National Shrine Basilica Our Lady of Fatima Lewiston, NY

The Meaning of Fatima

Fatima is the name of a small town north of Lisbon, Portugal. There, in 1917, Our Lady appeared to three little shepherds: Lucia, and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco (now Blessed Jacinta and Blessed Francisco) - then, seven and eight years old. The “Beautiful Lady dressed in white and more brilliant than the sun”, asked for prayers and sacrifice, so that “ Our Lord may save humanity from all calamities and bring peace to the world..."

A prayerful life consists of doing everything in God, with God, and for God. She emphasized a daily simple formula of paying called the Rosary, during which one reflects upon God's personal love for us. She stressed the fulfillment of one's daily duty according to the Gospel principles. This is the Fatima message and makes Fatima one of the 20th Century’s most pressing heavenly Invitations to an authentic Christian life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fatima, New York

In 1954, the Barnabite Fathers, newly arrived from Italy, conceived the idea of offering to their new country a devotional center in honor of Our Lady, where people could come and be refreshed. Fatima U.SA. was therefore born, and the Barnabites became the promoters of the Gospel message urged by our Blessed Mother at Fatima, Portugal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The idea was enthusiastically accepted and fostered. Many people made our dream possible by their generosity and their dedication. First among the Shrine benefactors were Mr. & Mrs. Walter Ciurzak. In 1954, they donated 16 acres of their farm land and with God’s help and the support of many, the Shrine has slowly become what it Is today. Thousands of people are the beneficiaries of the peaceful and sacred surroundings of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saint of the Day September 13

                                                                                          
St. John Chrysostom
(d. 407)

The ambiguity and intrigue surrounding John, the great preacher (his name means "golden-mouthed") from Antioch, are characteristic of the life of any great man in a capital city. Brought to Constantinople after a dozen years of priestly service in Syria, John found himself the reluctant victim of an imperial ruse to make him bishop in the greatest city of the empire. Ascetic, unimposing but dignified, and troubled by stomach ailments from his desert days as a monk, John became a bishop under the cloud of imperial politics.
If his body was weak, his tongue was powerful. The content of his sermons, his exegesis of Scripture, were never without a point. Sometimes the point stung the high and mighty. Some sermons lasted up to two hours.

His lifestyle at the imperial court was not appreciated by many courtiers. He offered a modest table to episcopal sycophants hanging around for imperial and ecclesiastical favors. John deplored the court protocol that accorded him precedence before the highest state officials. He would not be a kept man.

His zeal led him to decisive action. Bishops who bribed their way into office were deposed. Many of his sermons called for concrete steps to share wealth with the poor. The rich did not appreciate hearing from John that private property existed because of Adam's fall from grace any more than married men liked to hear that they were bound to marital fidelity just as much as their wives were. When it came to justice and charity, John acknowledged no double standards.

Aloof, energetic, outspoken, especially when he became excited in the pulpit, John was a sure target for criticism and personal trouble. He was accused of gorging himself secretly on rich wines and fine foods. His faithfulness as spiritual director to the rich widow, Olympia, provoked much gossip attempting to prove him a hypocrite where wealth and chastity were concerned. His actions taken against unworthy bishops in Asia Minor were viewed by other ecclesiastics as a greedy, uncanonical extension of his authority.

Theophilus, archbishop of Alexandria, and Empress Eudoxia were determined to discredit John. Theophilus feared the growth in importance of the Bishop of Constantinople and took occasion to charge John with fostering heresy. Theophilus and other angered bishops were supported by Eudoxia. The empress resented his sermons contrasting gospel values with the excesses of imperial court life. Whether intended or not, sermons mentioning the lurid Jezebel (1 Kings 9:1—21:23) and impious Herodias (Mark 6:17-29) were associated with the empress, who finally did manage to have John exiled. He died in exile in 407.

Comment:

John Chrysostom's preaching, by word and example, exemplifies the role of the prophet to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. For his honesty and courage he paid the price of a turbulent ministry as bishop, personal vilification and exile.

Quote:

Bishops "should set forth the ways by which are to be solved very grave questions concerning the ownership, increase and just distribution of material goods, peace and war, and brotherly relations among all people" (Vatican II, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops, 12).

