2
In days to come, The mountain of the
LORD'S house shall be established as
the highest mountain and raised above
the hills. All nations shall stream
toward it;
3
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD'S
mountain, to the house of the God of
Jacob, That he may instruct us in his
ways, and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth
instruction, and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks; One nation shall not
raise the sword against another, nor
shall they train for war again.
Be sure of this: if the master of the
house had known the hour of night
when the thief was coming, he would
have stayed awake and not let his
house be broken into.
According to present [1907] usage,
Advent is a period beginning with the
Sunday
nearest to the
feast of
St. Andrew the
Apostle (30 November) and
embracing four
Sundays. The first
Sunday
may be as early as 27 November, and then
Advent has twenty-eight days, or as late
as 3 December, giving the season only
twenty-one days.
With Advent the
ecclesiastical year begins in
the
Western churches.
During this time the
faithful
are admonished
to prepare themselves worthily to
celebrate the
anniversary
of the
Lord's
coming into the world as the
incarnate
God
of
love,
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out
and brought them back. And the LORD
said to you, 'You shall shepherd my
people Israel and shall be commander
of Israel.'"
When all the elders of Israel came to
David in Hebron, King David made an
agreement with them there before the
LORD, and they anointed him king of
Israel.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5):
R. (cf. 1) Let us go
rejoicing to the house of the
Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to
me,
"We will go up to the house of
the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R.
Let us go rejoicing to the house
of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R.
Let us go rejoicing to the house
of the Lord.
According to the decree for
Israel,
to give thanks to the name of
the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R.
Let us go rejoicing to the house
of the Lord.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Colossians (Colossians 1:12-20):
For in him
8
were created all things in heaven and
on earth, the visible and the
invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or
powers; all things were created
through him and for him.
He replied to him, "Amen, I say to
you, today you will be with me in
Paradise."
---------------------
11/21/10- Saint Gemma Galgani -
Saint
Gemma Galgani had extraordinary mystical
experiences, some of which (using her guardian
angel to deliver letters to Father Germano)
were verified. She was miraculously cured
of terminal illness. She received the
stigmata, from which much blood flowed over
many years. She could see, touch, and
converse with her guardian angel, and even sent
him on errands for her. At the end of her
life, she offered herself to Jesus as an
offering for her own sins and those of sinners
everywhere, and the devil assailed her from
then until her death, often beating her,
leaving visible marks and bruises, and these
attacks were witnessed by others. She is
a most interesting saint, and many miracles
have been attributed to her intercession.
Lo, the day is coming, blazing like
an oven, when all the proud and all
evildoers will be stubble, And the
day that is coming will set them on
fire, leaving them neither root nor
branch, says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there
will arise the sun of justice with
its healing rays.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9):
R. (cf. 9) The Lord
comes to rule the earth with
justice.
Sing praise to the LORD with the
harp,
with the harp and melodious
song.
With trumpets and the sound of
the horn
sing joyfully before the King,
the LORD.
R.
The Lord comes to rule the earth
with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it
resound,
the world and those who dwell in
it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them
for joy.
R.
The Lord comes to rule the earth
with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth,
He will rule the world with
justice
and the peoples with equity.
R.
The Lord comes to rule the earth
with justice.
Reading
II - A reading from the second letter of St.
Paul to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians
3:7-12):
"Before all this happens,
4
however, they will seize and
persecute you, they will hand you
over to the synagogues and to
prisons, and they will have you led
before kings and governors because of
my name.
11/14/10-
Prayer to Release 1,000
Souls from Purgatory Each Time It Is Said-
Our Lord told St. Gertrude the Great,
that the following prayer would release 1,000
souls from Purgatory each time it is said. The
prayer was extended to include living sinners
which would alleviate the indebtedness accrued
to them during their lives. (Text and prayer
copied from
http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/prayer/purgator.htm
)
Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of
Thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said throughout
the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
It happened that seven brothers with
their mother were arrested and
tortured with whips and scourges by
the king, to force them to eat pork
in violation of God's law.
One of the brothers, speaking for the
others, said: "What do you expect to
achieve by questioning us? We are
ready to die rather than transgress
the laws of our ancestors."
1
At the point of death he said: "You
accursed fiend, you are depriving us
of this present life, but the King of
the world will raise us up to live
again forever. It is for his laws
that we are dying."
as he spoke these noble words: "It
was from Heaven that I received
these; for the sake of his laws I
disdain them; from him I hope to
receive them again."
When he was near death, he said, "It
is my choice to die at the hands of
men with the God-given hope of being
restored to life by him; but for you,
there will be no resurrection to
life."
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15):
R. (15b) Lord, when your
glory appears, my joy will be
full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips
without deceit.
R.
Lord, when your glory appears,
my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in
your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will
answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my
word.
R.
Lord, when your glory appears,
my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your
eye,
hide me in the shadow of your
wings.
But I in justice shall behold
your face;
on waking I shall be content in
your presence.
R.
Lord, when your glory appears,
my joy will be full.
Reading II - A
reading from the second letter of St. Paul to
the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5):
8
saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
'If someone's brother dies leaving a
wife but no child, his brother must
take the wife and raise up
descendants for his brother.'
That the dead will rise even Moses
made known in the passage about the
bush, when he called 'Lord' the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob;
Those who trust in him shall
understand truth, and the faithful
shall abide with him in love: Because
grace and mercy are with his holy
ones, and his care is with the elect.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6):
R. Though I walk in the
valley of darkness, I fear no
evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall
not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me
repose;
beside restful waters he leads
me;
he refreshes my soul.
R.
