REAL TEACHER

A Principal in South Carolina resigned his job in a demonstration of personal integrity his students and teachers will not see often in their lives:

"'Allowing the formation of this club on our campus conflicts with my professional
beliefs and religious convictions,' wrote Walker in a letter to Lexington-Richland School District Five officials.

Walker also contended that the GSAC would conflict with the goals of the school’s abstinence education program.

'The formation of this club conflicts with my professional beliefs in that we do not have other clubs at Irmo High school based on sexual orientation, sexual preference, or sexual activity.'

'In fact our sex education curriculum is abstinence based. I feel the formation of a Gay/Straight Alliance Club at Irmo High school implies that students joining the club will have chosen to or will choose to engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, opposite sex, or members of both sexes.'"


I wonder how the parents will respond. How will they discuss this in their home - because whether they realize it or not, whether they want the responsibility or not, they have the most influence on what their children will take away from this contact with a man of integrity.

Will they teach their children the value and meaning of truth? Any bets?

"Who's to Blame?"

From the 'Financial Post':

"There have been commodity price spikes because of supply shortages in the past, such as the oil crisis of the 1970s, but there is no such shortage today, he said.

Over the past few years, institutional investors have moved into commodities as a way to protect themselves against volatility in interest rates and the stock market. Typically, he said, they spread their exposure across a swath of commodities, from energy and grains to metals. The first problem with this strategy is that the funds have been diverting so much capital that the market has ballooned.

"Commodities prices have increased more in aggregate over the last five years than at any other time in U. S. history," he said. Mr. Masters says institutional investment in commodities indexes rose to US$260-billion at the end of March, from just $13-billion at the end of 2003."



Well, that's settled then!

"I Have The Power"

(h/t SDA)

Catholic NGO's

'Catholic Culture' has a very useful article about Catholic NGO's - for those interested in working for , or supporting the effort to counter the de-humanizing of the world happening through many UN activities and efforts.

Included in the list are :
Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SOCSS)

Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM)

European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ)

Institute for Family Policies European Network (IPF)

International Solidarity and Human Rights Institute (ISHRI)

50 Reasons to say the Rosary.

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To Be A Servant of the Lord (redux)

(Fr. Ho Lung, founder M.O.P.)


(Mount Tabor 'farm')


You may have noticed the link (upper left) to 'Missionaries of the Poor'. I was priviledged to be at the Mt. Tabor monastery in Jamaica (on retreat) when Fr. Arthur Newell, their oldest brother, was buried. A real Jamaican burial with lots of Joy and Praise. Fr. Newell, died January 19, at the age of 90,after a lifetime of faithful service.

It was very moving to be in Stony Hill, on the top of Mt. Tabor, my father-in-law's Anglican parish in the 60's, to bury a brother priest whom he likely knew. Dad was born and raised in Jamaica, and though he received his theology at McGill and was ordained in Canada, he was called to serve 3 years back home.Fr. Alban Westin died a year ago Easter Sunday, an Archpriest at Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church . He died a faithful servant to the end, always seeking the Lord, as evidenced by his courage in joining the Orthodox after his retirement as Anglican Canon at St. Peter's Cathedral in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

'His' people in Stony Hill, where his infant daughter is buried, are struggling still to scrape up less than we would consider to be the 'bare necessities'. Before the M.O.P. brothers built their monastery, there wasn't even a road all the way up. Dad used to walk an hour uphill to minister . There is no access to a school, electricity, running water. Shacks line the side of the rough road, a deep gully close behind.

The Missionaries of the Poor are very nearly self-sufficient on Mt. Tabor. They have a generator, grow food, have livestock. They take care of a house of older orphans and are building a school for the local children.They hold retreats.In Kingston they have a number of homes for orphans, indigent, aids sufferers - the rejected ones of Jamaica. They have similar homes in the Phillipines, Haiti, and Uganda. They offer their service for free, trusting in the Lord to help them provide for those in need.

The Missionaries of the Poor are attracting many brothers from these countries. Young men who wish to devote their lives to serving the poorest , providing the most basic needs, and above all else, loving the unloved. Really truly loving them.
My visit to the M.O.P. was transformative. I'm not sure when or what the final result will be of their witness of service and love, but its percolating.

Check them out. Help if you can. Visit . Volunteer. Pray. Sacrifice.

Cardinal Sfier Reaches Out

The Lebanese Cardinal, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Pierre Sfier, visited George Bush in the Oval office "to discuss the unique and important role of the Maronite Christian community in Lebanon. They discussed their common vision of an independent, sovereign and peaceful Lebanon.

"They also acknowledged the agreement signed by Lebanese leaders today in Doha is a step in the right direction. The president reiterated his commitment to supporting Lebanon, and to the full implementation of the Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701 meant to bring it peace and security." more....

