Tuesday 28 May 2013

An Introduction to Catholicism: Part 2: The Pope, Keys and Infallibility

Note once again: I do not mean to offend anyone, you don't even have to read this post! But if you do, I'd just like to remind you that these are my beliefs and I am trying to just explain and clarify things for people who do not fully understand the Catholic Faith. Also my site, my right.
Peter the first Pope. 

In this post part 2 of my 'An Introduction to Catholicism' I am going to explore the Infallibility of the Pope.
Before we go any further here is a little summary of what we Catholics DO believe about the Pope.
“Catholics do not believe that the pope is perfect, or faultless, or sinless, or even necessarily good, holy, wise, or nice. There have certainly been popes who have made foolish mistakes, enacted ruinous policies, or been bona fide scoundrels. There is one thing, however, that no pope has ever done in all history, from Peter to the present day. No pope has ever taught heresy.” —David B. Currie
It's easy, very easy for not to understand the infallibility of the Pope. If you don't actually understand it than here is the perfect opportunity:

Okay section one:
Why do we believe that the Pope is the head of the Church? It's outrageous, that's what it sounds like, but sometimes when Catholics say that the Pope is the head of the Church what they fail to mention is two little words. On Earth! We believe that the Pope is the head of the Church on Earth but we didn't say that that doesn't mean he is not subject to Jesus Christ. If anyone suggested this idea to a Catholic, that we think the Pope is not subject to Jesus Christ the King of the Church, then we would find that idea preposterous and maybe even a bit laughable. :)
The Pope is the Prime Minister of the Church on Earth. The term Pope was not used until later on but what we do know is that Peter was the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Rome is the Pope.
People claim that Peter the first Pope of the Church the first Prime Minister of the Church couldn't actually have this role as he denied Christ three times when he was asked 'Do you know this man?' and he refused each time he refused.
Catholics aren't sugar-coating this truth, we've got an explanation to this. And here it is, the Pope, any Pope is not perfect, he does sin, he does do wrong sometimes, but what he doesn't do is deny the truth in doctrine, he does not teach Heresy. :) No one ever said that our Popes, our Papas (for that is what Pope means) aren't weak men on their own, but with God's help they can overcome all things. That's the thing, Peter might have been a really weak man when death and torture were staring him in the face but we find after the Resurrection he is out and about, proclaiming the good news. The Holy Spirit had come upon them and they were filled with zeal. Also take notice to the fact that after Jesus rose from the dead he never denied Christ again and that was because he was sorry for what he had done and believed in Jesus and had holy zeal, he was happy to die for the faith, and finally in Rome, he did.
He did not have the same holy zeal until after the holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and all with them assembled in the Upper Room. Not to mention they were all very scared of the Jews. They were waiting for the Holy Spirit and after that they were no longer afraid, we learn that from all that they did in The Acts of the Apostles. So anyway the passage about forgiveness,
John 21:15-19
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,"Simon,son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, "Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, "Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time,“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time,“Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.

And after saying this he said to him,“Follow me.” Christ was forgiving him! Just as it was three times that Peter denied Christ, it was also three times that Jesus asked Peter, 'Do you love me?' and Peter replied 'Yes,' every single time and every time he replied thus, Jesus said 'Feed me,Lambs,' 'Tend my Sheep' 'Feed my Sheep' . As we all know Jesus is the good Shepherd and Jesus was asking Peter to look after his sheep, namely, the Church. Jesus also said while asking 'do you love me' he also said 'do you love me more than these?
And seeing as he was not talking to any one else of the apostles we can gather that this was a special thing for Peter alone. Taken from A Philadelphia Catholic in King James Court: Discussion/Study Guide- Read John 18:15-27 and then John 21:4-19.
By a charcoal fire in the courtyard of the high priest, Peter denies that he is a follower of Christ three times just as Christ had prophesied. The risen Christ reconciles Himself to Peter on the shore of the sea of Tiberias.
 There He had a charcoal fire where they cooked their breakfast. Christ tells Peter to bring some of the fish and Peter hauls the net ashore. This is a foreshadowing of the of the Church. Peter was to "bring in" the catch. Notice that it is a large catch but that the net did not break. After breakfast, Christ asks Peter if he loves Him three times. Peter affirms-three times-that he does love Christ. (This particular Scripture passage can be studied in much greater depth with the aid of a good commentary.) He, Peter, is charged with the task of tending and feeding Jesus' flock.
 Matt-16-13-20
And Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.

