Culture of Death and the Dictatorship of Relativism

I just read a very well written article by thelarryd in Acts of the Apostosy blog about assisted suicide and how it affects our culture in a very deep and profound way. After reading this article and reflecting upon the content, it became even more clear to me that we live in an upside down world where it is considered "brave" to commit suicide when faced with a debilitating illness and "compassionate" to help those who want to leave their bodies due to the pain and suffering they will endure.
He talked about how we've come half circle in our thinking comparing what we are allowing in our society with what the Nazi's did in WWII; the next part he wrote in such a succinct way: "What Brittany Maynard's decision (to take her own life) clearly reveals are two of the great sins of our time: the sin of being inconvenient to others, and the sin of not being in control. She didn’t want to be an inconvenience to her family, to take care of her as her health deteriorated. Such a pity. She deprived them of the opportunity to recognize Christ in her sick, diseased form, the chance to minister to Him. Imagine if St Damien had had the same attitude towards the Hawaiian lepers, or Blessed Mother Teresa towards the outcasts in Calcutta. Perhaps her family isn’t Christian. At worse, if they are, they failed to understand the redemptive value of suffering. Instead, they allowed her to self-abort, because she defined herself as an inconvenience to others." He goes on to say that some people in our culture have promoted the idea that we have the right to take our own lives and that this is a sin as well. Even christians have embraced this belief which is entirely contrary to the gospel of Christ. We do not belong to ourselves but to God. https://actsoftheapostasy.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/brittany-maynard-and-the-sins-of-our-times/#comments
In regards to my title, " the Dictatorship of Relativism": I believe the reason people embrace this kind of thinking is that we are told that everything is "relative". If one says, "you have your truth and I have mine", may sound flexible and conciliatory, but it is entirely false. It might sound even reasonable except that it is really not reasonable at all. Our God said that there is only one truth -- not many truths and that He is truth. He has given us His Word and His Church to guide and lead us through life. He is our good shepherd and we must trust Him to guide us faithfully rather than embrace what sounds reasonable and compelling.

Watercolor of fishing boats

This week I've been working on a watercolor after van Gogh, "Fishing boats on the beach at Saintes-Maries", and it has been very difficult. I love van Gogh's work and this particular little watercolor of the fishing boats is wonderful. I've always wanted to try it and found out that it was challenging. I had to break the field into threes and then make a graph on clear plastic placing it over the original watercolor ( I mean a copy of the original). It was the only way I could confidently draw the scene. I will include my drawing and then my watercolor. I plan to copy a few more van gogh's -- starry night and the cafe scene are favorites of mine. I don't trace, but just looking at the picture and then drawing it is challenging enough.
Here is the drawing I did first:

Pretend you are a Saint....

When confronted with anything difficult, whether it is a temptation or a circumstance that you find yourself in and do not know exactly how to respond, then take this advice from a priest: "Pretend you are a Saint". Yes, at that very moment, shift gears in your head and pretend you are a saint, like St. Teresa of Lisieux or st. Francis of Assi, and act the way that saint would have in that situation. What? You don't know how they would have responded? Read about their lives then...have your children read about the lives of the saints so they know who to emulate and what to do. I found this fascinating penny catechism and thought it would be a great place to start with training your children: remember, your children need to know, every day, what God expects of them. "Train up a child in the way that he should go and.... he will never depart from it, Proverbs 22:6
go here for penny catechism: http://www.proecclesia.com/penny%20catechism/index.htm

Did John write the gospel of John?

