My version of the "Audacity of Hope"

My brother Bob sent this e-mail to me today:

After being numb last night today I am feeling profound sadness for the direction the people of this country has chosen.

Especially , since according to exit polls the No.1 reason for their vote was the economy.

Sadness for all the Catholics and the Christians who say they are pro-life who voted for Obama.

Sadness and concern that some racist might attempt to take Obama out.

Sadness that all the messages from Heaven that have warned about events if this country does not vote pro life went unheeded.

Sadness that this year despite the fact that more Bishops spoke out about voting pro-life than I can remember they went unheeded.

Sadness wondering if one of the first things Obama will do is what Bill Clinton did and that was enact more pro abortion laws.

Sadness because I think we are more vulnerable now to terrorist act.
Sadness and concern for our children and grandchildren and if they have a future here on earth.

Sadness for all those who are blind and cannot see what this election means.

Thankful for all the powerful prayer warriors that have spent hours and hours in prayer at overnight Adorations, prayer groups, and praying hours and hours day and night for pro-life .

May God have mercy on the United States

I must confess that I had the same sadness. I made time to spend one hour both on Wednesday and Thursday in the presence of Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration to try and sort out my feelings of sadness and despair. On Wednesday, as I was spending quiet reflection with Jesus, a group of children (about 11 or 12 years old, I'm guessing) from the CCD classes came in with their teacher. She had to instruct them in the proper etiquette when in the presence of Christ, but once they settled down and began to pray quietly by themselves, it struck me that this might be Jesus' way of telling me that all is not lost. These children are possibly our future leaders, and if they are taught at this early age that Our Savior has not abandoned us, but rather with us always if we just look for him, perhaps there is still hope for the world.

Then today, while meditating on the impending state of affairs as I see them coming down, I was comparing the election of Barack Obama to some of the worst disasters the world has seen in recent years like the tsunami, the hurricanes, and the earthquakes. I questioned God (may He forgive me!) asking, "Why would You allow this to happen?" He answered me in a quiet voice "For the same reason I allowed those other catastrophes to happen--it is all to bring about a greater good than you can even imagine!" I can't tell you how comforting that thought is!

But, being the pessimist that I am (or is it realist?), I just have one more thing to say those members of my family and my friends who were fooled by the glitz and glamour and messianic message of Obama; There's an old saying that goes "When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Time will bear out God's plan and I trust in His providence that all will be well. Let's try to remember that while we are in this world, we are not of this world--we are God's children and there is a better place waiting for us. Patience, prayer, penance and fasting will get us through. We need to give a reason for the hope we have to the people we meet day by day. That means we have to know our faith, and also be ready to explain it and, if necessary, defend it.
We need to seek creative ways to shine the light of the Gospel into every corner of our society. We can do this most effectively by the witness of a life well lived in our families and in the wider community, and amid the activities of the secular world of work and entertainment. Vatican II spoke of the universal call to holiness, and whatever our role in society or the Church we can make our baptismal commitment real by living day by day with Christian integrity as we go about our tasks in the world. All that we do, we do well, because we do all for the Lord. And wouldn't it be a "feather in our cap" to be the catalyst for the conversion of the Obamas, the Pelosis and the Bidens of the world?

A Novena request to protect America's future

This is a Novena request from Fr Corapi. Please send it to your loved ones in this and other countries as well so they can pray with us and for us. We need God's intervention!

A Call for a Rosary Novena
By Fr. John Corapi, SOLT
www.fathercorapi.com

Among the most important titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter's Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it.

Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order a true battle between good and evil. Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress: a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God: total collapse, economic, social, and national.

The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death: unwanted, unborn children.

No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion.

I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th. Pray that God's will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being.

May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our conscience in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well‐formed Catholic conscience.
Please copy, email, link and distribute this article freely.
God Bless You
Fr. John Corapi

NOVENA FOR THE ELECTION

PLEASE JOIN IN BY PRAYING A NOVENA AND THE ROSARY FOR THIS GREAT INTENTION. BELOW IS A NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF VICTORY WHICH INCLUDES A LITANY TO OUR LADY, SALVE REGINA AND MEMORARE. ALSO GO TO CONFESSION AND MASS (DAILY IF POSSIBLE) DURING THIS TIME.

ADD THIS PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF ALL NATIONS:

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF THE FATHER, SEND NOW YOUR SPIRIT OVER THE EARTH. LET THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF ALL NATIONS, THAT THEY MAY BE PRESERVED FROM DEGENERATION, DISASTER AND WAR. MAY THE LADY OF ALL NATIONS, THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, BE OUR ADVOCATE. AMEN.

WHEN YOU PRAY THE ROSARY, BEG GOD’S MERCY FOR THE SAKE OF THE ABORTED BABIES, THE UNBORN BABIES, THE INFANTS AND CHILDREN OF OUR COUNTRY, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS OF OUR COUNTRY AND FOR THE LEGACY OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF VICTORY
Lord, have mercy on us,

Christ, have mercy on us,

Christ, hear us,

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

The response for the following greetings is Pray for us.

Our Lady of Victory,

Victorious daughter of the Father,

Victorious Mother of the Son,

Victorious Spouse of the Holy Spirit,

Victorious servant of the Holy Trinity

Victorious in your Immaculate Conception,

Victorious in crushing the serpent's head,

Victorious over all the children of Adam,

Victorious over all enemies,

Victorious in your response to the Angel Gabriel,

Victorious in your wedding to St. Joseph,

Victorious in the birth of Christ,

Victorious in the flight to Egypt,

Victorious in your exile,

Victorious in your home at Nazareth,

Victorious in finding Christ in the temple,

Victorious in the mission of your Son,

Victorious in His passion and death,

Victorious in His Resurrection and Ascension,

Victorious in the Coming of the Holy Spirit,

Victorious in your sorrows and joys,

Victorious in your glorious Assumption,

Victorious in the angels who remained faithful,

Victorious in the happiness of the saints,

Victorious in the message of the prophets,

Victorious in the testimony of the patriarchs,

Victorious in the zeal of the apostles,

Victorious in the witness of the evangelists,

Victorious in the wisdom of the doctors,

Victorious in the deeds of the confessors,

Victorious in the triumph of all holy women,

Victorious in the faithfulness of the martyrs,

Victorious in your powerful intercession,

Victorious under your many titles,

Victorious at the moment of death,

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy, Lord.

Pray for us, blessed Lady of Victory. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

The Novena Prayer
Let us pray: Our Lady of Victory, we have unshaken confidence in your influence with your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Humbly we ask your intercession for all of us associated under your title, Our Lady of Victory. We beg your powerful assistance also for our country. (Please mention here your special intention in you own words.) In your maternal kindness please ask Jesus to forgive all our sins and failings, and to secure His blessings for us and for all the works of charity dedicated to your name. We implore you to obtain for us the grace of sharing Christ's victory and your forever in the life that knows no ending. May we join you there to praise forever the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, on God, for all the ages to come. Amen.

Let us pray:
Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen)
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help, and sought Thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto Thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To Thee I come; before Thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate! Despise not my petitions, but in Thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

All this we ask of The Father in the name of Mary's Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with Him and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

I'm sorry if I offend some people by this, BUT

I am the guy that never responds to e-mails that end with "send this on to everyone in your address book", or "send to 10 more people and back to me, so I know you care", or, as I got today, "If you believe in God and in Jesus Christ His Son .. Send this to all on Your buddy list. If not just ignore it. If you ignore it, just remember that Jesus said. 'If you deny me before man, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven. "

Talk about a guilt trip! It's a good thing I am secure enough in my faith to know that Jesus will know that I didn't ignore Him or His Word by refusing to send pictures to everyone I know (no matter how beautifully they portray our Lord's Passion!). I sometimes feel like I'm being blackmailed by this type of e-mail. I know this is not the intention of the sender, and that he or she is just passionate about what they have sent. But please understand that my feeling is that we need to be out "there" preaching the Truth the way Jesus did--quietly, but forcefully, through example and good works. Seems to me that trying to force Jesus onto someone is not what He intended. Our love for Him and one another will be much greater if it is given out of love, rather than fear, or shame, or embarrassment. I think evangelization is much more effective through one on one interaction and living in and through Christ in our daily lives.
And if you are one of those in my circle of family or friends who actually believe that I don't care simply because I didn't respond to your e-mail or send it on, please believe me when I say I love you all with the Heart of Christ that is within all of us. God be with you. And you don't need to send this message to 10 more people. I would hope that they all know how much I love them by now.

