The Last Supper Mocked

This is a painting of The Last Supper using models with Down syndrome. I love the treatment of the men; they are dignified and beautifuly posing, putting emphasis on the man portraying Christ. (click on photo to enlarge)

But the commentary below is far from dignified, it is titled "The Tard Supper".

Please go and leave a comment to enlighten this sick man

See the original post here.

Review of A Christmas Carol

My review of the well done family film A Christmas Carol is up at MercatorNet.

All Hallows Eve 2009 at OneTrueMedia.com

This is our family commemoration of All Hallows Eve this year.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

November is the month of the Holy Souls

My column this month at Catholic Mom is about the happy death of my mother, Eleanor and the blessing she was to her family in her final days.

Please remember to pray for her and she will pray for you.

It's called Into the Mercy.

Pro-life Pumpkin

In honor of the 353 babies spared from abortion through 40 Days for Life I carved this pro-life pumpkin.

Well done, Church Militant!

Fr Angelo, FI on The Solemnity of All Saints

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thy faithful people may ever rejoice in honoring all Thy Saints, and may be defended by their unceasing prayers (post-communion prayer, Solemnity of All Saints).

After Holy Communion has been received during the Mass for the Solemnityof All Saints, the priest asks Almighty God that the prayers of the saints be a defense to all the faithful. All the saints are our elder brothers and sisters who have been victorious over sin and death through Christ's death and resurrection. Their garments have been washed inthe Blood of the Lamb (cf. Ap 22:14). They have passed through the fire and have come out the other side unscathed (cf. Dn 3:26). Now they are present to us in the Holy Spirit as our defenders and protectors.

But we must want to be protected. He who loves danger will perish in it(Eccl. 3:27). And danger is everywhere. We have a real enemy who isbent upon our destruction and all of sacred history is a chronicle of this endless war. Our enemy is our constant foe and our better in theart of war. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places (Eph6:12). We are not strong enough to resist this enemy, unless we want tobe protected by one who is stronger. So the Lord walks with us in the midst of our peril: His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid ofthe terror of the night. Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil (Ps 91:5-6).

Thus the Solemnity of All Saints is a feast in which we rejoice in the victory of the saints and in their protection. It is also a yearly occasion when we see played out before us the great conflict of the ages between light and darkness. The cosmic battle raging in our hearts is characterized by a particular violence because the opposing forces of history have, in our time, crossed the last river and met for one final wreck on the field of Armageddon. This is no prophecy of the last days, only the recognition of the signs of our times. This is the age of Satan unchained. It is the hour of darkness. But a voice pierces that darkness and it says: Who is like God. Only the saints can teach us to place ourselves under the protection of humility.Thus in our own day, we celebrate the victory of the saints every year and even while thus celebrating we are engaged in the struggle between light and darkness.

Halloween means "Holy Evening." The name is not, as sometimes asserted derived from the druid feast of Samhain. The name belongs to the light and we should reclaim it from the darkness.It is a night that belongs to the saints. And yet it has been claimed by the Prince of this World and very often even those who profess to be the friends of God follow the spirit-piper into the abyss of the pagan festival of darkness.

Over a decade ago at our friary in Griswold, Connecticut we resolved to fight on the side of the Saints and reclaim October 31 for the light. We celebrated a triduum of Masses from October 29-31, culminating in the celebration of the vigil of All Saints on the very night when the darkness seemed to hold sway. We offered our Communions in reparation for the sins committed against Almighty God around the world during Halloween and we encouraged our children place themselves in the shoes, tunics, habits and armor of the saints: to do more than play make-believe, but to make their costumes into "sacramentals, " so to speak, so as to invoke the presence of the saints and imbibe their virtues.

Over the years, unfortunately, the ideas of reparation for sin and real spiritual combat have taken second place to the opportunity of providing clean and wholesome family fun as an alternative to the usual compromises with the spirit of this world. And in the process of thus providing we have been sucked in by the spirit of unreality. Myths canpoint upward, but they can also lead astray, become a distraction from the real work needed to be done and from the very real danger at hand. I have to offer my mea culpa for leading the way in this. I apologize.We live in very dangerous times, in which not only the godless serve thePrince of this World, albeit knowingly and willingly, but in which also the pious and religious use all kinds of holy pretexts for acting in self-serving and worldly ways. We sometimes sacrifice our interior lives on the altar of conformity and groupthink, substituting the external forms of religion for a deep and uncompromising conversion.

