Marzia Prince is what is known as a "fitness model".

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

Mayor McTerror Update.

It is time to put an end to the farce known as Rudy's campaign, kiddies. The baby killin', gun grabbin', marriage destroyin' Catholic In Name Only Repansycan is convincing his moral and intellectual inferiors in Flyover, USA he is the only thing capable of stopping Hitlery Rodham Schicklgruber.

The thing is, kiddies, he is the only one sure to lose to the Nazi Party standard-bearer.

The State: Giuliani a surprise hit in S.C.

Rudy Giuliani was not supposed to compete in South Carolina. The New York Yankee, pundits said, could not overcome his stances favoring gay rights, abortion or gun control. Social conservatives, they said, would torpedo him in the Palmetto State. But with less than three months to go before South Carolina’s Republican primary, fresh polling shows Giuliani is in a statistical tie for first place ...

Tears of a clown.

AP: Okra Whingefree wept at learning of school assault

Oprah Winfrey said Monday she wept after hearing allegations that a dorm matron at her academy for disadvantaged girls had abused students. She accused school officials of telling the girls to "put on happy faces" when she visited.

Though she said she was not responsible for hiring at the school, Winfrey said the screening process was inadequate and "the buck always stops with me." She said the head mistress' contract would not be renewed and promised a shake-up, indicating school officials had tried to keep the facts of the case from her.

"When I first heard about it I spent about a half-hour going around my house crying," Winfrey said at a news conference by satellite hook-up. She said learning about the allegations was "one of most devastating experiences of my life."

Only half an hour? She doesn't sound too devastated to me. After all, three girls have had their lives ruined at Okra's Ego Trip School.

Tiny Virginia Makopo, 27, faces 13 charges of indecent assault, assault and criminal injury committed against at least six students aged 13-15 and a 23-year-old at the school. Makopo, who said she was innocent, was freed on bail Monday.

Winfrey said she was initially told a girl who accused the matron of abuse had left the school because the girl's mother wanted to spend more time with her. She said girls at the school, which she visited frequently, told her they were instructed "to put on happy faces" when she was there and not complain.

Wow. Just like the Fembots in her studio audience hoping to be given a free automobile.

Winfrey, who has in the past spoken of the abuse she suffered as a child and campaigned for laws in the United States to protect children from abusers, said that because of the high rates of rape and sexual abuse in South Africa, she had worked to ensure outsiders would not be able to reach students at the school.

Okra enables the cycle of abuse to continue on an international scale.

But "as often is the case, child abuse, sexual abuse happens right within the family, right within the confines of people you know," she said.

Winfrey has spoken in the past of being raped by a distant cousin at age 9 and then abused by three other men, trusted family friends.

Penis bad. Vajayjay good. [See vajayjay on Youtube.  - F.G.) ]

Winfrey said the school's chief executive John Samuel told her in early October that a group of 15 girls had come forward with a list of complaints including the sexual assault of one of their classmates.

She then called for an independent investigation to determine the extent of the allegations. The investigation was headed by Richard Farley, a Chicago detective who works with child abuse cases.

"My experience with child predators is that no one ever abuses just one child," she said.

Winfrey said she flew to South Africa to speak with the pupils and encourage them to come forward with their complaints: "It was a chance to break the silence."

The school announced Oct. 17 that a dormitory matron had been suspended amid allegations of serious misconduct. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls said private U.S. and South African detectives were investigating, as well as South African police.

On Oct. 20, Winfrey said Monday, she flew to South Africa again to meet with parents: "I apologized for the unfortunate circumstance and promised changes."

Winfrey opened the academy outside Johannesburg on Jan. 2, with celebrities such as Tina Turner and Spike Lee in attendance, as well as former President Nelson Mandela.

The lavish $40 million school was the fulfillment of a promise she made to Mandela six years ago and aims to give 152 girls from deprived backgrounds a quality education in a country where schools are struggling to overcome the legacy of apartheid.