Last Saturday at evening Mass one of the priests in his homily stated that John, the beloved disciple of Christ, did not in fact write the gospel of John. What?! I had never heard of this before so naturally, not only was I annoyed, but my interest was piqued. Why do people that are suppose to be knowledgeable make emphatic statements that are at the very most suppositions or perhaps "best guesses" of "modern experts" that they have heard or read about? It's irritating, annoying, and at the very least spreads confusion among the common people.
So, I went hunting for what the Catholic Church, in all her wisdom, teaches about this and found, not to my surprise, that John wrote the gospel of John. Here is an excerpt from Mark P. Shea, Catholic writer found on www.catholic.com:
The facts are these: The Tradition of the Church, supported by the unbroken line of patristic testimony, as well as internal evidence from the text itself, is that the Gospel is rooted in the testimony of the apostle John, son of Zebedee. Numerous other witnesses in the second and third centuries corroborate St. Irenaeus’s testimony. In addition, various elements within the Gospel strongly suggest John as the author. Most obviously, there is the attestation of the witnesses penning the Gospel that it is the testimony of "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20)—a disciple to whom no one but John corresponds. The source of the Gospel is, quite clearly, a Jew familiar with the conditions of Palestinian Judaism at the time of Christ. He speaks Aramaic and Greek. He knows Jerusalem as it looked before Rome reduced it to rubble in A.D. 70. And he gives countless details which, if they are not the testimony of a first-hand eyewitness who was present at the Last Supper, are a singular occurrence of novelistic realism 19 centuries ahead of its time. That he was part of Christ’s "inner circle" of Peter, James, and John (cf. Gal. 2:9) is even more likely given that he was the disciple at the Last Supper who laid his head on Christ’s breast. He can’t be Peter, who is distinguished from him in the text, and he can’t be James (who died in the early 40s). So it all points to John. Additionally, the patristic tradition that the Gospel was composed in Ephesus also points to John. First, this is the city associated with the Assumption of the Virgin who was commended into his care. Second, the Gospel repeatedly answers a sect devoted to John the Baptist with the reply that John "was not the light" but had only come to "bear witness to the light" (John 1:8). We know from Acts 18:24 and 19:1-7 that there was such a sect centered in Ephesus. Finally, the sophistication of the Gospel fits the fact that the New Testament epistle with the most sophisticated exposition of theology is Ephesians.

So all the evidence points to the accuracy of the Church’s tradition that John published his Gospel in Ephesus in the second half of the first century.

There is more-- but, you'll have to go to the weblink to read it, and it is worth reading: http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/did-john-write-his-gospel
Another issue, just as problematic, is should I talk to this priest about teaching controversial and erroneous things from the pulpit? or should I just forget about it? I don't know.

St. Francis spoke to the Sultan

St. Francis was a man of action. He took a trip to Damietta, Egypt in 1219, during the Fifth Crusade to either convert the (Muslim) Sultan, Malik al-Kamil, to Christ or be martyred trying. He, along with his traveling companion Brother Illuminato, were dispatched by Pope Honorius IV in 1219. According to his biographer, his intention was to convert the Sultan, not have an "open" and congenial discussion. After Francis and Illuminato had been captured, threatened with decapitation, and then led into the presence of the sultan, he promptly asked Francis if he wished to become a Saracen (Muslim). Francis responded he did not come to convert to the religion of Mohammed, but instead had come to present the sultan’s soul to God on behalf of Christ. After consulting with his advisers, it was determined that the brothers were to be beheaded according to their law. However, because the Sultan liked St. Francis he gave him his freedom and had his guards escort him back to the Christian camp. He offered St. Francis gold, silver, and precious cloth, but he refused it all saying that the only precious thing he could have taken to God was the Sultan's soul.

Giving it up!

I love it that this blogger wrote about giving up for the love and friendship to God the popular cultural phrase "OMG". Here is the link:
http://www.blossomingjoy.com/blog/stopomg

Try this instead...

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

Amen.

* * *

Fr. Peirre Teillard de Chardin

Fr Pierre Teillard de Chardin, a Jesuit paleontologist, in 1955 wrote the "Phenomenon of Man" and said, "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, we are spiritual beings on a human journey.

Some of Teilhard de Chardin's ideas came into conflict with some officials in the Roman Curia and in his own Jesuit order. Specifically, Teilhard's superiors thought that Teilhard's views on original sin were contrary to Catholic doctrine. As a result, many of Teilhard's writings were censored by the Church during his lifetime. However, in July 2009, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said: "By now, no one would dream of saying that [Teilhard] is a heterodox author who should not be studied."(http://ncronline.org/news/pope-cites-teilhardian-vision-cosmos-living-host) And, although his writings brought some controversy, his reflections on the nature of goodness and of the meaning of Jesus Christ has received praise from figures such as Pope Benedict.
Many of the concepts he writes about are confusing and seem to conflict with Catholic teaching, like "noosphere": For Teilhard, the noosphere is the sphere of thought encircling the earth that has emerged through evolution as a consequence of this growth in complexity / consciousness. The noosphere is therefore as much part of nature as the barysphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. As a result, Teilhard sees the "social phenomenon [as] the culmination of and not the attenuation of the biological phenomenon."[8] These social phenomena are part of the noosphere and include, for example, legal, educational, religious, research, industrial and technological systems. In this sense, the noosphere emerges through and is constituted by the interaction of human minds. The noosphere thus grows in step with the organization of the human mass in relation to itself as it populates the earth. Teilhard argued the noosphere evolves towards ever greater personlisation, individuation and unification of its elements. He saw the Christian notion of love as being the principal driver of noogenesis. Evolution would culminate in the Omega Point - an apex of thought/consciousness - which he identified with the eschatological return of Christ.