In some ways Halloween at the friary has become like so many other things, a way to separate ourselves from those who do otherwise and create our own little culture of isolation. And in the end our eveningis really not as different from the worldly ways of Halloween. That is not to say that the children should not have an opportunity for fun, but that we should all have a greater sense of our opportunity to find holiness and conversion; to find light and the generosity to sacrifice ourselves for the lost souls of the world, among whom we should place ourselves as members of the same family, because in fact we are. Who is to say how lost anyone is compared to anyone else, except Him whose searing judgment we should all fear?

And so Halloween remains a yearly enactment of the cosmic war between light and darkness, and even among the hosts of God, we are not sureal ways if we are completely on the side of light. The enemy inserts his influence wherever he finds an opening, and we are generally lackadaisical in regard to protecting ourselves from his influence. We need to want to be protected.

Sometimes the prophetic voice of conscience is not a welcome sound. Sometimes we ignore the voice that God sends us, or discount its seriousness and its power. Sometimes we don't want to listen because we really do not want to be challenged or are afraid to leave our comfort zone. When "sometimes"becomes too many times our spiritual hearing is stifled by another voice, a voice of complacency, pride, self-interest and deception. Itis then we loose our desire to be protected.We cannot afford to loose the protection that God offers us.

The Solemnity of All Saints is our opportunity to pray for protection as we do in the prayer from the Mass. We need to turn to the saints, our friends, and show them our gratitude by spitting into the darkness and turning our back on it forever. We need to be grateful to the voice of light and kiss the feet of God's messenger: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings (Is 52:7). Weneed to want to be protected and make decisions that are in accord with that desire.

The Solemnity of All Saints originated in 609 when the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the Roman temple, the Pantheon, to Pope Boniface IV, who,"after the pagan filth was removed," consecrated it to Holy Mary of the Martyrs. Pope Gregory III transferred the celebration of this event and extended its significance to All the Saints in the 8th century. It just so happened that the celebration corresponded more or less to the time of the druid harvest festival of Samhain, which was also a festival of the dead.

This history is a parable of life. The emperor paid his dues to God and the Church honored the Blessed Mother and the Martyrs. And God protected his people. But the enemy is always right around the corner, looking to wedge himself through any open crack and claim God'sterritory for himself.

On Halloween we need to do more to repent of our own sins and make good on the promises we have made to God to serve Him with all our hearts andto be instruments of forgiveness and mercy for souls lost in the darkness. We are to bear the torch of God's holiness to others, but we cannot do this unless we guard our hearts and beg the Blessed Mother, Queen of Martyrs, and all the saints to protect us.

Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance and do the first works. Or else I come to thee and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance (Ap 2:5).It would be a grace to go back to our old triduum and the simple spirit of reparation with which we began our celebration of Halloween. Try to spend some quiet time, if possible, before the Blessed Sacrament, on the night of the celebration. Make a visit to Jesus, andin his Holy Name ask for the grace to do penance and to make reparation for the sins of the night of darkness. As for the grace to want to be protected and give thanks for the godly voice that calls us back to our first love.

View Fr Angelo's original post on AirMaria.com

French Convent accepts sisters with Down syndrome

The following is a rough translation of a beautiful article on a French Benedictine community which embraces vocations from women with Down syndrome. The quote from the Mother Superior is something that I have often thought; our children cannot sin, no wonder they have such an amazing connection with God. Why shouldn't they be religious?
We have a lot to learn from them.

"The possibility that a person with disabilities can join of a community depends on the requirements of each: “The important thing is that this incapacity does not constitute an obstacle or insurmountable difficulty to be able to live the mission of the congregation, order or institute. It is not a type of discrimination, but rather of an act of charity towards these people, because it can be very frustrating them not to be able to realise their vocation, they explain from the Web http://www.vocación.org/.

But for the Disciples of the Lamb, this impediment does not exist. Founded in 1985, its vocation is especially contemplative, born in the Rule of San Benedict and the way of the Spiritual Childhood of Saint Therese of the Infant Jesus, and offers to the young people with Down syndrome the possibility of realizing her religious vocation, accompanied by other “valid” Sisters of the community.
For God there are no obstacles
“Although in the scope of the spiritual, the terms of “validity” and “incapacity” must be relativized”, affirms Sister Line, superior of the community. “The most serious incapacity perhaps is not the one produced by sin, that prevents the life of God in the soul? ”, she asks. “A person who welcomes the grace of God totally builds and opens her humanity”, she asserts.
The daily life consists of “prayer and labor” under the Benedictine Rule: they participate in the Mass, they pray and they do tasks of sewing, embroidery, confectioner's, etc. The community is assisted by the Fontgombault Benedictine monastery. Today, the community consists of ten sisters under the same under the same roof, all equally happy. "



Translated from the Spanish website Religion y Libertad.com
The image is a madonna and child where Jesus is depicted as having Down syndrome by Andrea Mantenga an Italian artist with a son who had Ds for a patron whose son had Ds as well.

