Volume VII/Issue 12/March 2023

Satanists in Idaho Planning Capitol “Ritual” to Protest Bill

A group of satanists is opposing the “Vulnerable Child Protection Act,” a bill that would make the dispensing of experimental puberty blockers and performing sex-change operations on youth—both of which can lead to sterilization—a felony. If the bill passes both chambers of the state legislature and is signed into law by Governor Brad Little, it would mean anyone convicted of performing such procedures could face up to 10 years in prison.…A satanic group in Boise announced plans to hold a so-called “gender-affirming ritual” at the State Capitol building in protest.…More than 80 bills have been introduced in 26 states in a bid to limit or criminalize body-disfiguring sex-change surgeries and other procedures for minors.

Colorado Cake Artist Loses Again in Transgender Case

A Colorado court has again rejected cake designer Jack Phillips’ effort to defend the freedom to conduct his business according to his Christian beliefs. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled…(January 26) that Phillips’ refusal to create a custom cake for a gender transition celebration is not protected by the free speech clause of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. The three-judge panel also unanimously agreed a state law prohibiting discrimination based on transgender status does not violate the free exercise of religion.… The appeals court’s ruling is the latest in a succession of court proceedings initiated more than a decade ago regarding Phillips’ decision not to design cakes he believes would communicate a message that conflicts with his faith.

Taking Babies Who Survive Abortions to Hospitals Is “Dangerous” (Congressman Nadler) 

House Democrats posed an absurd claim [January 11] in opposition to the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, claiming that requiring a newborn baby to be taken to the hospital somehow “endangers” the child’s life. U.S. Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-New York) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) both made the claim on the House floor after Republican leaders brought the pro-life bill forward for debate. “The problem with this bill is that it endangers some infants by stating that that infant must immediately be brought to the hospital,” Nadler asserted. Later, he added, “It directs and mandates certain medical care, which may not be appropriate, which may be endanger [sic] the life of an infant in certain circumstances.” The claim is absurd on its face, but that did not stop Schakowsky from making a similar comment. “[This bill] requires immediately taking a struggling baby to a hospital,” she claimed. “That hospital could be hours away and could be detrimental to the life of that baby. This is nothing more than part of the effort to make abortion illegal nationally in this country. I object and I urge a no vote.” The bill…just makes sure that babies who survive abortions receive proper medical care. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of babies survive abortions every year in the United States, but protections for these infants are limited. The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require that babies who survive abortions receive the same medical attention that would be given to any other baby born at the same gestational age. The bill also would punish doctors who allow newborns to die or intentionally kill them after a failed abortion.… The bill is similar to one that pro-abortion former Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked 80 times when she ran the U.S. House. …The House approved the pro-life bill in a 220-210 vote.

CVS Fires Christian Nurse Who Couldn’t Fill Prescriptions for Abortion-Causing Drugs 

The CVS pharmacy chain is facing another lawsuit accusing the company ofreligious discrimination against one of its former employees. CBS News reports J. Robyn Strader, a nurse practitioner in Texas, said CVS Health fired her because she refused to fill prescriptions for birth control and abortion-inducing drugs in accordance with her Christian faith. …Strader said CVS accommodated her religious beliefs for most of the six and a half years when she worked there.… However, in 2021, the lawsuit says the company changed its religious accommodations policy and Strader was fired a short time later. Her lawyers said the company did not “engage with her about possible accommodations, [but it] terminated her because of her religious beliefs.”… Strader’s lawsuit is the third to accuse CVS of discriminating against Christian employees in the past year, according to CBS News.

China Faces Population Decline, Worker Shortages After Killing Four Hundred Million Babies in Abortions 

China is reaping the consequences of its brutal one-child policy. After killing approximately 400 million unborn babies in abortions,… the Asian nation is now dealing with a new problem: a shrinking population. The Washington Times reports new data released by the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics…show more deaths than births in 2022. After 9.56 million births and 10.41 million deaths last year, there are approximately 850,000 fewer people in China, according to the data. China still has the largest population in the world at 1.41 billion people, but its shrinking numbers are causing problems. Companies are struggling with worker shortages, men cannot find wives due to sex-selection abortions and aging, childless couples wonder who will care for them in their old age.