Though I walk in the valley of
darkness, I fear no evil, for
you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark
valley
I fear no evil; for you are at
my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R.
Though I walk in the valley of
darkness, I fear no evil, for
you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R.
Though I walk in the valley of
darkness, I fear no evil, for
you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness
follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house
of the LORD
for years to come.
R.
Though I walk in the valley of
darkness, I fear no evil, for
you are with me.
Reading II - A
reading from the letter of St. Paul to the
Romans (Romans 6:3-9):
We were indeed buried with him
through baptism into death, so that,
just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, we
too might live in newness of life.
I, John, saw another angel come up
from the East,
3
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the
four angels who were given power to
damage the land and the sea,
After this I had a vision of a great
multitude, which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and
tongue. They stood before the throne
and before the Lamb, wearing white
robes and holding palm branches
6
in their hands.
All the angels stood around the
throne and around the elders and the
four living creatures. They
prostrated themselves before the
throne, worshiped God,
I said to him, "My lord, you are the
one who knows." He said to me, "These
are the ones who have survived the
time of great distress;
8
they have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.
R. (see 6) Lord, this is
the people that longs to see
your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its
fullness;
the world and those who dwell in
it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the
rivers.
R.
Lord, this is the people that
longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of
the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy
place?
One whose hands are sinless,
whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R.
Lord, this is the people that
longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from
the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God
of Jacob.
R.
Lord, this is the people that
longs to see your face.
Reading II - A
reading from the first letter of St. John (1
John 3:1-3):
1
See what love the Father has bestowed
on us that we may be called the
children of God. Yet so we are. The
reason the world does not know us is
that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been
revealed. We do know that when it is
revealed
2
we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is.
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by
little, warn them, and remind them of the sins
they are committing, that they may abandon
their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!
Responsorial Psalm - ("I Will Praise Your Name" by David Haas):
Refrain: I will praise your name, my King and my God.
1. I will give you glory, my God and King, and I will bless your name forever.
Every day I will bless and praise your name forever.
Refrain: I will praise your name, my King and my God.
2. The Lord is full of grace and mercy. He is kind and slow to anger.
He is good in all His works and full of compassion.
Refrain: I will praise your name, my King and my God.
3. Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let all the faithful bless you.
Let them speak of your might, O Lord, the glory of your kingdom.
Refrain: I will praise your name, my King and my God.
4. The Lord is faithful in all His words, and always near. His name is holy.
He lifts up all those who fall. He raises up the lowly.
Refrain: I will praise your name, my King and my God.
Reading II - A reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2):
We
always pray for you, that our God may make you
worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to
fulfillment every good purpose and every effort
of faith,
not to
be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be
alarmed either by a "spirit,"
2
or by an oral statement, or by a letter
allegedly from us to the effect that the day of
the Lord is at hand.
Gospel - A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (Luk 19:1-10):
But
Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
"Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall
give to the poor, and if I have extorted
anything from anyone I shall repay it four
times over."
Teresa
de Cepeda y Ahumada was born in 1515 in
Gotarrendura, in the province of Ávila, Spain.
Her paternal grandfather, Juan de Toledo, was a
marrano
(Jewish forced-convert to Christianity) and was
condemned by the
Spanish Inquisition
for allegedly returning to the Jewish faith.
Her father, Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda, bought
knighthood and successfully assimilated into
Christian society. Teresa's mother, Beatriz,
was especially keen to raise her daughter as a
pious Christian. Teresa was fascinated by
accounts of the lives of the saints, and ran
away from home at age seven with her brother
Rodrigo to find martyrdom among the Moors. Her
uncle stopped them as he was returning to the
city, having spotted the two outside the city
walls.
In the
cloister, she suffered greatly from illness.
Early in her sickness, she experienced periods
of religious ecstasy through the use of the
devotional book "Tercer abecedario
espiritual," translated as the Third
Spiritual Alphabet (published in 1527 and
written by Francisco de Osuna). This work,
following the example of similar writings of
medieval mystics, consisted of directions for
examinations of conscience and for spiritual
self-concentration and inner contemplation
(known in mystical nomenclature as oratio
recollectionis or oratio mentalis).
She also employed other mystical ascetic works
such as the Tractatus de oratione et
meditatione of
Saint Peter of Alcantara,
and perhaps many of those upon which
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
based his Spiritual Exercises and
possibly the Spiritual Exercises
themselves.
She
claimed that during her illness she rose from
the lowest stage, "recollection", to the
"devotions of silence" or even to the
"devotions of ecstasy", which was one of
perfect union with God. During this final
stage, she said she frequently experienced a
rich "blessing of tears." As the Catholic
distinction between
mortal and
venial sin became clear to her, she says she
came to understand the awful terror of sin and
the inherent nature of original sin. She also
became conscious of her own natural impotence
in confronting sin, and the necessity of
absolute subjection to
God.
Around
1556, various friends suggested that her
newfound knowledge was
diabolical,
not divine. She began to inflict various
tortures and
mortifications of the
flesh upon herself. But her
confessor, the Jesuit Saint
Francis Borgia,
reassured her of the divine inspiration of her
thoughts. On
St. Peter's
Day in 1559, Teresa became firmly convinced
that
Jesus Christ
presented himself to her in bodily form, though
invisible. These visions lasted almost
uninterrupted for more than two years. In
another vision, a seraph[5]
drove the fiery point of a golden lance
repeatedly through her heart, causing an
ineffable spiritual-bodily pain.
“
I saw in his hand a long spear of
gold, and at the iron's point there
seemed to be a little fire. He
appeared to me to be thrusting it at
times into my heart, and to pierce my
very entrails; when he drew it out,
he seemed to draw them out also, and
to leave me all on fire with a great
love of God. The pain was so great,
that it made me moan; and yet so
surpassing was the sweetness of this
excessive pain, that I could not wish
to be rid of it...
