Children sing "thankyou" to our servicemen and women

Memorial Day 2010

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn’t been heard. The young soldier knew it was Sabbath, the holiest day of the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk. Just then an army sergeant came in and said, ‘Why aren’t you with the rest of the platoon?’

The soldier replied, ‘I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord..’

The sergeant said, ‘Looks to me like you’re going to play cards.’

The soldier said, ‘No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country, I’ve decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.’

The sergeant asked in disbelief, ‘How will you do that?’

‘You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.
The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments.
The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.
The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John .
The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.
The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.
The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.
The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives — the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth.
The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.
The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.
The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God’s first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.
The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.
The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings..
When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year.
There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week – 52 weeks in a year.
The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
Each suit has thirteen cards — there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.
So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.’

The sergeant just stood there. After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, ‘Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?’

Please let this be a reminder and take time to pray for all of our soldiers who are being sent away, putting their lives on the line fighting.

Prayer for the Military

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.

Protect them.

Bless them and their families. 

I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen

_______________________________________

H/T to Fr. Eugene Lobo SJ, blogging at God in All Things.

Time for a bit of flag-waving.

As we prepare to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday tomorrow, here's something else you may remember: Kate Smith singing God Bless America.

Simple Joys Saturday

Take some time to smell the roses (or the azaleas?) today... And then head over to Simple Joys Saturday and share it with others.

One thing I always enjoy is seeing the azaleas in bloom. We start off with some bright pink ones, then these fellas, and finally some that are pristine white. These pictures help me to remember them once the blooms have faded.

Some up-to-date abortion statistics. Scary

The Daily Telegraph released some statistics that are rather appalling this week. These statistics summarize some information about the abortion rate in England in 2009:

• 17,916 abortions were performed on girls age 18 or younger.
• 3823 abortions were performed on girls age 17 or younger.
• 1047 girls age 14 or younger had abortions.
• One in three of those who had abortions in England last year had already had at least one abortion. 
• 2637 women had had three abortions.
• 779 had had four abortions.
• 214 had had five abortions.
• 48 women had had seven or more abortions.

I think I’m going to be sick.

To put these figures in perspective, the article goes on to mention that these figures represent a decrease in the numbers or abortions performed on young girls and women. To quote Ann Fured, CEO of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, “It's interesting to see that fewer abortions took place last year, for the second year running. However abortion figures tend to fluctuate slightly year-on-year so we can't call this a trend yet, especially with the background of the last few decades' gradual rise in the numbers of abortions.” So I’m not sure whether to consider the decrease in the number of abortions performed to be good news or not.

Either way, it’s sad to me.

Sadder still is the fact that the day previous to the release of these statistics, the first British advertisement for abortion was televised. Not only that, England’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommended “teenagers and other young women be encouraged to stockpile the morning after pill at home in case of emergencies”. (Perhaps this sort of encouragement from England’s health ministry explains the slight rise in the rate of abortions performed via use of morning after pills last year.)

A voice of reason came from a gent named Norman Wells of the Family Education Trust. This organization does research on what lies behind the breakdown of the family. He said that the statistics are an “inevitable consequence of a society that has made an idol of sexual pleasure”, and concluded that, “It is not ignorance of contraception that leads to alarming rates of teenage abortions. The contraceptive culture has made girls feel they have a right to have babies to order and to do away with any that would interfere with their chosen lifestyle.”

The complete article can be found here

____________________________________________


Be sure to check out 7 Quick Takes.

Understanding, or arguing?

A blogging buddy of mine, Kansas Bob, tweeted a quote I love. He says it’s by a gent named Pierre Beaumarchais, who was apparently a master of multitasking. According to Wikipedia, Beaumarchais was “a watchmaker, inventor, musician, diplomat, fugitive, spy, publisher, arms dealer, and revolutionary (both French and American). He was best known, however, for his theatrical works, especially the three Figaro plays.”

At any rate, here is some wisdom from Beaumarchais as he opined about religion and politics:

"It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them."

Truth be told, it seems to me that we are becoming masters of arguing without understanding. I’ve got conservative friends who think folks of the liberal persuasion are brainless idiots. I have liberal friends who think conservatives are close-minded bigots. I’ve known Protestants who are unaware that Catholics are Christian and who seem convinced that the Vatican is located on the pathway to hell. I know Catholics who hold similar concerns about the ultimate destiny of Protestants.

Unfortunately, too many of us are too busy being opinionated to become educated about the viewpoint of people who don’t completely endorse our own point of view.

St. Francis de Sales had some wisdom on this subject:

There are a thousand little acts of virtue, such as bearing with the importunities and imperfections of our neighbors, not resenting an unpleasant word or a trifling injury, restraining an emotion of anger, mortifying some little affection, some ill-regulated desire to speak or listen, excusing indiscretion, or yielding to another in trifles.