Patron Saint of:

Orators
Preachers
Speakers

St. Rose of Viterbo
(1233-1251)

 

Rose achieved sainthood in only 18 years of life. Even as a child Rose had a great desire to pray and to aid the poor. While still very young, she began a life of penance in her parents’ house. She was as generous to the poor as she was strict with herself. At the age of 10 she became a Secular Franciscan and soon began preaching in the streets about sin and the sufferings of Jesus.
Viterbo, her native city, was then in revolt against the pope. When Rose took the pope’s side against the emperor, she and her family were exiled from the city. When the pope’s side won in Viterbo, Rose was allowed to return. Her attempt at age 15 to found a religious community failed, and she returned to a life of prayer and penance in her father’s home, where she died in 1251. Rose was canonized in 1457.

Comment:

The list of Franciscan saints seems to have quite a few men and women who accomplished nothing very extraordinary. Rose is one of them. She did not influence popes and kings, did not multiply bread for the hungry and never established the religious order of her dreams. But she made a place in her life for God’s grace, and like St. Francis before her, saw death as the gateway to new life.

Quote:

Rose's dying words to her parents were: "I die with joy, for I desire to be united to my God. Live so as not to fear death. For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening, but sweet and precious."

Martyrdom of John the Baptist

The drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honor, a seductive dance and the hateful heart of a queen combined to bring about the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The greatest of prophets suffered the fate of so many Old Testament prophets before him: rejection and martyrdom. The “voice crying in the desert” did not hesitate to accuse the guilty, did not hesitate to speak the truth. But why? What possesses a man that he would give up his very life?
This great religious reformer was sent by God to prepare the people for the Messiah. His vocation was one of selfless giving. The only power that he claimed was the Spirit of Yahweh. “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Scripture tells us that many people followed John looking to him for hope, perhaps in anticipation of some great messianic power. John never allowed himself the false honor of receiving these people for his own glory. He knew his calling was one of preparation. When the time came, he led his disciples to Jesus: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus” (John 1:35-37). It is John the Baptist who has pointed the way to Christ. John’s life and death were a giving over of self for God and other people. His simple style of life was one of complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centered on God and the call that he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident of God’s grace, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation or repentance, of salvation.

 

Quote:

“So they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.’ John answered and said, ‘No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said [that] I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease’” (John 3:26–30).

St. Augustine of Hippo
(354-430)

A Christian at 33, a priest at 36, a bishop at 41: Many people are familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo, sinner turned saint. But really to get to know the man is a rewarding experience.
There quickly surfaces the intensity with which he lived his life, whether his path led away from or toward God. The tears of his mother (August 27), the instructions of Ambrose (December 7) and, most of all, God himself speaking to him in the Scriptures redirected Augustine’s love of life to a life of love.

Having been so deeply immersed in creature-pride of life in his early days and having drunk deeply of its bitter dregs, it is not surprising that Augustine should have turned, with a holy fierceness, against the many demon-thrusts rampant in his day. His times were truly decadent—politically, socially, morally. He was both feared and loved, like the Master. The perennial criticism leveled against him: a fundamental rigorism.

In his day, he providentially fulfilled the office of prophet. Like Jeremiah and other greats, he was hard-pressed but could not keep quiet. “I say to myself, I will not mention him,/I will speak in his name no more./But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,/imprisoned in my bones;/I grow weary holding it in,/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9).

Comment:

Augustine is still acclaimed and condemned in our day. He is a prophet for today, trumpeting the need to scrap escapisms and stand face-to-face with personal responsibility and dignity.

Quote:

“Too late have I loved you, O Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new! Too late I loved you! And behold, you were within, and I abroad, and there I searched for you; I was deformed, plunging amid those fair forms, which you had made. You were with me, but I was not with you. Things held me far from you—things which, if they were not in you, were not at all. You called, and shouted, and burst my deafness. You flashed and shone, and scattered my blindness. You breathed odors and I drew in breath—and I pant for you. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for your peace” (St. Augustine, Confessions).

Patron Saint of:

Printers

 

Saint Monica

The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism.
Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine (August 28) , is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy (all flesh is evil) and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.

When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead, he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan.

In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, St. Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her (see Quote, below). Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste.

She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of instruction. At Easter, 387, St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death.

Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of St. Augustine, especially his Confessions.

Comment:

Today, with Internet searches, e-mail shopping, text messages, tweets and instant credit, we have little patience for things that take time. Likewise, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of patience. Her long years of prayer, coupled with a strong, well-disciplined character, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband, her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine.

