On All Saint's: I saw a great multitude!

The Apocalypse Of Saint John (Revelation) 7:9-10

After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb.

Sermon on All Saint's Day: http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20061101-All-Saints-Day.html

All Saints' Day (in the Roman Catholic Church officially the Solemnity of All Saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas), often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. In the Western calendar it is the day after Halloween and the day before All Souls' Day.
In Western Christian theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. In the Catholic Church and many Anglican churches, the next day specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven. Christians who celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day do so in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in purgatory (the 'Church Suffering'), those in heaven (the 'church triumphant'), and the living (the 'church militant').

*From Wikipedia

A little more history and information on All Saint's Day from Catholic.org; http://www.catholic.org/saints/allsaints/

Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God,

today we rejoice in the holy men and women

of every time and place.

May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

But they do not make themselves devils, for they really are so

Halloween is coming, and regardless of what the actual origins are, or our (Catholics) actual beliefs and practices are surrounding the feast days at the end of this month, the secular world has a firm grip on this Holy-Day. It has become synonymous with children, laughter, costumes, and candy...  But on a much more malevolent level Old Scratch, that is the Devil(s), also has a firm and desperate grip on the hearts and minds of man this time of year.

There is no mistaking that there is a veil of spookiness that seems to surround us come October. The air is cool and crisp, and seems to invoke goosebumps by its very presence. The days become shorter so darkness and shadows are seen to fall and dance about everywhere, and we have a propensity to let our imaginations run wild. Humans are bonafide romantics, and make no mistake about it, The great Deceiver and his minions are quick to take advantage of our human condition and are happy to nudge those active imaginations along, provided the outcome is ultimately taking credit and adoration from its rightful owner!

I will be the first to admit that I have a very active imagination, and it LOVES to be fed, and one of my mind's favorite flights-of-fancy is a good old fashioned fright! I love ghost stories, and books and movies about haunting, and poltergeists, possession, and just about anything supernatural or paranormal. But that's where it has to end for me, as a flight of fancy. As a Catholic, I know that these things are all to real, and to play around with any of them (seance, ouija, etc.) is to invite evil into my life, family and home. I have said before in past posts that as a Christian father and husband, I am accountable for the souls of those The Father has seen fit to entrust me with, and for too many, the false guarantees and misguided rewards that the diabolical ones promise to people who fall into these traps, do not outweigh the eternal salvation promised us by the Blood of the Crucified.

On discussing spiritism and the calling up of the dead, In his book The Devil, Does He Exist and What Does He Do? Father Delaporte of the Society of Mercy says;
"When the spirits... are asked to indicate their name and quality, they very frequently declare themselves to be the soul of such and such a dead person, and if invoked under that name, they willingly answer. On this account it is that a numerous class of spiritualists deny the existence of pure spirits, good or bad, and replace them by the souls of the departed.
We are far from denying the possibility of apparitions of the dead. The history, even of Catholicity, presents examples enough of such apparitions. St. Peter appears to Attila, and frightens him; St. Aloysius Gonzagua appears to St. Catherine in the splendor of celestial glory... Holy Scripture itself relates the apparition of Samuel to Saul, that of Onias and Jeremiah to Judas Maccabeus, and that of the Crucified to Paul, on the road to Damascus.
Evocation is not even condemned if it be inspired by God, and effected in His name. The Roman Breviary relates a memorable example thereof, on the day of the 7th of May, Feast of St. Stanislaus, Bishop. Poland had for her king Boleslaus, whome the saint had deeply offended, by publicly reproving his notorious misconduct. The prince, in a solemn assembly of the kingdom, cited the bishop before him, as the wrongful possessor of a small farm, bought in the name of his Church. The title deeds were wanting; the witnesses did not dare to speak. Stanislaus promises that, in three days, he will bring the original owner of the farm, who was dead three years. The promise is greeted with laughter (as it would be now;) but the man of God, after three days fasting and prayer, orders the farmer to rise from his sepulchre. The latter comes to life again, follows the bishop to court, and before the king and his terror-stricken courtiers, declares that he really sold his field to the bishop, and was by him paid... he then slept again in the Lord."

"Relations between this world and the world beyond the tomb are not impossible; but the illusion of the spiritists consists in persuading themselves that by means of certain formula the barrier which has hitherto separated them can be broken down. This error dates from the highest antiquity. It is noticed by St Agustine in these terms: "Those spirits are deceivers, not by nature, but by malice. They make themselves gods and souls of the departed, but they do not make themselves devils, for they really are so." (City of God, X, ii.)"



Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Paul Kemp Jr.
Devoted Husband, Loving Father, Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.

