First Page

When you type 08 Olympics in google. My post about the Beijing Olympics in on the first page. Its toward the bottom of the page, but still I am impressed how my humble blog can make the first page.

By any chance

By any chance, does anyone out there know anything about the Apostleship of the Cross?

Spread the Love Award

I am little late on this one. Sorry about that.
Therese has tagged me with the spread the love award. Btw, thank you Therese.
I am passing this award onto
Faith and Country
Would you like Blog with that?
Byzantine Texas

prayer

I find that since the birth of my daughter I am praying more and more...
...
for patience.

Search Kindly.org

Search Kindly.org is a non-profit search engine that donates a lump sump at the end of the month to a charity chosen by the users. It generates revenue from the ads on the search results. 100% of ad revenue goes to the charity.

Well, the poll is up to decide for February which charity will get the money raised that month.
The choices are:

UN Refugee Agency
Tibet Aid
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Native American Rights Fund
Luke Society
Hats Off for Cancer

Of these Luke Society is the only Christian organization. It is a medical mission organization (St Luke, the Evangelist, was a doctor)You can vote for a charity by going here. Tibet Aid is winning currently. We should go the site and raise votes for the Luke Society. It would also help if you linked to the poll site on your blog and encouraged others to vote for Luke Society.
You can vote 2 or 3 times a day, but you have to wait about 8 hours. Your visit also generates ad revenue for charity.
Remember, vote early and vote often.

Politics in the Liturgy

I got the image from Alive and Young.

I pity the fool

Alive and Young had a great post on what Mr T would say about going to Mass. He says in part...
“Mass, it is the place where heaven and earth meet in heavenly worship fool! You can’t heavenly worship on your couch. The Spirit takes us up to Heaven to worship God in unity with the angels and saints. So, get off you butt, and ask the Spirit to prepare you and inspire you to go to mass. It is the Spirit that prepares us for the mystery of all time: it is unique, eternal, and both in and out of our world. It is a mystery fool! Stop trying to figure everything out, fool! Just get up and go! Jesus is waiting."

H/T to Would You Like Blog With That?

Catholic Jokes

From Fisheaters
A Jesuit, a Dominican, and a Trappist were marooned on a desert island. They found a magic lamp, and after some discussion decided to rub it. Lo and behold, a genie appeared and offered them three wishes. They decided it was only fair that they could each have one wish. The Jesuit said he wanted to teach at the world's most famous university, and poof, he was gone! The Dominican wished to preach in the world's largest church, and poof, he was gone! Then the Trappist said, "Gee, I already got my wish!"

****

A little boy became anxious in church during an especially long homily. After a time, he spotted the red candle by the tabernacle. He turned to his dad and asked, "When the light turns green can we go home."

Bats in the Church

There was once a beautiful church, but the trouble was that it was infested with bats and that was causing many problems.
To fix the problem, a Franciscan was recruited since St Francis was known to be good with animals. The Franciscan coaxed the bats into boxes and released them far from the church. However, they returned the next night.
Next a Jesuit was brought to help. However, his solution was to bring a shotgun and open fire, so he was sent away before he could wreak his havoc on this beautiful church.
Finally, a parish priest was brought in to help. He catechized the bats and then they were all baptized. The bats have not been seen since.

Speyer Cathedral

This is the Cathedral of Ste Mary and St Stephen. I was actually confirmed in this cathedral.

St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide

I was thinking that its about time I posted pics of an Australian cathedral. I was originally thinking about Darwin, but, in honor of Therese, I decided instead on St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide.

GI June

I discover GI June today. Its a site authored by wives of servicemen. I like the list of patron saint they have on the side:

Our Lady Queen of Peace

St Genevieve, who encouraged her countryment to
employ fasting and prayer in the face of a military invasion

St George
the Dragon Slayer, Patron Saint of the Cavalry

St Sebastian, Patron
Saint of the Grunt

St Barbara, Patron Saint of Artillery and
Artillerists, explosive handlers and sappers.

St Michael, Patron Saint
of Paratroopers and Commandos.

St Theresa, Patron Saint of Aviators

Saints Brendan and Brigid, Patron Saints of Navigators and Sailors

St Joan of Arc, Patron Saint of Servicewomen

St Leonard, Patron
Saint of Prisoners of War

St Martin of Tours, Patron Saint of Soldiers

St Columba, Patron Saint of Sailors and Warriors

I would also like to mention St Ignatius of Loyola, (who was once a Spanish Soldier) St Francis of Assisi (a Soldier also), Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun (a US Army chaplain martyred by Communist Chinese), and St Florian ( a Roman Soldier). Heck, the Pope was even a Soldier!

As a Soldier I like the idea behind their site, especially as my own wife knows well that I will leave soon.

Catholic Carnival 154

Catholic Carnival 154 is up at Living Catholicism.

Isabella

I have mentioned a few times that my wife was pregnant. This morning Isabella was born and we finally got to hold our baby daughter.

Beijing Olympics 08 Logo

I found this picture on Faithmouse:



That about captures the spirit of the 08 Beijing Olympics. They can build stadiums and new olympic facilities but that doesn't hide the fact that its one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. This image is also on UWants.com
Well, it turns out there are several sites in the blogosphere that heave this image and they all linking each other so here they are:
SFO Mom
Blogs4Brownback
kaj la hundro iris kun ili...
Lina Lamot Club
Olympics in Den Ketten
Beijing 2008: Olimpikoj en Cenoj
Conservababes
Causa Nostra Laetitiae
Free Republic Thread
The Good Life
Blogging from the Bog
Hell on Earth
Irish Blogs
Scarlet Crusader
Team-Swap
Berlin Wall Between Church and State
Boycott 2008 Communist
Faith and Country
Waving or Drowning?
Young Dead Elms

Saturday Morning Humor

Hat tip to Stained Glass Buffalo Not exactly sacred art

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

I saw over at Fish in a Barrel that today is the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.
"Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name 7 that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, 8 of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 9 to the glory of God the Father."--Phillipians 2:9-11
In honor of the feast I will post the Divine Praises:

Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

Blessed be the name of Jesus.

Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the paraclete.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.

Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.

Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.

Vladivostok Missions

H/T to Per Christum
The Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord are working in Russia's Far East to support and build up the Catholic Church there. So far there are only three of them and they receive no support from the Office of the Propagation of the Faith since Russia is not considered mission territory, in deference to the Russian Orthodox Church.
One of their major goals is to restore the cathedral in Vladivostok. After 65 years under Soviet control as a state archives, it needs work restore it to the beautiful house of God that it once was and can be again.
They depend upon donations from the faithful since Russia is not considering mission territory.
Donations page is here.

CC153

Catholic Carnival 153 is up at Snoring Scholar.

New Headbar

I have been looking around for a while for a picture that would make a great headbar. I found one today. I like the beauty of the image and I think it probably demystifies the naming of the blog for some. I like how this portrayal of Pentecost has the BVM very prominent.