- The Feast of St. Mary Mackillop I went to mass, had quite a strange experience. Was the first time I went to mass for a few weeks.
- Two couples in Victoria, Australia, are suing doctors because their children were born with down-syndrome, a legality that is allowed in Victoria but not in many other states... perhaps Victoria need to follow suit with the rest of the nation!
- I created a new blog during the week talking on my faith and how it became known to me of God's existence.
- Finally, I have posted my journal from World Youth Day 2008, Sydney!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sunday Snippets: A Catholic Carnival #8
Sunday Snippets for the weeks of Sunday June 27 to Saturday July 24.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Two couples suing doctors for failing to diagnose Down syndrome - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.
This is simply disgusting - two different couples from the State of Victoria, Australia, are suing doctors for failing to diagnose down-syndrome in their child whilst still inside the womb. The couples both said that they would have aborted their pregnancy had they known of such birth-defects in their children.
Read the article here, and my response to it below.
The only thing I can see worse than an abortion is those wanting an abortion because their child will not be born so-called "normal". This is disgusting. How do you think the poor children would feel to one day learn of how they weren't wanted by their parents simply because of reasons beyond their control?
The parents claim to still love their children, but if this is so, why the need to sue? It is a world gone mad where people now have the ability to shift blame and sue for such stupid reasons, the main one of these reasons being greed of money and greed of wanting "normal kids".
Thank-God that these laws don't apply in certain states, such as NSW. Shame on the parents I say, and shame on the government for such little help given to many who are, or who care for, people with disabilities. If more support was offered to such people, perhaps they wouldn't think of aborting a child who will have life-long problems.
If they still wanted to sue even if our governments were more caring, then that is simple greed. Abortion must be made illegal. Sex is made for making children, not a mere physical union for a bit of fun. Even when precaution is taken in the way of condoms and/or the pill, pregnancy is still a risk of such behaviour, and always will be, simply because the point of such closeness is to create another being!
To hell with abortion - it should be outlawed and given the new name of infanticide.
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
I had a strange encounter yesterday, the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene. I caught the bus into town rather early to get a few things done before a mid-day appointment with my lawyers, but finished about half-an-hour before Thursday Mass started at St. Pat's. They have weekday mass on Tuesday and Thursday. I had planned that as one of my activities for the day but didn't think I would have time to make it, but seeing as I did, I went.
I was aware that St. Mary Magdalene's feast day was coming up, but didn't make the connection that it was yesterday until the mass started and Monsignor announced we are celebrating her feast. Many people know St. Mary Magdalene, or at least they claim to know her. Common unsubstantiated knowledge is that before she became a follower of Christ, she was a prostitute, a claim that has no basis Biblically or historically.
Sure, she was a sinner - Jesus drove seven demons out of her - the seven deadly sins - and she is commonly thought by people to be the lady whom Jesus saves from getting stoned for adultery. However, none of this has ever been proved, simply just allegations that came from early Western Christianity which has unfortunately stuck with her.
Today, she is known well as a Saint for sinners - people such as myself who struggle with sin. I sin quite often, in thought and deed, but each time I do, I don't rush to confession, get absolved of my sins, then just go on out doing it again. I have a sincere hate for doing such things and try my best to amend my ways.
So during mass yesterday, I listened intently, praying throughout the whole mass, and I was just filled with this awesome feeling of guilt. I was drawn to the middle stain-glass-window behind the altar which pictures Jesus on the cross, and my eyes welled up with tears a few times. I simply felt to bad for the things I have done, particularly the things I have done since re-discovering God!
I only have one regret for the day though, and that is that I didn't take full advantage of it. After the Thursday Mass, the Monsignor sets up the Monstrance for Adoration, with Benediction followed at mid-day. Yesterday, however, after setting up for Adoration, he was in the confessional to hear confessions - for as long as it would take. I really should have gone, but didn't. If I had known he would have been hearing confessions, perhaps I would have made an inventory of things to talk about. I'm not very good at just recalling certain things from the top of my head, when I try I generally walk out thinking "Damn! I forgot this this and that, all of which are the ones I really wanted to talk about!!!"
Give it time though and I will.
In other news, last night I was surfing the internet for Saint medals - there are two particular ones I want but have never found them here in Albury at Vertias Central (our local Catholic store) or over in Wodonga at the Sacred Heart Church piety store. Even trips to Melbourne and Sydney I haven't found them! They aren't the massive Saint's, the likes of St. Michael or St. Francis.
The two I am chasing is St. Maximillian Kolbe, the Saint of Auschwitz, and St. Stanislaus Kotska, the Polish Jesuit boy Saint. St. Maximillian I am seeking as he is patron of drug-addicts, and St. Stanislaus because he is my patron Saint, the one whom I studied and whose name I took on after Confirmation, fifteen-years ago. St. Stanislaus is also patron of broken-bones, which I found to be extremely interesting nearly five-years ago after the traumatic car-accident I was involved in... that however is another story, one which I don't believe I have shared on my blog before!
