Our Lady of Kibeho
July 29, 2010
Our Lady of Kibeho
This week a friend sent me the book, Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa
What makes Kibeho so appealing is that Our Lady came to one of the poorest countries in the heart of Africa to open hearts to Jesus. As in Fatima and Lourdes, she chose young people to convey urgent messages to the people, to government officials, and to the bishops – messages urging Rwandans to end the ethnic hatred in their country, to repent of their sins, and to make Jesus the center of their lives. These messages were meant not only for Rwanda but for the whole world. Jesus and Mary told the visionaries that they came to Rwanda to let all the people know that even the poorest of the poor in the world were in their hearts.
Eight of the visionaries have been declared by the Church to be authentic, but during the years between 1982 and 1994 many people in remote villages throughout the country claimed to have seen both Jesus and Our Lady. It is likely that these appearances were authentic in many cases. The bishops just did not have the manpower to examine all of them and so stopped with the eight visionaries. Not all the people who saw them were Catholic or even Christian. One illiterate young man (one of the eight authenticated) was pagan and so were his parents. Yet Jesus came to him personally and taught him the complete Bible and infused deep theological knowledge in his heart, sending him throughout all Rwanda to spread the Gospel.
One striking fact reported by the visionaries was that Our Lady’s skin glowed with such a light they could not tell if it was white or black. Some of them were taken to see both heaven and hell. And, as at Fatima and Lourdes, Our Lady asked for daily praying of the rosary, the prayers that bring the Gospel alive in our minds every time we meditate on the mysteries. She also taught one of the visionaries the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, an old devotion in the Church but unknown in Africa and asked that she spread this devotion to everyone. The Blessed Virgin also asked that a basilica in her honor be built in Kibeho, and the people also built a small chapel of the Seven Sorrows there.
Even as Our Lady warned the people that Rwanda would become a “river of blood” if the hatred of the people was not quickly stopped, miracle after miracle occurred in Kibeho amongst the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who flocked to this remote village. Sadly, neither the government officials nor the people repented of the hatred, and the prophetic warnings came true during 100 horrifying days of mass murder and genocide. Rwanda in 1994 was awash in blood amongst unspeakable suffering.
Nineteen-eighty-two was not that long ago, nor was 1994. Is there less hatred in the world today or more? How can man be so stubborn that even in the face of major miracles and stark evidence of God’s love in this day and time, that he will not excise evil from his heart? What horrors will be visited upon this world as we continue to lie, cheat, steal and murder one another? It was not a lack of grace from heaven to change hearts that brought about the slaughter in Rwanda. It was man’s hardening against the grace and stubborn refusal to accept the grace available to everyone. Let Kibeho speak to us today and let us heed the messages by daily conversion of heart.
Our Lady of Kibeho was written by Immaculée Ilibagiza who survived the Rwandan genocide and lived in hiding for several years afterwards. She is well acquainted with the apparitions and several of the visionaries. I have put this book in my Custom Shop, or you can click on the links in this post to purchase it from Amazon.
Sunday Snippets – A Catholic Carnival
July 25, 2010
Please join me and other Catholic bloggers for a peek at our favorite posts for the week. Our hostess is RAnn at This That and the Other Thing. She always has interesting book reviews from the Catholic standpoint and other thoughtful posts as well.
Early this week I finished up some digital art pieces and wrote about the spiritual lessons I took from a subject or two. If you want to relax and enjoy them visit these posts. They’re all short. I’m asking for votes on your favorite rendition of Pogo at Adventures in Art I. For a painting of a horse’s eye visit Adventures in Art II. I finally finished my Indian Paintbrush impressionist work. It’s been on the back burner and at last it is done!
For a lovely picture of our asparagus bean flowers and what I’ve learned about raising these amazing veggies, visit The Asparagus Bean Surprise III – and if you know anything about those ugly beetles I mentioned, please tell me!
I wrote a short commentary on the Prayer from the 8th Sunday after Pentecost. Another inspiring treasure of the Church.
At Seeking God’s Will I wrote about a dear priest friend and how he died, plus a couple of paragraphs from the book he wrote, which is the subject of my spiritual reading these days.
If you love the psalms, I have a short reflection at Praying the Psalms – Psalm 28 with another painting by Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger. It’s very interesting to consider the psalms through Jewish eyes. Although the Orthodox Jews don’t accept Christ as the Messiah, I find I learn much about the Father from his paintings. I just wish I could read Hebrew.
God bless all my readers and I hope you find something here to enjoy.
Praying the Psalms – Psalm 28
July 24, 2010
On Saturdays we join Jenny at Just a Minute to pray a new psalm each week. This week we pray Psalm 27 where we learn the reward of trust in the Lord.