”
This
vision was the inspiration for one of Bernini's
most famous works, the Ecstasy of St Teresa
at Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.
The
memory of this episode served as an inspiration
throughout the rest of her life, and motivated
her life-long imitation of the life and
suffering of Jesus, epitomized in the motto
usually associated with her: Lord, either
let me suffer or let me die.
The
kernel of Teresa's mystical thought throughout
all her writings is the ascent of the
soul in four
stages (The Autobiography Chs. 10-22):
The
first, or "mental
prayer", is that of devout
contemplation or concentration, the withdrawal
of the soul from without and specially the
devout observance of the passion of Christ and
penitence (Autobiography 11.20).
The
second is the "prayer
of quiet", in which at least the
human will is lost in that of God by virtue of
a charismatic, supernatural state given of God,
while the other faculties, such as memory,
reason, and imagination, are not yet secure
from worldly distraction. While a partial
distraction is due to outer performances such
as repetition of prayers and writing down
spiritual things, yet the prevailing state is
one of quietude (Autobiography 14.1).
The
"devotion of union" is not only a supernatural
but an essentially
ecstatic
state. Here there is also an absorption of the
reason in God, and only the memory and
imagination are left to ramble. This state is
characterized by a blissful peace, a sweet
slumber of at least the higher soul faculties,
a conscious rapture in the love of God.
The
fourth is the "devotion of ecstasy or rapture,"
a passive state, in which the consciousness of
being in the body disappears (2 Corinthians
12:2-3). Sense activity ceases;
memory and imagination are also absorbed in God
or intoxicated. Body and spirit are in the
throes of a sweet, happy pain, alternating
between a fearful fiery glow, a complete
impotence and unconsciousness, and a spell of
strangulation, intermitted sometimes by such an
ecstatic flight that the body is literally
lifted into space. This after half an hour is
followed by a reactionary relaxation of a few
hours in a swoon-like weakness, attended by a
negation of all the faculties in the union with
God. From this the subject awakens in tears; it
is the climax of mystical experience,
productive of the
trance.
(Indeed, she was said to have been observed
levitating
during
Mass on more
than one occasion.)
Teresa
is one of the foremost writers on
mental prayer,
and her position among writers on mystical
theology is unique. In all her writings on this
subject she deals with her personal
experiences, which a deep insight and
analytical gifts enabled her to explain
clearly. Her definition was used in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"Contemplative prayer [oración mental]
in my opinion is nothing else than a close
sharing between friends; it means taking time
frequently to be alone with him who we know
loves us."[7]
Throughout her writings, persistent metaphors
provide a vivid illustration of the image of
mystic prayer as watering a garden.
5
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits
me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award
to me on that day, and not only to me, but to
all who have longed for his appearance.
But the
Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that
through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was
rescued from the lion's mouth.
The
Pharisee took up his position and spoke this
prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I
am not like the rest of humanity--greedy,
dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax
collector.
But the
tax collector stood off at a distance and would
not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his
breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a
sinner.'
I tell
you, the latter went home justified, not the
former; for everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, and the one who humbles himself will
be exalted."
Moses,
therefore, said to Joshua, "Pick out certain
men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in
battle. I will be standing on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand."
Moses'
hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock
in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and
Hur supported his hands, one on one side and
one on the other, so that his hands remained
steady till sunset.
I tell
you, he will see to it that justice is done for
them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes,
will he find faith on earth?"
-----------------------
10/17/10- Here's
an article from MSNBC reporting how German
Catholics want to replace Santa Claus with St.
Nicholas as the icon for Christmas.
Simply stated, Santa Claus is a warped,
commercialized version of St. Nicholas, and
this warped version
imparts the wrong message to children.
Here's the article:
BERLIN —
A group of German Catholics
wants to do away with Santa
Claus because of the fictional
figure's commercial hype and
replace him with
St
Nicolas
and the selfless giving they say
he represents.
Even before shops fill with
Santa-themed goodies, the
Bonifatiuswerk of German
Catholics -- a Catholic aid
organization -- has begun
calling for "Santa Claus-free
zones."
The organization sees Santa as
"an invention of the advertising
industry designed to boost
sales" and as "a representative
of
consumer
society"
who has little to do with the
historical figure of St Nicolas.
Its website describes Nicolas,
the patron saint of children, as
"a helper in need who reminds us
to be kind, to think of our
neighbors, and to give the gift
of happiness."
The campaign is supported by
several German celebrities.
"Unlike Santa Claus, Nicolas
wants to give children inner
riches and not just encourage
them to strive for material
wealth," German TV presenter
Nina Ruege was quoted saying.
Bishop
of Myra, Defender of Orthodoxy, Wonderworker,
Holy Hierarchy
Saint
Nicholas
(Greek:
Άγιος Νικόλαος
, Agios ["holy"] Nikolaos
["victory of the people"]) (270 – 6 December
346) is the canonical and most popular name for
Nikolaos of Myra, a
saint and
Greek[3]
Bishop of
Myra (Demre,
in
Lycia, part of
modern-day
Turkey).
Because of the many
miracles
attributed to his
intercession,
he is also known as Nikolaos the
Wonderworker (in Greek: thaumaturgos). He
had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such
as putting coins in the shoes of those who left
them out for him, and thus became the model for
Santa Claus,
whose English name comes from the Dutch
Sinterklaas.
His reputation evolved among the faithful, as
is common for early Christian saints.[4]
In 1087, his
relics were
furtively
translated to
Bari, in
southeastern Italy; for this reason, he is also
known as Nikolaos of Bari.
