Remember when Obama said: “Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not “Islamic.” No religion condones the killing of innocents…”

British lawyer and Imam, Anjem Choudary said Obama is wrong.

Choudary * said that Obama may simply be saying that to appease U.S. Muslims, and to "anesthetize" the American people to the true threat of Islam.  I'm not sure if Obama even knows what he is talking about - but if he does know, it seems to me he has to be lying then.   

When asked if the beheading of American journalist James Foley was justified under Sharia law, Choudary said: 

“Every action for a Muslim must be based on the Koran, the word of Allah and the teachings of the messenger Mohammad … But those who are already Muslim must know that Allah mentions in the Koran, in fact if you look at Chapter 8 Verse 60, he said prepare as much as you can the steeds of war to terrorize the enemy. So, terrorizing the enemy is in fact part of Islam. I mean, this is something that we must embrace and understand as far as the jurisprudence of jihad is concerned.” 

Regarding “innocents” there are none.  The Imam explains: 

“The thing that people need to appreciate is that in war the Muslims are not distinguishing in general between civilians and military because those very civilians are those who put the people in charge and those people in charge like Obama and others are sending the troops to Muslim countries so they don’t making (sic) that distinction; let alone between people who are journalists, who are considered to the right hand in fact and the propaganda machine of the Obama Administration.” 

The Koran commands Muslims to engage in a holy war (Jihad) in order to impose Islam and Shariah Law on the entire world. 

“Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.” (Koran 9:5) 

Interestingly, the President’s counter terrorism advisor, John Brennan (now Director of the CIA), during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that the terms “jihadist” or “jihad” should not be used to describe America’s enemies. His reason: jihad is a holy struggle and a legitimate tenet of Islam... - Source

 Makes you wonder...

Pius V, vision of the victory at Lepanto.

Pray the Rosary every day.

*Wikipedia says Choudary receives little support from mainstream UK Muslims and has been largely criticised in the country's media.

The Confusion in the Church is mind boggling ...

"Deadlock over remarried divorcees?"

Does that mean John the Baptist 

and the English martyr's died in vain?

After beginning with the Spirit,
are you now ending with the flesh?
Did you experience so many things in vain?
–if indeed it was in vain. - Today's 1st Reading Gal. 3:1-5

I have never seen anything like it.

It is almost unbelievable.

Like sheep without a shepherd - I get that now.  Totally. Get. That.

Help me, who am alone and have no help but you!

Prayer of Queen Esther.

 “My Lord, you alone are our King. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you ... - Book of Esther

A couple of thoughts ...

A woman’s awra is her full body. 

She must cover her hair, torso, arms, legs and feet. 

The best way of covering everything is to wear a 

jilbaab/abaya and a scarf on the head. - Source

Beauty and culture.

I was at the grocery store last evening, and as I was exiting an aisle, I almost ran into a woman's cart as she came around the corner.  I looked up and was startled to see this gorgeous Muslim woman dressed in rich, dark hijab - her scarf around her head, her face exposed.  I have to tell you I stopped in my tracks.  She reminded me of the former Somali model, Iman Abdulmajid - so tall and beautiful.  The expression on her face seemed to become slightly sad, perhaps a bit irritated - and she quickly moved her cart to get around me with a whispered "excuse me".  I finally moved on to check-out.

Thinking about the experience later, I felt badly because I never said a word, never said excuse me, never adjusted my cart for her to get by.  I doubt that even if I told her I had been stunned by her beauty, that it would have been perceived as a compliment.  Indeed, it is likely she would have been insulted - not to mention very weird - LOL!  Anyway - I felt worse that she most likely interpreted my silent stare and blocking the aisle as prejudice.  That thought didn't occur to me until I left the store.  I wonder how many Muslims in this country feel discriminated against because of ISIS?  I'll be praying for that woman.

Many of the Muslim women I see are incredibly beautiful, and I kind of like how they dress as well.

I wish we were at peace in the world.

Taking advantage of religious people.

There is a story today of a Wisconsin priest who was scammed out of $300,000.00 by a woman who went to him for help.

Eau Claire (WQOW) - An Eau Claire woman has been charged with scamming a well-known priest out of more than $300,000.

Cheri Hofkes-Zerwas is charged with taking the money from father John Schultz, he was the longtime priest at Saint James the Greater Catholic Church in Eau Claire.