Quote:

When Monica moved from North Africa to Milan, she found religious practices new to her and also that some of her former customs, such as a Saturday fast, were not common there. She asked St. Ambrose which customs she should follow. His classic reply was: “When I am here, I do not fast on Saturday, but I fast when I am in Rome; do the same and always follow the custom and discipline of the Church as it is observed in the particular locality in which you find yourself.”

Patron Saint of:

Alcoholics
Married women
Mothers

Our Weekend Get-Away

We just got back from a spectacular Finger Lakes Weekend Get-Away!
We stayed two nights in Watkins Glen, but the scenic trips, both down and back, were wonderful in their own rights.
We did not begin our journey, striaght to Watkins Glen.  Oh contrare, many roads will lead to the same destination.  Having other "bussiness" to atend to along the way, made for a wonderful trip down to the Glen.  My first stop was Gorham, NY, SE of Canandaguia Lake, to purchase a Regal Guitar, from yesteryear.  Taking Rt 65, we meandered through Mendon, Bloomfield, through Canandaguia, to Rt 247, then 245 East, then south towards Potter.  We got there and to my dismay, the man was not home or answering the phone.  I headed back to Rt 245 and continued east to14A.  My plan was to head to Geneva and down the east side of Seneca Lake.  WE skirted Geneva, along the Seneca Lake and got on 96A.  So far, no rain!  We did not spot any White Deer along the way and headed to Ovid where we stopped at Meyers Distillery for some Wheat Vodka.  We continued on towards Ithica;  I wanted Theresa to see the famed Taughannock Falls.

They say it's the highest freefalling falls in North America!
















These are views from our balconey at the Glen Motor Inn.  This motel, offers the best pannaramic views of Seneca Lake!

 

 

 

 

St John Eudes

How little we know where God’s grace will lead. Born on a farm in northern France, John died at 79 in the next “county” or department. In that time he was a religious, a parish missionary, founder of two religious communities and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
He joined the religious community of the Oratorians and was ordained a priest at 24. During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague.

At age 32, John became a parish missionary. His gifts as preacher and confessor won him great popularity. He preached over 100 parish missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months.

In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from his general superior, the bishop and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this work, but the succeeding general superior disapproved. After prayer and counsel, John decided it was best to leave the religious community. The same year he founded a new one, ultimately called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary), devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. The new venture, while approved by individual bishops, met with immediate opposition, especially from Jansenists and some of his former associates. John founded several seminaries in Normandy, but was unable to get approval from Rome (partly, it was said, because he did not use the most tactful approach).

In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life. Temporary shelters were found but arrangements were not satisfactory. A certain Madeleine Lamy, who had cared for several of the women, one day said to him, “Where are you off to now? To some church, I suppose, where you’ll gaze at the images and think yourself pious. And all the time what is really wanted of you is a decent house for these poor creatures.” The words, and the laughter of those present, struck deeply within him. The result was another new religious community, called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge.

He is probably best known for the central theme of his writings: Jesus as the source of holiness, Mary as the model of the Christian life. John's devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Comment:

Holiness is the wholehearted openness to the love of God. It is visibly expressed in many ways, but the variety of expression has one common quality: concern for the needs of others. In John’s case, those who were in need were plague-stricken people, ordinary parishioners, those preparing for the priesthood, prostitutes and all Christians called to imitate the love of Jesus and his mother.

Quote:

“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desires and his disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly” (St. John Eudes, The Life and Reign of Jesus in Christian Souls).

May 10, 2013

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

 

Reading 1 Acts 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
“Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city.”
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews rose up together against Paul
and brought him to the tribunal, saying,
“This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.”
When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,
“If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,
I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;
but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles
and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.”
And he drove them away from the tribunal.
They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,
and beat him in full view of the tribunal.
But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Paul remained for quite some time,
and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,
together with Priscilla and Aquila.
At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

 

 

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.

All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.

He brings people under us;
nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.
R. God is king of all the earth.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God is king of all the earth.

 

 

 

Gospel Jn 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

 

So, Lent has made it's way for Easter!  We, the faithful have just celebrated the Holiest Week of our Church year.

Last night's Easter Vigil Mass so beautifully depicted the scripture readings from all the Prophets of centuries before Christ, predicting His coming, life, and Crucifixion, to a "T" 
Christ's new church is now over 2,000 years and still growing. 
As in His day, He was rejected and eventually, murdered for His proclamations, just as scriptures indicated.  All predictions have come to pass but one.  The final prediction will come to pass with His second coming to judge the living and the dead.  is our faith.

