Could you please offer some special prayers for priests today?

From Fr. Frank Pavone at Priests for Life:

Massive Spiritual Bouquet Being Prepared for the "Year for Priests"

New York - Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, announced today that Priests for Life is inviting the laity to prepare a massive spiritual bouquet which will be presented this Fall to all the priests of the country.

The faithful are invited to pledge prayers, rosaries, chaplets, holy hours, and sacrifices for priests, that they may be protected in body and spirit, and may grow in holiness and in the fruitfulness of their ministry.

This can be done at www.YearofPriests.org.

"Priests are heralds of the Gospel of Life, and are called to stir up the gifts of God's people to build the culture of life. In our day, when restoring protection for the right to life is the top moral imperative, the Catholic faithful thirst in a particular way for the leadership of priests in this arena, and eagerly pray for it," Fr. Pavone added.

Along with pledging a spiritual bouquet, people are invited to share their stories about their favorite priests.

Pass it on!

UN Treaty Jeopardizes Homeschool Freedom in Britain

The following is a press release published by Home School Legal Defense Association on June 16:

Purcellville, VA – Last week the Children’s Secretary of Britain accepted a report in full by Graham Badman which argues for an end to homeschool freedom. “While it’s disgraceful that the British government would even entertain this report it’s particularly troubling for American parents because the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was used as the justification for this action,” said Michael Farris, Chairman of HSLDA and President of ParentalRights.org.

The Badman report uses Articles 12 and 29 of the UNCRC to justify registering the estimated 80,000 homeschooling families in Britain, forcing them to provide annual reports regarding their homeschool, granting government officials the right to enter the home and interview the children alone as well as reserving the choice of curriculum to the state.

HSLDA has been warning that the UNCRC could bring an end to homeschool freedom in the U.S., if the treaty was ever ratified by the U.S. Senate because Article VI of the U.S. Constitution says that treaties become the supreme law of the land.

For the UNCRC to be ratified it must gain a two-thirds vote in the U.S. Senate. If this happens then the UNCRC will automatically supersede all state laws and U.S. judges will be obligated to follow the provisions of the treaty. Currently, family and education laws are state-based; however, ratification of the UNCRC would transfer the jurisdiction for making family and education law to the U.S. Congress. Congress would, in turn, be obligated to follow the UN mandates contained in the CRC. The only answer at this point would be to add a Parental Rights Amendment (PRA) to the Constitution.

The Badman report is a stark reminder of how government officials in an English-speaking democracy have interpreted the UNCRC. It’s clear that the right to homeschool in America will be negatively impacted if the U.S. Senate ever ratifies the UNCRC.

To read the full United Kingdom report, click here.

To find out more about the Parental Rights Amendment, visit www.parentalrights.org.

Source - More

Corpus Christi

Yesterday was the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, also known by its Latin title, Corpus Christi. This is a celebration dear to my heart as Christ's Eucharistic Presence was a large part of what drew me to the Catholic Church.

As Fr. Reginald pointed out in his homily yesterday, this is an unusual feast day in that it honors a doctrine rather than an individual -- although of course the doctrine is very closely related to the Person of Christ. Catholics, along with Orthodox Christians, believe that the consecrated Bread and Wine are in fact the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ substantially present in the Eucharist.

Why do we believe this? Because Jesus taught it. Because the Apostles and early Christians accepted it. Because the Church has always believed it. Because we have been given the gift of faith in His Real Presence.

More:
Scripture on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Early Church Fathers on Christ Present in the Eucharist

Point to ponder ...

"The fatal flaw in our developed societies and their idolatry of science—because that's what it is, a form of idolatry and avarice for power—is that their idea of man is too vain and too despairing, too big and too small at the same time. We're less than gods but more than smart monkeys. And the glory God intends for each of us can only be found one way, through one Man." - Archbishop Charles Chaput, Using and Being Used

Cross-posted from Unity of Truth

Pro-lifers condemn Tiller murder

As everyone knows by now, someone shot and killed notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller yesterday while he attended a service at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, KS. The shooter's motives are unknown at this point, but it does appear that he acted alone.

Pro-life groups and individuals around the country have denounced the killing. This is not what we are about. Obviously, gunning down a man is not going to increase respect for the sanctity of human life. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Indeed, if someone were looking for a way to discredit the pro-life movement, this would be an excellent way to go about it. Mark Shea has an excellent quote from the late Cardinal O'Connor on this.

My own first reaction to hearing the news was one of shock and dismay: I hoped that Tiller had a chance to repent of his evil deeds before his death, and I feared that if this would be used to tar the peaceful, prayerful 99.999% of the pro-life movement as violent extremists. (As it turns out, even before the suspected killer had been apprehended, NOW was already calling for the Federal Government to use the anti-racketeering laws to go after "the anti-abortion cause." I shouldn't be surprised. This is a favorite tactic of theirs, though it defies logic to conclude that those who protest against murder are somehow encouraging murder.)

Let us pray for God's mercy on Tiller and his family, and for his killer's repentance.

Additional resources:
How should pro-lifers respond?
Biggest danger of Tiller murder

Update: NCR is reporting that, as with previous cases, the suspect is not linked to the mainstream pro-life movement.

Review: Base 10 Blocks

Base 10 Blocks
Math Manipulative
ETA/Cuisenaire

The Base 10 Blocks are essentially an extension of the Cuisenaire rods idea. Available in unit cubes, ten rods, hundred flats, and thousand cubes, the Base 10 blocks are sized so that ten units will fit in the same space as a ten rod, ten ten rods will cover a hundred flat, and ten hundred flats will stack into the size of a thousand cube. Thus, they provide a hands-on way to understand and visualize the denary (i.e. base 10) number system.

In order to match the Cuisenaire rods that we already use, I ordered unit cubes in natural wood (the closest color to white), and the ten rods in orange.

I have made my own cards to go with these blocks (see picture), based on an idea in Natural Structure by Edward and Nancy Walsh. Using blank 3x5 index cards, I made cards reflecting the value of each place in the decimal system from units to thousands. Thousands are written on the full-width cards, hundreds on 3/4-width, tens on half-width, and units on 1/4-width cards. The child can match the cards to the manipulatives, and then combine them to form the number.

At first, we use the cards to simply identify the value of large numbers. Then, we add numbers together and see how this can "make" new tens. This has been the most difficult step for us. It seems that once they get this concept, extending it to the higher place values is relatively simple.

We have found the Base 10 blocks helpful in clarifying place value concepts.

Stem cells and sick children

Michelle, writing on May 18:

Yesterday at The University of Notre Dame, our president made the following statement:

“Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son’s or daughter’s hardships can be relieved.”

Let’s be clear, there is no conflict here. Yes I have conviction about the sacredness of life and yes I have two children with juvenile (type 1) diabetes. I am not opposed to stem cell research and that view does not at all conflict with my Catholic faith. The Catholic Church is in fact very much in favor of stem cell research. Stem cell research shows much promise and we do indeed hope for a cure.

Where the problem lies, Mr. Obama, is in embryonic stem cell research. Research done with stem cells taken from unborn babies. Research done for the “greater good” on the backs of the most vulnerable persons in society. That, I most certainly have a problem with and frankly so should you –so should all of us! Embryonic stem cell research is immoral, unethical and downright horrific!

And you know what? It doesn’t even work. more