Today, I pray for the grace to listen before responding. We might be amazed at what we can learn from people, if only we take the time to hear what they have to say.

Nick Vujicic : He's B-A-A-A-C-C-C-K-K!

I hope I'll never get tired of being inspired by Nick.

Watch this video. Then thank God for your many blessings, and for a man who can teach us a lot about seeing beneath the surface to the talents and gifts we've received.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

 

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them! 

- Psalm 139:13-17

A prayer to the Holy Spirit

 

 

Holy Spirit, enlighten our hearts.Give us light and strengthto know your will, 

to make it our own,and to live it in our lives.

Guide us by your wisdom;support us by your power; 

for you are God,sharing the glory of Father and Son.

You desire justice for all:enable us to uphold the rights of others;

do not allow us to be misled by ignoranceor corrupted by favor.

Unite us to yourself in the bond of love

and keep us faithful to all that is true.

Help us to temper justice with love,

so that all our decisionsmay be pleasing to you,

and bring us the inheritancepromised to good and faithful servants.

You live and reign with the Father and the Son, 

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

- Adapted from a prayer said before 

every session of the Second Vatican Council

WHEW!

Some kids skip school. This school skips kids.

I ran into an editorial that asked a provocative question: Should Catholic schools accept children of homosexual “parents”. The article lauded Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput for his support of a school in his diocese which refused to allow two preschool children of lesbian “parents” to renew their enrollment.

Note: I put the word “parents” in quotes just now. I did so because the article in question did so throughout. But I looked up the word "parent" for my own interest and found that the relevant definitions are “a father or a mother” and “a protector or guardian”. And while I do not believe that homosexuality falls in line with principles outlined in the Bible, there seems to be no question that the children are being raised by a couple that meets the definition of “parents”... if for no other reason than because they serve as protectors or guardians. So from here on out, I’m losing the quotation marks.

The question, it seems to me, is this: should the beliefs and behaviors of parents be sufficient reason to deny admission of their children to parochial schools? The author contended that, in this instance, it should. He puts forth these arguments about the reasons to deny these children entry:

1) It will impede the ability of teachers to be frank about the nature of marriage due to the problems that will ensue with a child in this situation in the classroom.

2) The child will also become a proselytizer for homosexual “marriage” and/or be tormented relentlessly by other children.

3) The other children will be scandalized (in both the proper and the colloquial senses) by knowledge of the child’s situation.

4) All of the above will be exacerbated to the extent that the “parents” have any presence at or try to play any role in the life of the school.

Let’s take these arguments one by one.

Why should teachers mince words simply because there are children in class whose parents are lesbian? Do teachers avoid stating the moral position of the church on divorce if there are children from broken homes? I think not. Indeed, I believe that it is possible to state the church’s position on moral issues without subjecting specific individuals (or their children) to public humiliation.

The author next suggests that the children would proselytize for homosexual marriage. On what grounds does the writer assume that the children would take it as their mission to recruit their classmates to become homosexual? This argument seems to be completely without merit to me.

The author next expresses concern that the children would be subjected to relentless torment by other children. But it is likely the children will face taunts in a variety of social settings; after all, homosexuality is still far from the "norm" in our society. And a church-run school is an excellent place to teach classmates that it is not acceptable to ridicule and insult others.

As to the author’s concern that other children would be scandalized by knowledge of the children’s living situation: unfortunately, there is no shortage of reasons for scandal in this world, and unless parents raise their children in a remote cave somewhere, this is a fact of life that must be dealt with almost daily.

Finally, concern is expressed about the possible impact of parental involvement in school activities. But I again question why this should be of greater concern in this instance than it is, say, in the case of divorced parents? Or parents who had been unmarried at the birth of their child?

But let us look at the other side of the story.

First, children are more likely to fall in with popular culture (including a permissive attitude about homosexuality) if they are constantly exposed to secular beliefs, i.e. in public schools. And the church is in a far better position to teach children its moral positions if the children attend church-sponsored activities, including parochial schools. Furthermore, if the children remain in the school, it has the opportunity to model for its students how to continue to love the sinner even when disapproving of sin.

In John 8:1-11, Jesus is asked to stand in judgment of a woman who was found to be an adulteress. By rights, the woman could have been put to death. But Jesus responded by saying "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." At that, he stooped down and began to write on the ground. Many have theorized that he was writing down the sins committed by her accusers, who steadily melted away.

That doesn’t suggest that Jesus condoned her behavior. Indeed, he arose, looked at her, and said, “Go now, and leave your life of sin.”

To allow the children to attend the school is not capitulation. It is compassion.

