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Showing posts from 2011

What do you do if you are young, pretty, and intelligent? You consecrate your life to Jesus!

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That is certainly what this young lady has done.  Mary Anne Marks is a graduate from Harvard.  She finished her undergrad in English and Latin Literature. She was chosen to give the Latin Salutary at the 2010 Harvard Ceremony (video below). After graduating from Harvard, she joined the Ann Arbor Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, the “Oprah Sisters.”   Currently, she is going into her second year of novitiate. The Ann Arbor Dominican order is growing massively due to its observance of orthodox Catholic teaching.  In fact, this seems to be the pattern of recent times whereby young people are seeking religious communities that are faithful to the teachings of the Magisterium. (You can watch a full interview with Mary Anne here ). During the past few decades, there has been a great confusion around Catholic and non-Catholic circles alike, about the importance and degree of honour attributed to the Consecrated life.  Many people believe that marriage is the only

Biblical Proof of Mary’s Immaculate Conception II

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As promised in my previous post , this blog entry is dedicated to offer further Biblical evidence of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Previously, it was made clear from the typology that exists between Eve and Mary that the latter was the Second Eve, whom God protected from the stain of Original Sin.  Another typology in the Bible that cannot be ignored is the Ark of the Covenant foreshadowing the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The chest-like object in the OT was made of incorruptible acacia wood that was covered with pure gold.  The spiritual meaning of these two elements when the Ark is seen as a reference to Mary is that Mary is also incorruptible.  She is empty of any sin that would render her corrupt.  Now, let us look at the evidence from the Scriptures. The Ark of the Old Covenant contained the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written (Exodus 25:16). The Ten Commandments are the word of God.  Likewise, Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant contained the

Biblical Proof of Mary’s Immaculate Conception I

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The doctrine of Immaculate Conception in the Catholic faith states that God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception.  The Blessed Virgin was born without a sin according to God’s will.  God the Father handed this gift to her, so that she may fulfill her role as the “Mother of the Lord” in the plan of salvation (Luke 1:43).  Like many other foundational doctrines of the Christian faith, such as Trinity, there is no one verse in the Bible that states the doctrine of Immaculate Conception.  Instead, an in-depth analysis of certain Biblical passages is required for a reader to discern this truth from the Sacred Scriptures. It is important that we understand typology in the Bible before we say anything about Mary.  Typology is when a person, an object or an action in the Old Testament refers to a person, an object, or an action in the New Testament. The Bible is full of those. Lord Jesus says, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in

On Babies and Tampons

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Retail sales have sunk to a new low in the United Kingdom. I imagine storeowners are rushing to put together an advertisement campaign to boost the consumers’ confidence and encourage them to spend their money.  Campaigners in the U.K. are doing just that, except their target demographics are not just any consumers.  They are targeting females with impregnated wombs.  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK has given the green light for private abortion providers to air television advertisements and promote their services.  I would like to understand this situation a little better, as I imagine my esteemed reader would like as well.  The best way to go about analyzing this development would be through a Comparison.  Hearken back, gentle reader, to your grade 9 English lessons on Comparisons.  To compare two objects or concepts with each other means to find the similarities they share with one another. Here, the two objects we would like to compare are babies and

The Utter, Utter Failure of Postmodernism

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Almost two weeks have gone by after the riots in Vancouver, city officials, along with provincial administrators are still bewildered with the disturbances that took place in Vancouver city on June 15, after a championship game of hockey ended with the Canucks losing the Stanley Cup to Boston Bruins.    Premier Christy Clark has ordered an investigation, as well as an “independent review,” to analyze the possible causes of this behaviour.   Psychiatrists also weighed in to see the driving force behind the disruptive conduct of the rioters that day.   Meanwhile, this photo has been floating around the World Wide Web comparing the riots in Vancouver with those in Somalia, Libya and Egypt.   The satirical theme behind this comparison is obvious.   While all four countries witnessed deadly demonstrations, the reasons behind these demonstrations varied drastically.   Somalia, Libya and Egypt were fighting for freedom, while Vancouverites were just plain old silly. No nation on the

Homosexualist Indoctrination of Children

Dan Savage, an outspoken homosexual activist, has been quite vociferous re the reaction of Penny Nance from Concerned Women of America to a homosexualist advertisement promoting the gay lifestyle.   Fox aired the advertisement during American Idol, a show that has been rated family-friendly by Parents Television Council.     Savage begins his response with naming the group, Concerned Women of America, as an “officially-designated hate group.” Then, he moves on to offer three thoughts on Nance’s response.   First, he expresses surprise at the prospect of a fourth grader who does not know about “heterosexual sex,” and compares this fourth grader to an animal who is raised in a “skinner box.”   This is a homosexual activist’s idea of raising a healthy child; any fourth grader who knows not about sex is basically an animal that is trapped in a box, namely a mouse because mice are usually trapped in a “skinner box.” Later on in life, when this ‘sexually-enlightened’ child grows up t

Abortion Zombies: Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and Co.

