Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - 1.2

I. A joy ever new, joy which is shared

The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.

This reminded me of St. Luke's words:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 16:13

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." 12:15



And other verses:

But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:17

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 Jn 2:15

So the wage of every covetous man destroys the souls of the possessors. Pro 1:19 

Monday, December 9, 2013

I Am The Immaculate Conception - the dilemma that St. Maximilian Kolbe Had


The Holy Spirit is the Immaculate Conception.
Mary says, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

Mary doesn't lie.
What is going on here? Is there a contradiction?
Can they both be the Immaculate Conception?
An excerpt from: 

St. Maximilian Kolbe and the Immaculate Conception


In 1858, four years after Bl. Pius IX defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to little fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubirous a total of eighteen times at Lourdes, France. For St. Maximilian, the words Our Lady spoke to St. Bernadette, "Que soy era immaculada councepciou" ("I am the Immaculate Conception"), contain an unfathomable mystery that haunted him[St. Maximilan Kolbe], as it were, for his entire adult life. Writing in 1933, he said:
Who and what is the Immaculata? Who can understand her perfectly? . . . We all understand what "mother" means; but "mother of God" is something that our reason and our limited intellect cannot really grasp. So too, only God really understands what "immaculate" means. "Conceived without sin" we can fathom up to a point; but "Immaculate Conception" is an expression that abounds in the most consoling of mysteries.9
In his writings on the "Immaculata" (the name he used for Mary under the title, Immaculate Conception), he would often ask, "Who are you?" For Our Lady did not say "I was immaculately conceived," but rather identified herself, her very being ("I am") with the "Immaculate Conception." Kolbe says these words of Mary "point up not only the fact that she was conceived without sin, but also the manner in which this privilege belongs to her. It is not something accidental; it is something that belongs to her very nature. For she is Immaculate Conception in person."10
The above words are taken from the Polish Martyr's last writing, a few hours before his final arrest by the Nazis on February 17, 1941, when he would be taken to Auschwitz and eventually be killed by lethal injection after offering his life in place of a fellow prisoner. In this same "Final Sketch" Kolbe arrived at a profound insight, an "answer" it seems (at least in part) to his persistent question, "Who are you, Immaculata?": he calls Mary the created Immaculate Conception, created sinless and from conception uniquely filled with an abundance of grace, in order to be made superabundantly fruitful when she would become the Mother of God through the work of the Holy Spirit. As Kolbe says: "He [the Holy Spirit] makes her fruitful, from the very first instant of her existence, all during her life, and for all eternity."11 Additionally, he calls the Holy Spirit the Uncreated, Eternal Immaculate Conception, who is "conceived" from the love that flows eternally between the Father and the Son; a love so perfect that it is personified. Kolbe explains:
Everything that exists, outside of God himself, since it is from God and depends upon him in every way, bears within itself some semblance to its Creator . . . because every created thing is an effect of the Primal Cause. 
It is true that the words we use to speak of created realities express the divine perfections only in a halting, limited and analogical manner. They are only a more or less distant echo — as are created realities that they signify — of the properties of God himself.
Would not "conception" be an exception to this rule? No, there is never any exception . . .
