Click for Higher Resolution.
some quick paint work I did
I see way too many people wearing the rosary around the neck, while I love looking at a Crucifix - the cleavage of an 19 year old girl is not the locale my eyes should peer.
It feels like its been for ever since I have blogged, but I feel compelled to share a bit of whats been going on the past few days, even if you heard the news somewhere else 
On May 27th 2008, we were blessed with the arrival of our third son, without going on with details about the exact circumstances on how he arrived I will suffice it to say that I felt that I had to baptize my own child. I’m not sure how many of you have had to do this for a child that survived or a miscarriage or what have you but it was one of the scariest moments of my life, and I tend to swell up a bit just thinking about it.
In the short days after, it is the power of prayer that has sustained us, and our baby Ambrose. This post is a post of thanksgiving for the requests granted, the assistance given to us by family and friends and the prayers that we still have not seen the answer to as of yet.
While Ambrose’s entrance into this world was rough to say the least, it was not the worst. And his status now is very promising and we are SO grateful that he is improving each day. He is not 100% out of the shadows of danger yet, but there is a bright light and the end of the tunnel and its starting to shine.
I ask for your continued prayers for Ambrose, and all those other parents and babies that we see in the N.I.C.U who’s lives we do not know that are in much worse situations and conditions that I’m sure we would not wish upon our worst enemy.
May I always have the strength to say to God -even in the gloomiest looking times:
Fiat Voluntas Tua
Today I bought a traditional Sick call box, growing up my grandmother had one that had been passed down to her from her father, that looks EXACTLY like this one. Her’s was not as complete as the one I purchased today.
Below are some photos of this wonderful item, The only item I added to the kit so far has been the small Crucifix, that I had got earlier this week at the Goodwill for $0.50
I suggest every Catholic have a sick call kit for their home, it could be as simple as a few items stored in a shoe box for when the priest comes, Fisheaters has some great info on this:
For a regular sick call (i.e., one that doesn’t include Unction), call your priest and, when he comes, remember that he will be bringing the Blessed Sacrament, the very Body of Christ. Men should remove any headcoverings, while women should cover their heads, and the house should be prepared accordingly. Now prepare the sick room itself:
- Set up a table near the bed in a place where the sick person can see it, and cover it with a white cloth.
- Place on the table the crucifix with a lit blessed candle on each side, a dish of holy water, a piece of palm (if you have some) that the priest can use to spinkle the holy water, and a dish of regular water. Some families include a small bell that the priest or sick person rings after Confession is complete (if Confession is received) to summon the family back into the room.
- Lay a linen cloth across the breast of the sick person.
Above is a photo of Bishop Finn Celebrating his first mass in the Extraordinary Form, Bishop Finn prayed the mass in gratitude of the Holy Father’s Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum”
Other Bishops and priests have sought out the resources to learn how to pray this Extraordinary Form of the mass, this is where the Lost Lambs Lending Library hopes to help.
I am currently offering to lend to any Priest in the Kansas City Area some very helpful materials to learn how to pray the mass.
1- Set of 3 books:
The Celebration of Mass I: General Rubrics of the Missal
The Celebration of Mass II: The Rite of Celebration of Low Mass
The Celebration of Mass III: The Rite of High Mass and Sung Mass
(By Rev. J. O’Connell)
1- Book:The Sacred Ceremonies of Low Mass (By Rev. Felix Zualdi, C.M.)
1 -Book: The Splendour Of the Liturgy (By Maurice Zundel)
1 -DVD: The Most Beautiful thing this side of Heaven - The Rubrics of the 1962 Missal
(you may see this link: http://www.ecclesiadei.org/video.htm for more info about this DVD)
Happy Pasch everyone
Its been a interesting lent and I took a blogging break things are gearing up around here getting ready for baby #3 Seen to the left
Also here are some quick Pictures/Links of my local travels:
We Also checked out the Ligurgy of St. Gregory at a local Orthdox parish for educational purposes.
We also prayed a very reverent Novus Ordo (as last time See old Post) where Greek was sung, incense was used, some latin including communion given in latin.
There were also rumors of a very nice liturgy of the presanctified on Good Friday at the St. Lawrence Catholic campus center in Lawrence. Including the prostration at the beginning of mass and latin used as well.
Holy Thursday was celebrated beautifully -as always - at Old St. Patrick’s Oratory.
With the Solemnities of Solemnities upon us I have an urge to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his one true Church to other Ecclesiastic Communities , sitting down and talking scripture and prayer for their conversion, but of course with this feeling to spread the word about the Catholic church it is not without some reservation, as I have never really gone and knocked on doors for the faith so any suggestions would be helpful.
and last but not least I have come into some interesting books recently if anyone has any feedback on these titles put them in the combox.
Book Titles:
The Celebration of Mass I: General Rubrics of the Missal
The Celebration of Mass II: The Rite of Celebration of Low Mass
The Celebration of Mass III: The Rite of High Mass and Sung Mass
(By Rev. J. O’Connell)
The Sacred Ceremonies of Low Mass (By Rev. Felix Zualdi, C.M.)
