grim Reaper, has presaged the appearance of the demon of human sacrifice once again. This ancient demon that once ruled Mexican society only needed a few servants on the Supreme Court to ritualize human sacrifice once again - this time in the guise of abortion on demand. And they have already begun to reconstruct the new pagan pyramids of Mexico - in the hospitals and abortion mills where blood sacrifice is being offered as we speak.

In light of this catastrophic defeat for life, I can only repeat the Lord's stinging rebuke of the black-robed leaders of His day who were responsible for the death of the Innocent One: Woe to the eight servants of Montezuma's abortion revenge - their souls are in danger of a worse death than they inflict on those innocent children. We must pray for their eternal salvation. And I must add: Woe to everyone who remains silent while this demon satisfies his blood lust on innocent children anywhere in the world.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

2008-08-14T16:53:00.001-07:00

Dear Ones in Standing Just,

I love August 15--The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother--this is always like a New Years Day for me--this is our 10th Anniversary into the Church--The Vinzant family on the 15th, Norma McCorvey on the 17th, and Jessie Anne earlier on Easter Vigil. And the boys and I are late in celebrating Andrew's birthday this week as he had his wisdom teeth out last Friday and has been on soft food all week-----------so we are going to hold a table at Ed's New York Deli at 635 and Preston from 5:30--7:30 and visit with anyone who has absolutely nothing better to do on a Friday night and a Holy Day then come bum around with the Vinzant boys.

So, if you would like to come by and laugh with us over God's goodness to sustain us these years of our life as Catholics and all our lives. When we came into the Church a wise priest said--"you should plug into the Dallas Catholic Community--it has so many connections to Life to offer you and your sons..." We started doing that with Miss Norma's grand bash on the 17th and made our final move up in 2000---little did we know that your love would sustain us so deeply in our Valley of Tears---thank you dear friends of the Dallas diocese for taking us into your hearts, and you dear ones in other places who hold us in your daily prayers.

Those of you who have given us your HOPE beads--thanks are never enough--eternal friends--thanks from all my heart and you remain in my feeble prayers.

love,
Daniel, Andrew, and Lewis
214-566-2298
Feast of the Assumption, 2008

The following is one of the many encouraging emails I get from very serious, praying friends who have been sustaining prayer warriors for me and my family for years.

Scott sends me encouraging words to live on regularly--below his personal remarks to me is a wonderfully written appeal for the pre-born by his co-worker, Ray that he sent out to many influential friends who happen to be in politics and are pro-choice. This is a worthy article to be shared with many particularly before they cast their votes.

God bless all you and yours do for the Gospel of Life in the midst of this Culture of Death,

Daniel

I can't say how much I love my brother Ray, especially this day. There were important people on that list that will be shocked at that message (coming from Ray), including a state rep and a U.S. Rep, both of whom are pro-choice.

And I can't say how much love I feel for you knowing the hurt that goes with the work you are doing for your brothers in Christ. It reminds me of my quote of the day from Mother Teresa, "I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

You entered the church on the feast of the Assumption. Your mother in heaven has a special place in her heart for you!

If you guys have a prayer wheel, I know a good group of men who would want to pray during those hours. Let me know, and I will broadcast it. You will have men from the Valley, San Antonio, Houston, Laredo, Eagle Pass, Cotulla and beyond praying for you and the retreatants.

From: daniel waco [mailto:danielwaco@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:57 AM
To: Scott Walsh
Subject: Re: Important Teachings from Early Church Fathers

Hi Scott,

This is good--I too will forward to my list--very good.

The Acts retreat here is winding--It is August 21-24.

This is our 10 year anniversary into the Church on the 15th and Jan's Dad moved her out of our home on the 28th of August 1999, while the boys and I were at this very retreat center---so many memories of my own to sort through during my Adoration times as I pray for the retreatents--I believe they have 30 now.

----- Original Message ----
From: Scott Walsh
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:27:21 AM
Subject: FW: Important Teachings from Early Church Fathers

Subject: Important Teachings from Early Church Fathers

I hope you will forgive this intrusion into a very sensitive subject, but this email was prompted by a reading I came across this morning in the Liturgy for the Hours.

Often, Catholics and other Christians who are pro-choice believe that abortion is a relatively new procedure, not something Jesus and his apostles had to deal with during their time. When challenged by pro-choice advocates, we are unable to find the word “abortion” mentioned in the Bible.

However, abortion is not new. Abortions were, sadly, fairly common under Roman Law (not surprising, considering all the Roman orgies). Although the Bible does not use the word “abortion”, there are many passages which are interpreted as prohibiting abortion. Those interested in this issue are already familiar with the arguments, as there are many articles and writings which amply use Scripture to support the pro-life position.

Fewer people are aware that there are writings from the early Church fathers, those who are eyewitnesses to the birth of Christianity, which expressly and explicitly condemn abortion. One of those writings is The Didache: The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, a writing often quoted near the close of the first century of the Christian era. Chapter 2 of The Didache says, “Thou shall not commit murder, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not commit paederasty (means sexual acts between two males, particularly between an adult male and a young boy), thou shall not commit fornication, thou shall not steal, thou shall not practice magic, thou shall not practice witchcraft, thou shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten, thou shall not covet the things of thy neighbor…” Thus, during the time of Jesus and his apostles, the practice of abortion was considered to be murder.

In addition to the Didache, this morning I came across another writing by one of our early Church fathers which expressly condemns abortion. In today’s Office of Readings (Second Reading, Wednesday, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time), a writing attributed to Barnabas says, “Do not kill an unborn child through abortion, nor destroy it after birth.” Barnabas had a high position in the early Church, including the rank of an Apostle, and spent much of his time ministering side by side with St. Paul .

I’m not real sure what compelled me to send this email, except that I was one of those Catholics I describe above. Until recently, I held the John Kerry view on abortion: “Personally, I am opposed to abortion, but to each their own.” About five years ago, I started an in depth study of our faith, including a study of the early Church. When I came across the Didache, I was taken aback when I learned the practice of abortion was considered murder by those who personally knew Jesus and by those who were the first leaders of Christianity. It caused me to change my view. I came to realize that my John Kerry position was no more tenable than saying “Personally, I am opposed to murder and stealing, but to each their own.”

Sorry American Catholics, the cafeteria is closed.

Ray

Raymond L. Thomas ● Kittleman Thomas & Gonzales, LLP ● (956) 686-8797 ● Fax (956) 630-5199

2008-08-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

If you do not read anything else I write all year—Read this NOW-Please--

August 1, 2008

PORTIUNCULA INDULGENCE

The Portiuncula indulgence, which we can gain every year on the first Sunday of August, we owe to the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. Portiuncula or Portiuncula (in Latin) simply means small portion in Italian and refers to the wonderful Little Church of the Benedictines right outside of Assisi, Italy.

During the time of St. Francis it had fallen into terrible disuse and it was here while prostate before the Crucifix that Francis first heard the voice of his Beloved—“Build my Church, stone by stone, build it Stronger…” It was here that Francis first had his first of many experiences with Christ and Our Lady. It was here he received his first followers, were he received the Lady Clare as his first spiritual daughter and founder of the Poor Clares, were he received his wounds adoring Christ in the San Damiano Cross, and here where he died still ever before Our Lord.
The Benedictines wanted to give Francis the church but in order to remain faithful to Lady Poverty, Francis rented it from them with the annual compensation of a basket of fish from the Tescio river. Of all the many beautiful devotions that he gave to us or helped restore to the Church—his commendation of this place to his brothers was paramount.

During the night in July, 1216, Francis was praying in the little church of the Portiuncula devoured by love for God and a thirst to save souls. He prayed for the forgiveness of sins of mankind. Suddenly a brilliant light shone all around. In great splendor Jesus and Mary appeared in the midst of a dazzling cloud surrounded by a multitude of radiant angels. Out of fear and reverence, St. Francis adored Our Lord prostrate upon the ground. Then Jesus said to him: “Francis you are very zealous for the good of souls. Ask me what you want for their salvation.” St. Francis was rapt in ecstasy before Jesus.

When he regained his courage he said:"Lord, I a miserable sinner beg You to concede an indulgence to all those who enter this church, who are truly contrite and have confessed their sins. And I beg Blessed Mary, your Mother, intercessor of man that she intercedes on behalf of this grace." Our Lady at once began to beseech her son on behalf of Francis.”

"It is a very great thing that which you ask Me; but you are worthy of even greater things, Friar Francis, and greater things you will have. So I accept your request, but I want you to go to my Vicar, to whom I have given the power to bind and loose in Heaven and on earth, to ask him on my behalf for this indulgence."

With one of his companions, Francis hastened to Pope Honorius III and prostrate implored him to proclaim that every one visiting the church and confessing their sins with a contrite heart would be as pure from all sin and punishments as he was immediately after baptism. Honorius was astonished at this strange petition, and hesitated to grant it. But Francis said: "What I ask, I do not ask of myself; our Lord Jesus Christ sends me to you and commands me to make this request." The Pope having been convinced of the truth of his speech granted his petition and ordered that the little church should be solemnly consecrated and the indulgence proclaimed for the second day of August.

From that time pilgrims from all parts of the world flocked to the Portiuncula church in order to gain the indulgence, and numberless were the conversions which occurred at that shrine of grace. In order to make this indulgence more accessible to the faithful, the Popes subsequently extended it to all the churches of the Franciscans. Afterwards it was extended to all parish churches, and the first Sunday of August was appointed as the day for gaining it.

