The funniest thing I've ever heard on Nostra Aetate

Stephen Cobert interprets Nostra Aetate for Americans who can't speak Latin. The only thing he misses- even within the Church, some paths to Heaven are straight and narrow and some are wide, twisty, and with cliffs on either side.

Protestantism for Catholics

This is what I believe, and yes, this only the first generation diagram. I'd LOVE to see a fully detailed one showing all 32,000 "branches". I got this through a comment on:

Catholic In The Ozarks: Protestantism for Catholics:





This is something very important to understand when doing ecumenicism.

Don't have undocumented sex

Liberals today have a strange clash between the sexual revolution and the feminist revolution. The one side hates rules about sex, the other side hates rape, which has one potential definition of "sex outside of the rules", three of those rules being force, fraud, and rational thought, the combination of those three items commonly being called consent.

The problem with consent is there is no way to know after the fact, even with a video recording, whether or not it has happened. Even Traditional Marriage isn't good enough for some feminists to prove that consent has happened, rape within marriage is possible.

In software, when we run into a problem like this, documentation is the key. VERY extensive documentation. Extremely extensive documentation. Legally it's the same, and it is called a contract.

So my advice to you kids, is don't have sex without a contract. Ever. Because People are Complicated.

The thing that scares me most about militant homosexuality

Is that the stories of bullying sound so incredibly familiar to my own experience with autism. And the fact that I know- from personal experience- what happens when the bullied becomes the bully. Much of what I hate in myself, what I've battled in myself- the anger, the PTSD, the attraction away from personal contact- is exhibited in the militant gay agenda. The reason I battle for traditional marriage is because I know where this is headed- because I've seen it in the neurodiversity side of the autistic community as well- and it is sociopathic. The men and women in the video below found the answer- found the only possible answer, the only possible refuge, as Christendom disintegrates into people shouting at each other across a chasm that cannot be bridged.

The example of Pope John Paul II

A radical traditionalist right winger (name withheld because it's just a blog comment after all) responded negatively to the canonization of St. John Paul The Great. Here is my response to each of his points, which NEED to be responded to.

The file photo taken on November 30, 2004 which shoes John Paul blessing the forehead of Fr. Marcial Maciel tells an enormous story. This priest(?) was known in the Vatican for FIFTY YEARS as a drug addict, predator of seminarians and young priests, the father of children (whom he also abused)by two women, the founder of the Legionnaries of Christ, a con man who sent millions of dollars to the Vatican, and we are to believe that JP II knew nothing of this despite serving as pope for 26 years! Then add Assisi I and II, kissing the Koran, praying in a glade in the South Pacific with natives who believed it was the home of their gods, Communion in the hand while standing, altar girls, allowing the Traditional Mass to be denied for his entire pontificate,and tell me this man demonstrates that he is deserving of canonization.

Pedophilia, drug abuse, and womanizing are extreme sins, especially for a priest, most certainly for the leader of a group the size of the Legion of Christ. Likewise, Cardinal Law, whose very name has become an internet meme in the same light as Godwin's law (Godwin's law is that any given flame war, the probability of somebody mentioning Hitler is in direct proportion to the number of posts in the thread; Cardinal Law is that given any flame war about the Catholic Church, the probability of somebody mentioning the sex abuse scandal is in direct proportion to the number of posts in the thread) represents an even bigger sin of omission committed against those abused by priests and joined in by a large number of Bishops.
But none of these are the unforgivable sin.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which I would describe as the failure to repent, is the unforgivable sin. It's unforgivable precisely *because* we fail to trust God enough with our own sins. You can't judge another person to be unforgivable, nor can I. That's between them and their confessor and God.
Clearly the Church believed that these men were repenting. And on this Divine mercy Sunday, I find it very powerful indeed that the Church seems to be saying that yes, no matter what the sin, if repentance is undertaken, forgiveness is possible. Perhaps not perfect forgiveness. Perhaps the repentance wasn't perfect either. But what a powerful, powerful example of FORGIVENESS Pope John Paul II gave us in how he treated these sinners.
Let us respond to that not with hatred for the Church, but with a greater call to forgiveness in our own lives.
He then brings up the prayers for peace at Assisi, kissing the Koran, Praying in a glade in the South Pacific. Well, I'd suggest that the author needs to read Nostra Aetate, but I know that reasoning is beyond the Holy Church Frozen at the Council of Trent that so many radical traditionalists believe in. So instead, I'd suggest reading The Last Battle by CS Lewis, which made the same point to me when I was 10 years old in a much more readable and enjoyable fashion. Fiction is sometimes a better teacher of theology than encyclicals, but it's sad that we can't read the encyclicals too.
Finally, we have a smattering of liturgical abuse- or at least imagined liturgical abuse, since the grand majority of these are not the responsibility of the Pope, but under the principle of subsidiarity, are under the responsibility of the Local Ordinary. It wasn't the Vatican that imposed these changes from the top down, but the Bishops from the bottom up; many Bishops always made some space for those who don't understand the difference between dogma, doctrine, and discipline. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal has always made it clear that the Local Ordinary is in charge of discipline, and these are all matters of discipline.

