You Know You Are in Texas When . . . .

An email from my daughter's apartment complex tonight:

"Earlier today, there was an alligator spotted on the property near buildings 14 and 8. Residents near the northwest side of the property need to use caution when walking your dogs."

It begs the question, "Why did I leave the northeast again?"

Holy Heros Advent Adventures

We are signing up for the Holy Heroes Advent Program. I just found out about it . . . has anyone experienced this program yet?

Fr Juan Diego Brunetta, OP, provides the theological review of Holy Heroes. He’s the Director of the Catholic Information Service of the Knights of Columbus.

Please let me know if you have heard of Glory Stories (a weekly radio series heard on the Ave Maria Satellite Radionetwork and EWTN’s radio network, WEWN).
I have not heard any of the stories but one of the writers for Holy Heros worked with Glory Stories so, I am curious.

Here is the web page of sample clips from some of the CDs this organization produces.
And, here is a YouTube clip that gives a bit of information about the Advent Adventure Program -

Planned Parenthood Pushes Abortion for Profit

Ex-Abortion Facility Director Says, "They really wanted to increase the number of abortions so that they could increase their income."   LifeSiteNews.comBy James Tillman
BRYAN, TX, November 5, 2009


Abby Johnson, the ex-director of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility who recently made national headlines after converting to the pro-life position, has revealed that Planned Parenthood pushes employees to strive for more abortions to boost profits.
"There are definitely client goals," Johnson told WorldNetDaily. "We'd have a goal every month for abortion clients and for family planning clients."
Abby Johnson had worked at Bryan's Planned Parenthood facility for eight years and been its director for two when she resigned on October 6th, near the beginning of Bryan's sixth annual 40 Days for Life Campaign.
She said that she grew uncomfortable with Planned Parenthood when they told her to try to bring more abortions through the door because of the economic downturn.
"Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money - we've got to keep these abortions coming,' " Johnson said in an interview with Fox News. "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers."
The latest financial report Planned Parenthood, for the year 2006-2007, shows that the abortion behemoth increased the number of abortions it committed from 264,943 in 2005 to 289,650 in 2006.  Total revenue amounted to over $1 billion dollars, with the organization's profit margin - "excess of revenue over expenses" - soaring from $55.7 million in 2005 to $112 million in 2006. The organization typically receives over $300 million in taxpayer funds every year.
Johnson said she became involved with the clinic "to help women and ... [do] the right thing."  The idea of increasing abortion numbers to increase revenue was repugnant to her. She said that ideally the facility's director would provide "so much family planning and so much education that there is not a demand for abortion."
But this ideal was not shared by the rest of Planned Parenthood, she said, because "abortion is the most lucrative part of Planned Parenthood's operations."
"With the family planning corporation really suffering," Johnson said, "they depend on the abortion corporation to balance their budget, help get them out of the hole and help make income for the company."
She continued, "They really wanted to increase the number of abortions so that they could increase their income."
Johnson said that the Planned Parenthood facility performed surgical abortions every other Saturday, but also began expanding access to abortion by other means.
"One of the ways they were able to up the number of patients that they saw was they started doing the RU-486 chemical abortions all throughout the week," she said.
Although Planned Parenthood's policies of pushing for abortion made her uncomfortable, Johnson said that at first she just kept "pushing down the guilt." 
"I struggled with it for a long time," she told CBN.com. "But you learn to justify it somehow and I've learned over the years and through this conversion that if you're doing the right thing, you shouldn't have to justify it."
She said that she reached her "breaking point after witnessing a particular kind of abortion on an ultrasound," according to 40 Days for Life.
"I could actually see it was a 13 week old baby and I could actually see the side profile of the baby on the ultrasound," she said.  "And I could see the cannula going into the uterus. And I could see the baby moving away from the cannula, trying to get away from the probe."
"I saw the baby crumple during the procedure, and that was just life-changing for me.  I'd never seen that done before."
Since Abby's resignation, Planned Parenthood has retaliated by filing a restraining order against her.  The injunction temporarily prevents her from releasing information until after a hearing scheduled for November 10th in the 85th district court.
Johnson has said that she is not sure why Planned Parenthood is concerned.
"Planned Parenthood is an organization that really runs on fear. If somebody crosses them, they are quick to threaten that person.  I've worked for them for a long time and seen them threaten lawsuits multiple times," she said.
"I'm not sure what they're scared of. When I first got the restraining order, I was so surprised. My initial response was, what do they think I know? What are they feeling guilty about?"
Johnson is one of eight abortion industry workers who left their jobs during the 40 Days for Life campaign that concluded on November 1st; she was the highest ranking of the eight.  40 Days for Life has also received at least 534 reports of mothers who turned away from abortion appointments.