What Catholics do NOT believe

Succulents

The Chained Goldfinch

Fabritius is generally considered Rembrandt's most gifted pupil and a painter of outstanding originality and distinction, but he died tragically young in the explosion of the Delft gunpowder magazine, leaving only a tiny body of work. Of all Rembrandt's pupils, Fabritius was the only one to develop his own artistic style. Fabritius' portraits feature delicately lit subjects against light-colored, textured backgrounds. He became interested in the technical aspects of painting. He used cool color harmonies to create shape in a luminous style of painting.
This very small painting on a panel measuring 13"x 9" is of a chained golfinch and one of only a handful of paintings to survive down the ages. Against a luminous, whitewashed wall—a hallmark of the Delft school but here marked by crumbling plasterwork and patches of scumbled, slate-blue priming—Fabritius paints to scale a common goldfinch tethered by a delicate metal chain. The artist's name and the date at the lower edge appear not painted but incised into the same blue-gray ground, and the color is repeated in the square feedbox at center, in cast shadows, in underpainting on the circular wooden rungs, and in the bird's soft down. The composition is elegant in its spare simplicity: Only the goldfinch and its shadow offset the subtle balance of hard edges and swagging curves that create its perfect symmetry.

The slope of the box, the slanted shade, and the steep angle at which we see the bird suggest that Fabritius intended his small painting to be hung high and viewed at a slight distance, the vantage point at which its captured illusion of a tiny creature peering down from its perch is most convincing. The painter draws us near, however, with the dazzling virtuosity of his brushwork. Strokes of paint remain perceptible on the surface and range from veils of thin pigment and soft swirls of darkened reds to crusted threads of glistening white impasto.

Apparently, the goldfinch was a favorite pet in Dutch homes and is often seen depicted in Dutch paintings. The goldfinch had also figured in countless devotional images as a symbol of death and resurrection, its small spot of red plumage an allusion to Christ's passion.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704483004575524242638692182

Thomas Tallis - Mass for four voices

O Sanctissima - Catholic Hymns, Songs of Praise

Salve Regina: Hail Holy Queen

Our Lady of Good Remedy

800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful at that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John of Matha honored Mary with the title of "Our Lady of Good Remedy." Devotion to Mary under this ancient title is widely known in Europe and Latin America, and the Church celebrates her feast day on October 8. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha. When in need - for whatever reason, but especially where you have had difficulty obtaining help - invoke the aid of Our Lady of Good Remedy, and you will surely experience the power of her intercession.
This is one of my very favorite go to prayers. I cannot tell you how many times my prayers have been answered in a miraculous way by Our dear Mother.

The Litany of Humility

My daughter gave me this prayer just before she got married and I have said it many times. I firmly believe, no prayer is for the timid, because every prayer is asking God to break through our stony hearts, every prayer asks for a deeper communion with Him than we have, and God takes us at our word. I think it's actually changing me for the better.

O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val)

Art is not what you see.....

Edgar Degas said, "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." Just came across this wonderfully talented artist, Anne-France Fulgence. Her work is beautiful; it's poetry.

A F Fulgence - Between Light and Shadow

Anne-France Fulgence, artist

Greater Love has no man than this.....

John 15:12-17
12) "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13) Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14) You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15) No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17) This I command you, to love one another.

Beauty without virtue

“Beauty without virtue is like a fair flower that has an offensive odor. But true beauty bathes in that light without which nothing is beautiful. Beauty is a gift of God, like the rain. He allows the rain to fall upon the just and the wicked, and He gives beauty not only to the good, but even to the wicked. Wicked beauty strikes the eye, but the inner beauty of grace wins the soul.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Guide to Contentment)Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

Zach's performance of "Tell the World".

