Why It's Important to Check Your Daughter's Homework

Come!

On November 30, with the beginning of Advent, Holy Cross Church here in Winnipeg is embarking on a very special journey.

Led by our pastor, Fr. Martin Bradbury, we are establishing what we Catholics know as "Perpetual Adoration."

This means that in a special chapel, we will always have somebody praying before the Lord in the Holy Eucharist.

For the past couple of months, we have successfully held an hour-long Adoration service on Friday nights, specially tuned for families. The turnout has consistently been at least forty people, sometimes more. And it's growing.

Every other time we have tried to organize this or be a part of it in another parish - at one point even the Archbishop of St. Boniface considered hosting it in his private chapel - it has dwindled away for the lack of a willing pastor or for insufficient numbers of devotees.

So I challenge all my Catholic friends in the Winnipeg area: sign up. And don't just say, "I'll just fit in at whatever time you need." What we need is for you to pick one hour per week - more if possible - and commit to it. If you can't make it for that hour, find a replacement.

The rewards of this constant prayer in our parish, in our diocese, in our city, and in our country and even our world will be unbelievable. Guaranteed. And even better, you get to spend your own quiet time with Jesus. No telephone interrupting you, no TV to watch, no Facebook pokes to send. YOU AND JESUS.

We've been saying as a faith community over the past years that we want this. Well, now's the time people. To quote the American president-elect (but in better English), "We are the ones for whom we have been waiting." Sign up. Devote your hour. Pray hard. But most of all, be with Jesus. It's an incredible experience.

Highlights of The American Election Coverage

For me, these were some of my most memorable moments of the Obama victory lap.

• Seeing CBC's Neil McDonald fantasize over what would happen if the crowd outside The Whitehouse stormed the gate and ripped W limb from limb.
• Hearing the lady who sang The Star Spangled Banner for Obama get the words wrong - FOUR TIMES
• Seeing the joy drip from the face of Peter Mansbridge as he praised Obama for being "remarkable." Yes, I can think of some remarks.
  
• Hearing Neil McDonald (him again!), after investigating whether or not the crowd at The Whitehouse fence was hostile, relay that in fact they were just very excited and not dangerous. A bunch of university students dormed nearby, he reported, had got on "their text message machines" and sent message after message to each other to converge at The Whitehouse.
• How the crowd shots at McCain's headquarters were all closeups of somber faces, shown side-by-side of the Obama crowd wide-pan.
• Oprah without makeup
  
• Jesse Jackson's change of heart

The next four years should make conservative blogging fun again!

Video Blog

My first try. Be nice.

For My American Readers

The Hour of Decision from Mark Mallett on Vimeo.