We must pray and back it up with our actions

I have my intenet page set up to show me headlines from around the country and every once in a while one will entice me to read the article. Of course the article is never as sensational as the headline. At the end of these articles they have a section for “ordinary” citizens to post their thoughts and comments. I am not naïve. I am quite aware that most of these comments are made by juveniles whose only source of entertainment is to cause strife on the internet. But some of the comments can be downright evil.

A story today dealt with the police finding a young boy who had been kidnapped by some drug dealers who happened to be of Mexican descent. The following comment was not the only one to anger me, and certainly not the vilest. However, it brought home to me just how insidious the Evil One is. Whether the poster is an adult or a child should not matter—the pure evil that it embodies created a dread in me that I felt to the bottom of my soul.

“I don't care how much I'll end up paying for tomatoes or turnips, every illegal alien needs to be rounded up, branded (for ID purposes) and booted back across the Rio Grand. Those that return should be shot on sight. Their bodies can be fed to livestock in the area. Anyone that hires an illegal alien should be hung from the nearest strong tree. Yes, these measures may seem a little harsh to some, but they are necessary lest we lose our country and our peaceful way of life.”

Yeah, right. THIS guy is peaceful. May God help us all if this person is old enough to vote. And please, God, if it is a child, let him find his way out of this darkness into the light of Your Son’s promises before it is too late.

When we see problems in our society (and there are plenty to go around!), we need to look at them through the eyes of Jesus Christ. How we treat the poor, fight for better programs for the needy, and pursue justice for those who are misjudged or misguided can change the world one soul at a time. We must take a stand for what is right, even if it is looked upon as unpopular. We cannot stand idly by anymore while Satan takes control of our young and poisons their minds with thoughts that other human beings are expendable. We are all children of God.
As children of God, we have access to heavenly wisdom, which we can apply to every earthly situation. This means that we must use every opportunity afforded us by circumstance to “inject” the Truth of Our Lord Jesus Christ into others. This can only lead to more awareness of His presence and force our leaders to act with more compassion, humility and justice.

“Holy Spirit, may your breath blow through the halls of governments everywhere. Send me out to transform my society. Move world leaders to place your concerns first, so that every nation on earth will be free to adore you!” This prayer is courtesy of The Word Among Us” magazine.

See you later(?), Aunt Barbara

Whenever one of our loved ones dies, friends and family ponder, “What did she leave behind?” “What will we remember most about her?” “What will we cherish the most?” That’s only human.

At the same time, the angels in Heaven are asking, “What graces has she brought with her?” “Did she serve our Lord well during her time on Earth?” “Did she live her Earthly life leading others to Christ through her example?” “Did others see Christ in her?”

Because, you see, it’s all about Him. Aunt Barbara knew that. And she lived her life accordingly. You know this is so, because she was so blessed by God. She had a devoted, loving husband in Uncle Babe. Together, they had 6 children. Those 6 children had more children. And grandchildren. When you ponder the fact that every child is a GIFT from God, you realize that God did indeed look favorably upon His servant, Barbara.

What made Him look so favorably upon her? I think it quite simply was because she took the time to talk to Him as often as she could, with humility and perseverance. She knew that she could tell Him anything, and He would listen. She could ask favors, and if it was His will, she knew they would be granted. She did not begrudge Him if the answer was no. Even when she became ill and was suffering, she suffered in a quiet dignity, knowing that it would be redemptive.

Many times she spoke to Him through His Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph. She was downright proud of the St. Joseph statue that was displayed in her living room. I’m not sure I’ve known anyone with more rosaries than my mom, but Aunt Barbara has to be a close “second”.

Many of you may not realize this, but I have had a really special place in my heart for Aunt Barbara that dates back to my college days. Mom, Tom and I had moved to Jackson. I was working at McDonald’s on Pacific Avenue full-time and going to Delta College full-time as well. Even for a 17-year old (going on 18) the pressure was incredible. Aunt Barbara and Uncle Babe opened their home to me between “gigs” so I could sleep on the recliner (and give their cat someplace to sleep as well—later on it would be Sue’s son, ? , who would like to sleep on my chest), have the occasional dinner with them, and use the “doughboy” pool when it was really hot. Many nights I was just too tired to continue on to Jackson, so I would point my car to Lodi and ring the doorbell. It happened so many times that finally, Uncle Babe said, “Why in the hell do you always ring the doorbell? Just come in! You’re family, for God’s sake!”

My affection for Aunt Barbara has especially blossomed the last couple of years. She has been a huge help to my Mom ever since she moved to Lodi. My regret is that I was never vocal enough in my appreciation to her for always being there when Mom needed someone and I couldn’t be there. In fact, I’m sorry to say I feel like I took her for granted. But the last couple of years it grew into more than just a familial relationship. It had matured into a spiritual relationship, as well. We would share stories of our spiritual journey and pray together. Never anything formal, though I would have if she wanted to. Most of our prayers were said by just sitting quietly together in the same room. No words had to pass between us. We knew that He was listening, and would answer. I was extremely touched when Mom told me that Aunt Barbara had asked me to say a few words about her when the time came. It’s nice to know that I am able to repay her in a very small way for the graces she has helped me attain along my journey. As I said in a recent blog, I consider Aunt Barbara a personal “saint”. Saints are those souls we look to for help in getting to our final reward in God’s grace. Aunt Barbara was never anything less to me.

Thank you, Aunt Barbara, for your hospitality, your help, and your love. May God show you the place he has prepared for you since the beginning of time. It must be magnificent. Perhaps we'll share some more prayers some day. Rest in peace. Amen.

God Bless the USA? Still? What Great Love!

Matt 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

Christ was speaking of the Pharisees, who pretended to obey God and insisted others follow the “law”, all the while simply letting ambition, arrogance and pride dictate their own lives. These traits made it impossible for them to recognize the Savior even when he was in their midst preaching nothing but Truth. As Ronald Reagan would say, “Well, here we go again!” The trouble with a lot of “Christians” in America these days is that, while they profess to believe in the risen Christ, they can’t seem to grasp that He is still with us today, preaching the Truth and watching us trample all over it. We kill 5000 babies per week, and claim that “it” isn’t really a person until “it” has taken “its” first breath unaided by “its” mother. We claim that it is our “choice” to decide when life begins. If the pregnancy is inconvenient, or worse yet simply “unwanted”, we claim the right to terminate the fetus. In my mind, this is the greatest tragedy of all time. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone told me we have killed more human beings in the USA in just the last 40 years (since abortion became “legal”) than all of the wars since the beginning of man. Then we try to negate the importance of a SACRAMENT! A Holy Law and covenant! Marriage is more than just a contract between two individuals. The reason God created Marriage was to join a man and a woman together with Himself, and through that union to produce more children in His own image! He thinks so much of marriage that it is one of the two Sacraments (out of seven total) through which He bestows a physical gift (a child!). [Of course the other Sacrament is His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, which is incomparable]. Then, not only do we make a mockery of this sacred covenant, we refuse the gifts He bestows upon us with violence! How angry this must make God! It’s the greatest testament of His love for us that He hasn’t allowed us to be conquered and subjugated to other countries by now! How great His love for us must be! Why do we keep testing it? The ONLY solution is prayer and fasting. Ask Christ’s Mother to help you. Believe in Jesus Christ and follow the commandments He stated so succinctly—Love God with you whole heart, your whole mind, and your whole strength, and love one another. Or He might just find another country to bless so abundantly.