The date was set from vespers of the first of August until sundown on the second of August, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. It is said that St. Francis was given this day by Our Lord because the Feast of the Chains of St. Peter celebrated on August first is the day Peter was released from prison and his chains removed. This is an extraordinary demonstration of God’s mercy in removing the chains of sin from those who devoutly and faithfully seek to gain the indulgence by completing its requirements.

The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi is (for oneself or for a departed soul) as follows:
-- Sacramental Confession to be in God’s grace (during eight days before or after.)
-- Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist
-- Recitation of The Apostles Creed, Our Father and a prayer for the Pope’s Intention.

The Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to miss not only for yourself but for the many suffering souls in Purgatory.

Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels beginning on the First of August to August 2. Tell everyone of the magnitude of this gift. Once again, we see the unfathomable Divine Mercy of God. In the words of St. Francis: O my Brothers and Sisters, I want you all to go to Heaven!

“The Catholic faithful may gain a plenary indulgence on 2 August (the Portiuncula) or on such other day as designated by the local ordinary for the advantage of the faithful, under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff), by devoutly visiting the parish church, and there reciting at least the Lord's Prayer and the Creed. The Indulgence applies to the cathedral church of the diocese, and to the co-cathedral church (if there is one), even if they are not parochial, and also to quasi-parochial churches. To gain this, as any plenary indulgence, the faithful must be free from any attachment to sin, even venial sin. Where this entire detachment is wanting, the indulgence is partial.”

The Portiuncula indulgence is the first plenary indulgence that was ever granted in the Church. There were indeed indulgences at all times, but they were only partial, and only a partial remission of the temporal punishments could be obtained by them. But, as already remarked, he who gains the Portiuncula indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after holy baptism. This was also the reason why Pope Honorius was astonished when St. Francis petitioned for the confirmation of this indulgence, for such an indulgence, up to that time, had been entirely unknown. It was only after he had come to the conviction that Jesus Christ himself wished it, that he granted the petition of the saint and confirmed the indulgence.

This indulgence is granted for all time to come, i. e., until the consummation of the world. In the primitive ages of Christianity it was not customary to grant indulgences for ever, they could be gained only during a certain period. It was with them as it is with our jubilee indulgences, which are limited to a certain time, and which, after the lapse of that space of time, cannot be gained. When St. Francis preached in the Portiuncula church in the presence of several bishops, and solemnly announced to the assembled people the indulgence granted by Christ and confirmed by his vicar on earth, the Pope, and added that this indulgence could be gained on the second day of August for all time to come, the bishops were shocked at this addition and would have it only for ten years. They therefore raised their voice and were going to say, only for ten years, but miraculously guided by God, they unanimously cried out, for all time to come! The Portiuncula, indulgence, which has already continued for more than six hundred years, will continue till the end of the world, and even shortly before the coming of Christ to judgment this indulgence could still be gained.

Finally, what distinguishes the Portiuncula, indulgence especially from all others is, that on the day on which it is granted, it can be gained not only once, but oftener. You can gain other indulgences only once on the same day, but the Portiuncula indulgence you can gain on the first Sunday of August, and that, too, as often as on that day you visit a church of the Franciscans, or the parish church, and there pray for some time according to the intention of the Holy Father. The Congregation of the Council has twice so decided, on the 17th of July, 1700, and again on the 4th of December, 1723. In fact, when doubts were submitted to the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences as to whether the faithful who visit a church of the Franciscans on the second Sunday of August can obtain the indulgence as often as the visit is repeated, the answer was in the affirmative, February 22nd, 1847, and it was declared at the same time that it is not necessary to receive Communion in any of the churches of the Franciscans. Pope Pius IX. confirmed these decisions by a decree of the same Congregation, dated July 12th, 1849.

It is indeed true that on one day we can gain a plenary indulgence for ourselves only once, but this does not interfere with the doctrine that the Portiuncula indulgence can be gained more than once on the same day, for we may apply it to the souls in purgatory, if we gain it the second and the third time, etc.

The Portiuncula indulgence then is a great grace of which we should avail ourselves every year. Try to gain it. See above all, that you make a humble, contrite and sincere confession, for a good confession is the first and most necessary requisite for the forgiveness of sins and the gaining of the indulgence.

Receive Holy Communion with the most profound humility and adoration.

Say the prayers for an indulgence with devotion and sentiments of repentance, according to the intention of the Holy Father, and relying on the merits of Jesus Christ, on the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis, and the other saints, beseech God with confidence to impart to you the indulgence and to deliver you from all temporal punishments.

Promise to be thankful to him for this grace all the days of your life by carefully keeping your conscience free from even small faults.

Visit the church several times and after repeating the prayers for an indulgence apply it to the poor souls that they may partake of the grace thereof. Thus the Portiuncula indulgence will be to you a key with which you will open heaven, both for yourselves and for many poor souls. Amen.

You and yours remain in my heart and in my prayers as we enter this lovely month of August.

Daniel

2008-07-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Brothers in Christ,

Please consider this and pass it on to anyone else you know in the parish.
I have signed on to be part of a men’s study group that meets each Tuesday morning at St Ann’s at 5:30 AM. You can imagine that I must believe in it strongly to make such a commitment in my waning years J to give up my beloved early morning sleep time for a bunch of guys like you.
We will start on September 9th promptly at 5:30 and we will have 13 sessions following the school year and then break for the Holidays and Holy Days. You may know someone who has been part of this at St Monica’s for the last two years. It is being added in town this year also at: St Rita, St Thomas Aquinas, and All Saints along with us here at St Ann in Coppell. It has been going strong at a number of parishes where it started in Houston.
You can see all about it at the website: www.thatmanisyou.com

The first year of the That Man is You!-- men’s leadership program, entitled “Becoming a Man after God’s own Heart,” develops the vision of authentic male leadership based on the four leadership roles entrusted to men and firmly establishes the first step in leadership as personal union with God. The program opens the pathway to authentic leadership by providing the means for overcoming the three main obstacles in the spiritual life and strengthening the individual’s union with God.
TMIS has been going strong at St Monica’s for three years and this year St Ann is joining St Rita, St Thomas Aquinas, Prince of Peace, and All Saints to the program here in Dallas.
THE PROGRAM
FALL SESSION:
“That Man is You!”
WEEK 1: The Need for Leadership
WEEK 2: A Society in Crisis
WEEK 3: The Family as the Foundation of Society
WEEK 4: The Image of God in Man
WEEK 5: Behold the Man
WEEK 6: Woman: The Masterpiece of Creation
WEEK 7: The Union of Man and Woman
WEEK 8: Satan’s Attack on the Family
WEEK 9: A New Adam and a New Eve
WEEK 10: Marriage as the Return to Paradise
WEEK 11: The Temptation of Modern Man
WEEK 12: A Broken Covenant?
WEEK 13: The Passion of the Church

Please hit the website and poke around—there is a video and some more info.
Just click on Location and then Texas and then St Ann Coppell and register----there is no cost and at last count we have over 26 registered all so far by word of mouth. You will begin to see it in the bulletin next week and hear about it from the Announcements in coming days.
Call me with any questions.

God bless and thanks for considering this new men’s opportunity to grow in your Catholic faith,

Daniel
214-566-2298

2008-07-28T15:13:00.001-07:00

Dear Brothers in Christ at St Ann Coppell,

I would like to invite you to the ACTS Retreat that will be held in Dallas at the Bishops Retreat Center in Oak Cliff August 21-24. The retreat starts and ends at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Richardson with a gathering on Thursday evening and then finishing up with Mass on Sunday. The retreat celebrate for the entire retreat is Bishop Charles Grahman.

I am a long-standing Continuation Committee member at St. Ann's in Coppell for the CRHP weekends that are held within the parish over a 2 day period and have participated in 3 of them here. I made the first Dallas ACTS retreat back in October of 2005 and now will be on the Giving Team for this next one. In years passed, I have made Marriage Encounter, pro-life retreats, and Cursillo through the Fort Hood team back in 1998.
And of course over the years I have done scores of different types of retreats and renewal events.

As a Catholic man, I wholeheartedly support and recommend the Acts retreat and would love to discuss it with you and encourage you to make arrangements to attend. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me. The retreat is $160 and the Registration Form is included.

This in no way competes with our current and wonderful CRHP program which I wholeheartedly support and continue to work with. It simply gives you another avenue of ongoing renewal which we are all called to.

Pass this along as you like,

God bless,

Daniel Vinzant
214-566-2298

2008-07-28T12:30:00.001-07:00

And now some good news to those who STAND JUST for the Gospel of Life against this Culture of Death,

daniel

Planned Parenthood Temporarily Suspends Abortions in South Dakota
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, July 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Allen D. Unruh submits the following and is available for comment:

On Monday, July 21, 2008, women in South Dakota showed up for their abortion appointments at 8:00 a.m. But there was a sign on the door that Planned Parenthood was closed. Monday is the day that Planned Parenthood usually schedules abortions at its Sioux Falls abortion clinic. On those Mondays, Planned Parenthood flies a doctor in from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to perform 15 to 20 abortions. On this Monday, no unborn babies died in South Dakota by an abortion. The reason Planned Parenthood suspended its abortion practice this week should be the most exciting news the Culture of Life has ever had. Monday was the first day Planned Parenthood had to comply with South Dakota's new Abortion Informed Consent Law. The Law became effective because of a decision of an en banc Court of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, on June 27, 2008, which vacated an injunction. Now Planned Parenthood must comply with the requirements of the Law.
Among other things, the new law requires the abortion doctor to advise the pregnant mother, in writing, that the abortion will "terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being." The U.S. Court of Appeals rejected Planned Parenthood's argument that the Statute violated the doctor's first amendment rights. Planned Parenthood is contending that the statement is one of "ideology." The Court held that the Statute made it clear the statement was a statement of biological fact, not one of ideology; and the evidence produced did not demonstrate it was anything other than an accurate statement of biological fact.