Saint John Paul The Great, pray for us. St. Faustina, Pray for us. O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.

God's nuclear weapons

God strikes the earth roughly twice a year, most of the time smiting nothing important. But with an average of two strikes a year for the last decade; and no indication that this average is in any way abnormal, suddenly the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is scientifically plausible.

Papal Economics: Why large uncontrolled markets are doomed to failure

I've finally finished reading Papal Economics, a lot got in my way in the mean time. The final part of the book dealt with the main argument Fr. Zieba had been building to- that a knowledge of Original sin leads one to endorse regulated free markets under democracy- for the simple reason this forces those embroiled in Original Sin to provide work for their neighbors while satisfying those temptations to sin.
This is true as far as it goes. But I go a step further.
People are more likely to sin in an anonymous relationship than in a personal relationship, and the chance of sin goes up with the number of relational links in the transaction chain.
In other words, two neighbors or family members that have to live with one another have a very low probability of force or fraud entering into a transaction. Two strangers meeting in a local marketplace, is still extremely low, because they might have family or friends in common, living locally to where they were born.
A large scale city that attracts immigration, the probability of force or fraud being used in a transaction goes up, in relation to the anonymity and separation of the participants in the transaction.
Trade between states within a country's borders gets harder, because one has to appeal to the national government to resolve disputes, and because the chance of being able to affect the life of somebody committing fraud or force in a transaction is extremely small.
International trade gets very complex very quickly, and there is no jurisdiction or control over the marketplace at all. Laws stop mattering, and the chance of somebody who wants to commit force or fraud being punished for it is very small indeed.
The knowledge of this is almost instinctual- and is the reason why if you track actual money usage through transactions, natural autarkies appear rather quickly. If we took advantage of this, perhaps we'd even be able to build the distributist paradise that has appeared in the wake of its lack of a food market caused by the collapse of communism.

If you live in Marion County, Oregon

Then some of your electricity is coming from Aborted Canadian Babies (story on page 3 of that newspaper link). Yep, that's right- the Brooks Plant is now a crematorium for aborted babies, among other medical waste.

UPDATE----------
Channel 12 is now reporting on this story, an investigation is starting at the Brooks Plant.

The Gay Mafia

Seven jobs that conservative Christians may no longer hold in America

Photography - A Christian photographer in New Mexico was fined $6700 for politely declining to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony. The Supreme Court allowed this fine to stand.

Baker - A Christian baker in Oregon is facing both civil and criminal penalties, including jail time, for politely declining to bake a cake for a gay wedding ceremony. Her business has closed.

Florist - Baronelle Stutzman, a Christian florist in Washington, is being sued by the state attorney general for politely declining to prepare an arrangement for a gay wedding ceremony.

Broadcasting - Craig James was fired by Fox Sports Southwest after only one day on the job for expressing his support for natural marriage while he was a candidate for the United States Senate.

Counseling - Jennifer Keeton was dismissed from the counseling program at Augusta State University for her religious reservations about the homosexual lifestyle.

Innkeeping - The Wildflower Inn in Vermont was fined $30,000 and forced to shut down its wedding reception business after politely declining to host a lesbian ceremony.

Teaching - Ms. Gillian John-Charles was kicked out of a doctoral program in education at Roosevelt University for expressing in class her belief that homosexuals aren't born gay.

