Santa visits the home of an American soldier.

Thank a soldier this Christmas.  Without him we'll be under the koranimals and won't be able to celebrate the coming of the Savior.  If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/santa-visits-home-of-american-soldier.html

From 2010 came 10 reasons for hope in America.

2010 had a lot of disappointments starting with the travesty of Obamacare.  Then the Ground Zero mosque followed by hundreds of Muslim advances and acts of violence.  It seems that the destruction of the country by the her leaders was unstoppable.  But then came these reasons that give us hope in America for 2011 and beyond.  Obama, Socialism, Islam and all the evil that threatens the land of faith and freedom can and will be stopped.  If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/from-2010-came-10-reasons-for-hope-in.html

There is something about this video. Words fail to describe the experience.

This is something about this video - amazing, touching, inspiring.  See if it resonates with you and do leave a comment if it does to encourage the others. 

I found this from CMR.  The video got to me and I cried while watching it.  I don't why as the visuals were not that dramatic as in "The Passion".  It could be the simple faith of this poor old man that brought joy.  His joy.  Or the joy coming from the realization that the Lord lives and is near.  Something came across the sound bytes and the image.  I hope you resonate with it.  Give it a try.  But before you do, read this background from Gavin Bryars.  To wrap up, recall what the Lord declared, "Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of God."

In 1971, when I lived in London, I was working with a friend, Alan Power, on a film about people living rough in the area around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo Station. In the course of being filmed, some people broke into drunken song - sometimes bits of opera, sometimes sentimental ballads - and one, who in fact did not drink, sang a religious song "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet". This was not ultimately used in the film and I was given all the unused sections of tape, including this one.

When I played it at home, I found that his singing was in tune with my piano, and I improvised a simple accompaniment. I noticed, too, that the first section of the song - 13 bars in length - formed an effective loop which repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. I took the tape loop to Leicester, where I was working in the Fine Art Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an orchestrated accompaniment to this. The door of the recording room opened on to one of the large painting studios and I left the tape copying, with the door open, while I went to have a cup of coffee. When I came back I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping.

I was puzzled until I realised that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man's singing. This convinced me of the emotional power of the music and of the possibilities offered by adding a simple, though gradually evolving, orchestral accompaniment that respected the tramp's nobility and simple faith. Although he died before he could hear what I had done with his singing, the piece remains as an eloquent, but understated testimony to his spirit and optimism

If the video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/this-is-something-about-this-video.html
(And if I don't get to greet you later, "Merry Christmas and God bless you and your loved ones."

The first Marian apparition in the US has been formally approved in the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/first-marian-apparition-in-us-has-been.html



Three apparitions in 1859
In October 1859, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on three occasions to Adele Brise, a young Belgian immigrant. Brise stated that a lady dressed in dazzling white appeared to her and claimed to be the "Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners."

The Lady asked Brise to pray for sinners, as well as to gather the children and teach them what they should know for salvation. The Blessed Virgin followed the commands with these words of assurance to Adele Brise, "Go and fear nothing, I will help you."

Since 1859, countless faithful have made the pilgrimage to Champion, Wisconsin to offer prayers of thanksgiving and petition to Jesus and to ask for intercession from Our Lady of Good Help.

Fulfilling obligations
After receiving the apparitions, Adele Brise immediately began to fulfill the obligations the Blessed Virgin entrusted to her. She gathered local children and taught them how to pray, make the sign of the cross, and to give love, thanks, and praise to the Lord.

As part of her commitment to the Blessed Virgin, Brise set up a Catholic school and began a community of Third Order Franciscan women. Eventually, a school and convent were built on the grounds to further the mission entrusted to Brise.

Spared during Peshtigo fire
The 151-year history of the Shrine is rich with written and oral accounts of prayers that have been answered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help. The sources document physical healings and conversions that have taken place as a result of pilgrimages to the Shrine.
In addition, as the Peshtigo fire of 1871 engulfed the surrounding area, the entire five acres of land consecrated to the Blessed Virgin remained unscathed after Brise organized a prayer vigil that circled the area.

Excerpted from Green Bay Diocese

Holiness in the USA. American saints, blesseds, venerables, servants of God & those whose causes have been introduced. (Scroll to the bottom for a surprise entry.)

List of American saints
St. Isaac Jogues (1930), missionaries to the Hurons.
St. René Goupil (1930), missionaries to the Hurons.
St. Jean de Lalande (1930), missionaries to the Hurons.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1946), worked among immigrants in New York City.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1975), founder of the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph.
St. John Neumann (1977), missionary and bishop of Philadelphia.
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (1988), missionary to Native Americans.
St. Katharine Drexel (2000), benefactor and school builder.
St. Mother Théodore Guérin (2006), founder of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai (2009), leper priest of Molokai.

List of American blesseds
Blessed Marianne Cope, worked among the lepers of Hawaii.
Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, lay minister in Puerto Rico.
Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, missionary preacher.
Blessed Junípero Serra, founder of the Spanish missions in California.
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks.

List of American venerables
Venerable Solanus Casey, Detroit mystic.
Venerable Cornelia Connelly, founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
Venerable Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, missionary to Iowa and Wisconsin.
Venerable Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Catholic convert and benefactor in New York.
Venerable Félix Varela, activist for human rights in Cuba.

List of American Servants of God
Servant of God Mary Magdalen Bentivoglio
Servant of God Nelson Baker
Servant of God Frederic Baraga
Servant of God Simon Bruté
Servant of God Vincent Robert Capodanno
Servant of God Walter Ciszek
Servant of God Gwen Coniker
Servant of God Terence Cooke
Servant of God Dorothy Day
Servant of God Henriette DeLille, founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family.
Servant of God Theodore Foley
Servant of God Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
Servant of God Isaac Hecker
Servant of God Emil Kapaun
Servant of God Mary Elizabeth Lange
Servant of God Rose Hawthorne Lathrop
Servant of God Francis J. Parater
Servant of God Patrick Peyton
Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen
Servant of God Felix Varela

Other Americans have been proposed for beatification, and may have active groups supporting their causes. These include:
John Hardon
Mychal F. Judge
Jacques Marquette
John F. Noll
Joseph T. O'Callahan
Bernard Quinn
Stanley Rother
Augustine Tolton
Rhoda Wise
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   Your name?  God's will won't put you where God's grace can't sustain you.   Decide now to be a saint.  That's the best way to live life.

The paradox of Christmas calls you to respond.

This season is truly about the gift that you already have been given.

If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/paradox-of-christmas-invites-you-to.html

Real Muslim terrorist training video. Fail. Hilarious.

Looks like karma drove over the koranimal's filthy dogma.  If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/terrorist-training-video.html