The new Law also requires the abortion doctor to inform the pregnant mother that the pregnant mother and the second human being have an existing relationship that enjoys protection under the Constitution of the United States, and that the procedure terminates that relationship and the rights associated with it. The Law also requires disclosure of medical risks, including the risk of depression and "increased risk of suicide ideation and suicide."

After the case was remanded back to the Federal District Court on June 27th, Planned Parenthood's lawyers attempted to convince the District Court Judge to enter a new injunction concerning the disclosures other than the "human being" disclosure. On Thursday, July 17th, the District Court refused to enter another injunction and the Law became effective on Monday, July 21st.
When someone finally came to the Planned Parenthood office this last Monday, no abortion doctors arrived with them. No abortion doctor flew into South Dakota that day. The penalties for abortionist's non-compliance could include a prison sentence, loss of medical license, and civil liability. In South Dakota, a wrongful death case can be brought for the death of an unborn child at any age of gestation. Time will tell if an abortionist will take the medical and legal risk of completing abortions in South Dakota without compliance to the 8th Circuit decision. The new rules are that they must tell the truth. The immediate beneficiaries of this new law are the women and their children. The women will be better informed, and that information, for some, will most likely result in the women keeping their children. More children will live.

But, perhaps the greatest beneficiary is our culture at large.
In the lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood challenging the constitutionality of South Dakota's Informed Consent Law, Dr. Bernard Nathanson testified that he was one of the original founders of the National Alliance to Repeal Abortion Laws (NARAL). He is probably the last living original founder. He testified that as part of their strategy, the NARAL founders decided that they had to deny what they knew to be true -- that an abortion killed a living human being. They decided to deceive the public (and the courts) by maintaining that what was "evacuated" in an abortion was "just some tissue." Dr. Nathanson has blown NARAL's cover. The Eighth Circuit has now shown a bright light on the truth. And the truth will, in the end, set us free.
For addition information about the 8th Circuit Court decision or the Initiative to end abortion as birth control in South Dakota which is on November's ballot, go to www.voteyesforlife.com
Christian Newswire

2008-07-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

Please review this important information and try to keep up on this important subject for all people of good will

Pray and do all to Stand Just for the Gospel of Life in the midst of this Culture of Death,

daniel

Catholic hospitals betray mission
From Wikileaks
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Update: Defense of Catholic hospitals betray missionFriday July 24, 2008 Researchers respond to accusations against the interpretation of the original data on sterilization. See Defense-of-Catholic-hospitals-betray-mission.pdf and Further-analysis-of-sterilization data.pdf at Sterilization and abortion practices in Texas Catholic hospitals
Catholic hospital medical research whistleblowers & Wikileaks staffMonday June 15, 2008

A new study reveals sterilization and abortion practices in Catholic hospitals. Enlarge
In a study of sterilization and abortion practices in Texas Catholic hospitals compiled from hospital discharge data for the State of Texas, whistleblowing Catholic medical researchers found that Catholic hospitals reported at least 9,684 cases of sterilizations and 39 legally induced abortions from 2000-2003. While sterilizations and abortions are legal in the United States, they are considered immoral by the Catholic Church and many Catholics.
Because the hospital systems studied are nationwide, the results are likely to be representative of current practice across the United States.
The identified hospitals and their respective healthcare systems are operated by religious orders of the Catholic Church who according to the Church's Canon Law are subject to the authority of the Church. In their activities, they must faithfully observe the mission of their founders (Can. 578) and cooperate with the local bishop. In the United States, they are expected by the local bishops to operate according to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare (2001).
The study shows that all six US Catholic hospital systems operating in Texas do not follow these directives, or, arguably, the purpose and spirit of their founders.
The researchers collected and analyzed the Texas data to inform the public of the practices of Catholic healthcare systems and to foster public accountability for the religious sisters who run these systems in the name of Christ and the Church. The data from the study is made available on this website to all who wish to further investigate the situation.
The study includes records from Catholic hospitals in Texas that present either explicit violations of Catholic directives or might represent violations. The concern of the study has been to examine solid documentary evidence of violations and to avoid confidential information, morally ambiguous procedures, or personal cases.
The data is abstracted from the hospital inpatient discharge data reported to the Texas Health Care Information Collection Center for Health Statistics. The Texas Legislature requires the Center to collect healthcare charges, utilization data including diagnosis and procedures, and outcome data for all patients for the purposes of promoting cost-effective, quality health care.
All Texas hospitals except for very small or rural ones must submit quarterly data on all inpatient discharges. Hospitals assign unique patient and physician identifiers so that records may be submitted without violating patient and physician confidentiality. The data is compiled quarterly into public use data files that may be purchased for research or analytical purposes. The cost at $4,600 per year is out of reach of most individuals and is the reason this study only covers 2000 to 2003. Results for 2004-2008 should be similar.
An Excel file, TCH.xls (Texas Catholic Hospitals), containing abstracted patient records may be downloaded and examined by those who wish to do further investigation. The researchers organized the data and simplified its presentation to make it more accessible to those individuals not familiar with hospital discharge data. They added macros to enable the data to be viewed in various ways. The opening tab of the file explains how to use the macros. There are also links to the hospital systems, religious orders who own the hospitals, and dioceses in which the hospitals or religious orders are located. The researchers are available to assist interested parties in Texas and other states to collect and analyze similar data.
An independent review of TCH.xls with a one page data summary and an assessment of its implications for the practice of Catholic healthcare in the United States and for the necessary adaptation of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare have also been posted. The review has been widely distributed to church leaders and the media. The review data summary, review narrative, and distribution memo may be downloaded from Wikileaks (Sterilization and abortion practices in Texas Catholic hospitals).
Methodology Used in Analyzing Texas Hospital Data
The TCH.xls file was created by a research group including a biostatistician and medical ethicist as a means to facilitate open access to public records containing data from Catholic hospitals in the state of Texas.
Only Catholic hospital inpatient data was extracted from the Texas Public Use Data File for inclusion in the analysis. The Catholic hospitals were identified from the 2006 state list of acute care hospitals in Texas, the hospitals listed in the Official Catholic Directory, and the websites of the identified health care systems and respective religious orders responsible for their operation. Only one acute care Catholic hospital located in Brenham is not included since it is not required to report because of its rural location.
For the identified Catholic hospitals, inpatient data was obtained for the years 2000 through 2003. The state records are coded according to the International Classification of Diseases guidelines (ICD-9-CM) published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A database of the codes obtained from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics is included in the provided files. The researchers responsible for TCH.xls searched for all records which had codes indicating sterilizations, contraceptive procedures, legally induced abortions, and termination of pregnancy. A complete listing of all codes used in searching the records is also included in the data file.
Only those fields from the Texas Public Use Data File relevant to the research are included in the extracted file. Each patient record in the extracted file includes the year and quarter of the discharge, the hospital ID, the name of the hospital, the sex of the patient, the admitting ICD-9-CM diagnostic code, eight additional fields for diagnostic codes, the principle surgical procedure ICD-9-CM code, five additional fields for surgical and obstetrical procedures, and the unique patient record ID. Fields in the records regarding charges, physician identification, and other non-relevant information were excluded from the compilation. It should be noted that the hospital identification codes are unique identifiers assigned to the hospitals by the state. These numbers sometimes change although the hospital remains the same.
A brief note on the selected codes for the search may be helpful. The V25.2 diagnostic code specifically indicates that sterilization for contraceptive purposes is to be done through interruption of the fallopian tubes or the vas deferens. There are distinct diagnostic codes for illegal, legal, or unspecified induced abortions. Only legally induced abortions have been considered. Also, there are procedures such as dilation and curettage (D&C) which can be used either "following delivery or abortion" or "for termination of pregnancy" and are given separate codes to distinguish these very different purposes. Only the codes specifically "for termination of pregnancy" were used for the search. The user is advised to view all the diagnostic and procedural codes in a patient record to gain a clearer understanding of particular cases. A complete list of the codes and their descriptions are included in TCH.xls.
The data for each hospital is summarized on the Hospitals tab. Totals for each code are given. While some records may contain duplicate codes, the totals only count the record once. All the records included in each total number may be seen by double clicking on the total.
The anonymous researchers may be contacted via press@sunshinepress.org
References:
Wikileaks. (2008). Sterilization and abortion practices in Texas Catholic hospitals
Canon Law Society. (2003). "http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Y.HTM" Code of Canon Law . Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2001). "http://www.usccb.org/bishops/directives.shtml" Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare , Fourth Edition. Washington D.C.: USCCB.
Texas Department of State Health Services. (2006). Texas Health Care Information Collection Center for Health Statistics
Retrieved from "https://secure.wikileaks.org/wiki/Catholic_hospitals_betray_mission"
Categories: Analyses United States 2008 2008-07 2008-06

2008-07-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Howdy,

This is so funny not only because it is part of the
Apollo history that I actually thought I knew pretty well :)

But, doubly funny as Jan, my wife--sent it to me today. hehehe indeed. LOL

Today my brother Bryan would be 50--please pray for him.