This Week in Catholic Dadma:

Alas, Pipe Dreams is going to be off line for the weekend, but don't fret! We shall return in triumphant Glory next week! until then, for you reading pleasure, please review this week in Catholic Dadma;


Jesus did in fact found a CHURCH on earth. 
Thursday, January 12, 2012

It's okay to be a kid at heart... Some of the time. 
Thursday, January 12, 2012

If it was good enough for Mary and Jesus, it's good enough.  
Wednesday, January 11, 2012

There is more to our wonderful religion then just Christmas and Easter.
Sunday, January 8, 2012

Always show respect for the faithful departed.
Saturday, January 7, 2012



Exercise fraternal charity in the union of the whole Church.
Thursday, January 5, 2012

To be 'Jesus Yes, Church No' Shows Your Lack of Faith in Christ.

"And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy." (Col 1:18 DRV)

You CAN NOT be anti-church/ (anti religious institution) and still love Christ. Christianity is belief in Christ and as such belief in Christ is a religion. So unless you just believe that Jesus was a cool dude and said some cool stuff but isn’t the son of god then, you are religious. You may not be pious but you are religious none the less. Religion is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary  as “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.” How does one say that they love Christ but dislike the Church when it was Jesus himself that created The Church “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18 DRV). The same Christ that you profess was the son of god just told you that there is a church and therefore a religion. The religion is that of following Christ, also commonly known as Christianity.”Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. ” (John 14:6 DRV) The ‘Jesus yes, Christianity no’ crowd is absurd within the context of Christ’s mission that was himself. By taking Jesus away from Church one is making there own brand of Jesus to fit the individual. This is creating a false god (see first commandment).

The Idea of ‘Jesus Yes and Church No’ is simply a way that the person can still feel like they are a religious person but they don’t feel like they need to follow any sort of moral code. What they feel is right and what they think is wrong is wrong. Never mind what Christ actually said about that subject because that person is living here and now and obviously knows better then GOD about such things.

The lack of responsibility and lack of acknowledgement in an authority that can govern moral issues is one of the greatest downfalls of the last half of the 20th century, and it continues today. This comes from the idea that no man is in charge of me, and I will make my own rules. This is a self defeating proposition. Because of this you see the raise of co-habitation, lack of meaningful marriages, increase in divorces, acceptance of gay marriage and other ideas that are today permeated as “okay” when in fact they are simply wrong and go against the very core of what the bible, and therefore God himself has to say. So again we come to the question of who knows better, you or God?

There is no Christ without his Church, the Church, guided by and through the Holy Spirit, is the Bride of Christ. It was instituted by Christ, for the followers of Christ. To deny this is to deny a very act of God. For this is not a mere human institution, but a Divine one. For as Christ said to Saul; “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (ACTS 22:7 DRV). Why would Christ say this when Saul was persecuting the Church not Jesus? Jesus was already at the right hand of the Father when he appeared before Saul.

May you come to understand Christ by following Him in everything that He said, not just in what you want to hear. Being a Christian is not an easy thing, it was never meant to be easy. To pick up your crosses and follow him is a hard life to live, but in the end eternal life is better than what awaits us if we choose our own way. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 2:6-10 DRV).

Blake Quick

Just a Simple Catholic

And the paps that gave thee suck!

I wanted to address what seems to be a "Hot Button" issue as of late, that is breastfeeding. My dearly Beloved has been lucky in the fact that she has received tremendous support from myself and other close relations and acquaintances in regards to her decision to nurse both of our sons. That's not to say that it hasn't been a struggle from time to time, (for her, me, and our children) sure there has been the occasional snide remark, lude comment, dirty look and general ignorance, but she has a special style of grace and passion that allows her to be modest, enlightening, nurturing, and informative towards others who harbor such disgust and ignorance towards something she sees both as part of her vocation as a wife and mother and part of God's natural design. 


Through loads of personal research, and countless hours logged in forums, mothering communities, facebook groups, pouring over articles, stories, and news sources, we have discovered that other women aren't so lucky. Almost every other day it seems (in the U.S. alone) that some poor mother is being harassed or discriminated against, in spite of state laws, by medical professionals, in restaurants and stores, by friends and family, and even celebrities and public officials. 

For me, this falls under the category of just one more thing that society has perverted and corrupted to the point of mass stupidity. As Catholic men, we need to be prepared, educated, compassionate and supportive of the women in our lives, especially when it comes to nursing. First so we show them that we are there to learn and grow too. Second, so that we are prepared to defend the honor and God given right and duty of these women (and children) when the waiter asks them to "feed their child in the bathroom," gross! You eat in the bathroom, and to have the appropriate response when the on-call physician tells her that she will ultimately "suffocate your child."  