Winfrey was adamant that the scandal had not dented her desire to help the girls in her school.
"No one — not the accused or anyone else — can destroy the dream I have held or that the girls hold. Their light will not be diminished by this," she said.

Samuel, the school's superintendent, told reporters Monday there was now a sense of relief at the school and that life was beginning to return to normal.

"We are beginning to heal. The spirit of the girls remains strong," he said.

Fascism Is Universal.

The power-mad commie fear mongers offer sane folks an opportunity to save money and brain cells...

Washington's other newspaper: NBC says 'Obey us or die!'

This morning, the "Today" show begins its "Ends of the Earth" stunt as part of NBC's "Green Is Universal" initiative. All this week, Matt Lauer will report from the Arctic, Ann Curry will be in Antarctica and Al Roker will report from the equator in an effort to highlight...

...shut off your television!

Fyodor's guide to surviving the Hollyweird writers' strike.

You hadn't heard? Well, apparently it is a big deal in certain precincts, smartypants.

Sharewatch: Picketing under way in TV writers strike

The first walkout by Hollywood writers in nearly 20 years got under way Monday with noisy pickets outside the "Today" show -- a strike that threatens to disrupt everything from late-night talk shows to soap operas.

Eek!

A giant, inflated rat was put on display Monday as about 40 people in Rockefeller Center shouted, "No contract, no shows!" "The seven-word mantra is, `When you get paid, we get paid,'" said Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild of America East.

Behold the cleverness America shall be denied until this tragic situation is resolved! Who is not entertained by giant inflatable rats?

The strike is the first walkout by writers since 1988. That work stoppage lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry more than $500 million.

The "Today" show is not directly affected by the strike because news writers are part of a different union. [So why did they go...? Oh, I get it. - F.G.] The picket was set up behind police barricades in an area adjacent to the NBC studios, where shows like "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" might be forced to play re-runs.

Writers' demands for a bigger slice of DVD profits and revenue from the distribution of films and TV shows over the Internet has been a key issue.

"They claim that the new media is still too new to structure a model for compensation," said Jose Arroyo, a writer for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." "We say give us a percentage so if they make money, we make money," said Arroyo.

NO JUSTICE, NO MINDLESS BLATHER!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This time the Heat Nazis have gone too far. They are now screwing with the beer.

The News Journal: Cost of beer heading up in 2008

Now's the time to raise your mug and savor the taste of your favorite local brew -- because you may be paying more for that pint next year.

A tight global market for the raw ingredients of beer is raising predictions of higher prices and complicating business for Delaware's popular craft brewers, a segment of the state's economy that had been enjoying a string of upbeat years.

Blame it all on drought, hailstorms, heat and inflation, just a few of the unpleasant influences that have beset the brewing industry in recent times.

Fuel, aluminum and glass prices have been rising quickly in recent years. Barley and wheat prices have skyrocketed as more farmers plant corn to meet increasing demand for ethanol, while others plant feed crops to replace acres lost to corn.

Eek!

A decade-long oversupply of hops that had forced farmers to abandon the crop has expired and harvests were down this year. In the United States, where one-fourth of the world's hops are grown, acreage fell 30 percent between 1995 and 2006.

As if that weren't enough -- Australia endured its worst drought on record; hail storms across Europe damaged crops; and extreme heat in the western United States hurt yields and quality.

For local brewers, hops and barley costs have posted unprecedented spikes. "They took an astronomical jump this year," said Mark Edelson, co-owner and director of brewing operations for the Iron Hill brew-pub chain." In the 10 years I've been in the business, I've never seen this. ... This is historic for us."

Craft breweries, which produce relatively small batches of artisanal brews for a beer-savvy customer base, face an especially thorny patch ahead, partly because they use so much more hops per barrel, and partly because they lack big brewers' capacity to hedge against price increases.