Grand Jury Indicts Abortion Activists for Vandalizing Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers 

Two activists have been indicted for vandalizing pro-life pregnancy centers in Florida as pro-life advocates continue to raise concerns about an inadequate response to the rash of pro-abortion violence from federal law enforcement. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of two pro-abortion activists [January 24] in connection with the vandalism of three pro-life pregnancy centers in Florida.  

The Funny Pharmacy

The Pope Speaks: Pope Clement XIII

Appetente Sacro - On Fasting

The holy season of Lent approaches, which is full of mysteries but not without mystery. It precedes that great celebration of Easter, by which alone the dignity of all other religious occasions is consecrated. Venerable Brothers, you should see that the faithful religiously observe this holy fast, which was recommended by the testimony of the laws and the prophets, consecrated by the Lord Jesus Christ, and handed on by the apostles. The Catholic Church has always preserved it so that by the mortification of the flesh and the humiliation of the spirit, we might be better prepared to approach the mysteries of the Lord's passion and the paschal sacraments. Likewise through fasting we might rise again in the resurrection of Him whose passion and death we joined after we put off the old man. Our predecessor Benedict XIV aroused you with two earlier briefs, that you might zealously preserve such a holy and salutary institution. Your work and zeal should recall the discipline of the Lenten fast, now weakened by many corruptions, to its original observance. For this reason, Pope Benedict XIV removed from your midst many quibblings which impaired fasting. However, as there are many persistent threats to the Lord's flock from the foul and dangerous enemy of the human race, we should be wary lest the sly old fox add new calculations and perverse customs to the minds of the weaker faithful. These things will weaken the strength of the fast and make it sink back to that point from which it was recently recalled. We think it is necessary to send you this letter to show your brotherhood how fearful We are that the old corruption might remain, or that a new stain might come upon ecclesiastic discipline in this matter, with the resulting destruction of the souls of the faithful.

2. We understand that it is just as necessary to lessen this fear of Ours as it is to increase your pastoral vigilance by it. After Our predecessor's letters, it perhaps remains for you to eradicate with God's help anything pertaining to the old or new corruption for breaking the laws of the fast, or the fabrications of opinions, or the customs which shy away from the true power and nature of the fast. Among these We number that abuse which rumor has brought to Us: while many people were permitted by dispensation to eat meat for just and legitimate reasons, they thought it was also permitted to consume drinks mixed with milk, contrary to what Our predecessor thought was right. He was of the opinion that those who were permitted by dispensation to have meat, as well as those who were fasting in any way, with one mixture excepted, were comparable to those who had no dispensation. Accordingly they can have meat, or whatever originates from meat, in only one mixture.

3. You will begin most appropriately, and with hope of the greatest profit, to recall men to the observance of the holy law of fasting, if you teach the people this: penance for the Christian man is not satisfied by withdrawing from sin, by detesting a past life badly lived, or by the sacramental confession of these same sins. Rather, penance also demands that we satisfy divine justice with fasting, almsgiving, prayer, and other works of the spiritual life. Every wrongdoing--be it large or small--is fittingly punished, either by the penitent or by a vengeful God. Therefore we cannot avoid God's punishment in any other way than by punishing ourselves. If this teaching is constantly implanted in the minds of the faithful, and if they drink deeply of it, there will be very little cause to fear that those who have discarded their degraded habits and washed their sins clean through sacramental confession would not want to expiate the same sins through fasting, to eliminate the concupiscence of the flesh. Besides, consider the man who is convinced that he repents of his sins more firmly when he does not allow himself to go unpunished. That man, already consumed with the love of penance, will rejoice during the season of Lent and on certain other days, when the Church declares that the faithful should fast and gives them the opportunity to bring forth worthy fruits of penance. After all, it is always necessary to subdue concupiscence, for it is written, "Do not follow behind your desires, and do not turn away from your will." Let the faithful easily turn their attention during this most holy time of year to lessening the intemperance of the body by fasting. In this way the soul might understand how it should prepare itself to recall the holy mysteries of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, those who are spurred on by penance do not seek the delicacies of the table, which seem indistinguishable from forbidden foods, even with abstinence. However, one can rightfully say that whoever sets them on his table does not so much put aside his customary delicacies as give his appetites over to unusual enticements. Finally, those spurred on by penance do not seek escapes by which they might withdraw from fasting, nor do they seek various subtleties to break ecclesiastical law.

