So-called "New Atheists" motivated by hatred of God

Yes, you heard that right.

I'm going to keep this post simple; the so-called "New Atheist" movement (though there really isn't anything new about it) taps into not just doubts about the existence of God (who is real, praise be to Him) but by outright hatred.  How do I know this?  Read on.

I received a message from my girlfriend that her friend was distressed because she saw a stamp accusing God of being a child murderer and calling Him an "immoral monster" who should "burn in his own hell".  It pains me to put such blasphemous bile on my blog, but I must to illustrate the point.

Does that sound like reason to you?  No, it sounds more like a person who hates someone.  In this case, the person, I can only deduce, hates God.  Such a view is becoming so common amongst non-believers, I daresay that it is their creed, alongside such reliable standbys as religious believers as stupid, violent robots and the world being better off without faith.

Why do I draw attention to this?  Because, forgive me my melodrama, but when the Nazis spread filth about the Jews, everyone was told to ignore it.  We all know how well that turned out.  I don't suggest something similar will happen, but when hate rears it's ugly head, it must be identified and opposed.  We are all worse off if we don't.

Heavenly Father, soften the hearts of those who hate You and Your Son and all who follow You, and grant them peace and guide them along the path to truth and salvation.

In Memoriam 09/11/2001

For those who remember, on this day 3,000 of our fellow Americans, who had committed no crime and harmed no one, were murdered by a band of barbarous terrorists who were convinced that paradise would be there's if they slaughtered the "infidel". But this journal is not about the murderers, it's about those 3,000 people who died.

They were innocent. They had done nothing to nobody. Yet, they were murdered.

Many said they weren't innocent. A college professor wrote an essay that compared them to the infamous Nazi mass murderer Adolf Eichmann, and their killers didn't see them as innocent because they were "non-believers". But they were innocent, just ordinary men and women who were doing their jobs, oblivious to the hell that was about to be unleashed.

We must never forget them. They still need us. They need us to never forget what transpired, to honor their memory. They need us to pray for their souls so they may enjoy the bliss of heaven, and they need us to make sure such a massacre may never happen again.

Oremus
Father, hear us as we pray for those who died on this terrible day. Bring then into your heavenly abode that they may praise you with all the angels and saints who have done your will throughout the ages. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Réquiem ætérnam dona eis Dómine;
et lux perpétua lúceat eis.
Requiéscant in pace.
Amen.

Prayer for Memorial Day

Eternal rest grant unto all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their God and country, O Lord.  Eternal rest grant unto all those veterans who have passed away.  Peace and long life grant to those still living, both of past and present wars.  Grant those who are serving their country peace, protection and strength.  Ensure quick and safe passage home for those who have finished their service. 

Lord, soften the hearts of those who would lambast and condemn our veterans and serviceman and bring them to an appreciation for those who risked their and lives and sacrificed for their freedom that they enjoy today.  Bless the families of veterans and servicemen and give them strength of heart and hope.  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, pour out your tender mercy upon them.  Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for them.
Saint Joan of Arc, pray for them.

Prayercast starting soon

I will be posting a regular prayercast of the Divine Office and other assorted prayers, as soon as I can get a podcast up and running.  Please stay tuned.

Good Friday

From CatholicCulture.org

"It is accomplished; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit."

Today the whole Church mourns the death of our Savior. This is traditionally a day of sadness, spent in fasting and prayer. The title for this day varies in different parts of the world: "Holy Friday" for Latin nations, Slavs and Hungarians call it "Great Friday," in Germany it is "Friday of Mourning," and in Norway, it is "Long Friday." Some view the term "Good Friday" (used in English and Dutch) as a corruption of the term "God's Friday." This is another obligatory day of fasting and abstinence. In Ireland, they practice the "black fast," which is to consume nothing but black tea and water.

Prayer to Jesus Forsaken
Sweet Jesus! For how many ages hast Thou hung upon Thy Cross and still men pass Thee by and regard Thee not!
How often have I passed Thee by, heedless of Thy great Sorrow, Thy many Wounds, Thy infinite Love!
How often have I stood before Thee, not to comfort and console Thee, but to add to Thy Sorrows, to deepen Thy Wounds, to spurn Thy Love!
Thou hast stretched forth Thy Hands to raise me up, and I have taken those Hands and bent them back on the Cross.
Thou hast loved me with an infinite love, and I have taken advantage of that love to sin the more against Thee.
My ingratitude has pierced Thy Sacred Heart, and Thy Heart responds only with an outpouring of Thy Love in Thy Precious Blood.
Lamb of God Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on me. 

