Flowers, candy, red hearts and romance. That's what Valentine's day is all about, right? Well, maybe not.
The origin of this holiday for the expression of love really isn't romantic at all -- at least not in the traditional sense. Father Frank O'Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, tells the real story of the man behind the holiday -- St. Valentine.
"He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudias who persecuted the church at that particular time," Father O'Gara explains. " He also had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died."
"I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived," says Father O'Gara. "Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to Christian faith. But obviously the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this."
"The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict."
Valentine was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against command of Emperor Claudius the second. There are legends surrounding Valentine's actions while in prison.
"One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, who's daughter was blind. He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result."
In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of a beating, stoning, and finally decapitation all because of his stand for Christian marriage. The story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius' daughter. He inspired today's romantic missives by signing it, "from your Valentine."
"What Valentine means to me as a priest," explains Father O'Gara, "is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe. And with the power of the Holy Spirit we can do that -- even to the point of death."
Valentine's martyrdom has not gone unnoticed by the general public. In fact, Whitefriars Street Church is one of three churches that claim to house the remains of Valentine. Today, many people make the pilgrimage to the church to honor the courage and memory of this Christian saint.
"Valentine has come to be known as the patron saint of lovers. Before you enter into a Christian marriage you want some sense of God in your life -- some great need of God in your life. And we know, particularly in the modern world, many people are meeting God through his Son, Jesus Christ."
"If Valentine were here today, he would say to married couples that there comes a time where you're going to have to suffer. It's not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage. Don't be surprised if the 'gushing' love that you have for someone changes to something less "gushing" but maybe much more mature. And the question is, is that young person ready for that?"
"So on the day of the marriage they have to take that into context," Father O'Gara says. "Love -- human love and sexuality is wonderful, and blessed by God -- but also the shadow of the cross. That's what Valentine means to me."
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Economic Stimulus or Progressive Stupidity? You decide...
Happy 2008! I want to comment on the "Economic Stimulus Plan" announced today.
First let me say that I think the entire plan is the most stupid move on the part of Washington that I have heard this year.
Let me explain - the country doesn't have the money to fund SS; medicare; the Medicaid Drug plan...and they want to take money that they are supposed to be using to manage the country's defense and infrastructure; and send it to citizens to spend at Wal-Mart? Can you say "stupid"?
Second - the compromised bill will "rebate" tax dollars to people WHO DON'T PAY TAXES. Yep it is right in the news stories - "The Bush plan would not pay rebates to citizens who hadn't paid taxes" Uh, that is not a rebate it is a hand out. Who paid for THOSE checks? You and me that pay taxes. What do you think is going to happen in 2009 if a Democrat like Hilary Clinton is elected? She has already said that she is going to repeal the Bush tax cuts and raise taxes. Well, there goes that "rebate".
Third - if they wanted to "stimulate the economy" long term they should look at ways of keeping jobs in America - and shoring up the borders to stop the flow of people who are using our systems to ruin our schools and hospitals.
And Last, Americans and our "leaders" have poorly managed the economy for well over 15 years - the piper has to be paid. A recession is likely in the cards for 2008 - and this "band-aid" isn't going to stop it.
First let me say that I think the entire plan is the most stupid move on the part of Washington that I have heard this year.
Let me explain - the country doesn't have the money to fund SS; medicare; the Medicaid Drug plan...and they want to take money that they are supposed to be using to manage the country's defense and infrastructure; and send it to citizens to spend at Wal-Mart? Can you say "stupid"?
Second - the compromised bill will "rebate" tax dollars to people WHO DON'T PAY TAXES. Yep it is right in the news stories - "The Bush plan would not pay rebates to citizens who hadn't paid taxes" Uh, that is not a rebate it is a hand out. Who paid for THOSE checks? You and me that pay taxes. What do you think is going to happen in 2009 if a Democrat like Hilary Clinton is elected? She has already said that she is going to repeal the Bush tax cuts and raise taxes. Well, there goes that "rebate".
Third - if they wanted to "stimulate the economy" long term they should look at ways of keeping jobs in America - and shoring up the borders to stop the flow of people who are using our systems to ruin our schools and hospitals.