See related stories on LifeSiteNews.com:
Director of Planned Parenthood at 40 Days for Life Birthplace Resigns after Watching Abortion Ultrasound
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09110204.html

Hulu, O. Henry, Steinbeck & God

A couple of days ago, my 4th grade son and I were poking around on hulu.com. He loves to watch Modern Marvels and I'm a vintage movie gal.

I found an old show called, O. Henry's Full House. It is a film version of the some of the best stories of O. Henry.

We watched the first vignette and both of us decided to settle in for the whole show.

The surprise element was that it was hosted by John Steinbeck! John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors! I had never seen film footage of him, I had only seen pictures. The O. Henry stories were fairly well interpreted and the acting was vintage 1950s with some 1950s star to boot! I think it was waaaaay cool to find this classic but! it was the host, John Steinbeck, that had me glued to the screen.

I told my son how I loved Grapes of Wrath and Tortilla Flat. I assured him that he would love the stories when he was a little older. I think he was a bit put off because I did not want him to read the stories just yet. And, I understood his frustration. . . his Mom just raved about an author and then tells him, "Oh, but you can read the stories in a couple of years."

Well, today I was unpacking (yes, still unpacking - and we will be "still unpacking" until we get every room painted so we can then secure shelves to the walls) . . . . where was I?

Oh yes . . . .

Today while unpacking I found a Prose and Poetry anthology published in 1965.

A little side note here . . . I have a weak spot for 3 types of books:

1. Classic classroom readers - primers and anthologies
   
2. Unique Alphabet Books
3. Good Catholic publications - from picture books to Papal encyclicals and everything in between.
   

I had planned to use the 1965 Prose and Poetry anthology (and many more I have packed away) in our homeschooling. I just hadn't planned on the fire, moving and living out of a suitcase with all our things in storage for two and a half months. So, I am, very randomly, discovering things here, there and everywhere.

Where was I?

Oh yes, the anthology that I found.

I flipped it open to a random page and viola! -- a story by John Steinbeck! A story appropriate for my 10 year old! The Red Pony.

God is so good! He is just so good! I keep smiling at the way He puts things in our paths. Puts 'em there so we sometimes stumble over them!

We started the story today . . . . I know there will be tears at the end, I am getting the tissues ready.

O. Henry's Full House

Feature Film |1:57:36

A dozen top stars (including Charles Laughton, Marilyn Monroe and Anne Baxter) and five famed directors (including Howard Hawks and Henry Koster) join forces to present filmed versions of the best stories of O. Henry, all narrated by John Steinbeck.

cross posted at The Best Nest

St. Martin de Porres - November 3

The Feast of St. Martin de Porres is On November 3.

May I suggest two picture books to bring simple smiles to the day?

Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice & The Pied Piper of Peru.

I found a recipe over @ Catholic Cuisine that I would like to pass along. Please visit the website - you will enjoy it, I'm sure!
I understand that this recipe was inspired by Let's Eat! Recipes for Every Meal... All you add is fun!



If you'd like to make these MICE CUPCAKES, here is the ingredient list:

1 package Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make cupcakes)
Vanilla Frosting
Vanilla Wafer Cookies
Candy-Coated Chocolate Pieces (ie: M&M's)
Chocolate Kisses
Shoestring Licorice

Directions:
Bake cupcakes according to directions on box.
Spread the tops of the cupcakes with frosting.

To make each mouse, put 2 vanilla wafer cookies for the "ears," 2 candy-coated chocolate pieces for the "eyes," 1 chocolate kiss for the the "nose," and pieces of shoestring licorice for the "whiskers."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Martin de Porres was born at Lima, Peru, in 1579. He was the illegitimate child of a Spanish gentleman and a coloured freed-woman from Panama. He grew up in poverty.At age 11 he became a servant in the Dominican priory. At fifteen, he became a lay brother at the Dominican Friary at Lima and spent his whole life there-as a barber, farm laborer, almoner, and infirmarian among other things.