Bits n' Pieces of thought today

First of all, thanks to Mom and Bob for going out of their way to respond to my last blog. I hold your advice and kind remarks close to my heart. Sometimes I get thinking so deeply that I don't see the obvious. Thanks again.

Then, there's some pretty terrific news, for me! I subscribe to Liguorian magazine. It's published every other month. In each edition, there is a crossword puzzle (that I never have trouble with) and a "Bible knowledge" quiz that has 25 questions where you match the question with an answer. I have to admit that this one usually gives me trouble. After taking the quiz the scoring is as follows: 11-15 correct, and you're a NOVICE. 16-20 correct answers is GOOD. 21-25 correct and you are judged OUTSTANDING. I usually get about 8-12 right, and these are "gimmies" (example: Jesus told him, "Feed my sheep"_____. Obviously the answer is Peter. You would have to have absolutely NO exposure to the Bible to not get this right!) Anyway, this month I got 23 right! I had two answers transposed. But I guess this shows progress, right? Daily mass is paying off, I suppose. The "Word on the Street" (pun intended) is that if you attend mass every day for 3 "cycles" of readings, you will have read every word in the bible. I am finding that true. What better way to "study" the Bible than to have it reinforced with a good homily, then cemented in your memory by receiving the very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, Himself?

Aunt Barbara's suffering will earn her "Special" attention from our Father

When I was a kid, I remember actually feeling jealous when my brother Tom would do something dumb and hurt himself badly enough to have to go to the hospital or the doctor to get stitches. Maybe it was the attention he got from Mom and Dad. This is not to say I didn't get attention from them--I just didn't get that "extra" loving that Tom got simply because he was accident-prone. I remember this feeling because I keep thinking of the suffering Mom has gone through in her life and the strength she seems to get from it. She's had several miscarriages, lost her husband and two children and (if memory serves) 4 younger siblings, yet she continues to gain strength from each of these tragedies. It is her faith that sustains her. I can only hope to have the same level of faith. And it's not just Mom. Other relatives, who have gone on to see our Savior face to face and who I consider very close personal saints--Aunt Jenny, Aunt Teresa, and this week--Aunt Barbara were all very special, very devout Catholics who suffered greatly while on this earth and were (and continue to be) a great example to me. My brothers (Tom included) are also examples of great faith through suffering. Therein lies my dilemma--compared to all of these great Catholics, I have NEVER had to endure the suffering they have. I have not had my faith tested in the manner they have. Despite the fact that there have been times that I have turned away from our Lord out of ignorance or hubris, or anger, He keeps sending the Holy Spirit to keep my faith alive, even when I feel I don't deserve it (and He knows I'm grateful). Today's readings are related to this in a way. For example, Mom, my aunts and uncles and brothers are all listening to Jesus when, after one of His disciples says "I will follow, you Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family" or "Let me bury my dead", He says “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” They have kept their eyes on the pearl of great price in the manner of Job, who kept his faith in the Almighty even after losing EVERYTHING! I am looking back to see where I went wrong and why I can't have this GIFT of suffering. In a way, I am jealous of the suffering they have endured, because I know that it will earn them "special" attention from our Heavenly Father and His Son. Just as I was jealous of the extra attention Tom received when we were children. On the other hand, I am at times scared that I will have to suffer as greatly as these family saints, and I'm afraid I won't be up to the task. Please pray for me, as I try to pray for each of you.

Prayers for Aunt Barbara

It was quite a shock to hear of Aunt Barbara's condition. As I said in a previous post, she has a special place in my heart. Not only for her unselfish help to Mom with her medical problems last year, but for being there to help me when I was in college--giving me a place to stay, sharing meals, and making me feel less apprehensive in a new environment after leaving LA just out of high school.

I have been praying and asking God for the right thing to say in this time of concern--something I can say (or do) for Barbara and her family. I even decided to search the internet to see if I could find a "special" prayer for her. You know what? All I can think of is saying the rosary! And the Divine Mercy!

Look at what I just wrote! I said "ALL I can think of is saying the rosary", as though it is a minor act of mercy! As soon as I wrote it, I thought "What is more POWERFUL than the rosary?"

Please help me

I was at a meeting with some General Managers yesterday. These are my friends (thank God!) and I can depend on them to say what they feel. They truly let their "yes mean yes" and their "no mean no" (Matthew 5:37). We were speaking about some topic or the other and my training methods came up. One of the GMs made an off-hand remark, saying "Steve is a good trainer, but he gets really grumpy and short with you when you don't learn fast enough." This got a laugh out of the group (and I joined in with them), but I put that little bit of information away, thinking I might speak with the individual later and find out exactly why she felt this way, as I didn't realize this is one of my faults. A little later, I was doing a "hands-on" demonstration of a procedure that I have to do in my position out in the field. Often I have to drill out tumblers from locks before I can auction goods that have been in storage and the customers have not paid. I have to have a witness when I do this. Usually it is a GM. Anyway, as I was demonstrating to the GMs this procedure, one of the guys who watches me drilling locks a lot, said, "Steve, that's not how you always do it. You have to use the "Catholic language". I looked quizzically at him and he said, "You know, when you swear at the MF'n customer for not paying his bill or for not putting the lock on the right way that will make it easier to drill, or you'll swear at the lock for being too difficult to open once you've drilled it." This again got a huge roar of laughter and a lot of nodding heads as the rest of the team agreed with his assessment of my demeanor when faced with frustration.
It also got me to take a deeper look at myself and the pride I take in being a Catholic. Is this the picture I want to paint for others as to how Catholics behave? I am ashamed. I am going to try (starting yesterday) to think before I speak and ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to help me remember that, just as I see Christ in others, others should be able to see Christ in me. How can you help? I would like any of you who witness me falling into this type of behavior (using swear words), please remind me that it is not how a good Catholic behaves.

The Triumph of the Cross

Today was the feast day of The Triumph of the Cross. For the first time in a long time I went to mass last night, the Saturday vigil. I don’t usually go on Saturdays because I have a personal problem recognizing it as the “Sabbath.” The “problem” arises because I usually work on Saturdays, and so, I haven’t “rested”. I went, because I was visiting Mom and she likes to go on Saturdays. However, she wasn’t feeling up to it, so I went by myself. Now, Sunday is a different kettle of fish, so to speak. I am in the habit of getting up early on Sunday and going to either the 8 AM or the 10 AM mass, depending on how fast I can get my act together. Then I spend the rest of the day either meditating on the mass, going to the forums on Catholic.com to learn more about my Church, or visiting Mom and the rest of my family. This is a fairly recent habit—ever since Lorenzo started doing the yard work I used to do on Sundays. But I digress. I don’t know if it’s because I went to confession and said my rosary before mass or just the Holy Spirit filling my mind for His own purposes, but during the mass I kept focusing on the crucifix and trying to understand how anyone who truly believes in Jesus Christ and calls himself a Christian isn’t moved by the sacrifice Christ made for us. I tried to pay more attention to the mass, but my eyes kept returning to the crucifix and the wounds Christ suffered for ME. I was getting choked up every time I thought of His wounds. Each time I looked at the cross, I tried to see the cross again for the first time, as though I was truly at Calvary (which is exactly where we are at every mass!). I looked at Jesus’ suffering, His cruel death, and His resurrection as something He did for ME (and does at every mass), something that brings me new life, no matter how bad the problems I may think I am facing at times.