 The thing is Jesus said that he was giving Peter the 'keys of the kingdom' and like I said that is like something a Prime Minister would receive and act in his boss's place while his boss was away. Also the thou, in Greek in verse 17 is singular. He also said to Peter that 'whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven'. Therefore he was giving Peter this precise and personal responsibility as he did not include ANY of the other disciples in this passage.

Taken from A Philadelphia Catholic in King James Court: Discussion/Study Guide(and yes, if you didn't work it out it has got to be one of my favourite theology books of all time and it is really enjoyable to read as well both books the story and the study guide- Christ spoke Aramaic with fellow Jews. The New Testament however was originally written in Greek. "Petros" (the Greek masculine word for "rock" ) means small stone and Petra (the feminine from) means large boulder. Christ says "Blessed are you Simon bar Jona! you shall be called Rock" (translations differ: some say, "you shall be called Peter").
The word in Aramaic for stone, large or small, is Kepha, but when this exchange was written in Greek there arose the Petra-Petros translation problem. It would have been silly to change Simon's name to Petra, a female name. The other point is that grammatically speaking, rock clearly refers to Peter himself, not to Peter's confession of Jesus being the Messiah.

The "rock" argument though is not as crucial in establishing Peter's primacy as Matthew 16:19, "I will give you (singular in Greek) the keys of the kingdom.

Catholic's believe that there is one true church that Jesus Christ founded, that the Holy Spirit guides the Church through the bishops, and that their teaching authority in union with the Pope is binding and in matters of doctrine, infallible.- from A Philadelphia Catholic in King James Court.

Infallibility means judging the truth in all matters of doctrine. It doesn't mean that the Pope never sins, there is actually an entirely different word for that. It does not mean that the Pope never says anything that is incorrect, or that he is an expert on scientific matters, People seem to have a problem with Peter leading the Church precisely because Peter is a sinner. But as we know, all of us are sinners, even the highest leaders of the Church.-A Philadelphia Catholic in King James Court: Discussion/Study Guide
Something I found on the internet which is very helpful:

Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
 Thou art Peter: As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ; so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him: viz., that he to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John 1. 42, should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all fullness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Upon this rock: The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock, upon which the church was to be built: Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matt. 7. 24, 25.
The gates of hell: That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself, or his agents. For as the church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, that is, the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city or church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the church of Christ.
 Loose upon earth: The loosing the bands of temporal punishments due to sins, is called an indulgence; the power of which is here granted. From that time Jesus began to shew to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and scribes and chief priests, and be put to death, and the third day rise again. And Peter taking him began to rebuke him, saying: Lord, be it far from thee, this shall not be unto thee. Who turning, said to Peter: Go behind me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto me: because thou sayest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men. Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
And Peter taking him: That is, taking him aside, out of a tender love, respect and zeal for his Lord and Master's honour, began to expostulate with him, as it were to rebuke him, saying, Lord, far be it from thee to suffer death; but the Lord said to Peter, ver. 23, Go behind me, Satan. These words may signify, Begone from me; but the holy Fathers expound them otherwise, that is, come after me, or follow me; and by these words the Lord would have Peter to follow him in his suffering, and not to oppose the divine will by contradiction; for the word satan means in Hebrew an adversary, or one that opposes.
Portrait
So there you go, we Catholics believe that Peter was the first Pope, we never said he was perfect, or that the Popes are perfect, we do say that we believe that Jesus gave him authority to judge all matters of doctrine and is the Prime Minister of the Church, on earth. And if you have any other questions to ask me, and if I find I can answer them, the comment box is always open! :D Catholic priests know I lot more than I do so maybe you could ask them, Catholic or not!
God Bless

Friday 24 May 2013

It seemed he could never redeem from such a steadfast spell, his lady's eyes....



