A Guadalupe Prayer

Dearest Mother of Heaven and of earth
Wrapped in the Mystery of the Universe
Stars sparkling, twinkling, radiating His Glory
Interceding for all your Children of the world.

Golden rays emanating from the brightest Star
The Son of God – Jesus Christ – Emmanuel
You stand in prayer with head bowed down
Your eyes fixed on your servants Juan and your Bishop son.

Dearest Mother-to-be with the Child Jesus in your womb
You, the virgin – mother chosen as God’s monstrance
Carry the Hidden Christ Child to be Adored
Blessed Mother, how privileged are we to behold God’s Glory.

Your embossed golden gown speaks of royalty
Your teal mantle trimmed with finest gold
Adorned with stars of glimmering hope
Blessed Mother, Mary, pray for us.

By Judy

A Touching Eulogy From A Family Friend

Blogger note: This is the most touching eulogy. How hard it must have been to write it. This is a dear friend of ours.

May eternal rest grant unto him o Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

It is with enormous sadness that I tell you my father Steve passed away in the early afternoon of Wednesday, February 27. My dad had suffered a brain hemorrhage Saturday night but was able to recognize and communicate with all of his family. He had paralysis on his left side but was moved out of ICU Sunday evening. Early Wednesday morning, he became unresponsive after he started to hemorrhage again and was rushed back to ICU. With all of his family at his side, he passed away peacefully just after noon on Wednesday. My dad was not in any pain, and we are so thankful that we all had a chance to say goodbye.


In the last few years, my dad had endured several medical challenges including six heart bypasses in December 2006. With courage and determination along with a truly incredible and compassionate doctor, he triumphed through all of those episodes. He was a happy man throughout and retained a good quality of life right up until Saturday night. Nothing made him happier than to spend time with his family and especially his burgeoning grandchildren. We just recently celebrated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary with dinner at our house with the rest of our family. He continued to rave about how much he enjoyed that evening.


My dad was the greatest man I will ever know. He lived his entire life for his family. As a WWII veteran in the Army Air Force, he served his country with great distinction. He served over 45 years in the Federal government before retiring in 1981. His kindness, thoughtfulness, heroism, friendship, and unconditional love touched countless lives over his 89 years on this earth. The lessons he taught me and the values he instilled in me will remain all the days of my life. While we are all devastated by this tremendous loss, we are blessed that we have endless, beautiful memories of my dad. He knew how much we loved him, and we knew how much he loved us. That love remains stronger than ever as he watches over all of us from heaven.


Our sincerest thanks to all of you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. That will continue to sustain us through this difficult time. With all our gratitude…

Catholic Lenten Prayer

“LORD, as we begin this way of the cross, help us to join You in Your passion so that we may be lifted up in Your Resurrection.

Thank you, Jesus, for this opportunity to know You in Your suffering more intimately and through You be more united with suffering humanity.

May the spiritual steps we take in accompanying You, Jesus, in the way of the cross lead us closer to You and through You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Mary, Blessed Mother, grace us with your faithfulness, your perseverance, and your hope, by clinging to God’s promises so that we, too, may be faithful, persevering and full of hope.

We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen”

Author: Father Ed and Judy

Saint Robert Bellarmine Quote - "Turn To Him"

"Turn To Him"
St. Robert Bellarmine

Turn then to Him, thou Peter, though thou hast denied Him thrice, turn to Him weeping bitterly.

Turn to Him, thou Magdalen, and learn to love Him much and much will be forgiven.

Arise, thou prodigal! No more of husks or swinish company, but arise and return to your Father. Doubt you how He will receive you? Ah! see His arms stretched out ready to embrace you; behold His bosom whereon to lay your weary head with tears of joy and thankfulness; hear His angels rejoicing because you who were lost are found, you who were dead are come to life again.


"Come to Me" He says, "come to Me all ye that labor with temptation and I will fortify you with sin-resisting grace; come to Me all ye that are heavy-laden with sin and I will refresh you with forgiveness; come to Me and you shall find peace for your souls."

