Giant LIFE Balloon Rosary

This beautiful article from August 2011 complete with photoa was sent to me by my wife. Thanks babe!








(August 15, 2011) - Just in time for the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, a 75-foot rosary floats skyward from Chicago 's Michigan Avenue Bridge claiming the Magnificent Mile for Mary. A giant rosary floated gracefully over Chicago 's busy tourism district on Friday as thousands looked on.

The six-foot gold cross hanging from the rosary sparkled in the sunlight as it very slowly ascended between the Tribune tower and the Wrigley building. The rosary of helium-filled yellow balloons bearing the word LIFE then floated down Michigan Avenue over the Hancock Tower and past North Ave Beach.

Cameras and cell phones flew into action as people responded to the unexpected sight.

"There was an excitement all around us and there were people in tears at the sight of the rosary. I think we often take it for granted the power of a simple witness to the faith," said a camp counsellor.

A passerby tweeted, "A balloon rosary in the air. My faith confirmed :)", while another surprised Chicagoan wrote, "what the... giant balloon rosary, with cross, just floated heavenward from the Michigan avenue bridge." The rosary was the craft of 20 imaginative elementary school-aged girls and their counsellors participating in a summer camp at a Chicago Catholic Parish. The girls prayed the rosary in front of the Washington Blvd Family Planning Associates asking Our Lady for an end to abortion. They then carried the rosary, cross-first, through downtown Chicago 's peak traffic to the cheers, and sometimes jeers, of pedestrians and motorists. Homeless people gave high fives, street preachers started singing Gospel songs, and semi-truck drivers shook the streets sounding their truck horns in approval. "I was completely ecstatic the whole time. I loved seeing how many people on a random street corner were thrilled. It is a lot more than we tend to think," said one participant.

One of the girls said, "It was the prettiest rosary I have ever seen. I liked how it would float up and sit and then float up and sit. It looked really pretty against the buildings and the sky."

Another camper said, "The best way to describe it was 'beautiful'. I didn't see one frowning face. It evangelized everyone who saw it." This is the latest of a series of spontaneous acts of joy across the United States involving the yellow LIFE balloons. Sightings of LIFE balloons at prayer vigils, county fairs and flash mobs leave many wondering if the trend will impact this year's March for Life in Washington DC

how do we come up with the dates for Easter, Passover and Ash Wednesday

So I heard two people chatting on the roadside as I was driving by. "How do they come up with the date for Carnival. " The other person looked very perplexed and responded "I doh know."

Well for those two clueless people, who I hope were not Catholic or children of Catholics,I have news for you.

It all begins with the Jewish Passover festival. Passover starts on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. This varies by year since the Jewish year is a lunar year and thus differs from the Gregorian calendar. It always falls in the springtime, though (in the Northern Hemisphere).


So now lets move to Easter. Jesus was crucified and laid to rest the day before a special Sabbath, it was a passover sabbath. He rose on the Sunday after. So Easter is now forever linked to Passover.

According to Wiki: The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.

We know that Easter must always occur on a Sunday, because Sunday was the day of Christ's Resurrection. But why the paschal full moon? Because that was the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter was the Sunday after Passover.

The Church does not use the exact date of the paschal full moon but an approximation, For calculation purposes, the full moon is always set at the 14th day of the lunar month (the lunar month begins with the new moon). Likewise, the Church sets the date of the vernal equinox at March 21, even though it can occur on March 20. Both approximations allow the Church to set a universal date for Easter. Easter cannot fall before March 21 and after April 25th.

So lets go back a bit
The vernal equinox is March 21st
The full moon after the vernal equinox in 2012 is April 6th. A Friday.
Easter Sunday 2012 is then April 8th 2012

Now that you know how Easter gets figured out solve for Ash Wednesday and you have carnival. Ash Wednesday is usually 46 days before Easter Sunday. You need to count the days back.

valantine day crackdown in Saudi Arabia

The following article showed up on the Huffington Posts for 14th February 2012:

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The Saudi religious police launched Thursday a nationwide crackdown on stores selling items that are red or in any other way allude to the banned celebrations of Valentine's Day, a Saudi official said.

Members of the feared religious police were inspecting shops for red roses, heart-shaped products or gifts wrapped in red, and ordering storeowners to get rid of them, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Red-colored or heart-shaped items are legal at other times of the year, but as Feb. 14 nears they become contraband in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom bans celebration of Western holidays such as Valentine's Day, named after a Christian saint said to have been martyred by the Romans in the 3rd Century.

Most shops in Riyadh's upscale neighborhoods have removed all red items from their shelves. A statement by the religious police, informally known as the muttawa, was published in Saudi newspapers, warning shop owners against any violations.

"Those who don't comply will be punished," the statement said, without spelling out what measures would befall the offenders.