Obama For PM (UK)

"WHAT, STILL BREATHING?"

Maybe Obama should consider running for Prime Minister in the UK, you know, if this 'Pres. of the US' thing doesn't work out for him. Seems things might be to his liking, fit his philosophy of 'death for all inconveniences'. As an example, rendered by nurse'Kay' from the UK:

" a description of how at 24 weeks the child is often strong enough to be alive – and then must be left to die on the side of an NHS sink until breathing his, or her, last"

'Kay' has been sending letters to the media , in advance of the vote for limiting abortion to 20 wks, in hopes of highlighting how frequently late terminations are acquired for purely selfish reasons. I think that was her point. A better point might be that the baby that survives abortion, struggles to live, and is left callously to die IS IN FACT A LIVING BREATHING CHILD!!!

Now, there's a case Obama could stand behind...letting the child die to spare the convenience of the more important people...like him. (He could probably find a good group of 'Catholic' MP's to support his candidacy...)

REAL BABY

Video by Suzanne Fortin of Big Blue Wave , in support of the 'Unborn Victims of Crime Act' Bill C-484.


(Beautiful little girl Suzanne!)

Peace at What Cost?

The Lebanese have negotiated a 'solution' to the state of near civil war that has been plaguing them since last year:

"Naturally, the initial comments are positive. Prime minister Fouad Siniora emphasises that 'we cannot have a future without domestic unity", and the leader of the majority, Saad Hariri, affirms that he is "always ready to make concessions for the sake of coexistence, and to turn a new page of reconciliation". For the head of the Lebanese armed forces, Samir Geagea, "the accord was the best we could come up with", while the Hezbollah member of parliament Mohammed Raad speaks of "high hopes for the Doha Accord which will rescue us from this crisis. No one in the world can cure our wounds if we don’t cooperate with one another". From the same front of the opposition, Michel Aoun maintains that "the accord is not ideal for any of the parties; I hope that safeguards are put in place for decent relations between the majority in the opposition'."

I was in Beirut, coiincidentally, on the first anniversary of Rafik Hariri's assassination. Hundreds of thousands rallied in oppostition to Syrian interference in Lebanese politics. It was an impressive show of unity. Now, the Lebanese have incorporated Syrian interference into their gov't via a 'veto' for Hezbollah.

Can 'peace' be lasting?

The Last Stand

From Chapter 3 of 'Marriage:The Dream That Refuses To Die' by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese:



"The demands for same-sex marriage flow logically from the moral tenor of our culture, and nothing in that culture arms us to resist them. Above all, having first acceded to the primacy of the individual over any semblance of a group, we are now capitulating to the non-negotiable demands of sexual desire. Nothing, in this climate, could be further from the dominant cultural sensibility than the idea that sexuality per se and pro se offers a woefully impoverished definition or measure of the individual. As our culture has loosened the bonds of sexual repression that allegedly thwarted the development and happiness of individuals, it has increasingly succumbed to the notion that no sexual desire can be denied. If you couple this assumption to the notion that marriage exists only to serve the interests and comfort of the individual, you are left with few weapons against the advance of same-sex marriage.

In an ominous development, the largest corporations, according to Business Week, are beginning to understand and adjust to this trend. Some are now offering benefits to a variety of domestic units and, in the process, are effectively displacing marriage as a special relationship or union. The consequences of this tendency, combined with our “me, me, me” cultural ethos, will soon end in the destruction of marriage. Oh, marriage will survive as one “lifestyle” choice among many, but as no more than that. And, make no mistake, that form of survival will amount to destruction, which is precisely the goal of the activists who are fighting for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Many Americans, who come to see same-sex marriage as just another step in marriage’s evolution, will accept the public pronouncements that they are doing no more than supporting “fairness” by extending some valuable benefits to people of the same sex who happen to love each other and wish to live together without shame or stigma. What could be more innocuous? But for the hardcore activists, the real goal is the destruction of marriage as the union of a man and a woman. They aim to discredit all forms of authority — especially God and nature — that dare to tell people how to lead their lives. In the view of queer activists, desire, like love in Carmen’s “Habenera,” knows no law — nor should any be imposed upon it.

In the current climate, the appeal of their position is not hard to understand, especially since most of those who accept it do not begin to understand its implications. If anything, the defense of same-sex marriage looks like yet another logical step in the gradual increase in freedom for all members of society. And since activists, the courts, and the media overwhelmingly encourage this deception, we may readily understand that many people may come to see same-sex marriage as another blow against outmoded and illegitimate forms of authority — a blow for freedom and equality. Buying into this view, however, they will remain blind to the ways in which they are playing into the hands of vast governmental and economic powers. The freedom for gays and lesbians to marry will decisively contribute to disaggregating all of the remaining social institutions that provide the foundations for any collective resistance against political and economic domination.