A
nearly identical story is attributed by Greek
folklore to
Basil of Caesarea.
Basil's feast day on 1 January is considered
the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.
Naaman went down and plunged into the
Jordan seven times at the word of the
man of God. His flesh became again
like the flesh of a little child, and
he was clean.
He returned with his whole retinue to
the man of God. On his arrival he
stood before him and said, "Now I
know that there is no God in all the
earth, except in Israel. Please
accept a gift from your servant."
2
Naaman said: "If you will not accept,
please let me, your servant, have two
mule-loads of earth, for I will no
longer offer holocaust or sacrifice
to any other god except to the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm - "All the Ends of the Earth" by David Haas (courtesy of www.sweetslyrics.com ):
Refrain: ||: All the
ends of the earth have seen the power of
God. :||
1. Sing to the Lord a new song, for God
has done wondrous deeds;
his right hand has won the vict'ry for us,
God's holy arm.
Refrain: ||: All the ends of the earth
have seen the power of God. :||
2. The Lord has made his salvation known,
his justice revealed to all.
Remembered his kindness and faithfulness
to Israel.
Refrain: ||: All the ends of the earth
have seen the power of God. :||
3. All of the ends of the earth have seen
salvation by our God.
joyfully sing out all you lands, break
forth in song.
Refrain: ||: All the
ends of the earth have seen the power of
God. :||
4. Sing to the Lord with harp and song,
with trumpet and with horn.
Sing in joy before the King, the King our
Lord.
Refrain: ||: All the
ends of the earth have seen the power of
God. :||
Reading II - A
reading from the second letter of St. Paul to
Timothy (2 Timothy 2:8-13):
Therefore, I bear with everything for
the sake of those who are chosen, so
that they too may obtain the
salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory.
Then he said to him, "Stand up and
go; your faith has saved you."
---------------------
10/10/10 - St. Gabriel the Archangel -
I'm reading
The Encyclopedia of Saints by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. So the other day I read the entry
on St. Gabriel the Archangel. The next
day at work, a man and his wife come to the
library to get a card. His first name was
Gabriel. Guess what his middle name was?
"Arcangel" which is Spanish for "Archangel"!
Whoaaa!
The name
Gabriel means "man
of God," or "God
has shown himself
mighty." It
appears first in the
prophesies of
Daniel in
the Old Testament. The
angel
announced to
Daniel the
prophecy of
the seventy weeks. His
name also occurs in
the apocryphal book of
Henoch. He was the
angel who
appeared to Zachariah
to announce the birth
of
St. John
the Baptizer. Finally,
he announced to
Mary that
she would bear a Son
Who would be conceived
of the Holy Spirit,
Son of the Most High,
and Saviour of the
world. The
feast day
is September 29th.
St. Gabriel
is the patron of
communications
workers. "
-----
The book I'm
reading also says the name Gabriel means "Hero
of God". And also says he's the
angel of not only mercy and wisdom, but also
revelation and important types of news.
Its other sources say Gabriel takes the soul to
the womb, from heaven, and educates the soul
while in the womb (pg. 125).
Blessed Saint Gabriel, Archangel
We beseech you to intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy:
As you announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary,
so through your prayers
may we receive strength of faith and courage of spirit,
and thus find favor with God
and redemption through Christ Our Lord.
May we sing the praise of God our Savior
with the angels and saints in heaven
forever and ever.
Amen.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will
not disappoint; If it delays, wait
for it, it will surely come, it will
not be late.
1
The rash man has no integrity; but
the just man, because of his faith,
shall live.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9):
R. (8) If today you hear his
voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with
thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today
you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the
flock he guides.
R. If today
you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my
works."
R. If today
you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Reading
II - A reading from the second letter of St.
Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14):
So do not be ashamed of your
testimony to our Lord,
6
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for
the gospel with the strength that
comes from God.
The Lord replied, "If you have faith
the size of a mustard seed, you would
say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be
uprooted and planted in the sea,' and
it would obey you.
2
"Who among you would say to your
servant who has just come in from
plowing or tending sheep in the
field, 'Come here immediately and
take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat. Put
on your apron and wait on me while I
eat and drink. You may eat and drink
when I am finished'?
So should it be with you. When you
have done all you have been
commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable
servants; we have done what we were
obliged to do.'"
--------------------
10/03/10- Cubans in Heaven -
Typical
Cubans!
CUBANS
IN HEAVEN
Peter came to the Lord and said, "I have
to talk to you. We have some Cubans up
here who are causing problems.
My flute is missing, mojo sauce is
all over the place, they are making
guayaberas from their robes, they have
domino tables in the cafeteria, and
they're wearing baseball caps instead of
halos. They refuse to stop making Cuban
coffee on the heaven's stairs and some of
them are walking around with just
one wing."
The Lord said, "Cubans are Cubans, Peter.
Heaven is home to all my children. If you
want to know about real problems, ask the
Devil."
Peter calls... the Devil answers the phone
"Hello? Damn, hold on a minute." The Devil
returns to the phone, "O.K., I'm back.
What can I do for you?"
Peter replies, "I just want to know what
kind of problems you're having with the
Cubans down there."
The Devil again says, "Hold on, Hold
on......" The Devil comes back to
the phone...."Man, I don't believe
this.....Hold on."
This time the Devil is gone 15 minutes!
The Devil returns and says... "I'm
sorry Peter, I can't talk right now. Those
damn Cubans have put out the fire and are
trying to install air conditioning."
Therefore, now they shall be the first to go
into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be
done away with.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10):
R. (1b)Praise
the Lord, my soul!