I think often of Jesus, Mary and Joseph praying these psalms in the synagogue and at home; of the apostles praying them with Jesus. The psalms are the prayer of Christ to the Father, and our prayer to the Father in Jesus’ name as members of His Mystical Body.
Psalm 28 illustration by Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger. From a series illustrating all 150 psalms. Artist's comment: "His estate is the world. He made it round like the pupil of His eye or, like the womb pregnant with existence, His world is surrounded by emanations precipitated in the middle of nothingness and supported by His power. For the world would not endure for a second without His care. And His people would not exist for a moment without His blessing."
1. To You, O Lord, I call; O my Rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you heed me not, I become one of those going down into the pit. [The realm of eternal death and defeat is not ours when we call on the Lord. The proof of God's mercy and love for us is eternal happiness, but we must call on our Rock who stands firm, never moves, and is always accessible in the storms and ravages of life.]
2. Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you, lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine. [We lift up our hands to His sanctuary, holding in them our hearts. The work of our hands is the repression of evil in this world through fulfilling our vocation - to "do whatever He tells you" as Mary instructed the stewards at the wedding of Cana.]
3. Drag me not away with the wicked, with those who do wrong, who speak civilly to their neighbors though evil is in their hearts.
4. Repay them for their deeds, for the evil of their doings. For the work of their hands repay them; give them their deserts.
5. Because they consider not the deeds of the Lord nor the work of his hands, may he tear them down and not build them up. [God is the just judge, the one who tries every heart. We are right to beseech deliverance from the wicked, to not be identified with their deeds, but in charity we must pray for their conversion and forgive them as Christ forgave his tormentors. Only Satan and his fellow fallen angels are beyond hope and we must pray against them to the Father that they not overcome us. For us, until we draw our last breath, we hope in God's mercy and justice.]
6. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleading; [God always hears us and always gives us what we need. We must pray that we recognize the gifts and blessings He is giving us, even when they come disguised as suffering and adversity.]
7. the Lord is my strength and my shield. In him my heart trusts, and I find help; then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks. [In this great declaration of dependence, we decry any strength of our own and avow a childlike trust in God. His power and loving care for us is cause for joy and thanksgiving. This espousal of the truth of our relationship with Him reaches complete fruition in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.]
8. The Lord is the strength of his people, the saving refuge of his anointed. [Jesus' strength is in His Father - "the Father and I are one," - "Philip, he who sees Me sees the Father". Anointed at Baptism and Confirmation and finally in Extreme Unction, we profess with Jesus that the Father is our strength. Fleeing to Him, seeking His face always in the midst of death and destruction around us, we share in the victory of Christ, the Anointed of the Father.]
9. Save your people, and bless your inheritance; feed them, and carry them forever! [We are the inheritance of Christ, all of us who bow down before the Holy Trinity, who confess Jesus to be our savior and live that confession daily. We are fed with His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, and we are carried in the arms of the Father forever.]
Sometimes I, the wriggling child, try to wrench myself from the arms of my Father to go off and do what I want, rather than peacefully resting on His shoulder. This psalm tells us that our reward for trust in God is to live shielded in His arms and fed on His Word eternally, safe from all disturbance. The final peace of soul we receive is the rest in absolute Truth and perfect relationship with God. Lord, that I may stop wriggling and reaching away from you and settle myself in your arms forever!
Sabbath Moments
July 24, 2010
On Saturdays we join Colleen at Thoughts on Grace to share those moments we rested quietly in God. Sometimes I may not be resting physically, but I am with God. My Sabbath Moments for this week:
- I began re-reading Seeking God’s Will through Faith, Hope and Charity by Father Philip Schuster, OSB and blogged about this holy monk who was my friend. Quite a story.
- Early in the day several times this week I went out to gather asparagus beans. The crop is huge and a huge blessing from God. I have steamed and frozen a couple of batches this week in addition to the ones we used for ourselves and gave away to a single mom on a tight budget. As I snip the beans and sniff the scent of their lovely flowers, I thank God for the food He gave us so bountifully. It may seem odd to say, but the simple act of harvesting veggies brings me peace and joy.
- I completed several digital paintings this week. Painting is very relaxing for me. I thank God for opening up this new avenue of of creativity after He closed off others.
Life is so hectic and takes so much energy that Sabbath Moments become a necessary means to keep focused on the Lord and our purpose for living. God is always waiting for us to discover Him in the ordinary.
Seeking God’s Will
July 23, 2010
Over the past couple of months I’ve been thinking of a dear friend, Father Philip Schuster, O.S.B., one of the monks murdered at Conception Abbey on June 10, 2002 by a gunman whose motives will forever remain unknown as he had no connection to any of the monks nor to the abbey and left nothing in spoken word or writing to say why he did it.
