It's Not the Cold War

Mark Steyn's thoughts on the recent terror attacks in Mumbai.

Movie Recommendation

Barbara Nicolosi recommended the movie "The Boy in The Striped Pajamas" nearly three weeks ago. I saw it today. I'm glad I did.

The Crisis Continues

The Times of India has the stories.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!

Have a piece of pumpkin pie!

In case you were wondering, Canadian Thanksgiving is in October - the same day y'all celebrate Columbus Day.

Please Pray...

...for the victims of terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

And there was Light!

No, that's not a UFO from a B-movie - it's the new light fixture for our kitchen ceiling. The ballast for the fluorescent light had conked out about a week ago, and we decided to get some new circular track lighting instead of just replacing the ballast.

The salesman at one of the lighting stores we went to convinced me that I would be capable of installing the light fixture myself, and that calling an electrician in would be an unnecessary expense.

I'm happy to report that I was successful in installing the new lights - no one was electrocuted in the process and, thus far, the condo hasn't burnt down because of my wiring efforts. Please pray that this continues to be the case...

Vive Le Montmartre!

This afternoon, Mom took me out to a lovely little French restaurant very close to where we live. The occasion was the celebration of my landing a new job which I'll be starting in about a week. I thought I should treat, but Mom being the generous lady that she is, insisted on treating me. "Besides," she said, "it's what your Father would've done!" Well, that's true... I think Dad only ever let me treat him to a meal once in his life. He loved to try new restaurants, but he always insisted on taking his family out and rarely ever let it happen the other way around.

This restaurant is such a wonderful place, I felt I had to make a little plug for it. It's called Le Montmartre, and it's on Sheppard Road, just west of Wilson Heights Blvd. The owner, Marjie Caradant is a very sweet lady trained in Paris and Toronto. She took our order and handled most of the lunch time crowd by herself.

The atmosphere was both classy and comfortable; simple and elegant - French music playing in the background, fresh cut flowers on the table, antique furniture, stained glass, and prints of late 19th century French artists on the walls. The outside of the restaurant is painted Provencal yellow which adds a nice burst of colour to an otherwise plain street.

And the food - oh, the food! I had the Petits tournedos aux poivres vert (Beef tenderloin medallions flambéed with cognac, in green peppercorn sauce) and Mom had Le Foie de veau, sauce marchand de vin (Grilled provimi liver with shallots and a touch of garlic in a delicious red wine sauce). We loved it! I have to say, that was the best tenderloin steak I've had in a long time (medium rare is how I like it, and that's what I got - perfect!).

Remarkably, I didn't have any wine with my meal, because I was feeling a little "headachey" before I got there. I'll just have to go back another time and sample one of their wines (they have an extensive selection) along with my meal. Next time, I'm treating, Mom!

Please check out their site for more info. Le Montmarte is definitely worth visiting if you're ever in the North York area - and if you're not in the area, it's worth the trip!

Take Me In - Petra

This song/hymn reminds me of the sense of awe that's evoked when we spend time alone with Christ, especially in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

At present, adoration is majorly missing in my life, and those closest to me are paying the price for it because my propensity towards being easily hurt and angered is really acting up. I definitely need to spend time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Maybe one of the Churches downtown have Eucharistic adoration and I can start going there after work, at least one evening each week...

Good News for Free Speech in Canada!

Ezra writes about it here.

Congratulations Seraphic Single & Benedict Ambrose!

The two are now engaged to be married, and I wish them both well! It's been fun reading Seraphic's site for the last 8 months. While looking through the archives on Dawn Eden's site in March, I found an article reprinted with Seraphic's permission. The article made a good impression on me, and I immediately became a daily reader of Seraphic's site. I always find her entries to be witty or smart or both.

I'm especially happy to hear Seraphic plans to continue blogging - she will now embark on a new blog entitled "Seraphic meets Bridezilla"! This should be fun... :)

Congratulations again, Seraphic and Benedict! May God bless you both, always!

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae,
MD (1872-1918), Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Thank You, St. Joseph!

Yesterday I accepted an offer for a full-time position at the University, starting December 1st! I've been temping there a couple of days a week for the last few months. Thanks so much to all who've been praying for me during this time (Mom, Nana, friends), thanks to those who gave me good references, and thank you to the Holy Souls and the Saints, especially Dad & St. Joseph, for their intercession!

This also gives me enough time to finish up my current part-time freelance assignment. Which I should get back to working on...

BTW, the St. Joseph book I mentioned earlier - "The Glories of St. Joseph" - is a 30-day series of reflections on St. Joseph which includes prayers as well as stories of favours received through his intercession.

I have not been reading the book every day for 30 days (which is typical of me), but I pick it up every now and then and read a little bit here and a little bit there, and I have found it very encouraging. The one thing I do regularly is say a daily novena prayer to St. Joseph with my Nana, and gainful employment has always been and will remain one of my many intentions.

And now, I better get back to work! :)

God Bless President-Elect Barack Obama

You've prayed, you've fasted, you've voted for the pro-life candidate - and Barack still won. Well then, God bless President-Elect Barack Obama and his family, and let's pray harder than ever and put even more effort into advancing socially conservative causes.

It is a historically significant event - the election of America's first black President - and I think the symbolic nature of it will bring many a measure of healing for a time. It saddens me very much, though, that America's first black President is a supporter of abortion...

Nevertheless, prayer is powerful and our prayers are never in vain. Let us pray for the Truth to prevail in the hearts and minds of all God's children, especially those who have the power to implement laws which could protect the most weak and vulnerable in our society.

"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts." Mother Teresa

Looking Ahead...

Yes, these are bumper stickers and yes you can buy them! http://www.zazzle.com/belloc

Communion of Saints

What I love about All Saints Day and All Souls Day is that they put me in mind of eternity. I think about loved ones who have passed on, as well as historic heroes of the Faith. I imagine what it’s like for these souls now in eternity. What is it like to be beyond the reach of temptation and sin? To be in a place where holiness, love, joy, and peace are the very air you breathe? Where even the further purification of your soul is pure joy because you know it’s bringing about the perfect union of your soul with God?

I know these souls still involve themselves in our lives. That’s why we’re always asking the Saints to intercede for us; because we believe their prayers are effective and can bring us God’s graces and blessings. I also ask the intercession of deceased family members and friends whom I’ve entrusted to God’s mercy. Some of them may still be undergoing further purification, but I believe their prayers are still efficacious.

I often think of my Dad - I pray for his soul to have perfect peace and joy in eternity, and sometimes I even talk to him. I also ask him to pray for me and Mom and Nana. And I believe he does! :)

“To see God when full satisfaction had not yet been made Him, even if the time of purgation lacked but the twinkling of an eye, would be unbearable to that soul.”
St. Catherine of Genoa, The Dialogue

“God is the ‘last thing’ of the creature. Gained, He is heaven; lost, He is hell; examining, He is judgement; purifying, He is purgatory. He it is to whom finite being dies, and through whom it rises to Him, in Him.”
Hans Urs von Balthasar