Blessed he who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise
the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed
down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise
the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Alleluia.
R. Praise
the Lord, my soul!
Reading
II - A reading from the first letter of St.
Paul to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:11-16):
And he
cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering
torment in these flames.'
Abraham
replied, 'My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime while
Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now
he is comforted here, whereas you are
tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is
established to prevent anyone from crossing who
might wish to go from our side to yours or from
your side to ours.'
1
"When will the new moon be over," you
ask, "that we may sell our grain, and
the sabbath, that we may display the
wheat? We will diminish the ephah,
add to the shekel, and fix our scales
for cheating!
The steward said to himself, 'What
shall I do, now that my master is
taking the position of steward away
from me? I am not strong enough to
dig and I am ashamed to beg.
Then to another he said, 'And you,
how much do you owe?' He replied,
'One hundred kors
3
of wheat.' He said to him, 'Here is
your promissory note; write one for
eighty.'
4
And the master commended that
dishonest steward for acting
prudently.
5
"For the children of this world are
more prudent in dealing with their
own generation than are the children
of light.
7
The person who is trustworthy in very
small matters is also trustworthy in
great ones; and the person who is
dishonest in very small matters is
also dishonest in great ones.
No servant can serve two masters.
8
He will either hate one and love the
other, or be devoted to one and
despise the other. You cannot serve
God and mammon."
--------------------
09/19/10- Family Guy clip
- "Jesus and the Jocks vs the Meek" -
Have you ever felt like this? Trust me,
it's not like that...Jesus is on your side!
They have soon turned aside from the
way I pointed out to them, making for
themselves a molten calf and
worshiping it, sacrificing to it and
crying out, 'This is your God, O
Israel, who brought you out of the
land of Egypt!'
But Moses implored the LORD, his God,
saying, "Why, O LORD, should your
wrath blaze up against your own
people, whom you brought out of the
land of Egypt with such great power
and with so strong a hand?
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac
and Israel, and how you swore to them
by your own self, saying, 'I will
make your descendants as numerous as
the stars in the sky; and all this
land that I promised, I will give
your descendants as their perpetual
heritage.'"
Have mercy on me, O God, in your
goodness;
in the greatness of your
compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R.
I will rise and go to my father.
A clean heart create for me, O
God,
and a steadfast spirit renew
within me.
Cast me not out from your
presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not
from me.
R.
I will rise and go to my father.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your
praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a
contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O
God, you will not spurn.
R.
I will rise and go to my father.
Reading II - A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:12-17):
But for that reason I was mercifully
treated, so that in me, as the
foremost, Christ Jesus might display
all his patience as an example for
those who would come to believe in
him for everlasting life.
"What man among you having a hundred
sheep and losing one of them would
not leave the ninety-nine in the
desert and go after the lost one
until he finds it?
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over
one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous people who have
no need of repentance.
and the younger son said to his
father, 'Father, give me the share of
your estate that should come to me.'
So the father divided the property
between them.
After a few days, the younger son
collected all his belongings and set
off to a distant country where he
squandered his inheritance on a life
of dissipation.
So he got up and went back to his
father. While he was still a long way
off, his father caught sight of him,
and was filled with compassion. He
ran to his son, embraced him and
kissed him.
He said to his father in reply,
'Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your
orders; yet you never gave me even a
young goat to feast on with my
friends.
And scarce do we guess the things on
earth, and what is within our grasp
we find with difficulty; but when
things are in heaven, who can search
them out?
R. (1)
In every age, O Lord, you have
been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of
men."
For a thousand years in your
sight
are as yesterday, now that it is
past,
or as a watch of the night.
R.
In every age, O Lord, you have
been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their
sleep;
the next morning they are like
the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R.
In every age, O Lord, you have
been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days
aright,
that we may gain wisdom of
heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R.
In every age, O Lord, you have
been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your
kindness,
that we may shout for joy and
gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the
LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands
for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R.
In every age, O Lord, you have
been our refuge.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
Philemon (Philemon 9-10. 12-17):
"If any one comes to me without
hating his father
7
and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, and even his
own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Or what king marching into battle
would not first sit down and decide
whether with ten thousand troops he
can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty
thousand troops?
4
Water quenches a flaming fire, and
alms atone for sins.
Responsorial Psalm - (Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11):
R.
(cf. 11b) God, in your goodness,
you have made a home for the poor.
The just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. God, in
your goodness, you have made a home for
the poor.
The father of orphans and the defender of
widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. God, in
your goodness, you have made a home for
the poor.
A bountiful rain you showered down, O God,
upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;
your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it
for the needy.
R.
God, in your goodness, you have made a
home for the poor.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Hebrews (Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a):
"When you are invited by someone to a
wedding banquet, do not recline at
table in the place of honor. A more
distinguished guest than you may have
been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you
may approach you and say, 'Give your
place to this man,' and then you
would proceed with embarrassment to
take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited, go and
take the lowest place so that when
the host comes to you he may say, 'My
friend, move up to a higher
position.' Then you will enjoy the
esteem of your companions at the
table.
Then he said to the host who invited
him, "When you hold a lunch or a
dinner, do not invite your friends or
your brothers or your relatives or
your wealthy neighbors, in case they
may invite you back and you have
repayment.
I will set a sign among them; from
them I will send fugitives to the
nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud,
Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the
distant coastlands that have never
heard of my fame, or seen my glory;
and they shall proclaim my glory
among the nations.
They shall bring all your brethren
from all the nations as an offering
to the LORD, on horses and in
chariots, in carts, upon mules and
dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy
mountain, says the LORD, just as the
Israelites bring their offering to
the house of the LORD in clean
vessels.
