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Sunday 2 March 2014

Putin pre-planned this

but did Obama as well?

http://www.ft.com/home/us

and did you know this? I did.



Tilo Yung
66% of Russian gas exported to the EU transits Ukraine

Can you believe this?

A White House official emailed some reporters to say that President Obama's team met today to discuss the ongoing situation on Ukraine. It appears President Obama did not attend. 
"The President's national security team met today to receive an update on the situation in Ukraine and discuss potential policy options. We will provide further updates later this afternoon," reads the full statement.
Obama did not attend the meeting, but WH official says he has been briefed by Susan Rice and his national security team.

A Saint with Three Feast Days



St. Agnes of Bohemia is one of these wonderful princesses, like St. Etheldreda and others, who gave up all to live a  life of poverty and humility. Blessed John Paul II canonized her on November 12th 1989. She is a descendant of the great St. Wensceslaus of Bohemia and the great queen St. Ludmilla of Bohemia, whose beautiful holy card I got from my grandmother Ludmilla I seem to have lost.

St. Agnes was born possibly on January 21, 1211, and died, possibly on March 2, 1282 in Prague.

I suggest we pray to her today for peace in Eastern Europe. Her other possible feast days are March 6th and June 8th. Sadly, during the Hussite rebellion, her relics were hidden and not found, to my knowledge.

St. Agnes of Bohemia, Franciscan,  pray for us.

By the way, the Google translator turned up "canoe goblins" for "canonesses" of St. Cyril, a monastery in Gernrode where three of St. Agnes' step-sisters entered.  Sigh.....ignorance?



Russia has invaded the Ukraine

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/europe/ukraine-politics/

Open Letter to The German Bishops

Your Excellencies,

A recent comment from one of your eminent bishops has not only caused concern among good Catholics, but caused confusion in those less catechized.

One of my friends noted that it seemed as if the bishops wanted a return to the Mosaic Law. This, of course, would indicate a lack of faith on the part of some of the hierarchy. It is also an oversight as to that holiness to which all the laity are called. All lay persons are called to be saints.

Since the Incarnation and the Redemption brought about by Christ on the Cross, we have all the grace we need in the New Covenant, graces from the sacraments. baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist, not to mention, confession, which those people in the Old Covenant did not have.

Christ died and rose again for these graces. There is no excuse to return to Mosaic Law, which would be, in effect, a denial of the Redemptive Act on the Cross.

God's Justice would not allow such a travesty of legal machinations.

Would the good bishops deny the efficacy of the sacraments? Is the new stand of some a cry to join the Protestant denominations which deny that the sacraments, indeed, give grace, and allow us to repent and change our lives, moving us out of darkness into light?

To consider changing what Our Lord and Savior deemed as possible for all Christians seems like hubris.

As on lay person who needed to procure an anullment and was obedient to the laws of the Church, not putting comfort, social status, or monetary concerns above the law of the Church, I beg you to reconsider your positions.

Many of us annulled Catholics have suffered terribly from separation, divorce, and annulment, even being shunned by family members and by some in parishes. But, we are in good standing with the Church and love the Church enough to be obedient sons and daughters. We have sacrificed in order to stay in the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, His Church.

Dear Your Excellencies, please reconsider your stand in this grave matter. Those divorced and re-married without annulment couples, who have chosen not to do the very hard thing, must be brought back into the Church through the normal means of repentance, abstinence, penance. You must help them become holy, not merely comfortable on earth.

Are you afraid to allow them to do the hard things in order for them to become saints? We only have a short time on this earth in which to work out our salvation, and come to perfection, before God calls us.

Thank you for considering this letter from one, obedient and lowly daughter of the Church.

Sincerely,

STM

Just Wondering

Do I have any readers from Norway? This country does not show in my ids.

I have a question if there are any.

Irish Memorare Update

Keep them coming--up to 83,782.

Check out this map if you are considering podding

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/03/01/where-in-the-u-s-are-there-heightened-protections-for-religious-freedom/