Suffering With Joy

A Rosary for Our Country

Today I prayed an extra rosary that our nation be delivered from the pro-death powers governing our country.  Over the past few days my mind has seen hordes of dead – not just babies, but disabled people of all ages and the elderly.  The implications for life if Congress passes any form of the health care bill they are wrangling over are dim, dim, dim. It’s not only abortion, it’s the denying of livelihood to so many Americans through policies that pander to special interest groups. Terrible poverty, anarchy, and despotism with the attendant cruelty of such a world is all too close.  It’s all a continuum. A demonic darkness pervades this country at every level of government, but especially Capitol Hill.  If we lose our moral authority through pro-death laws, we can no longer offer hope to the suffering elsewhere on this planet.

This morning, I understood that I was to devote more prayer and sacrifice to our country’s situation.  Since today is Friday, I took the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary to Our Lady and asked her to crush the head of Satan – to put the screeching demons to flight.  I cannot go out to demonstrate anymore, I have written letters, sent emails, and done what I can from the temporal angle.  Now what is left is penance and prayer.

Agony in the Garden, 1465, Donatello, bronze, Church of San Lorenzo, Florence

Agony in the Garden: Dear Mother Mary, Jesus suffered a terrible agony in Gethsemane with no one beside Him except the angels.  He knew the pharisees were out to kill Him.  He sweat blood for us.  We are your children.  Please Mother Mary, do not let the demons of hell continue to inspire the evil directed at America through the power-drunk politicians who seek to destroy the nation and make it into something it was never founded to be.  Obtain from your Son, Jesus, the great graces necessary to convert their hearts and waken to the love of God.

Scourging at the Pillar: Dear Mother Mary, Jesus was scourged almost to death while the sadistic Roman guards laughed and the Pharisees and High Priests gloated.  His blood was poured out everywhere.  Please, dear Mother Mary, gather your children, we the brothers and sisters of Jesus, and ask your loving Son to stay the hands of those who would have our blood and our livelihood. Obtain from your Son, Jesus, the great graces necessary to convert their hearts and waken to the love of God.

Crown of Thorns, c. 1510, Cranach, Lucas the Elder, oil on lime panel, private collection

Crowning with Thorns: Dear Mother Mary, with a cruelty beneath that of the animal kingdom and worthy only of the hateful demons of hell, the Roman guards pressed a crown of sharpest thorns into the head of your Son and our Brother.  They shoved a reed into His hand and threw a red cloak about Him while mocking His Kingship.  Please, Mother Mary, we are your sons and daughters, too.  Ask our dear Jesus to stay the hands and tongues of those who mock life and the dignity of all man with their plans to strike down the poor and helpless and continue the genocide of races. Obtain from your Son, Jesus, the great graces necessary to convert their hearts and waken to the love of God.

Carrying of the Cross: Dear Mother Mary, you followed Jesus as he carried his heavy cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha. You saw the people curse and spit on Him.  You saw the soldiers beat Him when He fell.  You saw little mercy toward Him except for Veronica.  Please, Mother Mary, for the sake of the suffering of your Divine Son, ask dear Jesus to give His followers the strength to remain on the narrow path of life and to defeat the demonic forces that would go against the natural law of God. Plead with Him to stay the hands that would lay burdens upon our backs so heavy that we will fail under their load. Obtain from your Son, Jesus, the great graces necessary to convert their hearts and waken to the love of God.

Crucifixion, 1503, Cranach, Lucas the Elder, pine panel, Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord: Dear Mother Mary, you saw and heard it all – the hammering of the nails, the thump and jolt of the cross as it sank into its hole.  You saw the soldiers gambling to win your Son’s clothes.  You heard the mocking of the crowd and more gloating from the Scribes and Pharisees. You heard him cry out from the Cross.  You accepted us as your children when He gave you to us as our Mother before He died.  Please, Mother Mary, ask your Son, Jesus, to come to our aid in this time when so many lives are threatened by the greedy and pompous who live by the dictatorship of relativity.  Plead with Him to stay the hands of those who would have us die because they believe we are unworthy of life.  Obtain from your Son, Jesus, the great graces necessary to convert their hearts and waken to the love of God.

Tags: Blessed Virgin, conversion, moral authority, pro-life

A Right Relationship with God

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary 1570-1575, Tintoretto, oil on canvas, Alte Pinakothek, Munich

“Now it came to pass as they were on their journey, that He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him to her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also seated herself at the Lord’s feet, and listened to His word.  But Martha was busy about much serving.  And she came up and said, ‘Lord, is it no concern of Thine that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her therefore to help me.’

But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: and yet only one thing is needful.  Mary has chosen the best part, and it will not be taken away from her.’”  Lk. 10: 38-42

About eight or ten years ago, some devout Catholics got riled up over criticism of a small monastery of cloistered Carmelites by fellow Catholics engaged in what we call “social justice” issues.  It seems some Catholics attached to the local Franciscans were saying that since the Carmelites were diminishing in number and had more space than they needed, their monastery should be taken away from them and used to house the poor because “those nuns weren’t doing anything anyway.”

I knew that the Carmelites owned their property, that there was no danger of the bishop taking the monastery away from them and using it for other purposes, but I visited with one of the nuns anyway and carried back the information to the others to calm their anxieties.

