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Showing posts from 2010

We all have the ability to make a change

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The solstice lunar eclipse

The solstice lunar eclipse

NEVER LET ME GO Theatrical Trailer in HD 06/15/10 Mulligan Knightley Gar...

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I AM Official Trailer

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Rabbit Hole Trailer 2010 HD

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Amazing Priest

There was an interesting article in the news recently, but which may have got missed by most people, was that of Catholic priest Father Bolmax Periera who had life saving heart surgery while he was awake! MEDICS performed open-heart surgery on a patient who was AWAKE throughout the life-saving op. Catholic priest Bolmax Periera had an epidural injection in the spine so he could not feel anything below his neck. But he sensed surgeons pushing and pulling inside his chest cavity and heard them talking in hushed tones about the operation's progress. He was also able to speak to the anaesthetist as he had a defective heart valve replaced. Doctors hope that wide-awake heart surgery will reduce the risk in complex operations. By talking to the patient, they will be able to get an early warning of any problems that could cause a stroke or other complications. A sheet shielded Fr Periera from seeing the gore of his operation in Bangalore, India. But he said later: "I heard them say, &

Fertility Factories

An interesting article in the Daily Mail today discusses the health hazards of IVF for the women donating the eggs, mainly abroad as the regulations are less tight than here in the UK. Not just physical problems but also emotional problems. Nastya Kanatova who doanted eggs says interestingly: 'In dark moments, I feel a sense of loss about them, an emptiness. I have ­children I will never know. I ask myself: “Are these children OK? Are they happy? Will they ever feel deprived by not knowing fully about themselves, never knowing their biological mum?” Because, in the end it’s not just ­biology, is it? It’s human emotion, too. I gave them life, yet I feel consumed by guilt.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1339041/The-brutal-fertility-factories-trading-British-mothers-dreams.html#ixzz18JCf8tx8 She also talks about the physical side effects: I had to have a course of injections, which led to some unpleasant side- effects. I felt exhausted. ‘There were headaches, a

A Piece Of Iona

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Catholic Information Service

Catholic Information Service

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song (3of3)

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O Come O Come Emmanuel Catholic Traditional Advent Hymn

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Switzerland scraping the bottom of the barrel

Switzerland - once a 'harmless' country and known more for a lonely goat herd, triangular chocolate and fondue - has of recent years been identified with Dignitas - a Swiss assisted suicide clinic. A company that gets very well paid for 'helping' people to commit suicide, something as abhorrent as the abortion 'mills'. However now Switzerland seems to have completely lost its way by considering a repeal in the law to make sexual relations between consenting adult family members legal. Green party MP and lawyer Daniel Vischer said he saw nothing wrong with two consenting adults having sex, even if they were related. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1338227/Switzerland-repeal-obsolete-incest-laws.html#ixzz1821HwtIa Other political parties however echoed concerns of rising incest if it was decriminalised, possibly leading to more genetic mutations among the population as a result. Daniel Vischer is married and has two children and it makes one

Veni Veni Emmanuel

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Shrine of Our Lady of the Crag

The Chapel was carved out of the rock in about 1408 by 'John the Mason', and is believed to be the third oldest wayside shrine in Britain. John was a local stonemason who worked in the nearby quarry and one day, his son was playing on the rocky cliff when there was a great downfall of stones and boulders. The father of the boy attributed his son's narrow escape from death as a miraculous intervention by the Virgin Mary and is said to have built the shrine in thanksgiving and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin. In earlier times it was called "Saint Robert's Chapel", probably inaccurately, since it was constructed almost two centuries after the saint's death and may have been confused with Saint Robert's Cave, tucked away on the same riverbank further down Abbey Road. Today, the Chapel is owned by Ampleforth Abbey. It was given to the Abbey by John Martin, a Roman Catholic from Liverpool, who bought it in 1916. The R.C. parish of St. Mary's Knaresbor

Gregorian Chant, Christmas Chants

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Charlie Brown Christmas

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Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy

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O Come O Come Emmanuel Catholic Traditional Advent Hymn

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Musings of the Week

Is it just me that is confused over the latest headlines on the Pope and Condoms? Only in 2009 the Vatican defended Pope Benedict's opposition to the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS as activists, doctors and politicians criticised it as unrealistic, unscientific and dangerous. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1162679/Vatican-defends-Pope-condoms-increase-problem-Aids-Africa-controversy.html#ixzz16nU0Y5XZ The Church teaches that fidelity within heterosexual marriage and abstinence are the best ways to stop AIDS. Asked about the criticism, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pope was 'maintaining the position of his predecessors'. The Vatican also says condoms can also lead to risky behaviour but many contest that view. Even Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organisation's HIV/AIDS department, said: ... abstinence and reducing the number of partners were also needed and praised faith-based groups, noting tha

Pasadena Roof Orchestra - The Very Thought Of You

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Winter Wonderland sung by Johnny Mathis

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It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas By Johnny Mathis

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Don't Miss EWTN's Documentary on Amparo Portilla: Spain's Married Mother of 11 Whose Cause for Canonization is Underway By Michelle Laque Johnson

Ewtn reports: Amparo Portilla, mother of 11, could become the first married woman to be canonized in the Diocese of Madrid! Find out about her extraordinary life in the new documentary, "Amparo Portilla: An Appointment in Heaven." Airs 10 p.m. ET, Nov. 21, 1 p.m. ET, Nov. 23, and 5 a.m. ET, Nov. 25. Portilla, who was born in Valencia, Spain, died in 1996 after a two-year battle with lung cancer. Because she was a modern day woman, filmmakers had lots of amateur video with which to work in making this fascinating documentary. Viewers will see that her life really was a testimony to the fact that holiness is possible for everyone, including a married woman and mother of 11 whose work was in the home. "I want to give myself to God through the love of my husband, children and, if possible, of others," Portilla once said. "The Lord comes to me wherever I am. Loving my husband is the way to love Him." How many problems might be avoided if we all thought of our s

