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Showing posts from 2010

Passing Judgement on the Anti-Modernist

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns and my life abounds with such things. This is especially true because I am an outspoken and apologetic Catholic. However, I do find it quite amusing that in this day and age where so many speak the words "judge not, lest ye be judged," that I am often judged by mere speculation and not by factual means. As a result, my actions may be seen as less than charitable or rabble rousing; however, I speak in charity. Still, my stating "I speak in charity" will more than likely be misunderstood because people misunderstand the fundamental meaning of charity. Charity is NOT a warm fuzzy feeling nor does it always evoke such a warm reaction. Charity is love, but not eros love or anything of the sort; rather, it is the love of God for man and man for God; it is a selfless love and love of neighbor. We are all called to love as God loves, which means we desire to bring all to Him. Therefore, to truly be charitable means to speak the t

Death Penalty (A Catholic Perspective)

The death penalty remains a controversial issue for religious and secular minded alike. There are many who feel that the death penalty is essential to the maintenance and order of society, but there also exists those who hold to the belief that capital punishment is contrary to the inherent dignity of the human person and is essentially anti-life. While there may be many perspectives by which I can approach this topic, I will be focusing on the Catholic perspective, and even though some disagree with the views I present, I ask that you keep an open mind and do not come to a decision until the end. In discussing the death penalty from the Catholic perspective, it should be noted that capital punishment does not stand on the same level of evil as abortion and contraception, as abortion and contraception are considered intrinsically evil; however, Holy Mother Church has held to the belief that capital punishment is a licit form of punishment that may be administered by the state. In f

Reclaiming the Family

There is a growing epidemic of lost youth. As each day passes, we find more and more of our adolescents who have essentially embraced an atheistic mindset, and for the most part hold that there is no greater judgment than what they have deemed necessary for their happiness; however, that happiness if usually devoid of religion and of the God, and is an embracing of serial materialism which attempts to fill the gaps in their soul. Youth and even adults continue to try to seek happiness in buying things, possessing money, succeeding at all costs, but what will be found is that something else must always be acquired. No item is ever good enough and the consuming hunger will never stop. It is only with the embracing of God and the following of his precepts that this devouring of material items will cease and that there will be peace in one’s soul. Yet, the question remains, how has this situation of serial materialism come to existence? Since the late 1800s, there has been an onslaught a

My Thoughts on Thanksgiving for 2010

November 25, 2010, is Thanksgiving in the United States, and because of that, my family has been discussing with me the upcoming celebration. (Yes, I am writing from Singapore, but I am originally from the United States and my family still lives there.) Me being me, I can never leave anything alone. I tend to reflect on things and Thanksgiving is no exception, but as pondered, I became saddened because Thanksgiving should not be one day a year, but everyday. Now, I know that what I am about to write does not apply to everyone, as there are many who keep their lives focused on God at all times, but there exists quite a number of people who do not see the contradiction in their holiday celebration. Thanksgiving...who are we thanking? The answer should be God, but how do we show our thanks to God? By loving him with our ever part of our being, with all our heart, might and soul, by consecrating every action; however, many people wander through life keeping God as a secondary considera

Pope Benedict has not changed the Church's teachings on condoms.

Today has been a crazy day to say the least. I fell asleep last night listening to BBC on my radio and was awakened about 3am, and to my surprise I hear words saying referring to the Pope changing his stance on condoms. I of course got up out of bed and began checking the internet, and the secular media was sure enough posting the same thing over and over again; rather, I should say the same errors. Now, it should be noted that there are many who are far more experienced than I am discussing the current issue, and they have done a great job explaining things, but in case anyone is confused it should be noted that NOTHING HAS CHANGED. The Church's teachings on contraception have not been altered at all. To help clarify this issue, I am posting a few articles that would help a confused Catholic understand what was really said by the Pope and not be taken in by the misinformation of the secular media. Pope Benedict XVI discusses condoms and the spread of HIV (The Catholic Worl

Wonderful Developments at my Parish

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Since coming to Singapore, I have encountered many interesting things. One of the biggest surprises to me in 2005, was the vitality of the parishes and the proper use of altar servers. I found it quite empowering and it was energizing to me; however, I also encountered many things I considered modernistic and atrocious; the worst of it was the berating of the rosary by a priest. Still, I am constantly amazed by the many parish priests who strive to strengthen their parishes by encouraging pious practices. There is often a struggle in the Church between those who hold the Mass as what it is, the highest form of prayer in the whole Church, and those who only see it as a passing moment. While it may be said that we cannot determine the interior disposition of a person's heart by their dress and actions, there is something that can be said for forethought of action. What I mean by this is that we can give precedence to our attendance of Mass and put it above all else that is to be do
I had an error with my postings today, and an encyclical that was supposed to be added as a page to the blog was accidently sent out as a post. I apologize to those who received it in their subscription pages. -Louis-

Erroneous Sexuality Program Brought to Light

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Today has been a great day for me! It has been great because attention was given to the erroneous sexuality program in our Singapore Catholic Schools. Please read: Catholic Schools in Singapore Forced to Present Condom-Promoting Sex-Ed Program By Thaddeus M. Baklinski SINGAPORE, September 30, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A report by Singapore Catholic News says that a sexuality-education program based on Catholic moral principles that has been used in the country for 23 years has been replaced by a Ministry of Education program. The new program, which is mandated for both secular and religious schools, heavily promotes the use of condoms to high school and junior college students. "After 23 years of providing their sexuality-education programme in schools, Family Life Society (FLS) has failed to obtained approval from the Ministry of Education (MOE) to continue," the report states. The Family Life Society is a non-profit organization that offers educa