And Last, Americans and our "leaders" have poorly managed the economy for well over 15 years - the piper has to be paid. A recession is likely in the cards for 2008 - and this "band-aid" isn't going to stop it.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Top 10 Issues in the world today
I have my opinions. Stop rolling on the floor and laughing, I mean I do have opinions on things that affect my world today. So, in this blog entry I am going to outline what I feel are the top 10 critical issues facing our society. In subsequent blogs I will focus on what I feel the solutions are - or a potential solution.
Here goes:
Here goes:
- Islamic Fascism
- Illegal Immigration
- Politicians & Governmental Leaders apathy (and worse)
- The U.N. ('nuff said)
- Corporate Influence on Government
- Loss of Morals & Ethics
- Denial of the Judeo-Christian foundation of this country
- Political Correctness
- The Government's lies on our approaching Recession
- Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and their followers pushing their reverse racism
Okay, there it is. That is my Top 10 list of what is wrong with America right now. I will expound on each of these topics in coming posts.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Act now or Suffer Later!!!
I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty which has an 18 gallon tank. You cannot run it totally empty, so, at approx 17 gallons, I have paid over $55.OO to fill the thing. When we bought it, we beleived the sticker which said it would get 28 on highway and 24 in city. That is bullcookies. I get an average of 16miles/gallon.
My husband has an F250 diesel and gets better mileage - 25. To fill his tank it is already over $100. We have the truck for our horses (business) and other necessities in Texas - so, please do not have any environmentalists tell me we should drive a Prius- it will not pull 3 horses that weigh 1200 lbs a piece.
We have no viable public transit to get to and from work. Which is lousy. When I lived in Boston, I filled up one a month. I have estimated (without trips to family for holidays) that for the year we spend $8,000 on fuel. Up from just over $4,000 a year back in 2002. If fuel goes to $4 a gallon, we will be at over $10,000 a year for getting to work and back. We are very efficient in trips out - but work is sort of required if you want to be on the salary continuation plan.
Our weekly food bill went from $75. - $80 a week (eating chicken breasts, and a steak regularly) to over $125 a week to eat chicken thighs and ground chuck. Milk is $4 a gallon here - and cheap bread is $2.19 so, I am not sure how we are going to continue like this.
Jimmy Carter said ONE great thing during his presidency - "we will cut our need for foreign oil". Course he did nothing about it. We need someone who is leading this country to rally us into programs to get off foreign oil and do things like nuclear power for all electricity. In the short term we need to drill in ANWR and off our shores - and ues coal gasification to fuel our lives and economy to get us out of the danger we are in now. At the same time, we need to develop cars that run on renewable fuel and run our houses on nuclear power. (If France can do it, we can do it better) If we could get to the moon in a decade we can solve this.
I said we were in grave danger - think on this - what if Iran and Venezuela shut off their oil sales to us completely? How would we work? How would we get food? How would we heat our homes? In short, how would our economy continue to support us? In the short term it would all grind to a halt. We need to prevent that future - fast.
My husband has an F250 diesel and gets better mileage - 25. To fill his tank it is already over $100. We have the truck for our horses (business) and other necessities in Texas - so, please do not have any environmentalists tell me we should drive a Prius- it will not pull 3 horses that weigh 1200 lbs a piece.
We have no viable public transit to get to and from work. Which is lousy. When I lived in Boston, I filled up one a month. I have estimated (without trips to family for holidays) that for the year we spend $8,000 on fuel. Up from just over $4,000 a year back in 2002. If fuel goes to $4 a gallon, we will be at over $10,000 a year for getting to work and back. We are very efficient in trips out - but work is sort of required if you want to be on the salary continuation plan.
Our weekly food bill went from $75. - $80 a week (eating chicken breasts, and a steak regularly) to over $125 a week to eat chicken thighs and ground chuck. Milk is $4 a gallon here - and cheap bread is $2.19 so, I am not sure how we are going to continue like this.
Jimmy Carter said ONE great thing during his presidency - "we will cut our need for foreign oil". Course he did nothing about it. We need someone who is leading this country to rally us into programs to get off foreign oil and do things like nuclear power for all electricity. In the short term we need to drill in ANWR and off our shores - and ues coal gasification to fuel our lives and economy to get us out of the danger we are in now. At the same time, we need to develop cars that run on renewable fuel and run our houses on nuclear power. (If France can do it, we can do it better) If we could get to the moon in a decade we can solve this.
I said we were in grave danger - think on this - what if Iran and Venezuela shut off their oil sales to us completely? How would we work? How would we get food? How would we heat our homes? In short, how would our economy continue to support us? In the short term it would all grind to a halt. We need to prevent that future - fast.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Draft of new Immigration Bill - (mine)
I REALLY do not understand the "Illegal Immigration" debate. The first word says it all: illegal - end of debate.
Here is a bill that has some common sense. This is what we need to enact:
1. Close and secure the Southern Border with a hardened uninterrupted fence supplemented by technological surveillance. – NOTHING else is considered until this effort is completed. If we can build the Empire State Building in a year, we can do this in the same timeframe – with multiple crews working on different sections simultaneously.
Following the construction of the fence:
2. All illegal aliens in this country must be sent back to their country of origin. Do not tell me this is impossible. If the border is closed, they can be found one by one – the same way they came here, and deported. Eventually, there will be no illegal aliens.
3. Any person/company found hiring illegal aliens without documentation will be imprisoned and fined harshly.
4. Create a Guest Worker program for small numbers of people to fill jobs requested by employers specifically. Keep track of who is hired for what job and monitor these employers.
5. Additional taxes will be issued to these temporary workers to compensate costs inflicted on our healthcare facilities.
6. No guest workers will collect social security, disability, unemployment or federal health care.
7. Illegal aliens without federal documentation, found in this country within one year of Bills establishment will be held in work camps until they are deported. These camps will be comprised of a “Tent Prison” system where they will work on federal jobs to compensate the cost of the camp – until they are deported back to their country of origin.
8. To become a citizen you must remain documented for a period of 10 years. During this time you must be employed, be clear of any criminal activity, and speak and write English. (This will add people to this country that are educated and have a strong desire to be an American)
9. Any criminal activity will result in imprisonment and/or deportation.
10. Change the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to stop “anchor babies”. This is NOT what our Founding Fathers had in mind – and you all know that.
11. No company or corporation is allowed to displace – or artificially deflate – the wages of American Workers by hiring “guest workers”. This means that Mr. Construction Company owner cannot fire all his cement workers that are American, and hire guest workers for 2/3 of the cost, thus decimating the American cement workers and driving the standard wages for those jobs lower.
Done! Wow... common sense. What a thought.
Here is a bill that has some common sense. This is what we need to enact:
1. Close and secure the Southern Border with a hardened uninterrupted fence supplemented by technological surveillance. – NOTHING else is considered until this effort is completed. If we can build the Empire State Building in a year, we can do this in the same timeframe – with multiple crews working on different sections simultaneously.
Following the construction of the fence:
2. All illegal aliens in this country must be sent back to their country of origin. Do not tell me this is impossible. If the border is closed, they can be found one by one – the same way they came here, and deported. Eventually, there will be no illegal aliens.
3. Any person/company found hiring illegal aliens without documentation will be imprisoned and fined harshly.
4. Create a Guest Worker program for small numbers of people to fill jobs requested by employers specifically. Keep track of who is hired for what job and monitor these employers.
5. Additional taxes will be issued to these temporary workers to compensate costs inflicted on our healthcare facilities.
6. No guest workers will collect social security, disability, unemployment or federal health care.
7. Illegal aliens without federal documentation, found in this country within one year of Bills establishment will be held in work camps until they are deported. These camps will be comprised of a “Tent Prison” system where they will work on federal jobs to compensate the cost of the camp – until they are deported back to their country of origin.
8. To become a citizen you must remain documented for a period of 10 years. During this time you must be employed, be clear of any criminal activity, and speak and write English. (This will add people to this country that are educated and have a strong desire to be an American)
9. Any criminal activity will result in imprisonment and/or deportation.
10. Change the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to stop “anchor babies”. This is NOT what our Founding Fathers had in mind – and you all know that.
11. No company or corporation is allowed to displace – or artificially deflate – the wages of American Workers by hiring “guest workers”. This means that Mr. Construction Company owner cannot fire all his cement workers that are American, and hire guest workers for 2/3 of the cost, thus decimating the American cement workers and driving the standard wages for those jobs lower.
Done! Wow... common sense. What a thought.
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