"For a microbrewery operating on the tightest of margins ... it might be crippling," said Al Stewart, owner of the Stewart's Brewing Co. brew pub in Bear.

So far, price increases for customers have been modest -- less than a dollar a 12-pack at retail, said Harry Schuhmacher, editor of the online trade publication Beer Business Daily. Some industry followers expect the price of beer to increase by at least 10 percent before the end of the year.

"Brewers are trying to take pricing up, but it's hard when beer is pretty sensitive to pricing per volume. And when drinkers are leaving beer to go to wine and spirits," he said.

On the other hand, smaller brewers have more pricing power than the big guys do.

"They're able to increase pricing more without losing drinkers," he said.

Some of Delaware's beer producers say the situation is mitigated somewhat by contracts that lock supply and price in place for the time being. But by the first of the year, increasing reliance on higher-priced supplies could mean higher prices for consumers, Edelson said.

Delaware's most prominent locally owned brewery, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, is particularly well-known across the country for its "hoppy" beers, but faces its biggest cost pressures from barley. "We've decided not to pass along 100 percent of our price increase to our customers," said Dogfish owner Sam Calagione.

The Michael and Cathryn Borden Memorial Book of the Day.*

Want some good news, kiddies?

Not only are the United States Marines killing bad guys, they are continuing another honorable tradition: turning punks into men.

Hard Corps: From Gangster to Marine Hero
by Marco Martinez


From the publisher:

At the age of seventeen, Marco Martinez was a thug—a gun-toting, car-stealing gang member.

At the age of twenty-two, he was a hero—the recipient of the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor a U.S. Marine can receive, for extraordinary heroism under fire in the Iraq War. Hard Corps tells the story of his incredible transformation and of his experiences on the front lines of the War on Terror.

Writing with passion and candor, Martinez brings us back to his gang days, detailing experiences that make him “shudder in shame” to remember. And he recalls the moment that changed everything for him, when he spotted a barrel-chested U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at his high school. Immediately, he saw an opportunity to alter the course of his aimless life.

Martinez takes us with him through the grueling ordeal of Marine boot camp and the even-more-punishing training at the School of Infantry to show just how warriors are made. He reveals how he and his fellow grunts prepared tirelessly for battle, seeing combat not as a burden but as a privilege, the ultimate baptism by fire.

For Martinez, that baptism came in Iraq. In Hard Corps, he unfolds a warrior’s tale as riveting, harrowing, and immediate as any ever written. He takes us onto the narrow, treacherous streets of Baghdad, where enemy fire rains down from all directions; alongside his Marine squad as they patrol through the most dangerous war zone imaginable; and into a brutal terrorist ambush that calls upon reserves of ferocity and courage none of the Marines could ever be certain they possessed and that proves the value of every moment of their torturous training. Martinez also recounts stunning reminders of why we fight: the Iraqi man he met whose tongue had been chopped off for speaking out against Saddam Hussein’s regime, the ghastly evidence of human experimentation that Martinez’s squad discovered at an abandoned Iraqi military barracks, and the horrifying mass graves the Marines unearthed in the Iraqi desert.

Hard Corps gives us a visceral sense of what it means to know that you are ready to die for your brother Marines and that they would do the same for you. It tells us how it feels when words like duty, honor, and country are not an empty slogan. And, ultimately, it captures the traditions and ooh-rah spirit of the U.S. Marine Corps and the valor of all the Marines, sailors, soldiers...

Meanwhile, the Publishers Weekly mini-review reeks of penis envy...