The Ethics of Software Engineering

We're all human. That means that every human endeavor contains the possibility of Original Sin. I don't often write about software engineering but here's a list of 12 potential sins often overlooked.

The end result of communism is distributism

Russia is now a distributist paradise with 80% of the vegetables and fruit consumed being home grown, and 50% of the milk production being home grown. Compare this with the central planning of enforced by swat team large scale agriculture. Yes, it's true that Capitalism drives progress, but the progress for the many is usually a decade or two behind the progress for the centralized wealth of the minority.

Atheist dogma leads to incredibly bad history

It isn't just theists who are into myth, but at least we admit that our myths are trying to teach some other dogma. Atheists don't admit it, but they do it to- parables such as the execution of Galileo, the Medieval Flat Earth Church, and Bruno's scientific poweress keep coming up and having to be debunked.

And once again, a liberal proves that liberals are bad at math

All of the United States is 350 million, not 8 million, Mr. President. Let me know when you have 350 million signed up for Obamacare before you declare victory.

Better yet, wait until even one of those 8 million has actually paid a premium.

Rewording CCC 2258

As a spiritual exercise and an Examen for Holy Thursday, a day that truly speaks to one of the basic causes of my own gluttony, I offer this rewording of CCC 2258:

"The number of men and women who have deep-seated eating disorders is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.

Are you willing to let fat people die because you're afraid to tell them that they are fat? After all, the well known effects of Cholesterol are at least as dangerous as HIV.

Written by a man who is struggling with a sudden upswing in weight after the age of 40- who also wasn't exactly thin in his 30s, or in fact, hasn't seen ideal weight since age 26.

Never believe a liberal

It has taken me nearly 25 years, but I now believe Trust me, I'm from the Government to truly be the scariest words in the American dialect of English. Longtime friends know that I was intensely involved in politics as far back as grade school, and did NOT support the Reagan Revolution, going through my liberal stage back then. Barak Obama has put the final nail in the coffin of liberal thinking for me. If you have to fudge the data to make your signature program look good, then perhaps it is because your signature program is evil.

How the culture war was lost

An interesting timeline showing that slippery slopes are indeed real, and seemingly, inescapable. For more than 141 years, the United States has been heading towards this dictatorship of relativism, failing utterly to instill the values and morality of the previous generation into the next and embracing the racist and genetic theories of eugenicists to reduce diversity.

There is no Evil without Good

An interesting take on the old saying, that there is no good without evil. Well, there's no evil without good either.

This isn't the first global warming event

250 million years ago a bunch of farting microbes caused global warming and a mass extinction. Global warming doesn't have to be man made.

Diversity is only good if it does not exist

The Dictatorship of Diversity | Crisis Magazine:



I've noticed this as well.  That Diversity is only touted as a good, when it is destroying religion.

Why certain types of human sexuality are irrational

From the good folks at Sword of Peter, an object lesson in sexuality and home electronics.

What some homeless people really need

Is mapreading skills, or at least, that's what it seems to me.

I can understand urban camping in a place like Portland, which is so homeless friendly we have private charities helping out and open emergency shelters when it gets cold. But Palo Alto is no place to be homeless- and if you really find the city's ban so offensive, why don't you look at a map and park your RV just beyond the closest city limit? Better yet, why not move to a national forest where your right to camp is guaranteed?

I think there is significantly more to this guy's story than meets the eye, and he needs to learn how to read a map, not how to program a smart phone.

They've won the war

And now the punishment of the losers has begun, which will only create a new generation of homopobic reaction to gays.

The history of the economic effects of marriage

An interesting history from a Jewish website lends some explanation to the second half of Matthew Chapter 1.

The Dictatorship of Urbanization

By this article on Catholic Vote I should be a liberal urban progressive Catholic. I'm still relatively young, only 43, and I have one of those higher paid jobs that allow me to invest in Community Supported Agriculture for my family, enjoy the local farmer's market, and live on the rich western side of the Portland Metro area.

But I grew up rural, and I've never forgotten the values that taught me, even as I struggle to impart those same values to my own son, who can't even bring himself to pet the dogs when we visit the country cousins.

It's hard to teach a fetus is a baby if the child has no direct experience of eggs coming from chickens.

