NUN MIGRANTS Salvador Martinez holds a hymn book for daughter Esmeralda, 3, during a prayer service at a migrant camp near Hart, Mich. The service was led by Sister Guadalupe Moreno, who has worked with Hispanics and migrant workers in Western Michigan for 17 years.

Pope John Paul II's strong Marian devotion was highly influenced by the Mariology of Saint Louis de Montfort. According to his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, the pontif's personal motto "Totus Tuus" was inspired by St. Louis' doctrine on total consecration to the Virgin Mary, which he quoted:

“Our entire perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ. Hence the most perfect of all devotions is undoubtedly that which conforms, unites and consecrates us most perfectly to Jesus Christ.

Now, since Mary is of all creatures the one most conformed to Jesus Christ, it follows that among all devotions that which most consecrates and conforms a soul to our Lord is devotion to Mary, his Holy Mother, and that the more a soul is consecrated to her the more will it be consecrated to Jesus Christ."[2]

In an address to the Montfortian Fathers, the pontiff also said that his reading Saint Louis de Montfort's work The True Devotion to Mary was a "decisive turning point" in his life[3]. On September 19th 1996, Pope John-Paul II made a papal trip to Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre to meditate and pray on the adjacent tombs of Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet, whom he beatified himself.

His encyclical Redemptoris Mater further emphasizes his focus on Mariology[4].

source

Shalom,

I seem to be having a problem getting the pictures now. Would Mozilla Firefox and derivatives like Flock have a problem with the pics? This only happened after the upgrade.

16. The Blessed Virgin, sitting at the right hand of God to pray for us is hailed by another writer of that same era in these words, "the Queen of mortal man, the most holy Mother of God."

Thursday, August 28, 2008
Devotion in a forsaken land

(Matthew Streib is traveling across the country on his bicycle exploring religious sites that are inspiring and uniquely American. You can read more about his travels at http://www.americanpilgrimage.com.)

BYRNESVILLE, Pa. - The term "ghost town" generally conjures up images of tumbleweeds and abandoned saloons, not picturesque green hillsides in central Pennsylvania. But other than ominous clouds of steam and carbon monoxide, nothing is left of the tiny town of Byrnesville, except the Virgin Mary.
Byrnesville was demolished by the government in 1990s due to the dangerous conditions caused by an underground coal mine fire that started in nearby Centralia in 1962. Once a town of 28 families, now there is nothing but empty streets, a fractured highway, and vacant lots. The only people who come here are tourists to see the destruction and Mike and Jim Reilley, devoted sons who keep up the town's shrine to Mary, the last standing structure.

"I don't really go to church anymore," says Mike, who trims the shrubs, cleans the stone, and replaces the statue when vandals steal it. A Catholic, he also prays to the Virgin Mary, who has been said to work miracles for inhabitants who pilgrimage from neighboring towns. "In a way, this has become my expression of faith," he says.

Mike lived in Byrnesville for almost 50 years before he evacuated due to loss of electricity, water, and the danger of carbon monoxide seeping in through the basement. When he was 15 (he's now 72), his father dreamt up the idea of the shrine, and the whole family built it out of concrete and old bathtubs. He misses the town deeply, and maintains a website to remind people of the town's history.

"There were blueberries all over the place, blackberries, huckleberries, and we'd go out in the woods all the time," he says. "The coal mines were actually a nuisance -- they'd be digging for coal, with big shovels, dirt, and lots of noise. But it was also entertainment. We'd be sitting there, watching the trucks go by, with all the lights on at night."

The coal fires under the ground still burn, and have enough fuel to last for another 250 years. The town is uninhabitable, and will remain so indefinitely. But for the two brothers who so loved the town, its memory will never die.

source

carbon monoxide seeping in through the basement

Er, not to be too nitpicky but carbon monoxide is a colourless, odorless gas. It kills you and you do not even know it.