Saint Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church

Clinic Uses Same Syringe On Patients!

We had a family member go to this clinic. Read what I highlighted.

Was this done on purpose? This is crazy, crazy. Please pray for the family member, especially for the gift of forgiveness.

Vegas Clinic Patients May Have Been Exposed to Disease

Vegas Clinic Patients May Have Been Exposed to DiseaseA Las Vegas clinic may have infected a handful of patients with hepatitis C, and some 40,000 more should be tested for the blood-borne virus, health officials said Wednesday."

A Las Vegas clinic may have infected a handful of patients with hepatitis C, and some 40,000 more should be tested for the blood-borne virus, health officials said Wednesday.

Thousands of locals now have to get tested for possible exposure to Hepatitis C and other dangerous diseases. It is the largest Hepatitis scare in Nevada history.

The word came today from the Southern Nevada Health District. The patients had procedures done at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada.

SNHD officials say they first learned of the problem in early January, when a routine investigation process found that practitioners at the Endoscopy Center were using the same syringe on more than one patient -- exposing those patients to the blood of other patients.

"Hepatitis C is the worst of the infections." Dr. Mel Pohl is a local physician, and medical director of the Las Vegas Recovery Center. He outlines the risks at least six patients face after they contracted Hepatitis C while undergoing procedures at the Endoscopy Center.

"The virus infects people, they get liver inflammation, it can be Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and there's a number of other letters associated," said Pohl.

As many as 40,000 others are being advised to be tested for the virus.

An investigation by the SNHD found that, "Unsafe injection practices, related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients."

"The decision to notify such a large number of people and to recommend testing is based on an identified public health risk, and out of concern for the long term health of those that may have been infected," said Dr. Lawrence Sands, Chief Health Officer with the Southern Nevada Health District.

"During the course of the investigation, we identified serious problems with the center's injection practices. We found the re-use of syringes on a patient and the re-use of vials labeled for single patient use. The combination of these two practices could have exposed patients to the blood of other patients," said Brian Labus with the Southern Nevada Health District.

A spokesman for the endoscopy center was also on hand for the news conference -- to express the center's concern for its patients, and to say the health threatening situation has been corrected.

"The recent events related to the district's study marks the first time anything like this has happened at our facility. We have taken steps to ensure it will never happen again," said Dr. Eladio Carrera with the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada.

While those words may be of little comfort to the patients exposed to the viruses during the time frame of March 2004 and January 11th 2008, Dr. Pohl says there is still some hope for those who've been infected.

"Hepatitis C is very serious. It can lead to liver damage and even liver cancer. HIV can lead to AIDS and that can be potentially fatal. But again, people are living longer and longer with that disease," said Pohl.

Health officials are also recommending that Endoscopy Center patients also be tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Meanwhile, the notification of the estimated 40,000 patients who may have been exposed to disease, is the largest patient notification effort in the nation.

This won't be pretty. :(

Sacramental Power - A Scourge To The Devil

The Sacraments are a great scourge to the devil. When used in faith they are a great torment to him and his demons. The saints know this.

I recall one saint was walking and a possessed soul walked toward him. Immediately the demon in this sojourner recognized this humble and pure saint and verbally attacked him. Realizing the situation the saint calmly and confidently placed his scapular around the travelers neck. Instantly the demon was expelled from the poor traveling soul, never to come back again.

That Is Sacramental Power

Here is a story I will share.

My wife and I were in an verbal argument. During the heavy "discussion" my wife, in her great wisdom, sprinkled holy water around the house. The instant she did this the argument stopped in mid- sentence and peace was restored in the house.

God is good.

Do you have any stories about the power of sacramentals?
Please do share.


Blogger Note: Is this picture of Jesus miraculous?