The Obama Administration in three acts

A very interesting Playwright's view of the interaction between President Obama and Catholics. Unfinished- leaving us to wonder if we will be asking the Supreme Court "Et Tu?"

Sipery Slopes are impossible, but necessary

It takes a French Catholic Convert looking in on American society, to show us a truth.

It seems others abuse children too

Under cover of religion Islamic men in England were running a child sex slave ring, targeting mainly non-Islamic schoolgirls between 11 and 14.

Tolerance? We tried tolerance. It failed.

And our former tolerance is now backfiring. So much for tolerating sin, maybe we should have tried actually converting people instead.

Coming soon to an episode of Portlandia

Ecoterrorists fund communes by blackmailing capitalists. Ok, it happened in San Francisco, but this is just so Portlandia it needs to be a future episode. Perhaps a group of ecoterrorists could travel to Vernonia to do this to Mike Phil- maybe they'd even get History Channel's Ax Men to do a crossover.

The atheist who seeks truth and good, will find God

Pope Francis gave an interesting talk on March 31st to a group of young people, claiming a rather mystical belief that those who seek truth and goodness, will find God.

Given the inoculation of postmodern philosophy against religion, I for one am not so sure that is true. I have to wonder if we've hid from God more effectively than truth and goodness can defeat.

Papal Economics, the Encyclical I never Knew About

I missed an encyclical in my reading, Laborem Exercens published by soon to be Saint Pope John Paul the Great on the 90th anniversary of Rerum Novarum. I've updated the list of the history of Papal Encyclicals on Economics..
Fr. Zieba glosses over it in one line in his praise of how Centesimus Annus celebrates capitalism, and almost misses the idea that the right to private property is limited to the use of the public good. But it is his light treatment, and my utter lack of knowledge of Laborem Exercens, that I'm more interested in.

For Laborem Exercens deals with the correct relationship between labor and capital- not a materialist one, not a economist one, but a community rightly ordered towards the common good. Profit becomes not a sign of sin, but Profit becomes instead a sign that business is being conducted properly, accruing not just to capital, but also to Labor.
I've always wondered about the value of management and how in a disordered business, quite often management is disproportionately rewarded for their input to the business. Laborem Exercens attempts to answer this:

In the present document, which has human work as its main theme, it is right to confirm all the effort with which the Church's teaching has striven and continues to strive always to ensure the priority of work and, thereby, man's character as a subject in social life and, especially, in the dynamic structure of the whole economic process. From this point of view the position of "rigid" capitalism continues to remain unacceptable, namely the position that defends the exclusive right to private ownership of the means of production as an untouchable "dogma" of economic life. The principle of respect for work demands that this right should undergo a constructive revision, both in theory and in practice. If it is true that capital, as the whole of the means of production, is at the same time the product of the work of generations, it is equally true that capital is being unceasingly created through the work done with the help of all these means of production, and these means can be seen as a great workbench at which the present generation of workers is working day after day. Obviously we are dealing here with different kinds of work, not only so-called manual labour but also the many forms of intellectual work, including white-collar work and management.
In the light of the above, the many proposals put forward by experts in Catholic social teaching and by the highest Magisterium of the Church take on special significance23: proposals for joint ownership of the means of work, sharing by the workers in the management and/or profits of businesses, so-called shareholding by labour, etc. Whether these various proposals can or cannot be applied concretely, it is clear that recognition of the proper position of labour and the worker in the production process demands various adaptations in the sphere of the right to ownership of the means of production. This is so not only in view of older situations but also, first and foremost, in view of the whole of the situation and the problems in the second half of the present century with regard to the so-called Third World and the various new independent countries that have arisen, especially in Africa but elsewhere as well, in place of the colonial territories of the past.
Therefore, while the position of "rigid" capitalism must undergo continual revision, in order to be reformed from the point of view of human rights, both human rights in the widest sense and those linked with man's work, it must be stated that, from the same point of view, these many deeply desired reforms cannot be achieved by an a priori elimination of private ownership of the means of production. For it must be noted that merely taking these means of production (capital) out of the hands of their private owners is not enough to ensure their satisfactory socialization. They cease to be the property of a certain social group, namely the private owners, and become the property of organized society, coming under the administration and direct control of another group of people, namely those who, though not owning them, from the fact of exercising power in society manage them on the level of the whole national or the local economy.
This group in authority may carry out its task satisfactorily from the point of view of the priority of labour; but it may also carry it out badly by claiming for itself a monopoly of the administration and disposal of the means of production and not refraining even from offending basic human rights. Thus, merely converting the means of production into State property in the collectivist system is by no means equivalent to "socializing" that property. We can speak of socializing only when the subject character of society is ensured, that is to say, when on the basis of his work each person is fully entitled to consider himself a part-owner of the great workbench at which he is working with every one else. A way towards that goal could be found by associating labour with the ownership of capital, as far as possible, and by producing a wide range of intermediate bodies with economic, social and cultural purposes; they would be bodies enjoying real autonomy with regard to the public powers, pursuing their specific aims in honest collaboration with each other and in subordination to the demands of the common good, and they would be living communities both in form and in substance, in the sense that the members of each body would be looked upon and treated as persons and encouraged to take an active part in the life of the body24.