In this macho, profanity-laced memoir by a 2003 Iraqi invasion veteran, Martinez describes himself as a Hispanic juvenile delinquent from Albuquerque, N.Mex., who turned his life around by joining the marines in 2001. His exploits (including winning the Navy Cross) will entertain military buffs with precise details of combat and of a sadistic boot camp that recalls the antiwar movie (but Marine and Martinez favorite) Full Metal Jacket. Bonded and eager for battle, his unit yearned in vain to fight in Afghanistan after 9/11 and joyfully participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Though experts now agree our forces overwhelmed Saddam Hussein's disorganized army, Martinez and his men assumed they faced a vicious enemy, referred to by Martinez as “terrorists,” and killed scores while destroying buildings with their overwhelming firepower. His company suffered two wounded. Martinez never doubts that he fought to defend America's freedom and freely admits his contempt for those who don't appreciate this. The book is peppered with denunciation of “biased news coverage,” “liberals,” “hippies,” John Kerry and Anthony Swofford (ex-marine author of Jarhead), but readers who enjoy learning about the mechanics of an urban gang and of a marine platoon in combat are unlikely to object. (Sept. 18)

*Huh? Look here.

From The Brutalizing Our Women Department:

ABC 13 Texas: Miss England told to pack on pounds for Miss World Competition

A British beauty queen says she was told to pack on pounds for the upcoming Miss World competition an unexpected request, considering she's not rail-thin. "I was a little bit shocked," Miss England Georgia Horsley said Friday in an interview on NBC's "Today" show.

"I don't think I'm too thin. I'm happy with the way I am," said the 20-year-old, who is a size 4.
She added: "I probably would have been more hurt if they told me to lose weight, I think."



She looks fine. She would look fine if she added a couple of pounds. She would look fine if she lost a couple of pounds. Have we really gotten this stupid, kiddies?

Horsley said pageant organizers want "their girls to be more voluptuous and womanly and curvy, you know, rather than the stick-thin, size-0 models that you see around."

"I've just got quite more of an athletic, boyish-type figure rather than the hourglass figure that some women have," said the 5-foot-8 Horsley. "And they're just seeing if, you know, I could maybe put a bit of weight on and it might give me those curves."



Fortunately, she appears not to have joined in the latest craze sweeping the Jolly Old: self-dentistry.

The Miss World press office didn't immediately respond Friday to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Horsley has little more than a month to gain weight: the Miss World pageant will be held in China on Dec. 1.

Wha-wha-what? Are we really going to trust Slave China with the world's hottest babes??

"They've not given me a total (weight) to get to," she said. "But I'm going to eat, you know, healthy fats such as nuts and avocado, oily fish, things like that."

Horsley said the request was no big deal, comparing it to being asked to get a tan or let her hair grow.

"I don't think this is a major, major thing, you know," she said. "They just want me to put on a few pounds."

Sure, but what if she gains weight in all the wrong places?

"I'm trying to work out at the same time," she said. "It'll hopefully maybe level things out a bit. But, I mean, if I do start putting weight on, say, my stomach or somewhere on my thighs where I don't really want to put it on ... I'll obviously scrap the idea and I'll just accept the fact that I'm a naturally athletic build and can't do the curves."

The Michael and Cathryn Borden Memorial Book of the Day.*

Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming
by Bjorn Lomborg

A groundbreaking book that transforms the debate about global warming by offering a fresh perspective based on human needs as well as environmental concerns.

Bjorn Lomborg argues that many of the elaborate and expensive actions now being considered to stop global warming will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, are often based on emotional rather than strictly scientific assumptions, and may very well have little impact on the world's temperature for hundreds of years. Rather than starting with the most radical procedures, Lomborg argues that we should first focus our resources on more immediate concerns, such as fighting malaria and HIV/AIDS and assuring and maintaining a safe, fresh water supply-which can be addressed at a fraction of the cost and save millions of lives within our lifetime. He asks why the debate over climate change has stifled rational dialogue and killed meaningful dissent.

Exactly!

If you want to believe the sky is falling, fine, go ahead. Just don't corrupt science, impoverish billions of souls, and enslave all of humanity.

That's not asking too much, is it?

Lomborg presents us with a second generation of thinking on global warming that believes panic is neither warranted nor a constructive place from which to deal with any of humanity's problems, not just global warming. Cool It promises to be one of the most talked about and influential books of our time.