His beloved Apostles, most certainly did not understand what they were witnessing with their very own eyes.  Even after they witnessed His Crucifixion and found His tomb empty, there was doubt and confusion.  It still took His appearing to them over the next 40 days, wounds and all, eating and drinking with them to fully make them aware of what really had happened. 

 

Much of today's beliefs and understandings have resulted in denial and disbelief.  Much of the world is celebrating Easter today by watching their favorite movies, making special meals, recognizing meaningless traditions like the Easter Bunny, candy and colored eggs, without acknowledging the true meaning of the moment.  Still, the churches were packed to capacity for Holy Week, and many of the attendees, may not attend church on a regular basis.  The fact that they attended for Easter is still encouraging. 

 

There will always be hope that someone will be renewed in faith and seek God's mercy and forgiveness. 

God sent His only Son into the world to be flesh of human, and to sacrifice Himself for ransom for our sins.  We have the King of Servants, as an example to us, a role model to follow.  We all are sinners;  We stumble and fall, backslide, and hide, but we only need get back up, ask forgiveness, and know how much we are loved. 

 

 

 

 

Squirel proof Bird Feeding Station

A few years back, I took up feeding the birds in the backyard.  Soon after, I noticed the feeders empty, soon after I filled them.  I took up watch and soon learned that Squirrels too were getting more than there share. 
I saw an article on the Internet and thought I'd try out this guy's method of madness.  He suggested sinking a 6 inch diameter PVC pipe in the ground and mounting the feeder atop the pipe.  The 6" pipe, being smooth and too big around for the critters to hold on to, provides protection from the pesky Squirrels. 
I set off to Home Depot, in search of materials to build my project.  They did not carry the six inch PVC, but could order it for me.  They did carry 4' diameter PVC in 8 foot lengths.  They also had some sort of triple walled 4" pipe much like the PVC but not as rigid, for a fraction of the price.  I opted for the cheaper version. 
I dug a hole about 18" deep and sunk my pipe in the ground.  I believe I sawed off a foot or two, so that I could reach the top without a stool.  Using 3/4"  outdoor plywood, I cut a 24"diameter circle for the feeding platform.  The pipe did tend to flex some so I dropped a landscape timber in the pipe to provide more rigidity.  I painted the round platform Bright Gloss Orange, and used a Lag bolt to secure the platform to the top of the landscape timber.  I left it a bit loose, allowing the platform to swivel.  I mounted the top of a Shepherd's Hook on the platform to hold two hanging round feeders and a Suet cage.  I mounted two pins sticking up from the opposite side of the platform to mount a larger feeder with a spring loaded perch which drops down, cutting off the seed source, if a large bird lands on the perch.

Those piggy birds drop plenty of seed on the ground to feed the Squirels too. 

There's plenty for all.

I was anxious to see how the Squirels would do with the new arrangement, and soon after, I was watching when a Squirrel attempted climbing the pole but to no avail.  He kept backing up for a running start and scramble maybe halfway up the pole, only to slide back down.  Too funny!

The project was cheap.
$ 7.00 for the pipe
   2.97 for the Landscape Timber
  15.00 for the Plywood with leftover.
    2.00 Hardware
$ 26.97 total

How to make something work in lieu of replacement

Our latest Volvo, Hedwig, came with considerable amount of things not working.  We got her late Fall and I did my best to get things roadworthy for our harsh winters up here.  One problem's been two of the five lights in the rear tail light assembly would not light.  I'd be wiggling and twisting the bulb holder to make connection. 
Volvo came up with this flimsy circuit board to direct voltage to the rear lights.  The bulb for the running light and brake light was one of the offenders.  I found a small chunk of the circuit board gone for that particular bulb. 


I found a replacement circuit board on line, and ordered it.
When it arrived, I removed the tail light assembly, unhooked the circuit board wire harness and the ground wire, and brought it in to the bench.  I removed all the bulb holders and bulbs, a seal, and got a better look at the circuit board.  I got the old one off, and started to replace the new one.  At each bulb socket, the circuit board fitted over three small plastic pins to secure it.  When I got the the bulb socket for the rear light/brake light, I found that the pins were melted away, and the area under where the board overheated and burned.  When I got it back on the car, sure enough, my one bulb would not light, even with the new circuit board.  I got my test light out, and poked the wire harness till I located the running and brake lights.  Taking the bulb holder inside, I drilled smalls holes for soldering lead wires to the two tabs for each filament.  Back on the car, I cut the two wires back a few inches from the circuit board harness, and added my new lead wires and secured the connections with wire nuts.  Bingo, the lights all worked on the right rear side!  But not the left rear side!  I could force the light to work if I pushed the back of the bulb holder tabs.  I looked close at the left circuit board, and it looked old and cracked.  So, I repeated my process on the left side and now all the lights work great.  I reckon after 23 years, you gotta do something about those thin ole circuit boards.

