"The love of talk distracts all the powers of our soul from God, and fills them with earthly objects and impressions like a vessel of water which cannot be clear and settled while you are continually stirring the earthly particles from the bottom."
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
For Reflection:
The powers of the soul are will, reason, and emotion. How can the "love of talk" draw these away from God? To what extent have I seen this to be true in myself? What practical strategies can I use to mortify myself of this tendency?
(See tomorrow's Grace Line to see how silence leads to wisdom.)
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The small contingent of Christians who live in Libya fear the fall of Muammar Gadhafi only because his government protected the Church and several other Christian denominations in this predominantly Muslim nation.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The office of the General Counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has joined a host of other groups from across the country who are decrying the president's decision on Wednesday to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) because he personally believes it to be unconstitutional.
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Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Even though Planned Parenthood always uses the "we provide access to other services such as mammograms" excuse for needing government funding, pro-life blogger Jill Stanek recently revealed that the organization doesn't perform mammograms at all but merely refers women elsewhere for these services.
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"It is good when a soul loves solitude; it's a sign that it takes delight in God and enjoys speaking with Him."
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
For Reflection:
On a scale of one to ten - one being complete unrest and ten being utter solitude, where does my soul rank? What does this tell me about the level of my "delight in God?"
(See tomorrow's Grace Line to see the gift that comes with quiet.)
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Norma Jean Coon, who believed herself to have been ordained to the diaconate in 2007 has had a change of heart and has publicly posted a document of renunciation.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A retired couple from St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica who were among four Americans shot to death by Somali pirates on Feb. 22 are being remembered as a "wonderful part" of their parish community.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck ChristChurch, New Zealand on Feb. 22 and left at least 75 dead, seriously damaged the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and put the diocese of Christchurch "out of action."
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By Susan Brinkman, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The Obama Administration announced yesterday that is has pulled its legal support for the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) because it believes the law is unconstitutional.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued what some are calling the most extreme executive order in the history of the U.S. when he signed into law a mandate forcing acceptance of "gender identity and expression" - including cross-dressers and transsexuals - throughout state government, and ordered immediate "diversity training" for all employees.
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