*WTF??? Look here.

I'm hoping this is the one that takes Tom Cruise to the Old Mutha (Hubbard) ship.

Arizona Range News: Comet Holmes 17p: A bright, oddball Halloween visitor from Deep Space

Small, faint Comet Holmes 17P surprised astronomy observers around the globe by suddenly becoming bright enough (at a visual magnitude rating of 2.5, a measure of brightness that astronomers use) to see with the naked eye on Oct. 25. Earlier in the month it had been one million times fainter (at a magnitude of +17) and not visible to the unaided eye. The comet, now located in the constellation Perseus in the northeastern night sky, became even brighter on Oct. 26 and 27, and now looks like a fuzzy, yellowish star with the unaided eye. The smaller the number is for an object's magnitude, the brighter the object is, and negative magnitudes are very bright objects. The brightest star in the sky, Sirius, has a magnitude of -1.42, with negative numbers showing even brighter objects. The brightest planet in the night sky, Venus, has a magnitude from -4.1 to -4.4.

Why did this comet suddenly become millions of times brighter in a few days, or perhaps even in a few hours? What is the source of the energy needed to do this? Does it come from inside the comet, or is something outside affecting it? The reasons why Comet Holmes has had such an explosive outburst are not understood at all. Some scientists are wondering if it has developed a large crack, or fissure, and this is causing more dust and ice to stream away from it. Or it could be an out gassing event reflecting sunlight, possibly related to ice melting over a gas-filled cavern. It might even be a partial breakup of the comet's nucleus.

Amazingly, it already made its closest to the Sun last May, at 191 million miles (307 million kilometers) from the Sun. The comet is now moving away from the Sun and currently is quite far out from Earth at a distance of 151 million miles (243 million kilometers), where the effects of the Sun on it are less. In spite of this, Loretta McKibben, (a volunteer telescope operator at Flandrau), noted that the coma of the comet increased in size about 10% on Saturday, October 27, from views seen the night before.

Due to time constraints, we now move to further action.

Edwin Holmes in London, England discovered comet Holmes in November 1892, and it was spotted again in the 1960s. This comet is part of Jupiter's "family" of comets-a group in of icy bodies, which cluster around the orbit of Jupiter, and takes 6.88 years to make one circuit around the Sun. Jupiter's powerful gravity has altered the orbits of Comet Holmes over time. The comet was considered "lost" for nearly 60 years before it was finally recovered with a large observatory telescope in 1964.

Comet Holmes is not alone in exhibiting anomalous effects. In the past, other comets have undergone unexpected outbursts in brightness. This is not the first outburst for Comet Holmes: when it was discovered in 1892, it was in outburst mode, since it became as bright as fourth magnitude and was dimly visible to the naked eye.

As to what Comet Holmes will do in the coming weeks is not known. If you have your own binoculars or a small telescope, use the Perseus constellation diagram to locate this comet. Perseus is in the northeast sky after sunset, and appears almost directly overhead at about midnight for the next few weeks. Viewers all report the comet as appearing star-like. The comet should appear as a slightly fuzzy, white to yellowish star to the unaided eye. Binoculars and/or a low powered telescope are recommended to spot the comet.

From The You Know Not The Hour Department:

Asbury Park Press: Runner who collapsed and died during Olympic marathon trials had enlarged heart

Elite distance runner Ryan Shay, who collapsed and died Saturday during the U.S. men's marathon Olympic trials, had been diagnosed with an enlarged heart but cleared by doctors, his father said. "The thing that made him such a great runner may have killed him," Joe Shay told The Associated Press. An enlarged heart like Ryan's translated into extra endurance — crucial for a distance runner.

Silly protestants have trouble with the death penalty because they believe (and therefore think) incorrectly.

Of course, the same sickness infects many Catholics as well...