For the past two-three years, probably closer to two, I have stared at the cover of this book and read the back of it
"It seemed he could never redeem from such a steadfast spell,"
"his lady's eyes"
And then there was this strange picture of what? A house? That's what it looked like to me. :) 
Last Saturday I started Waking Rose. I''d read Shadow of the Bear: Snow white and Rose Red: Book one of the Fairy Tale Novels. Number one favourite or maybe number two. Or maybe a tie. :P Indecision 'click's tongue' Anyway the summary of that was this:

Once upon a time... In New York City, a young, secretive street tough who calls himself, Bear, lands on the doorstep of two teenaged sisters. On the one hand Rose is delighted with his surprising knowledge of literature, poetry, and music; on the other hand Blanche is afraid of his apparent connections to drugs, murder, and a hidden treasure. Even as Blanche learns to trust him, her fears that Bear's friendship threatens their family prove terrifyingly true. 

Black as Night: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves: Book two of the Fairy Tale Novels. Number four favourite, in other words, my least favourite 



Way after midnight in New York City, a girl runs down the streets, looking for someplace to hide ... is there anywhere she can go to escape? Is there anyone who can help her... now? This dark but fulfilling sequel to The Shadow of the Bear is based on a familiar fairy tale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" from the Brothers Grimm. Circumstances have placed Blanche Brier entirely on her own this summer in New York City while Bear is wandering through Europe and her family is on vacation. Blanche is fast becoming the focus of a terrifying play of evil forces. Even the refuge she takes among some lively Franciscan friars does not protect her from dangerous attacks. Rather, they continue to escalate as she struggles to persuade a sick and aged man from killing himself. Discovering Blanche's disappearence, Bear and Fish cut short their European vacation and join up with Rose to begin scouring New York City looking for Blanche. But the same malevolence that is lurking over Blanche seems to be hunting them as well and drawing them all togther into a death trap until it seems that all hope is gone. Yet during this time, the desires of Blanche's heart are being clarified - and so are Bear's. A black night. Tested faith. Honest love.


Alex O'Donnell and the Forty Cyber-Thieves:Ali Babar and the Forty Thieves: Book five of the Fairy Tale Novels

Remember this guy?
He was first introduced in Waking Rose, but even first-time readers will quickly jump on board this rollicking adventure with the sword-wielding Alex O'Donnell and his nearly techno-phobic girlfriend, Kateri Kovach, who yes, take on forty cyberthieves.
In this high-tech thriller, Alex returns from college to find that his dad, a computer hacker and software programmer, has inadvertently discovered a mysterious website which leads to sudden wealth. But at what cost?
Practical, hard-working Kateri Kovach is suspicious of all this high-tech hoopla and tries desperately to keep the O`Donnell family running smoothly; mainly by cleaning up after them. Her biggest worries are finding a job and figuring out how to break up with Alex. Yet, she finds herself evermore immersed in the O'Donnell family activities - playing video games with Alex and his younger brothers Sam and David, caring for their mother suffering from MS, and battling a samurai security cat. Mayhem, martial arts, and murder ensue even as Alex pursues marriage with Kateri who wonders why she's letting herself be a part of the madness. But in the end, it just might be the anti-technological Kateri who saves the day...



I had read all of these books before I read Waking Rose, I know Alex O'Donnell and the Forty-Cyber Thieves and the Midnight Dancers are after it (though I have to read Midnight Dancers as of yet) but it didn't matter. It didn't really spoil anything for me at all. Just made me want to read Waking Rose even more. Before we go any further I suggest that the people who don't want to spoil what happens in Waking Rose, leave this blog post. It is choker-block full of spoilers and anyone else might what to have second thoughts as to reading further because Regina Doman's books are really really good books. I highly recommend them to anyone though they are not for children but for more mature people .
Okay, so you made up your mind to take the plunge then please read on:



And in case you didn't know it is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. And I rate it as number two.
A little summary of this delicious book:
"I love him more than poetry... I love him more than song." Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own, thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of brothers, and starts an investigation into her family's past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose's new friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a tangle of revenge and corruption that might be threatening Rose's very life. The climax is a crucible of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to reach Rose and conquer his dragons.

