Vatican Museum!!!

The Vatican Museum is so full of gorgeous art and incredible artifacts that it's difficult to even take it all in.  I took pictures of some of my favorite pieces and they are below....

Ancient Christian graffiti....how cool is that?

This is the oldest liturgical bell in existence

St. Helen's sarcophagus...

 OK. These are not statues but they are some of my favorite people....:-)

There is so much beauty in Rome I think you could spend years just absorbing it.  Maybe years just to see it all....So much glory to God..

The Coliseum

I don't know what Blogger has done.  I do not like this new setup.  I've posted two photos of the Coliseum, planning to post text around it as I usually do and the photos seem to be stuck together.

All right, let's start here.  Above is a photo of the cross inside the Coliseum, placed there to honor the thousands of Christians martyred there.  Brother Mark told us that the deaths of the Christians were not the primary attraction at the Coliseum.  They were more of a sideshow.  The gladiator dramas were the big attraction.  The Christians were more apt to silently pray or sing hymns before their deaths.  Not as exciting to the bloodthirsty spectators, I guess

The Holy Father led the Stations of the Cross at the Coliseum on Good Friday.  I don't know if you can see it bet there is a cross made of votive candles to the right of the canopy.  It was very moving.

The Coliseum was built in AD 80 and it held 50,000 spectators.  There were 8 entrances and tickets were pieces of broken pottery with seats, rows, and sections marked.  The entire place could empty in about 15 minutes.  There were many shows a day and they were free.

Underground passageways, now exposed because the floor is no longer there, held prisoners, wild animals, and props.  The animals were from all over the world and the gladiator would not know what he would face until the animal arrived through trap doors and elevators right onto the floor.  I had to wonder how people would enjoy that.  I believe it was the Christian Emperor Constantine (son of St. Helen) who put an end to these shows.

From left to right-- Liz, Mike, me, Mary!, Anne, and Zach.  Mike Sr. took the picture.

All stadiums today are designed in the same manner as the Coliseum.

More on Rome...

I think I have not been writing that much about Rome because we were so busy while there and since we've been back I am still basking in the joy of having been there and still overwhelmed by the memory of all we saw. So instead of a coherent and logical description of what we did when I am just going to post a little here and there....

OK. This is the Holy Father at the Chrism Mass at St. Peter's Basilica on Holy Thursday. There was a very kind Sister of Charity sitting next to me and closer to the aisle who urged me to come closer and helped me to get a good view. She asked for my prayers and I said I would pray for her, but now I can't remember her name which was a little unusual. Please pray for the gentle, sweet sister who helped me to get this photo of the Holy Father.

Saint Peter's Basilica. We were given a fantastic tour of St. Peter's Basilica by Brother Mark Thelen, a friend of my son's and the son of a friend of mine. It was so Christ centered, so spiritual, so focused on the church. Mark is a seminarian studying to be a priest of the Legionaries of Christ. Could I ask for prayers for him as well? Such an impressive young man. Just the kind of man we need in the priesthood.

The 95 foot tall bronze baldachino designed by Bernini. And the dome towers over the baldachino. Are you getting a sense of the size? It's monumental!

The Pieta....this is where I prayed for the special intentions of a blogging friend of mine. It is such an awe-inspiring sculpture. Brother Mark explained that this was Michelangelo's first work. His FIRST WORK!!! He was only 25 when he finished it. It is the only work that Michelangelo signed. And look at how the legs of Jesus are not really limp against Mary. It is almost as though they are floating a little above, almost a prefigurement of the impending Resurrection.
Here is Brother Mark with Mike and me, Mary and Liz, and Mike.

The Trevi Fountain at night. This very beautiful fountain is still powered by the aquaducts!!

Mary and Liz throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain which legend says ensures you a trip back to Rome!!! Hope it's true!!
My sister...also hoping for a return trip to Rome!!!
More on Rome soon.....

More of Roma!!

More from Roma!

St. Peter's Square at night. I understand the Pope's residence is the top floor of the building in the background--- the last four windows from the right. Maybe he's up writing another book?

St. Peter's Basilica at night...

Papal Audience....Mary got this picture...

University of Dallas-- Rome Campus...


And back to St. Peter's Basilica....

Roma Photos!

I have tried to post a few times and either I'm too tired or the computer is messing up...or the internet.