Contrary to many prevailing views, marriage is not the seat of oppression but rather the last best ground for resistance against it. In binding men and women into loving relations and shared purposes, marriage acknowledges the reality of sexual difference even as it works to bridge that difference and lay a foundation for a vital and, yes, grown-up social life."

(h/t dawnpatrol)

Two by Two (threes come next)

I realize that PEI is the last province to make these changes, but it still irks. One more reason not to rush back to the farm :

"The governing Liberals pushed the bill through first, second and third reading Tuesday, with the full co-operation of the Opposition Conservatives.

That means the bill has cleared the house and will become law within days.

The bill includes clarification of same-sex couples' rights to adopt by changing the Adoption Act. The words "married couple" will be changed to "spouses" to include same-sex and common-law spouses.

The Consent to Treatment and Health Care Directives Act is also being redefined to recognize same-sex and common-law relationships. That law outlines who can make decisions for somebody who is in hospital and unable to make treatment decisions for themselves."

Sometimes I wonder if any of these politicians have 'spouses' or children they care about. I can hardly wait for the 'before and after' analysis in 20 yrs. time. Sad.

Soon PEI will have nothing worthwhile left but the red stains on your swinsuit.

Obama Trivia to Collect...

You can be sure these won't be repeated ad nauseum on CNN, so save them up yourself... Michelle Malkin gives you a start:

* Last May, he claimed that Kansas tornadoes killed a whopping 10,000 people: “In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.” The actual death toll: 12.

*Earlier this month in Oregon, he redrew the map of the United States: “Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.” ...
(h/t closedcafeteria)

Reflections On Modern Art

A thoughtful article by R.R.Reno at 'First Things' :

"As I retraced my steps across the Whitney drawbridge and turned the corner toward the Lexington Avenue subway line, I found myself thinking that a young person with artistic vision is entering a world these days without any particular demands or expectations. The profound heterogeneity of the Biennial shows that there is no avant-garde, no consensus about what counts as cutting-edge and contemporary. Perhaps this is because the bourgeoisie world of Old Lyme and New Canaan against which modern art long defined itself in opposition now champions its nemesis, and has for decades. It’s hard to be avant-garde when hedge-fund collectors whom you went to college with come to all the important openings and love your work."

RCMP Investigate CHRC!

EZRA UPDATE :

"Until two weeks ago, the Conservative government had plausible deniability about the CHRC's corruption. But not any longer. The Justice Department's 50-page defence of the CHRC's prosecutions under section 13 moved the government from "neutral" into the "pro-CHRC" camp. That was bad policy. And now an RCMP investigation means the government has to do much more than just defend a bad law -- it means it has to defend a scandal. That's bad politics.

The Conservatives have had an excuse for not cleaning up the CHRC's stables: for six months, they've been preparing for an imminent election. Now that Stephane Dion has all but acknowledged that won't happen at least until the fall, it's time for the Conservatives to act, and to act swiftly."

Ready. Set. Go!

Zenit 'Plea for Pence'

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Zenit is in the midst of its annual 'fund raiser'. They are an excellent, reliable source of Catholic news from around the world.

IF YOU HAVE THE MEANS TO, SUPPORT THEM WITH A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION.

PAX

VERY BAD (value judgement)

Archbishop Nichols developing, live on BBC, the 'RUBRICS OF HUMAN VALUE':

"'What is the value that we give to human life in its first beginnings?’ Now clearly it’s not the same as we would give to another adult sitting next to me…”


(h/t catholicmomof10)

In A Nutshell

Tom Piatek's article in 'Taki Magazine' puts the British hybrid ambitions in perspective:

"Things have certainly changed since Britain went to war against Hitler because of the fear of what Nazism would do by “the lights of perverted science."

Happy Birthday Honey!

Nine years of university can get you this....but can it get you a job?

My sweetie-pie husband , after two years of research and writing on the history of St. Peter's Cathedral in Charlottetown, PEI, is facing unemployment. Not that we are in immediate dire straits, but having 6.5 kids left to help through college, we'd hoped to keep the money in a safe place - not use it for groceries! Apparantly, a MA in history and a Masters in education with 20 years teaching and administration are not immediately attractive to employers. We're praying that God's plan becomes a little more obvious to us. (Isn't that the hardest part - trusting and waiting?)

The Most Holy Trinity

Today is the Feast of The Most Holy Trinity.

Our Very Special Day

May 18 is a very special day for our family. We have a double birthday sponsored by our favourite 'saint'.

My husband Peter and my son Paul both share John Paul II's birthday!

O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints. Amen.

( official prayer to ask favors through the intercession Pope John Paul II )