Hero

This is one of my grand-sons pretending to smoke Papa's pipe -- it may not be PC, but it is so darn cute!

Clouds

I don't know what it is about clouds, but I find them so fascinating. They are at once seemingly substantial and yet ephemeral. They are so beautiful -- I want to paint this pic of clouds. Will post if it comes out well.

Taize Laudate omnes gentes

Ubi Caritas

Traditional Catholic Latin Mass of the Angels

Bok Tower Gardens and Home

This is a really beautiful place to visit. It's in central Florida and built by Edward W. Bok in the 1920's. He purchased land to transform into a sweeping landscape of lush gardens featuring a majestic Singing Tower housing a 60-bell carillon. Originally called Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower, he presented this extraordinary gift to the American people Feb. 1, 1929 as an enduring token of his appreciation for the opportunities he had been given as an immigrant.

This is the singing carillon tower. Looking up at the 205-foot neo-Gothic and art deco Singing Tower carillon is an experience like no other. Designed by famed architect Milton B. Medary and ornately crafted by noted stone sculptor Lee Lawrie, the Tower houses one of the world’s finest carillons. Concerts from the 60-bell carillon at 1 and 3 p.m. fill the Gardens daily.

This is the magnificent door to the tower.

Little Red Dutch shoes

I like these shoes too and might paint them as well.

Little Dutch shoes

I don't know what it is about little wooden dutch shoes, but I love them. I plan to paint this pair on canvas:

Be Ye Perfect......

Today I heard something that I've heard before but didn't really think it was possible to achieve -- in this life anyway:
"You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect". What? How does one accomplish that? Then, the speaker went on to say that Thomas Aquinas taught that one must "Will it". I gave that statement some thought....how do I "will it"? I think perhaps he meant that we must ask God for the graces, virtue, and wisdom to pursue this quest to "will it" every moment of every day. In all the business of this life, we forget that the most important thing in this life is to pursue God - to love Him and serve Him with all of our hearts every minute of every single day. Is it possible to be perfect in this life? Will I stumble and fall down? Yes and yes. But, with God's love and grace and because He said it was possible, we must give it our best effort and "will it to be so".

The Cherry

This is my second attempt at painting with acrylics. I was so frustrated with the first painting because my brushes were awful -- bought new brushes and they work great! The process was really fun and I'm basically happy with the painting. I'll continue to hone my skills and work with acrylics as much as I can so I know what I'm doing instead of just making happy accidents.

The Apple

After a wonderful few days of vacation with our friends in their timeshare, I'm back home inspired to paint again. It's been years -- literally-- since I picked up my paint brushes. I was lost -- how do I begin? The first thing I did was go to Joanne's and buy a pack of canvases already primed, acrylics, cheap paintbrushes, and other supplies. $81.00 later, and I'm ready to start a painting. I can't remember how I found this guy -- Will Kemp -- but, I went to his website and started reading and watching his videos on painting. He is a truly talented young artist and his style resonates with me. The first project to paint: the apple. Here is my rendition following Will Kemp's instructions. I'm happy to start painting again and will post more work as I finish it.

Mysouff - the French hunter

A few weeks ago I gave into an indulgence and bought a book about French Cats -- kitty cats of course! The photography is wonderful and, of course, I love the French countryside. The stories are fun and interesting too. Apparently, Alexander Dumas, adored cats, exotic birds, and monkeys; I think most people would say these animals don't really belong together and sure enough, trouble followed. Mysouff II, one of his adored cats, decided - enough with those noisy flappy birds! and killed everyone of them. So, Alexander Dumas had to dispense justice and incarcerated the felonious feline by keeping her in the monkey cage with the monkeys. She was released 5 years later!! when he sold the monkeys. The French Cat, Rachael Hale

What is Relativism?

*Christianity asks, "Isn't the Trinity wonderful?"
*New Age asks, "Isn't my divinity wonderful?"
*Secular Humanism ask, "Isn't our humanity wonderful?"
*Hedonism asks, "Isn't pleasure wonderful?"
*Pragmatism says, "If it works, it's wonderful."
*Buddhism says, "Nothing is wonderful."
*Hinduism says, "All is one-derful."
*Egotism says, "I am wonderful! No question."
*Relativism ends it, "If it's wonderful for you, now that's wonderful."

