Prepare Way of the Lord

By Fr. Frank Pavone

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ Quoting the Prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist calls on the world to prepare the way for Christ, and hence, once again, we live the Spirit of Advent.

He says, furthermore, continuing the quote from Isaiah, “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth” (Luke 3:5).

Our world is full of crooked roads, winding under the shadow of death. It is a world disgusted with the murderous acts of ISIS and weary of the racial divides in Ferguson, MO. And with a deeper destruction and greater number of victims than these or any other evils, abortion continues to tear apart children in the womb, their families, and our whole society. Ours is a world that needs Advent, a world that needs Christ.

Christ’s coming ushers in the final triumph of life over death. The preparation for that coming, therefore, includes repentance from the works of death, including abortion. Not only individuals but nations likewise need to repent. This repentance includes living with active respect for every human life, and building a society of justice and welcome for the most vulnerable.

“Prepare the way of the Lord”, who is a God of Justice. “Every valley shall be filled” – the valleys where people languish because their rights are trampled, their dignity forgotten, and their lives thrown onto the outskirts of society. “Every mountain and hill shall be made low” – the mountains of pride whereby we think our own choices determine what is right and wrong, rather than submitting our choices to the truth that became visible when Christ was born.

Promoting justice and human rights is a key element of our preparation. A society that aborts its children is not prepared for the coming of Christ. Individuals who ignore the massive slaughter of tens of millions of babies are not prepared to welcome the God who became a little baby.

The Christmas hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” relates that “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.” Throughout the millennia of history, the human heart has been torn between hope and fear. We fear the menace of death, destruction, and meaninglessness. Yet we yearn in hope for One who can save, protect, and fulfill us. And how does that One, foretold by the prophets and by the mighty acts of God’s intervention to save his people of old, finally come to us? He comes as an unborn child. The almighty Son of God did not appear on earth as a king on the clouds or an adult teaching his message. He first appeared by being hidden in the womb of his mother. He first appeared so small that the naked eye could not see him. He came through a pregnancy and lived as a child in the womb.

Hence the great encyclical The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae) reminds us that the joy of the birth of Christ is reflected in the joy of the birth of every child.

May we prepare to welcome Christ by welcoming and protecting every unborn child. Happy Advent!

This column can be read and heard online.

Prepare Way of the Lord

Prepare Way of the Lord
Prepare Way of the Lord

Prepare Way of the Lord

Prepare Way of the Lord

Prepare Way of the Lord

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 12-13-14

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 12-13-14

Yes Anthony, Americans do consume 33 percent of the world’s coffee. but man for man, Swedes drink more coffee than we do.

Medicaid Hurts Poor

Medicaid, the state-managed health program for poor people, is not so good for poor people according to a new federal report.

The program gets its funding from federal and state tax collections. Obamacare — sorry DemoCare — encouraged states to expanded eligibility for it.

Pennsylvania under Gov. Tom Corbett was among those opting out of the expansion.

It turns out Corbett’s instincts were right.

The U.S. Office of the Inspector General has found that “slightly more than half of providers could not offer appointments to enrollees.” Also, 8 percent of practices said they weren’t taking new patients and of those that did more that quarter had wait times of over a month with 10 percent waiting in excess of two months.

People, putting ink on paper does not mean you get health care. Health care is a competent doctor willing to see you.

If a doctor is unwilling or unable to see you, don’t have health care. If doctors are retiring early or working fewer hours — and they are due to DemoCare  — that means there is less health care. One does not need to be Socrates to see this logic.

Gov.-elect Tom Wolf plans to implement a straightforward Medicaid expansion. The poor are going to suffer as they always do under Democrats.

We pointed this out months ago.

Medicaid Hurts Poor

Medicaid Hurts Poor

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-12-14

William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-12-14

Birch beer was originally an alcoholic beverage.

Obamacare Name Change Wanted. How About Democare?

Former Health and Human Services  Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wants a name change for deeply unpopular Obamacare, which is only going to get more deeply, unpopular as health insurance cost rise, doctors become harder to find and business layoff workers or cut hours to avoid the mandates.

But we are here to help Kathleen.

How about Democare? That certainly would give complete credit where credit is due.

Or how about Zero-Care. Some are already calling it 0-Care but using the word rather than numeral prevents confusion with O-Care which is too close to Obamacare and that’s what we are trying fix right?

Meanwhile, soon-to-be-former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has become the latest Obamacare critic.

Serious LOL. You had nothing to do with it getting the disaster passed you craven SOS SOB?

Obamacare Name Change Wanted. How About Democare?

Obamacare Name Change Wanted. How About Democare?