4. It is your duty, Venerable Brothers, to in spire enthusiasm and love of penance in the faithful by word and example. Thus, they will approach the fast more quickly, observe it according to the laws prescribed by the Catholic Church, and sanctify it through almsgiving and prayer. Finally--and this matter greatly concerns the Church--they should understand that they have died and been buried with Christ. They have been called to the new life of the new man in the paschal feast so that they can come to the risen Lord Jesus Christ in full confidence. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you, to whom We most lovingly impart the apostolic blessing as a pledge of Our love and good will toward you.

Given in Rome, at St. Mary Major, on the 20th day of December in the year 1759, in the second year of Our pontificate.

St. Francis de Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life

Preparation.

1. Place yourself in the Presence of God and ask Him to inspire you.
2. Imagine yourself on your death-bed, incurably ill.

Considerations.

1. Consider the uncertainty of the day of your death. One day, my soul, you must depart from this body. When will it be? In winter or summer? In town or country? At home or afar? During the day or the night? With or without warning? As a result of illness of accident? Shall I have a chance to go to Confession? Shall I be assisted by a Priest? Will I be prepared? Unhappily, I know the answer to none of these things. Only one thing is certain - that I shall die, and sooner than I imagine.

2. Consider that then, the world will come to an end as far as you are concerned. You will have no more part in it. It will turn upside down before your eyes, for worldly joys and pleasures and the things you loved in vain will turn into empty dreams and shadows. Fool that I am to offend God for the sake of such trifling vanities. I have forsaken God, and for what - for nothing! On the other hand, devotion and good deeds will be seen as desirable and delightful to and you will ask yourself - why did I not take this beautiful and pleasant path of everlasting joy? At that hour, your sins - which at the time seemed so small - will appear as vast as mountains and your devotions truly small.

3. Consider how reluctantly your soul will bid farewell to this world, to all its riches and vanities, to amusements, friends, family, to everything - and last of all, to your own body, leaving it pale, wasted away, hideous and fearful.

4. Consider how your body will be hurried to the grave and then the world will give no more thought to you than you have given to others. They will say, ‘God rest his soul’ - and that will be the end of it. Such is the pitiless power of death.

5. Consider the destination of your soul once it has left the body. In which direction will it go? It will continue in the same direction as it went on earth!

Affections and Resolutions.

1. Pray to God and cast yourself into His arms. O my God, take me into Thy care on that terrible day; may all other days be sad if only that single day will be a happy one!

2. Despise the world. Since I do not know when I will part from the world, I will not become attached to it. No love for friends or for relatives, save what is holy, save what can last forever. For why should I love them with a love that death can end?

3. I will prepare for that hour and ensure that it may be a happy one. I will do all I can to make my conscience clear and resolve to overcome all my faults and imperfections.

Conclusion.

1. Thank God for inspiring these resolutions and offer them to Him, imploring Him to grant you the grace of a Happy Death through the merits of His Son and through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints.

2. Carry with you always a small Happy Death Crucifix, properly blessed to obtain a Plenary Indulgence at the hour of death, and meditate upon it often.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

Your prayer completed, wander back in spirit among your considerations and gather a bouquet of spiritual thoughts to perfume your whole day.

Saints from East and West

Saint Pacian is chiefly remembered through his writings, for very little is known of his history. At some time in his life he married-probably before he became a priest - and his son, Flavius Dexter, was chamberlain to the Emperor Theodosius and captain of the royal bodyguard under Honorius. Saint Jerome, who was intimate with Dexter, had the greatest regard for the father, whose eloquence, learning and sanctity he extolled while dedicating to the son his Catalogue of Illustrious Men.

