Advent resources

Just wanted to share a couple of wonderful resources for Advent.

1. "Best Advent Ever" from Dynamic Catholic. Sign up to get daily emails with brief spiritual reflections, videos, etc. Only takes a few minutes, but really helps get into the spirit of Advent preparation.

2. Professor Carol's Advent Calendar. Music, poetry, art, and historical reflections. Sign up for delivery by email or read online at her blog. Carol often has great insights into the traditions associated with Advent.

3. The Pray More Advent Retreat from PrayMoreNovenas.com. I haven't tried this one before.

Oh, and there's a second 54 day rosary Novena for Our Nation beginning today.

On Election Day: What comes next?

This recent article from the National Catholic Register explains very well how I've been feeling about politics lately.

Have you ever done the Great Adventure Bible Study with Jeff Cavins? As he says, the Israelites repeatedly go through this cycle in their relationship with God: Things are good, then they don't emphasize their relationship with God (drifting away), fall into sin, which leads to servitude and suffering, and finally leads them to beg the Lord to save them. This happens repeatedly over the decades and centuries -- 7 times in the book of Judges alone! But the lesson to me is not so much about the Israelites as it is about any nation -- prosperity / peace / health depends on a nation's relationship with God.

So I guess what I'm thinking about politics is not that it is pointless, but that we are past the point of political solutions. Politics is downstream of culture, and our culture is rotten. What we need is to restore and heal our culture and society -- which is a work not of politics but of prayer, fasting, catechesis, evangelization, and ongoing conversion to God. And that work will be the same regardless of the election results.

The truth about Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood

As Planned Parenthood celebrates its 100th anniversary, it's time that everyone knew the true story of its founder, Margaret Sanger. Far from being an admirable person whose life should be celebrated, she was actually a eugenicist and white supremacist, and a Nazi admirer dedicated the the "elimination of the unfit."

This 40 Days for Life podcast has much more!

Awesome Pro-Life Signs

This picture was in 40 Days for Life's update today. It wasn't the topic of the post, but I thought the signs were awesome. Don't you think so, too?

The story itself is short and inspiring.

Trailer out for new movie about the "Grunt Padre"

The Capodanno Guild writes:

A trailer is now available for the new documentary film about the Grunt Padre. This film — a partnership between the Father Vincent Capodanno Guild and EWTN — will be about the life and heroic death of Servant of God Father Vincent Capodanno, a Medal of Honor recipient.

The documentary is currently in production with the working title of "Called and Chosen"; EWTN plans to air it in spring 2017. The film has the twin goals of making Fr. Capodanno's story more widely known and to raise the funds required for his cause for canonization.

Feast of St John the Apostle

Today, December 27, is the Feast of St John, the "beloved disciple", Apostle, and Evangelist.

Fish Eaters explains:

St. John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of St. James the Greater (Feast day: 25 July) who, together, were given the nickname "Boanerges" ("Sons of Thunder") by Christ Himself. The men of Zebedee's family were fishermen, and it is possible that SS. John and James were disciples of St. John the Baptist when they encountered the One of Whom the Forerunner spoke. They were called just after SS. Peter and Andrew -- two other fishermen brothers -- left everything behind to follow Jesus, and SS. Peter, James, and John had the most prominent positions of all the Apostles.

A tradition associated with this feast day is the family members sharing a cup of wine (it may be boiled with sweet spices first to remove alcohol) with the toast, "Drink the love of St John." See more at the Fish Eaters link, above, and at Catholic Culture: St John the Evangelist.

Overpopulation: The Making of a Myth

This new educational series of animated videos from PRI shows that "overpopulation is a myth," while brilliantly skewering the population control movement and its constant predictions of doom. Highly recommended for ages 12 or so and up.

Fully documented at Episode 1: Overpopulation: The Making of a Myth