Tomorrow my brother, sister, and I are going to a joint Class of 70's High School reunion and dance---
Alicia 1970
Mike 1972
Daniel--aka Danny, but never Dan--1974
Bryan 1976

I am not a fan of these things, but want to spend the day with my brother and sister and remember Bryan--we all had many of the same teachers in a relatively small school where everyone knew everyone----and so many families had several kids in each class like us, so it should be an interesting mix---in Waco, my Shechem.

thank God for the bits of humor He gives to get us going on certain days eh

thanks for laughing and crying with me--most of all for praying with and for me and my family

love,
daniel

July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11 lunar module, NeilArmstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon.His first words after stepping on the moon, 'that's one small step forman, one giant leap for mankind,' were televised to earth and heard bymillions.But just before he reentered the lander, he made theenigmatic remark 'good luck, Mr. Gorky.'Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning somerival sovietcosmonaut.However, upon checking, there was no Gorky in eitherthe Russian or American space programs.Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the 'goodluck,Mr. Gorky'...statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.On July 5,1995, in Tampa Bay,Florida, while answering questions following aspeech, a reporter brought up the 26-year-old question to Armstrong.This time he finally responded.Mr. Gorky had died, so NeilArmstrong felt he could answer the question.In 1938 when he was a kid in a small mid-west town, he was playingbaseball with a friend in the backyard.His friend hit the ball, which landedin his neighbor's yard by the bedroom windows.His neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Gorky.As he leaned down to pick up the ball,young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorky shouting at Mr. Gorky.'Sex! You want sex?! You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on themoon!'True story.

Jan

2008-07-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

Subject: Brand new pro-life video produced in Dallas - saved one abortion so far
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soR25u3QXFo

Pro-life video. Song written and sung by a Cantor at Blessed Sacrament in Dallas. So far, this song has stopped a woman from having an abortion.

Please pass on !!

2008-04-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Dear ones,

I know you find it hard to believe--but another year has flown by. I still have a few-- last pounds-- to lose to make the swimming suit season--heheheh. And I have not yet convinced any of you I am a stellar athlete.
But, soon you will see--i am working with the best classically trained Homeopath--Jacqulyn Dudasko--and I feel Good. :) Ask me about her and a refferal.

Every year the first of May I come and ask you to sponsor me as I Walk For Life. You know that I am quite a strong proponent for the Gospel of Life, but for some reason some of my heavier contributors want pictures as proof that I actually do my own walking for this event--like I could ever bark orders and get anyone to do anything for me anyway-whodaddy.

I know gas is more expensive, and we are near-- riots in the streets over grocery prices and shortages--it takes a lot of work to make a living, and you are asked to give--more and more everyday. But, as my dear friends, you know I ask you to pray most and speak of funds very shyly.

Let me just say--this group lead by my very dear friend Kyleen Wright needs our help.
She has more fiduciary resonsibility than any other group I know in the pro-life movement in doing lots with little. Her salary is little and she takes no high-priced junkets to events or conferences. She simply runs back and forth to Austin appealing to the law makers to do the right thing for our children, the unborn and the sick, the infirm and the elderly.
Last year she along with my small group was one of the only brave groups to stand against the Big Names and the famous Big Guns of the "pro-life' movement to make sure bad language and even worse laws were added to the Texas futile care bill--a very badly written law. We still have work to do--but she made it easier to sleep at nght knowing that "medical ethics" were not so easily going to be able to with-hold nutrition and hydration from the sick and dying...Thank you Miss Kyleen.

What a perfect day of service come Saturday--I will be helping with the Bar-b-Que for Life at St. Ann's where the best BBQ in the world is being prepared with love by Greg and his band of brothers--the Knights of Columbus--200 beautiful briskets--with specific proceeds going to the favorite of my heart-- the White Rose Women's Center--where for over 23 years they have served and helped over 2000 girls and children in crisis each year--well over 45,000 women and children as the only Catholic first line of defense to serve the crisis pregnet women of Dallas. They have stood in the gap as close to the gates of hell for all the years--at one time the Blessed Tabernacle of Our Lord-- only one wall between Him and the killing room of Arron's Abortion facility.

I love it when Gerri comes out each year and the Knights present her with the White Rose check in honor of John Everett, her husband who died two years ago May 5th after 17 years of being Director of the White Rose and St. Joseph's Helpers. God bless you Gerri and Mary and Sue and Fred and all of our wonderful friends at the White Rose. Thanks for being on the front lines of saving babies and helping women chose a better life.
It was at John's bed-side his last week on this side--when he said will you join the Knights and let me be your sponsor--thanks to his request I am part of the most vibrant council in the diocese-3rd Degree.

And while the brisket is at its highest glory--offering that sweet smell and aroma as a sacrifice of prayers for God to heal our lands, I will do my two mile walk for Texans for Life right there at St Ann's. Thank you Kyleen for all you do to make me feel that God has chosen for the world to go on for a little longer. God bless you and all your wonderful volunteers.

And thank you Knights of Columbus--the largest pro-life organization in the world and the giver of more funds to pro-life than anyone else in cash and sweat equity for the Gospel of Life. I know you are the largest giver to the White Rose who like all my favorite pro-life works depends on each and every love gift given in Jesus' name to spread the Gospel of Life.

All you have to do is email back and tell me the amount you want to sponsor. That is it. Texans for Life will send you a collection of your pledge later in the month. If you have not sponsored me before, if you will add your address so they can contact you. Trust me--I am very careful with my pennies. This is an organization like the White Rose, the Heidi Group, Priest for Life, and the Cplc--that I whole-heartily like to support with my gifts and my efforts. Help me help you with your Gospel of Life gifts--I will do the walking and sweating--can you drop me a line so I can turn in a good amount of funds to this years Walk for Life?

God bless you all and if you would like to come and walk with me as we admire those wonderful smells this Saturday, give me a call.

YBIC for LIFE,

daniel
214-566-2298

2008-04-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

“Is This What You Mean” Project: The Abortion Procedure Revealed – A Challenge to Politicians and Voters
Priests for Life has launched a special project called "Is This What You Mean?" It aims to:
1) Reveal the nature of the abortion procedure to the public, and
2) Challenge public officials and candidates who support the legality of abortion to admit what abortion is.
The project is explained in its entirety at www.priestsforlife.org.
The project makes use of You Tube videos at www.YouTube.com/frfrankpavone, and of quotes from abortionists, found on the project page at www.priestsforlife.org.
We are asking people to
a) view the videos we made about the abortion procedure; b) read the quotes we provide from abortionists, and c) use that information on blogs, in editorials, at town hall meetings, and in public and private sessions with abortion supporters to ask them, “When you say the word “abortion,” is this what you mean?”
This effort, in which anyone can participate, draws a line in the sand and gives candidates and office-holders alike this challenge:
If you’re going to take a position on abortion, then you’re going to have to come clean about what it is. We are no longer going to let you obscure or trivialize the issue. Whether people agree with you or not, you owe it to them to be honest about what you’re talking about.
Therefore we issue this simple call to honesty: We will describe abortion to you, and you tell us if that’s what you’re talking about.
That’s it, pure and simple. This is not a debate, nor a threat. It’s a call to clarity, a demand for honesty. That is not partisan, nor is it unreasonable; it is not fanatical or inappropriate in any way. Nor is this about religion or morality.
We just want to make sure that we’re hearing you. When you say “abortion,” we just want to make sure we’re both talking about the same thing.
The full URL of the page describing this project is www.priestsforlife.org/action/abortion-procedure-revealed.htm
The specific locations of the videos are as follows:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=us_y9GP_-DA - Dismemberment D&E Procedure and www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBOAPleF1t0 - Suction Abortion Procedure
How can you help with this project?
1) Alert people to the project, the videos, and the quotes, by
Emailing your friends, family, everyone in your address book.
Going into chat rooms, blogs, message boards, etc…
If you have your own website or blog, announce the project there and provide links.
Writing letters to the editor.
Speaking out in town meetings or other public venues.
2) Help drive the number of views of the You Tube videos into the hundreds of thousands in a short time, so that we can make the video a news story. Seek young people who will volunteer time to reference it all over the internet.
3) Using the videos and quotes from the abortionists, diagrams, ask “pro-choice” politicians (whether they are candidates or already in public office) if this is what they mean when they say “abortion.” Yes or no. Ask it publicly. Ask it repeatedly. Ask it in all the ways mentioned above – emails, letters, internet etc….. Those whose support they are seeking deserve to know.
4) These additional resources to help you reveal the nature of the abortion procedure can also be used for this project:
“The Procedure” DVD. See www.priestsforlife.org/store/c-32-dvd-video.aspx
Two professionally created diagrams of the Suction procedure and the D&E procedure. See www.priestsforlife.org/store/c-14-fliers.aspx
Contact Priests for Life at PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314, Tel. 718-980-4400; Fax 718-980-6515; Email: mail@priestsforlife.org; Website: www.priestsforlife.org
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director

2008-04-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Please pass this on to your Crhp teams and among the men of St Ann's you know-----

Alright Brothers,

One more last appeal--we have an incredible arm of the Church that is vibrant and alive and well in our Parish--the Knights of Columbus---and tomorrow--see schedule below--you have the opportunity between 7:30-3:00 to become a Knight in a Day--you will Receive your First, Second and Third Degree as Knights and will have the opportunity to do the 2nd and 3rd degree along with our new Bishop of Dallas who is becoming a 2-3 degree Knight at St Ann's tomorrow.