This seems to indicate Employee Stock Ownership schemes, in which the worker, as part of his wages, gains ownership in the business. I know some of the businesses I admire most, such as Bob's Red Mill and Les Schwab have organized themselves along these lines, and it has worked out to be extremely profitable for all involved, hundreds or in the case of Les Schwab, thousands of workers learning skills and earning ownership.

Jesus Christ in the Womb

March 23/25, Sunday, Tuesday, 2014
Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
This year, between the Annunciation (March 25) and Christmas, we will remember the nine months Jesus spent growing inside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Everybody loves the beauty and innocence of a newborn
Baby. We hope to reveal the beauty of babies before birth by describing their steps of growth, as Jesus experienced. He, like each of us, lived through the amazing stages of prenatal development. While the mechanism of His miraculous conception (the Incarnation) is unknown, it is likely that His subsequent journey followed the normal milestones of early human life. At the very moment of conception, a new and unique individual is formed. All of the inherited features of this new person are already set –whether it’s a boy or a girl, the color of the eyes, the color of the hair, the dimples of the cheeks and the cleft of the chin. He or she is smaller than a grain of sugar, but the genetic fingerprint is complete. The first cell soon divides in two. Each of these new cells divides again and again as they travel toward the womb in search of a protected place to grow. Follow the development of
Baby Jesus in the weekly Bulletin
!

Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
April 6 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
Day 6 – 14 Implantation: The new life is composed of hundreds of cells and has developed a protective hormone to prevent the mother’s body from rejecting it as foreign tissue. The lifeline is secured with mother for continued nourishment. The new individual at first attaches loosely to the wall of the womb, then burrows deeply and attaches securely to it over the next week. Sensitive pregnancy tests may now show positive, but this depends on the level of hormone produced by the new life. Many women are still unaware of the pregnancy.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
April 13 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
Day 17 – 20 The tiny heart and blood vessels begin to form. The foundations of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system are laid. The new life soon develops its own blood cells. The placenta is a part of both the new life and the mother.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
April 20 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
Day 21 The heart begins to beat unsurely at first, but gains strength day by day. The heart beats 70 times per minute initially reaches a maximum of 170-190 at seven Weeks
, and finally slows a bit to 160-180 at 9 Weeks
. A day later the eyes begin to develop. The earliest stages of the ears are now present.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
April 27 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
Day 28 - 32 Two tiny arms have appeared and budding legs follow two days later. Blood flows in the
Baby’s veins but stays separate from the mother’s blood. The mouth, nose and tongue now begin to form the
Baby’s unique face.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
May 4 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
Day 36 – 41 The
Baby’s eyes begin to develop with the retina. The
Baby makes his first reflex movements. The fingers begin to form, followed by the toes a few days later. Energy output of the heart is reported to be almost 20% of an adult.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
May 11 Bulletin
Day 42 The
Baby develops nerve connections that will lead to a sense of smell. Eyelids begin to form, protecting the developing eyes. Internal organs are present, but immature. 99% of muscles are present; each has its own nerve supply. Electrical activity is detectable in the brain.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
May 18 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
Day 52 The
Baby has the appearance of a miniature doll with complete fingers, toes, and ears. Spontaneous movement begins. The
Baby then develops a collection of movements during the next 4 Weeks
, including hiccupping, frowning, squinting, furrowing the brow, pursing the lips, moving individual arms and legs, turning the head, touching the face, breathing without air, stretching, opening the mouth, yawning, and sucking.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
May 25 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
8 Weeks
The
Baby is now 8 Weeks
old and well proportioned -- about the size of a thumb. Every organ is present. The liver is making blood, the kidneys function, and the heart beats steadily. The skull, elbows, and knees are forming. Along with the spine, arm and leg bones begin to stiffen as bone cells are added.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
June 1 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
9 Weeks
If prodded, the
Baby’s eyelids and hands will close. Genitalia that formed in the 7th week now become visible, indicating whether the
Baby is a boy or girl. However, the doctor won’t be able to tell by ultrasound until the 12th to 20th week. Early muscular movements begin. The thyroid gland activates.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
June 8 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
10 Weeks
10 fingerprints begin to form. The fingernails start to develop. The eyelids now fuse together until month 7, protecting the delicate eyes. The number of connections between nerves and muscles has tripled since last week.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
June 15 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
11 Weeks
The
Baby now ‘practices’ breathing, since he will have to breathe air immediately after birth. The
Baby urinates. His stomach muscles can now contract. Vocal chords and taste buds form. He can make complex facial expressions and even smile.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
June 22 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
12 Weeks
Fine hair begins to grow on the upper lip, chin and brow so the face is prettier. Expressions may resemble those of the parents. The
Baby swallows and responds to skin stimulation. The
Baby is active, but mom may not feel anything yet.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
June 29 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
15 Weeks
Rapid production of nerve cells begins and continues for a month. A second surge will occur at 25 Weeks
.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
July 6 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
4 months Nostrils and toenails become visible. The
Baby may suck his thumb, turn somersaults and has a firm grip. The ovaries of girls contain beginnings of eggs.
Baby begins to develop sleeping habits. At about 4½ months, he is able to experience pain.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
July 13 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
17 Weeks
Fetal movement, also called ‘quickening’, is usually felt between 16 and 20 Weeks
of pregnancy. The time and frequency is different for every woman and from one pregnancy to another. One
Baby may be more active than another.
Baby weight has doubled and is about 3½ ounces.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 201 July 20 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
18 Weeks

Baby is continuing to grow and to develop, but the growth rate levels off. An ultrasound done at this point in pregnancy is helpful for confirming the
Baby’s due date and examining the
Baby’s anatomy. Parental bonds are strengthened with the visual picture of their
Baby.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
July 27 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
19 Weeks

Baby weighs 7 ounces. It is incredible to think
Baby will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and delivery. Since week 6, the main divisions of the central nervous system have been established while increased development of the brain and spinal cord continues.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
August 3 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
20 Weeks
20 Weeks
marks the midpoint of the pregnancy. The skin covering
Baby begins growing from two layers: the epidermis, which is on the surface, and the dermis, which is the deeper layer. The dermis contains small blood vessels, a nerve and large amounts of fat. Thicker hair grows from new follicles.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
August 10 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
5 months Mother may feel the
Baby kick, turn or hiccup and may be able to identify a bulge as an elbow or head. Each side of the brain has a billion nerve cells. Different organ systems within
Baby are maturing.
Baby swallows more to promote growth and development of the digestive system.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
August 17 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
22 Weeks

Baby continues to grow; the body gets larger every day. Eyelids, and even eyebrows, develop. Fingernails become visible.
Baby’s organ systems begin to specialize for their particular function. The liver cleans the blood. A
Baby born with ‘jaundice’ results from an incomplete formation of this liver function. This yellow tint to the skin and eyes is easily treated with phototherapy.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
August 24 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
23 Weeks

Baby weighs almost 1 pound. Crown-to-rump length is 8 inches - about the size of small doll. The body is getting plumper, but the skin is still wrinkled;
Baby will soon gain even more weight. The pancreas is developing quickly. This organ is vital to hormone production - particularly insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to break down and to use sugar.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
August 31 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
24 Weeks

