I cannot believe we live in this society...

Christmas just happenned and the New Year is approaching, so many of us are still in the holiday mood.

Not sure how up to date this world around us, but today, Saddam was hung tonight. Here are some comments for you to ponder a little. I hate to end the year with such a note, I will write something uplifting the next few days.

Comments on the death penalty for Saddam

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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"Our respect for human rights requires us to execute him, and there will be no review or delay in carrying out the sentence." - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
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Saddam's execution punishes "a crime with another crime. ... The death penalty is not a natural death. And no one can give death, not even the state." - Cardinal Renato Martino, Pope Benedict XVI's top prelate for justice issues.
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"Today marks an important milestone in the Iraqi people's efforts to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law." - deputy White House press secretary Scott Stanzel, on day appeals court upheld death penalty.
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"Imposing the death penalty, which is indefensible in any case, is especially wrong after the unfair proceedings of the Dujail trial." - Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program for Human Rights Watch.
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"Saddam is paying the price for murdering tens of thousands of Iraqis. This is an unprecedented feeling of happiness. ... Nothing matches it, no festival or marriage or birth." - Abu Sinan, a resident of Sadr City, Baghdad's impoverished Shiite slum.
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"This is an unfair verdict and if Saddam is executed or not ... he will remain a symbol and no one can delete it, neither the Iraqi government nor the Americans." - Muhssin Ali Mohammed of Tikrit, Saddam's hometown.
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"As long as he's alive, there's still some power and people still rise up. Once the execution goes through, I think it will be a relief for a lot of Iraqis." - Sgt. Stuart Fowler, Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment.
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"I think personally that things might get heated up around here then. There's still a lot of people who support him." - Pfc. Michael Petersen, Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment.
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"We are against the death penalty. However, what I think is important about this is to recognize that this trial of Saddam has been handled by the Iraqis themselves. ... It does give us a very clear reminder of the total and barbaric brutality of that regime." - British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
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"All sections of Iraqi society, as well as the wider international community, have an interest in ensuring that a death sentence provided for in Iraqi law is only imposed following a trial and appeal process that is, and is legitimately seen as, fair, credible and impartial." - Louise Arbour, U.N. high commissioner for human rights.
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"It will not increase our moral authority in the world. ... Saddam's heinous crimes against humanity can never be diminished, but he was our ally while he was doing it. ... Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth will make us blind and disfigured. ... Saddam as a war trophy only deepens the catastrophe to which we are indelibly linked." - the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
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"Putting into action such an inhumane sentence casts aside the aspirations of the Iraqi people for the transformation of their country." - Ravil Gainutdin, head of the Russian Council of Muftis, to the RIA-Novosti news agency.

Christmas thought...

So I wrote this e-mail to a few close friends last year and I thought I would share it here...

Ever wonder how much Jesus truly suffered?

Think about it. When one thinks of Jesus suffering, the agony of the garden comes to mind, but more prevalent, the crucifix. But has the birth ever come to mind? Yes, its a beautiful event where the Virgin Mary, Our Mother, gives birth to the Savior of the World. Our brother, the man who takes away our sins, allows us to unite ourselves in the Holy Eucharist, endured sufferring that day as well. His bed was a crib of hay and his home a manger. Just think the night, the breeze the coldness. Babies especially young need heat. How truly comfortable can a crib full of hay be, the same bed where animals sleep? He came to this world as a poor human, not with the extravagant gifts that Kings are accustomed to have. He came to this world as you and I.

There are several times when we feel like we are in hay like the animals. Poor as can be spiritually, and physically. So look at those cribs and see our Savior. He will save us. Unite yourself. This morning you have received the best gift of all.

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Not sure how I came up with this theory, but sometimes we get caught up in the wrong meaning of Christmas. Its not about how many gifts we receive or who sent the coolest Christmas card, but rather the preparation of our Lord on His birth. Now that is a gift.

Merry Christmas. There is a reason why Christ is in that word.

You will be in my prayers and enjoy this time we have with friends and family.

The mistakes we make...

Laying here in bed a few hours before midnight to celebrate one of the greatest days ever, the birth of our Lord, I am contemplating on the mistakes we make in life.

Some are stupid, others we cannot remember, and others we didn't even know were mistakes. Our whole life is....we can do the right or the wrong. The worst part of it all is the consequence and the guilt we feel.

But the great thing is we get each morning to make up for the stupid things we do in life. The more exciting part is being Catholic and knowing Confession is there waiting for me.

I ask you, Lord, tonight to give me the strength to love you more and seek your help as we approach your Birthday. Yeah if only more people truly grasp its YOUR day tomorrow Lord.