He was put in charge of the Dominican's infirmary; and was known for his care of the sick and for his spectacular cures. His superiors dropped the stipulation that "no black person may be received to the holy habit or profession of our order." De Porres also took vows as a Dominican brother; established an orphanage and children's hospital for the poor children of the areas slums. He even set up a shelter for the stray cats and dogs and nursed them back to health. Martin de Porres lived in self-imposed austerity, never ate meat, fasted continuously, and spent much time in prayer and meditation.

Martin had a great desire to go off to some foreign mission and thus earn the palm of martyrdom. However, since this was not possible, he made a martyr out of his body, devoting himself to ceaseless and severe penances. In turn, God endowed him with many graces and wondrous gifts, such as, aerial flights and bilocation.

When an epidemic struck Lima, there were in this single Convent of the Rosary sixty religious who were sick, many of them novices in a distant and locked section of the convent, separated from the professed. Saint Martin is said to have passed through the locked doors to care for them, a phenomenon which was reported in the residence more than once. The professed, too, saw him suddenly beside them without the doors having been opened; and these facts were duly verified by the surprised superiors.

As stated before, this lay brother had always wanted to be a missionary, but never left his native city; yet even during his lifetime he was seen elsewhere, in regions as far distant as Africa, China, Algeria, and Japan.

• An African slave who had been in irons said he had known Martin when he came to relieve and console many like himself, telling them of heaven. When later the same slave saw him in Peru, he was very happy to meet him again and asked him if he had had a good voyage; only later did he learn that Saint Martin had never left Lima.
• A merchant from Lima was in Mexico and fell ill; he said aloud: “Oh, Brother Martin, if only you were here to care for me!” and immediately saw him enter his room. And again, this man did not know until later that he had never been in Mexico.

St. Martin's love was all-embracing, shown equally to humans and to animals, including vermin, and he maintained a cats and dogs hospital at his sister's house. He also possessed spiritual wisdom, resolving theological problems for the learned of his Order and for bishops. A close friend of St. Rose of Lima, this saintly man died on November 3, 1639 and was canonized on May 6, 1962. His feast day is November 3.

Prayer to Saint Martin de Porres

To you Saint Martin de Porres we prayerfully lift up our hearts filled with serene confidence and devotion. Mindful of your unbounded and helpful charity to all levels of society and also of your meekness and humility of heart, we offer our petitions to you. Pour out upon our families the precious gifts of your solicitous and generous intercession; show to the people of every race and every color the paths of unity and of justice; implore from our Father in heaven the coming of his kingdom, so that through mutual benevolence in God men may increase the fruits of grace and merit the rewards of eternal life. Amen.

Want to do more reading?
St. Martin de Porres website and image

"St. Martin de Porres, the first black saint in the Americas!" African American Registry
Prayer for the intercession of St. Martin de Porres
St. Martin de Porres Shrine & Institute • Memphis, Tennessee

& Are We There Yet has a wonderful post about this Saint!

Catholic Mosaic – Living the Liturgical Year with Literature: An Illustrated Book Study for Catholic Children.
The title says it all.
The author, Cay Gibson has created a mosaic of Catholic culture and beautiful literature. Catholic Mosaic is organized by the months of the year and corresponding liturgical celebrations. Then she wove picture books of substance that correspond to the liturgical year.
I had the pleasure of meeting Cay at our homeschool conference at The University of St. Thomas a few months ago. What a gracious and down to earth woman!

But back to the book itself!
It is definitely more than an annotated book list, although that is included, too. It includes

• suggested discussion starters/questions for digging deeper with your children
• quotes for memorization or use for handwriting practice
• ideas for activities that will reinforce the meaning of the particular book.

Catholic Mosaic is a beautiful way to help both young and old celebrate our liturgical year. Cay Gibson really helps families live and relish Catholic traditions. There are connections to feast days, liturgical celebrations and other things Catholic.

Some of the books described and linked in this book are Catholic illustrated classics – books like

• Weight of a Mass by Josephine Nobisso
• Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi and
• St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
  

These are examples of books that are already extremely popular with many Catholic parents and children. But Gibson goes beyond the “Catholic classics” and mentions books like

• The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen (illustrated by Rachel Isadora) and
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and
• I added, I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (illustrated by Sheila McGraw)
  

Think of the many ways you can apply Catholic teachings to these books, giving your children a rich and lasting understanding of our Catholic culture!!

