Give Me Your Poor, Your Tired, Your Vote!!

The cage match battle to the death voting has begun at The Crescat for the 2010 Cannonball Catholic Blog Awards!

Your humble blogger needs you to vote, vote, vote each day for me in the Best Potpourri of Popery category.

We got Popery, we got funny, we got serious, we even have snacks. Our 5 little Nodlings will be completely bereft and destitute* if you don't vote and help us win. We're offering free home brewed beer** and a homemade Super Catholic cape if you vote for us like you're from the Chicago vote-early-vote-often section or Huey Long's Louisiana.

Don't let a better blog win! Help the poor guy with the full mini-van instead. Only you can prevent forest fires, and only you can put WBN in the win column!

Vote, and be counted as one of the Minions in the Old Dominion!

* For some value of "bereft and destitute"
** Must be present to collect

Update: Join our Cannonball Voting Bloc!

• Nod at Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, Best Potpourri of Popery
• Aka The Mom's, Shoved to Them for Best Under Appreciated
• LarryD at Acts of the Apostasy for Best Hifreakinglarious Church Militant, Snarkiest, Bat Guano Crazy
• Joe from Defend Us In Battle for New Kid on the Block.
  

Visited By Heroes

Today Wynken's Scout Troop was honored by a visit from a Medal of Honor recipient, Ronald E. Ray. The Medal of Honor is the highest decoration for bravery and heroics in the face of danger with selfless disregard for personal safety.



Here is the official photo courtesy of Wikemedia, and my poor cell phone picture of the real thing.



His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Ray distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader with Company A.

When 1 of his ambush patrols was attacked by an estimated reinforced Viet Cong company, Capt. Ray organized a reaction force and quickly moved through 2 kilometers of mountainous jungle terrain to the contact area. After breaking through the hostile lines to reach the beleaguered patrol, Capt. Ray began directing the reinforcement of the site.

When an enemy position pinned down 3 of his men with a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire, he silenced the emplacement with a grenade and killed 4 Viet Cong with his rifle fire. As medics were moving a casualty toward a sheltered position, they began receiving intense hostile fire.

While directing suppressive fire on the enemy position, Capt. Ray moved close enough to silence the enemy with a grenade. A few moments later Capt. Ray saw an enemy grenade land, unnoticed, near 2 of his men. Without hesitation or regard for his safety he dove between the grenade and the men, thus shielding them from the explosion while receiving wounds in his exposed feet and legs. He immediately sustained additional wounds in his legs from an enemy machinegun, but nevertheless he silenced the emplacement with another grenade.

Although suffering great pain from his wounds, Capt. Ray continued to direct his men, providing the outstanding courage and leadership they vitally needed, and prevented their annihilation by successfully leading them from their surrounded position.

Only after assuring that his platoon was no longer in immediate danger did he allow himself to be evacuated for medical treatment. By his gallantry at the risk of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Ray has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

Potpourri

The Pope does impressions? I'll bet he's great at charades, too.

Spirit Juice: Simply Catholic

It's making the rounds; if you haven't seen it yet, here it is.
Simple, but with a good message: be simply Catholic.

Spirit Juice studios has a new video for the Illinois Prayer Breakfast.

[h/t American Papist] The phrase “Simply Catholic” comes from Cardinal George’s book The Difference God Makes ... The phrase represents the Cardinal’s proposed solution to the struggle between orthodox and liberal wings of the Church, or more accurately, the perversion of orthodoxy which can happen on both the left and right sides of the Church.

Orthodoxy, of course, inasmuch as it represents the objective adherence to the truths of our Catholic faith and applied to our own times, is being “Simply Catholic.” Thus being simply Catholic does not represent a “lowest-common-denominator” approach, but calls all Catholics to fully embrace and live the saving truths contained in the Church’s deposit of faith. It represents a very high standard, not a low one.

Angelic Virtues

What's a Virtue? Other than the habit of doing good or moral excellence, the Virtues are second order angels, according to Thomas Aquinas. Virtue comes from the Latin root, "vir", meaning "man"; so virtue is an aspect of manliness or courage.

Virtues are known as the Spirits of Motion and control the elements. They are sometimes referred to as "the shining ones." They govern all nature. They have control over seasons, stars, moon; even the sun is subject to their command. They are also in charge of miracles and provide courage, grace, and valor.

According to traditional Thomistic division, there are 9 choirs, or ranks, of angels in three spheres: 1) Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones; 2) Dominions, Virtues, Powers; 3) Principalities, Archangels, Angels.

Angels are powerful creatures; not to be trifled with. These are not fat baby angels with wings, these are celestial creatures that exude the Power of God with which they are imbued.

From Dionysius the Areopagite: [source]

"The name of the holy Virtues signifies a certain powerful and unshakable virility welling forth into all their Godlike energies; not being weak and feeble for any reception of the divine Illuminations granted to it; mounting upwards in fullness of power to an assimilation with God; never falling away from the Divine Life through its own weakness, but ascending unwaveringly to the superessential Virtue which is the Source of virtue: fashioning itself, as far as it may, in virtue; perfectly turned towards the Source of virtue, and flowing forth providentially to those below it, abundantly filling them with virtue."

The list of the seven virtues include the 3 Theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity as well as the 4 Cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude.