Today.

Today, historic health care legislation was passed, moving our nation further out of God's favor.
Here is the note my husband sent me this morning:

Today you MUST suffer for the Church and the world.
Today you MUST be kind.
Today you MUST be holy.
Today you MUST repent.
Today you MUST put others first.
Today you MUST look at souls and not bodies.
Today you MUST do penance.
Today you MUST be the least.
Today you MUST become the greatest, by being the servant of all.
Today you MUST not sin.
Today you MUST be charitable.
Today you MUST have endurance.
Today you MUST be chaste.
Today you MUST not blaspheme.
Today you MUST utter nothing profane.
Today you MUST pray without ceasing.
Today you MUST read the Scriptures.
Today you MUST pray for one another.
Today you MUST not despair!
Today you MUST objectify no one.
Today you MUST be converted.
Today you MUST do everything in Christ.

Something evil has gone out into the earth. The Church needs you

Catholic Apologetics questions from my email, part One: Unity and Authority

NOTE: BEFORE I EVEN BEGIN TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS I'VE BEEN ASKED BY MY PROTESTANT FRIENDS AND READERS REGARDING CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, I MUST LAY A FRAMEWORK FROM WHICH TO WORK. THIS BLOG IS AN ATTEMPT TO LAY SUCH A FOUNDATION OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.


When I first came back to the Church I was so grateful to have the opportunity to return to the Sacraments and the "fullness" of the Truth that I waxed poetic about it at every opportunity and spent a great deal of time berating protestantism because it was just so silly to me to go around with only HALF the picture and feel so..... unfulfilled.... all the time. (I should specify.... I mean "for me." Who had left the Church in the first place to BE a protestant looking for fulfillment. I found it terribly ironic that I found that fulfillment in the place I walked away from, and that I had spent YEARS as a strong, bible- believing protestant searching for the right way to "do Church.")

Nowadays, I still get asked the same exact questions over and over again that I was asked when I crossed the Tiber: "What about the Pope?" "How can you pray to dead people if you believe the Bible?" "Why do you worship Mary if you say Jesus is Lord?" etc etc etc.

However, I've noticed that instead of being thrilled to have the opportunity to answer like I used to as an uber-enthusiastic, bible-believing apologist (:P) I now get more than a little frustrated (read indignant) in my heart when I get asked the same questions over and over and over. Particularly the ones about Mary, who I have grown to love so much I don't know how I ever got on without her. (I can see my protestant readers starting to twitch! But rest assured, I will explain using my Bible in an upcoming blog.)

This isn't because I fault those protestants who are asking as if they knew better (they don't! and I love them!) But it is because with my appreciation for Catholicism has grown a sense of "Truth" with a capital T-ness in which I find it absolutely appalling that Catholics should have to explain their position all the time in order to be "approved" as it were by fundamentalist Christians. Why? Because the Catholic Church is the parent of protestantism, it is the root from which they have sprung, and it is the source to which they owe the very life of the Spirit they covet and who gave them the very Word of God they think they can use to destroy it. It's just so silly. If anything, protestants should be explaining to Catholics just how on earth they can call themselves Christian when they deny mystical Body of Christ and the Authority which Christ Himself has given. BUT... Catholics don't do that. We call protestants "separated bretheren," and we acknowledge that they have a vivid, if unfocused, picture of the Gospel and the salvation of Christ our Common Lord.

Now, granted, most of my protestant friends feel that it is THEY who are "inclusive" and the ones who make the efforts towards unity when the Catholics instead are dis-unifying by their unflinching.... well....Catholicness. I've been there many times when a protestant friend or family member realized they weren't allowed access to our communion table and had an absolute fit.

And it's a tricky thing. Because in our heart of hearts, every Catholic has a technical right to be as mystified as I am that we must somehow "explain ourselves" in order to be coined "Christian--" the very thing which we have handed down for two thousand years from Jesus Christ Himself. But I also know that my protestant brothers and sisters are doing the same thing I am: journeying. And in that pilgrimmage, they are doing what they can with what they know. Been there.

You see, it is Catholics who say that you must BE a Catholic. Or rather, that if it is possible for you, you SHOULD be a Catholic. It isn't necessary for salvation, but it gives you that blessed assurance.

Protestants, however, are in two camps about the Catholic Church.

Camp One says that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon of the end times- an abomination before the Lord and anethema. They base this idea on complete misunderstandings of Catholic doctrine (not being Catholic themselves NOR QUOTING ACTUAL CATHOLICISM but instead feeding each others' distaste for said Whore with experiential and outlandish claims they find on youtube and in the corner baptist church that-- to a Catholic-- are laughable enough that we may just let them go on thinking what they are thinking just to have a giggle, if you know what I mean.

Camp Two says "hey man, you believe in Jesus and that's good enough for me." They are very relaxed about Catholics, assured of individual Catholics' salvation and completely OK with saying that "Catholics are one denomination among many." Most of my friends fall into Camp Two (MOST) but therein lies the problem. Because as a Catholic, I recognize the historical fact that Catholicism is outside denominations. We ARE the Faith, and from "THE FAITH" sprang splintered groups which evolved to look more or less "like us" and which are, in fact, denominations. It's touchy, but it's true. So while we may all belong to the "Body of Christ" or the "Church" in the sense of all being believers who love and serve the Lord, we don't all belong to the ACTUAL unbroken apostolic line which He set in place to go forth from Him until the time of His return. We are NOT all serving the same spiritual / earthly authority. Therein lies the problem.

Because there is ROOM inside Catholicism for sooooooo many different "ways" of living out our Catholic faith, there is room for everyone who calls on the name of Jesus to get into the same boat and to submit to the same apostolic authority, who got where he is by the laying on of hands from a loooong line of other apostolic authorities which can literally be traced ALL THE WAY BACK to Jesus Christ Himself. This is why having a pope is awesome. You can be a Catholic and never say a prayer to Mary in your life if you don't want to. the Rosary is NOT a requirement for Catholicity. :P
But you must recognize apostolic authority, and that is the one thing I find fascinating.

I have been to many different churches with different opinions about apostolic authority. I believe, like all of you, in the five fold ministy gifts--- giftings from the Holy Spirit for particular offices (teacher, prophet, apostle, etc) Thus, like them, Catholics believe that "apostleship" is a gift of the Holy Spirit, an annointing for a particular person. Like them, we believe-- as Scripture clearly lays out-- that apostolic authority is passed on from one believer in authority to another by the laying on of hands. AND like them, we believe that God will confirm with other witnesses who He will call to the next apostleship.
I was a member for a long time of another church which believed the things i've just laid out about apostles, but it went further still. Because the Bible is clear that apostles must be APPOINTED--- and here's the kicker--- BY OTHER APOSTLES IN AUTHORITY, this particular church had to basically make up a teaching about apostleship and make a case for apostleship not being able to come through the unbroken line anymore because times have changed.