Baby is filling out. Its face and body look more like an infant at the time of birth. Amniotic fluid continues to increase as the due date approaches, and its composition changes during pregnancy. During the first half, it is similar to maternal plasma. Then, it changes to more of
Baby’s own cells. There isn’t a great deal of room to move in the mother. As the Weeks
pass, space gets even tighter.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
September 7 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
6 months The
Baby will be able to hear by next week. The child sleeps and wakes, nestles in his favorite positions and stretches upon waking up. If
Baby is delivered now, it would have a high chance of living. No one wants a
Baby to deliver this early, but new treatment methods like ventilators, monitors and medication increase its chances of survival.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
September 14 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
26 Weeks

Baby now weighs almost 2 pounds and will put on more weight.
Baby has distinct sleeping and waking cycles. Certain times of the day will have
Baby very active, while other times he will be asleep. In addition, all five senses are now fully developed.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
September 21 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
27 Weeks
This week marks the beginning of the 3rd trimester. Eyelids will now open. The retina, at the back of the eye, is light-sensitive. It is the part of the eye where light images come into focus. These layers receive light wave information and transmit it to the brain for interpretations—what we know as “sight.”
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
September 28 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
28 Weeks
Crown-to-rump length is close to 10 inches. Brain tissue increases. Eyebrows and eyelashes are present. Hair on the
Baby’s head is growing longer. The body is becoming plumper and rounder. He is beginning to fill out a little due to increasing fat under the skin. Before this time, the
Baby had a thin appearance.
Baby has increased its weight more than 10 times in 11 Weeks
.
Baby is growing rapidly.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
October 5 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
29 Weeks

Baby weighs about 2 ¼ pounds. Crown-to-rump length is almost 10 ½ inches. Total
Baby length is 16 ½ inches. A couple of interesting factors about birth weight have been identified: Boys weigh more than girls. Birth weight of an infant increases with additional pregnancies or number of babies delivered. These are general statements and don’t apply to everyone, but they consistently reflect birth trends. The average
Baby’s birth weight at full term is 7 to 7 ½ pounds.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
October 12 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
7 months
Baby weighs about 3 pounds.
Baby is usually quite active during pregnancy. Still have 10 Weeks
to go and mother’s body feels like it’s running out of room as
Baby grows under mother’s ribs. Still, along with increased amniotic fluid,
Baby continues to get larger.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
October 19 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
31 Weeks
Mother’s body produces as much as 50% more blood and body fluids during pregnancy to meet
Baby’s needs. Enlarging
Baby pushes on mother’s pelvic veins, and blood flow in the lower part of her body is partially blocked. This pushes fluid into her legs and feet, causing swelling. Mother may be a bit (or very) uncomfortable, but
Baby is being fed and kept warm.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
October 26 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
32 Weeks

Baby weighs almost 4 pounds. Total length is nearly 19 inches. If mother is carrying twins, it is important to keep babies within mother to increase birth weights and to continue maturity of organ systems. The average length of pregnancy for twins is about 37 Weeks
. For triplets, it is about 35 Weeks
. Before ultrasound was available, diagnosing twins was much more difficult.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
November 2 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
33 Weeks
Mother gains more weight as
Baby continues to grow and develop. Mother may be gaining weight faster than at any other point during pregnancy. However, mother is not putting on most of this weight—
Baby is!
Baby is going through a period of increased growth and may be gaining as much as 8 ounces or more every week!
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
November 9 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
8 months Skin becomes pink and smooth.
Baby weighs almost 5 pounds and measures 19 ½ inches. The
Baby is really getting cramped now. “Lightening” begins - the period in which the head of the
Baby enters the birth canal. False labor is usually seen in late pregnancy. It seems to occur more often in women who have been pregnant before. It usually stops as quickly as it begins, and the
Baby is never in danger.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
November 16 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
35 Weeks

Baby now weighs over 5 ½ pounds. Total length is 20 ¼ inches. Mother’s increasing size is due to the growth of
Baby and placenta, as well as the increased amount of amniotic fluid. All these factors make estimating
Baby’s weight more difficult. Emotional changes within mother are normal. Many changes are happening to mother’s body as
Baby grows.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
November 23 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
36 Weeks