Or am I all wet?

What do you think?

Check this video - it's a hoot!

Pentecost Sunday

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

- Acts 2: 1-21

Pentecost Novena, Day 9: Offerings and Invocations

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ep 4; 30).

“When one has the Holy Spirit, his heart opens, he is bathed in divine love. Fish never complain about having too much water: in the same way, the good Christian never complains about being too long with the Good God. There are those who find religion tiresome; these are those who do not have the Holy Spirit” (St. Cure d'Ars)

“A pleasant odor comes from those in whom resides the Holy Spirit, like that of a vine when it is in flower”. (St. Cure d'Ars)

I offer You my heart, as cold as it is, and beg You to send a ray of Your light and a spark of Your fire to melt the heavy ice of these sins. You who filled the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary with immense graces, and inflamed the hearts of the Apostles with holy zeal, please embrace my heart also. 'Vinum non habent'. May the Blessed Virgin Mary who obtained the wine of eternal love, obtain for us the wine of eternal love, which brought ecstasy to the Apostles on the holy day of Pentecost. Mat the Holy Spirit, through Mary, cause new apostles to feel the love of Jesus Christ. You are a Divine Spirit. Strengthen me against the evil spirits; You are fire, light in me the fire of Your love; You are light, make me know eternal truths; You are a Dove; give me pure ways; You are a soft Breeze, scatter the storms which arouse my passions; You are a Tongue, teach me to praise You forever; You are a Cloud, cover me with the shadow of Your protection. Author of all celestial gifts, ah! I entreat you, make me live in Your grace, sanctify me by Your charity, govern me with Your wisdom, adopt me as Your child and save me through Your infinite mercy, so that I will never stop blessing You, praising You and loving You, first on earth during all my life, and then in Heaven for eternity. So be it!

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Prayer of Saint Alphonse of Liguori for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor, I love You as my true God, along with God the Father and God the Son. I bless You and I unite myself with the blessings which You receive from the Angels and the Saints. I give You my heart and I offer You sacrifices for all the blessings which You have spread and which You never stop spreading in the world.

Author of all supernatural gifts, which filled the soul of Blessed Mary, Mother of God, I ask You to send me Your grace and to give me:

the gift of Fear of God, so it will keep me from ever falling back into my past sins, for which I beg You a thousand pardons;

the gift of Piety, so that, in the future, I will be able to better serve You with more fervor, follow Your holy inspirations more promptly, observe Your divine laws more carefully;

the gift of Knowledge, so that I may better understand the things of God and, enlightened by Your holy instructions, walk without deviating from the path of eternal salvation;

the gift of Fortitude, so that I may courageously overcome all the attacks of the devil and all the dangers of the world which oppose the salvation of my soul;

the gift of Counsel, so that I may choose what is best for my spiritual advancement, and discover the traps and tricks of the tempter;

the gift of Intelligence, so that I may understand the divine mysteries and, through the contemplation of celestial things, separate my thoughts and my desires from all the vanity of this miserable world;

the gift of Wisdom, that I may direct all my actions, reporting them to God as on the last day, so that, having loved and served Him as I must in this life, I will enjoy eternal happiness in the next.

Prayer to the Spirit

O Holy Spirit

Love of God and of the Son

Inspire me today

In what I must say

How I must say it

When I should be quiet

What I should write

How I must act

What I must do

To gain your glory

For the good of souls

And my own sanctification.

O Jesus, all my hope is in You.

Spirit of Jesus, come into our hearts.

Amen

Pentecost Novena, Day 8: Humble Petitions

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rm 15; 13).

“Here is how to recognize that a servant of God has the Holy Spirit of God: when the Lord uses him for some good deed, he does not puff up, but the opposite, thinks himself the smallest of all” (St. Francis).

“Why were the saints so detached from the earth? Because they allowed themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit” (Saint John Vianney, Cure d'Ars).

Holy Spirit, divine Paraclete! Father of the poor, Counselor of the afflicted, Light of hearts, Sanctifier of souls, see me prostrated in Your presence, I adore You with the most profound submission and I repeat a thousand times, with the Seraphim standing before Your throne, “Holy! Holy! Holy!”. I truly believe that You are eternal, proceeding from the Father and the Son. I hope that, by Your goodness, You will sanctify and save my soul. I love You, O God of love! I love You above all others; I love You with all my afflictions, because You are infinite goodness and alone merit all love; and since, unaware of Your holy inspirations, I have the ingratitude to offend You by all my sins, I ask You a thousand pardons and I supremely regret causing You pain, O infinite Love.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

A prayer to start the day

In this holy moment before the day begins,

I turn to you, O Lord, and ask:

shape the words in my mouth,

the actions of my body,

the thoughts of my mind.