Lloyd Robert Jeffress got in his car with an AK 47 and a .22 caliber sawed off rifle and drove a couple of hours from Kansas City to Conception, Missouri to execute as many monks as he could find. Father Philip, age 84 and monastery porter, was shot in the torso and finished off with a shot to the head after he fell. The bullet hole remains in the hallway floor. Brother Damian, known as “the weather monk” was also killed. Two other monks who entered the hallway from their offices were shot, gravely wounded, and recovered after a long time. When Jeffress couldn’t find anybody else to shoot, he went back down the hall and through the same door to the basilica he had used to enter the monastery, and killed himself. In the midst of mourning the Abbot re-consecrated the basilica the next day.
I made a some private retreats at the abbey with Father Philip and visited him there with my husband on our way north to see friends. He had been the novice master of my pastor and he was just the person I needed at that time of my life. On one of my visits, he gave me a copy of the book he wrote, Seeking God’s Will Through Faith, Hope & Charity
Father Philip was everything a priest should be and solid as a rock theologically. He set a good example for me in the spiritual life and I often think of things he said in our conferences. One typical exchange between us happened when I was sitting in his porter’s office and we were discussing the rosary. Father pulled an old, really old broken rosary out of his breast pocket (it came from a monk who died in 1927 and I have one just like it from the same monk) and waving it in the air said, “I love praying the rosary. I don’t worry about getting all the prayers in. Sometimes I just get a good meditation on the mystery and don’t worry about finishing every decade.” In other words, keep to the purpose of what you’re doing and don’t sweat the small stuff. Of the monk who blessed our rosaries so long ago he said, “Father Lucas hung every indulgence under the sun on these rosaries. I don’t mind that it’s broken. Our Lady doesn’t mind if we pray on broken rosaries.”And Father Philip prayed on his so much he plumb wore it out.
If you boiled down the essence of Father Philip, it would be simplicity and faithfulness in conforming ourselves to God’s will. He was kind and gentle, but very firm about obeying God’s laws. He was utterly faithful to his monastic vows and using that old, broken rosary was a perfect example of his approach to the vow of poverty. He clearly knew what was important and what was not.
Because life itself is threatened with such great intensity from so many sides these days, and peace of soul can be elusive for the person in the world, I decided to read a little of Father Philip’s book again every day and share some passages with you here. This is a great book that never gets boring no matter how many times you read it. Father Philip was a gift from God to all, but especially to the tortured soul who needs to learn to suffer with joy, and I’m sure he brought many to God. He lived what he wrote.
From Chapter Two: Faith:
“He who through faith is righteous shall live” (Rom. 1: 17). In an age when personal freedom is so much stressed, it seems helpful and necessary to try to clarify our notion of faith.
Many of us were born into a Christian family. Many of us, especially Catholics, were baptized as infants, or when we were very young. I do not wish to see this practice changed. I agree with it. But it does have at least one danger. We are prone to think that faith, like love, comes easily, naturally, without real effort on our part. We assume that anyone who professes to be Catholic, and who goes to church, has a deep faith. I challenge that notion.
It is true that when the child receives the sacrament of baptism, the virtue of faith is implanted in the soul, like a seed. Whatever else that virtue may be at the time of baptism, it is an inclination, a force, that inclines us, helps us, gives us the attitude of one ready to believe, ready to be taught by God, relying simply on His wisdom, His fidelity, His goodness. Relying on God who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
“Relying on God who can neither deceive nor be deceived.” Wherever lies or deception of any kind exists, there is Satan who is the clever master of re-direction and re-definition. We see and hear this every day in the news media. Something is forever being presented as something it is not and people rely on these deceptions to justify the unjustifiable. A fair question to ask is, am I ready to be taught by God, or do I habitually look elsewhere to be told what I want to hear?
Indian Paintbrush
July 21, 2010
In April we went to Texas to visit friends. The bluebonnets were almost over with and we didn’t get any pictures of them, but the Indian Paintbrush was in full bloom. They looked so bright and happy amongst the pasture green I took a number of photos from various angles in the hope of being able to paint them.
Sometimes life is overwhelming and we can find ourselves mired in the dirt of everyday living. The flowers carry a lesson for us if we pause and look. The paintbrush reaches for the sky, not bothering to look at the ground and dead leaves beneath their blooms. They simply are, and in that simplicity they glorify God.
Today we are assaulted from all sides with much that is ungodly. We can either get caught up in it and let it take over our lives, or we can, like the paintbrush, simply cut through the mire and reach for the heavens.
Spring is my favorite time of year. Everything is fresh and beautiful. The air is breezy and cool while the sun shines brightly. This is the painting of the Indian Paintbrush that I did this week using the Impressionist style with some special effects. I hope it brings a feeling of spring freshness to you in the midst of this very hot summer.
If you would like to use this image I ask that you:
- Credit me as painter,
- Leave a small donation by clicking on the donate button and,
- If you are using it at a web site, link to this post.