Baby weighs about 6 pounds measures 20 ¾ inches. Maturation of the lungs and respiratory system will enable
Baby to breathe on his own outside of the mother. Only 4 to 5 Weeks
until the due date!
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
November 30 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
37 Weeks
The maximum amount of amniotic fluid surrounds
Baby now. In the Weeks
to come,
Baby continues to grow. However, some amniotic fluid is reabsorbed by mother’s body. This decreases the amount of fluid around
Baby and the room in which he has to move. Mother may notice a difference of
Baby movements. For some mothers, it may seem like
Baby is not moving as much as he had been.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
December 7 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
38 Weeks

Baby weighs about 6¾ pounds and is around 21 inches. Many mothers don’t grow larger during the last several Weeks
of pregnancy, yet still feel very uncomfortable. Mother may not feel like eating much at this time, but it’s important to keep eating a healthy diet. Snacks are also important to keep mother’s energy levels up, nourish
Baby and help avoid heartburn.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
December 14 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
39 Weeks

Baby weighs a slightly more than 7 pounds, yet
Baby continues to gain weight even up to the last week or two.
Baby doesn’t have much room to move inside. At this point, his organ systems are developed and in place. The lungs are the last organs to mature.
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
December 21/25 Bulletin
The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
40 Weeks

Baby weighs about 7 ½ pounds. Total length is 21 ½ inches. There is little room for
Baby to move. Mother feels as big as she could ever be, and is more than ready to have
Baby The child triggers labor and birth occurs -- an average of 264 – 270 days after conception. We have followed
Baby’s development from conception to birth! Happy Birthday,
Baby Jesus!!! BIBLIOGRAPHY Curtis, Dr. Glade B., OB/GYN and Schuler Judith M.S. Your Pregnancy, Week by Week. Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA 02142. 2004. “Milestones of Early Life/How You Began Your Journey” (brochure). Heritage House, 919 S. Main St. Snowflake, AZ 85937. 2007. Each week we will show the
Baby Jesus’ development with Our Lady of Guadalupe’s picture in the same place in St. Cecilia’s parish Bulletin
. Parishioners may more understand the meaning of Our Lady’s visit to St. Juan Diego in 1531 and also become familiar with the placement within the Bulletin
of “
Baby Jesus in the womb
.” Bulletin
Insert: **********************************************************The Word was made Flesh . . . Following
Baby Jesus in the womb
THE WEEKLY ENTRY . . . . . . .
Baby’s approximate due date: December 25, 2014
. ************************************************************ We are going to keep it simple.
We are not going to talk about abortion ~ just leave it with “Jesus in the womb”.
We want to focus on God made Man.
We ordered holy cards and put them in the pews after each Mass.
We are being very careful to keep things tidy and easy for the parish priests and staff.
Father Pat and Nancy, our Office Manager, have been wonderful.
Holy Cards – 3 suggested options:
1. English - This is a bookmark that we ordered. We liked the Holy Family picture.
Unborn Prayer Card. 2. Our Lady of Guadalupe cards (English and Spanish) – I ordered Spanish from Arthur Maes of Denver, Colorado. He prints and distributes cards with a lovely full color image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the front, a brief description of the program and the short prayer composed by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on the reverse.
11142 Osage Street, Northglenn, CO 80234. Phone: 720-977-9150
Both men sent the cards express mail. They came in two days. They both took credit card numbers. Great to work with.
3. Make your own Our Lady of Guadalupe cards.
Guadalupe Card Template
Questions:
Call/email Mary Rigert
rigert3@frontier.com
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
Beaverton, Oregon 97007

Mary would LOVE to chat with you with ideas or suggestions!
Permission to use however you wish!!!
Have fun and may God bless us and our efforts!
Special thanks to our son, Nicholas Rigert, 214 Weeks
old,
for the excellent editing job!!
Love, Mom

It is entirely in keeping for Jesuits to preach against Church Teaching

Or at least, I said that partially in jest, in response to an April Fool's blog post by Mama Homophile on Jesuits accepting women into the Society of Jesus and of course, fake-quoting Fr. James Martin SJ as pushing for Women's Ordination.

The reason I said what I said is because Fr. James Martin and America Magazine have indeed become quite famous for opposing Church teaching with whatever heresy liberal Democratic America wants to champion this week. But that's what made the joke good- because it is so incredibly believable.