A recent poll shows Nancy Pelosi to be the least popular U.S. Congressional leader. I do not imagine that Pelosi’s theological blunders have anything to do with these poll results, but I am sure that these views certainly contribute to the composition of her character, which has been deemed “least popular.” In any case, there is nothing more amusing (or frustrating, depending how you look at it), than to see Pelosi theologizing . Pelosi has previously deemed herself an “ardent, practicing Catholic,” who has been “studying the issue” of life “for a long time.” The conclusion of her thorough scholarship was that “over the centuries, the Doctors of the Church have not been able” to define when life first begins. “St. Augustine said at three months. We don’t know.”  Watching her utter these words during the interview, it is not difficult to see the eyes tearing up and the anxiety level rising to the point of almost choking on her words and clearly revealing her guilty conscience

Christ, the Fairest of All Men (With a Video)

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Upon venturing on my sixth post up to date, I figured I should not only instruct, but also delight my reader with some meditative insights into a wonderful book in the Bible that often goes ignored or unnoticed, the Song of Songs . The Song of Songs is a tiny book that consists of 8 chapters, yet every page is saturated and overflowing with the love of God to the apex of creation, the human.  The book is attributed to King Solomon, who wrote it to one of his wives.  Solomon’s love for his wife prefigures Christ’s love for his Church.  This relationship between God and his people, which resembles that of a bridegroom and his bride, is not a novelty introduced to us in the New Testament.  In Isaiah 54:5, God says, “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts.”  This by itself speaks volumes of God’s love for us.  I ask all the faithful husbands out there, how dearly do you love your wife? To what extent would you defend her (especially when she cooks a nic

The Joy of Holiness

Throughout our day, we are constantly bombarded with all sorts of messages.  Some of these messages are conveyed to us in the form of advertisement of some new ‘life-changing’ product; others are suggested to us underhandedly with some God-forsaken, sly intention in hopes of winning some political, economic or social battle.  Be that as it may, these messages always attempt to shape our Will and our Desire in a way that will control and manipulate our character.  Inside every human being, there exists Desire.  This Desire is the driving force in our life.  In and of itself, it is not a bad thing because it moves us to find partners (husbands or wives) with whom we can start family units and share with God the act of creation to produce new life on earth.  However, when it becomes corrupt, human wretchedness increases and multiplies.  This is especially true, when Desire is left to its own devices, to be free to control our life as it pleases i.e. to make us eat whenever

Homosexual Activism: Hatred for Religion and Free Speech

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Well folks, I guess by now the news is getting old.   Damian Goddard, a television anchorman for Rogers Sportsnet has been fired for making his views on marriage public on Twitter.   On Tuesday May 10, Damian tweeted his support for Todd Reynold, Burlington’s hockey agent.   Reynold voiced his disagreement of New York Rangers’ Sean Avery for filming a television ad in support of gay marriage.   Reynold’s radical views of marriage being between one man and one woman did not go unnoticed.   CBC ran a segment of Q’s Sports Culture that debated whether hockey is “homophobic.” Instinct Magazine called for a petition to be signed by its readers and forwarded to Uptown Sports “to apologize and let Todd know” that he is “intolerant homophobic bigot hater.”   The list of reaction from leftist media is too long to be enumerated in this humble blog space.   Suffice it to say, if you are an advocate of traditional marriage in Canada, then please slam shut your door, fasten all your locks, and

From Malta to Hungary, Change is the Common Theme

Living in a global village forces us to face certain facts.   One fact that we must all confront is that our world is changing.   Global demographics are being scrambled around, principles that have governed societies for years are now being deserted, and the French soccer team for 2010 World Cup consisted mostly of players with darker complexion.   However, the most important change that is now taking place is the re-formation of family.   The current legislation of European states speaks volumes of attempts being made to redefine family.   This change is evident in the transformation currently taking place in two European countries, Malta and Hungary, both of which are members of the European Union. Malta is a country that is very dear to my heart.   It is one of the last strongholds of Catholicism that has survived the vicious assaults of secularism in modern Europe.   It is nearly impossible to go anywhere in the tiny island without being reminded of the Catholic culture tha

Tyranny of Individualism

Recently, in the Vatican, there has been much discussion revolving around Religious Freedom.  Also, click here for an article on Pope Benedict's review of that discussion.  A spectrum that has always boggled policy makers is Individualism and Institutionalism.  On one end of the spectrum, stand individual human rights that offer us valuable personal freedoms apart from any restrictions. On the other end of the spectrum is the establishment that has always sought to civilize human rebellious nature with regulations.  Nowhere was this binary fought out more ferociously than 18 th century Europe, when the age of Enlightenment ignited a stream of revolutions throughout the European nations.  The fallout for these revolutions in the western world is quite visible in the western view of religion and its advocates.  Two notable outcomes emerged from these revolutions.  First, is the attempt to banish religion into the realm of private sphere.  The second important outcome is Mo

Dual Heroism of Blessed John Paul II

Blessed John Paul II, what a blessed topic with which I will introduce my blog and myself. Well, I suppose it is only apt that I should say something about myself before I begin with my first blog topic, Blessed John Paul II.  I am a big fan of the Pope, the previous and the current. Does that tell you anything? It should.  Otherwise, I would have to do a great deal of explanation, especially while operating under a blog called “View Catholic.” During the last four years, I have engaged in some heavy-duty religious blog hounding, online public forum tailing. Conclusion? Why not start my own blog, and this way I get to reflect, mirror, image, replicate, portray, express, illustrate the Catholic view and the Catholic view only, in its most authentic, original, genuine, accurate, real, indisputable, and unadulterated form.  Have fun! Back to the pope, Blessed John Paul II. What can I say? 1.5 million gatherers assembled. It was definitely a blessed assembly. It must’ve been too di