According to court documents Hofkes-Zerwas told Father Schultz that she needed the money to keep her electricity from being shut off, she owed money to social security and she was being extorted by a number of people.

Police were tipped off by a branch manager at Associated Bank when Schultz began withdrawing large amounts of money.

Police found that over the course of a year Hofkes-Zerwas was given more $300,000. We spoke with the attorney for the Diocese of La Crosse who is representing Father Schultz.

He told us that Schultz was scammed and that all of the money he gave to Hofkes-Zerwas was his own, none of it belonged to the church.

The criminal complaint says that Father Schultz kept a detailed ledger of all the money he gave her and the reasons why. - More here.

That is sad.  Fr. Schultz acted in good faith - he also used his personal savings.  As the article points out, priests are often called by people asking for money - sometimes legit, other times not.  The woman in this case gambled the money away.  As a kid one of my relatives hit on our parish priest.  He just got out of jail and went to the priest under false pretenses, asking for help to feed his family.  The money was used for booze.

Rectories attract scam artists as well as the poor most in need.  In the last few years, a couple of priests have been killed in robbery attempts.  Charity believes all things, as St. Paul says, but priests must be careful of being scammed or even framed.

Nothing Compares 2U

One of the most beautiful songs ever.  I was watching a local group (The Family) perform on local Public Television, and they performed Nothing Compares 2U, introducing it as a song Prince wrote.

I never knew Prince wrote it - I just knew Sinead O'Connor sang it and assumed she wrote it too.  Now that I know that, I can hear Prince's genius.

Anyway - Sinead did it best.  She was so beautiful in her youth!  Song here.

Nothing compares 2U...

Pictures I like and have used, or will use, or use all of the time... or not.

I was going to use this photo for 

a series I wanted to begin online

but a friend told me I couldn't

steal his thunder.

I title this one: Disgusted.

All women used to look exactly like this in the '50's.

This is perhaps the only authentic photo of me 

which exists online today.

It is exactly how I look.

This photo explains why I left home in senior year 

and never, ever went back.

I was saving this to use one day...

The joy of Holy Communion.

My reaction to many people online.

Storia della sedia gestatoria e Papa Argentino.

No women allowed.  Ever.

Penitents Day

Penitents Day...

I say that  because today is the memorial of St. Thais (she made a bonfire of all of her slutty outfits), and St. Pelagia (a celebrated dancer and courtesan), both former harlots who repented and lived a penitential life afterwards.  Obviously the language of "repent and believe" was not too harsh for these girls - contrary to what Vatican spokesman,  Fr. Thomas Rosica had to say summarizing the work of the Synod Fathers and the need to avoid the "harsh language" traditionally used in Church documents*:

"To label people ... does not help in bringing people to Christ... our language has to change in order to meet the very difficult situations." - NCR

*Example:

• "Living in sin": a reference to couples who live together without benefit of marriage.
• "Intrinsically disordered": a reference to homosexual acts.
• "Contraceptive mentality": a reference to cultural conditions spawned by the deliberate separation of spousal love, or the separation of the marital act from the possibility of procreation.  I think Planned Parenthood represents the contraceptive mentality quite well.

Song for this post here.

Our Lady of the Rosary

The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.

- Promises of Our Lady of the Rosary

Let's pray for one another and all those most in need of God's mercy.

An admonition ...

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.

Grace be with you. - 1 Timothy 6:20-21

I have to stop posting about gay issues (again) because people get upset...

Remembering Blessed Alberto Marvelli

October 5 is the anniversary of his death.

Today is also his feast day. The reason I favor lay saints is because they demonstrate that we can attain sanctity in and through ordinary life... And they didn't do it by endlessly trying to figure out what God wanted them to do.  They lived each day recognizing the will of God in the present moment... whatever the circumstances of their life.

Marvelli kept a diary since the age of 15 which reveals many details about his life. In one entry he wrote, "What a great deal of work is needed in this world which is so far from Christ; it is necessary for us to offer sacrifices; we must act to the utmost of our strength to make Christ known and loved. It is the call of duty we are urged by, and we are obliged to realize it."
.
Bl. Alberto prayed for the grace to be able to practice acts of mercy: “Jesus give me a bit of Thy infinite love for men and their miseries, of Thy endless and supernatural ardour of apostolate”.

Alberto was struck by a military truck and killed on October 5, 1946, while on his way to the aid of a poor family.

Today is also the anniversary of the death of St. Faustina.  Her story here.