Below is a sculpture from I think Sant'Augustino Church of the Baby Virgin Mary. So sweet.

The Trevi Fountain....

Just had to get a shot of this cool image of St. Rita of Cascia, my oldest daughter's Confirmation saint.
More Trevi Fountain...
Saint Peter's.....
So much to write about, so little time. I have always heard that the churches in Rome are beautiful, but I never really got it until now. The churches here are BEAUTIFUL!!!! I mean breathtakingly beautiful. Too overwhelmingly beautiful to even really capture on film.

It brings you to tears to be in such places.

All glory to God!

Leaving on a jet plane!!!! In less than an hour.

By 2:00AM our time we will be in Rome!!

Frantic preparations for Roma here!

Last minute toiletries. A needed item of clothing here and there. Call the credit card company so they know we will be in Italy. Did you know if you don't do that sometimes the visa will be denied? If it's coming from a foreign country they suspect fraud!!! (I'll have to write about what happened to Jim sometime.)

Last minute communications from the person we are renting the apartment from!

Time is running out! Yikes. Leaving in two days!!!! So excited!

Going to Rome!!!!!

Soon some of our family will be leaving for Rome!!!

Hoping to post a lot, maybe daily, during the trip. If anyone has any tips for travel to Rome we are all ears!!

Sign the Petition!

If you have not yet done so, please sign the petition to stop the HHS regulations that are tantamount to an attack on the Catholic Church. The petition has over 70,000 signatures so far.

The petition can be found here. I also recommend that you regularly visit Stophhs.com for the latest information on this battle.

It's like the president is engaging in a chess game against the Catholic Church. Keep checking stophhs.com for the most current information on the president's most recent move.

Love this essay by Ryan Messmore at the The Foundry. The entire essay is linked at the title, "Obama Fails to Empower People"

By forcing groups to offer health plans that cover abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization, the mandate damages many mediating structures by stripping them of their ability to live according to their convictions. It gives unprecedented power to the federal government to dictate how social institutions must behave. It basically attempts to remake civil society in the government’s own image, leaving no room for institutions guided by moral convictions that differ from those of the President.

Yeah. It's all about freedom.

Julia Shaw has written a nice essay on James Madison, the principle author of the First Amendment to the Constitution....an amendment which some Americans, notably our president, do not seem to think still matter.

"Madison’s original draft of the First Amendment read: “the civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship… nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed…” Though somewhat less expansive in its protections, the final version bears Madison’s mark: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

"James Madison: Father and Defender of the Constitution" can be found at The Foundry, the The Heritage Foundation blog. I recommend you read it!

Substitute Teaching

Off to substitute teach.

What is the most important item a substitute teacher must have, in my opinion? The class list! Fortunately, where I sub I am always able to get one.

The key to to the school is also VERY helpful, if you have kids young enough to need recess.

Patience....you must have patience. Everything will not go perfectly. Find the child you can trust and ask him/her how the teacher does such and such. The teachers I sub for usually include the name/s of these kids in their lesson plans. Very helpful.

And pray for grace and peace.... :-)

Well, yesterday's election results were disappointing to me. It's incredible that Santorum came as close as he did considering that he was outspent 6 to 1. Romney absolutely bombarded Michigan with very misleading, even dishonest, attack ads against Santorum. I''m still hopeful that Santorum can win the nomination.....we'll see.

Don't forget to vote!!! Blue sky, dry roads....no excuses.

Think Rick Santorum can't beat Obama? You know what I think?

You may be underestimating the number of people who want to vote for a candidate who believes there is such a thing as right and wrong.....and has the courage to express it.

There are a lot of people who want to vote for a conservative who respects the dignity of the poor and the working class....

The Heritage Foundation has posted a great article on their blog "The Foundry" entitled "Pay No Attention to Mandate Behind Curtain of Spin." It discusses the legal response the Obama administration made in court this past week to the challenge initiated by Belmont Abbey College to the HHS mandate.

The administration is asking that the case be dismissed because the president has promised to resolve the issue. Seriously.

"The Obama Administration is not petitioning the court to consider the merits of the final regulation as published. Rather, the Justice Department is asking the court to make a legal determination based on promises made at a press conference.

