Articles For Heart Mind Soul

Letter to the Editor, Greatest Predictor of Success What is the greatest predictor of success?   Success: meaning happiness, financial security and relationships. Is it wealth, intelligence, hard work, or good looks? It is none of these.   The greatest predictor of success is the ability to delay gratification. In a "Stossel in the Classroom" segment, John Stossel spoke about a research study conducted using marshmallows that demonstrated the value of self-denial.   In the study originally done in the 1960s, social scientists took four-year-old children and the moderator would say, “I have a marshmallow for you. You may eat it right now, or, if you can wait until I return in 15 minutes, I will give you a second marshmallow.   In the original study and in every reproduction, one third of the children were able to avoid eating their marshmallow.   Researchers followed up on the children and 100% of those that had not eaten the ...

Letter to the Editor, A pope and a president  When Pope Francis and President Trump meet, the two leaders will find a meeting of the minds in the following areas of consensus: Religious freedom, pro-life and persecuted Christians. Pope Francis is an ardent advocate of religious freedom, including a right of conscientious objection based on religious conviction, which he described as a “basic human right.” When he came to the United States in September 2015, Pope Francis called religious freedom “one of America’s most precious possessions.  All  are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it". President Trump issued  recent executive orders on religious freedom, especially his pledge that the contraceptive mandate imposed by the Obama administration as part of health care reform will be lifted. President Trump so far has been seen in far mo...

Keynote Address at the Legion of Mary 70 th Anniversary Celebration St. Joseph – Del Rio, Texas May 6, 2017         Last year, Pope Francis made an apostolic visit to Poland for the celebration of World Youth Day, with millions of young men and women of faith from every corner of the world. It was a beautiful opportunity for him to gather in a country with such a strong devotion to our Blessed Mother – under her title of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Near the Shrine of Divine Mercy, the Holy Father preached about the plan of salvation carried out by our God, and how he carried it out in humility and simplicity.         The Holy Father said: “It is particularly striking how the coming of God into history came about: he was ‘born of a woman.’ There was no triumphal entrance or striking epiphany of the Almighty. He did not reveal himself as a brilliantly rising sun, but entered the world in the simplest of ways, a...

Letter to the Editor, Manners Matter! Nursing Home residents  Mrs. Brown  and  Sra. Blanco  are congenially conversing. Mrs. Brown  tells  Sra. Blanco , “You know, the world around us would be a kinder, gentler place, if manners mattered.” Sra. Blanco  responds, “Etiquette and social graces have given way to the rough and tumble world of emulating the sensationalism of reality shows that revel in exorbitant exhibitionistic exploitation for the sake of ratings.” Brown : Some view good manners as unreal, restrictive, and even dishonest. Blanco : What’s so real, liberating and honest about being bad mouthed, discourteous, impolite, rude and uncivil? Brown : Unfortunately civility, courtesy and good manners have disappeared. Blanco : Some think those who exhibit good manners are meek and weak; door mats to be trampled on, taken advantage of, mocked and ridiculed. Brown : How sad manners have b...

Letter to the Editor, Pro-Lifers unwelcomed/unwanted in Democrat Party Tom Perez, Democratic National Chair and Bernie Sanders, Independent Senator from Vermont recently took their “unity tour” on the road, underscoring the fact that the mindset of leftist activists these days is that in order for Democrats to unify their party they must drive out all dissenters, but most especially pro-life dissenters. Tom Perez became the first head of the party to demand lockstep “abortions for all” ideological agreement, promising to support only Democrat candidates who uphold the right to abort unborn babies. He stated, “Every Democrat should support a woman’s right to make her own choices about her body and her health. That is not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state. At a time when women’s rights are under assault from the White House, the Republican Congress, and in states across the ...

The Legion of Mary is Sponsoring Rosary Making Workshop   Come learn to make Rosaries Free Supplies—Everyone Invited Saturday, May 13, 2017 10:00 a.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe CCD School

Letter to the Editor, Dr. Digital: Devices diagnosis Patient 1 : I have this feeling of panic upon being separated from my phone or tablet. Sometimes I feel panic when I misplace my phone and at other times that panic spirals into desperation. Dr. Digital : You are suffering from "No-Mobile Phobia" or "nomophobia". Patient 2 : My tech devices interrupt my leisure time, conversations, and meals. What’s worse is that I'll be on Facebook and he'll be on a sporting app while we are both in bed, then we realize that we are literally sitting in bed together, but living in different worlds. Dr. Digital : You are suffering from "technoference”. Higher “technoference” correlates directly with lower relationship and life satisfaction. When people experience what they perceive to be an interruption due to technology, their views of the relationship are likely to suffer, especially if these interruptions are frequent. Patie...