I don't know about you, but I think God is unchanging. And I'm pretty sure my Bible says so too. So while I think it's all fine and dandy to raise up strong leaders in these protestant Churches to guide and shepherd the people, I and the rest of the Catholic Church are sitting back wondering how on earth you can call these people apostles when apostleship is clearly a gift which is handed on and confirmed with ACTUAL spiritual authority-- not imaginary spiritual authority, not spiritual authority which is given by a believer but which is given by CHRIST, conferred by those whom HE has chosen to select the next apostles and shepherds.

So that's the first thing I think I will say in this tricky business of trying to defend / explain Catholic beliefs to inquiring minds. This whole thing is tricky, because in the end, you'll either believe and agree with what I will say in the next few blogs as I answer these questions, or you will totally reject what I am saying as Truth. And the implications of each are pretty staggering.

Let's keep in mind a few things as we go into it:

1. I (personally) love you very much. Chances are, if you are protestant reader you are someone I consider a sister in the faith, an inspiration and an encouragement. I am NOT by any means writing these blogs so that you will convert (although I think you should ;)) but rather so that you will set your mind at ease that I have thoroughly thought all of these things through and that I am STILL READING MY BIBLE AND HEARING (and I should specify, from JESUS) every day.

2. The Catholic Church, for 1500 years, WAS the sole "container" in which the Gospel message spread. Until the protestant reformation occurred, we had perfect unity. The protestant reformation was NOT, I don't believe, intended to be a bad thing-- the Church was in need of renewal. But there is a difference between Renewal AND reformation, and I strongly believe that Satan used something which we could have greatly benefited from to separate us so that he could attack us better (you know ,the old "divide and conquer" method.) Christ is CLEAR as crystal in scripture when he prays for us to have unity. We MUST find a way to work towards that unity somehow. I do NOT hold you personally responsible for the protestant reformation. I do, however, imply often in my blog that you haven't totally thought out some pretty basic aspects of theology, else you would be a Catholic (or at least an orthodox Christian.)I will say that being a Catholic MAKES SENSE, at the end of the day, when you know your Bible and you apply logic to it. That is the argument I will use again and again to defend it.

3. Scripture is explicit:
"let each one be convinced in his own mind."
I cannot change your mind nor can you change mine. Thus, I ask only that you read these blogs with an open mind and pray about them before you cast them away as garbage. Likewise, I pray that I will be NOT A STUMBLING BLOCK to you but a blessing.

See you next blog.<3

Satan's jealousy, fear, and hatred of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A brilliant discussion of the role of Mary and woman in the plan of Salvation by my husband:


To understand hatred, we must understand a few things about the object being hated. We need reasons for what seems irrational. The same for veneration, then. We need real reasons to understand the veneration of Mary. Is it enough that she was the mother of Christ for Satan to hate Mary, and for us to venerate her?
We must point out the obvious, by asking certain questions. What is "womankind?" What does the woman represent? What is the dignity of a woman? What are the differences between Eve and Mary? To what degree of exaltation did the Lord intend the woman to? To what extent did iniquity and Satan defile her? Certain things come to mind, but as stated before the first step is precisely to discern the obvious. So, let's look at each of these questions.
What is "womankind?" 1 Corinthians 11:7 says,"...he (man) is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man." A very interesting and succinct declaration by the Apostle. It is derived from the fact that the God made man in His image and likeness, and therefore man is the glory of God. Similarly, the woman was fashioned from the man, taken from his very side. Therefore, she is the glory of man, made in the image of God, for man is God's image. Man and woman they were made and together they are mankind, the image of God. Years later, St. Irenaeus of Lyon would come to say," The glory of God is man fully alive." and this hints to the great dignity of both the woman and the man, and to what they are predestined.
What does the woman represent? As we know, she fundamentally represents man. However, she does not merely represent "men" she represents the human race; more specifically she represents the Church, the Bride of Christ. St. John Chrysostom points out the obvious again for us and says," Just as Adam's bride was taken from his side, so too was Christ's bride, the Church, taken from His side." For not only is the man made in His image, and not only are we called to be Christs in the earth as the Church, but literally water and blood ran down from his side. Not only did the blood and water run down his side, but chronologically in the order of the sacraments, first water and then blood. We are baptized into the body of Christ first, and then we receive His blood in communion. In the same fashion, a woman is first wed, and then she receives her husbands body. Once again, in the same fashion, once received into the Church we may receive the sacrament; the priest being the mystical representation of Christ gives of His body and blood, and we give of ourselves by receiving... just like the female in the act of sex. Here in is the sanctity of sex and why sexual immorality is an abomination.This is a great mystery, and our solemn heritage. We know this.
What is the dignity of the woman, then? Her dignity is the righteousness of mankind and the love of her Bridegroom; to reign with Him as a queen, to share his Kingdom, and to cleave to Him and become one flesh. That is, not to become gods, as He is God, but to be even as He is... His very image. This, then, is the image dignity of the woman and mankind. God deigned to give us an image of our future glory, in Mary, the daughter of Aaron and Mother of Jesus Christ. She is the mystical representation of the Church, of co-creation with God that mankind shares in, of virginity and integrity. She is the mystical manifestation of mankind bereft of sin and iniquity, having been shrived and selected by her Bridegroom. She is the image of us in full glory in the Kingdom of Heaven. She is the image of mankind walking before the Lord and being perfect. Therefore, it is very sad that so many Christians have not only ignored this consolation we have in seeing our future glory in the Blessed Virgin, but many have gone so far as to call all such veneration "demonic" and "dangerous." She is the image of the work Christ will complete in us; she is us. For these reasons, she is the Queen of Heaven, the best of us, under Christ.
To what extent did iniquity and Satan defile the woman? That has yet to be revealed, for the end is not here, nor the judgment come. We can look and see though in Eve all the curses. Many people blame Eve for having eaten the fruit first, but truly, the woman Eve was the image of the man Adam. She only manifested what was already in the heart of Adam, which is why he did eat of the same forbidden fruit. Regardless, she (both man and woman) failed to wait upon the Lord, their Bridegroom. In their despair, they stole the fruit, and took what in truth God had intended to give them all along, the knowledge of good and evil. The fornication's of their heart brought death and darkness into the world. What greater pleasure to Satan than to seduce and impregnate the bride with every evil; to make her forget God and love him?
Is it any wonder then that this "sacred feminine" is at the heart of the New Age movement? This "new age" concept of the sacred feminine isn't the creation of a new age, but is rather a hackneyed and diabolical assertion that screams like a specter from antiquity. Many "queens of heaven" have been put forth by pagan religions. Ashtoreth, Queen of Heaven, a fertility goddess and patroness of the enemies of Israel . Semiramis, the demon possessed whore who founded Babylon and became Queen after marrying her own son; she also established her own cult religion. She named herself high priestess and Queen of Heaven, and became a shrine prostitute. It does not take intellect much to see that this is a perverse and wicked mockery of Christ and His Bride. A mother marrying giving birth to and marrying her son, becoming a Queen. When human's attempt what only God can do in righteousness, there is the height of shame and wickedness.
In pagan religions, we see a dark and wild horned god of the forest, such as Cernunnos, with a fertility goddess of light. What does it take to see that this is the dark one taking as his bride the one who is made in the image of light? Again we see this throughout history, a Mother goddess is the source of creation, a Venus. What does it take to see that this is a denial of God, and the elevation of mankind to supreme and sole divinity?
The litany of the counterfeit "queens of heaven" is long and sinister, among the greatest of deceptions. Even now, we are indoctrinated with a concept of "mother earth" to whom we are to have the greatest respect and reverence for. What a deception! To have anthropomorphized the very earth itself into the image of a great mother and queen, and to teach that in the end "she" is all we have... what a great evil.
This "sacred feminine" is a diabolical and sinister amalgam of the iniquity of mankind and the indefatigable creativity for evil that Satan has. It is a counterfeit designed to steal our glory, the glory of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the glory of God, and to lead astray as many as possible. It's foundation is built on the flimsy platform of dualism, the pretense that light needs dark, and that which is uncreated needs that which is created, and if there is a God there must be a goddess. This is the same place from which comes the idea that if there are male priests there must be female priests, and thus the desire to ordain women as priestesses; this idea is a negation of every divine truth.
It is important that every Christian understands Mary for what she is, she is more than the mother of God, she is us, she is the Church. Therefore, it is important to keep in our remembrance, when we despair, our common mother in the faith, who is Mary, the mother of Christ. It is important to know her, lest we be deceived, or sow in vain. She is God's great vision to His holy people of His every promise through our One common Savior, Jesus Christ. Heaven does have a Queen, and she has been coronated through unwavering obedience, with the blood of her Son, so that you may be certain of every blessing and inheritance you have in Christ. She desires that every single one of you be converted into the likeness of her Son and worship Him in truth.
Therefore, do not be afraid to honor her as your mother in the faith, for she has begotten you as both a sibling and a child through obedience to God in Christ. She always points to her Son, just as the Son always points to the Father. Blessed are those who are not offended by her.