You will need to fill out a Form 100 and have a check made out to St Ann's K of C for $35 and go through the 3 degrees and you are done--you become a Knight for life--and just pay annual dues to be in good standing.

When the Pope travels--all the air and all the media and the Pope mobile are paid for by the K of C--the K of C is the largest donors of pro-life work in America and they have incredible Catholic teaching aids--and when you become a Knight you get the fraternal benefit of really good life insurance.

I really can not say enough good things about this very worthy arm of the Church and St Ann's. Next weekend they are cooking and selling 200 briskets in the Bar B Que for Life to fund the White Rose.

Email me back and let me know you are going to become a Knight and I will come up and sign you in with your Form 100 and join you for Mass and Lunch. And be very clear--i want you to list me as your Knight sponsor :) and then pray for me and my family as you grow in your Catholic faith trough the Knights--this is all about making sure you help me get to Heaven....

God bless,
ybic, daniel

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Candidates form up in Narthex (rear of church) to march into mass Color Guard meets in Narthex9:00 - 10:00 Mass10:00 Candidates march from Church (through main double doors) to Assembly room10:00-10:15 Insurance Video; coffee & donuts10:30 - 11:30 2nd Degree11:30 - 1:30 Major Degree1:30 - 2:30 Knighting2:30 Lunch
The Degree Team may move the lunch time as the schedule permits. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Knights of Columbus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Roman Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus [1] and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. There are more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils, with nearly 200 councils on college campuses. Membership is limited to "practical Catholic" men aged 18 or older.[2]
Councils have been chartered in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, Japan, Cuba, and most recently in Poland. The Knights' official junior organization, the Columbian Squires, has over 5,000 Circles. All the Order's ceremonials and business meetings are restricted to members though all other events are open to the public. A promise not to reveal any details of the ceremonials except to an equally qualified Knight is required to ensure their impact and meaning for new members; an additional clause subordinates the promise to that Knight's civil and religious duties.
In the 2006 fraternal year the Order gave US $143.8 million directly to charity (1.1 Billion in charitable contributions in the last 10 years) and performed over 68 million man hours of voluntary service. For their support for the Church and local communities, as well as for their philanthropic efforts, the Order is often referred to as the "strong right arm of the Church". The Order's insurance program has more than $60 billion of life insurance policies in force and holds the highest insurance ratings given by A. M. Best, Standard & Poor's, and the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association

2008-04-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well my dears--I do believe in prayer and I find yours all very particularly comforting--and this was sent to me by one of my dearest friends in STANDING FAITHFUL--
and it is a very tempting thought to believe that with all the setbacks so far of this year that a sudden reversal is beginning today--so you are my seven--and I am stopping tonight for Lottery tickets for tonight, tomoroow and Wednesday :) Have your thoughts for the tithes and gifts portions ready so we can dole out all the extra-hehehe.

Most of all as you pray for me and sustain me with your love, kindness, and hope--I hold you deep in my heart and prayers--for all you are and mean to me. May God bless you and keep you and may He make His face shine upon you and May He do for you what is right and good in the Land of the living while you still live.....
So if the below message does not move you deeply I hope that you will take a moment to know your friendship, prayers and hopes for me and my family moves me deeply--even gives me purpose.

your friend,
daniel

GOD WANTS ME TO TELL YOU....Everything that is going wrong in your life today shall be well with youthis year. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieveall your goals this year. For the remaining months of this year (2008),all your agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will beincoming in abundance. Today God has confirmed the end of your sufferings,sorrows, and pains because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you.He has taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down.I knocked at heaven's door this morning, God asked me... My child! What can I do for you? And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the personreading this message'... God smiled and answered... Request granted.If you believe this message, send it to seven persons and the one who sent it to you.By doing this you have succeeded in praying for many people today ..If you do not forward, the prayer will stop.

2008-04-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Musings as I prepared to answer questions for consideration for the St Ann Parish Pastoral Council 4/3/08. I think best on paper and thought you would enjoy the reflections of how I preceive my spiritual gifts in the Chruch.

Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. And the other things on the face of the earth are created for man and that they may help him in prosecuting the end for which he is created.
St Ignatius

Extremism - whether conservative or liberal or whatever - is something I try to avoid. The world isn't perfect, the truth is usually in the middle, and things are rarely as simple as they seem.
Over enthusiasm, bias, extremism, zealotry—what I like to call the hyper-orthodox or hyper-liberalism--the far right or the far left—neither of these have much interest for me other than maintaining that great lesson from the timeless moral ethicist of our day—Tevia of Fiddler on the Roof when he asks the rabbi if there was a prayer for the Tsar—of course, says the rabbi: “God bless the Tsar and keep him far, far away.” What I am trying to say is though many who do not know me at all but have heard me quoted or heard me passionate about one subject at one time—and want to peg me as orthodox or even hyper-orthodox or hyper-liberal—and I have been accused of all that and much more J--I truly see myself as Moderate—middle of the road.

The world is far from perfect, it is not fair, and I would tend that neither is God fair—and things are rarely as simple as they appear—still the Truth is usually found in the middle. My first Spiritual Director taught me a maxim I teach and one that served me well as a pastor of several churches. “We cannot both be right, we could both be wrong. We must seek to come to Truth in the humility of the unanimity of love.”

I love the example of the Early Church—although there are many examples of “disputes that broke out among the breathern” the overall emphasis of the Acts of the Apostles was that the “disciples were together in one accord”. I like that J one accord—not 4 guys in a Honda—but one accord. These are all the same thing-accord-agreement- accordance-concert-concurrence-harmony-good vibes-good vibrations-rapport-unanimity-understanding. To better understand, we need to see what the opposite is—discord-disagreement-dissension-faction-friction-strife-dissidence.
Do you know what I like the most about being in one accord? Not only is it a great feeling and a wonderful way to live, but being in one accord is one of those things that defines you by both being and doing—it is a behavioral essence. It is something we do and maintain-an action- an activity. But it is also a quality of who we are. We can be in accord with something or someone by quality of who we are and we can act in accordance with something or someone through our ongoing actions.

I think of myself as a moderate, Jesuit flavored Catholic pastoral theologian with Carmelite tendencies. J The Baltimore Catechism tell us, “ God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven…To save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity; that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our heart.” This is a pretty good starting point of unanimity—all the rest we need to be prepared to love one another as we prayerfully come together.
We have a natural tendency to feel anger, and resentment. It's natural to have all sorts of feelings. The key is not letting those negative feeling find a home in our hearts - washing them away 'with forgiveness and loving service to others' before they are there long enough to find a home stacked up on the walls of our souls. I used to tell my children—“do you know how a garage is like a grudge? You can close the door to the garage quickly so no one can see all the junk you stack in the garage or you can open wide the door and clean out on a regular basis your garage and store only necessary and needful things that serve you and others in your household or those in need—same with grudges or all the other clutter that does not serve others in our hearts…” It is not easy to forgive. Many times it is not even easy to forgive ourselves. There is so much in this world that pulls us towards selfishness and away from loving, serving, and knowing others. Then there is the darkness we experience that comes from the loss, pain, suffering, and the regret we are left to work through. I've found that as I help others, the darkness in my heart gets brighter. As the focus shifts from me and my selfishness towards the needs of others and how I can be of service to them, there just isn't as much room for the negative feelings.

If I could give all the people of St. Ann parish a spiritual gift I would give them the gift of Charity—not only an incredible chrism, but the chief theological virtue. The gift of charity is the exact gift that will allow us as individual parishioners as well as the parish at large to most fully express the love of God to ourselves, our families, each other in the parish, our neighbors, the city, the Church, and to the world. “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you have love for one another.”

Peter says in his Epistle, “The end of all things is at hand, therefore be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer, and above all things be fervent in love for one another for love covers a multitude of sins.” I like to call this the Chips and Soda doctrine of the First Pope. Open your hearts and homes and share house to house the love of Christ—be involved in each other’s lives. Visit, eat together, share your lives with one another, of course pray together—but most of all love each other. Can you imagine at the end of Peter’s life it is like he is giving his last instructions—his Last Will and Testament so to speak-“the end of all things is at hand…”I think he thought this was important and so should we. I went to Catholic Mass for 18 years before I ever met a Catholic and visited with them about a parish or anything Catholic—before anyone ever said, “ Hello—glad to have you…Hi, are you new, or you a member, can I ….”
I am a very rare convert in the fact that I fell in love with the Church on paper first through study. It happens, but it is much more frequent that people are drawn to the Church because of relationships. With the gift of love we will share the LOVE of God to all those we come into contact with and they will be drawn to have what we have, to love who we love, to be like we are… It will be out of love—a real gift of love that everything else flows.

I am also a convert to the Catholic Church through the spirit of Vatican II. I know there are real things that cannot be changed, and yet so much that can and 40 years is a very short time in the Church for us to understand the real meaning and full beauty of all those wonderful documents have to offer us. I will end with a favorite quote from VII as I feel it sums up what the Council was trying to say to the Laity:
Gaudium et Spes n24
Man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.