From "The Word Among Us" today

He spent the night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)

This verse isn’t one most people remember, but it speaks volumes about Jesus. Before he made the crucial decision about whom he would choose as his apostles, he prayed. It shows how completely dependent Jesus was on his heavenly Father. He never made a move without asking which way he should go. And when the decision was important, he didn’t just offer a quick “Our Father”! As in this case, he went to a place with few distractions and spent long hours listening in prayer.
If we’re serious about doing what Jesus did, we have to pray too. Of course, if you’re new to prayer, you won’t begin by staying up all night on a mountaintop! Your starting point can be just knowing that God wants to speak to you personally and reccognizing that you want to hear his voice. It all begins when you trust in God’s promise: “When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
The fact is, there is no magical secret to prayer. We simply have to turn to him, and God will answer us. So in part, it really is up to us. We have to take the time and effort to listen. We have to decide whether we will follow God’s plans or our own—and we have to discern how we’re going to implement them. We may even need the help of a trusted friend to help us along the way. But through it all, God will be right beside us!
If you haven’t done so before, why not start today to ask God about the decisions you are facing? You can begin by making small steps at listening and trying to put into practice what you hear. Tell the Lord about your schedule, and ask him to direct your steps. Read the Scriptures, and see if the Spirit gives you some sense about what you should do in a situation. Like anything else, prayer takes practice. And the better you get at hearing the Lord, the more confident you will become—and the more effective you will be at building his
kingdom!
“Lord, I ask for your guidance today. Help me to hear your voice and to know your will, even in the small decisions I’m facing. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening!”

A prayer for Aunt Barbara

My Aunt Barbara is special to me. She was a great help to me when I was a young man attending college and trying to grow up. She and her family have always been there for me and my family. She is not doing very well recently, and can use our prayers. I would like to offer the following prayer for her. I will post the prayer on Mom's blog, as well.

Holy Mary, we ask that you wrap Barbara in your loving embrace and help her through this trial. Keep her free from worry and pain.

Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer, we turn to You on behalf of Your servant Barbara. O dearest comforter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with Your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden.

Dear God, we place our worries for Barbara in Your hands. We place Barbara and all our sick and troubled under Your care and humbly ask that You restore Your servant Barbara to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge Your will and know that whatever You do, You do for the love of us. Amen.

Reverence

Today, it's two posts for the price of one! I've been meaning to post this thought for a while, but after my daily dose of Catholic.com, I posted the previous thought first. Oh, well I guess the mind wanders..........

I spend most of Mass with my eyes closed. Why? It's a fault of mine that I am (possibly) over-critical of how others are "worshipping", and it is a distraction to watch what I perceive as irreverence or disrespect for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and especially the Eucharist. Keeping my eyes closed is one tactic I've come up with to keep me from possibly misjudging others and (more likely) to keep from having to look at the 'plank in my own eye'. I've written before about the disrespect one shows when they enter God's house and neglect to genuflect or bow to the Altar and acknowledge His presence, then carry on with conversations as if He is not there. You know the people I am talking about...those who are at Mass because it's an obligation, not out of love for God, and the gifts He has given us. I think most of us at Mass are there to give thanks to Jesus for His sacrifice at Calvary (as if we could ever thank Him enough!) and worship Him and give Him due reverence. But there are always one or two who (forgive me, Jesus, if my assessment is wrong) have no idea why they are there. Then they present themselves to recieve our Lord in a manner as if the Sacrament were just a symbol, rather than the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ Himself, under the 'appearance' of bread and wine. Some will "take" the Host, rather than "recieve" Him, some will wait until they are back at the pew before consuming Him, some will talk in the procession line! I read somewhere a writing of an early church father about the reverence one should have when receiving the Eucharist. (Yes, in the early days of the church, the Sacrament was received in the hand--it's not new, since Vatican II). The father said when you present your hands for the reception of the Host, form a "throne" out of the left hand for the priest to place the King of the Universe upon, gaze upon the King, then, with reverence, and a prayer, consume Him. I think if more people thought of recieving with this sort of image in mind, I could open my eyes again during Mass. God forgive me for judging others without really knowing what is in their hearts, but it's my perception, and I hope I'm wrong.

Pray. Listen. Act.

The following is a post from Catholic Answers (catholic.com) in response to the question, "Do you think every feeling or thought you get about God, Mary or anything else spiritual is a prompt from God, or sent from God? Like God is giving you a nudge? Like, Oh, I think I’ll say the Rosary, or, Oh, I’ll go visit the church - is that always God giving us a hint?”

And here is the wonderful response to that question:

If I could boil down everything I’ve learned about spirituality. . .it would go something like this:

1) Pray always, in all times and circumstances.
2) “Tune-in” to the world around you . . . the people, events and circumstances of your immediate surroundings. This is where the Holy Spirit meets you and speaks to you . . . if we can learn to listen. And “seeing” what’s around you is the first step in listening. Combined with an habitual prayerful attitude (#1), this is how we are made receptive for His prompts and inspirations. Oh, how we tune out the world as we go about “our” business. So many missed opportunities in all our present moments.
3) Act upon any good impulse that pops into our mind as it occurs.
If we are diligent in #1 and #2 it will be amazing how many times #3 occurs in any given day. Just a few examples that come to mind . . .
* One moment we might feel drawn to give a word of encouragement to someone who is feeling down.
* The next moment we might bite our toungue when that particularly troublesome co-worker rags on you again.
* A moment latter, we praise God for a small act of virtue we see in this very same co-worker.
* Another moment, we stop our day dreaming to silently adore Him in our heart.
* The next moment, we “change the subject” of the train of thought going on in our mind when we recognize it has the potential to lead us to sin.
* The next moment we pick of that piece of trash in the parking lot instead of stepping over it.
* A moment latter we smile and nod at a person passing our way.
* The next moment we say a silent prayer because someone we haven’t thought of in a long while popped into our mind.
* On another moment we pitch in and give a helping hand.
* Another moment, we give up our recreation and down time to spend time with a family member.
We could go on and on forever about these types of prompts and inspirations that come to us in the present moment . . . for they are endless really.
Pray, listen, act.

Mt 25:14-30Jesus told his disciples this parable:“A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the groundand buried his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person,harvesting where you did not plantand gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plantand gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”

In the parable, the master entrusts his servants with a portion of his wealth, but no more than they can handle. My Master has entrusted me with His "wealth"--faith. My faith is not something I am supposed to keep to myself, buried in a hole, where it will not even earn interest. Rather it is to be shared, and thereby multiplied, through witness and example.
The proof of this in in the fact that every single time I have shared my faith with someone else, I can actually feel my own faith increasing exponentially. God knows how much I enjoy sharing His wealth, because He is constantly putting my faith to work for Him. He has recently put 4 people in my path who are looking for more spirituality in their lives. I am not an apologist, and I have very few answers to give them. But I do give them a share of my own faith by answering their simpler questions and inviting them to go to mass with me. At the very least, I want to be able to show my Master that I attempted to increase His wealth when He comes back and asks me to account for myself. I know this sounds as if I am sharing my faith to keep from being "thrown into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth", but the fact is that the more I share, the more I get, and the more I get the more I realize I am sharing my faith out of love for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and my desire to spend eternity with Him.

Here's a thought for today

"When something turns out not very well or even badly, do not be disturbed nor think it a real evil; but be humble before God and be confident that from it He will draw some good. "- St Anthony Mary Gianelli (1789-1846)

I could have used this quote yesterday!

