Sunday Faith Post: Does Evil Exist?

Crossposted @Tunecedemalis 

On Infertility: This article hits the nail on the head

This article hits the nail on the head with regards to how hard it is for faithful Catholics to deal with the cross of infertility.  My heart aches so that someday my husband and I may be blessed with a child.  We pray and leave it in God's hands but it is so hard for us...

This week is Infertility Awareness Week. According to the CDC, over 2 million married women in America are currently experiencing infertility. This is a deeply painful experience for any couple, but faithful Catholics face unique challenges in this department—yet in all the discussions about Natural Family Planning and how and when to avoid pregnancy, the struggles of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are not able to achieve pregnancy often get overlooked. So this week I spent some time chatting with friends who are facing infertility, including a woman whom I’ll call “A.,” who chronicles her journey online at This Cross I Embrace. They shared some of the challenges unique to being Catholic and infertile:

Temptation to Use Illicit Treatments: In modern culture, the words “infertility” and “in-vitro fertilization” go hand-in-hand. Even though IVF doesn’t always succeed, and often costs tens of thousands of dollars when it does, the success rates are high enough that it’s widely touted as a solution that is likely to give couples the children they so desperately desire. This is a source of temptation for the women I talked to, even though they understand and agree with Church teaching against IVF on an intellectual level. “I would never do it, but it’s like a punch in the gut when other women go to the IVF clinic and are then planning baby showers seven months later,” one friend said. Added to this, there can also be tremendous pressure from family members who don’t understand Church teaching and see IVF as a path to having grandchildren or nieces and nephews.

Loneliness: Catholics who face infertility often find themselves in a social no-man’s land. In terms of day-to-day lifestyle, they have little in common with fellow Catholics who have kids, and often find that friends with children are so busy that it’s hard to make plans with them. Sometimes it’s possible to find community among fellow Christians who are infertile, but tensions inevitably arise over differing views about IVF and other reproductive technology. Other childless couples tend to be much younger. “The main people you can really relate to are other infertile Catholics who are faithful to Church teaching, and they are few and far between,” one friend told me.  CONTINUED

Crossposted at Tu Ne Cede malis    

Faith Post: Celebrating Palm Sunday

Fr. Angelo preaches on the contrast between Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the curses and condemnations that followed a few days later.





In the next video Father Agnellus urges us to stop sinning. 



Fr Agnellus: Please Stop Sinning by AirMaria




Rod Parsley from Charisma points out that God is your shield and buckler

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wing shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. —Psalm 91:4


When you are living your life on God's terms, God provides such protection that the devil won't even know your address! As long as you remain in God's kingdom, He is faithful to protect you. He is your sentry, watching over what He has entrusted to you.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death" (John 8:51). The word "keep," in the original Greek, means we are placed in a position of absolute protection.

Psalm 42:1 says, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Animals seek the water for two reasons: to quench their thirst and to hide their scent when being hunted.

When we wade out into the deep waters of covenant living, we are surrounded by His presence, protection, and provision.

Abide in Him. He is faithfully watching over the health of your children, protecting your marriage, and guarding your property. No person or thing can protect you from the enemy's attack. Only Your loving Father can shelter you and give you refuge. Run to Him. Hide under His wing and find true security in His feathers.

Father, hide me under Your wing and protect me from all 
attacks and harm. Spread Your wing over my family, 
my church, my friends, and all my belongings. Amen.

Here is a Lenten hymn: 

Are Rosary Beads Gang Related?

Are rosary beads gang related?  Is either a cross with rosary-like cloth beads or a rosary really a representation of gangs or as a norm associated with gangs? I would think not. Both the rosary and the cross are a sign of the Christian faith, represent Christ, and are to be revered and are not to be feared because of their misassociation with gangs. The gangs are denigrating the rosary and the cross when they wear them while promoting violence and committing acts of violence in our society. Recently, there have been two cases where one student was wearing a rosary, the other wearing a cross with rosary-like cloth beads, and the students were asked to take them off by school officials because the school officials felt that the beads were gang related. The two boys ended up getting suspended for refusing to take them off. But, the boys were also wearing the rosary beads to remember loved ones who had died- a soldier in Iraq and the other one's brother had died a few years ago and uncle passed away a couple of months ago. This is resulting because many adults today have no common sense. There is a way to distinguish between a gang member and some person who is wearing these items in a peaceful manner. Plus, these kids were not bothering anyone or causing any harm to anyone by wearing the beads. One of the students was pummeled by some gang members because they thought that he was in another gang, but there is no proof that he is in a gang. From what I know neither child is in a gang. But, with regards to the child who was beaten up in school, what if a Muslim student was carrying the Koran and a bunch of students beat him/her up because they thought he or she was a terrorist? Would the school ban the Koran from being brought into school? Or, would the school be facing a lawsuit for religious discrimination? I just think this is ludicrous. Plus, the schools are looking only at the objects misrepresentation and saying all other people are going to misrepresent it also.



H/T Fox Radio