(and I add that:)
And further, those who honor her are fulfilling biblical prophecy: "From this day all generations will call me "Blessed." the Almighty has done great things for me and Holy is His Name." (Luke 1:48)

Holy Mary, pray for us.

BLOG HIJACK

QUICK FIX:
For now, just hit the Stop Load button on your browser (or the "X") so that it doesn't redirect you. Or message me at barbie-at-marymission-dot-org for a copy of the latest post.

My blog is being hijacked by some creepy haXoR (note to you, creepo, I don't appreciate it! I'm a very busy momma with enough to do around here.) This is happening to a lot of blogs lately and it is VERY hard to figure out where the malicious code has been hidden, so... it might take me a while. Bear with me!Thanks, guys.

Lenten Breakthrough

Today was the first day that I was able to attend mass in THREE weeks. These have been some of the most harrowing weeks I can remember having endured.... for those of you who know how much I love mass.

I actually came down with an awful stomach bug last night, and since my son is also sick I thought that we had better stay home and not infect people. But something in me reminded me of the great graces we receive when we are there and so I took some Vitamin C, set my jaw, and told Satan he was not going to have my Sunday. I woke up this morning feeling tired but not as sick, so off we went. And God had it all set up for me, as you will soon see. :P

I had recently felt like I needed a refresher course in deliverance ministry. First, because I had been encountering so much to ENDURE since moving into Peter's dad's house that I was-- let's be honest-- a bit depressed, and had frequently felt that I lost HOPE in God's goodness.
Ive felt a bit powerless to help others lately, and in this ministry, that is not a good place to be.

Now, how can someone like me, who has SEEN God move miraculously time after time, lose faith in His goodness? Well, it's called Sin, you see? Although my God has always been faithful, I have a short memory. And when I don't FEEL Him there, I imagine that either He is not there, or that He is there and is simply mean... uninterested in my personal welfare. I imagine that He expects too much of me or doesn't know what I can handle. These thoughts are sinful, to say the least, and I usually recognize them as such and bring them to confession. That's why today's reading was so good for me to hear:
Reading I

Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, AMoses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers, “ he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”

God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.

“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”

Clearly God is good. Clearly He has given us His name. Clearly this is better than bondage. But that doesn't resolve the problem of still "feeling" this despair. And boy can I have a pity party in my head when I want to.

So I went through this period of total darkness, followed by a period of repentance because I realized that this was wrong- but in which I still didn't recognize His goodness in my heart of hearts. No progress.

Then along came lent, and I prayed about it and felt that I should be responding by removing the one thing that I kept doing that I kept bringing to the confessional: Complaining. I resolved to stop complaining and just offer up whatever was bothering me. And I did.
But even though I wasn't complaining, I certainly didn't feel that I was walking in any kind of "close" relationship with God. I felt rejected by Him, and certainly defeated, particularly when Peter and I had been praying so much about certain things for our family and our prayers seemed to just hit a brick wall.
What was going on?

Something inspired me to pick up a book on Spiritual Warfare-- a book I hadn't read before but one that I had been meaning to glance over for a while. And I did. And it was as if everything fell into place. And even though I had been certain the book would be another protestant attempt to mass market spritual warfare for the spiritually unprepared, I read the entire thing in like, two hours, and was pleasantly surprised.
So surprised, in fact, that a layer of my pride was stripped right out from under me as I recognized that for months now I'd been so caught up in my Carmelite and wifely DUTIES and in accepting that suffering was redemptive that I had TOTALLY missed the part of the Gospel where God sends His Holy Spirit to be with me. This was why I had been floundering so much: I was trying to take on all these battles without the Holy Spirit's ACTUAL guidance, since I had become so prideful that I felt that I knew what the Holy Spirit was going to do next in each situation I was encountering. I didn't seek Him for answers to how to proceed in my battles, I just told Him: "This is a battle, again. I know what to do. Why aren't you helping me?" When I was met with silence, I would convince myself that the battle was won anyways, because I was still in communication with Him. But kinda like how I get mad when my husband watches YouTube WHILE listening to my innermost thoughts, I was doing the same thing to God. I refused to stop and LISTEN to Him because I felt I knew Him so well that I already knew what He would tell me to do.
Duh.

This book, The Women's Guide to Spiritual Warfare, was a great crash course in remembering to let GOD LEAD. It was, in fact, the thing I'd been missing all this time and the reason I kept wanting to go back to my protestant friends for prayer when I felt defeated instead of allowing GOD to work through my Catholic friends (yep, I did that too :P)
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with asking my protestant friends to pray, it's just that I wasn't trusting that my Catholic friends were "storming heaven" with power, if you know what I mean. Of course they were. And how dare I make fun of , say, pentacostals who say you aren't saved if you don't speak in tongues, if I wasn't trusting that the Holy Spirit could operate in ALL situations, not just the ones where the miraculous gifts were operating. In other words, I was just as bad as anyone who asked God for "signs and wonders." God is there, signs and wonders or not.
Jesus Himself said that the only sign we were promised was the sign of Jonah-- that He would raise from the dead after three days. Hellooooooo, Barbie. Wake up!
So, having read the book and being filled with a sense of remorse for just how stinking prideful I can be, I basically just fell on my face. And God was there and He gave me just what I needed: a firm discipline peppered with unconditional love. Wow.