Okay you are all familiar with the plot? Okay, yeah well if you aren't this is NOT going to make ANY sense to you but okay, here goes:
Waking Rose was a great book to read. I think it is just a little behind Shadow of the Bear. I had to wait to read it after I had read three of the other FTN books because Mum said it was a more mature and older kids book. It would happen every few months that I would ask my Mum 'Mum, can I read Waking Rose, now?' 
It would most certainly be answered with a stout, but gentle 'No.' I can understand now why she said that. Because it is for older people, just the stuff that is dealt with in this book. I'm not saying it was bad or anything just that it should be read only after parental approval. 
Then on last Saturday I asked Mum and after a lot of consideration she said as long as Eden and Saxon were fine with it as I would be reading about six months earlier than Eden had and Saxon hadn't even read it except maybe the first chapter. They were fine with it and so I began:
So we all know this one is about Fish and Rose don't we? Yeah so, Fish+Rose =Pure awesomeness. 
A look at the characters: 

Note: there are no actually pictures of them as the only one you 'could' get are form the stupidshadowofthebearmoviewhichwedon'tlikeseeingastheyhaveruinedhowbearlookedandMr.FreetadnRose'shairlooksfunny and a thousand and one other details. 


Rose Brier: How do we describe Rose Brier? Fanciful? Romantic  Happy? Passionate? and loving the one guy who doesn't love her in the same way. Yep that's Rose, falling in love with the guy who doesn't love her (at least at the start hehe). The girl with style. Who likes to wear scarves and reading Chesterton. Who enjoys the company of young men who all swordfight and play video games; who are athletic and stong Catholics. Her parts got a little boring though after she got into the coma, until she finally woke up and that got a bit annoying! The girl who enjoys Shakespeare and even plays Cordelia in a play. Who always knows that there is someone who will rescue her, Fish.
Fish/Ben Denniston: I didn't a post a year or so back with Fish featured on it about why I like him so much, bu that was before I read Waking Rose and I want to tell you just how great/awesome he really is all over again:
In Waking Rose there is a lot and I mean a LOT more of Fish! And that is a good thing believe me. Who wants Bear when you can have Fish? Who can try and keep it cool (in words and actions) even when he's bruised and battered and (with the case in Waking Rose) going to die in a blazing barn all tied up. He's not the 'hero type' in some ways as he tells Rose. Such as his scarred face and his lack of adventure. But he IS the hero type in other ways. He's sacrificial, he's brave, he's determined, he's committing (like when he visits Rose every single evening to see how she's doing at Graceton Hall) he's smart and he's caring thouigh he is not caring toward everyone, he's calm and cool, even when inside he is actually not. But he also has his struggles. He doubts sometimes about how much God cares for people when he is in the barn but then he understands and that's why I say he's sacrificial  He has trouble with relationships because he is haunted by Mr. Freet and what he said to him.We do not like Mr. Freet if anyone is asking, just sayin'. He is also very judgmental as in the case with Dr. Prosser and Donna and he knows it. And he gets a sword and is inisiated into Sacra Cor at the end, that is pretty cool. :D He is not your typical knight in shining armour. But hey? Why would anyone want a typical guy when you can have an amazing guy?
I'd rather pray for a Fish, actually. :P
The Cor guys:
The 'Cor' guys as Rose calls them also known as the guys who live in the mens dormitory called 'Sacra Cor' (Sacred Heart) they can swordfight, do maritial arts and play video games. They wear black tench coats, sunglasses and call each other names like 'Burrito' and 'Bull' They enjoy movies about Martial Arts. Yep, that's the Sacra Cor guys.
How can you not like the Cor guys? Leroy (the guy who climbs on top of a pilliar just to see what it looks like) James (who is not very main so I don't really have anything to say about him :P) Alex, can I ask you a question? Can I haz swordfightz? Sorry completely off subject Alex O'Connel refernce, (the proctor of the dorm who makes poeple who have misbehaved instead of making them be part of extra work crews) sends them out into the snow, or whatever weather it is for that matter and tells them to sit down and read Thomas Aquinas until he says they can come back inside, and Paul the guy who is very main and likes Rose very much and dances with her all the while Fish is watching from the side-lines. Ha! Paul you didn't end up with Rose after all, hahahahaha! Sorry, its just I DO like Fish better but Paul is really nice as well. 
They have intense discussions about the Latin Mass (the entire dorm) sitting down while Paul makes bishop hats from paper for whoever is pontificating.
They steal back their own flag from another dorm and have a pitch battle about it too.
And then they hold off the people who run the hospital from getting Rose back while Fish and Donna run and get the antidote, they made Rose a Lady of Sacra Cor after all. It would be so awesome to go to a college where there are people like them! :D