The Splendour Of the Liturgy (By Maurice Zundel)
and a few others.
I will try and post more frequently also have another church to post so look for it soon.
This morning, I joined a crew for Mass, Prayer and petition outside the local death mill of “Planned Parenthood”
Here are a few pictures
Kansan’s For life are bring back the “40 Days for Life” That made Planned Parenthood shake in its boots. Details can be found: Here Prayer and Fasting are amazing things.
Maybe PP will come back out with their “Emily X” Blog to help spread their lies around.
I have been gone for quite some time, but now I return to you with much more time on my hands now, so maybe there will be an influx of good posts coming your way from me.
To ease back into the world of blogging I want to share with you this prayer after Communion.
Prayer of St. AugustineBefore Thine eyes, O Lord, we bring our sins, and we compare them with the stripes we have received.
If we examine the evil we have wrought, what we suffer is little, what we deserve is great.
What we have committed is very grievous, what we have suffered is very slight.
We feel the punishment of sin, yet withdraw not from the obstinacy of sinning.
Under thy lash our inconstancy is visited, but our sinfulness is not changed.
Our suffering soul is tormented, but our neck is not bent.
Our life groans under sorrow, yet amends not in deed.
If thou spare us we correct not our ways: if thou punish we cannot endure it.
In time of correction we confess our wrong-doing: after thy visitation we forget that we have wept.
If thou stretch forth thy hand we promise amendment; if thou withholdest the sword, we keep not our promise.
If thou strikest, we cry out for mercy: if thou spareest, we again provoke thee to strike.
Here we are before thee, O Lord, confessedly guilty; we know that unless thou pardon we shall deservedly perish.
Grant, then, O Almighty Father, without our deserving it, the pardon we ask; Thou who made out of nothing those who ask Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.V. Deal not with us, O Lord, according to our sins.
R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.Let us pray.
O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified ; mercifully regard the prayers of thy suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of Thy wrath, which we deserve for our sins. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Eucharist- The word literally means “Thanksgiving”
I can not imagine a better way to celebrate the secular Holiday of Thanksgiving than participating in the Eucharist.
The true presence of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine is something truly amazing, and something too many people seem to be so nonchalant about.
Clergy, and layman - even I catch myself from time to time not staying in the correct state of mind when I meet Jesus in Holy Communion. I can even think back to the few times as a teenager where my mom would seem like “FORCE” me to go to mass on Sunday after I had missed for many months, and I would just receive the Eucharist like everyone else, stick my hand out and eat it, not going to confession, not living in a state of grace, probably committing mortal sins once I got home. For Shame
With my reversion though that I have been striving more and more to encourage everyone that I come into contact with to go and participate in the Eucharist, and If they are Catholic to be in a state of grace to receive our Lord, sure this seems like elementary, First communion information here but we as sinners must be reminded of exactly how prepared our souls must be to accept the Body and Blood of Jesus.
Speaking with a fellow Catholic at work, we went out to lunch together one day and we started discussing our faith, I was impressed with his vigor for our common faith and even though he was a cradle Catholic, he would speak of the Eucharist as a fresh convert. This really stayed with me, and I pray that all of us may have that passion and vigor for Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
Happy Thanksgiving May Yours be Safe, and Blessed
Photo: By Phil McCarten, Reuters.
Dear Readers-
Please pray for those in the path of these devastating fires.
This came across my wires today:
The fires continue to burn out of control … additional evacuations havebeen called to the east of us. The fires are threatening to make a semi-circle around downtown San Diego, via the large north-south El Cajon Valley. I had thought previously the major threat was from the north; now it seems to be from the east: El Cajon and La Mesa. Another fire is burning to the south in Chula Vista, and threatening to join with the fires to the north and east, completing the semi-circle. At that point we will have noplace to go except into the ocean, if the fire climbs the west side of ElCajon Valley and starts to burn to the west, towards downtown. The winds are gusting to 100 mph in some places, so there’s no telling what’s going tohappen. We still have
electric power for the a/c and the breathing machines,but if the semi-circle is
completed, we won’t. The stadium in Mission Valley is evidently already full of
refugees … I don’t know about the new onedowntown … it hasn’t been mentioned
yet.
For those in the Kansas City area you may or may not have heard of the death of the young woman on Friday on I-435, This young woman was a killed in her pickup truck Friday when she veered off the road and hit a pole, upon impact the truck burst into flames and despite good intended pedestrians efforts to extinguish the flames there was nothing they could do.
Cecile Hernandez, 21 died yesterday from the fire that consumed her truck, the exact cause of her accident is still unknown, Cecile was my sisters best friend, she would come over to our home often, while my interaction with her was mostly kept to a friendly “Hello!”, her untimely death was very hard on her family, add to that the questions that are left, as state troopers are desperate for clues as to what actually went on.
From the Introit to the Requiem Mass:
(“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. A hymn becometh thee, O God, in Zion, and unto thee a vow shall be repaid in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer; unto thee all flesh shall come. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”)
Please keep Cecile and her family in your prayers.
Catholic Dads Audio Sancto More good Catholic Sermons