And who is the Holy Spirit? The flowering of the love of the Father and the Son. If the fruit of created love is a created conception, then the fruit of divine Love, that prototype of all created love, is necessarily a divine "conception." The Holy Spirit is, therefore, the "uncreated, eternal conception," the prototype of all the conceptions that multiply life throughout the whole universe.12
In other writings the Polish friar attempts to describe Mary's deep, intimate union with the Third Person of the Trinity from her conception, by calling Mary the "quasi-incarnation" of the Holy Spirit.13 He is careful to stress that this union "is not of the same order as the hypostatic union linking the human and divine natures in Christ";14 for he repeated often that the Holy Spirit does not dwell in Mary in the same way in which the Eternal Word is present in the sacred humanity of Jesus.15 The notion of the Holy Spirit becoming "in some manner" (quasi) incarnate in Mary may at first seem to be an extreme idea. However, it is somewhat analogous to the statement by St. Louis de Montfort, that "God the Son wishes to form himself, and in a manner of speaking, become incarnate every day in his members through his dear Mother."16 Along the same lines, St. Paul says: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20).
With the term "quasi-incarnation" Kolbe means that Mary is so much like (quasi) the Holy Spirit, in that she reflects the Third Person of the Trinity especially in two qualities or attributes: receptivity and fruitfulness. The Holy Spirit is the Fruit of the Father and the Son. He was "eternally conceived," if you will, as the Fruit of the all-pure love which has forever flowed between the Father and the Son. He receives the mutual love of the Father and the Son and eternally fructifies it within the inner life of the Trinity.17 Mary's sinlessness from conception is the fruit of God's love. At Mary's conception the Holy Spirit conformed her to himself. The Blessed Virgin, by reason of the singular grace of her Immaculate Conception, is totally receptive to the love of God. At the Annunciation she receives God's love and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit makes that love fruitful — infinitely so — in conceiving the Incarnate Word.18
Mary's receptivity and fruitfulness did not end with the Conception and Birth of Christ. Now in Heaven, Mary remains the living, human conduit for the graces that the Holy Spirit distributes to us. As Kolbe says:
[T]he Holy Spirit manifests his share in the word of Redemption through the Immaculate Virgin who, although she is a person entirely distinct from him, is so intimately associated with him that our minds cannot understand it. So, while their union is not of the same order as the hypostatic union linking the human and divine natures in Christ, it remains true to say that Mary's action is the very action of the Holy Spirit.19
St. Maximilian sees Mary's ineffable union with the Holy Spirit from the very first instant of her conception as giving her a privileged place in God's saving plan. In keeping with what God has revealed in Scripture and Tradition regarding Mary's intercessory role in the order of grace, he says:
When we reflect on these two truths: that all graces come from the Father by the Son and the Holy Spirit; and that our Holy Mother Mary is, so to speak, one with the Holy Spirit, we are driven to the conclusion that this Most Holy Mother is indeed the intermediary by whom all graces come to us.20
All of God's grace comes to us through Mary's intercession. This is the "descending" order of grace. For Kolbe, there is a corresponding "ascending" order, for Mary is our means for going to God: "Have no doubt that her will is entirely united to God's will. It is a matter, then, of uniting our will to hers, and thus we will be united to God through her."21 The Polish Saint sees uniting oneself to Mary as the means of conquering the world for Christ.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - Introduction