Daniel Vinzant
214-566-2298

2008-04-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Fleta Mae GopffarthFebruary 10, 1923 - March 31, 2008

This is not a name you will recognize or perhaps would have ever remembered if you were not a friend of mine to be reading this now.
Tomorrow, Friday, April 4th, 2008 I will drive my older sister to Houston and back so we can pay respects and honor the older sister of my Daddy. She was 85 and had been in a Nursing home watched over daily by her loving husband of 62 years. In all my knowing memory I have know her to be the most devoted of daughters, loving of sisters, faithful and congenial of wives, giving of mothers, generous of Aunts, and hope-filled believers I have ever known. She may have been the shortest woman I have ever known in stature, but she cast a giant shadow with the good works and kindness that followed her life. My tribute letter follows the obituary below:
Fleta Mae Gopffarth passed March 31, 2008, after a short illness.Born February 10, 1923 in Groesback, TX to Lottie and Burl Vinzant she loved and cherished her two sisters, Annie Loraine and Janey, and her three brothers Burl C., Lewis, and John Earl. In 1939, she became a Christian and was baptized.In 1940, she graduated from High School in Groesback, TX. Her father allowed her to have a piece of land for a cotton crop, where later that year she made a bale of cotton. After leaving home, she went to work in a defense plant. Here, she started with a broom and moved to screwing fuses into bombs. Shortly after, she took the job of driving a jeep pulling trailers full of TNT. As WW II ended, she went to work at a train station in Lolita, TX. In Lolita, she met her husband Albert R. Gopffarth and was married September 14, 1946.Albert and Fleta had two beautiful children Martha Kay (1948 – 1987) and Albert Brent (1951 – 1972). Martha married Kenneth Ray Martin of Baytown and had four boys: Jonathan David, Jeremy Michael, Jared Andrew, and Joshua Paul. The majority of her life was lived in Baytown taking care of her husband, children, and grandchildren. She moved to Tomball in 2006.Surviving are her husband, Albert R. Gopffarth, and sisters, Loraine Sadler, of Waco; Jane Spikes, of Moody; brother, Lewis Vinzant, of Greater Houston; and four grandchildren, Jonathan Martin with wife Kimberly, of Tomball, Jeremy Martin, of Los Angeles, CA, Jared Martin with wife Sara, of Cordova, TN, and Josh Martin with wife Mandy, of Los Angeles, CA; and great grandchildren, Adisyn, Anna Kate, Andrew, Ava, and Aiden.A visitation will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Thursday, April 3 at Earthman Baytown Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 12:30 PM, Friday, April 4 at Earthman Baytown Funeral Home with Reverend Burl Hickerson, officiating.
My Aunt Fleta and Uncle Albert lost their son at 21 to a horrific tragedy. Fifteen years later they lost their oldest child-Martha to a severe breast cancer—2 forms, 1 in each breast where they moved in to care for her and the four small children. Then on the day of the funeral they were asked to leave and kept for several years from seeing their only grandchildren as their son-in-laws affections ran to a new interests in the nine months it took his wife to die. Grief upon grief, but they kept their eyes on Jesus, they turned their great sorrow into service for others and were examples to many such as myself. And thankfully as the grandchildren came of age, they reunited with their grandparents and they have been a comfort in their old age.
Here is what I wrote on the Guest book of the funeral home website:
Dear Uncle Albert and boys--now so grown up,
My earliest memories of you two were out on the Vinzant place walking into the house--little, red haired Aunt Fleta and tall, mustached Uncle Albert with that little fru-fru Pomeranian dog in tow...what did that stodgy ole Queen in England have that our family did not have in a royal couple :)
The stories, the warmth, the care, and the laughter you shared with all of us-the attention you gave to us as young children. Albert's willingness to help Daddy, Granddaddy, or the other uncles on various project--when I was away at school for the first time and blew up my $700-- Volkswagen Squareback and was being fined for it being a nuisance--here came Albert and Daddy to tow the thing from Brownwood to Waco...
I was 16 when horror struck your life and your grace and dignity in embracing the Cross and silently suffering-- all the while maintaining your unwavering faith in a Good God--shaped my life and future work. When lingering tragedy struck again 15 years later, as a young father and pastor--your faith and grace in suffering deeply molded me. I will never read the Gospel passage of Lazarus the same again--"Jesus loved Martha..." I have told your story far and wife to hurting parents all these many years...and will continue to as long as I share the Gospel Hope.
In 2000, when that horror of horrors--out living your own child--happened to us with Sarah Ruth, I will never forget the comfort you gave when you both came into the room amidst 100's and engulfed us in your loving embrace and let the knowing pain in the back of your eyes penetrate into our very being--you became my Mentors in taking up the Cross and bearing suffering in silent HOPE. I would not have survived from then till now without your witness-your trust-your faith-your Hope.
Uncle Albert, I have no words other than these thanks to help heal your pain of losing a constant companion of 62 years. You will be in my daily prayers and I will carry your story to many--may those fine men, their wives, and those 5 adorable reflections of your own children bring you much comfort in the days to come. And may He who does promise in That Day to wipe away all tears bring you much comfort and a little laughter as you tell your sweetest memories of days gone by. You and dear Aunt Fleta live large in our hearts, prayers, hopes, and comforting words to others in pain.
With many prayers and hope,
Daniel Vinzant, Andrew and Lewis

My dear friends,
It is so much easier to say goodbye to those who live out their lives and you have time to say your goodbyes to. And writing out these thoughts is such a healing. Thanks for being one who walks along with me through this life journey and we share in each other’s joys and sorrows. I am amazed at how many I have come to hold so close—you do my heart much good.
YBIC,
Daniel

2008-03-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones,

We just finished the long, marvelous, exhilarating, and exhausting weekend of putting on a Renewal retreat at St. Ann's --we finished at 4:45 PM and I sat and waited in the room we finished in until 6:00 to give a talk on my conversion story with reference to Mary and the Saints. It was such a blessing to have brothers and their families from Teams 28, 30, 40, and one new guy and his wife from 42 come out to be with me. This was my first real public telling of my Conversion story since I stopped public speaking in 2000. The support of my brothers was very wonderful and really allowed me the comfort ability to share without restraint—on both the weekend and in the public talk.

As well, the snippets of conversation stolen with Father Steven during the weekend, his marvelous two homilies, and the visual image of how Christ bends low to serve and to love us-- I will live off of these for the next two months. How wonderful that the Confessions went so well I could hold Father hostage in the small Kitchen for my own private time with him. :)

As I said in the talk and on the weekend--I owe a great debt of love to the CRHP process--my five brothers in BIC ,Sons of Enoch, Team 28 and Team 30 for accepting me and loving me –loving me when I was unlovely and disagreeable and bringing me back to some form of socialization & interaction with believers again, and Team 40 and 42 for shaping and refining that HOPE in me to open up more fully and let God's love flow more freely from me to others--you all have to be resigned to the fact that sadly my social norms and abilities will always be woefully deficient. J Thankfully, I can say I made it through all the talks in one piece--but the Mass and homilies brought me back to my many tears and I want to continue to submit to Our Good and Loving Father that HE may continue to change me into the man he wants me to be--and somehow break through this heart of stone and teach me to love freely all HE has given unto me. Pray for me.

At the bottom I am attaching my Help letter to Team 42 because in reality it is my thanks to all those who have embraced me through CRHP, the Knights of Columbus, and the many wonderful apostolates at St. Ann's parish. I never thought I would be able to plug fully into a local parish--and though my heart will always be restless until united in Eternity--this has become the closest thing to home for me in this life--and to a displaced and wandering orphan, that is a lot. Thank you.
I am also including the bio and Scripture readings we attached in the CRHP 42 binder along with the “modified worship song” from my youth that speaks of my loss, wander-lust and rekindled Fire of God’s love. Amazing how the great moral theologians of our times: Tina Turner—“What’s LOVE got to do with it?” and Chicago…can first sing the TRUTH to us. :)

When the boys and I were counseled to come and start over in Dallas in 2000, I was told--"The Catholic community in Dallas is one of the strongest places of community and networking--they are who you need to be with." You few solid friends who held my heart together with your HOPE bead for us back in 2000-- the CPLC, The White Rose, TOPP and the pro-life activists—you were the guiding star to get us here and keep us here, and you will always be in my daily prayers and Holy Hours. If I still reject more social engagements then I accept know my heart is always glad to be asked to be with you and yours, and you are all very dear to me always.

I suppose it is the emotions released through the weekend, the public talk and the fresh sadness I am about to share—but I wanted to let each of you know how very special you are to me. I have a long way to go before I will be the man God really wants me to be, and I have a lifetime of regrets to serve out my purgative penance for. But, as the raw emotions of my recent loss with Bryan remind me—I do not want to keep missing the opportunities to be a very real living expression of the FACE of LOVE. I want to give freely the LOVE God has so richly given to me. Please know you are in my heart and forgive me for the many times I fail to personally give to you what HE has given to me. Surely, “the Nearness of God has been my Good, HE is the Strength of my heart…I believe that I shall see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the Living while I yet live.”