So last night, I stumbled on an online store with BOTH medals of these two Saints! The first St. Stanislaus I found was the Bishop Stanislaus, also Polish, but a different being to St. Stanislaus Kostka, but the second one I found on another page clearly shows it is St. Stanislaus Kostka - an image of Stanislaus kneeling and receiving Holy Eucharist from an angel. I am happy I have found them, now I just need to wait until I get paid to order them. I will probably look for other things in the shop too, given it is USA based... would make more sense to buy a few things at once than just two medals totally one-dollar!
I was aware that St. Mary Magdalene's feast day was coming up, but didn't make the connection that it was yesterday until the mass started and Monsignor announced we are celebrating her feast. Many people know St. Mary Magdalene, or at least they claim to know her. Common unsubstantiated knowledge is that before she became a follower of Christ, she was a prostitute, a claim that has no basis Biblically or historically.
Sure, she was a sinner - Jesus drove seven demons out of her - the seven deadly sins - and she is commonly thought by people to be the lady whom Jesus saves from getting stoned for adultery. However, none of this has ever been proved, simply just allegations that came from early Western Christianity which has unfortunately stuck with her.
Today, she is known well as a Saint for sinners - people such as myself who struggle with sin. I sin quite often, in thought and deed, but each time I do, I don't rush to confession, get absolved of my sins, then just go on out doing it again. I have a sincere hate for doing such things and try my best to amend my ways.
So during mass yesterday, I listened intently, praying throughout the whole mass, and I was just filled with this awesome feeling of guilt. I was drawn to the middle stain-glass-window behind the altar which pictures Jesus on the cross, and my eyes welled up with tears a few times. I simply felt to bad for the things I have done, particularly the things I have done since re-discovering God!
I only have one regret for the day though, and that is that I didn't take full advantage of it. After the Thursday Mass, the Monsignor sets up the Monstrance for Adoration, with Benediction followed at mid-day. Yesterday, however, after setting up for Adoration, he was in the confessional to hear confessions - for as long as it would take. I really should have gone, but didn't. If I had known he would have been hearing confessions, perhaps I would have made an inventory of things to talk about. I'm not very good at just recalling certain things from the top of my head, when I try I generally walk out thinking "Damn! I forgot this this and that, all of which are the ones I really wanted to talk about!!!"
Give it time though and I will.
In other news, last night I was surfing the internet for Saint medals - there are two particular ones I want but have never found them here in Albury at Vertias Central (our local Catholic store) or over in Wodonga at the Sacred Heart Church piety store. Even trips to Melbourne and Sydney I haven't found them! They aren't the massive Saint's, the likes of St. Michael or St. Francis.
The two I am chasing is St. Maximillian Kolbe, the Saint of Auschwitz, and St. Stanislaus Kotska, the Polish Jesuit boy Saint. St. Maximillian I am seeking as he is patron of drug-addicts, and St. Stanislaus because he is my patron Saint, the one whom I studied and whose name I took on after Confirmation, fifteen-years ago. St. Stanislaus is also patron of broken-bones, which I found to be extremely interesting nearly five-years ago after the traumatic car-accident I was involved in... that however is another story, one which I don't believe I have shared on my blog before!
So last night, I stumbled on an online store with BOTH medals of these two Saints! The first St. Stanislaus I found was the Bishop Stanislaus, also Polish, but a different being to St. Stanislaus Kostka, but the second one I found on another page clearly shows it is St. Stanislaus Kostka - an image of Stanislaus kneeling and receiving Holy Eucharist from an angel. I am happy I have found them, now I just need to wait until I get paid to order them. I will probably look for other things in the shop too, given it is USA based... would make more sense to buy a few things at once than just two medals totally one-dollar!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday Snippets: A Catholic Carnival #7
- I was browsing through an Australian Islamic website a few weeks back and found an interesting audio-download in the resources section. It caught my eye because of the title - George Pell, an ignorant Bishop.
- When I was in hospital as an in-patient, my parents picked me up to go to mass one Sunday. I had a look through the new store adjoining the foyer and found a nice little prayer card... I am obsessed with prayer cards - I love the pictures and the nice words on the reverse. This one was titled "A prayer for those who live alone" which is the main reason behind buying it!
- In Italy recently there has been much talk on banning crucifixes from schools, some thinking it infringes on the students beliefs if they are of a faith other than Christian... most cases these students are atheists by default from their non-believing parents. It really irked me, so I got to typing this entry!
- A little bit of pop-culture thrown in the mix, an episode of "Home & Away" a few weeks back made me type up this entry... just about the reverend vehemently defending his Chinese adoptive parents' kooky beliefs in the occult.
I trust you will find something in these entries that will make you think - or amuse you at the least! Keep the comments and constructive criticism coming!
GBU!!!
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