"Happy is the man who keeps the hour of death always in mind, and daily prepares for it."
Thomas À Kempis
For Reflection:
At first glance, this quote seems to be a contradiction. How can one be happy if he is always keeping his death in mind? How can the reality of death lead us to true happiness of life? What part does preparation for death play in our happiness?
(See tomorrow's Grace Line for one saint's admonition that also implies a happy life.)
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The discovery of a surgeon's knife belonging to Sir John Williams, a surgeon and abortionist who is a chief suspect in the notorious Victorian "Jack the Ripper" murders is raising new questions about whether or not he was responsible for the killings.
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Perhaps in a bid to up its falling ratings,
Glee, the popular teen TV show, is scheduled to push new boundaries in its next show which will feature a same-sex couple consummating their relationship.
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It couldn't have come at a worse time. Just as the U.S. Congress is launching a full-scale investigation of the nation's largest abortion provider, a Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (PPGC) employee has filed a whistleblower's complaint with the Texas Attorney General alleging that the abortion business engaged in an elaborate Medicaid fraud scheme.
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Until now, the same-sex marriage debate in America has centered upon the rights of homosexuals, but New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan says he's going to work hard to shift the focus onto the First Amendment rights of the Church, rights he believes are in imminent danger.
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"The foolish fear death as the greatest of evils, and the wise desire it as a rest after labors and the end of all ills."
St. Ambrose
For Reflection:
According to this quote, am I foolish or am I wise? If I am foolish, what about death makes me fear? If I am wise, what am I doing to match my desire with preparation?
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The Senate Judiciary Committee began consideration today of the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation introduced earlier this year that would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
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The offices of a French satirical weekly known as
Charlie Hebdo were firebombed yesterday morning after it announced that Mohammed would be its "editor-in-chief" for the next issue.
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"The 'suffering' of purgatory is very real, and it is twofold: a profound remorse for sin and a profound longing for the fullness of God's presence."
Father John Hampsch, C.M.F.
For Reflection:
To what extent have I pondered the reality of purgatory and the souls who are there? Do I presently have a profound remorse for my sin and a profound longing for the fullness of God's presence? May God give me the grace I need to desire Him more and offend Him less. Amen.
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DS writes:
" Several years ago in Shreveport, Louisiana, a traveling Jesuit came to our parish with these 2 [Renew] programs, filling heads with a lot of nonsense, which some believed. Sorry to say, I was one of them. Could you speak to the Renew program?"
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