I have said this in a previous post and I will probably repeat it again but, someday each and every one of us will have to give account to God for the souls he has entrusted to our care, As men of faith, that should include our spouses. My decision to support my wife on this subject boils down to two things;


1. Mutual respect: I wouldn't be where I am today without her efforts, it is my obligation to help her navigate as well.


2. Faith. this is the big one, and we try to (admittedly failing from time to time) govern and dictate all of our life's decisions on Faith, Tradition and Church teaching.


As my wife so often affirms, "If it was good enough for Mary and Jesus, it is good enough for me and my children." I know that is overly simplified, however it did the trick for me and ultimately garnered my support. Of course Mary would have nursed Jesus, they didn't have similac 2000+ years ago! Even he world's oldest-known image of Mary depicts her nursing the Infant Jesus, in the Catacomb of Priscilla, in Rome. Also she often likes to reflect on the fact that God, being outside time, could have picked anywhere, or any-when He wanted to be the bet time and place for His son to be made flesh and he picked a time and place where according to Jewish Law (to my understanding)  that breastfeeding is halachically encouraged, especially for the first two years of life. Up to the age of two, if a child has ceased nursing, he may resume breastfeeding even if he has only nursed for a few months or has never nursed. Above the age of two and until the child's fourth birthday (or if the child particularly needs it, the fifth birthday), nursing may be continued (but not initiated); however, anytime a healthy child above the age of two does not wish to nurse for 72 hours, breastfeeding may not be resumed. Expressed breastmilk is kosher even for older children or adults.


Pope Pius XII urged Catholic mothers, if at all possible, to nourish their children themselves "And so you will make it your special care in the treatment of your child to observe the prescriptions of a perfect hygiene, so that when it comes to the use of reason its bodily organs and faculties will be healthy and robust and free from distorted tendencies. This is the reason why, except where it is quite impossible, it is most desirable that the mother should feed her child at her own breast. Who shall say what mysterious influences are exerted upon the growth of that little creature by the mother upon whom it depends entirely for its development!"
And in another encyclical stated "It is a sorrow and a shame to have to mention and confess that even among Catholics, false doctrines on the dignity of woman, on marriage and the family, on conjugal fidelity and divorce, even on life and death, have stealthily infiltrated souls, and like gnawing worms have attacked the roots of the Christian family and of the Christian ideals of womanhood."


In ~Pope John Paul the II Address On Breastfeeding he says, “…[Breastfeeding]  benefits the child and helps to create the closeness and maternal bonding so necessary for healthy child development.  So human and natural is this bond that the Psalms use the image of the infant at its mother’s breast as a picture of God’s care for man…therefore the theme is of interest to the Church, called as she is to concern herself with the sanctity of life and of the family."


There are dozens of reference to nursing in scripture, here are a couple of passages;


"That you may suck, and be filled with the breasts of her consolations: that you may milk out, and flow with delights, from the abundance of her glory. For thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring upon her as it were a river of peace... which you shall suck; you shall be carried at the breasts, end upon the knees they shall caress you."
~Isaias 66:11-12 DRV


"And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck."
~Luke 11:27 DRV




"As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation: If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet."
~1Peter 2:2-3


Further the Family is the "Domestic Church" From the beginning, the Church was formed from believers "and their whole household." New believers wanted their family to be saved (Acts 18:8 DRV).
In our modern world (often hostile to religion), religious families are extremely important centers of living faith. They are "domestic churches" in which the parents are the first heralds of faith. In the home, father, mother, and children exercise their baptismal priesthood in a privileged way. The home is the first school of the Christian life where all learn love, repeated forgiveness, and prayerful worship. In the Domestic Church, the Father, as head of the family, represents the Head of the Church, which is Jesus. As such, it is my responsibility to be their support and guidance and to help shepherd them spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The Mother represents the Church Herself, the Bride of Christ, and as such it is her responsibility to provide us with nourishment and strength, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. As a Husband and Father I want my family to learn and practice this wholeheartedly, and what better way to do so than by encouraging, and supporting what Our Blessed Mother knew what was good enough for her child, what Popes and Tradition support, and what Sacred Scripture affirms is part of God the Creator's plan for all men, women and children, and applying this plan applies to every area of our lives? God's plan includes conception, childbirth and the nurturing of babies.

Paul Kemp Jr. 

Devoted Husband, Loving Father,Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.

