BIG C CATHOLICS

Thought of the Day The good Shepherd lays down his life, says the Lord, that is, his physical life, for His sheep; this he does because of his authority and love. Both in fact, are required: that they should be ruled by him, and that he should love them. The first without the second is not enough. Christ stands out for us as the example of this teaching: if Christ laid down his life for us, so we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. -- St. Thomas Aquinas

IV Concluding Rite Immediately after the Communion Rite, should there be any announcements, these are made, but should be kept brief. Then just as the people were greeted at the beginning of the Mass, so now the presider greets the people again and blesses them in one of three forms, the simple one, or at his discretion a more solemn Blessing, particularly at various seasons or on specific feast days, or a Prayers over the people. Includes the following: Blessing and Dismissal The Priest says again "The Lord be with you." The ritual phrase now serves as a farewell, followed by a blessing. The blessing prays that the grace God has given us in this part of our lives will benefit us because this is what we sacrificed with Christ in the Eucharist to the Father through the Holy Spirit.

Staten Island, NY – Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, commented today on the pending Montana Supreme Court case that could establish a so called state constitutional right to assisted suicide. “Assisted suicide is an act that violates the victim’s dignity,” said Fr. Pavone. “It is a declaration that a person’s life is worthless and devoid of respect. If the Montana constitution states that the dignity of every human is inviolable, then there can be no room in that constitution for the protection of a fabricated ‘right’ that threatens the very existence of the disabled and medically vulnerable.” Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit http://www.priestsforlife.org/

The Visitation, Luke 1:39-56 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice saying, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Prayer for the Unborn in Danger of Abortion Prayer for the unborn baby by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen to our Lady of Guadalupe Intercessor for the Unborn Jesus Mary and Joseph; I love you very much, I beg you to spare the life of the unborn bady that I have spiritually adopted; who is in danger of abortion - Amen Say this prayer each day for one year and a child in danger of abortion will be saved.

I want to draw your attention to an icon on the left side bar beneath the feedback button. It contains a link to the virtual rosary website. The virtual rosary is downloadable software that enables you to say all twenty mysteries of the holy rosary as well as the divine mercy chaplet. I have used it myself for years and find it a very helpful prayer aid. Other features allow you to say the rosary in a host of languages. Additionally, you may log on to the site and make prayer requests that are entered into a world wide prayer cast so that others will see and pray for your intentions. I encourage you to download the program and let others know about it as well. Go here for more information and to download the virtual rosary.

Fr. Anthony Percy From The Theology of the Body Made Simple by Fr. Anthony Percy: "...Adam awakes from the divine sleep to find that God has been at work fashioning Eve. Adam sees her and is really delighted. "At last," he says, "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." Adam notices two things about this new creature. She is the same, but different. She is a woman. She is human, to be sure, but she looks different. Adam is immediately attracted to her. We are told that henceforth man will leave father and mother and cleave to his wife. The man and woman, we are told, become one flesh. ...All this enables us to see the deep connection between Original Solitude and Original Unity. On the one hand, Adam experiences that he is unique in creation: he is alone with God like no other creature is. On the other hand, his experience tells him that something is lacking in his life... He feels alone. With the help of God he searches for this other. In fact, the biblical t