I get it

Today started out as a real bummer. First, I overslept, so I missed Mass at 6:30. Then, at work, it was hot, we were short-handed, the customers seemed wierder than normal, and I missed my lunch hour--so naturally, I was short-tempered, rude and stressed. I didn't like myself much by 4pm, and I'm sure my employees felt the same way about me. I hadn't eaten, and only had about 16oz of water and a candy bar all day. I was mad at the world, and felt like the weight of the world was coming at me all at once. So, at 4pm, I decided to call it a day at work and maybe sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament and say a rosary before Mass started at 5:45pm to try and calm down. I drove over to St. Joseph's in Modesto and the doors were locked! There was another guy there who tried the doors with the same result I had. I told him, "Great, the way my day's been going, I NEED to get in there and talk to Jesus, and the door is locked!" Right next to the entrance to the church is the Adoration chapel, which has a combination lock on it (I didn't have the combination). I told the guy if I didn't get in to see Jesus soon, I was going to bust! And lo and behold, some lady comes up, opens the door to the chapel and goes in! It took me and my new acquaintence a couple of seconds to realize what had happened! We kind of gave each other that look of "Whoa! He must have heard me!" So my friend knocked on the door, the lady opened it, and we went in. There were about 6 people in there already. I took out my rosary and started praying for calm. 20 minutes later, I had forgotten what a rotten day it had been and felt I was in the proper state of mind to attend Mass and recieve Jesus in Holy Communion. And by now, the church doors were open. But did Jesus stop at merely calming me down? No, as He often does to those He heals, He also admonishes them to stop doing whatever it was that caused their lapses in faith in the first place, so to top it all off, the Gospel is Matthew 22:34-40,

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

OK, Jesus, I get it. I'm sure I'll fail to love my neighbor over and over again by being rude and short-tempered, but I get it. I also know that You'll be there to catch me every time, and by the grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I can live up to these commandments.

Song To Be Sung by the Father of Infant Female Children

I was watching an OLD rerun of Bishop Fulton J Sheen. He was reading this poem. I thought it was pretty good—especially since I am the father of female children, and shortly will be the grandfather of a female child:

Song To Be Sung by the Father of Infant Female Children
by Ogden Nash

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky;
Contrariwise, my blood runs cold
When little boys go by.
For little boys as little boys,
No special hate I carry,
But now and then they grow to men,
And when they do, they marry.
No matter how they tarry,
Eventually they marry.
And, swine among the pearls,
They marry little girls.
Oh, somewhere, somewhere, an infant plays,
With parents who feed and clothe him.
Their lips are sticky with pride and praise,
But I have begun to loathe him.
Yes, I loathe with loathing shameless
This child who to me is nameless.
This bachelor child in his carriage
Gives never a thought to marriage,
But a person can hardly say knife
Before he will hunt him a wife.
I never see an infant (male),
A-sleeping in the sun,
Without I turn a trifle pale
And think is he the one?
Oh, first he'll want to crop his curls,
And then he'll want a pony,
And then he'll think of pretty girls,
And holy matrimony.
A cat without a mouse
Is he without a spouse.
Oh, somewhere he bubbles bubbles of milk,
And quietly sucks his thumbs.
His cheeks are roses painted on silk,
And his teeth are tucked in his gums.
But alas the teeth will begin to grow,
And the bubbles will cease to bubble;
Given a score of years or so,
The roses will turn to stubble.
He'll sell a bond, or he'll write a book,
And his eyes will get that acquisitive look,
And raging and ravenous for the kill,
He'll boldly ask for the hand of Jill.
This infant whose middle
Is diapered still
Will want to marry
My daughter Jill.
Oh sweet be his slumber and moist his middle!
My dreams, I fear, are infanticiddle.
A fig for embryo Lohengrins!
I'll open all his safety pins,
I'll pepper his powder,
and salt his bottle,
And give him readings from Aristotle.
Sand for his spinach
I'll gladly bring,
And Tabasco sauce for his teething ring.
Then perhaps he'll struggle through fire and water
To marry somebody else's daughter.

Time to vent!

There are a few things that bother me lately when I go to Sunday Mass. The first is the talking. People chat away before Mass, during Mass (even during the consecration!), and after Mass. You'd think they could wait until they were outside to visit. I personally like to get to the church early and try to prepare myself for the miracle that is going to occur. It's hard to concentrate on prayer when you are forced to hear the latest gossip (complete with laughing!) from the parishoners around you. Kids (teenagers) are the worst offenders. What are the parents teaching them? Where is the reverence for our Lord? I think it's actually getting a little better, but not fast enough for me.

And what's with the clapping at the end of Mass? Christ doesn't need our applause! We have just been to Calvary! We should be somber. Oh, wait! The organist and soloist have PERFORMED for us! We should applaud! NOT! The Mass is not entertainment. It is worship. Let's treat it as such!

Those that go to daily Mass are a lot more reverent, in my opinion. At least I'm not as distracted at those Masses. I think the reason they go daily is that they realize exactly WHO they are there to see and worship.
Ok, I'm off my soapbox.

Prayers of thanksgiving are as important as prayers of petition

When I was listening to a program on EWTN radio this morning before mass, the hostess asked the following question.

When God answers your prayers, do you spend as much time thanking Him in your thanksgiving as you did in petition? It really is a good question. Some of us can spend years in prayer waiting for a petition to be answered, and when the answer to our petition is YES, do we spend years in giving thanks? Even if God's answer is a clear NO, do we thank Him for His answer anyway? And with the same fervor?

Early in January, a very faithful little girl decided she wanted a pony for Christmas (don't they all?) So she prayed every day, all day, almost a full year, right up until Christmas morning knowing that God would answer her prayers. She got a lot of great gifts for Christmas that morning, but no pony. When she was asked to say the grace at Christmas dinner, she thanked God for answering all of her prayers. Her uncle was taken aback. "You didn't get your pony! Why are you thanking God for answering your prayer?" he asked her. She replied "I guess the answer was NO!"

Today's Reading is Scary! (Until you know the rest of the story)

Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22The LORD cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city! With that I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces the north, each with a destroying weapon in his hand. In their midst was a man dressed in linen, with a writer’s case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar. Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him: Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groanover all the abominations that are practiced within it. To the others I heard the LORD say: Pass through the city after him and strike! Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy! Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple. Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain; then go out and strike in the city.Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple and rested upon the cherubim. These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth, the wheels rising along with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the LORD’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them. Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them, while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.

Wow! This is one of those Old Testament readings that scare young children and those of little faith. But that's only because they don't understand the whole story. I must admit I didn't much care for it until I heard Father Pacwa's sermon on EWTN today. Then it seemed to make sense. It is another of those visions that foresee the mercy of the Lord towards all who believe in Him. The people who were saved were those who did not worship the false idols and disobey the laws. These were marked with the "Thau". Father Pacwa said the "Thau" was in the shape of a cross, made with two branches of the olive tree. So those who believed in the God of Israel and followed His commandments were "blessed" with the "sign of the cross" and thereby saved through their faith and their prayers to Him imploring Him to stop the idolatry.

The reading for today got me thinking. In case you missed it, here it is, along with my insights. I hope they're not too far off the mark!
Ez 2:8—3:4The Lord GOD said to me:As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you:be not rebellious like this house of rebellion,but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me,in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me.It was covered with writing front and back, (Sounds like the Word of God to me!)and written on it was: Lamentation and wailing and woe!(This sounds like Christ's passion!)He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you;(The Eucharist?)eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.(After receiving the Word, share it with the world!)So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.Son of man, he then said to me,feed your belly and fill your stomachwith this scroll I am giving you.I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth(Again, the Eucharist?).He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel,and speak my words to them.

Sometimes the stories of the prophets are, well, prophetic. Here we have God telling Ezekiel to eat the Word. Of course we all know that the Word was with God and the Word IS God, (or Jesus). Ezekiel describes the Word as lamentation and wailing and woe. This speaks to me of the passion of Christ. Then Ezekiel is told to go to the house of Israel and speak the words to them. After we recieve the Word of God and His Son (the very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ) in the Eucharist, we are sent to evangelize through our faith and works. This plays right into what Christ said: That He came into the world not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. There are so many of these parallels between the Old Testament and New Testament that I think my next step should be a bible study. But I just don't have the time! Does anybody know of a good online bible study?