Your Catholic Sunday Homily Minute - 3rd Sunday of Lent

From the Desk of Father Mark, Your Catholic Sunday Homily Minute

My Dear People,

Jesus Pursues Your Love

Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. How could He not know our mind and heart? This is never more evident, than it is in today's Gospel. The woman at the well is a classic encounter between God and man. When Jesus asks the woman for a drink, He is inviting her into a deeper walk with Him. She misunderstood. For Our Lord to know all about her life, was an indication of His deep desire for her love. Jesus pursues her love. She responds, after the question and answer session draws to a close, Jesus declares, "I AM He, the Messiah you have been awaiting."

We are like the woman at the well. We presume that we must seek Christ. We believe that it is our task to search for His Love. We think that this is all of "our doing". Nothing could be further from the truth. If we have a "hunger" to know the Lord, it is only because HE has begun the process. Jesus is the source of our desire to know, love, and serve Him. Be like the woman at the well. Have a profound hunger for Our Lord this Lent!

May we use our many talents, blessings and resources to help bring Jesus to all those who hunger and thirst for His Love.

Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,


Fr. Mark

What else does Father Mark have with your Catholic Homily Minute?

Do You?

Do you abstain from meat on Fridays?

Not just during Lent, but the entire year?

Some form of Friday penance is mandated throughout the year by the USCCB.

This shocked me when I found out.

How about you?

On Penance and Abstinence

taken from the USCCB

For these and related reasons, the Catholic bishops of the United States, far from downgrading the traditional penitential observance of Friday, and motivated precisely by the desire to give the spirit of penance greater vitality, especially on Fridays, the day that Jesus died, urge our Catholic people henceforth to be guided by the following norms:

1. Friday itself remains a special day of penitential observance throughout the year, a time when those who seek perfection will be mindful of their personal sins and the sins of mankind which they are called upon to help expiate in union with Christ Crucified;

2. Friday should be in each week something of what Lent is in the entire year. For this reason we urge all to prepare for that weekly Easter that comes with each Sunday be freely making of every Friday a day of self-denial and mortification in prayerful remembrance of the passion of Jesus Christ;

3. Among the works of voluntary self-denial and personal penance which we especially commend to our people for the future observance of Friday, even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence as binding under pain of sin, as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday, we give first place to abstinence from flesh meat. We do so in the hope that the Catholic community will ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by free choice as formerly we did in obedience to Church law. Our expectation is based on the following considerations;

a. We shall thus freely and out of love for Christ Crucified show our solidarity with the generations of believers to whom this practice frequently became, especially in times of persecution and of great poverty, no mean evidence of fidelity in Christ and his Church.

b. We shall thus also remind ourselves that as Christians, although immersed in the world and sharing its life, we must preserve a saving and necessary difference from the spirit of the world. Our deliberate, personal abstinence from meat, more especially because no longer required by law, will be an outward sign of inward spiritual values that we cherish. Every Catholic Christian understand that the fast and abstinence regulations admit of change, unlike the commandments and precepts of that unchanging divine moral law which the Church must today and always defend as immutable. This said, we emphasize that our people are henceforth free from the obligation, traditionally binding, under pain of sin in what pertains to Friday abstinence, except as noted above for Lent. We stress this so that no scrupulosity will enter into examinations of conscience, confessions, or personal decisions on this point.

Your Catholic Sunday Homily - Second Sunday of Lent

From the Desk of Father Mark,

My Dear People,

Jesus Is My Son!

When Jesus was "transfigured" before Peter, James and John, He again receives approval from His Father in Heaven. God the Father says, "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!" Seldom do we hear the Father speaking in the Sacred Scriptures. When we do, His words are very significant. Abraham, Moses and Elijah were but a few who were privileged to encounter God the Father. They too heard Him speak. His words are noteworthy. Jesus is my Son, a pre-Trinitarian revelation. I am very pleased and delighted in Him. The WORD Jesus speaks are MINE! Be attentive and heed MY WORD in Him. WOW! We have an intimacy that the Father shares with us in His only Son, Jesus Christ.

WE can be assured that when the Son speaks, the Father is speaking through Him as well. This is why Peter can confess for us at the time of the Eucharistic Teachings in John chapter six, "to whom shall we go Lord, YOU have the WORDS of everlasting life." Lent is a time to seek the intimate presence of the Lord. Holy Scripture is a sound spiritual way to "encounter" the Lord. Dust off your Bibles. Open them, read them this Lenten season. Pick a favorite book and read a little each day. Come to know God the Father's love for us in His Holy Word!