Hymn:  Crux Fidelis
Crux fidelis,
inter omnes
arbor una nobilis;
nulla talem silva profert,
flore, fronde, germine.
Dulce lignum, dulci clavo,
dulce pondus sustinens! 

Flecte ramos, arbor alta,
tensa laxa viscera,
et rigor lentescat ille,
quem dedit nativitas,
ut superni membra Regis
miti tendas stipite.

Sola digna tu fuisti
ferre saeculi pretium,
atque portum praeparare
nauta mundo naufrago,
quem sacer cruor perunxit,
fusus Agni corpore.

Aequa Patri Filioque,
inclito Paraclito,
sempiterna sit beatae
Trinitati gloria,
cuius alma nos redemit
atque servat gratia. Amen.

Terri's Day

Five years ago on this day, Terri Schindler Schiavo was the victim of a court ordered murder, starved and dehydrated to death by the culture of death that pervades our society.  Her murder was finally completed on Easter Thursday.  She suffered as the Church meditated on the sufferings of Christ, and died as the Church celebrated His resurrection. 

We can be confident that she shared in Jesus' victory over death.  But, the culture of death still pervades our society.  We, as people of God, cannot allow this to happen.  It's time to fall to our knees in prayer.

Let us pray for the defeat of the culture of death and the victory of the culture of life, for Terri and all who are the victims of the culture of death.

Prayer to Defeat the Culture of Death
Lord Jesus Christ, throughout this Lenten Season we meditate on your Passion and death on the Cross for our redemption.  By the merits of your Passion and suffering, we pray for the defeat of the culture of death in our society.  So many innocent of unborn have been murdered in the womb, and on this day an innocent woman's suffering and starvation came to an end by court-sanctioned murder.  By the merits of the suffering by which they shared in your Passion, have mercy on those who promote the culture of death and bring them to repentance.  O Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for all mankind, have mercy on them.

Blessed Mary, Mother of God, pray for those who promote the culture of death in our society.  By your intercession drive back the scourge of abortion and make our society one that celebrates all life, from birth until natural death, for your Son will not refuse a request from you.

All martyrs and saints in heaven, pray for the end to the culture of death!

We ask this through our Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer for the Coversion of Non-Christians

Lord Jesus Christ, promised Messiah and Son of God, by the merits of your Passion and death, bring light to those who do not believe in you.  Grant them the grace of faith.  Pour out the loving mercy that burn in your Most Sacred Heart upon them.  May they see that you, O Lord, are the way, the truth and the light, who is the only way to the Father.

Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray for those who do not believe in your Son.  You, through whom our Savior came into the world, take our petition on behalf of them to our Lord.

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for them.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

It's time to fight back

With all the recent attacks against our Faith and our Church by those who despise it because of the hit pieces by the New York Times, it is quite clear that the Devil has found an ideal vehicle with which to attack the Church that Christ founded.

We must not let him win!  Our Church is undergoing a period of purification, a Long Lent, and Satan is not going to make it easy for us.  As our Holy Father and the Vatican implements reforms to insure that these horrors never happen again, let us fight back against the Evil One's relentless attacks!  Turn your anger and frustration into holy zeal!

I ask you to join me in saying this prayer for just this purpose.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church You founded is suffering.  Let your healing love which burns in Your Sacred Heart pour out on us.  Heal us of our anger, our frustration, and all our hurts.  Have mercy on your vicars and priests and instill holy zeal in them.  Be with the victims who must suffer not only from their abuse, but also from the relentless reminders from the ongoing attacks on Your Church.  Heal them, O Lord, from all hurts.  

O Glorious St. Michael the Archangel, defender of the Church, by your intercession drive back the attacks of the Devil.  Smash his plans to ruins and bring all his schemes to naught!  Guard the holy Church from all taint of evil and from all the wiles of Satan and his angels!  Defend us in our continuing battle against all the forces of darkness!

