39th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade

Today marks the 39th Anniversary of the Roe V. Wade decision.

Without the right to be born, all other rights are worthless.

Let us remember all those missing because of this horrible ruling and all the families touched, especially those who seek healing.

Eternal Father, You are the Creator and Source of all life. Bless and protect all children threatened by abortion. Open the hearts of their parents and those who would seek to destroy their lives.

Strengthen all fathers. Make them mirrors of Your boundless love and protection so that they may defend and provide for their children.

Comfort all mothers. Reveal Your unmeasurable goodness to them so that they may place their trust in You and nourish the lives which You have entrusted to them.

Enlighten all lawmakers, doctors, and healthcare providers so that they may come to a deeper understanding and reverence for all human life, from the very moment of conception until natural death.

We ask these things in the name of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your beloved and only Son, Whom You sent to deliver us from the bonds of sin, and Who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.

C.L. Hint of the Day: Organizing tea

There's nothing like a hot cup of tea on a cold winter's day. But between the small samplers that came in a Christmas basket and a cavernous cupboard above my head, my tea shelf had become a mess. I couldn't tell what I had or how much of it. I was loath to give up the original boxes because some brands of tea were tag and bag less.

Solution:
One quart jars
Dry erase marker
snack size baggies
scissors

Group your tea into categories- mine were black, chai, caffeine free herbal, mint, and citrus. Trim an identifying portion of the box from tea bags that don't have tags or bags, and place it in snack size baggies with the loose bags. Put the tea in the appropriate jar and label with a dry erase marker.

CL Hint of the Day: Lasagne Noodles

To parboil pasta without boiling, soak in cold water for 90 minutes. Four quarts of water + 1 tsp. salt per pound of pasta. No having to bring a huge kettle of water to boil, no waiting till they're cool enough to handle, and hopefully less handling means fewer broken noodles.

January 6 - The Solemnity of Epiphany

From the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy:

118. Many traditions and genuine manifestations of popular piety have been developed in relation to the Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany, which is of ancient origin and rich in spiritual content. Among such forms of popular piety, mention may be made of :

• the solemn proclamation of Easter and the principal dominical feasts; its revival in many places would be opportune since it served to make the connection between the Epiphany and Easter, and orientate all feasts towards the greatest Christian solemnity;
• the exchange of "Epiphany gifts", which derives from the gifts offered to Jesus by the three kings (cf. Mt 2,11) and more radically from the gift made to mankind by God in the birth of Emmanuel amongst us (cf. Is 7, 14; 9, 16; Mt 1, 23). It is important, however, to ensure that the exchange of gifts on the solemnity of the Epiphany retain a Christian character, indicating that its meaning is evangelical: hence the gifts offered should be a genuine expression of popular piety and free from extravagance, luxury, and waste, all of which are extraneous to the Christian origins of this practice;
• the blessing of homes, on whose lentils are inscribed the Cross of salvation, together with the indication of the year and the initials of the three wise men (C+M+B), which can also be interpreted to mean Christus mansionem benedicat, written in blessed chalk; this custom, often accompanied by processions of children accompanied by their parents, expresses the blessing of Christ through the intercession of the three wise men and is an occasion for gathering offerings for charitable and missionary purposes;
• initiatives in solidarity with those who come from afar; whether Christian or not, popular piety has encouraged a sense of solidarity and openness;
• assistance to the work of evangelisation; the strong missionary character of the Epiphany has been well understood by popular piety and many initiatives in support of the missions flourish on 6 January, especially the "Missionary work of the Holy Child", promoted by the Apostolic See;
• the assignation of Patrons; in many religious communities and confraternities, patron saints are assigned to the members for the coming year.

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for January, 2012

General Intention: Victims of Natural Disasters.

That the victims of natural disasters may receive the spiritual and material comfort they need to rebuild their lives.

Missionary Intention: Dedication to Peace.

That the dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our associates, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father for this month. Amen.

Mary, Mother of God

In perils, in anxieties, in doubts,
think of Mary, call on Mary,
let not her name depart from thy lips
nor her thoughts from thy heart.
If she holds thee, thou shalt not fall;
if she protects thee, thou shalt not fail or fear;
if she leads thee, thou shalt not be weary.
[St Bernard]

Image: El Greco, The Virgin of Charity. 1603-1605