FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover holy days.

He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days.

The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel, declaring, "Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying,

"Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case?

The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others.

The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah,

yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states,

'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool.

Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.

The Virtue of Sharing

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'


The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.


In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.



The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished.



They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.



But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.



The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.



The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.'




They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.



There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water..




The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, 'I don't understand.'




It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill.




You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves..'




When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you.

Bold tales of young saints

Although in the year 304 Agnes of Rome was only thirteen years old, pagan authorities tortured and murdered her because she was a Christian. Like so many young Christians, she lived — and then died — for Christ and with a courage that many adults find hard to muster.

Just over a hundred years ago, and because they also wouldn't renounce their faith, young Charles Lwanga and his companions were burned to death by a pagan king in Uganda.

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The tales of these brave young Catholics are told in the Golden Legend of Young Saints, which we just published for you and for your children, ten and older.

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King St. Louis IX
is here:

Crowned king of France in 1226 when he was but twelve years old, Louis's holiness and wisdom, and his care for the poor, won him renown while he still lived, and lifted him swiftly to the ranks of canonized saints after he died. There's Joan of Arc, of course, leading armies in the 1400s while yet a teen; but also saints whose names are not writ large in the book of history:

Dominic Savio,
canonized for the simple goodness
that marked each day of his
brief fifteen years; and

Bernadette Soubirous,
the destitute 14-year-old
to whom our Lady appeared
at Lourdes.

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Their lives of great and simple virtue remind us that "valor does not wait on years," nor does holiness. To live in the love of God, in absolute obedience to His commandments, to practice the noblest Christian virtues, and even to offer our life in sacrifice — we don't have to be grown up. Christ is calling each of us to be like these young saints, to cultivate in ourselves what we know is best: kindness, courage, perseverance, faith, charity, and absolute trust in God. The example of these bold young saints will help you and your children do so.

Plus these other fine books for your children:	Golden Legends of Young Saints by Henri Daniel-Rops $12.95 (Dnrs.: $9.71) ppbk 160 pgs Order online now or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com		Plus these other fine books for your children:

Book: The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life

"Reading this book was one of the greatest graces of my life!" St. Thérèse of Lisieux

In the late 19th century, Father Charles Arminjon, a priest from the mountains of southeastern France, assembled his flock in the town cathedral to preach a series of conferences to help them turn their thoughts away from this life’s mean material affairs — and toward the next life’s glorious spiritual reward. His wise and uncompromising words deepened in them the spirit of recollection that all Christians must have: the abiding conviction that heavenly aims, not temporal enthusiasms, must guide everything we think, say, and do. When Father Arminjon’s conferences were later published in a book, many others were able to reap the same benefit — including 14-year-old Thérèse Martin, then on the cusp of entering the Carmelite convent in Lisieux. Reading these pages, Thérèse says, "plunged my soul into a happiness not of this earth." Filled with a sense of "what God reserves for those who love him, and seeing that the eternal rewards had no proportion to the light sacrifices of life," she copied out numerous passages and memorized them, "repeating unceasingly the words of love burning in my heart." Now the book Thérèse loved is available for the first time in English:

Let its pages fill you with the same burning words of love, with the same ardent desire to know God above all created things, that St. Thérèse gained from them. Let them enrich your understanding of certain teachings of the Faith that can often seem so mysterious, even frightening: the signs that will precede the world’s end; the coming of the Antichrist and how to recognize him; the Judgment and where it may send us; and Biblical end-times prophecy (how to read it and not be deceived). Jesus commands us to be ever-watchful for his return, and ever-mindful that we have no lasting city on earth. The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life is an invaluable aid to inculcating in your spirit that heavenly orientation, without which true human happiness cannot be found — in this world or the next.

The End of the Present World
and the Mysteries of the Future Life

by Fr. Charles Arminjon.
336 pgs ppbk $17.95

Arrives from the printer
on January 26th, 2009.

Order online now or call
1-8...
www.SophiaInstitute.com

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Other fine books for those who love St. Thérèse:

I Believe in Love Fr. Jean C. J. d'Elbée $15.95 paperback 304 pages

Descending Fire by Fr. Jean Petit $2.00 176 pages

"This classic beautifully reveals God's deep love for each of us and awakens in us a burning love for Him. If you want to grow in love of God, this book is a must." Fr. Benedict Groeschel

"Author Fr. Jean Petit calls St. Thérèse and her Little Way "the soul of my soul." Anyone who desires a more contemplative way of prayer will find this book very helpful." Fr. Kilian Healy, O.Carm.

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$2 PER BOOK INTERNET CLEARANCE SALE

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