A Galaxy poll yesterday found only 45 percent of Australians considering Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, the best person to the lead the ALP.

34 percent want Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. to replace him.

A Galaxy spokesman commented, “Julia Gillard is now looming as a credible alternative to lead the party”.

Julia Gillard laughed this off with what she might consider a quotable quip, “There’s more chance of me becoming the full-forward for the Western Bulldogs AFL team . . . .”

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Early this year, federal opposition leader, Tony Abbott, told a women’s magazine that he thought women should not “give away their virginity too lightly”.

Julia Gillard, commented, “These comments will confirm the worst fears of Australian women about Tony Abbott.”

She gave no reason why women should give away their virginity lightly . . . .

But she did expose herself as being too shallow and trendy to be leader of anything.

In a serious world, Julia Gillard would be considered a more appropriate selection as an AFL goal-kicker than as someone responsible for any matters involving conscience or respect for morality.

Australia’s feminist lobby-group “Emily’s List”, whose main interest is promoting abortion, was co-founded by this same J. Gillard, who was also, in her younger days, secretary of far left-wing traitorous organisation, the Socialist Forum.

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Actually it doesn’t matter much who leads political parties.

What DOES matter is who leads the Catholic Church, and how strongly the traditional faith is defended in parish life and parish schools.

The Church — having done itself some appalling bad turns in recent decades — must now work very hard at restoring its credibility . . . .

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Ringo Starr, ex-Beatles drummer, now aged 70, is telling the media he has found God.

 “Religion is now one of the most important aspects in my life. For me, God is in my life. I don’t hide from that. I think the search has been on since the ’60s. I stepped off the path there for many years, and found my way back onto it, thank God.” (Los Angeles Times)

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The Beatles did harm with their promoting of drugs, superficial dabblings in Far Eastern religions etc.

Yet were there not also signs of awareness of God, even early on — most famously, perhaps, in the Paul McCartney song, “Let it be”?

“When I find myself in times of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom: let it be . . .”

The person of the Blessed Virgin Mary certainly comes to mind. Paul’s mother’s name was Mary –perhaps he was writing about her? OK, but the person of the Blessed Virgin still comes to mind.

* * *

Saint Luke’s gospel chapter 1: “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph . . . and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel said unto her: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women . . . behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus” . . . . and Mary answered: “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to thy word.”

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Of course, the motives of celebrities discussing their beliefs can always be dismissed as grandstanding.

But let us not judge.

Let us pray for Ringo.

Let us pray for all who seek God.

By God’s mercy may we reach heaven, there to experience what Saint Francis de Sales so beautifully described:

“O beauty of my God, how lovable you are . . .

in heaven we shall need no commandment to love you . . .

our souls will be delivered from distractions, our minds from anxieties . . .

and we shall love God with a perpetual, uninterrupted love.”

The film, The Passion of the Christ, shows how Christ’s followers abandon him. Only his mother, the apostle John, and Mary Magdalene remained.

They scurried through narrow streets hoping to glimpse him.  He appears from behind the buildings ahead. Under his heavy cross he falls. Mary stops short, slumped on a doorstep, sighing in grief. She knows this is all God’s will. Yet she is a human mother watching her Child suffer.

  A flashback brings her back to action. She sees Jesus as a little boy, falling down, calling for his mum. Stirred by the memory, she runs to her Son and comforts him.

* * *

Blessed Mary MacKillop had a great devotion to Mary, the mother of Christ, a love which dated right back to her infancy.

  Once when she was small and staying with friends, and missing her Mamma, a beautiful Lady had come to her and said, “My child I will always be a Mother to you.”

  Later she wrote a little devotion to Our Lady, including the words, “Ah, my Mother, think of the day when I knelt, but a child, to ask you to be my Mother, and I remember your gentle whisper that you had marked me as such since my birth.”

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There is one only redeemer given by God to save us from our sins — Christ himself. Mary was redeemed, as we all are, by Christ.

  Yet every believer, by being united with the Saviour, becomes also a “redeemer”, along with Him.

  Mary, more closely united with Our Lord than any other person, participates in the Redemption more powerfully than any other.

  That’s why she is traditionally referred to as our “Co-Redemptrix”, along with Christ.