In a review by Mary C. Gildersleeve she says,

In total, Gibson integrates FIFTY-TWO illustrated childrens' books with the Catholic calendar and Catholic living. Books that cover the Mass, First Communion, various saints and important liturgical seasons are included. In addition, she suggests other books which may also work (but omits questions and activities linked to these “second-string” books some of which unfortunately are out-of-print or hard-to-find).

All the primary books are easily attainable from booksellers; in addition, books by popular authors like Tomie dePaola are usually available at public libraries so as not to strain your book budget too much. However, after seeing these books, you might want to have good copies for your home library. Gibson has selected books not only for the meaning in their words, but also for the beauty of their illustrations. These books could easily be used as an art study in conjunction with the literature, religion and other subjects covered in these books.

Further resources that Gibson gives the reader are suggestions for creating and maintaining a “Liturgical Notebook” throughout the year – a memory scrapbook of this literature-based journey – as well as incorporating some of the traditional Catholic homeschool resources (for example, CHC’s A Year with God or Seton’s Art 1).

Run, don’t walk, to get a copy of this book. I know I sound effusive, but this book is remarkable in its ambitious objective which is stunningly successful. This is one of those homeschooling volumes that needs to be on every Catholic resource shelf – that is, when it’s not being used!

Hillside Education
475 Bidwell Hill Road
Lake Ariel, PA 18436
www.hillsideeducation.com

Here is a sample of just the booklist from CATHOLIC MOSAIC's NOVEMBER BOOK LIST

November 1
I Sing a Song of the Saints of God by Lesbia Scott/ Judith Gwyn Brown
Saints: Lives and Illuminations by Ruth Sanderson

November 2
The Spirit of Tio Fernando: A Day of the Dead Story by Janice Levy/ Morella
Fuenmayor

November 3
The Pied Piper of Peru by Ann Tompert/ Kestutis/ Kasparavicius

Brother Joseph, The Painter of Icons by Augustine Denoble

Litany of Saints

November 1 is All Saints Day

H/T to A Concord Pastor Comments for finding this and sharing it.

LITANY OF THE SAINTS
John D. Becker

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

1.
Mary and Joseph, pray for us.
Michael and all angels, pray for us.
Anna, Joachim, Elizabeth, pray for us.
Elijah, Moses, John the Baptist, pray for us.
Isaac, Sarah, Abraham, pray for us.
Jacob, Joseph, Samuel, pray for us.
Ruth, David and Solomon, pray for us.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

2.
Peter, Paul, Andrew, pray for us.
James, John, and all apostles, pray for us.
Mary Magdalene, Veronica, pray for us.
Barnabas, Matthias, pray for us.
Stephen, Philip, and Cornelius, pray for us.
Prisca and Aquila, pray for us.
Timothy and Titus, pray for us.
Linus, Cletus, and Clement,pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

3.
Lawrence and Chrysogonus, pray for us.
Innocent, and Boniface, pray for us.
Hippolytus and Origen, pray for us.
Athanasius and Basil, pray for us.
Felicity, Perpetua, pray for us.
Cosmos and Damien, pray for us.
John, Chrysostom, and Justin, pray for us.
Lucy, Agatha, and Agnes, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

4.
Jerome and Eusebius, pray for us.
Scholastica and Benedict, pray for us.
Ambrose, Monica, Augustine, pray for us.
Martin and Gregory, pray for us.
Clare, Francis, and Dominic, pray for us.
Francis Xavier, Ignatius, pray for us.
Elizabeth and Catherine, pray for us.
Louis and Wenceslaus*, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, pray for us.

5.
Lord, be merciful, save your people.
From all evil, save your people.
From every sin, save your people.
From everlasting death, save your people.
By your incarnation, save your people.
By your death and resurrection, save your people.
By your gift of the Spirit, save your people.
Have mercy on us sinners, save your people.

Christ, hear us. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer.

(The following section is not included in the video.)
6.
Lord, give new life, hear our prayer.
To these chosen, hear our prayer.
By the grace of baptism, hear our prayer.
O Jesus, Son of the living God, our prayer.
Send your Spirit, hear our prayer.
In its fullness, hear our prayer.
On your sons and daughters, hear our prayer.
Who believe and profess you, hear our prayer.

Christ, hear us. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer.

*In this recording, Wenceslaus is changed to Matthew.

Copyright © 1987 by OCP Publications, Portland, OR, 97213. All rights reserved.