1) There is a reason this video has been viewed millions of times. I think I've watched it at least a dozen times myself, and it gets funnier with each viewing! It's my hometown weatherman, Cory McCloskey, with the most hilarious save I've ever, ever seen. And knowing the towns and cities in question makes it just that much better.
Go ahead, claim your laughs for the day:
There, I was right, wasn't I? Now, watch it again.
2) Last year, I laughed so hard at this event that my cheeks literally hurt. Everyone who attended (well over a thousand people!) belly laughed for two hours straight. I would not miss this for the world, and if you are in Arizona, you shouldn't either! The icing on the cake is that Bridget Hurley, who conceived and runs Laugh4Hope (which was inspired by the Blessed Mother), is a dear friend of mine here in the Phoenix Bubble, a mommy in my inner sanctum. She and her volunteers get an event of this magnitude up and running with little children running around underfoot. Please join us, because we all need to laugh more! And laughing for a good cause is the best thing I can think of....
Click the image above and get your tickets now! And yes, Tom Wilson (a Catholic) is the actor who played Biff in Back to the Future!
3) I was absolutely thrilled to come across this company, because I do love tea. This delightful, delicious tea not only comes straight from China, but my purchase directly helps and supports Catholics in that Communist nation. Check out their gorgeous website and variety of teas: I think you will be impressed, too:
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| I love the Church in China. They are heroes. |
4) Speaking of Catholics in foreign lands, I received an important email from a woman in Slovakia, asking all of you for your prayers:
Hi Leila,
I would like to ask for prayers and also perhaps your blog community.
I am from Slovakia and I do not know whether you have heard about it
already or not but on February 7, Slovakians will have the opportunity
to support marriage and the natural family in a nationwide referendum.
You can imagine how the media are crazy about it and are trying to
ruin the referendum or at least to negatively influence people.
The referendum questions:
1. Marriage: Do you agree that no union but that between a man and a
woman can be called marriage?
2. Adoption: Do you agree that it should not be permitted for same-sex
couples to adopt and raise children?
3. Sex education and euthanasia: Do you agree that schools should not
oblige pupils to attend lectures on the subject of sexual behavior and
euthanasia if their parents do not approve?
I believe that this is a really big thing happening and even though
we are a small country, in case the referendum is successful it may
lead other countries to follow. Please pray for us, with God's help
everything is possible.
Thank you very much.
United in prayers
one of your readers Michaela
In a follow-up email, Michaela lamented that "lately there is such a terrible push from the Western countries [for us to accept same-sex 'marriage' and adoption]", and that "many people want to be 'modern' as the West."
What a tragedy! A huge push from the West for Eastern Europe to accept the Culture of Death, just like the push that is happening in Africa. And the Slovakians want to be "modern" like us -- which is just what our wonderful friend Obianuju Ekeocha (Uju) said to me about her own Nigeria, and of Africa in general: Young people there want to be "sophisticated and modern" like Westerners. Oh, how sad that anyone would want to emulate our painfully confused and disconnected culture. The "modern and sophisticated" things they see the West doing are not worthy of emulation! There is nothing sophisticated about sin and moral relativism. Not one thing. The Culture of Death brings death and nothing more.
Please pray for Michaela's countrymen as they approach the referendum on February 7, and for Uju as she continues her amazing work with Culture of Life Africa (COLA).
5) Remember Pope Francis and "RabbitGate"? What a silly dust up that was, but hopefully we all understand the context now. As someone who has said things in conversation that I wish I hadn't said in just that way, I feel for Pope Francis, and he clearly feels bad about the whole misunderstanding, too. Through a statement by Archbishop Giovanni Becciu, the Pope offered an apology for anyone who might have been hurt by what they thought he meant:
“The Pope is truly sorry that it created such disorientation. He absolutely did not want to disregard the beauty and the value of large families,” Archbishop Becciu stated.
“Seeing the headlines, the Holy Father, with whom I spoke yesterday, smiled and was a bit surprised that his words were not fully contextualized with regards to a very clear passage of Humanae Vitae on responsible parenthood,” Archbishop Becciu stated.A lot of us were surprised, dear Papa.
6) We talk a lot on this blog about the defiling and misuse of human sexuality that manifests in so many forms and is always contrary to human dignity, but I don't think I've mentioned sex trafficking yet, which is a massive global tragedy. Thanks to a reader, Elizabeth, I want to direct you to the site of Operation Underground Railroad, whose business is rescuing kidnapped children from slavery.
As a mother, I can't even let my mind go there. I can only thank God that there are ways we can help, and that there are brave people who do this work of saving the innocent. Please check them out if your heart is moved to help.
7) Another way to save the innocent is to adopt those in great need. Just look at sweet Emery! This bright 5-year-old boy has dwarfism and is in need of a family.