I Hide in the Rosary

For people who read this blog, it is probably noticeable that my writing can be sporadic at times, and this is because my life can be quite tumultuous. I can be a person aggravated by the course of events of the world and if I were to write, I would seem awfully upset, so it is during these times that I give myself to prayer. I guess it could be said that I hide in the rosary. The rosary is more than just words as some proclaim, but it is, in the paraphrased words of St. Louis de Montfort, the meditation on the most holy life of Jesus and Mary. I remember once when I was participation in an RCIA course, I had a priest say that the rosary was just repetitive words, which broke my heart. To me, the rosary is place. I am taken to Jesus and Mary and behold their most holy lives and am strengthened by their love, trials and tribulations. As I pray, each prayer allows me to behold the humility and love of our Lord and our Lady, and I reminded time and time again that I belong to God and

NFP (The Creighton Model) - Respecting The Human Person

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Fecundity is not a curse, nor is fertility a disease; yet in today’s society both seem to be regarded as conditions which need to be treated. Doctors regularly prescribe birth control pills to young women as if there were something wrong with being fertile. While it may be understood that there are times in a woman’s life where she may not want to get pregnant, the cost of such endeavors can be quite high upon the body. My intention in writing this post is not to address the multitude of condition which may arise from use of contraceptive pills; rather, I wish to make known the point that there are methods by which a woman can understand her body, respect its dignity, be open to the gift of life and not open herself the toxic concoction of contraceptive pills. Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a way for a couple to work with the natural fertility cycles of the body, while respecting the natural procreative aspect of sexuality. While it is true that one must learn how to monitor fert

Learning our Faith to be Active Parents

There exists a generation of Catholics who are lost. They are lost not because they don’t love God, but because many who should have guided them, failed them. I have written time and time again about how parents are the principal educators of their children, but it would seem that in this modernistic age, many parents have left their children to fend for themselves. Great importance has been stressed on learning for school and work, but learning how to live, especially learning to live as a Catholic has been neglected. Quite honestly, I have a loving mother who taught me many things, but when it came to my faith, much was left unsaid. I spent a great deal of time on my own learning my faith, study the catechism, reading on the saints and just getting my hands on anything that could nourish my soul. I was deficient in my knowledge of prayers or even praying, and had a very New Age view of God. I constantly encounter Catholics who are in the same boat that I was in. The knowledge o

Being Active Catholic Parents

In the 21 st century, parents are faced with the difficult task of helping to raise their children in keeping with Catholic morals and values, and are often faced with a culture which rejects the sanctity of human life and reduces sexual activity to something common place. Nevertheless, parents are the principal educators of their children and have a responsibility to protect them from all that would cause them harm. Quite often, the message of parents to their youth is blocked out by society. There are TV programs which show promiscuity, abortion, and even mockery of religion. This problem is only compounded when schools and government programs that are brought into the mix and undermine the parents’ lessons to the children. Our children are essentially being socialized to accept worldly values and it is up to the parents to exercise their authority. It is of the utmost importance for parents to establish a connection with their children at an early age and maintain

Blood Money: The Truth Behind the Abortion Industry

In the fight against the 'culture of death', it can be hard to get the truth, and it must be acknowledged that abortion and contraception are a lucrative industry which hides behind the guise of reproductive/women's rights; however, many have suffered as result of being misled and many innocent children have been killed because they were not acknowledged as human. There is a movie soon to be released that attempts to dispel the falsehoods that have been promoted by the culture of death and it is titled Blood Money ( Quite an appropriate title I think ). Here is a brief write-up from their web page: Blood Money is a documentary film that exposes the truth behind the Abortion Industry from the Pro Life perspective. This film will examine the history of abortion in America, from the inception of Planned Parenthood and the profitability of abortion clinics, to Roe v. Wade, to the denial of when life begins, to the fight to save the lives of innocent babies, and the de

Help Protect Catholic Teachings in Catholic Schools

Some of you may know that I have been involved in pro-life projects and this happens to be one of them. There are Catholics here in Singapore who desire to maintain Catholic moral teachings in our Catholic Schools and are seeking support .  Below is a letter to parents regarding Breaking Down Barriers , a programme which teaches the youth sexuality in a way contrary to our belief system and promotes the use of condoms. Further, it does not instill the moral values of temperance and fortitude which are essential to the formation of our youth and what makes it even worse is that it exists as a mandatory programme for secondary education and is taught in some junior colleges. Be reminded, Catholic schools are to teach morals and values for living, and indoctrination to the Culture of Death does not fit into that criteria. Below is our letter to parents, which may also be found at our webpage: http://lejuene.caritashost.com/ Also, to view our appendix, visit the above link or http:/

The End Draws Near for Touchy Feely Catholicism

I think a change is on the horizon. For much too long has Catholic teaching been dumbed down for the sake of being politically correct, for fear of offense, or quite honestly, to justify giving into concupiscence. Modernist rhetoric has infiltrated catechism classes, our universities, and has taken conquered many Catholics, but I am filled with hope. I am sure by now you must be asking yourself, why is he filled with hope? The simple answer: Cardinal Marc Oullet. Cardinal Oullet has just been appointed prefect for the Congregation of Bishops and that means he will have say on who gets appointed to be a bishop. So why am I excited? Quite simply, he is bold and has recognized the need for change, especially as it regards intellectuals. He was quoted on Mercator Net saying the following: The Church needs what [the Canadian Catholic News] called a “new intellectual dynamism” to “recapture the spirit of Christianity” and “create a new Christian culture.” “We need intellectuals for