Now I ask you to pray for my dear mentor in the faith and ministry—during the weekend I found out he is on life-support and not expected to live. I am not ready to say goodbye to yet one more good friend and yet I find I am already enlisting his prayers in his final hours of suffering:
Jack Locker—my Pastor since I was 17—a spiritual father who made up all that was lacking in my life and helped me embrace a life of grace and joy in believing. He was the first to teach me of Polycarp, the Martyrs of the Catacombs, Brother Lawrence, Fenelon, John of the Cross, Theresa of Jesus, the Early Church Fathers-he gave me my 37 volume set to read and love. Of Augustine, The Confessions, and Thomas à Kempis…I learned as our Renewal weekend was starting that he had a massive stroke and has been on life support while his daughter traveled to get here today and his body is expected to fail this week. I buried his beloved wife Edna and we have remained close and I am missing him already, and yet praying for his helps and mantel to remain with me.

Thank you all dear friends—old and new—for standing with me through so many of life’s recent difficulties. My heart is still tender with the new regrets of the loss of Bryan and your comments, prayers and most importantly masses offered for Bryan have been the greatest source of comfort—that you give your HOPE bead for the whole Vinzant family—those in the Arms of God and those still struggling heavenward here two steps forward and one step backwards—that we remain, all of us on the PATH.

With a full heart, a thankful heart,

Daniel
“To live without FAITH, without a heritage to defend, without battling constantly for truth, is not to live, but to ‘get along’ we must never just ‘get along.’ “
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassali

Gaudium et Spes n24
Man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.

Bio, song and help letter follow below

New Life in Christ Witness – Spiritual Director
Daniel Vinzant

Family: Andrew – 24, Lewis – 22
In the Arms of God: Emily Katherine (Baby), Sarah Ruth, 21 (October 2000)
Jan Vinzant lives alone in Waco, Texas.

Occupation: Director of Sales for SimCrest, Inc.—a Microsoft Gold Partner selling and implementing Dynamics NAV (ERP software solutions).

Hobbies: Anything my sons involve me in; Church or any conversation about Church; family dinners and intimate Dinner parties; movies with my sons; reading; cooking and new restaurants.

Background: I was born in Waco , Texas – the third of four children, to very godly, activist parents. I attended Howard Payne where I met my wife, Jan. I graduated from Baylor with a BA. I attended Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary in 1980. I graduated from The University of Dallas with a Master of Theology in May of 99’.

Our Family was brought into full-communion with the Catholic Church in Waco, TX on Assumption, August 15, 1998 and helped celebrate Norma McCovey’s (Jane Roe) Confirmation on August 17, 1998 at St. Thomas in Dallas.

My sons and I came to Dallas in May of 2000 and they attended The Highlands School. Jan remained in Waco , having been moved out of the family home in August 1999 by her Baptist pastor/father. Sarah Ruth died in a car wreck on October 14, 2000. We started attending St. Ann ’s in December of 2000. I joined a small BIC group in October of 2002 and these 5 men were the only people I knew at St. Ann’s until my CRHP weekend April, 2005.

I began being invited to CRHP by my realtor, Bruce Umstead in 2001 and said no to the weekend twice and signed up and then dropped out twice, before making the 2005 weekend.

Biggest change in my life since CRHP weekend: I have HOPE again – Our Lord broke my heart during the weekend and made me realize my hope was almost gone. I am beginning to come back to HIM in the Church and see my place in discipleship and fellowship though the new relationships with my brothers in CRHP.

Scripture Readings for New Life in Christ Witness

Luke 2: 52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and if favor with God and man.

2 Timothy 3: 16
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

1 Timothy 3: 14-16
I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Mark 4: 39
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat….And a great storm or wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But, he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Isaiah 43: 1-2
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior….I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

1 Peter 4: 7-8
The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all hold unfailing your love—keep fervent in love-- for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another-- without complaint.

Song for New Life in Christ Witness
“I Don’t Want to Live Without Your Love” ChicagoThought it wouldnt matterIf we didnt stay together,And if it was over,Maybe it was for the better.I was thinking Id be alright,til I thought it all through.Now I know that I aint really livingIf I have to live without you.I dont wanna live without your love,I dont wanna face the night alone.I could never make it through my lifeIf I had to make it on my own.I dont wanna love nobody else,I dont wanna find somebody new.I dont wanna live without your love,I just wanna live my life with you.Guess I had to go away,So much I had to go through.Guess I had to lose YOUTo realize how much I love YOU.Can we make the fire burn again,Burn a little stronger? cause Ive been alone, and,I can’t be alone now any longer.I dont wanna live without YOUR love,I dont wanna face the night alone.I could never make it through my lifeIf I had to make it on my own.I dont wanna love nobody else,I dont wanna find somebody new.I dont wanna live without YOUR love,I just wanna live my life with YOU.Oh, if I had to make it on my own,My life would never be the same,My love would never be the same.I dont wanna live without YOUR love.

Dear Brothers in Christ,

By now you have come to the point in your weekend where hopefully you are coming to terms with why you were called by God to be here as a member of the CRHP 42 weekend at St. Ann’s. Perhaps you were like me and someone in your life has nagged you for so long to make a weekend that you finally broke down and just said yes. Perhaps you have been trying to make one of these weekends for a long time. It does not matter—what matters is that you did say yes and now you are here—and in some way you are hearing God’s voice speak to you. A wise friend who tried to get me to attend the weekend for 3 years said, “Daniel it does not matter where you are in your spiritual journey—if you open your heart to the Holy Spirit, there is something for each person to experience—it is not the same for every man, but there is something here for everyone who opens their hearts.

I am sure you are not like me—I had gone through three boxes of Kleenex by this point of the weekend. Father Steven still refers to CRHP 30 as the “Crying Team". :) You have heard a small, very real part of my testimony by this point—remember our confidentiality clause. :) Tonight at 6:00, for the first time, I am telling my story to a larger audience at St Ann’. The fact that I am speaking again at all is my testament to the CRHP experience. Hopefully you are not as wounded as me. But, if you missed it in my quick talk—hear it here. I found myself at a place where I thought I should be alone and that I did not deserve to be loved by others. These men of CRHP wrapped their arms around me and helped me once again run to Jesus, “Draw me and we will run together unto You, O Lord.” They have shown me love, support, and given me the confidence to take up the gifts and calling of God fresh, anew, and to share what HE has given unto me. I owe CRHP a great debt of love.

If you will give yourself to the full experience of the weekend and what comes after—I believe you too will say that God uses CRHP in your life. You have the benefit of Team 30 and Team 40-because I was not there with them, but am with you—it took them a long time to break through and show me their love and patiently wait on me to be able to return that love—I hope they all now know how much I love them—and you too I want to know that I love you-each of you, and if I can be of some help to you do not hesitate to call on me. “O, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.”

YBIC, Daniel Vinzant
Spiritual Director Team 40

2008-03-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones of my Hearts—how can I not share with you the few sweet words of Christian comfort and HOPE. Thank you for the many MASS cards and if you feel lead to offer others, thank you in advance.

This is certainly not the hardest, but almost the most bitter embrace of the Cross I have experienced in this Valley of Tears. Thank you so much for continuing to pray for the entire Vinzant family on your HOPE bead when you pray your beads—my HOPE is in the NAME of the LORD Who made Heaven and earth—though the earth tremble and the mountains shake—my HOPE will be in the NAME of the LORD—when my heart was bitter within, my reason had gone and there was NO HOPE –then the Lord of MY Heart took hold of my hand—now He is the strength of my Heart—The Lord God is the Strength of my Heart. Pray for me as I spend the rest of my life not failing others and loving them more surely and steadfastly through the pain of not being able to be more for Bryan in this life—as I pray for him and to him for help for the rest of my life as I learn to give away the love of Jesus Christ in a very troubled world.

daniel
Guest Book for
Bryan Keith Vinzant

March 31, 2008
Dear Vinzant Family,I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved Bryan. My deepest sympathies to Michael for the loss of his father. You and your father are in our thoughts and prayers. May God give Michael peace as you grieve the loss of your father and may God give your father eternal love and peace in heaven. Respectfully and with our Deepest Sympathies.

Stephanie & Randall Mardell (Irving, TX) Contact me

March 25, 2008
Daniel, we are very sad to hear about your brother. It is only compounded by the fact that it happened at the same place of your daughter's death. You and your family are in our prayers. May Jesus hold you tight and help you through this.

Anthony, Alicia, Valincia (The Paul Family) (Dallas, TX)

March 25, 2008
Our prayers are with you and your family, Daniel. God Bless.

Tim & Denise Taylor (CRHP 24,28) (Coppell, TX)

March 25, 2008
Our Deepest Sympathies. We have you in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless.

Michael & Jo Ann Talkington (Coppell, TX)

March 24, 2008
Please accept my deepest sympathies and condolences. Bryan was and is one of my dearest friends. We mutually enjoyed each other's company and friendship very much! I will miss him and his presence greatly. It was a wonderful comfort to know he was only a phone call away. He looked out for those he loved with vigor and respect without desire for gratitude. May his soul rest in eternal peace...Chuck McDonald

Charles W. McDonald (Waco, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
Daniel and Boys,Lisa, the girls, and I are so sorry for your losses and we will keep all of you Vinzants in our prayers. Daniel, my dear friend, I do not understand why you are given all these challenges nor how you manage with such dignity and grace. We feel so blessed to be your friend. God Bless.

Bill Stuart (Coppell, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
The thoughts and prayers of the Ryan family are with you in this difficult time.