If you know someone who would enjoy this, please let them know about this post. Thank you.
P.S. As with all impressionist paintings, the farther away you are from it, the more you see.
Adventures in Art II
July 20, 2010
My painting time is one way I connect with God and deal with my fibromyalgia. When we must suffer, it is always better to do it with joy rather than with frustration and anger. Painting is a way for me to be joyfully with God and find ways of conveying His beauty to others through the images I create.
This past week I was learning how to use various oil brushes and some special effects in Corel Painter 11. The photo that was the basis for this image is a close-up of a horse my friend owns. I cropped the photo so viewers would be drawn to the eye and then went to town.
It took a lot of hand work to paint out whiskers and long hairs, which were distracting elements in the original photo I took. This is the first time I used a border as part of the image. One thing I’m learning is that no one medium is right for all images. You have to let the image and idea dictate the medium. With digital painting, you can experiment to your heart’s content until you get what you want, and you can use many media. I’m an eclectic sort of person so the flexibility of using many and mixed media really appeals to me. It’s also very fair to say that if digital art had not been invented, I would not be able to try to be an artist.
I love this horse. She is gorgeous and powerful and I hope this image conveys that to viewers. Her eye really is blue, in case you are wondering about it. Some quarterhorses will have a blue eye, something I learned when visiting my friend. The original image is a little bigger than 11 x 12 inches.
If you would like to use this image, it is signed in the lower right corner. All I ask is that you:
- Credit me as painter,
- Leave a small donation by clicking on the donate button and,
- If you are using it at a web site, link to this post.
If you know people who would like this, please direct them to this post. I am trying to get an idea of what different people look for in art so I can create things that others will like. Thank you.
The Asparagus Bean Surprise III
July 21, 2010
This is the hottest, most unrelenting summer heat we’ve known since arriving in southern Missouri in 1993, but the asparagus beans love it. They are living up to their reputation of being disease resistant, but have attracted the weirdest looking beetles I’ve ever seen. Beetles gross me out, but after spraying with Neem for several weeks, hardly any are left.
These guys are about 1 1/2 inch long, black, with legs that are hair-thin. The right front leg has something like a fin attached. They line up 4-5 in a row down the length of the bean and darned if I can figure out what they’re doing. I’ll spare you a photo because I can’t bring myself to look at them long enough to focus a camera. I can’t find anything on the internet about these bugs so I don’t know if they’re good or bad, but something has been chewing holes in the older leaves. The newer growth seems fine. If anybody out there thinks you know what these beetles are, let me know because I’d like to find out more about them. At one point there were so many of them they were crawling on the tomatoes, too.
- Asparagus bean flowers
This morning I went out and clipped quite a few beans to go with the ones I harvested the past two days. The two gallon bowl was full with beans draping over the sides so it was time to chop and steam them for freezing. They taste delicious in stir fry, Italian food, egg fritatas, or as a side dish. Over the past few days the vines have been flowering prolifically. The color is gorgeous so I wanted to share it with readers and took this photo this morning. We are going to have a huge new harvest very soon. I highly recommend these beans for simple gardeners like me.
Some things I’ve learned about growing and harvesting these beans:
- They like full sun. The second batch of beans I planted by the east gate didn’t get as many hours of light as the 5 I put elsewhere, so they were slower to produce. However, they are doing well and covered with blossoms like the first batch. They are just a little behind the others in production.
- What is really weird is that the ugly beetles that got on the full sun batch didn’t bother the shadier batch even though they are planted not far from each other. I can’t figure that one out.
- Clipping the beans with scissors is the easiest way to harvest them. If you clip them just at the top of the bean and below the nodule of the flower, you will get more flowers and more beans.
- Every flower produces two beans. Sometimes one bean is ready to harvest before its twin.
- If you harvest when the beans are 15-18 inches long they cook faster than if you wait until they are 24 inches long. Beans that are 12 inches long or less are so tender and delicious you can eat them raw.
- The beans seem to hide behind the leaves. I have to look at the plants from different angles and move the leaves to make sure I haven’t missed any that are ready to harvest. Several times I missed beans and let them mature and dry out. I’ve collected the beans inside the pods and will use them to start new bean plants next year.
Outside of the yucky beetles, I have to say that this vegetable is as easy to grow as the tomatoes. Spraying with Neem has kept pests off everything. For people who don’t want to exert too much physical effort and still provide healthy organic food for the table, and especially if you have a bunch of kids to feed, these beans really are an excellent crop. You get so much produce from a very small space it’s amazing.
From Wikipedia here is the nutritional breakdown of the beans:
They are a good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and a very good source for vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and manganese.
