R.I.P

Sadly Mark, my husband, passed away on 16 August 2014 after a long and hard fight with his disease.  My son and I were blessed that we were able to spend the last five years at home with him.  

A conversation that continues to play on my mind is one that we had the day before he died. Mark said that he had such renewed respect for what, the recently Canonised, St. John Paul II went through in his final years. Even while suffering, as the good Saint did he still managed to show us by his example what love, honour and dedication was all about. St. John Paul II's suffering, Mark continued, was his gift to us all. St. John Paul II, just as Jesus did on the cross, offered his suffering for all of our sins. 

This is something that Mark himself, strived to do on a daily basis. He strived to follow the example set by our Lord and the great men of our faith that went before him. Never did Mark complain about his lot in life, never did he complain about the pain and the discomfort he felt. In hindsight, looking back on conversations we had with him, my son and I believe that he offered up his pain and suffering for the sins of his family, friends and those in need, and that is a gift that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.

We thank God that we had as much time with Mark as we had, although we mourn the loss of a wonderful husband and father, we also celebrate all he has given us and all those who's lives he touched.

We hope and pray that Mark may now find peace in the embrace of our Lord.

RIP: Sister Mary Paule Tacke

Sr. Mary Paule Tacke C.P.S.
Photo from: Cottonwood Chronicle

A reader of my Blog just drew my attention to the sad news published in Dispatch Live about the murder of Catholic nun, Sister Mary Paule Tacke. According to the police the body of Sister Tacke was found on Monday about 60km from Mthatha floating in a stream.

Hysterical Bloggers

Pope Kisses Fr. Michele de Paolis
Photo from Life Site News

Last month Life Site News wrote about the meeting between Pope Francis and Fr. Michele de Paolis, the cofounder of the homosexual activist organization, Agedo Foggia. They gave it the title “Pope Kisses The Hand Of, Concelebrates Mass With Pro-Homosexual Activist Priest”.

Which Is The Official Divine Office?

Divine Office

There are many occasions when I get really concerned about whether I may be ‘dropping the ball’ and not being a truly faithful Catholic. Today I am cogitating the matter of the Divine Office because of a post on Fr. Z’s Blog about which breviary the Holy Father is using.

Do It For Love

“Our properly informed conscience should ideally help us not simply to avoid sin and do the minimum, but to act in the way most pleasing to God, especially in valuing the privilege of participating in the most holy Eucharist in which Christ's redeeming sacrifice on the cross is offered for us.”[1]

Chief Justice Obsessed With Sex?

The Chief Justice of South Africa, Mogoeng Mogoeng, is obsessed with sex. This I see is the sentiment of many people on Twitter following his speech entitled “Law and Religion”. Based on the facts available to me, I think they have it wrong.

Law And Religion Causes Outrage

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng
Photo from Mail & Guardian - Madelene Cronje

On Wednesday this week the Chief Justice of South Africa, Mogoeng Mogoeng, gave a speech entitled “Law and Religion in Africa”, which resulted in numerous expressions of outrage. Not surprising in today's world where the mere mention of God is considered by many to be Taboo.

We Are Church: Leaders Excommunicated

Martha & Gert Holzer

My immediate thoughts yesterday, when I heard that Gert and Martha Holzer had been excommunicated, was why did it take so long and why only them. The Holzer’s are leading figures in the international movement We Are Church and they were informed by Bishop Manfred Scheuer at their home of their excommunication.

Bishop Wants Taboo Free Discussions

Bishop Galantino
Photo from: California Catholic Daily

The Tablet reported earlier this week that Bishop Galantino, the Secretary General of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, had said: “I don’t identify with the expressionless person who stands outside the abortion clinic reciting their rosary, but with young people, who are still against this practice, but are instead fighting for quality of life, their health, their right to work.”

Angola Prison Hospice

Louisiana State Penitentiary
Photo: Wikipedia

I came across this wonderful documentary about the Hospice at the maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola, thanks to the “Careful” Blog. It highlights how inmates volunteer to participate in the provision of end of life care for fellow inmates.

Coercion Dolled Up As Civil Rights

Photo from MercatorNet

“When you criticise gay marriage, you’re not just criticising gay marriage, you’re challenging a new moral framework carved out by those who apparently know better than us what our private lives and relationships should and shouldn’t look like. You’re not just an opponent of gay marriage - you’re a moral heretic whose very thoughts and behaviour are seen as deviant, as running counter to a new, apparently better kind of morality.”

Joe Biden - It's A Jewish Conspiracy

I came across this video by ChurchMilitant.TV today and decided to share it with you in order to hear your comments / reactions to its content.

Eucharist - Increased Lay Role

The second reading of the Office of Readings for today is an extract from the First Apology in Defence of Christians written by Saint Justin Martyr in about 155 AD. The first paragraph highlights just how clearly the early Christians understood who may or may not share in the Eucharist.

South African Abortionist Says Women Scream

Midwife Sharon Hobo explains the manual vacuum aspirator, a tool for abortions.
Photo by Jake Naughton. South Africa, 2012.

Steven Ertelt, founder of LifeNews.com, drew my attention via Twitter to this explanation of the abortion procedure in South African abortion clinics.

Pope Francis To Bishops Of Southern Africa

Pope Francis: Photo from Life Site News

Below, please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ remarks to the Bishops of South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland:

Trojan Horse Progressing

Photo: From the Pews

I have previously warned that our South African Catholic newspaper, The Southern Cross, was clearly beginning to head down the same road as the dissident National Catholic Reporter in the USA. I wrote about this in a post that was entitled “Catholic Newspapers - Beware the Trojan Horse”.

Obama: Let's talk about sex baby

Pope Francis meets President Obama
Photo: The Obama Diary

So today was the day. The day on which President Barack Obama eventually got to meet His Holiness Pope Francis for the first time.

Crossing The Street

Yulia Tymoshenko

The Catholic News Service reported recently that Fr. Mykhailo Milchakovskyi, a Ukrainian Catholic priest and military chaplain in Crimea, had told them that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) had approached him to ask him if he “recognized the new order” in Crimea.

Why Are Cats So Extra Special?

Charlie Nel

I am an absolute cat fanatic. I love animals in general. I can spend days on end watching wildlife and birdlife without getting bored at all. Cats are however extra special to me. All cats, but domestic cats more so because one can grow so much closer to them.

Sex In Heaven

Are our souls genderless? This question was prompted by a tweet from someone who I follow on Twitter. The tweet read: “Ironic that many 'religious' people disapprove of same-sex unions. Yet believe that the 'soul' is genderless.”

Killing Children Legally

Belgium Extends Euthanasia to Children

I felt sick when I read that Belgium had, on Thursday 13 February 2014, passed a law that permitted children to ask to be euthanised. What kind of sick society have we become that we think it is morally acceptable and responsible of us to allow our children to make a decision to end their lives?

Deliberate Controversy

Village of Athies - Mine crater to impede traffic - April 1917

Photo: Wikipedia

I was referred to a Blog, written by Sr. Sue Rakoczy, about the decision of the National Catholic Reporter to end online comments on its website. The National Catholic Reporter announced its decision to suspend online comments on 6 January 2014.