The urgency of prayer

Father Hayes' sermon tonight was short, but to the point. He said while he was in the hospital recently for an extended period of time, they had him so drugged that he didn't have the right attitude for prayer. He said he would start to pray, but before the first prayer was over, he would fall asleep, and when he awakened the rosary would be bunched up under him and leave little bead marks on that part of his body. It got to the point that he didn't care whether he prayed or not. It made him realize how important prayer is when you are properly disposed and in right mind. We all like to think that if we were just laying in bed all day, we would be glad to just pray, pray, pray. But the fact of the matter is that because we are human, we have only so much patience. Why wait until you are faced with a life or death situation before you think of prayer? Why not just one Our Father right now?

Who do YOU say that I am?

As promised, here is a nutshell version of last night's homily.

The human heart, a person’s deepest self, is where God has written his covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; CCC #s 1764-1765). How else do we know, instinctively, that there is a God? And why do we turn to our Creator in times of distress or sadness? It's because God has written his names (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) on our hearts since before we were born. It's like a newborn baby. He (or she) is not "taught" to look for his mother's breast when he's hungry. He just knows that is the source of his nourishment. Or how does he know which woman is his mother in a crowd of mothers? By the special "scent" that is a bond between mother and child. If you think about these things, you KNOW they are true. It is the same with knowing that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He is truly present in each of us. Even atheist have to make a choice to ignore this instinctive knowledge. When Jesus was with the Apostles and asked them, "Who do people say that I am?", they replied that some thought he was John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others thought he was one of the other prophets. But when he asked his friends, who knew him best, "Who do YOU say that I am?", Peter blurted out "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" This was revealed to Peter by God, according to Jesus. (Luke 9, 18-24) And it was. But it has also been revealed to each of us through Scripture and Tradition. Even without Scripture and Tradition, if you really search your heart you know this to be true. Gaze upon a crucifix. Imagine that Christ is looking at you with the same loving look He gave his friends that day and He is asking YOU, "Who do YOU say that I am?" When I did this during Mass last night, I almost blurted out Peter's answer myself--it's the reason I try to attend Mass daily, when possible--to give thanks to Our God and His Son for the daily gifts of the Holy Spirit upon my life. I caught myself--it would have been inappropriate, but my heart was almost bursting with love for Christ! I know that He is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!

When you find YOUR answer to the question, then ask yourself why He would put Himself through the pain and suffering of the crucifixion. It's for ALL OF US, that we may finally be with HIM as was intended from the beginning. Then try to understand that we could never suffer as much as HE did, and He is STILL willing to accept even more pain and suffering (the pain and suffering we offer up to Him) for the greater glory of the Father.

He's still there!

I had to go to Reedley to pick up a truck today. I figured I would go to Mass at St. Anthony Claret at 5:30 as I drove through Fresno back home to Stockton. As I was approaching Fresno, I thought "St. Anthony's mass in in Spanish. Do I really want to try and understand what the Gospel and sermon are all about? or should I just go home and read the Gospel and meditations on line?" But my hunger for the Eucharist and the peace I feel at Mass (even in Spanish) overrode these thoughts and I went to Mass. When I got there, a little old lady who is always at that mass greeted me with "buenos tardes, Senor". I responded in kind. Then there was a bustle of activity around the altar--chairs being moved around, and a stool being placed behind the altar! I thought "uh oh, what's going on here?" Then everyone stands and the priest comes out veeerrrry slooowwwwly on crutches and a cast on his foot! He immediately proceeded to sit on a chair that was next to the lecturn and blessed us, said the opening prayer, then the reading and responsorial psalm were recited. "Lord, what did I get myself into tonight?" It was hard to concentrate on the Spanish and wonder how this priest was going to say mass in his condition. I was shocked when he said the opening prayers before the Gospel, then allowed a lay person to read it! He continued to sit. After the Gospel, he rose with great difficulty, then sat on the stool behind the altar. I thought he was going to dispense with a sermon, as it was obvious that he was in great pain. But he starts the sermon while sitting on the stool--IN ENGLISH! He had a different lay person stand next to him and interpret the sermon for the old Spanish ladies. And what a powerful and insightful sermon it was! I thank the Holy Spirit for guiding me to this sermon tonight. It was just what I needed. I will write about the sermon tomorrow. I want to let it soak in tonight, and it's late. I don't want to ruin it because I'm tired. I may forget something. How's that for a tease?

Be not afraid--revised

Ok, so I fell prey to an "urban legend". On May 5th, I blogged that Be not afraid appeared 365 times in the bible. I posed the question to the forums at Catholic.com to see if it was true, and got a couple of responses--all of them charitably chiding me for being gullible. One of the posters (a non-catholic Christian) said he found the following in the King James Version:
The phrase "fear not" appears 63 times (48 times in the Old Testament)
The phrase "(do) not be afraid" appears 13 times (12 times in the OT)
The phrase "be not afraid" appears 28 times (19 times in the OT)
That's a total of 104 times, 261 short of 365
On a side note, the word "fear" by itself appears 400 times in the bible (316 times in the OT) , the word "afraid" appears 193 times (158 times in the OT)

Oh, well at least I got a couple of people to STUDY the bible for a little bit.

Getting back to the original thought, though. What is a "God-fearing" Christian? I think most people think that God is to feared, so they walk on egg-shells, thinking that He is just looking for an excuse to "send me to hell". They make God out to be a vindictive being, rather than the loving Father He truly is. This, in my opinion, is exactly the wrong attitude to have. We certainly should follow the precepts and laws He has set down for us from the beginning. But we should do it out of RESPECT and THANKS for the gift of life He has given us. The only fear that we should have is the fear of disappointing our loving Father in Heaven and causing Him sadness. I am going to try in the next couple of weeks to explain what I know to be gifts from God and how I can best thank Him for these blessings.

I've found the pearl

Mt 13:44-46
Jesus said to his disciples:“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
I have found the pearl. Now I have to sell all that I have to buy it. Are we talking money here? No, obviously not. What I think Jesus is talking about is our attachments to this world. There can be nothing that takes priority over our commitment to He Who Created All Things. We have to "sell" our pride, our hubris, our very souls and give ourselves to Him, completely.

How do we "sell" these things?

By following Jesus' teaching in Matthew 22:37-40, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

What did Jesus mean when He said "The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments?" These commandments are the basis for the Ten that Our Lord gave to Moses. All ten of the commandments given to Moses can be followed by simply following Jesus' Two.

Can you imagine a world that followed the Greatest Commandments unconditionally? No wars, no abortions, no pain, no suffering---Wait!!! We're talking Heaven here, right?

A fork in my right hand

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal Illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued. " I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor. The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I alwaysremember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork'. It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?'. Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork....the best is yet to come". The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you oh so gently, that the best is yet to come.

The name will change, but not the content

As you may have noticed, I changed the name on my blog today. I heard the words "Road to Emmaus" today while listening to the radio and realized that it pertains to a lot of how the world is today. Christ is so close to us. He is risen! He is among us every day! Most of us see Him, but so few recognize Him! I am fortunate that I have a job (and a boss) that allows me the time to spend some time in front of the Blessed Sacrament each week and go to mass most days and actually taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

A couple of other changes have occured to this blog. You can now "google" The Road to Emmaus and the search engine will find me. And anyone can leave comments. I will read each one. I only ask that you be charitable. I realize that some who read this blog will disagree with my beliefs. Please, understand that you won't shake my faith in God or the religion that Christ established over 2000 years ago through the Holy Spirit. My goal is to SHARE my faith with others and join in meaningful prayer for the glory of God. I am willing to instruct or advise others based on my understanding of my faith, but I am not an apologist, so take it easy on me. Thanks and God Bless you.

