To sum up, the Biblical knowledge of St. Jerome makes him rank first among ancient exegetes. In the first place, he was very careful as to the sources of his information. He required of the exegete a very extensive knowledge of sacred and profane history, and also of the linguistics and geography of Palestine. He never either categorically acknowledged or rejected the deuterocanonical books as part of the Canon of Scripture, and he repeatedly made use of them. On the inspiration, the existence of a spiritual meaning, and the freedom of the Bible from error, he holds the traditional doctrine. Possibly he has insisted more than others on the share which belongs to the sacred writer in his collaboration in the inspired work. His criticism is not without originality. The controversy with the Jews and with the Pagans had long since called the attention of the Christians to certain difficulties in the Bible. St. Jerome answers in various ways. Not to mention his answers to this or that difficulty, he appeals above all to the principle, that the original text of the Scriptures is the only one inspired and free from error. Therefore one must determine if the text, in which the difficulties arise, has not been altered by the copyist. Moreover, when the writers of the New Testament quoted the Old Testament, they did so not according to the letter but according to the spirit. There are many subtleties and even contradictions in the explanations Jerome offers, but we must bear in mind his evident sincerity. He does not try to cloak over his ignorance; he admits that there are many difficulties in the Bible; at times he seems quite embarrassed. Finally, he proclaims a principle, which, if recognized as legitimate, might serve to adjust the insufficiencies of his criticism. He asserts that in the Bible there is no material error due to the ignorance or the heedlessness of the sacred writer, but he adds: "It is usual for the sacred historian to conform himself to the generally accepted opinion of the masses in his time" (P.L., XXVI, 98; XXIV, 855).

# posted by Squach : 8:41 PM   |  0 comments

As a devout young man in his native village in Burgundy, Jean Bernard Rousseau was serving as a catechist when he was introduced to the Brothers, who had just opened a school in a nearby town. He entered the Paris novitiate in 1822. After ten years in elementary schools throughout France, Brother Scubilion left France in 1833 to dedicate the remaining thirty-four years of his life to the enslaved natives on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. Remembered as the "catechist of the slaves," he inaugurated evening classes for them, which were well attended, even after a long day of exhausting labor. He devised special programs and techniques, suited to their needs and abilities, in order to teach the essentials of Christian doctrine and morality, and prepare them to receive the sacraments. He won them over by his kindly manner and his respect for them. After the emancipation of the slaves in 1848, he continued to care for them and to help them adapt to their new life of freedom and responsibility. In the last years of his life, despite failing health, he assisted the local pastor in visiting the sick, winning over sinners, encouraging vocations, and even effecting what seemed to be miraculous cures. At his death he was venerated everywhere on the island as a saint.

Born in Annay la-Côte, France March 21, 1797
Entered the novitiate December 24, 1822
Died on the Island of Reunion April 13, 1867
Beatified May 2, 1989

# posted by Justine : 2:03 AM   |  0 comments

Jeanine F. Pirro, the Republican candidate for New York attorney general, said this afternoon that last year she asked an old friend, former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard B. Kerik, to bug her family boat to determine if her husband was having an affair at a time when she was preparing to run for top political office.

# posted by Squach : 10:18 PM   |  0 comments

It is hard to imagine Rosie O'Donnell, for example, becoming disenchanted with the liberal agenda, no matter what. Somehow, I don't think Nancy Pelosi is going to reevaluate "taxing the rich," even if the country descended into a deep recession after more "progressive" tax laws were enacted. However, I could be wrong. And since I'm not a hyper-partisan, I can say that.


So let's start mocking all these hyper-partisans and begin to encourage critical thinking in America. It's much more interesting and it's far better for the country, because an acceptance of fact-based reality is crucial to solving problems.

# posted by Squach : 9:24 PM   |  0 comments

Standing during the eucharistic prayer at Mass in US dioceses is permitted "only on exceptional and extraordinary occasions ... and never on a regular basis," the US bishops' Committee on Liturgy said in its latest newsletter.

The committee's September newsletter, made public in mid-October, said "the only licit posture" during the eucharistic prayer is kneeling, unless Catholics "are prevented on occasion from kneeling due to 'health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason.'"