Theophany Road Less Traveled

So as we look back on the epiphany of the lord this year it reminds me of the road that we travel and must Continue to do so. For as the kings followed a star to an unknown place, so to is it for the person seeking the truth. Whether you are a practicing Catholic, a lapsed Catholic or a convert to the faith, we must (like the three kings of old) give up everything to follow the light that is Christ.

And while we may not have gold or frankincense to offer, we all have ourselves to offer to the Lord. That is what He wants, not that we so much offer material things although we do; but  that we sacrifice for Him and and in return God will give us crosses. Crosses that we must pick up and carry daily.

I think that is very important especially with the Christmas season. We must continue all year, every day, every hour and every minute... to remember that we must all bear our crosses. There is more to our wonderful religion then just Christmas and Easter.

For Eastern Catholics this feast is known as the Theophany or the Revelation of God to man. I think that we can take that to heart. With the Christmas season winding down and all the ornaments put up till next year, a sense of calm may start to permeate, and as the season wanes so does our excitement. We must not let this happen! For Christ has come to the world! Rejoice in that fact and as a Catholic rejoice that you may actually see the Lord face to face!

So as the three kings traveled to see our Lord and offer what they had, I implore you to do the same. Get in your car or walk, but take the couple minutes to go see our Blessed Lord in adoration and offer to Him everything you are. For when you do this, you are holy. May God bless you all.

Blake Quick ~ Catholicdadma.blogspot.com

The Martyered Crown

A Facebook acquaintance of mine posted this link along with the following statement,
"Isn't it nice to see the martyred saints are so comfy while people in all parts of the world suffer?" which i find inappropriate and offensive. Have some respect for the faithful departed.

First I want to point out that the 17th century wasn't exactly the easiest of times, and for people to have this much love, respect and reverence for the departed in the face of such suffering (I personally think) shows the Christlike compassion He expects us to have towards one another.

Second, this statement acknowledges that they are MARTYRED saints, which would imply (at least history has shown) that they SUFFERED fairly horrifying deaths which most likely weren't very "Comfy"

Third, Christians didn't exactly start the trend of caring for the dead, this has been done in one shape or form in every culture and faith, it is human nature to want to see our deceased loved ones in a state of comfort, rest, and peace.

Further, I have heard people all over the place (especially on social networking sites) complaining about the sad state of the poor and suffering, yet when was the last time you actually did anything to comfort the afflicted? When was the last time you did any of the corporal works of mercy; To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To harbour the harbourless; To visit the sick; To ransom the captive; To bury the DEAD? It seems to me (and Holy Mother Church thinks so too, as she is the largest charitable organization in the world, providing relief services, schooling, clothing, food, medicine and shelter to the suffering all over the world) that the world would be a much more "comfy" place if more of us showed more actual tangible compassion towards our fellow man. You may not be able to take care of "people in all parts of the world" but I would venture to guess that there is a shelter, nursing home, jail, soup kitchen, or hospital in your community. 

This Divine command is set forth in the most stringent terms by Christ, and the failure to comply with it is visited with the supreme penalty of eternal damnation (Matthew 25:41): "Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, in everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you covered me not; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me", etc. Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, ‎"Not always but sometimes criticism is the outcome of an incapacity to produce, or a defense against one's own inferiority. The habit of criticism is the best indication of an incomplete life." So log off of twitter and facebook and do something other than criticize and complain, be superior, be complete, be charitable, be a Saint.

Paul Kemp Jr.
Devoted Husband, Loving Father, Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.

Jewelled Skeletons, 1600s

 ‘Taken from the catacombs of Rome in the 17th century, the relics of twelve martyred saints were then attired in the regalia of the period before being interred in a remote church on the German/Czech border.’

 St. Alexander

St. Deodatus

St. Gratian

 St. Maximinus

 St. Maximus

 St. Theodosius

St. Victorius

St. Vitalian

 

All ye holy men and women, saint of God, Make intercession for us.

Be merciful, Spare us O Lord.

Be merciful, Graciously hear us O Lord.

From all evil, O Lord deliver us.

From all sin, O Lord deliver us.

From thy wrath, O Lord deliver us.

From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord deliver us.

From the deceits of the devil, O Lord deliver us.

From anger, hatred and all ill-will, O Lord deliver us.

That Thou wouldst humble the enemies of Thy holy Church, We beseech Thee, hear us.

That Thou wouldst give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, We beseech Thee, hear us.

That Thou wouldst grant peace and unity to all Christian people, We beseech Thee, hear us.

That Thou wouldst bring back to the unity of the Church all those who have strayed from the truth, and lead to the light of the Gospel all unbelievers, We beseech Thee, hear us.