Our Lenten Journey

When tempted, invoke your angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your guardian angel.-- St. John Bosco

This is the year that my dear husband has finally made the decision to enter the Catholic Church. I converted in 1997 and all of our children have since converted and all the grand-babies were baptized -- then, we waited for father to make a decision. For years he would say, " I'm Anglican (really Episcopalian), and I've already been baptized and consecrated". He was done and didn't need anything else. I knew God wanted me to be quiet and not try to convince him about anything. So, I prayed, and prayed, and would upon occasion read a book out loud to him about the faith. God wanted me to learn to be patient, and to trust Him that all would be well.
As time went on, he would talk more about faith and service to God and ask questions. I would pray some more. Then, finally, at the end of last summer when the RCIA classes were being offered again, I took a leap of faith and asked him if he wanted to sign up for them. I assured him I would go with him so he wouldn't be alone. He agreed. It has been a wonderful journey. We've met so many nice people that I hope will become life long friends. And, we are learning so much about our faith. I feel like we finally have the tools to be good stewards and good examples for others in this life.
Thank you Jesus for answering my prayers.

Grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” G.K.Chesterton, Orthodoxy

The cat with the glowing eyes - scary!

So....this is Cat, or princess, or my precious, or gypsy -- whatever. She is Catter to me. I inherited Catter when my daughter got married several years ago. It seemed reasonable to keep her; after all, this was really the only home she knew. Anyway, Catter is at times a great source of entertainment and sometimes irritation. This story is about entertainment:
A few weeks ago, my daughter's boys, age 3 and 18 months were visiting us and spending the night. Bath-time came before bedtime and they were having a pleasant time playing in the tub while I read them a story. After the bath, both boys were drying off half in the bathroom and half in the hallway when suddenly Joshua screamed, covered his eyes with his hands and ran naked and wet down the entire length of the hall. Of course, this frightened Caleb (the 18 month old) and he promptly copied his brother -- picture two naked boys running down the hall covering their eyes and screaming. I was sort of in shock wondering why are these children acting like this and what could be frightening them so much, when I turned to look into the cat's room (yes, she has her own room) and saw her sitting on top of the dresser, eyes aglow. The room was dark-- remember it was night time. I sort of stifled a laugh and went after the boys and gave them each a hug and reassured them that it was okay. I took the three year old back to the cat room so that he could see that it was only the cat and her eyes glow when it's dark -- nothing to be scared of, okay?
Sometimes God has to do this with me, I admit it. I'm very old now, and one would think that I should have acquired the trust and confidence needed to live my Christian faith. But, more often than not, I find myself wanting to cover my eyes and run screaming down the hall just so I don't have to face something that in His wisdom He wants me to confront. I need to trust God more -- trusting is loving, right?

Catechism class for adults

I am happy to say that my dear husband has finally decided to convert to the faith, and we have been attending Monday night classes since September. He was confirmed in the Episcopalian church many years ago and we were even married in the Episcopal church in Santa Ana 39 years ago. I'm not sure what triggered his desire to do this, but it is a joy to learn and grow in the faith with my life partner.
We faithfully attend Sunday Mass at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in our hometown; and whenever we travel, we find a Catholic church to attend Mass -- we don't want to miss a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation. He says the rosary with me, we read the scriptures almost everyday, and we pray together. Over the years of faithfully attending services and learning about the Catholic faith through the teaching of the priests, EWTN programs, and books that I have read to him, he finally decided to be confirmed. What joy -- what happiness is mine. It's what I've always wanted, yearned for, and dreamed about for him.
However, I must say, that I'm a little disappointed in how liberal some of the people are who come to teach our classes. Last Monday we had one of the Deacons teach (again); he has taught several classes so far to date. He's obviously in the liberal camp and makes it known. Last Monday he spoke about "community" and suggested that attending services, whether it is mass, a wedding, or a funeral, or anything else is because of "community".
When I heard him say this, I sat up straighter in my chair and thought to myself, "No, it is not "community", it is because of Christ that I even attend anything". I, personally, do not go to Mass in order to feel close to those sitting in the pews around me; I go because Jesus said He would NEVER leave me nor forsake me. I believe with all my heart that He is present in the form and disguise of the Host and the Wine. Transubstantiation. I never heard that word until I watched Mother Angelica on EWTN back in the 1990's and she talked to the audience about it. I had an "Epiphany" at that moment; my eyes were opened; my mind was enlightened; I was set free! What!? Jesus is really here? and when I consume the bread and wine I am consuming Him? For a few minutes after I consume Him, He is present in me in all His glory, imparting His graces to me. I was thrilled! I was so happy to learn this! Suddenly, everything Jesus said on earth made sense to me. (read Mtt 26:26-29 and John 6:52-69). I go to Mass and attend services for Jesus and through His graces and teachings that He has imparted through His written Word, I come to love and serve those around me.
As far as the concept of "community" goes, there are many many more protestant churches that are more welcoming than the Catholic church. If I was seeking "community" and all that entails, I wouldn't be going to a Catholic Church -- the only friendly persons I've met there are the priest, our neighbors, and the people that sit behind us during Mass. The husband always offers his hand-sanitizer before going up to recieve communion.
That probably sounded harsh, but never-the-less it is the truth.