After I finished reading the book, I prayed, and asked God what I could do to listen to Him more. One of the things He told me was to pray His Word again. Those other prayers, beautiful, eloquent, and perfect as they are that I've been relying on are wonderful. He hears them and He is pleased to answer them. But if I wanted to know His heart I needed to know His Word, and if I wanted to pray His will for people I needed to pray His Word, and since I am a person who has, like, five free minutes in a day... I needed to turn to His WORD and not just rely on other people's experiences of His Word. These are all things I knew, of course, but I guess I'm just as dumb as a box of rocks because I had completely forgotten that His Word is ALIVE. For all my Bible reading and Psalm praying, I hadn't submitted to praying IN the Holy Spirit, who tells us how to pray as we ought, in a very, very long while. I knew why. Because I hadn't recognized a battle I've been fighting since moving in here and had let Satan win for a time. I had been prideful and not prayed for myself....
But after that moment, I discerned that despair had crept into my spirit and it had to GO.

All of a sudden His Word came alive to me again. It spoke to me at every turn. And in it I not only found comfort and guidance but I began to find His presence again, because I KNEW He was good. The binding up of my evil tongue, which speaks from an evil, sinful heart, resulted in a release of power so great that I felt flooded by the Holy Spirit. And my spiritual eyes were opened and I recognized that there was a war over my family that I'd been letting Satan win.

Because you see, we live in a house were negative words, words of death, fear, anxiety, destruction, and despair are common. We live in a house with a big sign over my dining room table that says we serve the Lord, but our tongues (and I'm guilty of this as much as anyone, although this is something I've realized that, in our little family, at least, originated elsewhere in our heritage) our tongues were speaking from the overflow of our hearts. And our hearts were not sanctified by the Word. There was no LIFE in our tongues, which meant that there was very little LIFE in our lives.

It is possible, though you read your Bible every day, to remain unchanged. Not to progress spiritually. That's the beauty of the Sacraments-- they are sources of profound grace which come entirely from outside ourselves. When I received the eucharist today, I received into my person the entirety of God- His body, blood, soul and divinity. It ensured me that I was One with His Body. It covered me and filled me with His blood. It gave me a perfect love for Him and a union with Him. It helped me to become more like Him. All with just one action on my part: a willingness to receive.

I think that if I wasn't a Catholic, it is quite possible that this dark cloud which had settled over me (and by Dark Cloud, I mean this demonic and fleshly despair and not this "dark night of the soul or senses" which is a whole other animal, just to clarify) would have taken up residence for quite a while. The breakthrough came when I realized that there was a lot more going on in this house than just a hard new life. And that no amount of relics, house blessings, and regular bible reading and prayer were going to affect the Spiritual atmosphere if we weren't PUTTING TO DEATH these fleshly tendencies we have to sin. Which is where lent comes in--- it's the reminder we need each year that mortification of the senses, of the flesh, of the "icky" stuff inside us is sooo necessary to living a fruitful spiritual life. And that -- THAT--- was the key.
As soon as I stopped complaining, I can only compare it to unlocking a window to heaven, where light came pouring into our house. I literally FELT better in my body. And everything around me was illuminated-- I saw with spritual eyes again and not physical eyes. I found hope.

Of course, that made the devil mad. Everyone in my house got sick. I practically never slept. I was surrounded by turmoil and drama. But ultimately, I have been equipped, I have seen a glimpse of the reality surrounding us again, and I am determined that when God says "I give you my Name," that will be ENOUGH for me. I will not return to bondage. I will not go back to Egypt. My house will be set free and set on fire with the beautiful flame of His love.

Wordless Wednesday:

A Lenten invitation

To all my Protestant and nondenominational brothers and sisters... As you know from my numerous posts, Catholics are immersed on a season of quiet, reflective, and internal prayer, penance and almsgiving during these 40 days which precede Resurrection Sunday.
During this time we undertake various fasts and try to walk with Jesus through the desert, in His passion, and along the Way of The Cross.
Particularly on Fridays, the day He died, we show repentance and love for Him by fasting and abstaining from eating meat. We also practice a centuries old tradition called "the Stations of the Cross." inside every Catholic Church is a series of numbered "stations" or paintings of particular incidents Jesus encountered on His way to the Cross. Some churches even do these "live action" during lent. At each station, you hear a brief reading depicting the scene at hand, and then you kneel in silence and meditate on whatever God gives you for that particular scene. The whole thing takes around twenty minutes... But they are some of the most powerful and spirit-filled moments you will spend all year.
Friday nights during lent at St Patrick's, we gather communally for a simple meal of bread and soup and walk the Stations of the Cross together. Children are welcome and on some nights there is childcare.
On Good Friday the Church also does various traditions like the veneration of the cross-- I have been to one of these where we could touch and kiss a cross that contained a piece of wood-- a relic-- of the true Cross on which He died- amazing!
During the service of Easter we read the crucifixion and resurrection narrative in Scripture out loud. It is a profoundly life-changing experience to be in a room with thousands of people hearing the Scriptures that tell the Story of His death and riding again, and to literally see every knee bend at the name if Jesus... Not to mention that the same thing is happening in every Catholic Church the world over at the same time!

Anyways, I'm writing to ask you to consider joining me at one of these events this year: either in observing lent, in joining me on a Friday night for soup and the Stations, or in the veneration of the cross on Good Friday, or in the celebration of His Resurrection on Sunday. If you don't live near me, you can do it in your own city, without me, at your local Catholic Church.
There are so many things that separate us from Unity of the faith. There is a rift between us in doctrinal matters that is often so great that we simply cannot worship together. But I know that many of you are curious about---even antagonistic towards-- the Catholic Faith. I cannot imagine a better way to work towards Unity and inclusion in the blessed Body of Christ than to walk alongside you as we demonstrate our love for Jesus by laying aside our flesh and seeking The Crucified One together in a common meditation on the Cross. Would you join me?


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The Brilliant Dawn of Post-Modern Asexualism

Another one from my husband I thought was brilliant. He and I were DISGUSTED with the man-hating NFL commercials on Superbowl Sunday. This was the result of our musings on the loss of manhood in society:

Guys, it's time for us to wake up and see the daylight. In this brave new world where we aren't held back by glorified campfire stories of crazy, vindictive deities, we must make full use of all we have around us, as individuals and as communities.
With no abusive "sky person" to inhibit our decision making or scare us with superstitions, we can cast off with impunity these gender roles which have divided us for so long. In the previous century, we saw the rosy tipped fingers of this post-modern dawn extending across the plains of human existence. Women courageously armed themselves to the teeth with their sexuality and their wit and set off to blaze a trail of defiance for future generations against those who had for so long oppressed them. They shocked the world with the stunning speed wherewith they turned the tables on humanity. Like giants they dangled the meat of their liberated sexuality and pizazz over the ravenous masses of ignorant males who, like dogs, salivated in ignorance. They were all too eager to abandon their dignity and societal roles to get at the savory, sultry goods... and with the dogs distracted, the women hopped over the fence, over the social barriers into the realm of what had previously only been male roles. Little did they know that before their feet would hit the ground the dogs would have devoured the meat and turned to devour them. So greatly did they underestimate the voracious appetite of those pigs!