May we trust in the Lord by putting our time, talent and treasure into His hands.

Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,


Fr. Mark


What else does Father Mark reveal in his Catholic Homily Minute?

A Lenten Examination Of Conscience

Who Else Needs A Fruitful Examination Of Conscience?

By fruitful I mean a real examination of conscience, one that's not watered down. Well, here you go. This one comes from Father Mark of Your Sunday Catholic Homily.

• First of go here for the list of Mortal Sins. Sorry, but you don't get to skip this one.

• Now you can follow that up with the list of Venial Sins.

Tell me what you think!

Jesuits Being Called Out For Holiness

Blogger Note: This is a hard hitting article challenging the Jesuits to
return to their founder's mission.

Questions St. Ignatius Would Ask the New Jesuit General

St. Ignatius Loyola would undoubtedly
be happy that a fellow Spaniard, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, is once again
at the helm of the Society of Jesus, but I doubt St. Ignatius would be
happy about the state of his order at this moment in church history.
While I have a healthy respect for the many good Jesuits I have known,
I can’t be as optimistic about their ability to pull off an internal
reform that would make this company, once known as the pope’s shock
troops, the pre-eminent force of orthodoxy and spiritual renewal in the
world. For this to happen, the Jesuits will need strong, decisive leadership—in
other words, Fr. Nicolás has his work cut out for him.

Fr. Nicolás has received
his share of accolades for his 40 years of missionary work and solid character,
but the “hard questions” have yet to be asked, and his accountability
is not merely to the Catholics waiting for a resurrection of this order,
but also to St. Ignatius himself, who will undoubtedly be posing the hardest
questions of all. I believe that the answers to these questions are what
will make or break our confidence in the new General’s leadership.

First and foremost, Ignatius
would ask if he was planning to use his authority to return Jesuit
universities to orthodoxy. The list of Jesuit university horror stories
is simply appalling to any decent Catholic let alone a saint like Ignatius.
When I was in Ecuador last November, the Jesuit university in Quito sponsored
a seminar on the “Theology of Che Guevara” (the radical companion
of Fidel Castro) as a legitimate public lecture. In America the horrors
range from ten Jesuit universities sponsoring the despicable V-Monologues
on campus this year, others hosting gay and lesbian student groups, one
giving scholarships for training in pro-abortion activism and many others
bestowing honorary degrees and speaking platforms to pro-abortion politicians
in commencement ceremonies. What will be done about this?

Second, Ignatius would want
to know whether Fr. Nicolás will discipline dissenting theologians
in their ranks before the US Bishops or the Vatican have to. Fr.
Peter Phan of Georgetown is the most recent example, but other “theologians”
like ex-priest Daniel McGuire at Marquette and at least one Jesuit “ethicist”
who endorsed the killing of Terri Schiavo are outright predators on the
faith of young souls and need to be removed. Then there is the nagging
scandal of deceased Jesuit, Robert Drinan. Fr. Drinan was a US Congressman
in the 70s with a 100% pro-abortion voting record and was never once disciplined
by his superiors for his blatantly heretical positions. In fact, he was
so benignly pardoned by his superiors that Georgetown Law School rewarded
him with an honorary Endowed Chair for human rights!

Third, what will be done to
purge the Jesuits of its misfits, Ignatius would ask. For a starter,
Fr. Nicolás could show his seriousness in reform by suspending
and removing from office Fr. Michael McFarlane, president of Holy Cross
College in Worcester, Massachusetts, who flagrantly disobeyed the directive
of Bishop Robert McManus not to allow a pro-abortion group to meet on
campus. Better yet, he should remove Fr. McFarlane’s Provincial
who stood by in silent assent to this disgraceful conduct. He might also
clean up the ranks of the Jesuit sex offenders who have cost various Jesuit
Provinces more than $60 million in lawsuits in the past decade, including
the largest single payout from a religious order in history for more than
a hundred victims.