The Blessing of the Throats and St. Blaise

Today the priests blessed our throats with blessed candles -- a very strange tradition, I thought. I didn't know who St. Blaise was and why he blessed candles and then placed them on peoples throat so that they would have good health. But, hey, God can do anything, right? So, I went up to the altar and got blessed with two candles on my throat today -- a first for me. A strange thing happened when I was there receiving the blessing -- I felt the Holy Spirit fill me completely and bring peace, joy, and comfort to my heart. Isn't God good? He can do anything He wants -- even bless us with candles.
Who is St. Blaise you may ask?

St. Blaise was a physician who became the bishop of a city called Sabastea in what is now Turkey in the latter part of the third century. He died as a martyr for the faith in AD 316 and from soon after his death, he was hailed and venerated as a saint.

Few details are known about St. Blaise. According to tradition, he lived a life of prayer and fasting in a cave just outside of Sabastea. It is said that he healed injured animals and that the sincerity of his faith served as a great inspiration for all who knew him.

One very old story about this holy bishop was that, through his intercession, God miraculously healed a young boy who had a fish bone stuck in his throat. For this reason, the prayers of St. Blaise have long been invoked for those threatened by or suffering from injuries and illnesses of the throat.

Remember: Catholic traditions such as the blessing of the throats are venerable and are a wonderful part of our faith. But they aren't acts of superstition. We should approach this and all "cool Catholic traditions" as an important part of our Catholic patrimony (something that we have inherited and must pass on) that draws us prayerfully closer to our Lord and to his Church.

Happy St. Blaise's Day!

Uriah Heep - a very "umble" person

I first encountered this character, Uriah Heep, in Charles Dickins masterpiece, David Copperfield, and I have never been able to forget him. To say he depicted the most duplicitous, oily, dishonest and slimy character is not an exaggeration. There is a visceral reaction to this person when one first reads of this character -- and, it is not pleasant. So, for me, he was ever placed in my mind as the most villainous person that one could know and certainly, one would not want to ever emulate him.
Now, I come to the present day talking to my dear husband about this and that and expressing discontent that some of the people we had given Christmas presents to had never acknowledged them with a "Thank you" card or even an email. I was going on and on about this, ad nauseum, when something struck my mind -- and a voice said, " You didn't acknowledge some of the gifts that you received either". What?!
Yes, God brought me up short and wrung from me a confession I was unwilling to make -- I, indeed, was being duplicitous, unkind, dishonest, and maybe a little "slimy" myslelf -- in short....just like a "Uriah Heep"!!
What a revelation! What an epiphany! It was all too true -- mea culpa! I was acting just like the one character I truly dispised.
Thank you Lord for letting me see this, giving me the grace to ask Your Forgiveness, and repent of my actions.