However, even after they had been used and abused for their meat in this new territory, the struggle went on, for life, for liberty! And the fight goes on today. They learned better how to use their femininity. As with all progress, it is a trial and error method, and the blows suffered could do no harm to their ardor and their august character. Great advances have been made! The sacred right to abortion, for one, is a huge advance. In a fore-time, misogynistic males would dictate what women would have to do with their bodies, but never again! Our society shall remember those brave women who exercised that sacred right to abort. Pornography is another gargantuan statement of liberty and independence, for the empowerment of women.

No more shall women be shackled to the family life, to being a mother. No more will they be relegated to the cheap and shameful status of "housewife."

Classical manliness, that bastardization of humanity, is all but extinct. The days where a man could say to himself," My family needs me, I will provide no matter what." are over, because they don't need him. Such sentiments are a crutch only for the most backward and ignorant males. Today's modern male knows that it is his obligation and reparation to women to remain ever vulnerable. The modern man strives to realize these things by only having jobs and differing the seeking of a career to their life mate. A real man would never seek to impregnate their life mate and ruin their partners opportunities. A real man wouldn't try force her to marry him, because marriage is a shackle and shackles are a symbol of punishment and distrust. A real man will make sure that his partner can have a career so that she can be independent and realize her potential. After all, that is a sign of trust... trust that she loves him and won't leave after she has a career he paid for, which is a great life lesson for the male.

Modern men aren't worried about having kids, hunting, playing sports, building, growing a beard, being involved in civics, or philosophizing to prove their manliness. In fact, many of them now regularly procure vasectomies, volunteer at animal shelters, hate beards and shun competitive sports. They're sure of their manliness, so much so, they have abandoned these antiquated and foolish "machismo" venues for more enjoyable venues... like video games, pornography/ masturbation, drinking what misogynists call "girl drinks", skateboarding, and dressing like teenagers. In previous generations, men would avoid most creature comforts to prove their manliness and to teach themselves morals, morals given by a prehistoric zombie god named Jesus. The modern man is beyond those ignorant and futile constructs, he is enlightened. He is an experientialist and an experimentalist, he believes in nothing and stands for nothing... he just lives and let's live. He's neither ashamed or afraid to indulge. He stands up only for everyone's right to be themselves and never judges anything.

The modern man isn't afraid to cry, even in public. He doesn't selfishly take upon himself the mantle of "provider and leader" like men throughout the ages have, rather he empowers the woman to take up those roles or does it together with her. The modern man isn't afraid to talk about his feelings, he shares his emotions. He isn't afraid to intimately vent his frustrations with people and just get it all out. He is polite, and never shares his opinions... especially on politics and religion. Unless, there is an opportunity for social norms to be changed and the old order brought down. He is a revolutionary in this new age! He is a gregarious sort! You've seen him, making himself the butt of jokes dealing with gender roles, because he is confident. He laughs along when old ideas about manliness are mocked, when male ineptitude and dependency on females is implied. He's not concerned with distinguishing himself as a man, he uses feminine slang and makes aesthetic attempts at androgyny. It's obvious that compared to pathetic examples of men we have from the past, that he is stronger than them, and more confident. We can see this in how frequently he berates his sex and himself, and how he minds not at all when men are given the short end.

He is not bound by ignorance in sex either. The modern man is proud of his wife's or life partners freedom. He's a wife sharer and a cuckold. As one song goes," The more you suffer, the more it shows you really care."

The modern man is heavily engaged in reparation to women through self-humiliation and abasement. The modern woman is a sexually charged, rebellious, diva who takes what she wants, doesn't have to rely on anyone, doesn't need to thank anyone, and doesn't need anyone to forgive her. More and more the lines have blurred. The sun has risen into a brilliant dawn of post-modern asexuality. A new age where men and women don't need each other, where there is no more gender or gender role... but only one human race! Isn't it beautiful!?? *crazy-care bear stare* *chuckling*

Seriously, though... pull your heads out of each others asses people. Take a look in the proverbial mirror and tighten up. There's a whole generation of idiots who are counting on you.

Confession

I had the opportunity to go to confession for the first time in quite a while the other day. I was so excited as I like to go frequently and haven't been able to. But when I arrived, the line was practically out the door! (aaaand in headcoverings, no less!) Now, this is rare and cause for rejoicing, but the selfish part if me was sad I would certainly not get confession that day.
I knelt in the front pew and quietly told God I accepted His will but hoped to be confessed. No sooner had I taken my place in line than a little old man carrying a worn Magnificat got up from the front and walked aaaalllll the way over to me. Stooping down to my height he very politely asked if I would please take his place at the front. Try as I might to decline, everyone in the line agreed that it was best, so off I went, amazed at how God had answered my prayer.
Further, my confessor happened to be one of my favorite priests, a Benedictine monk with contemplative tendencies and a thorough understanding of Carmelite spirituality. He heard my confession and then as pennance gave me to pray for three Carmelite convents he had had much contact with back in Germany. When the Nazis were executing people, they always read a decree that began: "in the name of the German people..."
These carmelite nuns at Auschwitz, Dachau and in Berlin pray and make sacrifices day and night in reparation for the sins of the German people!
Wow. I was so moved and couldn't wait to get home to find an address to write to them.
When I did, I was amazed to find that instead if being beloved these nuns were reviled for what they do and had suffered much violence against them because of it. It is hard for me to fathom that a person could give up all personal relationships and freedom to become cloistered and pray and still be asked to suffer so much!!

St Teresa says that Carmelites are chosen by God because he knows they can endure so much suffering.

Lately, my daughter has been really into the story of the Marian apparition at Fatima. The first thing that Mary asked the children was: God wants me to ask if you are you willing to suffer to save souls? The suffering will be great.

I noticed that the other two visionaries were taken to heaven quite early, but Lucia--- she grew to a very old age and became a Carmelite nun. Teresa must be right... And I'm coming to terms with that idea, that suffering is a gift and not a curse.

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Pre-lent

The kids had a brief lesson on lent today in which I tried to instill some sense of why we do what we do. I told them that at lent we were going to Stop doing some things which keep us from God and start doing other things which bring us to God.
My daughter piped up that she was going to give up chocolate like her nursery teacher. This was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to Address: we don't give something up because it benefits us but because it serves the purpose of making reparation, of denying the flesh, and of sacrificing ourselves for others.
For example, this year I am giving up complaining and whining, which I love to do. And every time I am wronged I plan on turning the other cheek. Every time. As for what positive steps I am going to take... I plan on doing an examination of conscience every night and saying all 20 mysteries of the rosary every day (phew!)
The most incredible lent I ever had I fasted from reading anything but the Bible and the Catechism. I expect this year to be similar.

So I asked my three year old what SHE could give up for lent. She told me she wanted to give up complaining also, and to stop pushing her little brother. I was amazed at her quick grasp of the idea... In particular when she then told me that her brother was too young to choose, so she would choose for him: he was going to stop waking up the baby. (hah!) she decided she was going to also pray one rosary with me each day.

