Happy Mardi Gras!*

Today is the day that Christians all over the world celebrate and thank God for the abundance He showers upon us before entering the austere lessons of Lent. A Mardi Gras prayer includes these words:

As our feasting fills us with gratitude, so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us a place for deeper desires and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor.

Those who participated in last fall’s prayer campaign (If My People) should also include thanks and heartfelt gratitude for these answers to our prayers for the United States:

* The elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts
* The failure of the Underwear Bomber’s attempt to blow up a plane load of passengers over a densely populated area
* The exposure of lying and fraud by the primary scientists behind the global warming theories
* The continued unraveling of the massive health care proposals
* The resignations of many politicians

Once again let’s join other Americans in praying for our country during Lent, which starts tomorrow. Much needs to change in our government, in our culture, and in our personal lives; let’s pray for improvement (i.e. realignment with God’s purposes) in all areas. Then after Easter, take note of the miracles that unfold.

Although I have often been Missing-In-Action for the last three months, I am returning to the daily blog today. I promise to have brief meditations every day to remind you to pray, as well as tidbits of political news you may have missed.

Or, there are other sites on the Internet where you might find inspiration:
1. 40 Days for Life is dedicated to prayers to end abortion in the U.S. They will begin a new initiative tomorrow.
2. Spiritual Exercises is a website for those who use Lent to examine their lives in the light of the Gospel. These exercises were first promulgated by St. Ignatius of Loyola and have inspired Christians for over 450 years. I have used them twice and found them quite helpful.
3. Once again the Aggie Catholics have come up with their Lenten website, which is full of information, many answers to questions, and links to other sites.

* Due to the mass media's deleterious emphasis and influence, few people still understand the true meaning of Mardi Gras, or St. Valentine's Day, or St. Patrick's Day, or Christmas, . . . .

Join The Rebellion

Tired of mass media lies or Hollywood decadence? Choose your own entertainment instead of yelling at the television set. There's a wide world out there beyond the packages served to us by those who detest Christian values or who promote "alternative lifestyles."

If you're reading blogs, you've already started to think for yourself. Congratulations! Keep it up and encourage the ones that you like best.

If you've been there and done that, here are a few suggestions for free Podcast entertainment I've found since cutting the cable (as in TV) last fall. If you have a MP3 player, you can download the programs and listen while you drive, do the supper dishes, or walk the dog. If not, you can still listen and watch from your computer. Afterwards, you'll feel refreshed instead of tired.

1. Even if you hated science classes in school, you'll love Ian Maxfield's genial wit at The Catholic Lab (also see link at the right). He includes a bit of study, news items, biographies, and jokes with each weekly broadcast. My favorites were the one that explained some of the miracles that take place each time a baby is born and the one explaining the importance of carbon. (Yes, the same carbon the EPA recently designated as a major pollutant.)

2. Peter Kreeft, everyone's favorite philosopher, has a whole list of talks he's given that make philosophy understandable, interesting, and fun. Typing Peter Kreeft in the search box of iTunes will lead you to several selections posted under iTunes U. My absolute favorite, Ecumenical Jihad, is so good that I wish I could get everybody to listen to it and follow his suggestions. You can also go to his website and find at least 39 more favorites to download.

3. ITunes U has university lectures from all over the place on all sorts of topics. I've just begun to explore The Mises Institute's series on political philosophy from Plato to Rothberd, but they also carry many other lectures from both universities and think tanks. Last night I enjoyed Laughing with the Saints and collected about five good jokes making fun of us Catholics.

Of course, if you're willing to spend money, you can also download thousands more books and movies from iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Audible. But, I'm going to enjoy the freebies first.

August 4

Yesterday was a very important day. We found pictures and videos of Obama celebrating his birthday and sharing birthday cake with Helen Thomas everywhere.

August 4 is also the birthday of our Coast Guard; this year commemorates 219 years of service. But I didn't hear anything about those who protect our coast, did you?