Denis Ryan (Flower Mound, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
Alicia, Mike & Danny,I was saddened to hear about Brian. I will be thinking of you all in your time of sorrow.

Tom Lee (Coldwater)

March 24, 2008
Our prayers go out to the entire Vinzant family and all those who knew Bryan.

Dauty and Lucie F (Irving, TX)

March 24, 2008
Daniel,Our condolences on the loss of your brother. Our prayers are with you and your family during this time of mourning. May God's presence permeate your being and flow through you to all those whom you encounter granting them peace. We were so very blessed to have shared Holy Mass with you on Holy Thursday. Your soulful singing and depth of love for our Lord was strongly evident. May this love carry you over the troubled waters into a place of peace and comfort. We thank you for your incredible witness, and will pray for the repose of your brother's soul.In His Love and Mercy,

Eddy and Denise Koch (Flower Mound, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
We're going to miss you, Bryan.

Jen Russell (Waco, TX)

March 24, 2008
Alicia, Mike and Danny:Mama (your Aunt Odessa) just told me yesterday about Bryan. I can't tell you how much my heart goes out to you at this time. It's really difficult to lose a sibling - I know when Andy died we felt we couldn't go on. But God, in His mercy, sent peace and understand as He will for y'all as well. I've thought of you so often over the years and will keep you in my prayers. My love to all of you.

Teresa Lee Miller (Ontario, CA)

March 24, 2008
Vinzant Family,Please take comfort in knowing that your extended family is with you during this sorrowful time. May the Lord cradle you in his loving arms.

Bob Kleam (Lake Dallas, TX)

March 24, 2008
May the peace of Christ, which is beyond all understanding, be with your family as they grieve the loss. And may you be graciously be welcomed by Our Lord for your heavenly inheritance.

Greg Novitsky (Flower Mound, TX)

March 24, 2008
Brother Daniel,My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I will pray for the repose of your brother's soul.Your Brother In Christ,Robert Romero

Robert Romero (Irving, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
Dear Daniel & Family:My thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of great loss.

tim moore (Carrollton, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends.

Darald Nathan (Lewisville, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
Daniel and Family,Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with you and Bryan. May God bless and watch over all of you now and always.

Michael, Julie & Ian Maley (Coppell)

March 24, 2008
We are so sorry for your loss! Our prayers and thoughts are with you during this time.

Robert Keith and Mandy Spikes (Eddy, TX) Contact me

March 24, 2008
Mike and Family - We are so very sorry for your loss. We pray that you will be comforted during this difficult time. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." - 2Cor1:3-5

Randy Simonds and Family

March 24, 2008
Mike, Alicia and Danny,I was so sorry to hear about Bryan from momma. I know that y'all will be glad to see her today, and I sure wish I could be there for you as well. Know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Cecila King (Ackerman, MS) Contact me

March 24, 2008
Our prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time. If there’s anything Vicki and I can do to assist, please let me know.Thanks,Bob and Vicki Fox

Bob Fox (Fort Worth, TX)

March 24, 2008
Daniel,The greatest gift God gives, besides his Son, is free will -- but, it's double edge works in ways we do not emotionally understand. I am so sorry for your loss and pray Jesus, whom you love and serve so incredibly well, wraps your family in his arms and comforts you.

Jeff Vaughan (Dallas, TX)

March 24, 2008
Our prayers are with all of the Vinzant family. May God have mercy on Bryan and all of us.

Bill & Beverly Deville (Carrollton, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
You will be missed but you know that I will contune to watch out for you son. My door has alway been open to you and Mike and they will always stay open. My heart go out to you family I know the pain they are going though. You were here when I lost my wife a year ago. I will be here for your family Your lost hurts but I know that you are walking with God now.

Lawrence (POPS) Akard (Bellmead, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
Uncle Burl and Aunt Sandy,You and your family are in my prayers

Tammy Rodgers (Marlin, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
Mike and Family,My deepest sympathies for your loss - it's never easy to lose a loved one, but when they leave us so unexpectedly it seems even more difficult. God bless and comfort your family in this time of sorrow.

Aileen Barr (Coppell, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
he will always be missed in our hearts. and we will keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers. i hope all gets better for his family and friends.

thomas and anna davenport (bellmead, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
we will all miss the knocks at the doors and the frequent scares he had for us.he will be missed and thought of always

mary & jody bond (bellmead, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
I am sorry to hear about your loss my thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of sorrow.

brenda Walker (Waco, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.

Charlene Ricketts (san marcos, TX) Contact me

March 23, 2008
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Don and Betty Cone (Flower Mound, TX)

March 23, 2008
You are all in my prayers.
Mel and Ellona Rodgers (Waco, TX) Contact me

2008-03-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Wayne,

I am wondering if you are ready to share OLS with us for a bit? We are having a rough patch and it would be nice to have her comfort.

If you could pass on my sadness to Team 30. My younger brother--with whom I have had a bit of troubled relationship was struck and killed by a hit and run driver on Thursday night. We did not know until Friday evening when people stared calling because they released his name on the TV without contacting any next of kin---our name is so uncommon and we are all related had they called any Vinzant in Waco we could have told them....

And to compound the horror--which I have not yet gotten my head around yet. He died exactly the next on- ramp from where my precious daughter Sarah Ruth died in 2000--SR and Bryan both between mile marker 317 and 316 on the North bound side of I 35 at Bruceville Eddy before you get to Waco. We do not know why he was there, where his truck is, what had happened to him that night prior to his being hit--he was throw 150 feet and left for dead, alone...

The funeral is tomorrow in Waco at the Pecan Grove Funeral Home--it is a Baptist funeral and the preacher intends to "reach the unsaved" that might be there...I have already endured a very uncomfortable one hour tirade from a grieving relative on the evils of the Catholic church in the Third World where it is full of witchcraft and idolatry and the evils of the Pope for not dealing with it because we make money off them....I refuse to make the day of burring my brother about religion, or a Baptist pastors attempt to save the lost including the family who turned to the Catholics...Pray for us all, but more than all pray for Bryan Vinzant, 50. Pray for my sons--they experience the pain of confusion of the amount of sadness and unpredictability in the world...They have been so good to me and are trying to protect me--they did not want me to find out where he died...

We do live in a Valley of Tears but this Easter season reminds of fresh and a new of the Hope of new life...Our Lady, Mother of Sorrows is a great comfort. The Eastern Church has a beautiful song we sang on Holy Thursday preparing for Good Friday----"Wahabeebee, Wahabeebee"--"Oh my son, Oh my beloved" It is a mournful song sung by Mary to her dying son...it has been a source of comfort to me.

Team 40, I will not make the last Monday meeting and will talk to Jeff Tuesday. I will be available Thursday to go to Confession and the weekend Friday, but after missing Monday and Tuesday of work, will probably need to work Friday....we will catch up after Monday--i was going to let Wayne and Jeff forward this, but once I started typing I got through this so will bcc a lot of you to get this partial message out and will catch up with many of you after the weekend.

The word of this sadness has trickled to many already and the prayers and promises of masses have been a great source of comfort. Jan has been here the whole weekend and is doing the music tomorrow and has been a great comfort. We are burying Bryan very near Sarah Ruth in our family plot.

Please pray for grace to endure the misunderstood--this is another tragedy in/near Waco and unfortunately there are actually those there of such fundamental faith who believe all these things happen because I became Catholic...that the "cup of God's wrath" is a deserved punishment for "turning from truth"...

I more than ever believe that the best evidence of God is that only God can bring Good out of Evil. I cannot imagine such a death, but do look forward to seeing the glimmers of God in the midst of this Sorrow and Tears. God is God and though He slay me, I will trust in God...My family was very blessed to be taken out of the sorrow for 5 hours by Doug and his family hosting us with an extended lunch with Fr. Mitch Pacwa who ministered such incredible comfort to not only me, but especially my sons and Jan. All three have mentioned him and how much they loved being with him Saturday and again for Easter Mass today. He offered Mass today for Bryan too which was such a comfort.

When I saw my sweet, misunderstood little brother's life reduced to 5 sentences and dwell on the fact that he died alone and had been whisked to Dallas for autopsy and was back in the Waco morgue before I even knew he was dead------I thought deeply of the incredible and undeserved gift of your friendships and your love to me--who can be far more disagreeable to love than someone like him. Thank you each that I have bcc'd as you came to mind--forgive the rambling as I throw out an update or your first hearing--for your kindness to me and my family, your prayers of faith, and your HOPE bead for my family...pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen...
your brother in Christ,
daniel

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Bryan Keith Vinzant
Bryan Keith Vinzant, 50, of Bellmead, passed away Friday, March 21, 2008. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Monday, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124 Robinson Dr. in Waco ,with Mark Dallalio officiating. Burial will follow at Stanford Chapel Cemetery in Hewitt. Bryan was born July 18, 1957, in Waco, to Burl and June Vinzant. He attended Midway schools. He worked many years as a millwright for Commercial Contracting in Rockdale. He was a member of Local Carpenters and Millwright Union. He was preceded in death by his parents; and a niece, Sarah Ruth Vinzant. He is survived by a son, Michael Vinzant of Waco; sister, Alicia Bell of Waco; two brothers, Michael Vinzant and wife, Sandra of Carrollton, and Daniel Vinzant of Coppell, Texas; seven nieces and nephews. July 18, 1957 - March 21, 2008 Sign the Guest Book at http://www.wacotrib.com/