The Valentine's Day prohibition is in line with Saudi's strict Wahhabi school of Islam that the kingdom has followed for more than a century. The birthplace of Islam also bans several Muslim holidays except the two most important ones because it considers them "religious innovations" that Islam doesn't sanction.

Even birthdays and Mother's Day are frowned on by the religious establishment, although people almost never get punished for celebrating them.

Many Saudis, who still want to mark the popular Valentine's, do their shopping weeks before the holiday.

Each year, the religious police mobilize ahead of Feb. 14 and descend on gift and flower shops, confiscating all red items, including flowers.

Attitudes toward Valentine's Day vary across the Arab world, with devout Muslims opposing the holiday as a Western celebration of romantic love that corrupts Muslim youth.

The Egyptian capital, Cairo, is a sharp contrast to the Saudi restrictions, with shops and restaurants going overboard in red ribbon and heart decorations.

Dubai, a conservative Muslim city-state with a Western outlook, is every year taken over by a Valentine craze. Luxury hotels are draped in red, offering romantic dinner specials. Malls and cafes are decorated with giant hearts and flower shops offer promotional deals on roses and fancy bouquets.

Apparently prompted by the Saudi ban, a group in the Philippines advocating the welfare of Filipino overseas workers – a million of whom work in Saudi Arabia and another million elsewhere in the Middle East – cautioned its countrymen to celebrate Valentine's Day only in private and refrain from publicly greeting anyone with "Happy Valentine's" across the region.

"We are urging fellow Filipinos in the Middle East, especially lovers, just to celebrate their Valentine's Day secretly and with utmost care," said John Leonard Monterona of the Migrante group.

He said the group advised against carrying anything that is red, including toys, hearts, and flowers, or even wearing red dresses or T-shirts. Instead, he urged Filipinos to visit Internet cafes to chat with their loved ones, give them a call or send text messages.

Catholic Church issues statement to Trini Carnival Revelers: Don't fall prey to moral relatism

The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) urges citizens and visitors to exercise self-control and modesty in their dress over the Carnival season. The CCSJ said a sense of decorum seemed to “fly through the window” at Carnival. In a statement, chair of the group Leela Ramdeen said:

“There seems to be no shame or embarrassment by those who are improperly dressed or who engage in lewd dancing. “Those who fall prey to moral relativism believe that anything goes nowadays.”

She said adults must model modesty so that young people will be inspired to follow their lead. She said some values were being eroded and it was time to stem the tide of irresponsible behaviour. Her statement added that citizens should demonstrate dignity as the country celebrates its 50th Independence anniversary in August. Ramdeen Said:

“Our forebears worked long and hard to build this country. “They passed the baton to us so that we will continue the important work of nation building

shame shame nicki minaj, you have made trini Cahtolics sad.

Shame Shame Nicki Minaj or Onika Maraj or madonna wannabe. You did not have to sink so low in your Grammy Award performance 2012. You are a shame to Catholics in Trinidad... where you were born.

Sad.

Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Issue Statement on President Obama’s So-Called Compromise

NEWS RELEASE - February 13, 2012 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ann Arbor, MI - In response to President Obama’s remarks regarding the final rule for individual and group health plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Mother Mary Assumpta Long, O.P., the Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist released the following statement:

“Regarding the so-called compromise by President Obama on the Department of Health and Human Services rule for “preventative” services that mandate coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and artificial contraception for their employees, the mandate still compromises religious, economic, and political liberty.

Despite the assurances by President Obama that separating the premiums paid by religious institutions to insurance companies somehow protects the religious liberty of Catholic and other religious institutions, the bottom line is these institutions will still have to pay the insurance company that is mandated to provide these services for free to any employee who wants these services. It is insulting for President Obama and his administration to suggest the so-called compromise “should be net cost neutral.” It is simply impossible to ensure that the insurance companies will not pass on those costs to the organizations and individuals who conscientiously object to their insurance policies covering abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and artificial contraception. In short, not only does the Administration not comprehend Catholic moral reasoning and the full-meaning of the principle of religious liberty, it does not even understand the basic economics of health-care insurance. The fact that Planned Parenthood has so quickly expressed satisfaction with these arrangements only confirms that nothing has changed in substance.

As the Second Vatican Council declared in paragraph four of its Declaration on Religious Liberty, Dignitatis Humanae:

“religious communities rightfully claim freedom in order that they may govern themselves according to their own norms, honor the Supreme Being in public worship, assist their members in the practice of the religious life, strengthen them by instruction, and promote institutions in which they may join together for the purpose of ordering their own lives in accordance with their religious principles.”