Yesterday at Mass, the celebrant urged us to read:


"Maybe it'll take two days, " he said. "Or two years at the rate of a paragraph at a time! Just do it."

I have decided to take up this challenge.

Here is the first paragraph.


  1. The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.


This reminded me of the Story of St. Francis and Br. Leo, a lived out example to me of St. Francis' words: "preach always and speak only when necessary".

May you live joy today.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Heyr, himna smiĆ°ur (Listen, smith of the heavens)

The choir that I am in will be singing this song for our upcoming Christmas concert. Beautiful.





Listen, smith of the heavens,
what the poet asks.

May softly come unto me
thy mercy.

So I call on thee,
for thou hast created me.

I am thy slave,
thou art my Lord.

God, I call on thee
to heal me.

Remember me, mild one, (or mild king. This is a pun on the word mildingur).
Most we need thee.

Drive out, O king of suns,
generous and great,
every human sorrow
from the city of the heart.

Watch over me, mild one,
Most we need thee,
truly every moment
in the world of men.

Send us, son of the virgin,
good causes,
all aid is from thee,
in my heart.

Heyr, himna smiĆ°ur, 
hvers skƔldiư biưur.

Komi mjĆŗk til mĆ­n
miskunnin Ć¾Ć­n.

ƞvĆ­ heit eg Ć” Ć¾ig,
Ć¾Ćŗ hefur skaptan mig.

Eg er Ć¾rƦllinn Ć¾inn,
Ć¾Ćŗ ert drottinn minn.

GuĆ°, heit eg Ć” Ć¾ig,
aĆ° Ć¾Ćŗ grƦưir mig.

Minnst Ć¾Ćŗ, mildingur, mĆ­n,
mest Ć¾urfum Ć¾Ć­n.

RyĆ° Ć¾Ćŗ, rƶưla gramur,
rĆ­klyndur og framur,
hƶlds hverri sorg
Ćŗr hjartaborg.

GƦt Ć¾Ćŗ, mildingur, mĆ­n,
mest Ć¾urfum Ć¾Ć­n,
helzt hverja stund
Ɣ hƶlda grund.

Send Ć¾Ćŗ, meyjar mƶgur,
mƔlsefnin fƶgur,
ƶll er hjĆ”lp af Ć¾Ć©r,
ƭ hjarta mƩr.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Response to Musings of a Pertinacious Papist: Isn't It Nearly Heresy Today To Question The Divine Mercy Devotion?

On Twitter today, I saw a disturbing tweet from Philip Blosser, the Pertinacious Papist, claiming that my favorite devotion, that of the Divine Mercy, is possibly heretical. (See: his article).

This just made me sad, but I want to examine it.  It is an honest question, after all.


What happened between 1958 to now?


The first I heard of any condemnation by the Church was through Fr. Michael Gaitley. (See: The Greatest Story Ever Told.) However, Fr. Gaitley showed how Pope John Paul II, then Cardinal Wojtyla, demonstrated that the prohibitions were made erroneously due to translation issues. The prohibition was reversed in 1978.



"Twenty years later (in 1978), the ban was completely lifted, thanks to the intervention of the Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. Through his efforts, an informative process relating to the life and virtues of Sister Faustina was begun in 1965. Its successful outcome led to the inauguration of her Beatification cause in 1968.

In a new "Notification" on April 15, 1978, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, having reviewed many original documents that were not made available to it in 1959, reversed its earlier decision and declared the 1959 prohibition 'no longer binding.'

Six months later, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II.

Prompted by the pastoral concern of His Excellency, Joseph F. Maguire, Bishop of Springfield, MA, with regard to the resuming of efforts to make the Divine Mercy message and devotion known, the Congregation of Marians asked for an authoritative explanation of the Notification of 1978. On July 12, 1979, they received a reply from the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation, stating that ‘there no longer exists, on the part of this Sacred Congregation, any impediment to the spreading of the devotion to The Divine Mercy in the authentic forms proposed by the religious Sister mentioned above [Sister Faustina Kowalska]."

Thus, in 1979 — with the local bishop’s permission — the Marians resumed their work of spreading the Divine Mercy message and devotion in the forms proposed by Sr. Faustina. The response from laity, priests, and bishops all over the world has been overwhelming, and the devotion has grown faster than anyone ever expected. " http://thedivinemercy.org/message/history/marianconnect.php


From what I understand, the last three Popes approve the Devotion to the Divine Mercy:

November 30, 1980

May 7, 2006  Pope Benedict approves Divine Mercy

April 7, 2013  Pope Francis Respects Devotion to Divine Mercy


Pope John Paul II to be canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday



Is there conflict between all the devotions and Divine Mercy?

A general search online seems to show some support that the Divine Mercy undermines the Rosary, the devotion to the Sacred Heart, as well as others.


However, Sic Semper Tyrannis argues that: "Because what I arrived at was that there is only one devotion to our Lord, and all of these many different devotions were merely different ways of arriving at the same goal of worshiping our Lord.  There can be no contradiction between the Sacred Heart Devotion, and that of the Divine Mercy for they are all the same devotion at their core. But any devotion can be twisted and misunderstood and I submit that this what has happened with the Divine Mercy Devotion and that has caused it to be used to wipe away devotion to the Sacred Heart, the Rosary, and even Eucharistic Adoration. 