Lady of Sacra Cor! - red letters Tees
I WANT THAT T-SHIRT!!! Though, I'd prefer a 'Someday my Fish will Come' T-shirt instead if you've got it. :)

The bad guy: Yes, so I guessed Dr. Murray was the bad guy, it was kind of obvious, don't ya think? She is an expert on Comatose patients after all. Technically there are two bad guys, Dr. Murray and Dr. Prosser.
While Dr. Murray can appear pleasant and pleasing on the outside, Dr. Prosser just gives you a feeling. 'shivers' And then Bear cam along and managed to stop Dr. Prosser from going anywhere. During the entire part at the barn I was like "Okay, so when's Bear gonna show up because he IS going to show up, and voila! he did! :D 

Kateri was pretty good, I liked how she had all those protests outside of the abortion clinic and all the while with her I'm thinking "I know what happens to you, and who ends up with you." :P  And she ends up with a really cool guy, too! It was really nice how she befriended Donna, too. 

Donna: Well we all didn't like Donna at the start, now did we? I wasn't the only one who thought she was the bad guy was I? *people nod heads*  But she really turns out nice at the end and impersonates a receptionist to get the antidote to Rose. I loved it how it said in the book 'then a shrill, "that's not our receptionist  Where did she get that ID tag?" I read that part twice because I thought it was so funny.

All the references:
Speaking of strong Catholics it was great to have all the references in Waking Rose as in all the other FTN that are just very Catholic, Fish getting out his rosary after having nightmares, Kateri leading protests outside of an abortion clinic (not that I'm saying non-Catholics don't do that too, its just that I thought it was really good). Fish accepting his fate in the barn and knowing that God is there and also how he prays for Rose to be safe. 

And just if anyone starts saying that Waking Rose is in anyway like Twilight like how it sounds on the summary or back cover or anything, and that Regina Doman copied it, I 'd like to ask you to please, be quiet, because Regina Doman wrote the first THREE books before Twilight was ever published (I actually don't understand how it ever got published anyway, it and Harry Potter and all those other stupid books) and Waking Rose is number three.

Did anyone else like how Fish went and tried to wake up Rose and she did? I loved that, and I was like 'FINALLY HE'S TELLING HER THAT HE LOVES HER!!!!' and than how he said "I'm all yours." So simple and yet so beautiful. And then the ending where Rose asks if he actually kissed her, that was really good too. :D

In other words, if you have not read any of the Fairy Tale Novels (I hope you are writing this down? What you aren't writing this down, well start writing!) I highly recommend them though they are for older children and should (I think) up to a certain age or maturity be read before or previewed, if you like, by a parent or someone you trust when it comes to reading books. You got all that down? I certainly hope so and the author is Regina Doman, that's right Regina Doman, that name is very important if you ever want to read these books. 
Oh, yeah, and just in case you don't know:


Some day my Fish will come card
Someday.

And in case you didn't understand:
GO AND READ THESE BOOKS!!

God Bless

Sunday 19 May 2013

Please Pray

Hey everyone,
Corbyn came home the other day with crutches.
He has had a fall while using them and Mum and Dad are taking him back to hospital to the Emergency section.
Please pray that it is nothing serious and that everything will be ok with him.


God Bless
 

Thursday 16 May 2013

Long Live Star Wars!!!