Most Holy Virgin Mary, mother of God, by your prayers bring us comfort, hope and healing.

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Olympics Novena

In light of the tragic death of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, my Olympic prayer in my previous post has been modified into this novena for the continued safety and success of the Olympics and the athletes.

Lord Jesus Christ, as the eyes of the world turn to Vancouver for the XXI Olympic Winter Games, we ask you to bless these games and those who participate in them.  We ask you to grant the athletes success in their competitions, and to give them the strength to compete fairly in the true spirit of sportsmanship.  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, extend your mantle of protection to the athletes and keep them safe from injury as they compete.  Put in their hearts love for their fellow athletes, that they might seek to build friendships with those they compete against and enable them to respect their fellow competitors.

Lord, we commend to your mercy the soul of Nodar Kumaritashvili, who was killed tragically during a training for the luge event.  Grant him eternal rest in your heavenly kingdom.  We likewise pray for the continued safety of all who compete in the luge events.  We ask you to inspire the Olympic officials to work to make this even safer, so that tragedies like this never happen again.  We pray for the people of Georgia and the family of Nodar Kumaritashvili for comfort during their time of mourning for their fallen son.

Blessed Mary, Mother of God and of Christians, pray for the Olympic athletes and take our petition on their behalf to our Lord, for your Son will not refuse a request from you.
St. Sebastian, patron of athletes, pray for the Olympic athletes.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  

Amen.

Live Blogging the Olympics

It's finally here.  The 2010 Olympic Winter Games begin today in Vancouver with an opening ceremony that's sure to be spectacular (after all, it's a closely guarded secret, and that's always a good sign with things like this).  Over 5,000 athletes from 80 countries will be competing at this event.

The games can be viewed live on your local NBC (for Americans) or on the local station of your home country.  Missed something?  Can't watch them?  I'll be posting live results from the games here on my blog each day of the games. Stay tuned here for updates.

Pax Christi, and God bless the athletes.

Prayer for the Olympic Athletes
Lord Jesus Christ, as the eyes of the world turn to Vancouver for the XXI Olympic Winter Games, we ask you to bless these games and those who participate in them.  We ask you to grant the athletes success in their competitions, and to give them the strength to compete fairly in the true spirit of sportsmanship.  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, extend your mantle of protection to the athletes and keep them safe from injury as they compete.  Put in their hearts love for their fellow athletes, that they might seek to build friendships with those they compete against and enable them to respect their fellow competitors.

Lord, we commend to your mercy the soul of Nodar Kumaritashvili, who was killed tragically in a luge accident this morning.  Grant him eternal rest in your heavenly kingdom.

Blessed Mary, Mother of God and of Christians, pray for the Olympic athletes and take our petition on their behalf to our Lord, for your Son will not refuse a request from you.


St. Sebastian, patron of athletes, pray for the Olympic athletes.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  

Amen.

A Prayer for Priests

O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church: Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit, and give power to the words of priests so that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance and return to You, O Lord.

Lord, give us holy priests; You Yourself maintain them in holiness. O Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the Devil's traps and snares which are continually being set for the souls of priests. May the power of your mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of priests, for You can do all things.
AMEN.

Pax Christi.

Prayer for the Conversion of Schismatics

Especially schismatic Traditionalist groups (SSPX, sedevacantists, etc.).

MOST Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the conversion of those who willingly separate themselves from your Church, whether by pride or by ignorance, I pray. Lord Jesus Christ, you rejoice over the recovery of those lost sheep. Give us the strength to present the truth to the schismatics. Shower your tender mercy on them, and grant them the grace to see the truth that is presented to them. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for them.

Pax Christi.

Please Pray for My Friend

My friend Nicole, aka Vetrina, has to have heart surgery to repair a hole in the septum of her heart.  The procedure sounds fairly routine, but she's scared and needs our help and our prayers to get through this.  Please offer yours in the comments section of this post.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, hear the prayers of your servants for Nicole, my friend, who is facing surgery on her own heart.  Give her your healing grace and protect her as she undergoes vital surgery to repair her heart.  Amen.

Please Pray for the People of Haiti

The nation of Haiti has been hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.  Thousands are feared dead, and even more have been left homeless and injured and without power and other basic necessities.

These people need our prayers.  Please post your prayers in the comment box.