Dom Giordano Named 2014 Patriot Of The Year

Dom Giordano has been named the Independence Hall Foundation‘s 2014 Patriot of the Year. He will be honored, Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Foundation’s Christmas Celebration of Religious Liberty, 3:30-6 p.m. at The Omni Hotel, 401 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, 19106

“Most of you are fully aware of Dom’s substantial contributions, both on and off the air, to the conservative movement in our region,” said Teri Adams of the Foundation. “For over two decades in his professional radio broadcasting career, Dom has been a consistent conservative voice. Time and again, he has used his voice to come to the aid small business owners and individuals victimized by the left. We salute Dom, and his wife Rosemary, and hope that you will join us this Sunday at our Christmas Celebration of Religious Liberty to pay to tribute to a true conservative hero and patriot.”

Previous Patriot Award recipients include Pennsylvania philanthropist Tom Smith,  businessman Joey Vento, and television personality Herb Dennenberg (posthumously).

Cost for the event is $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $10 for students and free for children 12 and under.

To RSVP click here

Dom Giordano Named 2014 Patriot Of The Year

Dom Giordano Named 2014 Patriot Of The Year by the Independence Hall Foundation.

Pope Says Dogs Go To Heaven Reports Brit Paper

Pope Francis has declared that “Paradise is open to all God’s creatures,” according to Hannah Roberts of Express.com, the website for the U.K.s Daily Express.

The declaration reportedly occurred during the presentation of two donkeys as gifts during the Dec. 3 general audience.

The Pope was also quoted as saying “One day we will see our animals again in eternity of Christ.”

We always sort of thought that.

For all those who lost a pet, here is Rainbow Bridge:

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of Heaven is a special place called Rainbow Bridge.   When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes on to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill or old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing;  they each miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance.  His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers.  Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling to each other in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.

The happy kisses rain upon you face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.  Then you cross  Rainbow Bridge together…….

~Author Unknown~

Pope Says Dogs Go To Heaven Reports Brit Paper. Yes, Peewee, even you have a chance.

Pope Says Dogs Go To Heaven Reports Brit Paper. Yes, Peewee, even you have a chance.

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 12-11-14

William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 12-11-14

A Texan named Plennie Wingo in 1932 walked 8,000 miles from Santa Monica, Calif. to Instanbul, Turkey, backwards. He must have won the bet.

Myopia Increasing Due To Tech

Myopia i.e. nearsightedness is dramatically increasing and the culprit is tech says U.S. News & World Report.

About 25 percent of 12 to 54 year old Americans were myopic in the early 1970s. It is now 41 percent.

Christine Wildsoet, a professor of vision science and optometry at the University of California– Berkeley notes babies are now parked in front of iPads and toddlers play games on cellphones.

It could be worse. In South Korea where internet game cafes are a lifestyle, 96 percent of 19-year-olds were found to myopic in 2012.

The solution? Play outside, kids.

Another suggestion courtesy of Mark Jacquot, clinical director of vision care at LensCrafters is  for every 20 minutes of close-up activity such  as reading a book, playing a video game or working on a computer, to stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Myopia Increasing Due To Tech

Myopia Increasing Due To Tech

Foxcatcher Movie Review

We just caught Foxcatcher at Regal Edgmont Square 10, which was just a mile or so from where all the action happened.

Steve Carell nails John du Pont. He deserves an Oscar.

Was the movie entertaining? Well, it was like spending 134 minutes with John du Pont.

That would be a no.

Thanks for 134 minutes of misery, Mr. Carell.

You should be investigated by the Senate Democrats.

Some observations, Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is told on his initial helicopter ride to Foxcatcher that du Pont would have been piloting himself had he not been providing tactical assistance to the “Newtown Square” Police Department. That should have been Newtown Police Department as Newtown Square is the postal address not municipal name.  When police are shown, however, the shoulder patches are correct as are the names on the cars which even have the color scheme we remember.

Yes, du Pont did at times provide aerial assistance to the Newtown Police.

The mansion used was in Leesburg, Va. as the actual site was torn down in 2013.  You would not see the background hills in Newtown Square.

We don’t remember as much snow on the ground when the Jan. 26, 1996 shooting of Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) happened. Ruffalo was also very good, by the way.

There was no mention of the Villanova University controversy or the sexual harassment suits by the wrestlers, nor was there of his short, unhappy marriage to Gale Wenk

There is one scene where John’s mother, Jean Liseter Austin du Pont (Vanessa Redgrave) is pushing du Pont to give away his toy trains. He never did. Below is a shot of his train set from his Nov. 26, 2011 estate sale. For what it’s worth, yesterday, Dec. 9, was the fourth anniversary of his death.

DuPont Train Set Foxcatcher Movie Review

Foxcatcher Movie Review