Let everything that comes from me

reflect the light that comes from you.

Amen.

- Patricia Leonard-Pasley

Pentecost Novena Day 7: For the gift of Wisdom

“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you”. (1 Peter 4, 14)

“The Holy Spirit offers His grace to the heart of man. When he consents to receive it, he opens his heart and his will to God and receives grace and intimacy from a joyful spirit” (Blessed J. Ruysbroeck, The Mirror of Eternal Salvation).

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor! I adore you as my true God, as well as God the Father and God the Son. I offer you my heart and send great thanks for all the benedictions which you have spread and continue to spread on the world. You who are Author of all supernatural gifts and who has filled with immense favor the soul of Mary, the Blessed Mother of God and of all consolation; I beg you to send me Your grace and to give me the gift of Wisdom, so I may direct all my actions, reporting them to God as on the last day, so that, by loving and serving Him as I must in this life, I will enjoy eternal happiness in the next.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Fruit from the earth, and fruit of the Spirit

Today is the first day of Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks. Actually, in Israel, only the first day of Shavuot is celebrated. With the exception of Reform Jews, Jews of the Diaspora - those who live outside of Israel – celebrate for two days.

This festival occurs 50 days after the first day of Passover and commemorates the time that the Torah (the first five books of both Jewish and Christian scripture) was received on Mount Sinai. In addition to marking this historic event, Shavuot also signals the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest.

Scriptural references to Shavuot may be found in Exodus (23:16, 34:22), Deuteronomy (16:10),and Numbers (28:26), although it is called by a variety of names: the Festival of Weeks, the Festival of Reaping, or the Day of the First Fruits

Synagogues are decorated with flowers and plants, and prayers of thanks for the gift of the Torah are said on Shavuot. For some, the first night of Shavuot is spent studying the Torah. Also, this was the first day that the first fruits of the harvest could be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem.


There were seven particular species which would be earmarked for this gift: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. Farmers would tie a reed around the first ripening fruits of each of these crops in the field and, when time for harvest came, the fruits which had been marked with a reed were placed in baskets made of gold and silver. The baskets would be transported to the Temple by oxen whose horns were decorated with flowers.

As Shavuot occurs 50 days after Passover, it is sometimes referred to as Pentecost, or “fiftieth day”. Thus, in a sense, the Christian festival of Pentecost also comes from Shavuot. As I read about the people bringing fruits to the Temple at Shavuot, I was reminded of the fruits bestowed upon us at Pentecost. These are enumerated in Galatians 5:22:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

To this list of 9 fruits, the Church has appended modesty and chastity. And Here we read, "The twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are works that we can perform only with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the performance of such works is an indication that the Holy Spirit dwells in the Christian believer."

Just as the Jewish people bring their best fruits to God at Shavuot, may we as Christians also strive to bring our best to God. And we know if we seek him, he will respond by generously giving us these fruits at Pentecost.

Happy Shavuot!

Teachers say, "We're Not Gonna Take it"

Teachers in Florida decided to make a point (actually several points) by videotaping their rendition of Twisted Sister's 1984 hit, "We're Not Gonna Take It". Over the course of the video, they took aim at a number of behaviors they see from their students from time to time... use of cellphones, texting, fighting, swearing, running, chewing gum, skipping class, littering, and hoodies.

As I graduated a decade prior to the release of this song, I confess I wasn't very familiar with this timeless classic, so I looked it up. According to Wikipedia, "The song was written by vocalist Dee Snider. As influences for the song, he cites the glam rock band Slade, the punk band Sex Pistols, and the Christmas carol, 'O Come, All Ye Faithful'."

(I think he must have heard a different version of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" than I have.)

At any rate,  here is the video:

I'm trying to picture the teachers of my youth in this video.

The mind boggles.

Pentecost Novena, Day 6: For the gift of Understanding

“The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring remembrance of all that I have said to you” (Jn. 14; 26).

“The Spirit penetrates the words of God more energetically when man refuses to let in the tumult of the concerns of the world. Man remains in prayer poorly when he is troubled by the agitation of the business of this world. The mass of worldly thoughts, by its din, closes the ear of the heart; he hears less and less the voice of the Judge, who lives there, when he does not repress the noise of disordered worries” (Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Moralia 23, 20-37).

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor! I adore You as my true God, as well as God the Father and God the Son. I offer You my heart and send great thanks for all the benedictions which You have spread and continue to spread on the world. You who are Author of all supernatural gifts, and who has filled with immense favor the soul of Mary, the Blessed Mother of God and of all consolation; I beg You to send me Your grace and to give me the gift of Understanding, so that I may understand the divine mysteries, and by the contemplation of holy things, separate my thoughts and my affection from all the vanities of this miserable world.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

I've got no time for the Times.