May God bless you and yours in this season of preparation!


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Can Catholics be saved?

A couple of protestant friends of mine wrote me this week to tell me they had had frustrating encounters with people who believed that Roman Catholics could simply NOT be saved. Try as they might, these women were not able to express in any kind of meaningful way that Catholics believed in the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, nailed to the wood of the cross for our eternal salvation.
Why? Because the people in question KNEW Catholics- since, at one point they had been one!

This is a pretty typical scenario- (guilty over here!!) and one that needs to be addressed, if only to demonstrate why that argument just isn't good enough, for the sake of clarity.

There is one Catholic faith, but like anything else there are many ways of living it out-- some more correct than others. There are yogis who take a yoga class at the gym 3x a week, and there are yogis who are vegan, visit ashrams, live by ayurvedic principles, and have a meditation practice. Same principle.

At it's core, the Catholic faith is a never-fail system to live out that coveted "personal relationship with Christ."

One must decide, however, if one Is actually interested in doing that--- that's the nature of Christianity.

Because of this, there are several different types of Catholics. Authentic Catholicism is lived out by a true faith in Christ... Adhesion to the principles set out in Holy Scripture and elaborated on by the Magesterium, unyielding surrender to the Lord in every area, service toward others, and an active prayerlife.

SOME Catholics live this out near- perfectly but refuse God's Lordship on one or two areas on which they maintain rebellious and hard hearts. This might be over an issue like abortion, or birth control, or female priesthood, or gay marriage.

Some Catholics are cultural Catholics, having been rAised Catholic but not having responded to Christ in their own hearts for various reasons. They love the traditions they grew up with but don't care about the reason behind the traditions. Though they are baptized, they do not respond to their baptismal promises with action.

Still others are well- intentioned Catholics who live in a culture where rampant Satanist activity has attempted to undermine the True faith. These Catholics might go to daily mass, but they also practice witchcraft, voodoo, and other folk magic. They are not catechized and believe they can combine what is evil with what is good-- although the Church says this is impossible.

In short, do not judge "Catholicism" by it's adherents. In doing so you are doing exactly what so many Protestants lament that one might do about "Christianity" as a whole.

If you grew up Catholic, got saved and left, or if you don't know anything about Catholicism but it sounds "unbiblical" make sure you are basing your ideas on what Scripture as interpreted by the Catechism of the Catholic Church says and not opinions and or choices of persons who are not formed Catholics.


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Ghost Radar Review

I will be doing a "day with my iTouch" blog in the near future as I received one for Christmas and I'm totally amazed by how productive I have become with one. But for today, I thought I would do a review of one particular app which has kept our interest for the past several months and which, quite honestly, we are rather amazed by.
It's called the Ghost Radar, and it's the best .99 cents we ever spent.



Alright, so first, the premise-- (and this is from the app's website:)

"Ghost Radar employs a proprietary algorithm to analyze the quantum flux. This application does NOT detect EMF nor gravity. Readings for various sensors on iPhone/iPod are analyzed to detect QUANTUM Fluctuations. Interpretations of the sensor readings are displayed graphically as blips on the radar along with numeric and textual readouts. (...)

Ghost Radar attempts to translate the quantum flux readings into a spoken word. Hopefully the entities you are trying to interact with can manipulate the flux and have Ghost Radar speak their words. Supported language localizations are available in English, Italian, German, French, Japenese, and Spanish.

Please visit the Ghost Radar support web site http://www.spudpickles.com/GhostRadar/ to learn how to tune into your environment. "

I admit I'm a HUGE skeptic when it comes to stuff like this, but I'm also strangely intregued... the idea that the spirits around us could learn to manipulate the itouch like they do the K2 is interesting, but I don't know enough about how the iTouch works to know what, if anything, is actually happening.

If indeed it actually IS detecting manipulations/changes in the "quantum flux" (what the heck is that? Because my mother in law, who is head over heels in love with "The Secret" and all manner of "Law of Attraction" stuff is perpetually telling me that the Spirits that talk to the people who write these books are teaching them to manipulate the quantum flux with their minds. No idea if there is a connection, I'm just saying.... creepy demonic idea, meet paranormal app that speaks your language. Or something.)

That being said, I have an iTouch and not an iPhone-- and there is no mic on mine. In fact, I need to use an external mic to use two of my apps.

After trying it a few times, my initial skepticism led me to believe the app was picking up words we were using and bringing up associated or similar words. But the no mic thing basically threw that idea out. Then I thought that the words must just be selected at random, but I find that it is truly uncanny how "connected" the words that come up are in context of our conversations, situations, even things I'm reading quietly!
He and I believe that there are angels, demons, and human spirits roaming about. We believe that most of the spirits who are looking to communicate BACK with humans are demons. Thus, we believe that most, if not all, of what the Ghost Radar would pick up if it was indeed communicating with us would be demonic. That being said, there is a very real possibility that something it picks up could be a human soul in need of prayer. Keep that in mind when you read some of these examples. This app truly gives some fascinating readings.

To give you a few examples:
The first two days my husband disappeared with my iTouch and was gone for hours, doing this and that experiment to try to figure out how it works. He discovered that when he sits in a certain chair by the fireplace he gets pretty good readings. (this is one of the strange things about the app. Sometimes you get a flurry of activity, and other times you get absolutely NOTHING for hours!)

Anyways, he was sitting in the glider with the iTouch on his knee watching television. Simultaneously, the radar said: "TV." "Wooden." Our entertainment center is a gigantic, heavy wooden contraption his dad made years ago.
The Baby started crying and I got up to go see how she was doing. The app said: "Follow."
On the mantle by the fireplace sit two pottery goblets we use as wine glasses. We heat our house with wood. "Fire." "Vessels." "Goblet." it said.

A few days later I turned it on and left it on the counter while I was cooking. "Dish." "Wet." "Hot." "Spoon." It said.

The third or fourth time, my husband turned it on and it said "North." He walked north to the kids' room, where the children were fast asleep.
"Book."
My daughter had a book laid across her chest.
"Chicken."
The book had a chicken on the cover.

After that things get really interesting.

Sometimes, as I said, you get nothing for long periods of time. Other times, the readings seem to be totally random or make no sense. Still other times, the readings make perfect sense in context of each other but not of the situation you are in... for example, I could be sitting at the table having a cup of tea and it might say: "Grass." "Wet." "Dark." "Well." "Fall." "Pain." etc.

One day I was praying after a particularly challenging day with the Irish triplets. I asked God for the strength to continue and begging Him to let me know when it would all just END. The Radar happened to be turned on and sitting on the bed. "There's." "Remain." "Season." it piped up.

My daughter, in the adjoining room was cooing over our youngest baby. "You're such a sweet little lovey lover, aren't you?" She asked the baby.
"Love."
"Lover." said the Radar. hmmmm.

A few days later I was typing up a blog and my husband walked by, leaving it on the table. I went to hit the "edit" button. The Radar came to life, saying "Eddy." "Date." I couldn't help but notice the similarity between the two words combined and "edit." Or was I really just looking for coincidences? It's hard to say.

