Father, as we proclaim the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of Christ and the Mother of the Church, may our communion with her Son bring us to salvation.

Taken from the Prayer after Communion during the Mass honoring Theotokos - the Mother of God

The DAILY WORD

"And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them; and His mother kept all these things carefully in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace before God and men."

Webster's defines it as a "Sense of consciousness or the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character, together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good."

  In this first issue for 2001, Pat Ludwa starts off the New Year by tweaking our consciences and rightfully so because we have let down our guard over the years and allowed our thinking to conform more with society and less with the principles of our Faith. In doing so we may have unsuspectingly given rise to scandal and bad example and not even know it. Pat points out the miserable statistics that show how half of the Catholic population who voted opted to vote for a pro-abortion ticket and how uninformed they were as gullible victims of the political correct culture of death. The media is always quick to publicize that there are many Catholic who don't agree with what the Pope says on certain aspects of their faith, especially regarding birth control and abortion. As we begin 2001, Pat challenges all Catholics to realize no matter how much we rationalize what we do, we are still accountable to God and, when that time comes, we may be surprised how many sins we really committed. It's better that we realize this sooner, rather than later. For Pat's column The Price of Scandal see VIEW FROM THE PEW

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After reading the fantastic details and the inspiring story of Joe and Jane Dalton, you'll be ready to dump your present pro-abort phone company, not just because Pro-Life Communications is 100% Pro Life, but because they offer what the other phone companies can't, even companies that are also Pro Life but only offer 10% to 20% back to charities and Pro Life causes. Pro-Life Communications offers ALL the net profits back! And they offer the latest technology and personal customer service at an unheard of across-the-board rate of 8.9 a minute 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - no strings attached! See for yourself! if it isn't the best and most honest offer ever by a phone company! To make it even better, we'll send you the attractive coffee table-like book "I Solemnly Tell You..." - valued at $33. - absolutely FREE! That's how much we endorse Pro Life Communications! You will too once you read more!

    We are grateful to the artist Shannon Wirrenga (701-255-7312) for permission to use the phenomenal and touching original painting above of Jesus smiling at a newborn babe full of life, a life that He allows. It is appropriately titled "I Knew You," taken from Jeremiah 1: 5. No entity, matter or energy can exist without God and He alone gives and takes life. Life is the most precious gift we have been given. That is why we dedicate this section to the Sanctity of Life for so few realize the treasures it holds from conception to the grave.

    The elections are over, but the battle for life is not. We cannot give up the fight. Please continue to pray that President George W. Bush and his cabinet will promote legislation for the Sanctity of Life and pray for those pro-abort congressmen, senators and governors that they will have a conversion of heart and recognize the evil of their ways. Remember, nothing is impossible with God. We encourage you to go to the Pro-Life links below to keep up to date on the great battle between life and death - the Sanctity of Life vs. the culture of death. For more see, PRO LIFE FOR LIFE

   Today is the 570th anniversary of the birth of Rodrigo de Borgia in Jativa, Spain. He would go on to become probably the most notorious and immoral Pope in the history of the Church when he was elected to the Papal throne on August 26, 1492 at the age of 61 as Pope Alexander VI, the last of the Borgia Popes. He was the nephew of Cardinal Alfonso de Borgia, bishop of Valencia who would go on to become Pope Calixtus III four regimes ahead of him. Though he is remembered as celebrating the 8th Jubilee in 1500 and, by the mark on the map, defined the destiny of the New World, he is most remembered for egging on the Protestant Reformation just over a decade later. He died at the age of 72 on August 18, 1503 and the mess and scandal he left in his path crippled the Church for decades afterwards. But God allowed it for good so that the Counter Reformation could refortify His Holy Church. For other events that happened today in Church History, see CATHOLIC CAPSULES IN HISTORY

Passion is definitely a conscious affair

   They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".

"Passion is not a reflex like the watering of a dog's mouth in the presence of food. It is true that there are many similarities between passion in animals and passion in man, but it must never be forgotten that in man, passion cannot operate unless something is known. The eye has a reflex action when someone is about to thrust his finger into it, but passion is a conscious affair; it is something that happens to a creature endowed with reason and free will."

NOTE: We respectfully recognize and accept the final authority regarding apparitions, locutions and prophecies presently being reported around the world rests with the Holy See of Rome and the Magisterium of Holy Mother Church to whose judjment we humbly and obediently submit. For more Our Lady's message for December and more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE