Blessed Herman the Cripple, the Salve Regina and 40 Days for Life.

Each time we pray the Hail Mary, we need to remember that Blessed Herman the Cripple,  was the author of the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) we sing, or say, at the end of this prayer.

Blessed Herman the Cripple, monk 1013-1054, is living proof why we value each life. According to our new Saint, Mother Teresa, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise" instead of the seeing any human as a burden on our "environment".

Archbishop Sample has a few churches sing the Salve at the end of mass in Latin.
                                                                     

Blessed Herman was born with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to a farm family. His parents cared for him until the age of seven, but in 1020 they gave him over to the abbey of Reichenau Island in Lake Constance, southern Germany; he spent the rest of his life there.

He became a Benedictine monk at age twenty. A genius, he studied and wrote on astronomy; theology; math; history; poetry; Arabic; Greek and Latin. He built musical instruments and astronomical equipment. In later life he became blind and had to give up his academic writing.

The most famous religious poet of his day, he is the author of the hymns: Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater.

Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ,

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevæ,

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuo.
misericordes oculos ad nos converte;
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, 

our life, our sweetness and our hope'

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; 

to thee do we send up our sighs, 

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. 

Turn then, most gracious advocate,

thine eyes of mercy toward us; 

and after this our exile, 

show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Herman The Cripple
by
William Hart Hurlbut, M.D.

I am least among the low,
I am weak and I am slow;
I can neither walk nor stand,
Nor hold a spoon in my own hand.

Like a body bound in chain,
I am on a rack of pain,
But He is God who made me so,

that His mercy I should know.

Brothers do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
All my sorrows he will bless;
Pain is not unhappiness.

From my window I look down
To the streets of yonder town,
Where the people come and go,
Reap the harvest that they sow.

Like a field of wheat and tares,
Some are lost in worldly cares;
There are hearts as black as coal,
There are cripples of the soul.

Brothers do not weep for me!
In his mercy I am free.
I can neither sow nor spin,
Yet, I am fed and clothed in Him.

I have been the donkey’s tail,
Slower than a slug or snail;
You my brothers have been kind,
Never let me lag behind.

I have been most rich in friends,
You have been my feet and hands;
All the good that I could do,
I have done because of you.

Oh my brothers, can’t you see?
 You have been as Christ for me.
And in my need I know I, too,
Have become as Christ for you!

I have lived for forty years
In this wilderness of tears;
But these trials can’t compare
With the glory we will share.

I have had a voice to sing,
To rejoice in everything;
Now Love’s sweet eternal song
Breaks the darkness with the dawn.

Brother’s do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
Oh my friends, remember this:
Pain is not unhappiness.

This year we start 40 Days for Life two days after his feast day, September 26th and ends on November 6th, two days from the elections.  We believe each life has immeasurable value and we pray for leaders who see that value. 

Click on your area of Oregon for a 40 Days for Life near you.  This year there is a "mission".  This is for the Lovejoy Surgicenter to be closed down.

 Portland    Salem    Eugene   Klamath Falls

Blessed Herman is an inspiration to 40 Days for Life. Pray for us!

Priest: ‘You might not have a church to go to if you don’t vote the right way in November’

NAPLES, Florida, September 23, 2016 (LifeSiteNews)—We are at a “precarious moment in our history” when churches must speak truth to power or risk the loss of a lot more than their tax statuses, former Ave Maria Law School chaplain Father Michael Orsi said in a blistering speech at a National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children event on September 10.

Orsi, now on the pastoral team of St. Agnes Church in Naples, Fl said, “For too long, pastors and churches have been bullied into believing that they can say nothing political from the pulpit,” said Orsi. The regulation that is used to silence them “was a piece of spite work” against non-profits that had opposed President Lyndon Johnson, he said.

“Let me remind you: the Bible is a political document,” the priest said. “The prophets, including John the Baptist, and Jesus, lost their lives because they spoke the truth to power."

