Dallas visit of the holy relics of Christendom

For those in the Dallas area, please note that Holy Trinity Catholic Church (my parish!) will be hosting holy relics of Christendom:

The Holy Relics of Christendom to be exhibited at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas

For as long as there have been saints in the Catholic Church their holy remains, personal belongings, and even implements of martyrdom have been preserved as relics of their saintly life and a means of connection to them. In addition to the saints, the faithful have also venerated items believed to be associated with the death of Christ. Soon a collection of these relics, from pieces of the cross, the crown of thorns, and relics of clothing long believed to have been used 2000 years ago by Christ and his Mother will be on rare public display along with a large private collection of many centuries of saintly relics in Community Life Center of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas.

The relics will be on display the second week of Lent on Saturday February 27th and Sunday February 28th from 10AM until 7PM. Special guest speaker, Steve Landregan, historian and archivist from the Diocese of Dallas, will conduct a presentation at 10am on Saturday, Feb. 27. Large crowds are expected for both.

Pneumonia - really?

Little One was diagnosed with pneumonia last week. She was almost admitted to the hospital because her blood oxygen level was low. Luckily the office breathing treatment brought it back up. She had to have a chest x-ray, which showed that her lungs were leaking. Back to the doctor the next day for more x-rays. Thankfully, this time the leaking had gone away (otherwise she would have been admitted to drain the fluid). She is better now, but still on medication. Wow - scary times!

We had lots of family and friends praying for us and are thankful that she is on the mend.

Hi Jesus. We pray for an end to abortion

On the way to preschool and then onto work, Little One and I pass by (at the posted speed of 65 mph...ok, maybe a little faster) a Catholic church. We wave, say "Hi" to Jesus, and make the sign of the cross. Sometimes we add a short prayer. Today's was "We pray for an end to abortion."

Today is the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. You can join virtually here. For some reason, the website keeps locking up on me, but I will try again in a bit.

Baby Blue Laces for Life

Here is a great way to show your pro life support. Proceeds from the sale of baby blue shoelaces with "Laces for Life" printed on them are donated to pro life organizations in financial need. You can order them from the group's website.

Praying for those in Haiti

Please say prayers for those in Haiti, recently struck by a 7.0 earthquake. The poorest country in the Western hemisphere has little resources to cope with this disaster. To help, you can donate via Catholic Relief Services or the American Red Cross.

2nd largest abortion clinic to open in Houston

Check out the video at Bound 4 Life. My lovely hometown - Houston - is soon to be the home of the second largest abortion facility in the world. That's right: the entire world. The facility is located in a former bank, which is being renovated by Planned Parenthood and will include equipment and space for late-term abortions. It will be located near my alma mater the University of Houston.

Dallas' March for Life is this Saturday, January 16.

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a very happy new year and many blessings in 2010. Our Catholic faith gives us a wonderful way to ring in the new calendar year with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1).

A bit of history: Mary is called Theotokos, meaning "God-Bearer". Since Jesus was fully God and fully man, we rightly call Mary the mother of God. In the early 400s, Nestorius, for whom the heresy Nestorianism is named, proposed that Mary only gave birth to Jesus' human nature (and not His divine nature). The Councils of Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451) condemned this idea.

And today is the feast day of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, one of my favorites!