As the Vatican scrambles to elect the next Pope, I am amazed but saddened at the public's reactions.  An Italian priest burns a photo of the Pope at Mass, declaring"He abandoned his flock."  This sort of action is not the work of God, but Satin.  A breach opens wider and the enemy takes aim and fires. 
First of all, only time will reveal why our Pope is retiring.  We really don't know the real reason our Holy Father is breaking with tradition.  Whatever the reason, the illustrious media is having a field day with all the sensationalism, and mark my words, most of what is reported is not true.  Journalism used to be an honorable vocation.  It was of the upmost importance that accurate information was reported.  But, like the morality of the entire country, truth has nothing to do with the news.  Sensationalism has taken precedence over morals.  I read remarks like "Catholics are an outdated social club, detached from reality."  That statement couldn't be farther from the truth!  The Catholic Church is standing by the truth and the word of God.  Nothing out dates the word of God. 
Our society has avelanched down Mt. Evil, and is picking up speed as it falls towards the abyss. 
Just like Sodom and Gomorrah, we are repeating history, and will perish.
As you all do your best to degrade our church, know that it is us "Whacky" Catholics that assemble daily to pray for our world, for an end to violence, and end to wars, and end to social injustice. 
It is us "Whacky" Catholics still preaching the word of the good news of the Gospel.
Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

The Beautiful Lenten Journey

                                                The Beautiful Lenten Journey

How can I describe the Lenten journey?  It's so many things, it's hard for me to explain.  It starts on Ash Wednesday, with the repentance reminder: "From dust I came and from dust I shall return."  It is our version of donning sack cloth with ashes as a symbol of our repentance for our sins.  The rest of the Lenten journey is all about Jesus, who born of the Virgin Mary under the power of the Holy Spirit becomes flesh and blood and enters the world, God's begotten son, to show us the way back to God, by sacrificing his precious blood for the forgiveness of our sins, creating the new and everlasting covenant and prepares the way for us to follow.  Our Lenten focus is on Jesus, as He declares his ministry, establishes His church, and continues on His journey to Calvary to be the Lamb of God. 
I try to imagine what must have going through His mind, knowing He was going to be betrayed, tried, and crucified.  I try to imagine even before His public ministry, in the desert with Satin, being tempted, without food for 40 days, and coming out, the victor. 
My sacrifices of fasting from meat and alcohol, during the season, attending daily Mass, praying the Holy Rosary, and reflecting the trials Jesus consumed for me. 
I am feeling the hunger, the longing for that hamburg or glass of wine, but at the same time, I am strengthened through prayer and supplication.  As I keep my eyes on the cross, I glean the perseverance to carry my little, almost insignificant cross as a sign of my hunger and thirst for my spiritual bread and wine. 
O my sweet Jesus, I promise to follow the narrow path of salvation, spreading the good news in your most Holy name to the best of my capabilities, knowing I will be lifted up by the Holy Spirit and fed with the hope of the fruits of Your promise.  I don't know the way but I know You will provide me with guidance, strength, and spirit.

REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND

I think to the most casual observer, it's safe to say that violent shooting sprees are pretty much the norm now, taking place daily.  For every life taken, it touches the lives of many many more people for life.  Folks on both sides of the weapons fence are passionate in their feelings of what should or should not take place to curb this violence.  Personally, I can't conceive of a viable solution to curb the violence, it has taken a form of independence of it's own. 
When our country was in it's infancy, our fore fathers documented a Constitution for us to live by and govern our country.  Everyone and their brother knows what the 2nd amendment stands for, the right to bear arms.  At that time, law enforcement was pretty much, every man for himself.  We had no police force, we were living in a wilderness once one left a town.  There were no "Supermarkets" to procure our food, and a weapon was vital to our survival.  After 237 years, one would think that our civilization has progressed beyond the point where a gun was an important thing to keep at hand.  We also were allotted the freedom to worship as we wished, without persecution.  I can only speak from a viewpoint of Christianity, when I proclaim one of the paramount commandments states "You shall not kill."  How did it get so distorted to say " You shall not kill except for self defense?"   I was not brought up in an environment where I learned that the 1st Commandment states: You shall love God above all other beings, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your strength.  It seems to me that if we followed that one commandment to the fullness, then we should have no need for the rest of the commandments whatsoever.  Despite our religious freedom, man has stepped in and overridden God's commandments.  Our society clearly allows for killing in self defense, divorce, and a general overall breakdown in our moral values.  We have been lulled into the complacency of ignoring the commandments and instead, modified our way of thinking to just the opposite.  We have become God, and God has taken a back seat in the life of our society.  The call of the flesh has overtaken the call to follow our God.  Not only is divorce elevated to a normal occurrence, we seldom even get married anymore, preferring to simply live in sin, and in many cases, having children out of wedlock, for our own pleasure in a non family environment.  The majority of our new generation comes from a single parent household.  It seems our values and what we used to call normal  has now been distorted and reversed.  We have turned from God, just like Sodom, Gomorrah, and Nineveh.  The prophet, Jonah, had a fairly simple task to go throughout the city of Nineveh and proclaim "In 40 days you will be destroyed.  Turn from your sins and repent."  God has since changed the rules.  He sent his own Son, Jesus, to take the form of humanity, and again proclaim "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."  Not only was he crucified, but by the very group of people, awaiting their Messiah.  So while some still wait for the coming of the Messiah, he did come to warn us.  He proclaimed his return, not in 40 days or 400 days or 4000 days, but at a time unknown to all of us.  His message is clear and precise.  Repent and turn to God, for He will return at a time least expected, as a thief in the night, in an instant, and judge us.  Woe to our evil society, for we have learned nothing from history.  On that happy note, I say to all:  Banish guns forever."  Limiting who can procure and use guns will not solve anything.  Violence will never prevail against violence.  Make straight the path, prepare the way of the Lord.  Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

  

I just don't understand the logic with all the pro gun folks all "up at arms"  excuse the pun. 
I've never heard so many goofy arguments about it in my life.  What you are really fighting for is the right to bear arms, which to me translates the right to kill.  I'm not speaking of the evil one who murdered those poor people in Conn.  I'm talking about the responsible law abiding citizens that pack a gun.  What is your justification for that?  Oh, to protect your family, yourself, your home, and your property.  It's kinda scary thought for me to think that I am a minority, out in this dangerous world, in the midst of the majority of folks packing a gun.  It's even scarier to contemplate the fact that probably a good portion of the gun owners may not be all that competent in using the guns.  We see bad drivers every day and I'm sure that there are bad shooters too. I mean, most people drive the car every day.  Even after logging in thousands of miles yearly, we still have people that are bad drivers.  I seriously doubt the gun folks go to the target range daily.  What is the draw?  Do you crave the feeling of power from wielding that weapon?  Frankly, I wish not to be around those who need to feel more powerful than I. 

This is the real bottom line.  Today's world is evolving into an evil violent hell to abode in.  In part, I believe that this is due to people believing that they must arm themselves for protection by accumulating more and more powerful weapons, every man for himself, awaiting for someone to "Make my day."  Where does it all end?  The evil ones will always acquire the weapon that will shoot farther and longer.  You can't fight violence with violence.  It is impossible. 

I refuse to submit myself to the luck or skill of the draw.  Instead, I will gather my strength in the power of my Faith.  My Faith happens to include the first amendment, stronger than the second:  I am delivered from even the sting of death.  All I have to do is believe what has been passed down and written for 3,000 years.  One has already died for the salvation of my sins, so that I may attain eternal life.

Where in the Bible does it state that Mary, mother of Jesus is sinnless?

Where in the Bible does it say that Mary, mother of Jesus, is sinless? And if it is not in the Bible, why does the Catholic Church act like she is?

Catholics differ from some Christian Churches which accept the Scripture as the only source of God’s revelation. Catholics have a strong belief in the truth of Scripture, but we also believe in tradition as a way in which God continues to reveal truth to us. Tradition can include beliefs, customs, prayers, and worship, the teaching of popes, bishops, theologians and Church councils. It’s our process of continually reflecting on the way in which the Word of God encounters our own experience as a community of faith.

Catholic understanding is that tradition includes the Scripture, and began before the gospels and letters were written. We do believe that Scripture is a unique revelation from God and that the truths of tradition must always be tested and evaluated against the truths revealed in Scripture. They should not contradict Scripture. They should find their roots in Scripture.