Moreover, as citizens of the United States we are guaranteed by the Constitution the right to fully and vibrantly live our Catholic faith according to the teachings of the Church. We as Catholics demand that our institutions not be required to formally or materially cooperate in acts that the Church has always taught to be intrinsically evil.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist plead with God to protect the ability for all Americans to freely exercise their religious liberty. The Dominican Sisters of Mary will offer up daily prayers with the intention that this unjust mandate be overturned, and we will do so until it is overturned.”

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist is a Roman Catholic community of women religious based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Our primary apostolate is the education and formation of young people. We remain open to engaging the modern culture with new forms of evangelization in order to preach the Gospel and teach the Truth. In 15 years, the Sisters have grown to over 100 in 14 years, the average age is 28 and the average age of the women who enter is 21. Sisters represent most of the States across the U.S., various Provinces in Canada, and countries in Europe and Asia.


CONTACT:
Joseph Cella
703-286-9677
josephjcella "at" gmail.com

Is Carnival bad?

I read an article in the Port of Spain Catholic news( february 12 2012)that really impressed me. The Author Pasqualina Hoford really made a strong point about Trinidad Carnival, the Church and culture. The article is called:

Carnival and culture - Unless you become like little children

Our late, great pope Blessed John Paul II made an incredible statement in his book about his vision for marriage and the family called The Splendour of Love. He said “The driving force which shapes history is not politics, or economics or military might. It is culture” (SL, 346).

I find this a fascinating statement, which immediately buzzed around in my head and could find no place else to rest, but on the issue of Carnival and my experience of it. I firmly believe that Carnival is not “bad”, but that people do a lot of “bad” things at Carnival time. I don’t think that their “bad behaviour” can be objectively transferred to this event, as it is not Carnival that causes them to choose such behaviour. The whole debate about whether it is part of our culture or not is moot for me, because it became a part of my life from birth.

I grew up in a family where Carnival was a big thing. Each year I looked forward to Carnival with mounting excitement and eager anticipation of the days when we would go out onto the streets and jump up and celebrate. I am not much of a drinker, and have never been physically able to “wine down to the ground” as I lack such balance and flexibility. When I got married, my husband was averse to crowds and the excessive heat so we have more or less stayed away from downtown since then. I still miss that excitement sometimes.

I was in support of the efforts of the “Catholic Band”, readily giving my opinion to all who asked, my support being a surprise to some non-Catholics. I did not play in the band, as I didn’t think I could still have that kind of stamina.

My uncle, who was visiting from Canada, encouraged us to come to the Children’s Carnival on the Saturday, as he had helped make costumes for one of the bands. I was so happy that I went.

Children’s Carnival is a joy to behold. The costumes are fantastic and the energy of the children and their unfading excitement and eagerness to cross the stage is quite refreshing. I stood at the top of Frederick St at the entrance to the Savannah for about two – three hours and what I saw gave me hope: joy, excitement, tiredness with no complaint or whining; enormous support from parents and teachers alike; even a Religious Sister in habit, with three little ones in tow, gently offering them water to drink and a treat of iced lollies. The DJs were constantly encouraging the children and all seemed to be safe and orderly. For the whole time I stood there I only witnessed one child trying to “put down a wine” as people would say. Everyone else was jumping up and having great fun.

So what does this have to do with John Paul’s statement? Well, at first glance it would seem that the history of Trinidad and Tobago, especially our future history, would be shaped by our culture. We have become famous for our excessive Internet hits for pornography and for the scandalous behaviour and debauchery (as one media house put it) that prevail at Carnival time. Will we sit by and let this be the final word?

The Church teaches us in the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes #58 that, “The Gospel of Christ constantly renews the life and culture of fallen man; it combats and removes the errors and evils resulting from the permanent allurement of sin. It never ceases to purify and elevate the morality of peoples. By riches coming from above, it makes fruitful, as it were from within, the spiritual qualities and traditions of every people and of every age. It strengthens, perfects and restores them in Christ. Thus the Church, in the very fulfilment of her own function stimulates and advances human and civic culture; by her action, also by her liturgy, she leads men toward interior liberty.” And also in the Catechism, CCC 1917 “It is incumbent on those who exercise authority to strengthen the values that inspire the confidence of the members of the group and encourage them to put themselves at the service of others. Participation begins with education and culture. One is entitled to think that the future of humanity is in the hands of those who are capable of providing the generations to come with reasons for life and optimism."

These words seem to confer a duty on us all to plant the truth of the Gospel deep in our hearts, to live this in our daily lives and search for ways to educate ourselves and those around us so that our culture will be transformed. Carnival has become too much a part of who we are as a people to hide from it, or even worse, to think that it is bigger than Christ himself.

I urge us all to believe in the power of Christ’s Gospel of Good News. Make a better name for T&T. Live a better way every day. Don’t let the behaviour of others be all that we have to offer. Offer ourselves.