In a serving size of 100 grams (3.5 oz.) of yardlong beans there are 47 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 mg sodium (0% daily value), 8 grams of total carbohydrates (2% daily value), and 3 grams of protein (5% daily value). There is also 17% DV vitamin A, 2% DV iron, 31% DV vitamin C, and 5% DV calcium. (Percent daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Individual daily values may be higher or lower depending on individual calorie needs.)
If you’ve missed them and are interested, you might like to read my two other postings about asparagus beans:
The Asparagus Bean Surprise II
Adventures in Art I
July 20, 2010
Regular readers know that art and beauty are part of my wellness plan, spiritually and physically. This past week I was learning how to use some brushes in Corel Painter 11 and posted a painting I did of a friend’s cat from a picture she let me use. For the fun of it, I opened my Adobe Photoshop Essentials to see what else I might be able to do, and found a couple of special effects I really liked. Not all subjects would be well suited to this, but Pogo surely is.
Here is Pogo’s portrait:
Here is Pogo carved in stone:
Here is Pogo on an old piece of crumpled art paper:
I’ve signed all of these so if you’d like to use them please:
- credit me wherever you use it,
- make a small donation by clicking the donate button and,
- link to this site if you use it on the internet.
I can’t decide which version I like the best. Which one is your favorite? if you have time to think about it, other than making a portrait for the owner, how else could the images be used? I am open to ideas because sometime soon I will have to start marketing my work and could use some inspiration.
Prayer from 8th Sunday after Pentecost
July 20, 2010
The Church prays her sacred liturgy as the words of all true believers. We can never go wrong when we address God through her official prayers. They are chanted in the name of all in her Body, which is the mystical Body of Christ. The thought that all the baptized are members of this Body is truly awesome to contemplate, and we should do our best to help others to become part of it that they may find the great spiritual joy we have.
From the rising to the setting of the sun all over the earth, the Holy Sacrifice is re-presented to our heavenly Father and we benefit from all the graces that come from this perpetual offering. There is not one moment in time that the Church is not praying and there is not one prayer in the sacred liturgy that fails to show a right relationship with our Father. By praying these words attentively and with all our heart, we are imitating Christ just as much as we imitate Him by doing good to others.
When we pray the sacred liturgy we need never fear that our prayers are not good enough, or that we are praying for the wrong thing, or that our prayers lack sufficient merit, because it is Christ Himself offering the prayers. This is why our sacred liturgy is infinitely pleasing to the Father. With this in mind I take great comfort in the Sunday collect (prayer) which is prayed often in the liturgy throughout the week. This past Sunday’s prayer is much needed in our day.
Graciously grant to us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the spirit to think and do always such things as are rightful: that we, who cannot exist without Thee, may be enabled to live according to Thy will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
How can our heavenly Father not grant this to us? We are asking that our minds and bodies be infused with the Holy Spirit so that we do only that which is just in His eyes and think only of that which is in accord with His law. We can be confident that God will give us what we ask for because we are asking for exactly what He wants to give us. This prayer opens our hearts to Him, He who is deserving of all our love, honor, and worship.
In today’s age with the supreme arrogance of man wafting over airwaves and satellite day and night, the Church admits (and we with Her) that we cannot exist, and in fact would not exist at all without the power of our Creator. This humble acknowledgment is the simple truth, and when we pray in total humility, we honor our Father who is offended by those who act as if all power comes from themselves. Moreover, this just prayer benefits all humanity. We ask these things from God not only for ourselves, but for all our fellow men everywhere. As God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if Abraham could find only ten righteous men (Gen. 18), so the humble prayers of the few bring grace to the many.
We ask to be enabled to live according to the Father’s will. We can do this only if we practice daily surrender to His providence and keep our eyes fixed on Christ, our Teacher and Savior. The entire world becomes a better place when even one person becomes better at thinking and acting like Christ, doing the Father’s will. It’s the ripple effect of good that, if strong, can collide with and turn back the ripples of evil. The effects of this prayer will be hidden from those who have eyes that do not see (Ez. 12: 2, Jer. 5: 21, Ps. 135: 16, Ps. 115: 5) but will be obvious to those who strive towards God, trusting in His care.
Sunday Snippets – A Catholic Carnival
July 18, 2010
Welcome to Sunday Snippets – A Catholic Carnival – hosted by RAnn at This That and the Other Thing every week. This is a great opportunity to meet and read other Catholic bloggers. If you are a blogger, write a post on whatever you want to share with others, link to RAnn’s site and register there so the rest of us can find you.
This week I finally finished my research on estrogen dominance and told how my natural health doctor has been making a big difference in my life. If you know someone who has symptoms I’ve covered, please direct them to the articles. The medical community often doesn’t recognize hormone problems, even when the patient broaches the subject as I did with every doctor I’ve seen. I hope these articles will spare others some of the health difficulties I’ve experienced. My wellness articles are:
Beating Essential Tremor and Bad Hair
Estrogen Dominance: Causes and Cures
Phytoestrogens and Estrogen Dominance
At Sabbath Moments I speak about how painting brings me closer to God and present a painting I did of a friend’s cat.