I can delete your post if you want :P

Pope Benedict XVI lights a candle in front of the statue of Our Lady of Bonaria as he celebrates a Mass during a Pastoral visit in the Sardinian town of Cagliari September 7, 2008. Pope Benedict said he was praying for the people of Haiti, which has been struck by three successive storms, and hoped enough aid would arrive there.

"Did you know the grotto at Lourdes was a pagan shrine before the miracle of the "Blessed Mother's" appearance?"

I was not afraid to die, but I was terrified by the voices coming from the back of the grotto. They were evil voices clashing in a guttural, angry way. "Save yourself, get out of here," they shrieked. The Lady raised her eyes, frowned at where the voices were,—and there was peace.

Pope holds Mass for thousands at Lourdes

Story Highlights
* Benedict urges pilgrims to remain hopeful in the face of evil and hardship
* Mass marks the 150th anniversary of a peasant girl's religious visions
* Benedict spent Saturday at a hermitage, after praying at Lourdes grotto
* Pope drank water in the grotto, which believers says has healing power

LOURDES, France (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass on Sunday at the Lourdes shrine renowned for miracles, telling tens of thousands of faithful pilgrims they should hold onto hope in a world full of evil, torture, suffering and injustice.

Read on

Pope travels in France 1:57
Benedict XVI prays at one of Catholicism's most famous shrines, giving heart to the sick. CNN's Jim Bittermann reports

Benedict told the crowd that the cross initiates the faithful into the mysteries of Christian faith, including that "there is a love in this world that is stronger than death, stronger than our weaknesses and sins."

CROSS OF COMPASSION
This unique crucifix depicts Our Lady of Sorrows holding a chalice as if to catch Jesus' Precious Blood. Made of resin and stained to look like wood. Measures 11" high

This is stunning. Not only is there the all seeing eye of Horis, the Egyptian sun god, and the Egyptian sun oriented pyramid, we have not one, but two sun god halos, a sun god cross, a Babylonian Madonna who was impregnated by the sun (shown above her), becoming the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, even "Our Lady of Sorrows (the reason for Lent)," a graven image, and "Jesus" nailed to the cross where he is rendered helpless and powerless--exactly what the religious sorts crave.

CW

So what do you think about the nationalization of Wall Street? To hell with free enterprise and the US Constitution, with a couple of trillion dollars of dept based currency, the Fed can destroy the value of the dollar, bankrupt the Federal government, rob American citizens, and establish a Fascist state with them at the helm. It's a four for one slight of hand. And there is hardly a voice of descent.

If there were any question that America would be rendered meaningless internationally prior to the Tribulation, consistent with prophecy, the most resent evidence is compelling.

'Absolute hell, uncertainty' 2:43
ITN's Bridgid Nzekwu looks back at the tumultuous financial week.

Dedication..........................................................................i
Introduction ......................................................................ii
1. Keep Christ in Christmas ...................................................1
2. How it all Started ............................................................3
3. Free Will ......................................................................5
Water Water Everywhere .......................................................6
4. The Unholy Trinity – Cush, Semiramis and Nimrod ......................8
Cush ............................................................................8
Semiramis ......................................................................9
Nimrod ........................................................................10
5. A New Religion ..............................................................15
6. The Roman Influence .....................................................18
7. Constantine the Great .....................................................20
8. X marks the Spot ...........................................................22
The Sign of the Cross ..........................................................23
9. All Hail Caesar .............................................................25
10. A Spiritual Blender .......................................................28
11. A Day to be Honored ......................................................30
12. You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees .................................32
13. “Yule” be Sorry ............................................................35
The Vatican Obelisk ..........................................................37
Yule logs .....................................................................39
O Tannenbaum ...............................................................40
14. Very Superstitious .........................................................41
Mistletoe ......................................................................41
Holly ...........................................................................42