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| Click photos for more information. |
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Well, everyone, have a beautiful Sunday, and after Mass and family time, enjoy the Big Game!!
Is Emery Filipino? What a cutie...if only.
ReplyDeleteI believe he's in China...
ReplyDeleteAh, I have a story for you! When I was little (well, not that little, maybe 14 or 15, but it seems so young to me now!), I got Tom Wilson (Biff) to write to me! At that time in my life, I was "an aspiring actress" and I was caught in the dilemma of wanting to pursue acting as a career but also worried about the moral side of it. I had seen Tom Wilson on TV (I believe it was EWTN) and it was there that I learned that he was Catholic! So I wrote to him, asking for his advice about acting as a career yet keeping his Catholic faith and how did he do it? Then, to make sure that he answered my letter, I told him not to "be like the President and just send me a Xeroxed copy of a letter with his signature". It worked--he did write back--handwritten to prove it was not Xeroxed--and said that he did NOT want to be compared to the President (Clinton), so he HAD to write back just to prove me wrong. Haha, it was very nice of him to humor a young kid, I was thrilled and kept his letter for years until I unfortunately lost it one day...
ReplyDeleteBecky, no way! That is awesome! What a great story!! What a great guy. I can't wait to see him do his standup routine! (What was his advice about keeping his Catholic faith as an actor?)
ReplyDeleteIt was so long ago, I can't remember too much, I just remember being so surprised that he actually wrote back! And two pages worth! Basically, he talked about how he kept his Catholic faith as a priority, and that being a husband and Dad came first before his career. He trusted God with his acting career; and he had to turn down many roles because of it. He lost a lot of his Hollywood friends and also a lot of work because of it. I don't remember if his reversion came before or after his work on "Back to the Future" (I loved that movie!). He had to make a lot of sacrifices in order to keep his Catholic Faith and still act, but he said he had never been happier.
DeleteWish I could meet him in person!
Hi Leila
ReplyDeleteThis is totally off topic, but I'm watching Secrets of the Vatican on Netflix and I wonder if you've seen it and if you have a response to it. It's a Frontline show. Thanks.
Johanne, no I haven't. Anyone?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.catholicleague.org/pbs-48th-hit-catholic-church/
ReplyDeleteThere's one response I found before I go to bed. I'm sure there is more.
If you subscribe to Netflix you might want to watch it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leila, for the shout-out! I pray our tea is a blessing to you. I am going to share your support of Crossings Tea with the clergy and farmers in the Yichang Diocese, which I know will inspire them. I will be out on the farm for Chinese New Year, and we will be sure to include your intentions (as well as those of your readers) in a special rosary that we pray for our tea mission.
ReplyDeleteNot only is "Biff" a Catholic actor, he is a beautiful Catholic singer! He put out an album called "In The Name Of The Father". The song called "I Forgive You" will melt your heart. Maybe Bridgett could ask him to bring some CD's to the show!
ReplyDeleteBecky, Awesome!! Lidia, that's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteJohn, I am so humbled and grateful! So good to hear from you!
Johanne, I read the transcript, and wow. I agree with a lot but disagree with much of it as well (and the spin is ridiculous, and this idea of the "absolute monarch" as if there is no freedom to leave -- Catholics are very good at leaving and no one comes after them!). A lot of it is drama for the sake of drama. And yes, there is the "gay mafia" in the Vatican from what I understand. Corruption and sin lurk in every corner of every institution that has humans involved. But things like this just are wrong:
ReplyDelete"Dr. MARTIN KAFKA: The number of Catholic clergy who are accused of or prosecuted for child and adolescent sexual abuse vastly outnumber the number of Protestant clergy. So what is it about the Catholic clergy that makes them distinctly different? And one of those factors is this issue of suppressing one’s sexuality to better serve God."
Give me a break. First of all, I don't believe the numbers. Catholic priests do not abuse in any greater numbers than other clergy, and in much FEWER numbers than family members and public school teachers/coaches/administrators. And celibacy has nothing to do with sexual abuse. Where are all the Buddhist monks who are abusing children? I addressed a lot of those issues years ago in this post:
http://littlecatholicbubble.blogspot.com/2010/04/thoughts-on-church-sex-scandal-part-one.html
Also, don't get me started on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee under Weakland. Oh my gosh, a cesspool of corruption, and we faithful Catholics knew that for decades before he "exposed" his own personal sins. What an awful thing to have a corrupt and deeply sinful man as a bishop -- I always felt terrible for the faithful in Milwaukee. Sadly, since Judas himself, there have always been bad and sinful men in the apostolic line. Just awful.
ReplyDeleteOk the weatherman had me in STITCHES!!! I sent it to everyone I know. Thanks for sharing that one.
ReplyDelete