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Monday, December 29, 2008

Fantasy Football

Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 8:39 PM
Subject: Final Results


Sorry Seanie you never rose higher than 10th in points nor head to head but more than welcome back next year to try again--if you bring $100 to the draft like everyone else.

The Webb wins week 17--his first win of the season--I think he did the same last year as well.

Head to Head winner:
Sr Skinny $95
Animal Interiors $45

High Points:
1. AI 1792 $195
2. Pacman Boys 1718 $95
3. Senor Skinny 1708 $70
4. Steel Curtain 1680 $45

out of the money:
5. TI and M 1670
6. DT 1653
7. TW 1641
8 NILP 1599
9 J 1530
10. RTG 1504

Hold all scorecards--check them twice--if all holds this is end of season payouts:

TEAMS: Weeks 1&2 Wks 3&4 Wks 5&6 Wks 7&8 Wks 9&10 Wks 11&12 Wks 13&14 Wks 15-17 End of Year TOTAL
Seanie Boy $0.00 $0.00
Gerry $25.00 $25.00 $50.00 $240.00 $340.00
Mike $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $95.00 $220.00
Ted $0.00 $0.00
JD $25.00 $0.00 $25.00
Jeff/ Max $25.00 $25.00 $0.00 $50.00
Wayne $0.00 $0.00
Jim Sr $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $165.00 $240.00
Fitz $25.00 $45.00 $70.00
Erik $25.00 $0.00 $25.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
TOTAL: $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $75.00 $545.00 $970.00


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas Greetings From Fr. Corapi

Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 9:57 PM
Subject: Fw: Christmas Greetings From Fr. Corapi


A Christmas Greeting
The blessed and joyous time of Christmas is here again. So, I’ll just take the opportunity to thank all of our viewing and listening family for allowing us into your homes. I don’t take that for granted. I am honestly grateful to you for allowing us to serve you in that way.

As I look out the windows of my home in Montana it sure is “beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” We have about a foot of snow and it’s been below zero for about ten days. Two of my dogs are under my desk with their heads resting on my feet--looking like those big fuzzy slippers that little kids sometimes wear.

Christmas is, of course, the best time to recall that Jesus, the Son of God, in fact was born in a poor stable or cave on a cold night—“for us men, and for our salvation.” Amidst the escalating uncertainty and chaos of the modern world we must sit still for a moment and remember what really matters.

In recent years major corporations have been vaporized in the twinkling of an eye. It’s a sign of the times, but recall that what really matters is that it was the twinkling of a star that led shepherds and wise men to the One who is the Light of the world.

In recent years the biggest accounting firm in the world ceased to be over night. They don’t account for anything today, but it honestly doesn’t matter. What really matters is that on a cold night two millennia ago the God who loves us was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger by the Mother who loves Him.

In recent years the unthinkable has happened--major banks and financial institutions have ceased to be. That doesn’t matter either because the truly unthinkable happened on the first Christmas Eve long ago when the God who always was and will never cease to be came to show us the depth and breadth of His love.

In recent years I have been accused of being a “prophet of doom, and a pessimist.” I can understand this criticism, but it really isn’t true. I am a realist, and as a priest and Catholic/Christian of necessity must share in the prophetic dimension of Christ. The United States, and the entire world for the most part, is in many ways precipitating its own demise. That matters, and we must do all we can to “fight the good fight,” but what truly matters is the state of your soul and mine because in the end that will determine how we live forever, and compared to that nothing else really matters.

Things may go from bad to worse. It may well go from uncomfortable to dangerous to live your Catholic/Christian faith in a world unraveling rapidly due to one bad moral choice after the other. Remember that it will not be the first time if Christians are persecuted, even imprisoned and executed. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” The Western world is too fat and lazy, in the secular order and even in the religious. Perhaps a jolly good persecution may be what it takes for people to decide to live their faith, rather than go along with what they know to be a sick society.