To Receive Graciously is to give power to others

In the week before Christmas I was busy buying presents. I find it a difficult time, because I do not have the imagination needed to buy truly personal and endearing presents. Then there is always someone for whom it is difficult to buy anything because they seem to have everyting. The experience reminded me of a book I read, Gifts and Strangers, by an English missionary anthropologist, Fr. Anthony Gittins, recently rewritten as Ministry at the Margins.
He analyzes missionary life from the point of view of "gift giving and receiving." He sees these as a necessary part of building relationships. Gittins builds on the theories of Marcel Mauss' seminal book, The Gift. Mauss points out that gifts are rarely free, they almost always indebt us. But that is not so terrible because these debts establish relationships. The alternative is the rich, independent person who needs and owes no one but is isolated and lonely.
Gittens points out that all of us have the obligation to give, to receive and to repay...
"Not to receive" is an unwillingness to be in a relationship. When we seem not to need others' gifts and services we can make them feel helpless and insignificant. It is like having rich friends for whom we cannot buy a present - thus, causing alienation.
Not only can people oppress others with large presents, but they can insult them by the way they receive other's gifts. "To receive graciously" is to give power to others. It is...to allow ourselves to be indebted, to empower and liberate "the giver" in others and to open ourselves to mutual relationships.
This is not only important for missionaries but for everyone, and it is also critically important in our relationship with God. We can either give and accept gifts graciously, or we condemn ourselves to being strangers. (excerpt from Fr. Noel Connolly's article in Columban Mission Magazine Dec.2013).

Black and White

I love B&W photos. I don't know why or what it is about them, but they actually produce a visceral response whenever I look at them. I love B&W movies too and prefer them over the fast paced, complicated, and CG movies of today. They feel calming to me. Black and White. Maybe that's the way I want to see the world in those terms, I don't know. But, here are some favorite photos that I took this year during our many travels.

Gaudete

“Either we live the liturgical year with its varying seasons of joy and sorrow, work and rest, or we follow the pattern of the world,” writes Helen McLoughlin in Advent and Christmas in a Catholic Home, commenting on the challenge Catholics have of being “in the world but not of the world” throughout the year. She wrote these profound words in the 1950s, but they are even more important today because of the general decline in Catholic family life during the last 40 years. As Catholic parents, we must readjust our priorities and teach our children by living our faith, both inside and outside the home.
“Children love to anticipate,” writes McLoughlin. “When there are empty mangers to fill with straw for small sacrifices, when the Mary candle is a daily reminder on the dinner table, when Advent hymns are sung in the candlelight of a graceful Advent wreath, children are not anxious to celebrate Christmas before time. That would offend their sense of honor. Older children who make Nativity sets, cut Old Testament symbols to decorate a Jesse tree, or prepare costumes for a Christmas play will find Advent all too short a time to prepare for the coming of Christ the King.”
A family’s strong and living faith will become their heritage and a mode to reinforce the religious practices centered in the liturgy by bringing simple practices into their homes, like the following:

Advent wreath: The Advent wreath, which has German origins, is probably the most recognized Advent custom. It is a wreath made of evergreens that is bound to a circle of wire. It symbolizes the many years from Adam to Christ in which the world awaited its Redeemer; it also represents the years that we have awaited His second and final coming. The wreath holds four equally spaced candles, the three purple ones lit on the “penitential” Sundays and a pink one for Gaudete (rejoice), the joyful third Sunday in Advent.

The empty manger: Each child may have his own individual manger, or there may be one manger for the whole family. The idea is that when acts of service, sacrifice, or kindness are done in honor of Baby Jesus as a birthday present, the child receives a piece of straw to put into the manger. Then, on Christmas morning, “Baby Jesus” is placed in the manger. Encourage your children to make Jesus’ bed as “comfortable” as possible through their good deeds. In the process, explain Christ’s incomparable self-gift at Christmas and Easter that enables us to be part of God’s family.

The Jesse tree: The Jesse tree tells about Christ’s ancestry through symbols and relates Scripture to salvation history, progressing from creation to the birth of Christ. The tree can be made on a poster board with the symbols glued on, or on an actual tree.

The Mary candle: On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, place a candle with a blue ribbon before a statue or picture of the Blessed Virgin, whose “yes” to God enabled our Lord’s coming at Christmas. The candle is lit during meal times to serve as a delightful reminder of Mary’s eager expectation of the “Light of the World.” It can also serve as a reminder to each family member to keep their own light of grace burning as a preparation for Christ’s coming.