At Praying the Psalms – Psalm 27 I wrote a short meditation.
God bless everyone who stops by my site. And may we all survive this really hot summer!
Praying the Psalms – Psalm 27
July 17, 2010
David points to his eye: an illustration of verse 13 of Psalm 27, tempera colors and gold paint on parchment, Master of Jean de Mandeville French, Paris, about 1360 - 1370
Psalm 27 is a prayer of trust in God no matter the adversities we face. Every verse speaks of faith in the power of God and trust in His ways with sure knowledge of victory over the evil one. Since my main spiritual task is to learn to trust in God for everything and to thank Him for His goodness, this psalm helps me a lot. It’s long, so I will take only one of my favorite verses to speak about, #5:
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to contemplate His temple.
One thing I look forward to about heaven is to “behold the beauty of the Lord”, a beauty that is sure to evoke a feeling of everlasting joy. In heaven everything will be in place, in peace. Nothing will be able to trouble us. But God evidently means for us to start practicing faith and hope in Him in this life, and practicing humble worship of Him in His temple, too. He is our strength.
I am learning not to struggle against adversity in this life, but rather to face it calmly and ask God what He wants me to learn from it. Facing temporal and spiritual difficulties with peace of heart and confidence in God is a lifelong exercise of the soul and will. It is an habitual turning toward Christ and laying all things at His feet. As Father Paschal Botz, O.S.B. wrote about this psalm:
Faith and trust are an ever-flowing fountain that leads to eternal life. If we seek His face in the celebrations around the Altar, Christ can fill our whole lives. Generally Christians do not know all that the Altar means. It is God’s special place, the crossroads of two worlds, the rock of ages, where trust grows out of the Sacrifice-Banquet. There we live anew the Mysteries of Christ in our midst, share His sentiments of trust, become identified with His life-giving vitality. We lose our fears and false self and become truly free of real and phantom enemies. We must take seriously that He is the Light of the world (Jn. 8:12), that no one goes to the Father except through Him (Jn. 14: 6), which includes His incarnation and sacramental system. He was consumed with passion for God’s house, which He fulfilled in Himself.
After contemplating this I must often say to myself verse #14:
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
This psalm is prayed every Monday at the hour of Terce in the 1962 Divine Office. Monasteries and convents have it right when they stop everything seven times a day to praise God (eight times if you count getting up at 4:30 to chant Matins). Because we’re human and very distractable and get agitated over worldly things, setting formal hours throughout the day to recollect ourselves and focus on God builds peace of soul. Holy Mass usually follows Terce in monastic life, and this psalm foretells the sharing in the Holy Eucharist. Gathering around His altar on earth I see the goodness of the Lord (the Holy Eucharist). I am in the land of the living with all others who are living in Him.
Sabbath Moments
July 17, 2010
Sabbath moments are the moments we rest in God, when we take time to just Be with God rather than Do. Sabbath moments are those times when we live in the moment and find the holy in the ordinary. Colleen at Thoughts on Grace hosts this meme. I cannot think of anything more important in this fast-moving world than to be quiet on a regular basis, and to recognize God as He continually reveals Himself all around us.
Today my Mom would have been 88 had she lived a few months longer. Mom was a very talented artist who had a perfect color memory just like people who have perfect pitch. She didn’t use her talent by painting because with five kids she was kept very busy. Nevertheless, she made our Easter dresses every year and our graduation dresses. They were always lovely.
Since I have been learning Corel Painter 11, I have many Sabbath Moments creating paintings from photographs. I’m sure Mom would be happy to see me carrying her talent into another generation. Working on art is very peaceful to me, and I feel like a partner with God in creating beauty. It is an important part of my wellness program.
I enjoy painting animals. This week I painted my friend Carole’s cat Pogo from a photo she took a few years ago. The cat’s pose is one professional photographers love to get which is why I wanted to paint it. Carole got it in a snapshot. Here is the original:
Here’s my painting
of Pogo which is about 9×6 inches:
Phytoestrogens and Estrogen Dominance
July 14, 2010
In yesterday’s article Estrogen Dominance: Causes and Cures I discussed some of the causes of estrogen dominance. Today I want to briefly cover another way of being overexposed to estrogens. If you are estrogen dominant, in addition to avoiding things I mentioned in the above article, you need to be careful of overexposure to phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens (phyto = plant) are naturally occurring estrogenic compounds. They are in herbs, spices, and some plant foods, among which is soy, which I will discuss lower down in this article. These compounds are weaker than the xenoestrogens or natural estrogen produced by the body, but if you are already experiencing estrogen dominance, it is best not to consume even these. As the site Energetic Nutrition says:
Some of the strongest phytoestrogen containing substances are soy, the lignans found in flax seed products, red clover, black cohosh, chasteberry, and dong quai. Soy includes soybeans, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, roasted soybeans, soy granules, soy protein powders, miso, and edamames.
