Sacraments

“Have you sinned? Go into the church and wipe out your sin. As often as you might fall down in the marketplace, you pick yourself up again. So too, as often as you sin, repent your sin. Do not despair.”
St. John Chrysostom

For Reflection:
These words remind us that growth in holiness requires perseverance and hope. How does the Sacrament of Penance offer both of these virtues?

Sacraments

“You who are baptized: Conquer the darkness by the light of your candles, and the silence by your hosannas!”
St. Ephraem the Syrian

For Reflection:
This quote reminds me that my baptism is meant to be a sign to the world. In what specific way(s) can I be a light in the darkness and proclaim the glory of God in the midst of my daily duties?

French High Court Upholds Traditional Marriage

By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

The usual demand by proponents of same-sex marriage for “equality” fell flat last week as the French Constitutional Council, the county’s equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled that there is nothing unequal about upholding the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

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ObamaCare Legal Challenge May be Fast-Tracked to Supreme Court

By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

Virginia’s attorney general announced yesterday that he will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the legal challenge to the individual mandate now rather than wait for what could be a lengthy and costly appeals court review.

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Sacraments

“Baptism is ransom, forgiveness of debts, death of sin, regeneration of the soul, a resplendent garment, an unbreakable seal, a chariot to heaven, a royal protector, a gift of adoption.”
St. Basil the Great

For Reflection:
How blest am I to have been baptized! Which parts of St. Basil’s quote speak most profoundly to my soul? For which am I most grateful?

Second Video Shows Planned Parenthood Covering Up Sex Trafficking Ring

By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

The undercover investigation that videotaped a Planned Parenthood employee in New Jersey covering up an alleged sex trafficking ring has produced a second video of a clinic in Virginia where an employee brags about how they can undermine the system and skirt parental notification laws to insure that girls as young as 14 and 15 can get abortions.

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Despite Fears of the Future, Egyptian Christians Want Mubarak Out

By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

Although he was once regarded as a bulwark against the persecution of Christians by the Muslim majority in Egypt, embattled President Hosni Mubarak’s inability to protect them from recent spates of violence has caused many Christians to join with Muslims in calling for his resignation.

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