The Christian Post: Church Reassesses Approach to Death Penalty After Members Killed

The atmosphere at a United Methodist church in Connecticut known for its outspoken opposition against capital punishment changed after the type of people they were striving to protect killed members from their own congregation.

Before the acts committed by two men left three church members dead, attendants of the United Methodist Church in Chesire were largely opposed to the death penalty.

The church’s current and recent pastors all opposed capital punishment. The church has also sponsored adult education classes that promoted the “restorative justice.” Furthermore, church members attended a vigil to protest the execution of a Connecticut prisoner two years ago.

However, when tragedy struck closer to home, the church reexamined its approach to rallying against the death penalty.

Back in July, two men broke into the home of a family that was very active and popular within the church. Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, was strangled and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, died from a fire set by the intruders, according to police. William Petit, the husband and father of the victims, survived.

“I’m treading lightly out of respect for the Petit family,” said the church’s pastor, the Rev. Stephen E. Volpe, according to the New York Times. “I do not feel we, in this church, ought to make this tragedy the rallying cry for anything at this point.”

Church members have also canceled plans to invite a prominent death penalty opponent to address the congregation.

Many have questioned whether Hawke-Petit opposed the death penalty, hoping that an answer would provide guidance on how the congregation should handle the matter.

A handful of members say they think Hawke-Petit was among those at the church that signed a Declaration of Life, which states a person’s opposition to capital punishment and asks that prosecutors, in the event of the person’s own death in a capital crime, do not seek the death penalty.

“She was a nurse and she would not cause harm to anyone,” said Lucy Earley, a congregant who handled the declarations from members at church.

But prosecutors say Hawke-Petit’s position on capital punishment would not affect the enforcement of the law.

The congregation has also wondered whether William Petit, a physician, would oppose or support the death penalty in this case.

A friend and church member said that after meeting with Petit, he felt the doctor supported the execution of the two suspects if found convicted.

Senatrix Hitlery Schicklgruber (N-NY), call your office.

AP: PetroChina becomes world's first company worth $1 trillion

Somehow, I doubt ol' Hit will try to take their "windfall profits".

The war this time.

If you think Pakistan's democratic "forces" can win the war against the goat rapists infesting their country, then urge our government to punish Musharrf. But do not be surprised if the goat rapists win and destroy all hope of freedom for Pakistan's people.

If you have dumbass left-fascist tendencies and believe nothing could be worse than Musharrf, try to remember how you thought the Shah of Iran was evil incarnate...

AP: Thousands battle police in Pakistan

Police fired tear gas and battered thousands of lawyers protesting President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose emergency rule, as Western allies threatened to review aid to the troubled Muslim nation. More than 1,500 people have been arrested in 48 hours, and authorities put a stranglehold on independent media.

Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup and is also head of Pakistan's army, suspended the constitution on Saturday ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on whether his re-election as president was legal. He ousted independent-minded judges, stripped media freedoms and granted sweeping powers to authorities to crush dissent.

Though public anger was mounting in the nation of 160 million people, which has been under military rule for much of its 60-year history, demonstrations so far have been limited largely to activists, rights workers and lawyers. All have been quickly and sometimes brutally stamped out.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington was reviewing its assistance to Pakistan, which has received billions in aid since Musharraf threw his support behind the U.S.-led war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

At a news conference in the West Bank on Monday, Rice urged Musharraf to follow through on past promises to "take off his uniform."

"I want to be very clear," she said, as a team of U.S. defense officials postponed plans to travel to Islamabad for talks Tuesday because of the crisis. "We believe that the best path for Pakistan is to quickly return to a constitutional path and then to hold elections."