Anwar al-Awlaki, who has joint Yemeni and U.S. citizenship, has been identified by the U.S. government as a man who has inspired terrorist acts and who has helped to recruit, inspire, and train al-Quaeda forces. New York Times writer Robert Wright has drawn parallels between al-Awlki and Jesus Christ.

What led to this comparison? With the consent of the United States National Security Council, President Obama granted the CIA permission to assassinate al-Awlaki. In response, the Times published a column by Wright which says, in part:

Even leaving aside the constitutional questions (al-Awlaki is an American citizen), doesn’t Obama see what a gift the killing of this imam would be to his cause? Just ask the Romans how their anti-Jesus-movement strategy worked out. (And Jesus’s followers didn’t have their leader’s sermons saved in ready-to-go video and audio files; al-Awlaki’s resurrection would be vivid indeed.)

It might be supposed that Wright didn’t mean to compare the actions of Jesus with those of al-Awlaki but only the aftermath of their state-sanctioned deaths. But at best Wright (and by extension the New York Times) seem to have little respect for Christianity.

Take one more example written by Wright and published by the Times: in this quote, Mr. Wright indicates that anti-Christian violence is caused (at least in part) by proselytizing Christians:

Even if proselytizing isn’t the prime mover, my guess is that it pretty consistently falls in the “not helpful” category from the point of view of world peace and, ultimately, American security. And some of it… is particularly antagonistic.

I fail to see how carrying the message of Jesus into the world threatens world peace or American security. And I find it offensive for Mr. Wright to imply that my faith is somehow unpatriotic or damaging to our national interests.

Sorry, New York Times.

You’ve lost me.

Pentecost Novena, Day 5: For the gift of Counsel

“Now, the Lord is the Spirit; and where there is the Spirit of the Lord, there is freedom” (Cor 2, 17).

“We have nothing else in our hearts but to see, especially during current times, the faithful Christian seek, each day with new fervor, to know, to love and to call upon the Holy Spirit” (Pius XI).

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor! I adore You as my true God, as well as God the Father and God the Son. I offer You my heart and send great thanks for all the benedictions which You have spread and continue to spread in the world. You who are Author of all supernatural gifts, and who has filled with immense favor the soul of Mary, the Blessed Mother of God and of all consolation; I beg You to send me Your grace and to give me the gift of Counsel, so that I may be able to choose what best fits my spiritual advancement and discover all the traps and tricks of the tempting spirit.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

You say you're pro-choice? Here's something to think about.

Check Elizabeth Esther's blog for this excellent post. And then tell me where to find the flaw in her logic. If you're "pro-choice" especially, I'd like to see how you counter her position on this.

As for me, it only serves to solidify my pro-life position.

Pentecost Novena, Day 4: For the gift of Fortitude

“Give glory to the Lord your God

before it grows dark,

Before your feet stumble

on the darkening mountains” (Jr. 13;16).

“In our time, many people are discouraged confronted by the evils which overwhelm the world, tempted to give up, relax their efforts, like the prophet Jonas who waited for death, seated in the shade of a hut. Only the Force of the Holy Spirit is able to support Christians in their combat for good” (Pope John XXIII).

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor! I adore You as my true God, as well as God the Father and God the Son. I offer You my heart and send great thanks for all the blessings which You have spread and continue to spread in the world. You, who are Author of all supernatural gifts, and who has filled with immense favor the soul of Mary, the Blessed Mother of God and of all consolation; I beg You to send me Your grace and to give me the gift of Fortitude, so that I may courageously overcome all the attacks of the demon and all the dangers of the world, which oppose the salvation of my soul.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Start your week with a smile!

Dieting Under Stress

Breakfast
Half a grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast, dry
8 oz. skim milk

Lunch
4 oz. lean broiled chicken
1 C. steamed spinach
1 C. herbal tea
1 Oreo cookie

Mid-Afternoon Snack
Rest of Oreos in package
2 pts. Rocky Road ice cream
1 jar hot fudge sauce
Nuts, cherries, whipped cream

Dinner
2 loaves garlic bread
1 large deluxe pizza
4 cans of beer
3 Milky Way bars

Late Evening Snack
Entire frozen cheesecake, taken directly from freezer.
Rest of Rocky Road ice cream


RULES FOR THIS DIET:

• If you eat something and no one sees you, it has no calories.
• If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are canceled out by the diet soda.
• When you eat with someone else, calories don’t count if you don’t eat more than they do.
• Food used for medicinal purposes never counts, such as hot chocolate, brandy, toast, and Sara Lee Cheesecake.
• If you fatten up everyone else around you, you will look thinner.
• Movie-related foods do not have additional calories because they are part of the entire entertainment package. Milk Duds, buttered popcorn, Junior Mints, Red Hots, and Tootsie Rolls are all in this category.
• Things licked off knives, forks, and spoons have no calories. Examples are ice cream, cake icings, cheesecake, and anything chocolate.
• Brown-colored foods are fat-, calorie-, and cholesterol-free. 
• Chocolate, for example, is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food color.
• Late-night snacks have no calories. The refrigerator light is not strong enough for the calories to see their way into the calorie counter.