Saint Pacian lived to old age and was a voluminous writer; but of his many works the only ones which have come down to us are an exhortation to penance, a sermon on baptism and three epistles addressed to a nobleman called Sympronian, who had embraced the Novatian heresy and had sent Pacian a letter in which he censured the Church for allowing repentance and absolution for all sins and also for taking the title of Catholic. In his reply Saint Pacian makes the now famous retort: "My name is Christian, my surname Catholic. The one puts me in a class, the other gives me a character. The second is a testimonial, the first is a label." Elsewhere he insists that those alone are embraced in the unity of the Church who are united to the chair of St Peter. "To Peter alone did the Lord speak" (Thou art Peter, etc.) "that from him, the one, He might establish unity." 

Amongst Saint Pacian's lost writings was one entitled Cervulus, directed against an obscene heathen pageant which took place annually at the new year and in which, apparently, Christians sometimes participated. The performance, which centered round a little stag and which is alluded to by St Ambrose and other writers, consisted of masquerades in which those who took part were dressed up as wild animals.

Like many a modern censor the bishop found that his strictures acted rather as an advertisement, and at the beginning of his treatise on penance he deplores that the chief effect of his censure was to make more people curious to witness the objectionable revels.

Advice You Can Bank On

A Catholic Perspective On Finances 

Why did God allow me to lose my job?

Losing a job is rarely seen as a good thing, especially since financial pressures can cause tremendous tensions in a marriage and family. When someone loses a job, he or she may have a tendency to blame people or circumstances or despise God, but God promises to provide for all our needs through the riches of Christ. (See Philippians 4:19.)

By seriously asking the question “Why did God let this happen?” we can begin to discern how God can bring good out of the situation.

When a husband loses his job, God may want to teach him to:

1. Learn to rely on the Lord for provision rather than on an employer.

   Scripture affirms that it is God “… that giveth thee power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18), not an earthly employer. When God removes an earthly source of income, He is affirming our need to totally depend upon Him.

2. Experience the fellowship of receiving “daily bread” rather than monthly paychecks.

   The Lord taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), not “give us this month our monthly paycheck.” Nevertheless, we have a natural tendency to desire independence and to store up reserves so that we do not need to live from God’s hand to our mouth. God knows that we are closest to Him when we are aware of our daily dependence upon Him. When a person lacks regular employment, he is usually more willing to turn to God to meet his needs.

3. Catch up on home repairs.

   Most wives know of many household repairs and projects that have needed a husband’s attention for a long time. If a husband is out of work, he can make completions of these tasks a priority. Some of these projects will require money that he may not have. However, that can motivate him to learn how to get the best buy.

4. Develop frugality and resourcefulness.

   The absence of monthly paychecks is a great motivation to be careful in the way we spend money and to look for ways to be frugal and resourceful. Many services that were formerly regarded as conveniences, such as lawn mowing, car washing, maid service, house painting, and plumbing, can no longer be afforded. These needs present opportunities to work together as a family. Needs that require professional assistance can become opportunities to ask wise questions of professionals and to research ways to do home repairs and maintenance without hiring others to do them.

5. Spend more time with your children.

   In one well-to-do neighborhood, a father was injured and consequently was unable to work. While he was recuperating at home, he began spending time with his son. Soon, all the children in the neighborhood were envious because this boy had something they did not have: the time and attention of his father.

   Many individuals have given testimonies of growing up without much money and cherishing memories of family outings that were free or cost very little. The absence of regular employment provides an ideal opportunity to make special family memories.

6. Increase your understanding of your wife and her responsibilities.

   When a man leaves home in the morning and is gone through the day, he cannot observe the unexpected interruptions and pressures that a wife may face. When he is home with the family, he can learn to appreciate the load his wife carries and can help her eliminate little hindrances that make her job more difficult.