At the time, all discipline seems a
cause not for joy but for pain, yet
later it brings the peaceful fruit of
righteousness to those who are
trained by it.
After the master of the house has
arisen and locked the door, then will
you stand outside knocking and
saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.'
He will say to you in reply, 'I do
not know where you are from.'
And there will be wailing and
grinding of teeth when you see
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the
prophets in the kingdom of God and
you yourselves cast out.
When you attempt to unravel the extremely complex dynamics of this total onslaught of humanity by Lucifer's army, you begin to discover a lot of new concepts, plans, terminology, and technologies. Over a year ago I began to think that America appeared to be the Great Babylon, because the descriptions of it in Jeremiah 50, 51 and Revelation 18 were so evident. I had already seen what this country was doing on a global level. I read the book by John Perkins, entitled "The Economic Hit Man" and there was no question the U.S. was "conquering" the globe under the cloak of humanitarian cause.
But then you read "Behold a Pale Horse" by William Cooper. He was a high ranking military officer involved in the U.S. cover-up of this "alien / demon" phenomena (until "they"executed him). Cooper, being on the front lines, was tormented spiritually and even began to question his belief in Christianity. Cooper was a highly credible insider who had access to Top Secret military documentation and insider sources and saw these "things" with his own eyes. He confirmed the unthinkable. He confirmed that, not only had the U.S. government known and consorted with these "alien" entities, but in FACT had actually signed "Treaties" with them. Agreements.
Or as our Lord, the Most High God, and King Jesus would put it ... they signed OATHS!
Oaths Signed Directly with the DEVIL
These "oaths" of agreement, or treaties, allowed these demonic entities to have a certain amount of freedom and secrecy in exchange for "technological know-how". In exchange for this technology, our government agreed to "allow" these demons free access to "human beings" for their own purposes. We "agreed", (with some rather pathetic restrictions), to allow them to "harvest" human beings and perform abominations on their bodies. The U.S. government told LUCIFER he could have the "bodies" and "souls" of God's greatest creations (in his "own image") to torment, torture, mutilate, and genetically alter.
THINK ABOUT THAT
In fact, (while I will try to tackle this most difficult concept in a later article), these demon entities, not only genetically tinker with our bodies and create very "human looking" versions of themselves ... BUT... they have reportedly perfected this activity referred to as "soul scalping". Suffice it to say, "soul scalping" is the act of using extremely advanced technologies to harvest the human "life force" from the living body and put it into "containers" to use in another "body-like" form for their own purposes.
Another thing these Bacchae were known for is wearing demonic bracelets or "bands". · The Bacchae are biblically famous as they would wear "magic bands" called "kesatot". These bands would entrap the souls of their victims.
Ez. 13:20
"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold I am against your magic bands [kesatot] by which you hunt lives [souls] there as birds, and I will tear them off your arms; and I will let them go, even those lives [souls] whom you hunt as birds"
NAS
Since these "Bacchae" were able to capture souls of humans with their "magic bracelets" and demonic rituals, how arrogant must we be to think that Lucifers' own demonic alien armies have not "technologically" perfected this in their alien abduction activities?
Now that I have your attention, let's digress to a less sinister concept. Let's investigate the challenges they face with their "reporting hierarchy" ... top down.
The Question of "When"?
The question I get asked more than any other question is "when". When will this all start to happen? Will it really be 2010 that the U.S. is toppled to effect their global control objective? My answer is always the same. Only God knows for sure.
Our Lord draws lines in the sand, and allows these things to happen to OUR GLORY - AMEN! We must never forget, as this play unfolds, that WE WIN. Take the time to go back and read about the wonderful period we have awaiting us in the Millennium in the the last article posted here:
The Demonic Control Hierarchy Why is Even Their Timeline in Question?
There are a lot of fascinating "behind the scenes" dynamics at work we often overlook. For example, you have this earthy hierarchy taking orders from the "demonic". Then you have the earthly "manifestation" of the demonic in the flesh (e.g. the reptilian / alien entities and many more).
The Demons on Earth NEED the Demons in Other Dimensions
However I find it MOST INTERESTING, that these "earthy" demonic manifestations have this NEED to make contact with the "other dimensional" demons, as evidenced by their Satanic rituals and sacrificial ceremonies. I find that REMARKABLE. This implies that this "hierarchy" extends into the other dimensions (1st and 2nd Heavens) and there is a requirement for "contact" into these realms. WHY? This need is further underscored by their hunger to break-through these dimensions with "star-gate like" technologies such as the CERN Accelerator. There is no question they "need" a break-through. PUN-INTENDED.
The Earth-Bound Physical Demons
Then below that "hierarchy" you have the multiple levels of Satanic power structures here on earth. Arguably they are led by the "reptilian" entities top down. But again, this line gets blurred by the fact that these "reptilian" entities live inside the energy forces of the human bloodlines they control (in some cases, not all however). These "earthly" Satanic power structures work in concert with one another through organized and coordinated rituals on a global level and set up their power epicenters along these "ley lines".
Now amongst these "pockets" of earthly Satanic power levels (the Brotherhood, the multiple levels of the Masonic Order, the Rosicrucians, the various "Orders" of this and that, the Committee of 300, the Trilateral Commission, the "Royalty" etc.) you have some FREE WILL. You always have "free will". If it wasn't for this "free will" dynamic you wouldn't have had the Luciferian Rebellion in the first place. So THAT comes into play.
Oh and just to "wet your whistle" a bit more. Were you aware the insignia of the Trilateral Commission, is the exact insignia these "alien / demon" entities display on both their garb and their technological space buggies?