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of Saint Elizabeth and Saint Zachary, Our Blessed Mother's relatives. Zachary was a priest in Jerusalem whose wife, Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, was beyond child-bearing age. He was told by an angel in a vision that they would have a son and should name him John. When he doubted this, he was struck dumb. Elizabeth was visited by Mary, at which time Mary spoke the hymn of praise now known at the Magnificat, and after John's birth, Zachary's speech was restored. This is all that is known of Elizabeth and Zachary, and is found in the New Testament in Luke, Chapter 1. An unverifiable tradition has Zachary murdered in the Temple when he refused to tell Herod where his son John was to be found.

Today is also the Commemoration of All the Deceased of the Seraphic Order.

Pray for us, all you angels and saints.


Today's reading is Wisdom 3:1-9.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is Psalms 22:1-6.
Today's Gospel reading is John 6:37-40.


Everyday links:

The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Rosary
Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Prayers from EWTN
National Coalition of Clergy and Laity (dedicated to action for a genuine Catholic Restoration)
The Catholic Calendar Page for Today
ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome


Just in case you are wondering what exactly Catholics believe, here is

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.


Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession,was left unaided.Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.


St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse, pray for us.


Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from Christ's side, wash me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me; O good Jesus, hear me; Within Thy wounds hide me; Suffer me not to be separated from Thee; From the malicious enemy defend me; In the hour of my death call me; And bid me come unto Thee; That I may praise Thee with Thy saints and with Thy angels Forever and ever. Amen.


Prayer to St. Anthony, Martyr of Desire

Dear St. Anthony, you became a Franciscan with the hope of shedding your blood for Christ. In God's plan for you, your thirst for martyrdom was never to be satisfied. St. Anthony, Martyr of Desire, pray that I may become less afraid to stand up and be counted as a follower of the Lord Jesus. Intercede also for my other intentions. (Name them.)


Prayer To Saint Michael The Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the divine power, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.


Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank You today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part to end abortion. Today I commit myself never to be silent, never to be passive, and never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice, not just for some, but for all. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer For Vocations

Send forth your Spirit, Lord, into the hearts of your faithful people, that we may be conscious of our vocation to holiness and sevice to others. Grant that many of us may dedicate ourselves to You through the priesthood and the religious life.We pray especially for the needs of our own parish and diocese. Grant that we may always have sufficient good and holy priests, and dedicated Sisters to serve our commumities.We pray, too, for religious orders; that generous men may join them to become zealous missionaries in preaching the Gospel in word and action, especially to the poor and abandoned.We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.


Prayer Before The Crucifix

Behold, O kind and gentle Jesus, I kneel before Thee and pray that Thou would impress upon my heart the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment. At the same time, with sorrow I meditate on Thy five precious wounds, having in mind the words which David spoke in prophecy: "They have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones."


Divine Praises

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints.
May the Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament
Be praised, adored and loved
With grateful affection at every moment
In all the tabernacles of the world
Even to the end of time. Amen.


Prayer to Saint Benedict

Sanctissime Confessor Domini, monachorum Pater et dux,
Benedicte, intercede pro nostra omniumque salute.

V. Domine Deus virtutum converte nos.

R. Et ostende faciem tuam et salvi erimus.


Oremus.


Excita, Domine, in Ecclesia tua Spiritum cui beatus Pater noster Benedictus Abbas servivit: ut eodem nos repleti, studeamus amare quod amavit, et opere exercere quod docuit.

Da nobis, quaesumus, Domine, perseverantem in tua voluntate famulatum: ut in
Diebus nostris et merito et numero populus tibi serviens augeatur. Per Christum Dominum Nostrum. Amen.


For those whose Latin is a bit rusty:

O most holy Confessor of the Lord, Benedict, father and guide of monks, intercede for our salvation and that of everyone.

V. Lord, God of armies, convert us.

R. Show us Thy Face and we shall be saved.


Let us pray.

Awaken, O Lord, in Thy Church the Spirit that our blessed Father Saint Benedict
obeyed, so that, filled with the same Spirit we may strive to love what he loved and practice what he taught.

Grant us the grace to persevere in the service of Thy will, so that our days may
see the people of Thy servants grow in merit and number. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.