"All three of these devotions when practiced properly draw you inexorably to the foot of the Cross there to kneel beside our Lady and Saint John.  There you will adore His Most Sacred Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity and His Holy (Eucharistic) Face.  There you will see Saint Longinus pierce the most Sacred Heart of our Lord, and you will see him showered with the merciful saving Blood and Water which comes forth from the pierced side of Jesus.  Here we have the all of the great devotions to our Lord: to the Sacred Heart, the Precious Blood, the Eucharist, the Holy Face, and the Divine Mercy."



In my personal experience, I have found that my devotions to the Rosary and Sacred Heart have actually increased.  I haven't encountered any contradiction.



Is Divine Mercy Sunday a Protestant ideology?


One of the main requirements of the indulgence is sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff. 

This indicates to me that penance is required. Our sins aren't merely "covered". 


Also, the indulgence requires:

"a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!");"


In other words, the "sinner" would have to have the second degree of humility as laid out by St. Ignatius. That's a huge commitment to living every day in focused holiness!


What do I think?

The possibility of heresy is daunting and promotes doubt--which is unsettling.  It is also a reminder that all private revelation should be carefully considered. 

I also don't know the answers to some objections that I found in a "general" search.


Nevertheless, as I continue to study this, I am asking myself: what is this devotion doing to my faith? Has my love of God and neighbor improved or deteriorated because of it? 

I think that if this devotion causes me to fall away from God or wrongly think and act against my neighbor, I should stay away from it. 


However, I have found that this devotion has helped me to love better -- in fact, it prompted a deep reversion and genuine repentance in me.  It has taught me about mercy, forgiveness and love.


It has brought me to the foot of the Cross with the desire to surrender my all to Jesus. Obviously, I have to recommit to this daily, and this with my devotion to the Immaculate Conception has given me the courage and desire to mimic Mary's fiat.


Since the devotion is: 1) currently approved by the Vatican; and 2) a source that has personally brought me closer to God, I will continue to spread my love for the Divine Mercy. 


"Jesus, I trust in You."

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy


The Corporal Works of Mercy
  • Feed the hungry
  • Give drink to the thirsty
  • Clothe the naked
  • Shelter the homeless
  • Visit the sick
  • Visit the imprisoned
  • Bury the dead


The Spiritual Works of Mercy
  • Admonish the sinner
  • Instruct the ignorant 
  • Counsel the doubtful
  • Comfort the sorrowful
  • Bear wrongs patiently
  • Forgive all injuries
  • Pray for the living and the dead

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

St. Therese of the Little Flower

St. Therese's Feast Day is today!

Here is one of the most popular novenas for her intercession.

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus
Please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly garden
and send it to me
as a message of love.
O Little Flower of Jesus,
ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence
in you hands
( mention your special prayer request here )
St. Therese, help me to always believe
as you did, in God's great love for me,
so that I may imitate your "Little Way" each day.
Amen

Also, I have read "The End of the Present World" by Fr. Charles Arminhon. I highly recommend this book.  So does St. Therese, who said that:"Reading this book was one of the greatest graces of my life." 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Delta Flight 15 & Gander

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/gander.asp  TRUE

 It is almost 12 yrs since 9/11 and here is a wonderful story about that
 terrible day.

   Here is an amazing story from a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15,
   written following 9-11:

    On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours out of
    Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic .

    All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the
    cockpit, immediately, to see the captain. As soon as I got there I
    noticed that the crew had that "All Business" look on their faces. The
    captain handed me a printed message. It was from Delta's main office in
    Atlanta and simply read, "All airways over the Continental United
    States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest
    airport. Advise your destination."

    No one said a word about what this could mean. We knew it was a serious
    situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. The captain
    determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander ,
    New Foundland.