Thought for the Day

Ask, and you shall receive Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though yo

Reflection on the Divine Mercy

Jesus is demonstrating to Saint Faustina that our special prayers to Divine Mercy are not just for the person that offers them, but are primarily intercession prayers through which He grants countless souls graces and mercy through these holy prayers. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is especially an atonement prayer. Atoning not for my sins but for our sins, which means for our family lineage, i.e. all those in our family ancestry who have gone before us and all those in our family lineage that have yet to be born, which of course covers you and your immediate family as well. This prayer goes on then to seek mercy for the whole world, which is why it is such a powerful intercession prayer. And remember by reciting this prayer you are answering His call of "Will You Help Me?" and you are reciting words that came from Jesus' lips because these words were dictated by Jesus to Saint Faustina to be a powerful intercession tool on earth, in her mission to help Him save sinners thr

The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand

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Down By The Riverside - Pete Seeger [7/24] [1963]

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Stir Up Sunday

Well everyone should have made their Christmas puddings last Sunday - the last Sunday in the Church year before Advent - now adopted as the Sunday of 'Christ the King' in some Anglican parishes too. Stir-up Sunday is traditionally the day for families to make the Christmas pudding, giving it plenty of time for the flavours to develop before Christmas. Stir-up Sunday Traditions On Stir-up Sunday it's a tradition for all members of the family to have a stir of the pudding, whilst making a wish. Another Christmas pudding tradition is to add an old coin to the mixture. It's believed that the lucky finder of the coin will be brought wealth. The traditional coins used were an old silver sixpence or threepenny bit. Nowadays a 10 or 20 pence piece will do. Just wash it well, wrap it in tinfoil and drop it into the Christmas pudding whilst giving it it's final stirs. Just remember to warn those eating the pudding that they may come across some buried treasure. In the Anglica

The Duck Song

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From Darkness to Light / Healing after Abortion

Mozart - Requiem

"Epic :120" Catholics Come Home

Pro-life Anti-Abortion Video (Development of the Unborn Baby)

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Final Scene

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Franciscan International Study Centre

Franciscan International Study Centre Pax et Bonum Welcome [Translate] ________________________________________ to the Franciscan International Study Centre website where you can find out more about opportunities for study and spiritual growth. The academic term for Michaelmas begins on 4th October 2010 and we continue to offer our broad range of programmes and courses, including those at undergraduate and postgraduate level. We continue with our popular ExCorde series of lectures by respected scholars who share a love of their subject and speak from the heart. Please refer to the ‘ExCorde’ link on our website for further information. We are currently taking reservations for the eagerly awaited Franciscan Immersion and Rekindling Experience summer course for 2011, there are places available for both residential and non-residential participants. Please email our administration department to reserve your place or to obtain further information. We are pleased to announce a new Spirit

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - Europe

History The Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal was recognized in the Church as a religious institute of diocesan right of the 28th of May 1999., which enabled us to open friaries outside the Archdiocese of New York. As Providence led us, we opened our first friary in London diocese, Brentwood, at the invitation of Bishop Thomas McMahon and through the encouragement of Msgr. John Armitage. Both are pictured here at the dedication of the friary, with our Community Servant Fr. Glenn Sudano and the first Local Servant of St. Fidelis Friary, Fr. Richard Roemer. "Let the little children come to me; for it is to these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." (Mt 19:14) On our arrival to London we found our first greetings from the children of the neighbourhood. The young ones here with Fr. Richard have enjoyed many hours of friendship with the friars. "The Gospel counsel of poverty, in imitation of Christ, Who became poor for our sakes, means that we live a

Franciscan spirituality

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Within the Catholic Church there is a rich variety of spiritualities. We speak, for instance, of “Benedictine spirituality”, “Dominican spirituality”, or “Franciscan spirituality” - to name a few. These spiritualities have their origin in great spiritual leaders after whom they are generally named; for example, Benedictine spirituality is from St. Benedict and so on. A particular spirituality is a specific system, or schema of beliefs, virtues, ideals and principles which form a particular way to approach God and therefore all life in general. Just because these spiritualities are different does not mean they are contradictory. They all arise from the same Christian heritage and they all aim at the same goal – to love as Jesus loved. The difference is a matter of emphasis. These differences in emphasis give each spirituality its unique character traits. In other words, each spirituality has its “preferred” virtues, ideals and principles without negating all the others. These pref

Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture

Praying the Divine Office

Thursday Talk at Catholic Church of Our Lady Help of Christians 41 Guildhall Street, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1EF Tel: 01303 252823 25th November 7.30 pm Praying the Divine Office - What is it? Why is it Important? Joanne Whittering ALL WELCOME Light refreshments/Night Prayer

The Holy Rosary - Sorrowful Mysteries (Tues&Fri) Part 1.mov

Would you die for Jesus

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It is easy to die for a cause. Easier to die for a cause than a man. We can understand when a man or woman is fighting for a cause, an injustice, righting a wrong. We can sympathise with their ideals, their anguish, their mistreatment. But to die for a man, a fellow human being? That requires more thought – is it someone we know, will it prevent further deaths, are we righting a wrong (a cause again). Would we die for someone we don’t know and for an unknown reason? Probably not – self preservation is all. But the first Christians, the Martyrs, the Saints – they died not for a cause but for a man, Jesus. They were willing to die because they knew Jesus, mind, body and soul. They believed in Jesus because He had first believed in them. He died for them on a cross and rose again after 3 days. He died for us because He first loved us. His love consumes us. He is jealous for us. As a lover is jealous for his/her intended. We are the Bride of Chris