Jesuits ranks have thinnedfrom 38,000 Jesuits worldwide in 1965 to
about half that number today.Their average age is rising and their
seminaries are anything but full.There is a reason for that: lack of
orthodoxy coupled with toleration of dissent and misconduct
in the ranks. Only strong leadership and a return
to discipline will restore the Jesuits to their position as the world’s
pre-eminent defenders of the Faith—and, like the rest of us, St.
Ignatius will surely be watching.

Sincerely
Yours in Christ,


Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,

President, Human Life International

Your Sunday Catholic Homily - First Sunday of Lent

From the Desk of Father Mark - Your Sunday Catholic Homily Minute


My Dear People,

Satan Will Attack You!

The temptations of Christ in the desert teach us a lot about ourselves. Our Lord always carries our cross before we do. Special graces abound during Lent. The devil knows this. We must protect these extra-ordinary blessings in advance. The devil's attacks will come in three ways. First, we will be attacked through our five senses. Then, we will be attacked through our pride. And lastly, we will be attacked through our desire to honor and adore Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Without a good and holy confession, we do not stand a chance in these attacks. Confession cuts us to mend, by the holy hand of Jesus our Divine Physician. Don't put off confession this Lent. Come often to receive this necessary protection of Our Lord to fight the good fight. Included in this week's bulletin, is a good examination of conscience. Use this holy tool to prepare well for a good and holy confession this Lent. May we always use wisely, the sacramental graces of the Catholic Church.

Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,

Fr. Mark



Go Here To Get The Best of Father Mark's Short Homilies

Praying For God's Intention

Do you ever try to pray for the intentions God wants you to pray for?

I try to. It's simple. You just take the messages God gives you naturally and make that your prayer intention.

Here is your example. I accidentally slit both of my wrist. One unsuccessfully trying to catch a ten pound box of saran wrap, got it pretty good. It looks like the real deal. The other is a burn from a hot piece of metal.

My prayer intention? For those people fighting depression and contemplating suicide.



Do you have some examples? Leave a comment.

Luminosa Bavosi - Short Biography

Luminosa Bavosi - Spain's Focolare Movement

Here is Luminosa Bavosi's biography written by Father Ed. Father Ed, a Focolare follower, was reading Bavosi's book when he was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer.

Here’s a little background on Luminosa Bavosi: Her parents were Italian and she lived in Argentina. She was the head of the women’s Focolare in Spain. When she was rather young, late 30’-40’s, she was found with a lung disease that was never really diagnosed. It was this that consumed her slowly. Luminosa’s spirit was indomitable – bubbly and joyous and she continued to radiate God’s presence all through her sickness. I was reading her biography in March, 2001, when I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I then began to ask for her intercession. Her exemplary way of “embracing Jesus Forsaken” in every present moment and loving Him as her only spouse and for her great unity with Chiara Lubich, Foundress and President of the Focolare, have been the inspiration for me to both be ready to go home and to see God face to face and to be in unity with all those asking for a healing that I may minister here.

Love,

Father Ed

Luminosa Bavosi, pray for us.

St. Bellarmine Quote - Don't Complain About The Weather

Bear Everything In Humility And Patience

Saint Robert Bellarmine Quote:

We must all strive to be intimately convinced that everything which happens by chance or accident, as a great drought, too much rain, pestilence, famine, and the like, does not happen without the special Providence and will of God, and consequently we should not complain of the elements, or of God Himself, but should-regard evils of this kind as a scourge with which God punishes us for our sins, and bowing ourselves beneath His Almighty hand, bear everything in humility and patience. God will thus be appeased. He will scatter His benedictions upon us. He will chastise us as His sons with a fatherly love, and will not deprive us of the kingdom of heaven.