Today's happy tidbit

For years, Christina has mispronounced dogs "gogs" so we have fallen into the bad habit of using her version of the word.

Today, when I referred to "gogs" she cocked a patient eyebrow at me and carefully enunciated "dogs" in correction.

I got the message.

All Hallows Eve Schedule at the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Holy Mass is at 6:00 p.m. with costume judging to follow.
Game Booth is open after Mass until 9:00.

Bonfire & field activities will start around 9:00
Food:
Please bring:
a dish to share.
In order to keep the clean-up simple, please bring snack-type food in disposable containers, such as cheese & crackers, chips, veggie trays, fruit, cookies, etc.
a bag of candy for the game booth.

Please try to avoid products that contain peanuts as several families who come to the friary have children with peanut allergies.
Costume Judging:
7 & under - on the stage in the Multi-purpose room.
8+ - under a 2nd tent next to the Game Booth tent.

There is some flexibility within the age groups.
Please keep in mind that in order for a child in the 7 & under group to be qualified for judging he should be able to ideally answer the following questions about his saint:
What century did he live in?
Country of origin?
Was he a religious or lay person?
If religious, what order was he with?
If lay person, was he married?
What symbols is he associated with (ex. lamb - St. Agnes)?
What is he known for?

Here are a few words from St. Paul of the Cross:
"Therefore, be constant in practicing every virtue, and especially in imitating the patience of our dear Jesus, for this is the summit of pure love.

Live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy. For if a man is united inwardly with the Son of the living God, he also bears his likeness outwardly by his continual practice of heroic goodness, and especially through a patience reinforced by courage, which does not complain either secretly or in public. Conceal yourselves in Jesus crucified, and hope for nothing except that all men be thoroughly converted to his will."

HT Mary Vitamin

All Hallows Eve Celebrations

Its so crazy here, my girls are sick and we are wrapping up 40 Days for Life this week. We hardly have time to plan for All Hallows Eve.

Thankfully the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold, CT has a wonderful All Hallows Eve Mass on Saturday at 6PM which is followed by a festival complete with bonfire to keep the event holy with the right balance of holiness and spookiness.

Here's what I'll be bringing to the party, thanks to Totus Tuus Family Homeschool.

Our Lady calls a Hindu couple to become Catholics

Read this amazing story about how a Hindu woman's recurring dreams of the Blessed Mother calling her caused her conversion to Catholicism.
Does anyone doubt that Blessed Mother Teresa was interceding here?
Read the complete story in the Arlington Catholic Herald.

Putting your money where your mouth is

This morning I had four young women in the car and two dogs. We were heading to Long Island from Eastern CT in the rain. We passed by the abortion clinic where our diocese is holding 40 Days for Life and saw three young clinic escorts idly drinking coffee. Then a noticed a lone older man praying his rosary on the sidewalk. My heart broke, as I also saw the tell tale sign of a man waiting in his car while his girlfriend had an abortion; with their preschool son.
I asked the praying man, "are you alone?" "yes" he replied bravely. "Now, you're not," I answered firmly, heading off to park where abortion protesters are allowed.
Soon, the man was joined by five of us, three teenage girls, and my precious seven year old with Down syndrome. We prayed two rosaries for the escorts, the abortionist, and the nurses. but most especially the man, his girlfriend and their children; BOTH of them.
Sometimes saying you are pro-life means putting your money where your mouth is. Getting drenched in the rain when you had other plans. Risking ridicule from your peers, like my daughters did. Arriving late to your destination.
After forty minutes outside the clinic I spied a happy young couple approaching us, arm in arm under an umbrella, they eyes told us they were deeply in love.
They were the 11AM prayer warriors, and my new friend, John, a pro-lifer for three decades, would no longer be outnumbered by the pro-aborts outside.
There's a lesson to be learned by those of us who are old enough to remember when abortion was illegal. It's a happy one; the younger generation, the survivors of Roe v Wade are coming to take the torch of the pro-life movement from our tired grasp.
They are like this young woman who didn't let her studies at Notre Dame make her abort her daughter. She finished both her education and a tour in the Army.
Now she carries her good example to women at a Crisis Pregnancy Center in Charlotte, NC. This good work is supported by Belmont Abbey College.
Read more at Faith and Family Live.