Short (Mass), but Sweet (Grace)

I have been trying to visit different churches for my daily mass, and 6:30 am is the best time for me, but not all parishes have mass at this time. I was on my way to St. Francis of Assisi church in Bakersfield this morning when I had a change of mind and decided to go to St. Phillip the Apostle, instead. I was really running tight time-wise, and was dismayed when I found St. Phillip's parking lot torn up for repaving and the daily masses had been canceled this week. I actually got angry that the church would deprive me of my daily Eucharist! However, as usual, the Holy Spirit had my back and reminded me that there is a 7am mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I was thinking it would put me 1/2 hour behind schedule for the day, but I find my days go by so much smoother with the Grace I receive from the Eucharist, so I drove clear across town (no small distance in Bakersfield) and made it in time. I think the priest went to seminary in Indianapolis! I have never before been to a 12 minute mass (homily included--in fact the homily was so to the point that I am still thinking about it). I am not use to saying the prayers and responses without pauses or breaths. I am not saying it was less than sacred, but I like to take the time to think about what is going on in the Liturgy, not just go through the motions. The good thing is that I was put right back on schedule for the day, and I had Jesus with me the whole time!

Now, as a follow up to my post about not being afraid to die. It occurs to me that we should be looking forward to it. As I heard someone say on TV last night (I think it was Father Corapi), our best times on Earth are not even blips on the radar compared to the happiness we will find in Heaven. Now that's something to shoot for.

A seed planted?

On Thursday, my best friend said, "When it comes to stuff about God, you're pretty knowledgeable, right?" In my own humble way (lol) I said, "It depends on what you're asking." So he asked me if porn was a sin! I told him that yes, I believe it is. He asked me if looking at porn would send him to Hell. I told him that simply looking at porn would not be a sin, but the thoughts that it MUST provoke in a person certainly would be sinful. Looking at porn was the means to tempt him to sin further. Then he asked me if self-gratification were a sin. I told him that is why I said porn leads to further sin. Self-gratification bypasses the plan God has for us to use our sexuality to procreate. Also, that by looking at porn, he is helping those who are cheapening their own self-esteems by participating in the medium. I told him that he shouldn't be concerned if it were sending him to Hell, but rather that any sin is hurtful to God. I also told him that God is a loving and merciful Father, but one would have to pay the consequences for his sins. Then I told him the good news--that as a Catholic I believe that all sins (save one) can be forgiven through confession and the performance of penance. I am hoping that I planted a seed. He professes that he believes in a Creator, but follows no religion. Several times now, he has opened conversations with me about my beliefs. I wish I were stronger in my apologetics so I can help him more. I think the best thing I can do for now is to continue to go to mass as often as I can, keep saying the rosary, and pray for his conversion. And hope that God keeps His Spirit burning in my friend's heart, even if at times it is only a flicker.

Afraid to die? Not me! Ready to die? Not me!

Mt 8:23-27As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
At about 5 or 6 years old, I remember crying to my mom and asking, “Does everybody die?” I wasn’t prepared for her answer. She told me the truth—that is everybody dies, but nobody knows when, except God, so I didn’t need to worry about it. But I did. Unless I could fall asleep or be busy with something else. It certainly didn't help when she made us say the Rosary. I dreaded that sentence in the Hail Mary, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." I have since learned the true meaning and power of this prayer and regard it as a very dear friend.
We used to visit Grandma and Grandpa pretty regularly. We had to drive past Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery to get there. I got pretty good at recognizing landmarks and knew when we were getting close. I would always hide my head and try to think of something else or fall asleep—even the thought of dying terrified me. Eventually, though, I stopped being preoccupied with the thoughts and grew out of them.
The Gospel reading brought these memories back. While I was meditating on it, I realized that even though these men had who they believed to be the Messiah in the boat with them, they were still afraid of death. The lesson He taught them is the same lesson we can learn today. If we truly have faith in His love and mercy, we have nothing to fear. It’s interesting to me that these men who were afraid of death in the boat are probably the same men who later gladly gave up their lives to preserve the faith (except John, who we know died a natural death). I can only hope to be as brave when my time comes. What I can say is that I no longer fear death. But I'm not sure I welcome it, either. There is a lot more I can do for the Lord before I am called to my rest. Lots and lots of prayers to say.

Is this guy nuts?

Relativism rears its ugly head yet once again. While listening to a program on the radio this morning, a man called in to say that there was nothing “special” about Mary that would merit her any more consideration in God’s eyes than anyone else, and who are we (the Catholic Church) to determine that she is a Saint?

IS HE NUTS?!! Since the beginning of time, at least 10,000,000,000,000 (IMO) women have been created by God. Only ONE was created to be the mother of the Savior of the world! There is a reason why she is in Heaven interceding to her Son on our behalf. She is “blessed among women” for all time! And this bozo who says that he ONLY believes what is in Scripture but seems not to understand the passage where Gabriel proclaims Mary to be “full of Grace” and “blessed among women” says there is nothing special about Mary? I would think that his standards are a wee bit high! If Mother Mary is not special in God’s eyes, then who among us will be worthy to even stand in His presence and serve Him?

1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the LORD came to him,“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.”A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” The LORD said to him,“Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram. Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel,and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah,as prophet to succeed you.”
This reading hit me like a ton of bricks. The key point I get out of it is this. Elijah is told to go outside the cave and “listen for the Lord, who will be passing by.” Elijah expects the Lord when the hurricane comes, but He is not there. Then an earthquake occurs, and the Lord is not there. Then a fire! The Lord did not come in any of these spectacular events, as Elijah assumes He will. He finally “whispers” in the silence. Sometimes we look for God to come into our lives with the blaring of horns and flashing of lights. Or we look for “signs”. If we would just sit in silence and speak to Him, He will come and speak to us. As Jesus said, “Go into your inner rooms and pray to your God in private. And the Father who sees all that is private will answer.”

The other thing that strikes me about this reading is that Elijah is frustrated and feels like a failure. He has done everything the Lord has asked him to do, but has accomplished (in his own eyes) nothing. Does the Lord sympathize and say, "That's ok, Elijah, you've done your best, go ahead and rest"? NO. He gives him even MORE to do! We are never finished doing our part of God's plan until He calls us HOME. This is another way of saying that it is not easy to follow God's plan, but if we persist in our zeal for Him, we will be rewarded. Maybe not by being taken to Heaven in a flaming chariot, but seeing the face of God nonetheless.

You just never know when you are called

One Sunday morning two neighbors of 10 years came out of their houses at the same time. The first man was loading his golf clubs into his car. He asked his neighbor to join him for a round of golf. The second man declined, “No, thank you. I have to attend Mass.” What he was thinking was, “This guy goes golfing every Sunday. When does he find time to worship God?”

The second man was startled when the first man said “I have asked you every Sunday for the last ten years if you would like to join me in a game of golf. You have always declined because you are going to Mass. Yet you haven’t asked me once to join you at Mass”.

We never know when we will be called on by God to evangelize. This story reminds me that I shouldn’t ever pass up the opportunity to share my faith and beliefs with those around me. I don’t even have to be evangelical to evangelize. I just have to listen and watch for the opportunities. Jesus has a way of putting opportunities in our paths when He knows we have faith in Him.

The story also reminds me that I shouldn’t be so content and self-confident in my own reverence that I forget to share the Truth that is the Catholic Church. There are plenty of lost souls that are searching for the Truth all the time. I pray that our Lord places these souls in my path and sends the Holy Spirit to help me recognize them and give me the strength of faith and the courage to use that faith to spread the Good News not so much in words, but by example

Pray out of love, not need

Mt 7:21-27Jesus said to his disciples:“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.Many will say to me on that day,‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?Did we not drive out demons in your name?Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly,‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.And everyone who listens to these words of minebut does not act on themwill be like a fool who built his house on sand.The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house.And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

As I read this Gospel the first time today, I was as confused as those who say, “Lord, Lord”, and yet are refused entry into the kingdom of heaven. They have a pretty good list of accomplishments that were done in Jesus’ name, don’t they? Then why does Jesus say, “I never knew you?”

Then it occurred to me—were these deeds done in Jesus’ name for HIS sake, or for their own glory? How many of us have seen some difficult times and turned to God for deliverance, then once things were going good again, did we forget to pray in thanks or even acknowledge His presence in our lives? This is a relationship built on sand.