As a billboard I read in Omaha, a night before I left, "We need to talk." - God. I need to keep that at heart.

Catholics will rule the world!!

Media; Missed Church? No Worries. Download It to Your IPod.
August 29, 2005, Monday

By TANIA RALLI (NYT); Business/Financial Desk

DISPLAYING ABSTRACT - Podcasting is catching on with religious groups, which use them to send out sermons and other material; evangelical Christian groups, which have long used radio and television to get their message out, are in forefront, but one of most popular Christian podcasts is Catholic Insider, which was founded by Rev Roderick Vonhogen of Netherlands...

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Yeah it costs money to read the rest of the article, but it drew me to the Catholic Insider [http://www.sqpn.com] Right now I am listening a priest describing St. Peters in Rome, his voice shows me the love and beauty of our Church. Yeah you should check this out.

I want an IPod so bad. Thought you would enjoy it.

We are SUSHI MASTERS!

Beth's Sushi Making


So my friend, Beth Carlson and I love sushi! We decided to google, "how to make sushi" and guess what we learned. Than we had to google "asian market omaha, nebraska." Because there are just somethings you cannot get at a regular market. I am such a nerd and you will agree. My life is good.

With a Catholic Feast there is a Par-ty!

Just STOP and Pray

So in the middle of the week, is usually when my heart rate increases because I realize all the things I need to get done. But in all reality I am solely just stressing myself out. Last night, I decided to put on my cell phone alarm for noon and 3:00 for hours of prayer. Now at 3:10, I am typing to testify that I just prayed a chaplet at UNO's campus in the cafeteria. Yes, that is right and you what, the things I thought I needed to get done just suddenly didn't seem as important.

Pray for me still though. Even though I am a college graduate, I have a final at 6:00 pm in Yoga. It's the real deal like fill in the blanks and matching. Yeah I should have paid more attention.

The perfect way to start Advent

Ever wonder exactly what is Advent? Well, you clicked on the right site if you have. In Latin, the word Advent means "to come to." Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. As a Catholic I am encouraged to prepare myself for the Lord. One of the best ways to do so is especially strive to add some holiness in my everyday living. Through prayer, reading the Bible, daily mass, a little mental prayer this could be achieved, but most importantly there is the sacrament of Penance. Such a scary thought, but what better way can I "come to" the Lord than freeing myself from all past sin. Yeah let's all try "to come to."
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Today we had a core group of students over for brunch after the first Sunday in Advent for the first time. God could not have planned it any better. Pray for these students and their willing to come closer to Christ especially now when God is tugging on their hearts.
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A student invited me to go caroling with some high schoolers from a local parish. I said sure why not, what else do I have going on. It's Sunday it's the day of rest, I might as well do a little act of kindness. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. We went to a center not too far from town where young adults who have some sort of brain injury or spinal cord injury are being taken care of. Most are wheelchair bond and their physical ability is limited, but their smiles and laughter was not limited. The kids and myself included were complaining, "I cannot sing." But you know what their are lots of thing these young adults cannot do and wish they could. I have the ability to sing, might not have the skill, but the ability, I might as well use it.

These young adults are my age. We are so different, but yet so very similar. My life could change in the blink of an eye.

Their were some requests, but the one I enjoyed the most is this young gentleman around my age who requested Joy to the World. It our first request after being in three other buildings. It was his smile, pure joy, and attempt to say "thank you."

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

May the Lord, guide us all to recognize the gifts we have that we didn't even realize were gifts.

One of those nights

Ever have those nights where you know you should be sleeping, but the world and just your mind is preventing you to do so. Lately the Gospel reading has been hitting the nerve, in a good way. It's like the Lord knows exactly what I should be hearing.

For instance Thursday's reading on the 30th of November. Matthew 4:18-22.

• He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

We have heard the saying a million times. Come, after me, and I will make you fishers of men. But often times we forget about the line the comes directly after. "At once they left their nets and followed him." They didn't have to get a few belongings, or say goodbye. They just left and followed.

I know first hand when God is calling me to make a decision in my life, I have never right than and there left and followed. Hesitation and resistance allows comes first. I am too afraid because I am afraid of the person God is calling me to be. We all know that the more God calls us closer to Him the more we learn about ourselves. And usually these characteristics or ourselves are not the most faltering.

Lord, give me the strength to leave and follow. Let me not resist my own selfishness, but at the same time be mindful that it is your will I follow not mine.

My very own Christmas tree

So I few days ago, I put up my Christmas tree. Can't say I have ever put one up because I have lived in the dorms til now, so it was kinda of a big kid thing to do. The students think I am funny, but shoot I even made myself my own advent wreath. Yeah it's good being me.