“The Constitution is quickly being destroyed,” warned Orsi, and “unless the right choice is made in November, we may not have a court that is fair and balanced in its interpretation of the Constitution.”
“Too many of the pastors—too many, practically all—in Germany refused to speak against national socialism,” continued Orsi. “And look [at] the result: millions of Jews, pastors, priests, homosexuals, gypsies all lost their lives because everyone was afraid. What are you afraid of, a couple of bucks? Your tax-exempt status? What’s that going to do to you? Your churches may be closed anyway, because if a certain party gets elected, this certain party said, if the churches do not agree with our interpretation of women’s reproductive rights, they’ll just have to change their doctrine.”

“If a certain party gets elected, I can assure you what kind of judges are going to be on those appeals courts,” he said. And those judges will be charged with deciding whether the government may force churches and religious institutions to pay for abortion, contraception, and abortifacient drugs, he noted.

Furthermore, “I’m not going to vote for a candidate who decides that we can redefine the meaning of marriage,” proclaimed Orsi. “Our opponents believe once they destroy the family, once they destroy the churches, they can re-create society in their own image and their own likeness. That, my friends, is not just political. That is diabolical. Get it straight, for crying out loud! The devil is in this!”
“We are in a battle for the soul of America,” he said.

“Somehow, [Christians] have come to buy the story that you cannot be political in church,” said Orsi. “Let me tell you right now, oh yes, you can, and oh, yes, you better be. Because you might not have a church to go to if you don’t vote the right way in November.”

ON EWTN TONIGHT: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing:The Disguised Socialism of Saul Alinsky

This 60-minute docu-drama presents a Catholic response to the life and thought of a 1960s community organizer whose “Rules for Radicals” impacts the thinking of many in politics today as well some in the church, especially in the area of social justice.

Duration: 01:30

A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

A look back on the life, ideals, and works of 1960s community activist, Saul Alinsky, through the lens of a Catholic perspective.

TV-14

DateTime

Wednesday, 09/21 07:00 PM

Thursday, 09/22 12:00 AM

Saturday, 09/24 03:00 PM

---

AND IT BEGINS: The Election of 2016 - The Archdpdx OCC Agent's Response to Questions.

And it begins:  I emailed Bill Allen.  He is listed as a volunteer for the Oregon Catholic Conference www.archdpdx.org (OCC). He was the only contact.  Bishop Peter Smith was listed as Secretary/Tresurer.

Here is the response.

Sent: Monday, August 29, 2016 1:27 PM
To: Allen, Bill
Subject: Election

Hello,

I was wondering if there was anything from the Archdiocese to help Oregon Catholics who to vote for President this election? 

There are certain things that Catholics need from the Archdiocese to make a decision.

The "seamless garment" thought/heresy as it makes giving money to the less fortunate as critical as abortion a child.

We really don't have much time to educate on this issue. 

The Peace and Justice Ministry is pushing this "heresy" in equating some issues that are not the issues of abortion and euthanasia in protecting our brothers and sisters against.

Please let me know if there is any movement at all.  Maybe I'm just missing something.

Thanks,

Carolyn Wendell

"Dear Carolyn,

Thank you for your e-mail.

The U.S. Bishops recently revised the document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”.  The document lays out the primary principles that Catholics should consider when voting.  You can find it online, along with other good resources at: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/ .

Please let me know if you have additional questions.

In the peace of Christ,                                                                                

 

Todd Cooper                                                                      

Department Director

Special Ministries of the Archbishop

Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

Representative, Oregon Catholic Conference

503-233-8386

www.archdpdx.org"

Having more questions I continued:

Todd,

Thanks for getting back to me.  Just for point of inquiry, are you telling me that there is no Oregon Catholic Conference and that you and Matt Cato are the only ones that speak for the OCC and not Bill Allen or Bishop Smith?