“Apparently, the administration has decided that the mandate, as written and finalized, is constitutionally indefensible,” said Hannah Smith, senior counsel at the Becket Fund. “Its only hope is to ask the court to look the other way based on an empty promise to possibly change the rules in the future.

“Since when does ‘Trust me, I’m from the government’ suspend the laws of the land?” Smith continued."

Say what? Dismiss it on the basis of a promise made by the benevolent dictator? What? I am not an attorney but this move strikes me as extremely odd. Troubling. It seems to suggest (should I be surprised?) that the administration believes not only that they are above the law but that there is a consensus among the public that they are so.

Read the entire article here.

Rick Santorum Unelectable?

I think those who believe that Rick Santorum is unelectable may be underestimating two things:

1. The power of God

2. The desire of the people for a leader who believes in right and wrong.

Remember, there are a lot of people who vote more from feeling than fact. Many of those people are longing for goodness.....

Santorum DID have ashes on his forehead....

'But, with ashes still visible on his forehead after attending Catholic Mass on the first day of Lent, Santorum did seem to quell fears about the role his deep like held religious convictions might play in governing. " So reported First Read on msnbc. com.

I'm watching the president talking about gas prices. The mean spiritedness with which he talks about republicans is disgusting. Sarcasm, the assigning of motives, belittling his opposition....it's all so nauseating.

Now he tells us of all the drilling he's doing.....starting to sound like a republican. I wonder why. (OK. Now I'm being sarcastic. But then, I'm not the president.)

Now the condescending lecture....

Oh. We need more alternative sources of energy. Like Solyndra? That was not a good idea, Mr. President. Five hundred twenty-eight million dollars down the drain. Yes, million!!! Was that a good investment? Does this man know what he is talking about? I think not!!

Please, the president's record speaks for itself. He does not know what to do about gas prices. The man is in over his head.

Elect a republican!!!

I watched most of last night's republican presidential debate. I would have watched the entire thing, believe me, but I'm fighting a cold and was watching in bed. Inadvertently fell asleep. I saw most of it, though.

I thought Romney looked desperate. I thought there was a bit of the cornered dog look-- kind of mean, kind of frantic...like he knew he just might lose this nomination and couldn't quite summon up the confidence of previous debates. The look made me trust him even less. Still, he's a good debater and he came up with the answers.

Santorum was his usual honest self. Sometimes he should have said less. But the fact that the man courageously speaks the truth even when it is not to his political advantage makes him even more appealing to me as a candidate. I'm sick of Romney twisting the facts and attacking Santorum. Sure makes Romney look small. In fact I just got a recorded phone call from the Romney campaign with this sort of attack message. I called them back and told them to take me off their calling list, that calls like that just make me question the integrity of Romney as a candidate.

When asked how each candidate would describe themselves in one word, I was surprised that none of them said "conservative." Seemed like it would have been a great line for Romney.

Loved when Gingrich pointed out Obama had voted for infanticide. That needs to be repeated a whole lot.

Well, I'm still supporting Santorum. I have a few yard signs left if anyone wants one.

Michigan is being bombarded with Romney ads-- mostly in the form of attack-Santorum ads.

It's disgusting. I'm getting several recorded messages a day on my phone. I can't wait for a real person to be there so I can tell them to stop calling me.

Don't get me wrong. If Romney gets the nomination I will support him wholeheartedly. He could be a good president....I think.

But my preference is for a man who doesn't demonstrate leadership by putting others down and distorting the record of his opponents. No. I prefer a nominee whose leadership is demonstrated by the core values that make up his being. My choice is Rick Santorum.

If you want to see a great Santorum ad check out this link to Catholicvote.org. I love it. I just heard a portion of it on Catholic Radio. It was in stark contrast to the attack ad against Santorum I heard on Catholic radio just a few days ago. An attack ad!!

Oh Lord, in your mercy, please give us the president you want us to have. And please protect Rick Santorum and his family.

(BTW, I have a couple Santorum yard signs if anyone is interested.

Do I know longer see/read as a human being? It just took me four tries to read those "verify-you're-a-human" words you need to write in order to comment on a blog. I looked at them and thought What? What the heck does that say? (I know they're not usually real words) But I could not decipher the letters!! Are the computers getting so smart that we have to not just use our eyes but additionally do some analysis in order to figure out the letters? I got out my reading glasses and that helped a little. Do I need to be able to guess what half letter that little line is supposed to indicate? Or maybe I just need better glasses. LOL

Women's Rights? Come on!