    He requested approval for a route change from the Canadian traffic
    controller and approval was granted immediately -- no questions asked.
    We found out later, of course, why there was no hesitation in approving
    our request.

    While the flight crew prepared the airplane for landing, another
    message arrived from Atlanta telling us about some terrorist activity
    in the New York area. A few minutes later word came in about the
    hijackings.

    We decided to LIE to the passengers while we were still in the air. We
    told them the plane had a simple instrument problem and that we needed
    to land at the nearest airport in Gander, New Foundland, to have it
    checked out.

    We promised to give more information after landing in Gander . There was
    much grumbling among the passengers, but that's nothing new! Forty
    minutes later, we landed in Gander. Local time at Gander was
    12:30 PM! .... that's 11:00 AM EST.

    There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over
    the world that had taken this detour on their way to the U.S.

    After we parked on the ramp, the captain made the following
    announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these
    airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have. The
    reality is that we are here for another reason." Then he went on to
    explain the little bit we knew about the situation in the U.S. There
    were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. The captain informed
    passengers that Ground control in Gander told us to stay put.

    The Canadian Government was in charge of our situation and no one was
    allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was allowed to
    come near any of the air crafts. Only airport police would come around
    periodically, look us over and go on to the next airplane. In the next
    hour or so more planes landed and Gander ended up with 53 airplanes
    from all over the world, 27 of which were U.S. commercial jets.

    Meanwhile, bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and
    for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World
    Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were
    trying to use their cell phones, but were unable to connect due to a
    different cell system in Canada . Some did get through, but were only
    able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines
    to the U.S. were either blocked or jammed.

    Sometime in the evening the news filtered to us that the World Trade
    Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted
    in a crash. By now the passengers were emotionally and physically
    exhausted, not to mention frightened, but everyone stayed amazingly
    calm. We had only to look out the window at the 52 other stranded
    aircraft to realize that we were not the only ones in this predicament.

    We had been told earlier that they would be allowing people off the
    planes one plane at a time. At 6 PM, Gander airport told us that our
    turn to deplane would be 11 am the next morning. Passengers were not
    happy, but they simply resigned themselves to this news without much
    noise and started to prepare themselves to spend the night on the
    airplane.

    Gander had promised us medical attention, if needed, water, and
    lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word. Fortunately we
    had no medical situations to worry about. We did have a young lady who
    was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of her. The
    night passed without incident despite the uncomfortable sleeping
    arrangements.

    About 10:30 on the morning of the 12th a convoy of school buses showed
    up. We got off the plane and were taken to the terminal where we went
    through Immigration and Customs and then had to register with the Red
    Cross.

    After that we (the crew) were separated from the passengers and were
    taken in vans to a small hotel. We had no idea where our passengers
    were going. We learned from the Red Cross that the town of Gander has a
    population of 10,400 people and they had about 10,500 passengers to
    take care of from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander ! We
    were told to just relax at the hotel and we would be contacted when the
    U.S. airports opened again, but not to expect that call for a while.

    We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting
    to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started.

    Meanwhile, we had lots of time on our hands and found that the people
    of Gander were extremely friendly. They started calling us the "plane
    people." We enjoyed their hospitality, explored the town of Gander and
    ended up having a pretty good time.

    Two days later, we got that call and were taken back to the Gander
    airport. Back on the plane, we were reunited with the passengers and
    found out what they had been doing for the past two days. What we found
    out was incredible.

    Gander and all the surrounding communities (within MATCH about a 75
    Kilometer radius) had closed all high schools, meeting halls, lodges,
    and any other large gathering places. They converted all these
    facilities to mass lodging areas for all the stranded travelers. Some
    had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up.

    ALL the high school students were required to volunteer their time to
    take care of the "guests." Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called
    Lewisporte, about 45 kilometers from Gander where they were put up in a
    high school. If any women wanted to be in a women-only facility, that
    was arranged. Families were kept together. All the elderly passengers
    were taken to private homes.