Over consumption of phytoestrogenic foods or herbs on a long term basis may actually increase the risk of estrogen dominance significantly. Furthermore, phytoestrogens have been shown to inhibit the conversion of T4 to the active T3 thyroid hormone, and can trigger hypothyroidism. It is suggested that those with a history of thyroid imbalance, or suffering from estrogen dominance, should consume a minimum amount of phytoestrogens.
The very serious soy problem
Dr. Mercola has numerous articles on soy and the health problems its consumption causes. In addition to its role in causing or exacerbating estrogen dominance, in certain forms it is one of the most harmful foods we can consume and it is ubiquitous on grocery store shelves. He writes:
Dow Chemical and DuPont, the same corporations that brought misery and death to millions around the world through Agent Orange, are now the driving forces behind the promotion of soy as a food for humans. They are financing anti-meat and anti-milk campaigns aimed largely at those concerned about animal welfare and the environment, trying to convince them that imitations such as “soymilk” are not only healthier than the real thing, but better for the earth too…
Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities–protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.
Says Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story,
“Today’s high-tech processing methods not only fail to remove the anti-nutrients and toxins that are naturally present in soybeans but leave toxic and carcinogenic residues created by the high temperatures, high pressure, alkali and acid baths and petroleum solvents.” [Yesterday I wrote about xenoestrogens in solvents and plastics which are derived from petroleum. Exposure to these stresses the body and processed soy products can pack a double whammy of not only intake of phytoestrogens but xenoestrogens - two for the price of one.]
Dr. Daniel also points out the findings of numerous studies reviewed by her and other colleagues — that soy does not reliably lower cholesterol, and in fact raises homocysteine levels in many people, which has been found to increase your risk of stroke, birth defects, and yes: heart disease.
Other common health problems linked to a high-soy diet include:
- Thyroid problems, including weight gain, lethargy, malaise, fatigue, hair loss, and loss of libido
- Premature puberty and other developmental problems in babies, children and adolescents
- Cancer
- Brain damage
- Reproductive disorders
- Kidney stones
- Weakened immune system
- Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
The danger of genetically modified soy
Most soy, perhaps about 80 percent or more, is also genetically modified, which adds its own batch of health concerns.
The last thing a person suffering from fibromyalgia, estrogen dominance, insulin resistance, chronic fatigue and other related systemic health issues is exposure to genetically modified food. This added burden on the body to process chemical structures it does not recognize can lead to allergic reactions and other side effects. A sick person is made even sicker. Dr. Mercola writes in his article Genetically Modified Foods – What to Know Before You Eat Them:
Sections of the protein produced in GM soy are identical to known allergens, but the soybean was introduced before the WHO criteria were established, and the recommended additional tests were not conducted.
If this protein in GM soybeans is causing allergies, then the situation may be made much worse by something called horizontal gene transfer (HGT). That‘s when genes spontaneously transfer from one species‘ DNA to another. While this happens often among bacteria, it is rare in plants and mammals.
But the method used to construct and insert foreign genes into GM crops eliminates many of the natural barriers that stop HGT from occurring. The only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted on GM foods showed that
parts of the gene inserted into GM soy ended up transferring into the DNA of human gut bacteria.
Furthermore, the gene was stably integrated and it appeared to be producing its potentially allergenic protein. So, years after people stop eating GM soy, they may still be exposed to its risky protein, which is being continuously produced within their own intestines.
None of this is good for anybody, let alone people suffering autoimmune conditions and hormonal imbalances. Our bodies are complex chemical factories and temples of the Holy Spirit. To care for them as God intends us to do we cannot simply go to the store and take what we want off the shelf. In today’s age with government corruption at such deep levels the FDA approves many things it should not, and does it without enough testing for bad effects. It is up to us as individuals to take charge of our health and do the best we can to feel good as we go about our daily business. Moreover, we need to stop eating ourselves sick and start eating ourselves well.
I encourage readers to sign up for Dr. Mercola’s newsletters ( they are free). I have learned a great deal from them and hope you will benefit, too.
Estrogen Dominance: Causes and Cures
July 13, 2010
Normally I would not talk about my health issues except to close friends, but what I am learning is important to many people who may be being mis-diagnosed and feeling worse every day. In keeping with my mission to share how I am getting better so others may also benefit, I am willing to disclose personal information. Everyone is different and needs customized treatment for health problems, but being informed and not giving up is basic to recovery. One growing health problem is estrogen dominance, which creates many systemic health problems.
