SAved

Getting Saved

A father asked his little boy if he knew how a person gets saved.

“We’ll be saved by going to our church every Sunday,” the boy said without hesitation.

His father explained that going to their church each week would not save them.

“Well, then, we better find another church!” replied the boy.

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Dedication of St. John Lateran

Most Catholics think of St. Peter’s as the pope’s main church, but they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the pope’s church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.

The first basilica on the site was built in the fourth century when Constantine donated land he had received from the wealthy Lateranfamily. That structure and its successors suffered fire, earthquake and the ravages of war, but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated until the popes returned from Avignon in the 14th century to find the church and the adjoining palace in ruins.

Pope Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Rome’s most imposing churches, the Lateran’s towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 doctors of the Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on which tradition holds St. Peter himself celebrated Mass.

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Blessed John Duns Scotus (c. 1266-1308)

Blessed John Duns Scotus (c. 1266-1308)

A humble man, John Duns Scotus has been one of the most influential Franciscans through the centuries.

Born at Duns in the county of Berwick, Scotland, John was descended from a wealthy farming family. In later years he was identified as John Duns Scotus to indicate the land of his birth; Scotia is the Latin name for Scotland.

John received the habit of the Friars Minor at Dumfries, where his uncle Elias Duns was superior. After novitiate John studied at Oxford and Paris and was ordained in 1291. More studies in Paris followed until 1297, when he returned to lecture at Oxford and Cambridge. Four years later he returned to Paris to teach and complete the requirements for the doctorate.

In an age when many people adopted whole systems of thought without qualification, John pointed out the richness of the Augustinian-Franciscan tradition, appreciated the wisdom of Aquinas, Aristotle and the Muslim philosophers—and still managed to be an independent thinker. That quality was proven in 1303 when King Philip the Fair tried to enlist the University of Paris on his side in a dispute with Pope Boniface VIII. John Duns Scotus dissented and was given three days to leave France.

In Scotus’s time, some philosophers held that people are basically determined by forces outside themselves. Free will is an illusion, they argued. An ever practical man, Scotus said that if he started beating someone who denied free will, the person would immediately tell him to stop. But if Scotus didn’t really have a free will, how could he stop? John had a knack for finding illustrations his students could remember!

After a short stay in Oxford he returned to Paris, where he received the doctorate in 1305. He continued teaching there and in 1307 so ably defended the Immaculate Conception of Mary that the university officially adopted his position. That same year the minister general assigned him to the Franciscan school in Cologne where John died in 1308. He is buried in the Franciscan church near the famous Cologne cathedral.

Drawing on the work of John Duns Scotus, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854. John Duns Scotus, the "Subtle Doctor," was beatified in 1993.

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A Preachers Life

Just a Poor Preacher

"I'm just a poor preacher."

"I know. I've heard your sermons."

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Laughing Ladies

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Happy November! Eggnog is finally here! Time to stop in and enjoy a delicious eggnog latte or chai-nog.. We have some very exciting musicians this month. Tonight, we have Paula Maya and her band. They describe themselves as "eclectic and spunky pop". On Friday the 13th, Lisa Marshall will be joining us while she is in town again from 5-7pm. The same night we will be featuring the Smita Shukla Ladies Open Mic and Stella and Dot Jewlery Trunk Show from 7:30-9:30pm. On Saturday the 14th, Garrett & Westcott will be gracing our stage again from 7:30-9:30pm. On Sunday November 15th, Robert Livingsten will be performing some live jazz from 3:00-5:00pm.  The following weekend we have Marc Smason on the 20th, and a big show on the 21st. Check the website in the next week or so to see the artists that will be performing. On Sunday the 22nd, Pat Terlizzi will perform from 6:00-8:00pm.  Join us to see some great performers this month! Remember we will be closed on Thanksgiving so our staff and management can enjoy the day with their families.  We will have regular hours on Friday.  Come join us for a cup of coffee and a delicious pastry from our bakery.  If you haven't stopped by recently we have several new retail items including new candles from the Blue Herron Candel Company in Olympia.  We also have some beautiful jewelry from Africa, and environmentally safe bags.     Finally, what you all have been waiting for..the word of the month is holiday. Come in and tell us this word and recieve a free 12oz latte! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. Laughing Ladies Remove me from this list You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or signed up at our cafe. Unsubscribe sdritchie71@gmail.com from this list. Our mailing address is: Laughing Ladies Cafe 17551 - 15th Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98155 Add us to your address book Copyright (C) 2009 Laughing Ladies Cafe All rights reserved. Forward this email to a friend Update your profile

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St. Didacus (1400-1463)

St. Didacus (1400-1463)

Didacus is living proof that God "chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27).

As a young man in Spain, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. His penances were heroic. He was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his charity.

Didacus volunteered for the missions in the Canary Islands and labored there energetically and profitably. He was also the superior of a friary there.

In 1450 he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of St. Bernardine of Siena. When many friars gathered for that celebration fell sick, Didacus stayed in Rome for three months to nurse them. After he returned to Spain, he pursued a life of contemplation full-time. He showed the friars the wisdom of God’s ways.

As he was dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said: "O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven" (Marion A. Habig, O.F.M., The Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 834).

San Diego, California, is named for this Franciscan, who was canonized in 1588.

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Masters

Serving Two Masters

A Mormon acquaintance once pushed Mark Twain into an argument on the issue of polygamy. After long and tedious expositions justifying the practice, the Mormon demanded that Twain cite any passage of scripture expressly forbidding polygamy.

"Nothing easier," Twain replied. "No man can serve two masters."

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Bring out your ...

Blessing a Body…?

A newly ordained deacon was asked to hold a graveside service for someone with no family or friends. It was his first official assignment, so he eagerly agreed.

Taking his duties very seriously, the deacon let early the next morning for the cemetery. However, he made several wrong turns and quickly got himself lost. When he finally arrived more than an hour late, the hearse was nowhere to be seen and the two workmen were eating lunch.

The deacon got out of his car, quickly threw on his vestments, and hurried to the open grave. Looking into the pit, he saw that the vault lid was already in place. With a sign, he took out his prayer book and read the burial service. 

After he had left, one of the workmen said to the other, “Maybe we should have told him he just blessed a septic tank.”

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one libers

If Bible Characters Had Bumper Stickers

Biblical bumper stickers:

Jonah: Save the Whales

The Israelites: Honk If You Love Moses

Elijah: My Other Chariot Rolls

Goliath: Support the Ban on Slingshots

Lot: If You Can’t See Sodom, You’re Too Close

Methuselah: Be Kind to Senior Citizens

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St. Nicholas Tavelic and Companions (d. 1391)

St. Nicholas Tavelic and Companions (d. 1391)

Nicholas and his three companions are among the 158 Franciscans who have been martyred in the Holy Land since the friars became custodians of the shrines in 1335.

Nicholas was born in 1340 to a wealthy and noble family in Croatia. He joined the Franciscans and was sent with Deodat of Rodez to preach in Bosnia. In 1384 they volunteered for the Holy Land missions and were sent there. They looked after the holy places, cared for the Christian pilgrims and studied Arabic.

In 1391 Nicholas, Deodat, Peter of Narbonne and Stephen of Cuneo decided to take a direct approach to converting the Muslims. On November 11, 1391, they went to the huge Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem and asked to see the Qadi (Muslim official). Reading from a prepared statement, they said that all people must accept the gospel of Jesus. When they were ordered to retract their statement, they refused. After beatings and imprisonment, they were beheaded before a large crowd.

Nicholas and his companions were canonized in 1970. They are the only Franciscans martyred in the Holy Land to be canonized.

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