    Remember that young pregnant lady? She was put up in a private home
    right across the street from a 24-hour Urgent Care facility. There was
    a dentist on call and both male and female nurses remained with the
    crowd for the duration.

    Phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. and around the world were available
    to everyone once a day. During the day, passengers were offered
    "Excursion" trips. Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and
    harbors. Some went for hikes in the local forests. Local bakeries
    stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests.

    Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the schools.
    People were driven to restaurants of their choice and offered wonderful
    meals. Everyone was given tokens for local laundry mats to wash their
    clothes, since luggage was still on the aircraft. In other words, every
    single need was met for those stranded travelers.

    Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. Finally, when
    they were told that U.S. airports had reopened, they were delivered to
    the airport right on time and without a single passenger missing or
    late. The local Red Cross had all the information about the whereabouts
    of each and every passenger and knew which plane they needed to be on
    and when all the planes were leaving. They coordinated everything
    beautifully.  It was absolutely incredible.

    When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise.
    Everyone knew each other by name. They were swapping stories of their
    stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. Our flight
    back to Atlanta looked like a chartered party flight. The crew just
    stayed out of their way. It was mind-boggling.

    Passengers had totally bonded and were calling each other by their
    first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses.

    And then a very unusual thing happened.

    One of our passengers approached me and asked if he could make an
    announcement over the PA system. We never, ever allow that. But this
    time was different. I said "of course" and handed him the mike. He
    picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone
    through in the last few days. He reminded them of the hospitality they
    had received at the hands of total strangers. He continued by saying
    that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of
    Lewisporte.

    "He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA 15
    (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide
    college scholarships for the high school students of Lewisporte. He
    asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers. When the
    paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone
    numbers and addresses, the total was for more than $14,000!

    "The gentleman, a MD from Virginia , promised to match the donations and
    to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that
    he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to
    donate as well.

    As I write this account, the trust fund is at more than $1.5 million
    and has assisted 134 students in college education.

    "I just wanted to share this story because we need good stories right
    now. It gives me a little bit of hope to know that some people in a
    faraway place were kind to some strangers who literally dropped in on
    them.

    It reminds me how much good there is in the world."

    "In spite of all the rotten things we see going on in today's world
    this story confirms that there are still a lot of good and Godly people
    in the world and when things get bad, they will come forward.

  "God Bless America ... and God Bless the Canadians."

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

God and the Spider

 (Author Unknown)
 
During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.
 
Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one
of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
 
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."
 
After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over
the front of his cave.
 
As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.
 
"Hah," he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
 
As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.
 
"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in
you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

Saturday, March 9, 2013

I Thirst For...You -- Jesus


“I Thirst for You”

The divine words, “I thirst,” first spoken on Calvary, still echo throughout every time and place.  God still speaks them in the empty space, the dark and lonely place in every human heart.

“Jesus is thirsting for us right now….Do we listen to Him saying, ‘I thirst for your love?’… Do we really hear Him… He is saying it right now” (Mother Teresa).
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Rev. 3:20).


It is true. I stand at the door of your heart, day and night. Even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be me, I am there. I await even the smallest sign of your response, even the slightest hint of invitation that will allow me to enter.

I want you to know that whenever you invite me, I come. Always, without fail. Silent and unseen I come, but with infinite power and love, bringing the many gifts of my Father. I come with my mercy; with my desire to forgive and heal you, and with a love for you beyond your comprehension—a love every bit as great as the love I myself have received from the Father. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (Jn. 15:9). I come longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind your wounds. I bring you my light, to dispel your darkness and all your doubts. I come with my power, that I might carry you and all of your burdens; with my grace, to touch your heart and transform your life; and my peace I give to still your soul.