Sometimes it says the same words in a particular room, over and over at different intervals and on totally different days. For instance, three times now it has said: "Greece" in the living room. And "Mighty" in the upstairs office twice.

An upstairs which, btw, has a haunted history and was recently blessed by a priest.

One of the most amazing ones happened there.
My husband happened to be at the foot of said stairs one day and it said "stairs." He asked it: "Is there someone there who needs prayer? I will pray for you."
The Ghost Radar said: "William." a few seconds later: "Talmage." then a few other words. We went straight to the computer and googled different combinations of the words we had gotten. Turns out that there was an obituary for a man in Henderson, NC (just a few hours from here) who had worked in our town and who had the name (first and last) the Radar had given us. He had died the previous week. Now THAT gave us something to think about. And of course, pray about. The Ghost Radar rarely gives names as readings for us. But often, if my husband asks if someone out there needs prayer for release from purgatory, it will give a name: "Louis." "Beverly."

I pray and offer sacrifices for priests. A lot. Sometimes all day. And on one particular day when I had had quite a bit to offer up, I had decided to pray in particular for one priest I know who suffers from depression. As I prayed, it said: "tired. "Father." "life." "directly." A few minutes later I got an email from said priest. He said he had been thinking about a friend of his who had just committed suicide.

Another priest I know has had a hard time during mass. As a joke, I told a friend over the phone I would use the Ghost Radar to track and keep away demons around him.
"Carefully."
"Enemy."
"Trace." it said.

One day I turned it on and forgot about it while I answered a rather long phone call. I promised the person I would pray a rosary for them, hung up, and went into the kitchen to do the dishes and pray the rosary as promised. I returned directly afterwards to look for the iTouch and realized I had left it on. I went back to read the words. there had been a long silence and then, at the time i had begun my rosary:
"Fact."
"Never."
"below"
"Mary."
Then a dead silence again. I got chills on that one.

Late one night my husband was using it next to me while I watched a video on the 15 promises of the rosary in gregorian chant, which we believe to be very powerful against demons. It didn't say anything the whole time the video was on but this: "Bound."

I often get creepy "feelings" or start noticing my environment a little too much when I think there is "something" in my spiritual atmosphere.
I had the Ghost Radar on once when it started to happen and I got goosebumps on the backs of my arms and neck. I prayed to St Michael, the prayer I'm sure you've heard many times before.
"Leaving." Said the app. And then it was silent.

The app's makers recommend that you try to communicate with the Spirits and tell them that they can manipulate the device to speak directly to you. I don't do that, because I believe that invoking spirit communication is a direct opening to whatever spirit happens to be floating around. While I believe that people can (and have-- even, or should I say especially, Saints-- receive information/guidance/requests from "beyond,") I think that it's safe to say that if God wants you to have that experience YOU should not be the one initiating it, as tempting as it may be. This is the very danger of the Ouija Board (which my protestant brother in law keeps comparing the Ghost Radar to) that we always tell people to repent of... in spirit communication we are asking spirits to give us mysterious knowledge that God has not willed for us to know / have. I can qualify that statement with a lot of previous experience praying with people who had demonic problems as a direct result of attempting spirit communication. At the same time, the Ouija Board, without a "user" is just a piece of cardboard. the K2 and other EMF readers are devices designed to do something totally different. The itouch is an itouch. The Ghost Radar "detects fluctuations in the quantum flux." What paranormal activity happens to them is up for grabs as far as "gathering information" goes... but engaging them is another story. When I have done investigations in the past to substantiate claims of hauntings etc, I have not asked for EVPs. But I have placed microphones in the area and gotten interesting results nonetheless.

That being said: it is VERY, VERY, VERY important not to get hung up on stuff like these. The Ghost Radar app is fascinating and by and large will be an interesting tool to use in research in the paranormal field IF -- the big if-- this thing actually is legit, but everyone needs to understand that I'm not promoting the use of this app by the masses. DO NOT go out and get this app, unless you are a seasoned paranormal investigator and/or solid Christian. I know of people who became so obsessed with EVP capture, for example, that they literally withered away as human beings and became unrecognizable shells of themselves. I can see how the Ghost Radar app could be useful in my prayer life and in my work. At the same time, I can see how it could get out of hand quickly.

That's exactly what happened to me the first week I got it-- I was up nursing in my pitch black living room at 3 am and thought I'd give the ghost radar a try instead of checking facebook and twitter for the umpteenth time. I started pondering whether that was actually a bad idea and text messaged a friend of mine who I admire and respect in the field of Catholic demonology. He basically confirmed my position and reminded me not to attempt any kind of communication on my end. I then quickly went to check another mentor's website for a quick read-up on his "official" position on spirit communication. (I HIGHLY recommend everyone who buys the app read Adam's position, as he is an expert in the field and a very wise, humble soul.)
Feeling certain that casual use of the app not intended for research etc but just for fun was a bad idea, I went to go shut it down.
"but." it told me. And then, immediately after: "Search." Just then, a red dot appeared on the radar, which is the strongest "bleep" you can get.
I got nervous and shut it down immediately.
Immediately as I turned it off, my eldest, the one who is a bit sensitive, began to wail and shriek. I ran into her room, and discovered that she was screaming because she thought there were bugs all over her.

Bugs which she hadn't "seen" since my husband and I had been assisting a couple on a serious demonic case a year or so ago. At that time she had woken up every single night, multiple times a night, with "bugs on her" or "bugs that were trying to talk to her" or "bugs that were pulling on her." Bugs that she hadn't seen or heard from since we had somewhat resolved the situation with that couple. I was not happy the bugs were back, and was downright fearful a couple hours later when, snuggled calmly between us sleeping, she began to scream that there were bugs inside the sippy cup she was snuggled up with. Since that day, I've decided that if the Ghost Radar is a prank, it's a darn good one, and if it's actually picking stuff up, it's going to be very effective in paranormal research and I look forward to hearing more about how other friends in the Paranormal field are using it.

In short: Ghost Radar. Most interesting Iphone App, for sure. Handle with care.

The worst kind of evil is the hidden kind.

I think I have Bible OCD.
I am obsessed with buying new bibles. Every time Christmas or my birthday comes around, I already have a bible that I can't wait to get my hands on all picked out on my amazon wishlist. It's a sickness.

Then I get it, I use it for like, six months, furiously take notes in it and decorate it to my standards--- and then, all of a sudden, drop it and move on to the next Bible I can't wait to get my hands on.

I do this because I have yet to find the perfect one, one that actually fulfills all of the requirements that I have IN a bible. I really think that in order for this insanity to stop, I'm going to have to just make my own. Sigh.

Alright, first, the outside: I fluctuate between wanting a bible that has black leather (real leather) exterior and one that has brown duotone leather. I like them both. I have no idea why. While I LIKE pocket bibles (cause I always carry one around) I find that they lack some of the awesome extras that study-sized bibles have. I also like the weighty feel of HEAVY bibles with lots of pages. So, yeah. Conundrum. Usually the best choice is something pretty biggish but not giant that I can still carry around in my huge bag. :P

Then comes the meat: the translation. I used to be a NKJV or NASB girl. Those were my two faithful bibles. I can't stand the NIV (No offense to NIV lovers out there) because of it's similarity to the NWT (the Jehova's Witnessess translation) The KJV is good but I am not too excited about the archaic language. I don't hate the HCS.

