Some questions to ponder.....

  I consider myself a fairly practical person.  I like things to make sense, plain and simple.  I think things should be logical and straightforward.  I believe there is a such thing as truth, and therefor a such thing as right and wrong.  I realize that truth can be hard to recognize, of course, and I suppose we need to try to predict the future to decide what to do today sometimes, like when planning a picnic or a budget.  But somehow it seems like there is so little that is logical in the world today. And I don't want EVERYTHING to make perfect sense, but for the most part...

  I was on youtube, hoping to find some inspiring videos for a great “fortnight for freedom” post.  Granted, I was probably looking in the wrong direction ( I should have started with this one,) starting with Bob Hope’s Zombie Democrat line (I thought maybe I could do something great with the whole zombie apocalypse thing,) but regardless, what I found was discouraging.  Not so much the videos - there were some wise words and all - but the comments!  Is it possible to have a logical discussion anymore, without foul language and making assumptions about people’s opinions?  I suppose when we consider truth to be something we can decide instead of something that just IS, that would be the result.  Ooops!  Maybe I’m making some assumptions now!  The fact is, I consider truth to be something outside of not only myself, but the universe.  As such, it can’t change based on what is going on here in our little country or world.  But I realize that it can be hard to recognize, especially if we aren’t taught to recognize its existence, let alone how to recognize it.  I believe that truth follows the rules of reason and logic, even if it doesn’t always seem to follow the rules of nature.  Now am I wrong?  Am I wrong to want to fight the errors and evils of this world with logic and reason and truth, when everyone else is using emotions and appearances?  Something to ponder.  Here are a few more things to ponder.  They really aren’t necessarily connected, they are just things that I wonder about.

• If we are a nation governed by elected officials, should the government be involved in the training of the next generation of voters, or is that a conflict of interests?
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• Is the idea of evolution compatible with the idea that all races are equal?  Wouldn’t evolution be grounds to say that some races are inferior to others? 
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• If I am not allowed to tell you what to do with your body, why are you allowed to use my money to do it?  If I can’t tell you what you have to accept, why are you allowed to tell me what I have to accept?  
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• Why doesn’t the government have to budget the same way a house or business does, (money in ≥ money out)?  If I start printing money, can I pay my bills with it?  Can I pay my taxes with it?  

What questions do you ponder?  Got any good answers?  Do share!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! A friend sent me a lovely email yesterday, and graciously gave me permission to share it with you all. Enjoy!

God Bless,
Rae

Dear friends and family,

With Thanksgiving just to come, I thought I'd share one of the beautiful traditions we had at the convent.  We would use the occasion of Thanksgiving, which reminds us of our heritage, as an opportunity to entrust our country to the Immaculate Conception, our patroness.  Before sitting down for our Thanksgiving meal we had a little prayer time.  An image of the Immaculate Conception was adorned on the mantle of the fireplace.  The lights were off and only the candles on the table and before her image lit the room.  We would read a sheet with a brief history of Thanksgiving, what it meant for Americans, and a little history about the Consecration to the Immaculate Conception.  Then we would all pray the prayer below.  Finally, we'd finish with a few hymns to Our Lady (in English!) like "Sing a Maiden" and "Hail Holy Queen".  Then we'd say the Benedicite and bless the table.

I thought maybe you might like to hear of this, and maybe do something similar.  Or maybe you have your own traditions already in place.  Either way I pray you a most blessed Thanksgiving-tide.

Deanna

Prayer for Renewal of Consecration
to Our Patroness of the United States of America, the Immaculate Conception
 

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore Your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You. Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom, which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners — on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give our country and ourselves to your sorrowful and immaculate heart. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesized by Simeon, save us from degeneration, disaster and war. Protect us from all harm. O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your Son in the depths of your heart, be our advocate. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the will of your divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen. 
 http://www.tldm.org/News9/USConsecratedToOurLady.htm

Short history:

On May 13 1846, (exactly seventy-one years, to the day, before the Fatima apparitions), the Catholic bishops of the United States, who were gathered for the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, adopted a decree by which they chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as Patroness of the United States.

This decree, translated from Latin into English, is as follows:

With enthusiastic acclaim and with unanimous approval and consent, the Fathers [of the Council] have chosen the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as the Patroness of the United States of America; without, however, adding the obligation of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile work on the feast of the Conception of Blessed Mary. And, therefore, they decided that the Supreme Pontiff be humbly asked to transfer the solemnity, unless the feast fall on a Sunday, to the nearest Sunday, on which both private and solemn Masses may be celebrated of the feast thus transferred, and the vesper office of the same feast may be recited.

The choice of Our Lady, in her Immaculate Conception, as Patroness of the United States was approved by Pope Pius IX in an audience on Feb. 7, 1847; and this approval was announced in a decree of Propaganda dated July 2, the same year. Both of these decrees of Propaganda have the signature of Cardinal Fransoni.

http://catholicknight.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-lady-of-america-immaculate.html

The consecration was renewed in 1959 and 2006 with bishops present.  

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=21945