The Faithful Citizenship info on the USCCB website is very confusing.  Wouldn't it be better to mention on "our" website the guidelines of not voting for intrinsic evils of abortion or euthanasia?  Feeding the hungry are not equal with these, even if there was a candidate, let's say, for President. 

Pointing out those qualities of each party would be very helpful since people's souls are a stake.  Don't you agree?

PATRON SAINT OF POLITICIANS

Thanks,

Carolyn 

Here is his response.  Many people have said that Matt Cato as agent had a "seamless garment" attitude and paraphrasing an Oregon Catholic,  Matt Cato said regarding the Life issues, "Oregon Right to Life can do the life issues".  Just ask him about them he is totally "Peace and Justice". The "Life" was added, in my opinion the make pro-lifers, "feel good".  And also save money. We need transparency and justice for the pro-lifers. But I digress.

Since Todd Cooper and Matt Cato are agents of  the Bishops, he continues:

Dear Carolyn,

The Oregon Catholic Conference is made up of the bishops in Oregon, including Archbishop Sample, Bishop Cary, and Bishop Smith.  I serve as representative of the OCC.  Matt Cato is on the OCC advisory committee.  Bill Allen works as a volunteer, assisting me with the work of the OCC and with other projects.  It is the bishops who speak for the OCC.  The rest of us serve as their agents.

Regarding the information on the USCCB website, if you find it confusing, I recommend reading in its entirety the recently revised edition of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.  The document lays out the principles by which Catholics can form their consciences and faithfully exercise their political responsibility.  This includes voting in good conscience.

A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who supports a policy that promotes intrinsic evil – if the voter’s intent is to support that position.  At the same time, a Catholic should not use a candidate’s opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference to other important moral issues related to human life and dignity.

The challenge for Catholics is to allow their Catholic faith to inform their politics.  In the case of many, it is their politics that inform their Catholic faith. 

The Church respects freedom of conscience.  The US bishops do not tell Catholics which candidates or parties to support.  They simply give guidelines that help Catholics develop a well-formed conscience so that they can make well informed decisions and participate responsibly in political life.

Hope these thoughts are helpful.

In the peace of Christ,

Todd

Todd Cooper

 Representative

Oregon Catholic Conference

(503) 233-8386

 
The response will be posted soon.  Any comments from you would be welcome. 

 

 

From VOCAL reader: Is the $91 million Obama refugee grant to the USCCB tied to bishops’ silence on Hillary?

From almost the end of the column:  “Catholics are witnessing the bureaucratic deconstruction of the pro-life movement in chanceries and the elevation of migration and immigration in its place,” Yore concluded, and instead, “Catholic children are learning about the sin of littering, the importance of tree hugging and sexual hugging in the latest Vatican sex education curriculum.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 8, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) 

 After leaked documents show billionaire George Soros has been trying to purchase influence with Catholic Church leadership in the United States and Rome to advance his “progressive” agenda, details continue to surface that raise the question of just how successful Soros may have been in his quest. The massive funds coming to the USCCB from the Obama Administration over pet issues such as refugees ($91 million) have some wondering if that is a reason for the bishops' virtual silence on Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton's atrocious record on life and family.

The American Catholic hierarchy is elevating other causes to primacy in place of the life issue, a new report says, “relegating the pro-life ministries to the doctrinal ash heap and committing funds and personnel to promote environmental and migration issues.”

“Migration pays very well,” said attorney and international child rights advocate Elizabeth Yore, “pro-life pays nothing.”

Thousands of federal grants and contracts come from the Obama administration to the Catholic Church, Yore says in the report, but in particular, hundreds of millions of dollars in fiscal year 2016 alone found their way to the USCCB, Catholic Charities, CRS, and the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), “jaw dropping grants to carry out the Obama agenda.”

“We’ve got the most virulently anti-life administration in the history of the United States,” Yore told LifeSiteNews. “And the Catholic Church is propping up the administration.”

Added by VOCAL

“I find it very troubling that the Church is cooperating with the Obama administration,” she said.