Then I came back to the Church and found there were all these great books missing from my bible that were just amazing. I don't know how I went without Sirach for so long. :P So now I've got a very limited choice when it comes to translations...I need to have a catholic bible or I'm missing out!

The first and most natural selection is, of course, the trusty Douay Rheims, the "only bible you will ever need." (in my case, unless you can't find one that's bound the way you like it...I told you! Bible OCD.) Obviously, the Douay Rheims is the most trusty translation, for protestants AND Catholics, and an absolutely fabulous, thorough, Bible. Plus it is truly amazing to be led into Scripture by a man God specifically raised up to bring it to us, St Jerome. I love the Douay Rheims but the different numbering and book names make it harder to use during bible studies, and there are really only three editions out there, none of which satisfy my wierd binding issues.

The NAB, the official American Catholic Bible comes in lots of incredible formats-- two of my favorite bibles in this house are editions of the NAB. They have lots of "notes and study helps," are beautifully bound, and have lasted two years of heavy underlining and crunching into a tight diaper bag. When I first came "home to Rome" I bought a study edition and a pocket version, and read them through.I did this because it was the official Catholic version of the Bible, used in the lectionary, and promoted on the Bishops' Conference website.
Sadly, I find the NAB to be the most heretical, horrific garbage of a translation because of the inseperable commentary that goes with it. The translation itself isn't TOO bad, it's actually ok. But the commentary. Oh. The Commentary. This commentary, quite honestly, is shocking. And this is coming from a scholarly Bible translation loving girl... I LOVE me some Bible.

If you're interested in a blow by blow reason why the NAB commentary is an unreadable wolf in calfskin please click the link, which is one of many traditional Catholic articles describing the unusability of the "Scholarship" present in the NAB commentary.
I will spare you the lengthy breakdown, but let me just say that the entire commentary is virtually discouraging and faithless, a moral relativist mishmash of pop theology and "scientific" method which essentially questions everything and accepts or at least presents the opposite of tradition on the basis that tradition hasn't adequately been proved, even though neither has the opposite hypothesis. For instance, we read in the NAB commentary that the Israelites USED God as an excuse to enslave nations, or that Nebuchadnezzar couldn't possibly have gone a little bonkers and acted like a goat, or that Jesus may have been walking on the seashore and not the water, and on and on it goes. It's not so much that it flat-out LIES as that it passes off these "half-truth" hypotheses as fact and if the subject is entirely "miraculous sounding" it assumes that it is a fable or myth rather than an actual, literal story. In other words, it uses historical criticism out of context of other approved-by-the-Church methods to use in CONJUNCTION with historical criticism.

Honestly, I have been SO puzzled as to why and how on earth the USCCB would promote this particular version of the Bible, since it can certainly lead someone who DOESNT have a solid biblical foundation to work from into error. Those of us who are already familiar with our bibles, certainly need not fear, but those who begin their expedition into the Word of God through something like this are really in danger of accepting heresy as Truth! (and that , quite frankly explains how things like the RCIA we were forced to sit through in our parish happen-- it leads EVERYONE astray, even those seeking truth.)

Then, I read the encyclical, Providentissimus Deus, last night. WOW. Talk about getting a shiver down my spine. Though you can read the full text of it at the link above, I will just share one snippet with you:

10. But first it must be clearly understood whom we have to oppose and contend against, and what are their tactics and their arms. In earlier times the contest was chiefly with those who, relying on private judgment and repudiating the divine traditions and teaching office of the Church, held the Scriptures to be the one source of revelation and the final appeal in matters of Faith. Now, we have to meet the Rationalists, true children and inheritors of the older heretics, who, trusting in their turn to their own way of thinking, have rejected even the scraps and remnants of Christian belief which had been handed down to them. They deny that there is any such thing as revelation or inspiration, or Holy Scripture at all; they see, instead, only the forgeries and the falsehoods of men; they set down the Scripture narratives as stupid fables and Iying stories: the prophecies and the oracles of God are to them either predictions made up after the event or forecasts formed by the light of nature; the miracles and the wonders of God's power are not what they are said to be, but the startling effects of natural law, or else mere tricks and myths; and the Apostolic Gospels and writings are not the work of the Apostles at all. These detestable errors, whereby they think they destroy the truth of the divine Books, are obtruded on the world as the peremptory pronouncements of a certain newly-invented "free science;" a science, however, which is so far from final that they are perpetually modifying and supplementing it. And there are some of them who, notwithstanding their impious opinions and utterances about God, and Christ, the Gospels and the rest of Holy Scripture, would fain be considered both theologians and Christians and men of the Gospel, and who attempt to disguise by such honorable names their rashness and their pride. To them we must add not a few professors of other sciences who approve their views and give them assistance, and are urged to attack the Bible by a similar intolerance of revelation. And it is deplorable to see these attacks growing every day more numerous and more severe. It is sometimes men of learning and judgment who are assailed; but these have little difficulty in defending themselves from evil consequences. The efforts and the arts of the enemy are chiefly directed against the more ignorant masses of the people. They diffuse their deadly poison by means of books, pamphlets, and newspapers; they spread it by addresses and by conversation; they are found everywhere; and they are in possession of numerous schools, taken by violence from the Church, in which, by ridicule and scurrilous jesting, they pervert the credulous and unformed minds of the young to the contempt of Holy Scripture. Should not these things, Venerable Brethren, stir up and set on fire the heart of every Pastor, so that to this "knowledge, falsely so called,"28 may be opposed the ancient and true science which the Church, through the Apostles, has received from Christ, and that Holy Scripture may find the champions that are needed in so momentous a battle?

WOW. So in other words, POPE LEO XIII, on NOVEMBER 18, 1893 warned us against translations like the NAB and bade us take care to avoid them like the plague. And yet this is the translation that we are expected to hear proclaimed and use???
In my frustration, I began reading from my trusty old NKJV Spirit Filled Life Bible, wondering if I could just go ahead and miss out on those beautiful canonical books which were missing from my bible in favor of a better commentary. You Catholics out there will laugh at me, but I'm telling you right now, the Jack Hayford Bible Commentary in my Charismatic Protestant Bible is almost entirely "Catholic" in it's explanations, whereas my Catholic bible persistently puts me in a fury over the sheer faithlessness of false intellectualism of it all.

So, here I sit, wondering what the hey. If I win the lottery, I'm going to see to it that Scott Hahn's RSV2CE gets published with a quickness, because it's the only hope for Catholics who aren't able to, for reasons of archaic language, (or poor binding options) read the Douay Rheims. No wonder there is so much garbage parading around as Catholicism these days-- no one is being filled with the PURE Word of God, but getting it filtered through the most evil of commentaries.
I've got to hand it to Satan on this one. He's a step ahead of the game. Fortunately, I'm not the only one who is onto him.

St Jerome, pray for us.