So I didn't actually do a Star Wars post on official Star Wars day (May the 4th be with you) because I was busy. Anyway, here is an all-out Star Wars post from a Star Wars fan because I can! In other words my opinions of star wars in all its awesomeness.

Favourite Character: Anakin Skywalker

Yep, and everyone groans because they can't understand why I like him so much. I'm not saying that his whining doesn't get annoying but I am saying that he is a good character. Wher would you be without him in the first place?! You wouldn't have Star Wars at all!  And it wasn't Anakin who killed Padme, it was Darth Vader, period, exclamation mark! If you want a more in-depth post on why I like him go to this link here though it might not be as exact as it used to be because my opinions have changed slightly at a few points. :)

Okay, I decided that I could have two favourite characters, one from the originals and one from the prequels.
 
Han Solo. He's got great lines and is pretty proficient when it comes to killing storm troopers. Chewie is just a tad bit behind Han Solo and it is only recently that I have liked Han Solo more. It is interesting to see how he changes over the movies and I like how he loves Leia so much (though I do like Padme better than Leia just in case anyone was wondering.) He has great devotion to her and it is one of the best parts out of Return of the Jedi when he has just told Lando how crazy he is and than has volunteered to go down to Endor and blow up the shield.

Best line ever:

"I've got a bad feeling about this," and "May the Force be with you,"

Best movie ever:
Oh its such a hard choice, I love the start of episode 3 when they bring the Chancellor back but than after that I don't because Anakin turns bad, than in episode 2 I like some of it but the best part is the end with all the fighting. Episode 4 is another favourite and it was also the one I liked to watch most out of the Luke ones (that's what we call the originals).


Prequels vs. Originals
PREQUELS!!! Me and my siblings are very biased when it comes to that, we love the fact that we like the prequels while everyone else prefers the originals, it makes us feel unique. :) Also there is way much more shiny lightsabers which we love.

Who shot first Han or Greedo?
This is one of the questions which Star Wars fans all know the answer to, Han shot first! Even though George Lucas changed it after what? 30 years. Just keep in mind this is a very important point! :D
You could have a really nice argument with a Star Wars fan just on this point.


The old or young Anakin at the very end of Episode six?
Just for the record you should know that we had the episodes on video and then when they got broken we got our own Star Wars collection on DVD. In the video versions we had Han shooting first, and Anakin Skywalker just before he died and what he looked like at the end of Return of the Jedi where he is standing with Obi-Wan and Yoda. I myself like the younger Anakin but that is probably because I like him better. I guess it probably does make more sense for it to be Anakin (the old Anakin after Luke pulls off his helmet) but I like it better when its the young Anakin.


Boba Fett vs. Jango Fett?
Once again because I like the prequels better I am going to say Jango Fett. But can I ask a question? What does Boba actually do? Yes, I can give him credit for tracking down the Millenium Falcon but beside that what does he do? Jango is much cooler in my opinion.


Star Trek vs. Star Wars?

There is now competition here guys, Star Wars wins hands down. I remember trying to watch Star Trek and we all turned it off because it was so weird and creepy!

The Clone Wars?
I like the Clone Wars, there is no doubt about that, but stuff like bringing Darth Maul back and stuff like that doesn't really seem to click. I have only seen most of Seasons 1, 2 and the start of 3.
Anakin is very witty in these episodes but I just can't stand Obi-Wan's voice, he sounds too regal and posh and well, full of himself. I really like Ashoka though I can't say that I like how she calls Anakin 'sky guy' that annoys me. One of the best lots of Clone Wars episodes is when Boba is tracking Mace Windu down, the Rookies episodes about Fives and Echo and the Invasion of Kamino, the one where Count Dooku gets caught by Space Pirates and Anakin and Obi-Wan follow suit, and also the last one with Obi-Wans girlfriend (yeah and I don't like her). Clone Wars has its good points but it also has its bad points. I don't like some of the episodes very much though.

Best Sith Ever?