There is no "right to contraception." OK. There is no such right. We have to challenge people who say that there is. How can they say there is such a right? Because Obama says there is? There is not. Obama does not confer rights. Freedom of religion, however, is a right guaranteed in the Constitution.

Show me where in the Constitution it says that women have a right to contraception. It's not there. The left is inventing this "right" and all who believe in the bill of rights need to point this out. Requiring Catholics to pay for sterilization and contraception is not an issue of women's rights.

Pregnancy is not a disease. Contraception is not health care. And no one, NO ONE, has a responsibility to pay for someone else's contraception. Period. If necessary, we must shout this.

Can we make one thing perfectly clear? Pregnancy is not a disease and contraception is not health care. OK? I am so sick of hearing liberals say that it is. In fact, contraception increases your chances of developing some diseases and carrying a baby to term protects against some diseases, including breast cancer. It's not health care.

What does our president have against life? What does he have against religion? And why is he so concerned about keeping Planned Parenthood happy, as though they were some kind of respectable organization? He needs to be voted out of office.

What is up with the new "accommodation" to Catholics in regard to the HHS mandate?? I listened to the news clip and thought I don't get it. I don't see any difference from the original mandate. Apparently there is a fine-line difference but, frankly, I don't see how any layer of paperwork absolves Catholic organizations from cooperating with evil. If this is a genuine compromise perhaps someone can explain it to me. My first reaction? "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...." Looks like smoke and mirrors to me.

SBrinkmann at Women of Grace has summed up the reactions of some key people. I found the quotes very helpful. Here is how it starts...(picture is theirs too. I couldn't copy the quote without the picture, for some reason.)

Anyone who believes President Obama just compromised on the government’s plan to coerce religious employers to provide free contraception to employees is either “naive or gullible” says the Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.

According to LifeSiteNews.com, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) said the “accommodation” announced by President Barack Obama today is nothing more than “the discredited old policy, dressed up to look like something else. It remains a serious violation of religious freedom. Only the most naïve or gullible would accept this as a change in policy.”

Read the entire article here. (And I recommend you do.)

It looks like smoke and mirrors to me. I don't like it. And I don't trust our President for a minute. I think he's looking for a way to get himself out of hot water while still keeping happy his beloved Planned Parenthood.

We have to VOTE THIS GUY OUT OF OFFICE!! I'm sorry. I have had enough.

Since when does the president of the United States have the authority to make laws? Congress makes laws and this mandate in either form would not have passed Congress. In fact, the entire health care bill itself would not have been law if Obama had not deceived Bart Stupak into believing that he would prevent abortion funding in the new law. The President cannot be trusted. I don't know how else to say it.

But presenting as law something that an unelected official (Kathleen Sebelius) simply wrote in as a regulation is a violation of the Constitution. READ THE CONSTITUTION!!! Only Congress can make laws.

But this president does not respect the Constitution nor does he abide by it. And, needless to say, he does not respect life!!!!!

For intelligent, faithful commentary on the HHS mandate check out Father Charlie's new blog at:

I speak, therefore I am

Father Charlie is a good Catholic priest, an intelligent and informed writer, who was once my pastor. Check out his new blog.

Have you signed the Stop HHS Mandate online petition yet? You can sign it here.

I urge everyone to sign this petition. It couldn't be easier. They have over 34,000 signatures as of right now. It's an initiative of Ave Maria Radio, a station that is rock solid Catholic.

If you value the U.S. Constitution, you should sign it. If you think that checks and balances are important to prevent corruption in the power of government, you should sign it. If you support the founding principles of this country, please sign it.

If you've read the Constitution and understand that the First Amendment protects not only freedom of speech but also freedom of religion, you ought to sign it. (I find it incredible that I would write the above sentence, but it seems that some liberals do not understand that freedom of religion is equally protected with freedom of speech. If you value freedom of speech you should sign it-- because when any right in the Constitution is taken away, all rights are in jeopardy.

The text of the First Amendment....

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Yeah. It's that simple. Those who would claim that the HHS mandate does not violate the Constitution are really saying that they don't believe that the Constitution needs to be followed. Enough is enough. The camel's nose is under the tent. We need to act now.