We may learn what is the reward of patience from an example which St. Gregory adduces. In the thirty-fifth homily on the Gospels, he says that a certain man Stephen was so patient as to consider those that oppressed him his greatest friends; he returned thanks for insults; he looked upon misfortunes as gains; he counted his enemies in the number of his well-wishers and benefactors. The world considered him as a fool and madman, but he turned no deaf ear to the words of the Apostle of Christ; "If any man among you seem to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise."[14] And St. Gregory adds that when he was dying many angels were seen assisting round his couch, who carried his soul straight to heaven, and the holy Doctor did not hesitate to rank Stephen amongst the martyrs on account of his extraordinary patience.

Message from Father Ed

Fr. Ed is lifting all of those who are requesting his prayers and who are praying for him to the Father with "Jesus Forsaken" through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are placing them all in Our Lady's mantle.

Please be assured of our daily continued prayers. Please thank all of those who have responded by email and prayer of his gratitude for their generous commitment to continue to pray for him and spiritually journey with him according to the Father's Will.

Thanks and May God Bless you,

Father Ed and Judy

Prayers For Father Ed - This Is Amazing!

How good is our God?

My last post informed the world that in one day 4135 people read Father Ed's "Open Letter From A Dying Priest."

God be praised! That is awesome. Again many thanks, especially to Spirit Daily who made all of those extra prayers possible.

When Judy, whom Father mentions in the letter, heard this she was overwhelmed with gratitude. Then, moved by the Holy Spirit, she says. "Let's look up that Psalm."

Ps.41 Verses 3 to 5

[3] The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness thou healest all his infirmities.
[4] As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against thee!"
[5] My enemies say of me in malice:
"When will he die, and his name perish?"

Will we see a miracle healing? Only the Lord knows.

Witness the true meaning of surrender read his letter here.

Your Sunday Catholic Homily - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the Desk of Father Mark - Your Sunday Catholic Homily Minute


My Dear People,

Friday Fastings Are Still Required?

Lent is a holy time of purification. This Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty day of journeying in the desert with Our Lord. As a faith community, we walk together with Jesus towards Calvary. One outward sign of our unity in this journey, is our fasting and abstinence. We fast from our sin. We abstain from what we do not really need. The Church still requires abstinence from meat on ALL Fridays of the year, unless you choose to work at a soup kitchen, collect clothes for the poor, or perform some otheract of MERCY. During Lent, this is not an option.

No meat is allowed on any Friday during Lent, on Ash Wednesday, or on Good Friday. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we do not eat in between meals as well. These are simple gestures of our love for Jesus. We perform these acts of penance to increase our charity. Choose wisely your penance this week. Make it a penance that will allow you to love God and neighbor. In doing so, all of us will draw closer in our walk with the Lord. May we faithfully follow Jesus, wherever and whenever He calls us during Lent this year.



Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,

Fr. Mark

Go Here To Get The Best of Father Mark's Short Homilies

4138 Prayers For Father Ed!

Welcome Spirit Daily visitors. It is a honor to have you visit St. Bellarmine's Blog. Here is an update. We had 4138 visitors yesterday alone. That number is growing rapidly.

4138 Prayers For Father Ed!

I am humbled. Praise the Lord! What a great apostolate Michael Brown has given us. May God bless him and you for your heart felt prayers.

God is good.

While you are here look around. Discover more about St. Bellarmine. Get St. Bellarmine's e-book for free by signing up for his free chapter. It is on the right hand side.

Again thank you all.

Duty Before Prayer

Have you ever heard the phrase "duty before prayer?"

It really confused me when I first heard it. Then I realized our duty can be a prayer, but our prayer can't substitute for our duty. Make sense?

Anyway, todays reading has a good example of neglecting one's duty.


Reading 1

2 Sm 1:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17

At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign,
David sent out Joab along with his officers
and the army of Israel,
and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
David, however, remained in Jerusalem.

Notice that it is the duty of the kings to go out on campaign. King David neglected his rightful duty.

What Is The Result?

David had inquiries made about the woman and was told,
“She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam,
and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.”
Then David sent messengers and took her.
When she came to him, he had relations with her.

Food for thought as you go about your day.


Prayer: God, grant us the grace to prayerfully fulfill our duty this day.