Though Darth Vader is probably the trademark of star wars, and he is an alright Sith in his own right, I think that my favourite Sith would have to be Darth Maul or Darth Sidious. Darth Sidious waited for years, he was very patient  he kept on with the whole 'I'm with the good guys' until he finally showed his true colours in RotS. I am partically fond of his one word proclamation 'POWER!!!'
Darth Maul on the other hand is the coolest Sith, EVER! No one can beat his awesome fighting skills in PM (also he is really fun to play as in Star Wars Battlefront 2) and just because he does not say very much doesn't mean he is a good bad guy. I'm not bagging out Darth Vader, its just that I think he is overrated.


Best Star Wars video parodies:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y00v7NjRQFU

NOTE: The Robot Chickens are not all good and I have only got my favourites here. One of them does have some language and Yo Momma fight is a bit not good when it comes to mothers. :)


I can't believe that Darth Vader would let the Emperor say stuff like that about Padme though! 




Probably a little gruesome but I think its pretty funny.


Best musical pieces:








Star Wars pictures:



























And to finish this post off, here's an awesome song about Yoda! :D
LONG LIVE STAR WARS!! And may the force be with you!

God Bless
 

Monday 13 May 2013

An Introduction to Catholicism: Part One: What is so wrong with being Catholic and are Catholics, Christians?

NOTE: This is what I believe, I'm not trying to be offensive to anyone but just remember my site, my right, I am trying to explain the Catholic faith to people who do not understand it is all.

Being Catholic is one of the best things that ever happened to me!
If you did not know, we converted to Catholicism in 2006 on the 3rd Sunday in Advent. It was a very special day but we had gone many Sundays before to this church, a catholic church, called Our Lady of Lourdes. It wasn't a very nice church in some ways and in others it was.
Anyway onto the first question? Are you a Christian or a Catholic?
I had a friend ask me on Skype one day. "So what's the difference between a Catholic and a Christian?"
And I answered her as best as I could. Here is what I said:
"There is no difference, Catholics are Christians. They were first called so at Antioch in the before that they just called themselves Nazarenes,"
It was a much longer answer than this and part of it was what I have mentioned below, I also can't remember what other names the early Christians called themselves, I think it was something like 'new Jew' or something like that. Sorry :).
from Catholic Memes, facebook page.  
I remember having someone ask me on blogger. "So are you a Christian?" Um, hello? I'm a Catholic. I don't think I explained that well back then, but now I think I am more up to the task. :)

A person who says that they are a Christian is summed up with what they believe in these beliefs.
'You believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and who suffered and died to save us from sins and rose again.
That's summed up what a Christian is, and that's what Catholics are.
And so ends AIC: Part 1

God Bless
 

Sunday 5 May 2013

My little brother Corbyn fell of his bike yesterday and he has a spiral fracture of the femur, we found out after Mum and Dad took him to the hospital. These were the updates as they progressed through the day off Mum's facebook page:
Prayers please Taking Corbyn to hospital he had fallen off bike and Hurt his leg - possible fracture? Or severe damage to ligament up top thigh Pray please for good doctor and knowledge and concern for him 

Update on Corbyn Yes fractured femur really high He is asleep on bed with pain relief not sure about management yet but big day ahead still Please continue prayers for him and the others at home I spiral fracture of the femur!!!! Poor little guy So he is going in for surgery but after two other cases firsts so we are just waiting He is miserable but I would rather we wait till tonight otherwise they will traction his leg overnight him and do surgery tomorrow So please would you all pray that it goes ahead and that the surgeon makes good decisions and it goes well for our little guy

 Our Corbyn is going in for surgery for his leg ( read below posts if this is new to you) Please pray for a successful outcome and peace for him.
He is very anxious.

Went well we think with sugery won't know much till tomorrow. he has pins in his leg he is sleepy and it is very painful Not sure when we can go home Thank you for all your prayers ❤

 End of updates.
 He is going to be at the hospital for two whole weeks and than another four (I think it is) on crutches. Our Grandparents are coming down to help us as someone has to be with him at all times because he is so little. Thank goodness they are!
I really really, would appreciate prayers, guys, if you would. :) Not just for Corbyn although that is great if you did. But also for us kids at home as we will have to try and cope as well with all this as well and still keep the house running and functioning. Please, just pray that everything will run smoothly for the healing of his leg and for smooth running at home.
Portrait: After a long day and back from surgery
Thanks Everyone! 
And here is my little man after surgery last night. He is an angel.
Lord Jesus, watch over us and help us, especially Corbyn.