15. “Claus” – it Christians ....................................................43
Saint Nicholas .................................................................44
The Power of Suggestion ......................................................46
Godly Fear and Wisdom .......................................................47
Santa – christ .................................................................49
Santa and his Merry Band of Elves ............................................50
16. The Wreath of God .........................................................52
The Olympics .................................................................52
Christmas Wreaths ............................................................53
Saint Lucia’s Crown ...........................................................54
17. Can a Leopard Change it’s Spots? ......................................56
18. And Then Along Comes Mary ...........................................59
Penance .......................................................................65
Guadalupe – the goddess of the Americas .....................................68
The Crown of Mary ............................................................73
Peace, Peace ...................................................................76
19. The Rosary – A Very Thorny Issue .....................................78
20. Everything Old is New Again ............................................85
21. Its Made Official ...........................................................87
22. The Mass Appeal of a Magic Wafer ....................................89
Behold your god! ..............................................................93
The Lord’s Supper .............................................................96
The Lamb of God ..............................................................98
Christ in the Passover ........................................................100
The Last Supper ..............................................................102
23. In Memoriam .............................................................104
24. Here Comes the Sun .....................................................110
Easter .........................................................................111
Lent ..........................................................................120
Good Friday ..................................................................122
The True Sabbath .............................................................127

25. It is Finished ..............................................................129
26. Who is this Jesus? ........................................................131
27. The Roman – Babylon Connection ...................................133
28. Tradition or Truth? ......................................................136
29. Nothing New Under the Sun ...........................................142
King Manasseh ...............................................................142
King Jeroboam ...............................................................143
King Solomon ........................................................................144
The Feasts of the Lord .......................................................145
30. Happy Birthday to Who? ...............................................147
The false christ ...............................................................148
The Anti-christ ...............................................................150
Liar Lair Pants on Fire .......................................................150
Cain and Abel ................................................................151
31. The spirit of Christmas ..................................................153
The Queen of heaven .........................................................154
The spirit of Motherhood .....................................................155
Mama of the Congregation ...................................................156
The Baby Jesus ...............................................................163
32. The Mother of God ......................................................164
33. Unto Us a Holiday is Born ..............................................178
The land of Goshen ...........................................................179
Separation is not a Four-Letter Word .......................................180
34. Does Truth Really Matter? .............................................183
Blaming Fire .................................................................184
Let’s Just Praise the Lord? ...................................................187
Seriously Deceived ...........................................................188
35. But That’s Not Me! .......................................................189
It’s a Heart Thing ............................................................190
36. A Little Bit of U.S. History ..............................................192
The English Puritans .........................................................194

37. Accountability .............................................................197
TBN ..........................................................................197
The TBN Praise-a-thon .......................................................199
Paul Crouch and Rome ......................................................202
Paul Crouch and the Protestant Reformation ................................207
Touch Not Mine Anointed ...................................................208
Judge Not ....................................................................212
38. Benny Hinn, TBN and Rome ...........................................215
A Personal Testimony .......................................................227
The Day of the Dead ..........................................................229
Fire from Heaven ............................................................232
Questioning the Miracles ....................................................233
Hidden Treasure ............................................................235
39. Show Me the Money .....................................................238
Billy Graham ................................................................246
Scriptural Foundation? ......................................................247
1000 Burnt Offerings ........................................................252
The Business of Church ......................................................256
The Modern Day Sale of Indulgences ........................................260
True Giving ..................................................................262
40. The One World Church .................................................265
All Roads Lead to Rome ......................................................267
The Pope of the People .......................................................270
Pope John Paul II and Islam .................................................271
John Paul II and Judaism ....................................................273
The Last Days Temple ........................................................275
41. The Last Days Remnant ..................................................278
The Seven Year Tribulation ..................................................280
The Signs of Noah and Lot ...................................................282
Persecution and Apostasy ...................................................284
The Sixth Seal – The Sign of the Son of Man .................................285

42. Oh, How the Mighty are Fallen ........................................291
If it walks like a duck .........................................................292
The Reason for the Seasons ..................................................293
43. The Spirit of Truth ........................................................295
44. The Cost .....................................................................297
45. Epilogue ...................................................................300
Time for a Change ............................................................301
The Call .......................................................................302