Military Commanders, Black Ops, and High Level Insiders
THEN you progress downward into the levels of the Military, and Governments. When you consider ALL the people that have been assassinated (from government / military leaders, to scientists and bio-weapons experts, to DUMB workers, to escaped Brotherhood members, to whistle blowers at all levels) you start to see that "THEY" are threatened by information leaks.
Moreover "they" are infinitely concerned with uncontrolled uprisings. I believe this concern over "human uprising" is a huge worry of theirs. This is probably because they have got their butts kicked in the past as a result of unexpected consequences in their own orchestrated wars etc. These unexpected uprisings have most likely caused delays which they had to work around through subsequent years of alternative strategies and manipulation. THEY are very careful about how quick "they" do something. Careful control is paramount to these entities.
We ARE a threat to them.
Department Heads and Organizational Leaders
Now further down the hierarchy you have their "commanders" or official department heads. These folks are probably not "in on the whole deal" but are good "order takers". How much any of these "order takers" know is up for grabs. I am utterly fascinated by the book "Behold a Pale Horse" by William Cooper, because "they" could have killed him long before that book got released. And they actually tried a couple times.
The fact is that THEY cannot read our minds. "They" actually need resources "on the ground" to do reconnaissance. "They" depend on "earthly" technologies to "hear and see" what we are doing. This level of "order takers" is a huge threat to "them". They know just enough to stir up a world of hurt and "they" need a LOT OF THEM to do their bidding.
This explains why "their" strategy is to kill or eliminate the x-military veterans and trained forces in the first round as a threat. When these "things" manifest in the flesh, "they" are vulnerable to our technological weaponry.
"They" are vulnerable to us, just as we were vulnerable to the American Indians arrows even though we had guns. A lot of pissed off people with rocks in their hands can overtake battalions of soldiers by sheer numbers alone.
Law Enforcement, Government Workers, The Good Ones
The next level down you have the people in law enforcement, government workers (FEMA / Homeland Security), regular military and x-military, and other people with limited powers of authority.
During Katrina, "they" actually called in "Blackwater" mercenaries. This is because there were military and regular law enforcement personnel that were extremely reluctant to do "door to door" gun confiscation. Just like with the lying situation at Waco, Texas, nobody in New Orleans shot guns at the helicopters as "they" claimed. It was a setup orchestrated to execute a plan of attack and to "practice" the drill.
The misinformation perpetuated by these lying news reports spreads like a fire throughout this "level" of much needed "law enforcement" workers to make them "think" they are threatened by the general populous. These lies are further amplified by additional military and law enforcement drills happening every month across the country. These lying drills and "exercises" have been going on for more than 15 years. If you have any doubt, watch the Police State series documentaries from Alex Jones on YouTube. Or better yet, forfeit a 12 pack, and buy one of the DVDs.
The Common Man and the Armed Citizenry
And then further down this "people control" pyramid, you have the "armed citizens" of this country. As proven by their "orchestrated" practice drill called "The War of the Worlds" radio broadcast on Sunday October 30th, 1938, the citizens of the United States grabbed their guns and went out to kill these "demon / aliens".
This was arguably one of the most important "proof of concept" drills these entities have ever executed. They needed to know what the impact might be should "they" be "announced" on a large scale. The actions of the citizens of this country at that time, almost certainly delayed their plans to "manifest" themselves even earlier than today.
The Importance of Martial Law to Their Objective
This is why martial law and the help of foreign troops is utterly key to the upset of this country. The hierarchy of the United States government structure is a major stumbling block for their control timeline. This idea of the individual "states" having veto powers over their "central command" in D.C. is throwing rocks into their "gear box" all the time. This is why the Federal Government continues to usurp the States powers at an alarming rate. This is also why you see the Federal government commandeering the National Guard and getting them out of the way as much as possible (or using them in "other" contrived emergency situations).
All things considered, it seems to me, "they" know they must have some type of martial law in place and they MUST have the vast majority of the country under their militaristic control BEFORE they spring their "alien" DELUSION upon us. Otherwise, through their own "proof of concept" testing, they know as a fact they are in for a huge hill of crap. When the "good old boy" citizenry of the USoA sees these "creatures" with their own eyes, they know - ALL BETS ARE OFF.
THE GREATEST POWER & THREAT TO THEM ALL
And indeed, the greatest threat to their cause is THE HOLY SPIRIT.
While it is not up to us to question God's authority, it is in FACT up to us to use the power of His Holy Spirit to assist in the fighting of this war. It "blows my mind" to think of how utterly ineffective we all feel amongst all this military might. We all need to take the time to read about Elijah again. We need to REMIND OURSELVES that God's army of fiery chariots can stomp out armies of nations, guns, flying saucers, laser beams and atomic weaponry LIKE NO OTHER.
I believe our Lord is WAITING FOR US to WAKE UP and start focusing our prayer power on the objectives of the LORD. We need to pray to TRIP UP the enemy's plans. We need to COMMAND IN JESUS NAME these DEMONS are rendered to "no effect" and cast INTO THE ABYSS.
While there is no question the Bible says that in the end, God will have to "step in" and dump down his Mighty Wrath to wipe out this Earth, we MUST NOT assume our contribution has anything less than the GREATEST POWER.
WE CONTROL the amount of horror we will face!
WE CONTROL the amount of power the enemy has against us!
WEARE THE DEVILS' MASTER
They might win here on the earth for a short period of time.
Sunday, August 15, 2010:
(SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY) Readings for today: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab / 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 / Luke 1:39-56:
Reading I - A reading from the book of Revelation (Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab):
Its tail swept away a third of the
stars in the sky and hurled them down
to the earth. Then the dragon stood
before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave
birth.