7. Detect character weaknesses in your life.

   Evaluate why you lost your job. Did deficiencies in your character cause your boss to form a negative opinion of you or question your value to the company? Being without a job provides an opportunity to concentrate on building character and to demonstrate it first of all in your own family.

8. Learn humility and accept assistance from others.

   During a time of need, it is not easy to accept gifts from others. A spirit of humility is required to receive their help. This humility opens the door for more of God’s grace. (See James 4:6.)

9. Consider the possibility of starting a home business.

   The possibilities for establishing businesses that will meet practical needs are unlimited. If you have a mind to work and a love for people, you may be able to initiate a home business. Concentrate on projects that could result in immediate income, and expand as they prove themselves worthy.

   One man went to managers of office buildings and worked out a contract to wash the buildings’ windows twice a year. He now has more business than he can handle and is making $80,000 to $100,000 a year.

10. Consider the option of relocating.

    The loss of your job can encourage you to determine if you are in the right location. Does God want you to move closer to relatives or to live in an environment that would be better suited for raising your children?

11. Consider whether you have been faithful to tithe.

    God promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing to those who honor Him with the firstfruits of all their increase. However, if proper tithes and offerings are not given, the devourer snatches away resources. If you have failed to tithe, the loss of a job is a powerful motivation to start tithing with any new income that the Lord provides for you. (See Malachi 3:10–11.)

12. Teach your children to look to the Lord.

    By their seeing how insecure “job security” is, sons and daughters are forced to realize that we cannot put our trust in companies or uncertain riches, but only in the living God, Who alone is able to meet our needs.

13. Draw the family together to fast and pray for specific needs.

    God promises that if we fast and pray secretly, He will reward us openly. With the loss of a job, a family has many new opportunities to bring specific needs to the Lord and to trust Him. Through times of fasting and prayer, a family can experience a new closeness with the Lord and with each other.

14. Develop compassion for others who have lost their jobs.

    Only those who go through the loss of a job can fully understand the pressures and anxieties that occur as a result. As God gives insight and understanding in your situation, you can give comfort to others who have lost their jobs.

15. Concentrate on being a spiritual leader in your home.

    The most difficult place to live the Christian life is in your own home. Now you can devote more time to carrying out the functions of a spiritual leader, such as reading and memorizing Scripture, asking family members for specific prayer requests, praying, reading biographies of the heroes of the faith with the family, and helping family members study the Scriptures for themselves.

16. Cleanse your home of anything that should not be in it.

    Evil items are so easily brought into the house. Now that you have more time, carefully evaluate all the things in your home and remove any that have a destructive or negative influence on the family’s spiritual life.

17. Clear your home of clutter and sell unneeded items in garage sales.

    Now is also the perfect time to clean closets, drawers, the basement, garage, and other places, removing all items that you are not using, and selling as many as possible. Needed items can be put in order.

18. Learn to enjoy what God has given.

    It is easy to become dissatisfied with the things we have and to look forward to buying bigger and better items that we may not really need. Without a steady income, you can learn to appreciate what you do have and learn to take better care of your possessions so you can enjoy them longer.

19. Learn how to suffer need.

    Paul explained that he learned how to abound and how to suffer need. When you had a regular income, you abounded. Now, you are learning the disciplines of suffering need. This includes learning to go without and experiencing what Paul talked about when he said, “ I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ:” (Philippians 3:8).

20. Expose the foolishness of buying unnecessary items.

    When you have ample funds, it is tempting to spend extra money on status symbols such as certain brand names of clothing or other items that demonstrate that you are part of the “in” group. With this practice, there is additional pressure to compromise standards so as not to be rejected by those we are trying to imitate. With limited funds, the concern is not for vain prestige, but for daily provisions.

Why did God allow you to lose your job? Perhaps He wanted to bless you with unique opportunities to learn to trust Him more fully, to seek Him more diligently, and to love Him more intimately. Ask God to show you the benefits of your suffering … and He will! Our merciful heavenly Father promises to work all things together for our good, as He conforms us to the image of His Son. (See Romans 8:28–30.)