Estrogen dominance is apparently not well understood by many in the health professions. I, like many other women, had a hysterectomy due to fibroid tumors. Today, such surgery can be unnecessary if estrogen dominance is the cause.
It’s only recently that I have learned about this condition which I’ve had since my teens. Every OB-GYN I ever saw couldn’t tell me what was causing such unpleasant symptoms that only got worse with age. Getting rid of my uterus didn’t solve the problems, either, but now things are different – and better, too.
Generally speaking, we have no one cause for estrogen dominance. It can be a result of:
- Stressful living – the worse the stress the more the adrenals are taxed which causes other endocrine system problems,
- Hormonal imbalance (see above for a major contributing cause),
- Hormone therapy,
- Glandular dysfunction,
- Environmental estrogens (xenoestrogens).
Dr. John R. Lee. M.D. (RIP) has done outstanding work on the subject of estrogen dominance and the troubles it causes. He is a recognized expert for his excellent research and treatment plans. Dr. Lee’s books are available from his web site, along with updated information on research into this problem. It is maintained by his wife and others who worked along with him for many years.
How do you know if you have an estrogen dominance problem? I am going to give you only the most severe signs of estrogen dominance. For the less severe visit Energetic Nutrition to determine if this could be a problem for you or someone you know.
Severe symptoms of estrogen dominance:
- Uterine fibroid tumors
- Endometriosis
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Breast tumors
- Infertility (men and women)
- Accelerated aging
- Miscarriage
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Autoimmune disorders
- Fibromyalgia (now being thought to be an autoimmune problem)
- Men with estrogen dominance grow breasts larger than normal and babies exposed in the womb may have abnormalities attributable to xenoestrogen exposure.
What to do about estrogen dominance
Next to reducing as much stress as possible in life, taking control of estrogen exposure from the environment is critical, as estrogen dominance is an ever-growing health problem. Xenoestrogens (xeno = foreign) are found in many plastics, pesticides, fuels and drugs, not to mention food and water. They are difficult for the liver to detoxify. Anyone with an estrogen dominance problem should do everything possible to reduce exposure to xenoestrogens – in fact everyone should reduce exposure so as not to develop estrogen dominance at all.
A partial list of typical sources of xenoestrogens are:
- Commercially raised animals which have been fed chemicals to speed up weight gain and move them to market faster
- Canned food and beverages which now come with plastic lining that gives off xenoestrogens
- Plastics, plastic wrap, styrofoam cups, plastic water bottles which give off xenoestrogens when heated
- Pesticides
- Paint, lacquers and other solvents
- Personal care products such as soaps and shampoos
- Cosmetics
- Birth control pills and spermicides
- Tap water (estrogens in urine go through waste treatment plants and are returned to water supply)
- Car exhaust and fumes given off by new carpets and furniture
- Cosmetics
- Air fresheners and perfumes
A simple way to reduce estrogen dominance in the body
Of course, a key way to reduce estrogen dominance is to limit exposure to xenoestrogens as much as possible. This is why natural health doctors advise buying organic meats and vegetables, drinking out of glass or stainless steel rather than plastic, using reverse osmosis water systems or distilled water for drinking and cooking, etc. For the most informative site I’ve found on health topics visit Dr. Mercola’s web page by clicking it in my blogroll.
The generally prescribed way to reduce estrogen dominance, which you may still have even if you have had a hysterectomy, is to use progesterone to create an appropriate balance between the two hormones. However, my natural health doctor who cannot prescribe hormones gave me another way. It is very simple.
Estrogens are made by endocrine glands and also taken into the body via xenoestrogen exposure. They circulate in the blood and are filtered by the liver which puts them into the small intestine where they are absorbed once more into the body unless you have a way to bind them so they can be passed out of the body through elimination. My doctor recommended that I use Benefiber® at every meal. This soluble fiber seizes the estrogens dumped into the small intestine by the liver and any that might be in the food. It prevents their re-absorption into the bloodstream.
Since thin or thinning hair is a symptom of estrogen dominance in women, I know that the Benefiber® is working because my hair is starting to come back and I have only been doing this for a couple of months. Other moderate symptoms are abating and I am beginning to allow myself to hope that my fibromyalgia will improve. Granted, leaving gluten out of my diet and taking large amounts of B vitamins as prescribed by my natural health doctor are also helping my hair growth.
If you think any health problems you have could be related to estrogen dominance, in addition to the sites I’ve linked to above, go to the Women to Women web site and read more.
I am sold on getting help from natural health doctors because I want a holistic approach to health and have found that my NHD has helped me more than anybody else I’ve seen. Most of the fees and supplements will not be covered by insurance, but feeling better is more important to me than having office visits and prescription drugs paid for by insurance. It’s a matter of priorities in the budget and I am committed to not having some things that I want in favor of improving health which I need.
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