In any event, don’t let it get you down. Whatever happens, stay close to Jesus and Mary. Remember that our God is not against you. He is for you, and He will be with you through all of the ups and downs of life. He will be with you in sickness and in health; in good times and in bad; and when death comes knocking at your door He will be there to comfort you and lead you safely home. Having fought the good fight and run the race to the finish line, you will surely hear those beautiful words:

“WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT! NOW AT LAST ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR MASTER’S HOUSE.”

A most blessed and merry Christmas and a holy, happy, and healthy New Year to each and all of you!

Fr. John Corapi

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Eating Meat on Fridays

Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 11:54 AM
Subject: Eating Meat on Fridays | Catholic-Pages.com


I think sometimes you guys think I make this stuff up:

Meat on Fridays
Most Catholics think that Vatican II did away with the requirement of not eating meat on any Friday of the year. Most think it is now just Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent that we cannot eat meat.

This is what the new Code of Canon Law brought out in 1983 says about the matter:

Canon 1251
Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Canon Law still requires that Catholics not eat meat on Fridays!

Of course, most Episcopal Conferences have determined that, instead of abstaining from meat, Catholics may perform an act of penance of their choosing. But, do you ever remember to abstain from a particular food or do some other penance on Fridays? And, at any rate, the main rule is still to abstain from meat on Fridays, the performance of another penance instead is an optional alternative.

It's very interesting to note that the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (the United States' Episcopal Conference) is currently debating whether to rescind the determination and require all Catholics to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. The Bishops are considering that a return to meatless Fridays for all Catholics would be of benefit because:

It is an expression of one's Catholicity; and
In reparation for the grave sin of abortion.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Blessing the Babies

Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 2:55 PM
Subject: Whispers in the Loggia


At this morning's Angelus, turnout was even heavier than usual as the Pope continued the longstanding, beloved Roman tradition of blessing the Bambinelli -- the likenesses of the Christkindl brought by the city's children to St Peter's Square every Gaudete Sunday in advance of their arrival in the family creche come Christmas.

For the first time, as opposed to including the figures in the general blessing at the noontime prayer's end, B16 employed a special prayer for the rite. Lest anyone find it useful in coming days, here's a translation:


God our Father,
you loved man so much
to send us your only Son Jesus,
born of the Virgin Mary,
to save us and lead us back to you.
We pray that, with your blessing
these images of Jesus, soon to come among us,
might be, in our homes,
a sign of your presence and love.

Good Father,
give your blessing to us, too,
to our parents, our families and friends.

Open our hearts,
that we might know to receive Jesus in joy,
always do what he asks of us
and see him in all those
who need our love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus,
your beloved Son, who came to give peace to the world.

You who live and reign forever and ever.
Amen.

...and as a bonus, an especially-beloved Italian carol...

http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Keep Christ in Christmas

Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 8:31 PM
Subject: Re: Re:


> as far as I knew I thought we were Catholics celebrating the Lord's birthday
>
> Why a need to combine/ destroy CHRISTmas? People are trying to secularize
> Christmas and everything else sacred. They want culture of death not life.
>
> People can celebrate what they want--I am all for that but dont blur
> Christmas in with the other holidays which takes place now. Send Christmas
> cards to those celebrating Christmas and send Ramadan to those celebrating
> Ramadan--I have no idea who is celebrating Kwanza and ill end that there.
>
> Do people celebrating Ramadan, whatever else is being celebrated this month
> want polar bears, snowflakes, snowmen, or whatever that is supposed to
> represent a secular Christmas on there Ramadan card?
>
> It seems we dont want to offend the 10% of Americans not celebrating
> Christmas--so that is 90% of people here are celebrating Christmas in some
> fashion. Who are these with a war on Christmas? They dont want to be
> offended and thus want us to celebrate happy holiday or season greetings???
> I am insulted as a Catholic by people trying to remove Christ from
> Christmas.
>
> Keep Christ in Christmas
> Gerry