Pentecost Novena, Day 3: For the gift of Knowledge

“The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rm. 8; 16).

“Yes, Pentecost is permanent, it is timely. We would like you to remember this always, in all the circumstances of your life, in unexpected or adverse situations where you may find yourself: the Holy Spirit does not abandon the Church; He does not abandon His own. Even in the disconcerting confrontations which the vicissitudes of the world present, the objections of the culture, the oppositions of the world, the overflowing evil pressuring our soul, our faith; we must all remember that we are not alone; the Paraclete-that is: Defender and Counselor-is present in us, watching over us”. (Paul VI, Homily May 21, 1972)

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor! I adore You as my true God, as well as God the Father and God the Son. I offer You my heart and send great thanks for all the benedictions which You have spread and continue to spread on the world. You who are Author of all supernatural gifts, and who has filled with immense favor the soul of Mary, the Blessed Mother of God and of all consolation; I beg You to send me Your grace and to give me the gift of Knowledge, so that I may know well the things of God and, enlightened by Your holy instructions, I will walk without deviation on the path of my eternal salvation.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Pentecost Novena, Day 2: For the Gift of Piety

“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4, 23-24).

“Unique is the Spirit who distributes His gifts for the good of the Church, according to each one's talents and the necessity of his service. Among His gifts, the grace given the Apostles is first: the Spirit Himself submits to their authority the beneficiaries of the charisma. The same Spirit, who Himself is the agent of unity in the body, where His virtue is exerted and where He forms the interior connection of the members, produces and stimulates charity among the faithful”. (Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church)

“The shortest path to holiness is fidelity to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit” (St. Faustina).

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor! I adore You as my true God, as well as God the Father and God the Son. I offer You my heart and send great thanks for all the blessings which You have spread and continue to spread on the world. You who are Author of all supernatural gifts, and who has filled the soul of Mary, the Blessed Mother of God and of all consolation, with immense favor; I beg You to send me Your grace and give me the gift of Piety, so that I may serve You better in the future, follow more quickly Your holy inspirations, and observe more carefully Your divine laws.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

Pentecost Novena, Day 1: For the gift of Fear of the Lord

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are different workings, but it is the same God who produces them all in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given, through the Spirit, the expression of wisdom, and to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another varieties of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor. 12; 4-11).

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2, 1-4).

“If Easter is the redemption of man by the victory of Christ, on Pentecost the Holy Spirit takes possession of man redeemed.” (Guillaume de Saint Thierry)

Holy Spirit, divine Counselor! I adore You as my true God, as well as God the Father and God the Son. I offer You my heart and send great thanks for all the benedictions which You have spread and continue to spread on the world. You who are Author of all supernatural gifts, who has filled with immense favor the soul of the Blessed Mary, Mother of God and of all consolation; I beg You to send me Your grace and to give me the gift of Fear of You, so it will keep me from falling back again into my old wrongdoings, for which I ask a thousand pardons.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

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PS - Jennifer at Conversion Diary attests to the value of praying this novena. 

Visit her there each Friday for 7 Quick Takes!

A Pentecost Novena?

Many Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans have heard or prayed a novena, which is a series of prayers said over nine days. A novena is focused on a certain grace or petition offered to God.

Why nine days? The nine-day novena has its roots in tradition:

In the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, before Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised His disciples that they would be given the Holy Spirit. According to tradition, the disciples came together and prayed constantly for nine days prior to receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. This period of focused prayer was the first novena.

On May 4, 1897, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed: “We decree and command that throughout the whole Catholic Church, this year and in every subsequent year, a novena shall take place before Whit-Sunday (Pentecost), in all parish churches.” Many Catholics may have forgotten to continue this beautiful devotion, but members of the Association of St. Francis de Sales across the world join together in praying this novena.

As an aspiring member of the Association, I plan to join with them in this novena this year. Fr. Benedict Goubau, General Spiritual Advisor of the Association, asked Association members to join together in praying the Pentecost Novena of Saint Alphonse of Liguori. Starting tomorrow, I will share these prayers with you each day. Please join with us in asking God to grace us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit!