The newsletter was quoting from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. 2002 CNS Release

The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant, or while the priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Prayer of the Faithful; from the invitation, Orate, fraters (Pray, brethren), before the prayer over the offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated below.

They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.

In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.53

With a view to a uniformity in gestures and postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the directions which the deacon, lay minister, or priest gives according to whatever is indicated in the Missal. GIRM

# posted by Justine : 10:57 PM   |  0 comments

The Latinos were kind of likeable and hardworking if quiet, but those Asians — they were terrific. In fact, better yet, they were like me. They were laid-back and self-effacing. There was a journalist, a lawyer, a management consultant — just like my friends. One of them even went to Stanford four years after I did. And they won the first contest handily, even though their chicken was stolen by the white people. White people who probably didn't even eat the feet or eyeballs.

# posted by Squach : 9:19 PM   |  0 comments

The Iraqi militia Jaish al-Mujahedin (Holy Warriors' Army) announced its intention to "destroy their cross in the heart of Rome… and to hit the Vatican."[44] A previously unknown Baghdad-based group, Kataab Ashbal Al Islam Al Salafi (Islamic Salafist Boy Scout Battalions) threatened to kill all Christians in Iraq if the Pope does not apologize to Mohammed in three days in front of the whole world.[45] A Supreme Islamic Courts Council of Somalia cleric has called for the Pope's assassination, urging Muslims to "hunt down the Pope for his barbaric statements."[46], another demanded that "whosoever offends our Prophet Mohammed should be killed on the spot by the nearest Muslim".[47]

Several organizations, such as Al-Qaeda and the Shura Council threatened in a joint statement: "you and the West will be defeated... God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the Mujahideen."[48]

# posted by Squach : 8:37 PM   |  0 comments

Nachmanides, in his classic commentary, explains that the divine creation of the cosmos and everything within them so vastly supersedes mankind's experience and comprehension that the Torah could only outline the process of creation ex nihilo in the most abstract terms, applying terms like "higher waters" to represent the celestial spheres and "light" to describe the primordial spiritual radiance that is the source of all physical existence. The light of photons produced by the release of energy from the stellar fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium did indeed begin on the fourth day with the creation of our sun, but this was not the light of creation, merely a physical manifestation and a shallow reflection of the eternal light that makes both physical and spiritual illumination possible.

# posted by Squach : 8:17 PM   |  0 comments

Because that would offend people who don't believe in him

# posted by Squach : 11:11 AM   |  0 comments

In the passage of the speech that has roused so much anger, the Pope was quoting a 14th-century Byzantine emperor, and the Pontiff "did not intend "to make that opinion is own in any way," the Secretary of State said. What the Pope intended, the Italian cardinal emphasized, was "a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from whatever side it may come."

# posted by Squach : 10:27 AM   |  0 comments

Stillwell is warning government that the requirements will put parents into an untenable conflict over their duty to protect their children.

“A strict application would say the teacher can’t (allow children to opt out), and we know that’s not right,” Stilwell said. “All of this time, we have made accommodations for parents and students. (The ministry’s) not looking at the wider ramifications.”

Murray Corren called for the new K-12 curriculum to include, “Queer history and historical figures, the presence of positive queer role models -- past and present -- the contributions made by queers to various epochs, societies and civilizations and legal issues relating to (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) people, same-sex marriage and adoption.”

The development imposes yet another extraordinary exception from normal rules because it has been insisted upon by gay activists. Homosexual activists have won special exceptions from laws regarding public nudity, sexual solicitation, public sex acts, group sex in their so-called "bath houses", normal medical safeguards to contain the transmission of dangerous communicable diseases, the posting of sexually explicit billboards and much more. B.C. children are certain to be gradually desensitized by the across the board school curricula changes to become accepting of these practices and other aspects of the highly sexualized gay culture.
Corren objected that allowing parents to remove their children from the classes will defeat the whole object of the exercise.

"There's no point in us making the curriculum more queer-positive if people can take their kids out," Peter Corren told the Province yesterday. “This is the public education system. The School Act is quite clear ... religion does not play a role in what is taught. We just want the policy to be followed.”

