Free Republic

The Act of Perfect Contrition  The act of contrition as it is found in the Small Catechism of the Catholic Religion by Bishop John Neumann of the Congregation of the most holy Redeemer, Fourth Bishop of Philadelphia, Imprimatur by the Most Rev. James Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, given 24 July 1884:  "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I...

Course on Grace by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART ONE: GRACE CONSIDERED EXTENSIVELY I.  Why Grace? II.  What Is Grace? III.  Grace to the Angels IV.  Grace to Adam V.  Grace in the Old Testament VI.  Grace to Christ VII.  Justification in the New Testament     Chapter VII. Justification in the New Testament INFANTSIn the Old Testament justification came to infants by way of the “sacrament of nature” or the “sacrament of circumcision.” But with the promulgation of the gospel of Christ, these two “sacraments” were replaced by the sacrament of baptism, a sacrament that is not...

President Bush's public approval ratings are at an all-time low. It's difficult to imagine how he could improve them dramatically with just about 18 months left in office. But I do believe there is one speech he could make that would instantly increase his popularity by 50 percent to 100 percent. It's a speech he will never give. Here is a rough draft of the text: "My fellow Americans, I come before you today to admit a mistake and correct our course. "I have made my case for comprehensive immigration reform as the proper way to address concerns over our...

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has long been rumored as desperately seeking the democratic nomination for president in 2008. And while many political observers fully expect the power hungry former First Lady to hit the campaign trail within only a few months of being re-elected as a US Senator in 2006, US News & World report claims to have a confirmation of sorts. From USNews.Com's Washington Whispers: Hillary's in… You don't have to take it from us about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's desire to run for president. Her brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham, say it's true. Friends...