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Book of Isaiah (11, 1-3) says that the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon the Messiah: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. The traditional list of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit dates back, at least in the West, to Saint Ambrose in the fourth century. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. The doctrine of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was formulated during the Middle Ages. The hymn “Veni Creator”, composed in the ninth century, says, “You are the Spirit of seven Gifts”. Saint Thomas Aquinas (13th century), in his Theological Summons, elaborated on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, love of the Father and the Son,

Light of truth, strength of our will,

Receive today our offering

And that of our spiritual family.

Burn in the fire of your love

All our weaknesses and our imperfections.

Awaken in us an ardent desire for holiness.

Bring into being our works and projects which,

Under your inspiration, our Society takes on

For the glory of God.

Holy Spirit, awaken in us the treasures of Your grace

And of Your presence, permit that through us

Others can taste the fruits of Your acts

And radiate the joy of believing,

During this feast of Pentecost,

O Holy Spirit, who, in the Church, in us,

And in all those who You secretly awaken,

Contribute all, by Your act,

To the Glory of the Holy Trinity

Today and forever.

Amen

-Prayer used by our spiritual family.

- Fr. Benedict Goubau

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PS - Jennifer at Conversion Diary attests to the value of praying this novena. 

Visit her there each Friday for 7 Quick Takes!

Distraction during prayer

The problem of distractions in prayer is universal, and many books waste much too much attention on it, thus making the problem another problem and another distraction --from God and from loving him. The best “method” of dealing with distractions is no method at all.

 Once you discover that you have been out of his presence, simply go back. Do not berate yourself. Do not give excuses. Do not plan how to avoid it next time. Do not think about yourself or about your distractions at all. Do not give them the attention they do not deserve. They are like a million little gnats that keep buzzing around your head whatever you do. You cannot kill them with a direct attack, as you can kill one big bug with a stroke of a swatter. So don't try. Just ignore them and turn to the business at hand - prayer again and again. Do it a million times in necessary. Get right back on the horse every time you fall off. 

- Peter Kreeft

A freshman teaches about forgiveness

This brief video says more about forgiveness - and far more eloquently - than I ever could. I hope you'll see it through to the end.

These words were written by Mary Read, who was a 19-year-old freshman at Virginia Tech when she was killed by a young man on a shooting rampage. She was a member of Campus Crusade for Christ and was about to begin leading a Bible study. Her faith informed her actions, and these words are a testament to the importance of her faith... and the importance of forgiveness.

Beagle Blessings, Poodle Prayers and Weimaraner Worship?

According to articles you can find here and here, Calvary Episcopal Church in Salem, Massachusetts has come up with a brand new idea. But it seems to be a rather peculiar idea, at least to me.

From 5:00 – 5:30 PM next Sunday, May 16, 2010, the first Perfect Paws Pet Ministry will take place in the church’s Parish Hall. From that date forward, a worship service for pets will take place every third Sunday.

Same time, same place, in case you can’t make the first one.

The service will be open to well-mannered leashed dogs and their owners. Prayers may be offered for other types of pets (although they are not specifically invited.) A paper prayer may be offered on behalf of dogs with poor manners or those who are too ill to attend. And of course prayers can be offered for pets who have gone on to that great kennel in the sky. People attending the service will be able to receive communion. Dogs, however, will be given treats.

According to the news reports, “The idea of the service is to take the unconditional love that pet owners feel for their animals and connect that to a feeling to something higher. The service is also meant to help someone who may be grieving from the loss of a pet.”

Reverend Thea Keith-Lucas went on to explain that the love and commitment we have for our pets is inspired by creation and demonstrates our caring for the world. “As we talk together about commitment to these animals, it will spread out from there and deepen our commitment to all creation.”

Some folks may be concerned about the discriminatory policy of preventing non-canine pets from attending. But the church’s guidelines stop short of excluding non-Christians; people of other faiths (or different Christian denominations) are welcome.

Nor will dogs who attend be left without the opportunity to participate vocally in the service. Barking is allowed. “We'll hold on to the sacredness of the moment but in a way that is relaxed enough so people can be involved with their animals,” Reverend Keith-Lucas explained.

Thanks, Mom!

I’ve always believed that we were, each of us, put here for a reason; that there is a plan, somehow a divine plan for all of us. In an effort to embrace that plan, we are blessed with the special gift of prayer, the happiness and solace to be gained by talking to the Lord. It is our hopes and our aspirations, our sorrows and fears, our deep remorse and renewed resolve, our thanks and joyful praise, and most especially our love, all turned toward a loving God. Many of us have been taught to pray by people we love. In my case, it was my mother. I learned quite literally at her knee. My mother gave me a great deal, but nothing she gave me was more important than that. She was my inspiration and provided me with a very real and deep faith. 