I know you through and through. I know everything about you. The very hairs on your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you, even in your wanderings. I know everyone of your problems; I know your needs, your fears, and your worries. I hear your every whispered prayer, always. Even when it seems I am silent, I am ever at work in your life to bless you and protect you.

Every movement of your hearts I follow, and your every thought. I know all your pain, your struggles and your trials, your failures and heartaches. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that I love you, and not for what you have or haven’t done. I love you for you. I love you because you are. I love you for the beauty and dignity my Father gave you, creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished with ego and sin. But I love as you are, infinitely, completely, without reserve; and I have shed my blood to win you back. If you only ask me with faith, my grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and from all that binds and burdens you, and from all that takes you away from me.

I know what is in your heart. I know your loneliness and all your hurts: the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations. I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you so that you might share my strength and my victory. I know especially your need for love, how you thirst to be accepted and appreciated, loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, seeking that love outside of me – I who am its Source – striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures, and often with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love? “If anyone thirst, let him come to me….” (Jn. 7:37). I will satisfy your desire for love beyond your dreams. Do you thirst to be appreciated and cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine, to the point leaving heaven for you, and of dying on a cross to make you one with me.

Don’t you realize that your thirst for love is a thirst for me, I who am Love? I am myself the answer to your deepest desires.

I THIRST FOR YOU…. Yes, that is the only way to describe my love for you: I thirst for you: I thirst to love you and to be loved by you—that is how precious you are to me.

· Come to me and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace in all your trials.

· You must never doubt my mercy, my acceptance of you, my desire to forgive, my longing to bless you and live my life in you.

· If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters not at all. For, there is no one more important than you.

· Open to me, come to me, thirst for me, give my your life—and I will prove to you how important you are to my heart.

Don’t you realize that my Father already has a perfect plan to transform your life, beginning from this moment? Trust in me. Ask me very day to enter and take charge of your life—and I will. I promise you before my Father in heaven that I will work miracles in your life. Why should I do this? Because I thirst for you. All I ask is that you entrust yourself to me completely. I will do the rest.

Even now I behold the place my Father has prepared for you in my kingdom. Remember that you are a pilgrim in this life, on a journey home. The things of this world can never satisfy you, nor bring peace you seek. All that you have sought outside of me has only left you more empty, so do not cling to material things. Above all, do not run from me when you fall. Come to me without delay. Wen you give me your sins, you give me the joy of being your Savior. There is nothing I cannot forgive and heal. So come now, and unburden your soul.

No matter how far you may wander, no matter how often you forget me, no matter how many crosses you may bear in this life, there is one thing I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change: I thirst for you – just as you are. You don’t need to change to believe in my love, for it will be your belief in my love that will change you. You forget me, and yet I am seeking you every moment of the day, standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you find this hard to believe? Then look at the cross—look at my heart that was pierced for you. Have you not understood my cross? Then listen again to the words I spoke there, for they tell you clearly why I endured all this for you: “I thirst” (Jn. 19:28). Yes, I thirst for you as the rest of the psalm-verse I was reciting says of me: “I looked for pity, but there was none” (Ps. 69:20). All your life I have been looking for your love and to be loved by you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness. Why not try opening your heart to me, right now, more than you ever have before?

Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit:

No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake. Come to me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and will all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock. Open to me, for I thirst for you.

“Jesus is God, therefore His Love, His Thirst is infinite. He the Creator of the universe, asked for the love of His creatures.”

“He thirsts for our love….”

“These words: ‘I thirst’ – do they echo in your souls?”

“Today, Jesus had His arms extended to embrace you. Today Jesus’ Heart was opened to receive you. Were you there?”


Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta 

Courtesy of Deacon Edward Kleinguetl

Taken from Joseph Langford MC, Mother Teresa’s Secret Fire: The Encounter That Changed Her Life, and How It Can Transform Your Own, Our Sunday Visitor Press, Huntington, Indiana, 2008, 133-137.