God Bless
 

Friday 3 May 2013

Dear Mummy's everywhere

Dear Mommy, I am in Heaven now, sitting on God’s lap.
He loves me and cries with me;
for my heart has been broken.
I so wanted to be your little girl.
I don’t quite understand what has happened.
I was so excited when I began realizing my existence. I was in a dark, yet comfortable place.
I saw I had fingers and toes.
I was pretty far along in my developing,
yet not near ready to leave my surroundings.
I spent most of my time thinking or sleeping.
Even from my earliest day,
I felt a special bonding between you and me. Sometimes I heard you crying and I cried with you.
Sometimes you would yell or scream, then cry.
I heard Daddy yelling back.
I was sad, and hoped you would be better soon.
I wondered why you cried so much.
One day you cried almost all of the day.
I hurt for you.
I couldn’t imagine why you were so unhappy. That same day, the most horrible thing happened.
A very mean monster came
into that warm, comfortable lace I was in.
I was so scared, I began screaming,
but there was no sound.
I guess they had you all pinned down
because you never once tried to help me.
Maybe you never heard me. The monster got closer and closer
as I was screaming and screaming,
“Mommy, Mommy, help me, please; Mommy, help me.”
Complete terror is all I felt.
I screamed and screamed
until I thought I couldn’t anymore. Then the monster started ripping my arm off.
It hurt so bad; the pain I can never explain.
It didn’t stop.
Oh, how I begged it to stop.
I screamed in horror as it ripped my leg off.
Though I was in such complete pain,
I realize I was dying.
I knew I would never see your face,
or hear you say how much you love me.
I wanted to make all your tears go away.
I had so many plans to make you happy.
Now, I couldn’t; all my dreams were shattered.
Though I was in utter pain and horror,
I felt the pain of my heart breaking, above all. I wanted more than anything; to be your daughter.
No use now, for I was dying a painful death.
I could only imagine that terrible things
they had done to me.
I wanted to tell you that I love you before I was gone,
but I didn’t know the words you could understand.
And soon no longer I had the breath to say them;
I was dead. I felt myself rising.
I was being carried by a huge angle
into a big, beautiful lace.
I was still crying, but the physical pain was gone.
The angle took me to Jesus and set me on His lap.
He said that He loved me, and He was my Father.
Then I was happy.
I asked Him what the thing was that killed me.
He answered, “Abortion. I am sorry, my child;
for I know how it feels.” I don’t know what abortion is;
I guess that’s the name of the monster. I’m writing to say that I love you,
and to tell you how much I wanted to be your little girl.
I’d tried very hard to live.
I wanted to live.
I had the will, but I couldn’t;
the monster was too powerful.
It sucked my arms and legs off and finally got all of me.
It was impossible to live.
I just wanted you to know how I tried to stay with you.
I didn’t want to die. Also, Mommy,
please watch out for that abortion monster. Mommy,
I love you and I wouldn’t hate for you
to go through the kind of pain I did.
Please be careful.
Love,
Your baby girl
 I cried after reading this, well pretty much.
Why can't people see that it is just so evil! Abortion sounds like such a nice word doesn't it? Compared to killing babies.
Because that is what it is!! Its MURDER MURDER MURDER MURDER!!!! MURDER!!!
Once Upon a Time MURDER was MURDER!!
Can't anyone process this? Yeah its okay if you go killing babies you know its not like they are actually alive or anything. Because they are you know. Ask any Doctor.
Because no matter what the world says there is always God. And he is watching us, though we can't see it. And today is one of those days when I am more upset than usual.
 "But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even his life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love - that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. "- Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa you are such an inspiration to me. :)
 
And all I have left to share is this picture, and its the truth too.

God Bless
 

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