– Ronald Reagan

Answered prayer

A pastor had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten. He didall this, checking his progress in the car frequently, then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved a little further forward... the rope broke.

The tree went "boing!" and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight. The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. Nobody had seen a stray kitten.

So, he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business.
A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?"

She replied, "You won't believe this," and told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it." She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws spread out, and landed right in front of her."

Mother Teresa on Forgiveness

When we realize that we are sinners needing forgiveness, it will be very easy for us to forgive others. If I do not understand this, it will be very hard for me to say 'I forgive you' to anyone who comes to me.

It is not necessary to be a Christian in order to forgive. Every human being comes from God's hand, and we all know how much God loves us. No matter what our belief is, we have to learn how to forgive if we really want to love.

– Mother Teresa.

Freedom from religon?

Lord Justice John Grant McKenzie Laws, a judge in a high court in England, ruled that Christian beliefs – which, he says, lack evidence and thus cannot be proven – have no standing in British courts. Thus, Lord Justice Laws ruled, using the law to protect "a position held purely on religious grounds cannot therefore be justified." Indeed, according to Laws, no religious belief can be protected under the law.

The decision was rendered after Gary McFarlane, a Christian relationship counselor in England, refused to offer sex therapy to gay couples because he believed homosexuality to be antithetical to his Christian beliefs. He protested that he was fired as a result, and brought his case before the court.

Mr. McFarlane’s experience is not unique to England, of course. This article tells of a New York nurse forced to assist in a late term abortion despite voicing her religious convictions against abortion. In this article, we read of an English nurse whose employer insisted she remove the cross she had worn for more than 30 years. She refused and was barred from working on hospital wards; according to her employer, the cross she wore posed health and safety concern. In late April, the Belgian parliament approved a bill banning the wearing of the full Islamic face veil in public. This article tells of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s position that Catholic health care providers should not assert their moral objections in hospital settings.

On Thursday April 29, 2010, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom named 13 nations - Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam - which violate religious freedom. While these countries may be of “particular concern” for allowing “severe persecution”, we should also ask if we are on a path that will lead us more and more in this direction.

How far should we go in protecting freedom of religion?

Under what conditions should we provide “conscience protection”?

What do you think?

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Visit 7 Quick Takes each week for some great posts - click this link for this week's edition.

A prayer of Pope St. Clement I of Rome

We beg you, Lord,
to help and defend us.
Deliver the oppressed,
pity the insignificant, raise the fallen,
show yourself to the needy, heal the sick,
bring back those of your people
who have gone astray,
feed the hungry, lift up the weak,
take off the prisoners' chains.
May every nation come to know
that you alone are God,
that Jesus Christ is your child,
that we are your people,
the sheep of your pasture. 
Amen.

Do you love God? Here's how you can tell.

The surest way to discover whether we have the love of God is to see whether we love our neighbor, for the two things are never separated. Be sure, too, that the more you perceive yourself to advance in the love of your neighbor, the more you will do so in the love of God… And so we ought to examine ourselves carefully as to the little things that are constantly happening, without making much account of certain high-flown ideas about the great things we mean to say and do for our neighbors, which sometimes come to us in prayer, but which are never put into execution. 

– Teresa of Avila

You don’t have the right to say “Terri Schiavo”.

As far as I can tell from this article, that’s the contention of her husband, who is suing the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation for using her name. His contention is that a legal document gives him rights to the name “Terri Schiavo”. And using that name without his permission is a violation of this court order.

Years after Terri sustained extensive brain damage, her husband, Michael Schiavo, decided that her feeding tube – which provided her with hydration and nutrition – should be discontinued, allowing her to die as a result of dehydration and starvation. Terri’s parents fought this decision in court and started the foundation, then called Terri’s Fight, to help defray the costs of her care and legal costs. (For more background on Terri’s story, see this earlier post.)

Terri’s parents lost the legal battle, and Terri lost her life, 13 days after the feeding tube was removed. They later renamed the foundation, which now helps others with disabilities to receive medical care and legal protection. Michael objects to the use of the name Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, saying that he never wanted anyone to profit from the use of her name.

I think it is possible to understand the positions of Terri’s parents and of her husband during her last years. I think it is possible that all three of them had good intentions. For the sake of argument, at least, let us assume that they did.

But what “good reason” might Michael have for considering bringing this lawsuit?

Any ideas?


 P.S. - I hope I don't get sued for saying her name. If you leave a comment, just to be safe... use her initials. 

A Modern-Day Version of the Parable of the Good Samaritan -

I posted about 9 months ago, but the message is well worth repeating. I hope you'll take the time to watch it, and to reflect on how you'd respond in a similar situation.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'\

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 25: 31-46