God will not be fooled. We must have faith based on a love for Him, not a fear for our own souls. I will admit that I have feared for my soul and the souls of those near and dear to me and many times I worshipped out of that fear. The more I feared the harder I prayed. The funny thing about prayer is that it strengthens our soul within us and increases our ability to hear the Holy Spirit. What Jesus told us, and what the Holy Spirit reminds me when I pray, “Be not afraid. I am with you, even until the end of the world.” And the more I pray, the less fearful I become and the more I feel I want to pray out of LOVE and GRATITUDE. I think that this is the attitude that Jesus is looking for in today’s Gospel. This is a relationship built on Rock.

For my part, I will try to pray when things are not so good, and I will try to remember to pray even harder when things are really good. This is love.

Powerful Testimony from a True Believer

http://www.card-fxthuan.org/hiswords.php?words=faith
Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi (The Body and Blood of Christ). Monseignor Ryan's homily at Mass today began with some of the testimony from the former Archbishop from Saigon, Francis Xavier van Thuan. I am always awed by those who have such an unwavering faith that they can convert even their enemies and captors.

There are many of God's children who for one reason or another do not or cannot believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. And nothing in the way of science or reasoning, or logic or mathematics, or any other "I've got to see it to believe it" methods are going to convince them. The only proof we have is that Jesus Christ himself tells us , "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Jn 6:51-58 Faith is the only proof I need.

Here's another way to look at it: When a man and a woman fall in love, they usually express their love verbally and often. But how can they know for sure that the love is there with just words, and no actions (no, not "relations") to back those words up? They can't, until they have built a trust
in one another based on intimacy and friendship and they can't help but believe unequivocably that the words have truth. It's the same with Jesus telling us that the Eucharist is truly His flesh and blood. He does not mince words with us. He tells us point-blank at the last supper that this is His Body which will be given up for us. And that the wine becomes His Blood which is the new and everlasting covenant, which was shed for us and for all Mankind, so that sins may be forgiven. And I know that this is true, because I continue to develop an intimate relationship with Him through thoughtful prayer and pennance that assures me of His Truth and allows me to believe in Him to the point that everything He tells me is true--I no longer have to see it to believe it.

A few days ago I posted a meditation on why we should pray. As I was surfing the internet tonight, this reading from James caught my eye, my mind and my heart.


Jas 5:13-20
Beloved:Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray.
Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing a song of praise.
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church,and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick person,and the Lord will raise him up.
If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. Elijah was a man like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain,and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land. Then Elijah prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back,he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from deathand will cover a multitude of sins.


This seems like a no-brainer to me. Pray. Pray in petition when you have a heavy heart. Pray in praise when things are going well. Pray especially fervently for the conversion (or reversion) of those souls who appear to be lost to Christ--for Christ’s sake, not for your own-- and a multitude of your own sins will be mercifully washed away. Is there a better reason to pray? Give God his due. Prayers are the currency of Heaven, where the words “In God We Trust” are not a slogan or motto, but Truth itself.

A Pretty Uplifting Bible Fact

Know how many times we are told to "Be not afraid" in the Bible?

365

Pretty interesting, isn't it? I guess we only have to be afraid once every 4 years during leap years.

Jury Duty

I have been writing a “journal” for about 8 years. I wrote the following about 5 years ago.

“I believe in punishing criminal behavior, but I will not kill or condone killing as punishment. Capital punishment is for God alone, in my opinion. On Judgment day, He will decide the fate of everyone's soul. For capital crimes, I believe in life imprisonment without parole, in solitary confinement. Prisoners should be given 2 basic meals a day, no conjugal visits, and no television. Hard labor should also be required. They have given up their right to live with society and should be deprived of all of the rights and privileges, save dignity, accorded to law-abiding citizens. But it is not our right to kill another human being, or for that matter deprive them of their human dignity, which is also God’s, because dignity resides in the soul.”

Today I was called for jury duty. My luck on jury duty being what it is, my name was called in the first group. When I reported to the courtroom, I kept thinking, “Man, I hope this is just a one-day service and I can go on with my life.”

When the judge came out and started giving us the standard spiel about how important jury duty is to the American way of life, I kept saying to myself, “I’ve heard this all before, and I agree with it. Can’t she move it along any faster? I might be able to make a day off out of this if we get it over early enough.”

Then she said the trial could last through September! “Wow! What? Is this going to be one of those corporate scandal cases that drag on and on? I can’t be here for this!”

She said that she would give us a brief summary of the charges. It is a criminal matter. The defendant is charged with rape and several murders with special circumstances. There will be a trial to determine guilt or innocence, then a second trial with the same jury to determine whether the punishment will be death or life in prison without possibility of parole.

We were asked if we had any hardships that would prevent us from serving and naturally, about 90% of the jurors raised their hands. I could not in good conscience raise mine because even though I have responsibilities and a job, my employer pays for jury duty in full. And while I may think I am indispensable in my position, the fact of the matter is that I can write a schedule to accommodate my customers and I can check in periodically.

Then we were handed a “short juror questionnaire” to fill out. We were handed the questionnaires at 9:30 am. When I finally finished at 12:30 pm, I found I was only one of about a dozen jurors still left in the courtroom. I guess it took me so long because I wanted to be honest and true to the justice system and most of the questions related to how I felt about prejudice, racism, and the death penalty. Anyone who really knows me knows that I can’t ever answer “yes” or “no” to any questions so complex. And it had well over 125 questions!

I have a feeling that since I answered that I will not vote for the death penalty under any circumstances, I will be excused. But the judge said she and the attorneys will need time to read the questionnaires and told us to come back on May 30th for more personal and detailed interviews. I will let you know what happens.

In the meantime, I will hold all of the participants including the defendant and the victims in my heart when I say my rosary tonight.

Why we should pray unceasingly

Why pray?

The first thing man must do is to seek God, to go apart into the desert of his soul to rest awhile and permit his soul to become sensitive to divine whisperings. It is only in silence and aloneness with God that we may seek reflection, that we may turn our minds on ourselves and our relationship with our Creator. And this reflection begins the moment we start to pray.

Prayer is as essential to the spiritual life as food and air are to our natural existence. Because of our relationship to God we owe God the duty of prayer. Prayer is an act of justice, not merely an act of piety. Prayer is a debt that we must pay, not merely a graceful gesture that we choose to make. Jesus impresses upon us the necessity of private prayer. He says “We ought to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). He sets the example for us by passing whole nights in prayer (Luke 6:12) Private prayer is a sacred duty incumbent upon us, to be discharged willingly and industriously, for he who does not pray will receive nothing.

Daily private prayer is necessary for understanding and preparing ourselves for liturgical (or public) prayer. The Holy Spirit says: “Before prayer prepare the soul; be not as a man that tempts the Lord” (Ecc. 18:23). Before beginning public prayer, compose your thoughts, and keep in mind that you are in the presence of God, who sees you and knows all that you do, think and speak.

Daily private prayer is very important for us in that, in it we offer God the service not of external or corporal things, but the highest good that we have—our minds and hearts. Through prayer we face the practical truth that we depend on God. God wants us to pray for the very things he wants to give us. Prayer does not change God’s will. It merely fulfills a condition of it, namely that such and such will be given when it is persistently asked for. Ours is not to understand the will of God for our salvation, but to fulfill it. Ours is to cooperate in it fully that it might be accomplished. In this sense there are no unanswered prayers, for each prayer fulfills in some way the providence of God directing all things to their proper end, directing us back to our Creator. Thy will be done. Things happen against our wills, but nothing happens against God’s will, save sin. What we sometimes think are the actions of a cruel God are in reality the manifestations of divine love pushing us to heaven.

“Nothing is more powerful than one who prays; for the praying man participates in the might of God” (St. John Chrysostom).