The monastery is a juridical person, that is, the group of nuns were protected as an entity by canon law.  They were also a foundation of pontifical right, which means only the Pope could close them down, and he would have to have a very good reason to do so.  So the worries were unfounded and things calmed down.

The devaluing of contemplative life disturbed me a great deal then and still does today.  Martha and Mary stood out in my mind strongly.  Moreover, I now look back at what happened within the context of those who are too ill or disabled to “do” things and their devaluation by others using the utilitarian yardstick.

Martha threw herself into a great deal of effort to entertain Jesus, and was distracted from Him with all her preparations.  She was commendably concerned to show Him respect and honor, but her bustling about making much ado was beyond necessary and she could not see that.  As so often happens in these situations, Martha was probably more than a little irritated with Mary or she would not have complained to Jesus about it, fully expecting Him to take her side.

Showing His deep care for her, Jesus calls Martha by name twice and tells her that she is too concerned with activity and, in so many words, not enough concerned about focusing on Him.

This Gospel story shows how easily we can get immersed in worldly pursuits to the neglect of our relationship with God.  We get seduced into thinking that a whirlwind of activity around a good cause shows that we are dedicated to Christ when we really are dangerously close to running on empty spiritually.  Mary had chosen the better part and it was not to be taken from her.

Mother Teresa knew she could not accomplish what God asked of her without putting Him first.  Each day the Missionaries of Charity begin with adoration.  Jesus comes first.  Mother Teresa did not think that a couple of hours in adoration was “doing nothing.”

We can also see that the many sick and disabled of this world who cannot “do” anything still have a great contribution to make by suffering and praying for others who have much to do.  It is a way we all help one another to keep our priorities straight and maintain a right relationship with God.

Tags: Blessed Theresa of Calcutta, pro-life, suffering

Something Wonderful to Be Thankful For

Tags: health, pro-life

All Saints – Our Heavenly Family

Today, November 1st, is a special feast in the liturgical year – All Saints Day.  In the Divine Office hour of Vespers, a short scriptural reading called the “chapter” is from Apocalypse 7: 2-3:

Behold, I, John, saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, who had it in their power to harm the earth and the sea, saying: do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

The prayer for the day, said at Mass and after each hour of the Divine Office is:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given us in one feast to venerate the merits of all Thy saints; we beseech Thee through the multitude of intercessors to grant us the desired abundance of Thy mercy.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

The Gospel of the day is Matthew 5: 1-12, the Beatitudes.People behind the pro-death agenda have given themselves over to the Prince of Darkness, whose kingdom is the world.  Our offering of pain and suffering of persecution for justice’ sake guarantees us a share in the heavenly kingdom and bears more fruit for those living in darkness than we can know in this life.

Finally, the Gospel of the Beatitudes teaches us how we will get to heaven to join our family of saints.  Which beatitude are you most attracted to?  Mine is “Blesed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  The world hates God and the natural law.  No doubt the babies targeted for abortion are persecuted, and soon the disabled and the elderly will also be persecuted overtly if things continue on their current trajectory. 

The prayer reminds us that we have countless people in heaven who want to see us join them some day.  They are interceding to God for us.  We are not forgotten.  Just as God was merciful to them, He also extends His mercy to us when we ask with a sincere heart.

This day celebrates every person who is in heaven, whether known and officially named in the Church’s liturgy or not.  It is interesting to me that the seal of the angels is on the forehead and not the heart.  Our heart represents our feelings, our forehead represents our mind and will.  We may not feel like doing what God wants, but by an act of will, we do it anyway, and, if we are really humble, we do it joyfully rather than begrudgingly.  Just the thing for people who are suffering to keep in mind!

Be sealed with the mark of Christ, the Cross.  Rejoice in seeking God’s mercy for others by suffering with joy.

Paradise,1375-76, Giusto de' Menabuoi, fresco, baptistry, Padua

Tags: Divine Office, Liturgical calendar, peace and joy, pro-life

Using Halloween to show the Christian Faith

We hear the word “inculturation“ used a lot regarding our liturgical life, but what is the meaning of the word?  Let’s look at the timely example of Halloween.  Halloween as we know it today, was just such a pagan feast, originating with the Celts, added on to by the Romans, and finally, by the ninth century, becoming a celebration attached to All Saints Day. Here is ALLs information on a free stencil for pumpking carving, and here from Catholic Cuisine, are many examples of what they call “Saint-O-Lanterns”.   

Throughout the centuries the Church has always taken what was pagan and “Christianized” it.  All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween as we know it today, was just such a pagan feast, originating with the Celts, added on to by the Romans, and finally, by the ninth century, becoming a celebration attached to All Saints Day. 

For Catholic families, Halloween is an opportunity to witness to Christ in a public way without saying a word. Today children dress up as favorite saints, holding parties and celebrations where they perform skits and other entertainment for guests.  Also growing more common is the public display of carved pumpkins with pro-life and saint themes on porches, in front yards and in windows.  These displays can often become conversation starters for people to share their faith, or a prompt for someone to deepen his relationship with God. 

Christianity is the religion of life, of love, and of joy.  

And to sanctify our efforts to live a Christ-incultured life, remember the Morning Offering from the Apostleship of Prayer which you can view at their web site or on You Tube.

HT to Colleen Hammond.

Tags: Catholic Church, Halloween, liturgy, pro-life