# posted by Squach : 10:26 PM   |  0 comments

"He fights to save your files, he might be there all day. But some times he presses Caps lock and just walks away"

# posted by Squach : 6:57 PM   |  0 comments

Despite the pressure and controversy, more than a few bishops have recently made clear their support for kneeling during these parts of the Mass within their own dioceses in various ways, including public directives.

In some cases, kneelers have been re-installed in churches. That a growing number of bishops are restoring Eucharistic Adoration in their dioceses is further indication of their positive response to a crisis of belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and their recognition of the need to encourage reverence.

The wealth of biblical references to kneeling in prayer and adoration, both in the Old and New Testaments, are undoubtedly well known to these bishops. They also know that kneeling during public worship is a profound a part of Catholic culture and has been for at least the past millennium.

These bishops, along with countless Catholic believers, may hope that the revised Sacramentary, now being reviewed by the Holy See, will clearly reaffirm the tradition of kneeling as an expression of reverence and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and restore unity to Catholic practice.

# posted by Justine : 2:11 AM   |  0 comments

Should all power lines be put underground to avoid future storm-related outages?

# posted by Squach : 8:27 PM   |  0 comments

Five years ago, the Palmdale School District sent the survey to students in the first, third, and fifth grades (ages seven to ten) at Mesquite Elementary School. The survey, which was meant to measure children's exposure to early trauma, included ten questions about sex, asking the youngsters about such things as the frequency of "touching my private parts too much," "thinking about sex," "thinking about touching other people's private parts," and "having sex feelings in my body."

Seven parents brought suit against the school district, claiming their constitutional rights were violated. But in November 2005, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the lawsuit, claiming that parents relinquish their parental rights at the schoolhouse door. Ninth Circuit Judge Steven Reinhardt wrote that except for the Establishment and Treason Clauses, parents have no constitutional right to object to psychological sex surveys given to children as young as seven. According to Reinhardt -- who has been described as one of the most reversed judges in the country -- public schools have the right to administer sex instruction to any children, at any time and in any manner, notwithstanding the objections of their parents.

# posted by Squach : 8:09 PM   |  0 comments

The .NET GC takes this one step further and pre-reserves a large table for anyone who might want to use .NET objects in the process (let's say a 64 seat table). And when anyone creates a .NET object, the GC ushers them to the next available seat on that table. Once in a while the usher will walk around the table to check if someone is done eating and ask them to leave, and then scoots the rest of the people down the table. Some people might be waiting on other people to finish up before they can leave (references), so they get to stay too. And some people may be really annoying and say, dude, i got a window seat, i am sooo not moving (pinned objects) which means that the rest of the people can't be scooted down towards the end of the table either.

# posted by Squach : 7:46 PM   |  0 comments

Because Microsoft left it up to the Visual Basic programmers (ugh) to come up with this object, they chose to base it upon an IDispatch. In other words, the VTable for our object must start with the three IUnknown functions as all COM objects do (QueryInterface, AddRef, and Release), and then must be followed immediately with the four standard IDispatch functions (GetTypeInfoCount, GetTypeInfo, GetIDsOfNames, and Invoke). Our object must then have three more functions. In our IDL file, when we define the VTable (i.e., the interface) for this object we'll create, we must name these three extra functions Count, Item, and _NewEnum. In our actual VTable for the object, we can use any name we want for the pointers (although I'll stick to those names). Why? Because no one is ever going to directly call them. No one will ever even know that we're going to add these three functions to our VTable. These functions must be called only indirectly via the Invoke function of our object -- even if you're using a language like C that could have called them directly if only Microsoft's Visual Basic programmers had designed this to accommodate more powerful languages. That's the terrible price we all pay for letting Visual Basic programmers design this. Furthermore, in our IDL file, we must assign the ID DISPID_VALUE to the Item function, and DISPID_NEWENUM to the _NewEnum function. We must. The Count function can be assigned any positive number of our choosing for its ID. Does there appear to be any sense of consistency or logic to this whatsoever? No? Remember -- Visual Basic programmers.

# posted by Squach : 8:48 PM   |  0 comments

As Chad Kingsbury watches his daughter playing in the sandbox behind their suburban Chicago house, the thought that has flashed through his mind a million times in her two years of life comes again: Chloe will never be sick.

# posted by Squach : 11:37 PM   |  0 comments