Three of the grant recipients comprise an ongoing fiscal relationship between the U.S. bishops and Obama’s administration, Yore said in the report published by The Remnant.

The figures available on the USASpending.gov website show the USCCB garnering more than $91 million for refugee resettlement programs, more than $202 million going to Catholic Charities, which also serves refugees, and the Boston-based ICMC getting more than $17 million in government funds stipulated entirely for U.S. refugee resettlement.

LifeSiteNews did not hear back from the USCCB from an inquiry for comment on Yore’s report.

“The size of these grants is enormous,” Yore told LifeSiteNews.

Catholic observer Deal Hudson, Ph.D, publisher and editor of The Christian Review, echoed Yore’s concern that the nation’s bishops had become too beholden to the Obama administration, stating, “It appears that the bishops' conference has become a virtual vendor of the federal government.”

Hudson had also detailed in his column last month at the Christian Review how the U.S. church is helping the Clinton/Kaine ticket with its silence.

Two weeks later, Hudson lamented the failure of Catholic bishops and clergy to reasonably respond to the Clinton candidacy and pro-abortion Democrat platform, writing, “Yes, there are some bishops and priests reminding Catholics to consider the abortion issue in casting their ballots, but the number is pitifully small, resulting in virtual silence from the Church.”

Yore said things have changed from the days of U.S. Catholic missionary forerunners Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini establishing charities where the Catholic faith was evangelized.

“That’s not what’s going on,” she stated. “It’s a bureaucracy that’s going on.”

The Obama administration’s agenda with the Syrian refugee crisis has become the Church’s mission, but Yore said Middle Eastern Christians make up only a tiny fraction of the refugees; otherwise, the federal contracts would be in jeopardy.

“Along comes mega-billionaire George Soros as the global architect of an international mass migration policy that fills the Catholic Church coffers and floods Europe and America with Muslim refugees,” Yore said. “Wake up, Catholics! The USCCB and its partners are quietly assisting the Obama administration in resettling into the United States tens of thousands of Muslim Syrian refugees.”

SOROS -ACORN founder too.VOCAL

There has been no opportunity for a discussion about this, she continued, and if there was nothing to hide, then Americans should know how many refugees are being settled in the United States. But there are huge numbers and no pictures.

“When in doubt, follow the money,” said Yore, a member of the Heartland Institute delegation to protest the Vatican exclusion of all scientific opinions and reliance on population control experts. “This ecclesial trail is flush with cash.”

Yore said that given the Obama mass refugee resettlement program has been so lucrative for the USCCB, and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s plan to suspend the Muslim refugee migration program into the United States would be quite costly for the bishops, it therefore is no surprise the bishops have been silent on the pro-abortion Clinton candidacy.

Individual bishops have been critical of Donald Trump, however, and Yore said as well it’s no surprise that the Catholic bishops, under Vatican direction, are promoting the migration of Muslim refugees into the United States.

“It’s no surprise that New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan criticized Trump by writing that “Nativism is alive, well – and apparently popular!” she recounted.

“It’s no surprise that Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas condemned what he called the “déjà vu of immigrant bashing,” Yore continued, “reminding his diocesan Catholics of Trump’s words.”

And further, she said, “It’s no surprise that LA Archbishop Jose Gomez opined that Trump’s stance on immigration “is not right.”

“Catholics are witnessing the bureaucratic deconstruction of the pro-life movement in chanceries and the elevation of migration and immigration in its place,” Yore concluded, and instead, “Catholic children are learning about the sin of littering, the importance of tree hugging and sexual hugging in the latest Vatican sex education curriculum.”

It’s expected that the Bishops’ Conference will keep silent about Clinton while also criticizing Trump for his position on Syrian refugee migration, she said, opting to not bite the hand that feeds it. 

“We hear much about ‘vote your conscience,’” Yore said. “This isn’t about conscience, folks. It’s about their checkbook.”