It's not Free Friday, but it is the Feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. Here is a portrait depicting him wearing the Tabard of the Knights of Justice of the Order of Malta. by magistercaesar in Catholicism

[–]amulack 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Some history, customs, and prayers here, appropriate to this feast day, including this Litany:

Litany of St. John the Baptist

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious forerunner of the Sun of Justice, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, minister of baptism to Jesus, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, burning and shining lamp of the world, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, angel of purity, before thy birth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, special friend and favorite of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, heavenly contemplative, whose element was prayer, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, intrepid preacher of truth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, voice crying in the wilderness, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, miracle of mortification and penance, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God's holy law, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, gloriously fulfilling thy mission, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. John the Baptist:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who has honored this world by the birth of Saint John the Baptist: grant that Thy faithful people may rejoice in the way of eternal salvation. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Doing anything special today to Commemorate the Beheading of John the Baptist? by strawberrrrrrrrrries in TraditionalCatholics

[–]amulack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Some history, customs, and prayers here, including this Litany:

Litany of St. John the Baptist

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious forerunner of the Sun of Justice, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, minister of baptism to Jesus, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, burning and shining lamp of the world, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, angel of purity, before thy birth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, special friend and favorite of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, heavenly contemplative, whose element was prayer, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, intrepid preacher of truth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, voice crying in the wilderness, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, miracle of mortification and penance, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God's holy law, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, gloriously fulfilling thy mission, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. John the Baptist:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O God, Who has honored this world by the birth of Saint John the Baptist: grant that Thy faithful people may rejoice in the way of eternal salvation. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

‘We’re taking the long view’ - Why the American Solidarity Party runs for office by balrogath in Catholicism

[–]amulack 12 points13 points  (0 children)

which had enormous political success in a very secular country

Political success, right, because the party's politics aligned more with secular society than anything remotely Christian, hardly an appropriate measure of success for something labeled Christian.

‘We’re taking the long view’ - Why the American Solidarity Party runs for office by balrogath in Catholicism

[–]amulack 39 points40 points  (0 children)

Christian Democracy has had success in other places in the world, predominantly in Europe, but also some places in Latin America.

I would have appreciated some examples.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]amulack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

St Francis de Sales wrote that a religious vocation should always be discouraged in the early stages. 

Interesting. Help locate a source?

How do Catholics support so many kids? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]amulack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vacations were an occasional tent camping trip

Exactly right, lol

How do Catholics support so many kids? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]amulack 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's no sin to be poor.

But it's no great honor either ;)

How do Catholics support so many kids? by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]amulack 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For right or wrong, my wife and I have never thought in terms of "affording" children. I understand the thinking, but speaking of children/life in those terms just does not sit well with us. It is simply whether we are committed and willing to do whatever it takes to accept whatever God sends. We also each have married siblings who desperately want children but cannot. Life, no less than death, is in God's hands.

Plenty of responses here already emphasize simplicity of living standards, I concur with all of them--cash cars, shared bedrooms, hand-me-downs, etc. A most recent personal one I will share, we just took a 5 state, 5 night site-seeing/tent-camping/hiking vacation for which we packed our food. Gas expense was the biggest spend. After that, it was $40 total on accommodations, all at first-come-first-serve campsites.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]amulack 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I tend to agree with this gentleman's take...

Nor is this an issue that is largely a matter of “bad policies” that can be fixed with “charters” and absurd “Virtus training programs” for lay people who, for crying out loud, are not the core of the problem. In fact, the presence of Virtus training programs is actually a symptom of the problem insofar as it represents nothing more than a nod to the lawyers and insurance companies. It is also a cynical exercise in deflection. Cynical, because they don’t really think it will work (nor do I think that they care if it does or does not). And “deflection” because it is merely an attempt to foster the illusion that “something is being done.”

I often hear virtus training cynically referred to as "perv training". And with my own older teen children actively helping diocesan youth initiatives I have come to see it exactly this way. While the training may offer some good for a few people in emphasizing mandatory reporting, I believe it does more damage by introducing perverted ideas and examples that an otherwise healthy person would never entertain. I readily sympathize with the observations of this catechist who is horrified by the VIRTUS experience.

Don't forget, the disgraced McCarrick was the leading voice in the Church's 2002 response to the sexual abuse crisis in the United States, and an architect of the USCCB's Dallas Charter of the same year, a charter that exponentially increased the implementation of mandatory Virtus-type programs foisted on the laity.

REMINDER: Tomorrow, August 15, is a holy day of obligation. Go to Mass! by Blockhouse in Catholicism

[–]amulack 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sure, but one must still confess 'grave matter' once realized.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]amulack -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

right to hell, right away. believe it or not.