12
for "he subjected everything under
his feet." But when it says that
everything has been subjected, it is
clear that it excludes the one who
subjected everything to him.
Gospel -
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St.
Luke (Luke 1:39-56):
That night of the passover was known
beforehand to our fathers, that, with
sure knowledge of the oaths in which
they put their faith, they might have
courage.
3
For in secret the holy children of
the good were offering sacrifice and
putting into effect with one accord
the divine institution, That your
holy ones should share alike the same
good things and dangers, having
previously sung the praises of the
fathers.
R. (12b) Blessed the
people the Lord has chosen to be
his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is
fitting.
Blessed the nation whose God is
the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his
own inheritance.
R.
Blessed the people the Lord has
chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are
upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his
kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of
famine.
R.
Blessed the people the Lord has
chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be
upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R.
Blessed the people the Lord has
chosen to be his own.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19):
By faith he received power to
generate, even though he was past the
normal age--and Sarah herself was
sterile--for he thought that the one
who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from
one man, himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars
in the sky and as countless as the
sands on the seashore.
All these died in faith. They did not
receive what had been promised but
saw it and greeted it from afar and
acknowledged themselves to be
strangers and aliens on earth,
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves
that do not wear out, an
inexhaustible treasure in heaven that
no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
Blessed are those servants whom the
master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird
himself, have them recline at table,
and proceed to wait on them.
And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is
the faithful and prudent steward whom
the master will put in charge of his
servants to distribute (the) food
allowance at the proper time?
But if that servant says to himself,
'My master is delayed in coming,'
9
and begins to beat the menservants
and the maidservants, to eat and
drink and get drunk,
then that servant's master will come
on an unexpected day and at an
unknown hour and will punish him
severely and assign him a place with
the unfaithful.
and the servant who was ignorant of
his master's will but acted in a way
deserving of a severe beating shall
be beaten only lightly. Much will be
required of the person entrusted with
much, and still more will be demanded
of the person entrusted with more.
--------------------
08/08/10- Jesus Emerges From the Tomb (Story of a
painting) -
Thanks Rose!
Here is one who has labored with
wisdom and knowledge and skill, and
to another, who has not labored over
it, he must leave his property. This
also is vanity and a great
misfortune.
R.
(1) If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. If today
you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the
changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. If today
you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. If today
you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all
our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our
God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. If
today you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Colossians (Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11):
NEW YORK -- Anne Rice has had a religious conversion: She's no longer a Christian.
"In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control," the author wrote Wednesday on her Facebook page. "In the name of ... Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."
Rice, 68, is best known for "Interview With a Vampire" and other gothic novels. Raised as a Catholic, she had rejected the church early in her life but renewed her faith in recent years and in 2008 released the memoir "Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession."
In a telephone interview Thursday, Rice said she had been having doubts for the past two to three years. She was troubled by the child abuse scandals in the church, and the church's defensive reaction, and by the ex-communication of Sister Margaret McBride, a nun and hospital administrator who had approved an abortion for a woman whose life was in danger.
"I believed for a long time that the differences, the quarrels among Christians didn't matter a lot for the individual, that you live your life and stay out of it. But then I began to realize that it wasn't an easy thing to do," said Rice, speaking from her home near Palm Springs, Calif. "I came to the conclusion that if I didn't make this declaration, I was going to lose my mind."
Rice said she is a Democrat who supports the health care legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama and believes gay marriage inevitably will be permitted throughout the country. Although no longer part of any denomination, she remains a believer and continues to read theology and post Biblical passages on her Facebook page. She has no immediate plans to write about her leaving the church and will continue with her metaphysical fiction series, "Songs of the Seraphim."
Rice will not be taking up vampires again, but she said she is a big fan of the HBO series "True Blood," enjoyed the first two "Twilight" movies (she has yet to read any of the Stephenie Meyer novels) and is interested in seeing her most famous character, the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, return to the screen.
"We're in talks about it," she said. "But then we've always been in talks about it. Hope springs eternal in California."
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Suppose there were fifty innocent
people in the city; would you wipe
out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent
people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a
thing, to make the innocent die with
the guilty, so that the innocent and
the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world
act with justice?"
What if there are five less than
fifty innocent people? Will you
destroy the whole city because of
those five?" "I will not destroy it,"
he answered, "if I find forty-five
there."
Then he said, "Let not my Lord grow
impatient if I go on. What if only
thirty are found there?" He replied,
"I will forebear doing it if I can
find but thirty there."
Still he went on, "Since I have thus
dared to speak to my Lord, what if
there are no more than twenty?" "I
will not destroy it," he answered,
"for the sake of the twenty."
But he still persisted: "Please, let
not my Lord grow angry if I speak up
this last time. What if there are at
least ten there?" "For the sake of
those ten," he replied, "I will not
destroy it."
R.
(3a) Lord, on the day I called for
help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with
all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing
your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, on
the day I called for help, you answered
me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on
the day I called for help, you answered
me.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he
sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk amid distress, you preserve
me;
against the anger of my enemies you raise
your hand.
R. Lord, on
the day I called for help, you answered
me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done
for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R.
Lord, on the day I called for help, you
answered me.
Reading
II - A reading from the letter of St. Paul to
the Colossians (Colossians 2:12-14):
And even when you were dead (in)
transgressions and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, he brought you to life
along with him, having forgiven us
all our transgressions;
12
Jesus was praying in a certain place,
and when he had finished, one of his
disciples said to him, "Lord, teach
us to pray just as John taught his
disciples."