Becoming the Handmaiden of the Lord

I just read an article about Edith Stein, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a well known Jewess who converted to Catholicism late in life, and took her vows as a Carmelite nun; however, prior to that, she studied philosophy and received a doctorate in this field in 1916. She was captured by the Nazis and executed in 1942. She left us a legacy of writings that, I think, will help the modern woman wading through the quagmire of confusing disparate ideologies to finally find her place in this life as God intended. Here is an excerpt that I think is especially well written in her book entitled, Essays on Woman.
Must all women become religious in order to fulfill their vocation as women? Certainly not. But it certainly does mean that the fallen perverted feminine nature can be restored to its purity and led to the heights of the vocational ethos which this pure nature indicates only if it is completely surrendered to God. Whether she is a mother in the home, or occupies a place in the limelight of public life, or lives behind quiet cloister walls, she must be a handmaid of the Lord everywhere.
So had the Mother of God in all circumstances of her life, as the Temple virgin enclosed in that hallowed precinct, by her quiet work in Bethlehem and Nazareth, as guide to the apostles and the Christian community after the death of her son.
Were each woman an image of the Mother of God, a spouse of Christ, an apostle of the divine Heart, then would each fulfill her feminine vocation no matter what conditions she lived and what worldly activity absorbed her life. –Page 52

St. John of the Cross

The Dark Night
One dark night fired with loves urgent longings
I went out, unseen, my house being now all stilled
Upon my flowering breast which I kept wholly for Him alone
there He lays sleeping
I abandoned and forgot myself
laying my face on my beloved
all things ceased
I went out from myself
leaving my cares forgotten

The Angelus

Peace I give you....

From "The Imitation of Christ"
Peace is something everyone longs for, but it is not everyone who troubles to find out what brings true peace. "My peace is to be found among those who are humble and gentle of heart; you will find your own peace in the practice of great patience."
As a learner of this practice, I ask what must I do?
"You must at all times pay attention to what you do and what you say, and make it your constant aim to please me (God) alone, desiring and seeking nothing apart from myself. Do not make rash judgments on what other people say or do, and do not involve yourself in matters which are of no concern to you. Keep these rules, and you will have little to trouble your mind.
You must not expect to never feel disquieted or to suffer grief of heart or bodily pain; such freedom from trouble belongs not to this present life but to the life of eternal rest.
Even when you experience great devotion and inward sweetness, you must not think yourself a privileged person for it isn't by these things that the true lover of holiness is known; such things are no sign of one's spiritual progress and perfection."

Let us take our hearts, ragged and bleeding, ......

'Often... the road of life runs through rough places,
and trials fall crushingly upon us,
our path becomes steep,
and the music that was in our hearts is quite hushed.
It is then that the tendency is strong to sink slowly back into
the abandoned valley of half-hearted service,
or at least to stand and make no effort to cling to Him
and love Him more and more.
Let us then pause upon the roadside of our daily lives
to gain new strength and vigour from Him Who has weighed each load.
Let us take our hearts, ragged and torn and bleeding,
and place them close to His, that they may be transformed,
that their every beat may be an act of adoration and of love.'

(from Fervorinos From Galilee's Hills, compiled by a Religious, Pelligrini, Australia, 1936, p. 252)

Painting: Johan Edvard Bergh, Skogslandskap, 1853

Even actual suffering brings me no joy.....

Prayer of a Chronically Ill Person

Lord, the day is drawing to a close, and like all the other days, it leaves with me the impression of utter defeat. I have done nothing for You: neither have I said conscious prayers, nor performed works of charity, nor any works at all . . . . I have not even been able to control that childish impatience and those foolish rancours which so often occupy the place that should be Your's in the "no-man's-land" of my emotions. It is in vain that I promise You to do better. I shall be no different tomorrow, nor on the day that follows.

When I retrace the course of my life, I am overwhelmed by the same impression of inadequacy. I have sought You in prayer, and in service of my neighbor,. . . . But in seeking You, do I not find myself? Do I not wish to satisfy myself? Those works that I secretly termed good and saintly, dissolve in the light of approaching eternity . . . .Even actual suffering brings me no joy because I bear them so badly.Perhaps we are all like this: incapable of discerning anything but our own wretchedness and our own despairing cowardice before the Light of the beyond that waxes on our horizon.

But, it may be O Lord, that this impression of privation is part of a divine plan. It may be that in Your eyes, self-complacency is the most obnoxious of all fripperies, and that we must come before You naked so that You, You alone, may clothe us.
The Soul Afire - Marguerite Teilhard de Chardin, foundress of Union of the sick in France, 1930.