Oh, and might I make another suggestion? Let's get the adorable Bella Santorum in the White House. The last shall be first and the first shall be last. The White House needs more kids living in it.....

Peggy Noonan wrote about the HHS Mandate in Sunday's Wall Street Journal. She believes that this action by Obama will spell his failure to get reelected. I pray she is right. We cannot let this issue fade away. It is critical, not just for Catholics, but for all who believe in religious freedom, the very reason this country was founded.

"If they stay strong and fight, they will win. This is in fact a potentially unifying moment for American Catholics, long split left, right and center. Catholic conservatives will immediately and fully oppose the administration's decision. But Catholic liberals, who feel embarrassed and undercut, have also come out in opposition.

The church is split on many things. But do Catholics in the pews want the government telling their church to contravene its beliefs? A president affronting the leadership of the church, and blithely threatening its great institutions? No, they don't want that. They will unite against that."

Read more here. She writes about Romney and the Republican establishment first. You have to scroll down to the final section.

And if you want to read a really scathing article about this mandate check out Michelle Malkin's "First they came for the Catholics." here. Again, scroll down till you get to the article.

National Review Online has posted a great article by Daniel Foster on the backlash Susan G. Komen received and apparently caved to after withdrawing their support from Planned Parenthood.

Look, the beauty of free speech is that, if you’re inclined to do so, you can write a check to PP in an act of solidarity, or write a check to Komen as an expression of moral approval. That’s all fine. But there’s something quite a bit different, something creepy and not a little despicable, about the Planned Parenthood set’s besmirching Komen’s good name across a thousand platforms for having the audacity to stop giving them free money. And I don’t care why that decision was made, frankly.

Read more here.

I'll say it's creepy. The whole thing just so smacks of spiritual warfare. Why should anyone ardently defend Planned Parenthood? I don't get it. But I'll tell you one thing. Now that the entire pro-life community knows about this people will not hesitate to abandon those pink ribbons and decline to contribute to Komen.

The USCCB released this on Friday, January 20. I know it's already the 25th but this is not going away until we all stand up and demand that our Constitutionally protected right to religious freedom be respected.

WASHINGTON—The Catholic bishops of the United States called “literally unconscionable” a decision by the Obama Administration to continue to demand that sterilization, abortifacients and contraception be included in virtually all health plans. Today's announcement means that this mandate and its very narrow exemption will not change at all; instead there will only be a delay in enforcement against some employers.

“In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences,” said Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The cardinal-designate continued, “To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable.It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty.

Read more here from Catholic Culture.org

To call this action by the Obama administration outrageous is an understatement. This is the most anti-Catholic president in the history of the United States. If he gets away with this you can say good-bye to all the First Amendment protections in the Constitution. EVERYONE should be alarmed by this action. Obama has no respect for Catholics, no respect for the Constitution, and no respect for life!! He absolutely must be voted out of office. The future of our country depends on it.

Thanks be to God for Bishop Bambera!

Thanks be to God for Bishop Bambera!

The Cardinal Newman Society has reported the following story of Bishop Joseph Bambera shepherding his flock in the diocese of Scranton. God bless him and give him courage, peace, and wisdom.....

Scranton University Refuses Bishop’s Call to Withdraw Invitation to Pro-Abortion Rights SpeakerLast week, The Cardinal Newman Society reported that Scranton University is hosting a former Congresswoman and advocate of abortion rights on campus to help train women to run for public office. On Tuesday, The Cardinal Newman Society sent the report to more than 90,000 online members.Today, the Diocese of Scranton issued a statement saying Bishop Joseph Bambera specifically requested the Jesuit university to withdraw the invitation but they’ve refused.Bishop Bambera called the college’s decision “dismaying” and “personally disheartening.” He said:For more, click here....

Now I realize that the Christmas celebration is over, even in the Catholic liturgical calendar. But I never got these photos of my church posted....Our Blessed Mother....
I love my parish's Christmas decorations....
I especially love these angels....
It's a relatively new church that is still faithfully traditional.....I love it. And not just its beauty but also the people who belong here, and, of course, our beloved pastor Fr. Ed Fride.

His mercies are new every morning.....

Saw this gorgeous sunrise out my dining area window.

The Lord provides such spectacular color shows so many mornings and evenings....just dripping with his glory. How can anyone be an atheist?