The belief that Mary lived without sin from the moment of her conception springs from Church tradition. It evolved over a period of time, and was not formally defined as a teaching of the Church until 1854. It is not found explicitly in Scripture, but seems for Catholics to flow naturally from the testimony of Scripture that Mary was “full of grace” (Luke 1:28) and “blessed” (Luke 1:42).

In Catholic understanding the belief in Mary’s “immaculate conception” does not say so much about Mary as it is about Christ’s saving power. We believe that God created the human person to be in God’s own image. Grace is more original than sin. Our natural state was to be “full of grace.” Sin is our universal experience but it’s not what God intended for us in the past nor wants for us in the future. We are saved from sin through Christ. Mary’s being conceived without sin takes place in the context of the entire saving act of Christ. In being “full of grace” she is a model of what we human beings were intended to be and who we are redeemed to be through God’s saving power. She is the first sign of God’s victory over sin in Christ.

You also ask: “Why are Catholics who are baptized when they were infants, choose to lead unholy, even atheistic lives, die and then the priest at the funeral says they are going to heaven because they were baptized?”

The bishop of Rome, as head of the Catholic Church, sometimes declares certain people to be “saints” because they lived such exemplary and holy lives that we can believe with confidence that they are “with God in heaven.” Such a declaration only comes after a long investigation into the facts of that person’s life. The Catholic Church has never declared any deceased person to be “in hell.” Aside from this we don’t know and can’t presume the eternal state of any person who has died, although we believe that God desires all people to be with him in death as well as in life. Baptism does not automatically ensure that a person will go to heaven when he or she dies. We must try to live out our Baptism with lives of faith, hope and love.

The Catholic Church asks its members to pray for those who have died BECAUSE we know that we are all sinners, and even when we have tried to live a good life we can die short of the purity of heart that makes eternal life “with God” a reality. Yet we believe that God’s mercy is not thwarted by death and that God has the power to purify and transform the soul even after death so that it is fully open to participating in eternal life. Purgatory is not a place of “sentences”, like a prison, because it exists in eternity which is timeless.

We should certainly pray for the living as well, that they may accept God’s grace into their lives. 

Many people, Catholics included, wrongly believe that this dogma refers to the conception of Jesus Christ. But, in fact, the Immaculate Conception doctrine states that Mary, "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." This meant that Mary herself was preserved from original sin, that she was born without a sin nature, and that she lived a sinless life.

There is no biblical support or scriptural basis for the Immaculate Conception of Mary doctrine. Mary, although favored of God, was an ordinary human being. According to Scripture, only Jesus Christ was immaculately conceived, born of a virgin, and born without sin. He was the only human being to live a sinless life.

Why do Catholics believe in the Immaculate Conception?

Simply put, Catholic teaching purports that in order for Jesus to have been born without sin, he would have to have been conceived within a sinless vessel. Catholics believe that if Mary had a sin nature when she conceived Jesus, then he would inherit this sin nature through her.

Arguments: For this doctrine to hold up, wouldn't Mary's mother have to be free from original sin also, else Mary would have inherited a sinful nature through her? Based on Scripture, the miracle of Jesus Christ's conception was that he alone was conceived as the only perfect and sinless one, because of his complete union with the divine nature of God.

The Assumption of Mary

The Assumption of Mary is a Roman Catholic doctrine, and to a lesser degree it is also taught by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Pope Pius XII proclaimed this doctrine on November 1, 1950 in his Munificentissimus Deus. This dogma states that the "Immaculate Virgin," the mother of Jesus, "after the completion of her earthly life was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven." This means that after her death, Mary was resurrected and taken up into heaven, body and soul. The doctrine further states that Mary was glorified in heaven and is "exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things."

There is no biblical support or scriptural basis for the Assumption of Mary doctrine. In fact, the Bible does not even record Mary's death.

More Misconceptions About Mary

Catholic Popes have referred to Mary as "co-redemptrix," "the gate of heaven," "Advocate," and "Mediatrix," ascribing to her a cooperative role in the work of salvation. It should be noted that the official Catholic stance is that Mary's elevated status "neither takes away from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficaciousness of Christ the one Mediator."

 

The adventures in Sven

Where do I begin with Sven?  Sven was my third Volvo, an orange 72 142 Coupe.  I was driving a very tired Chevy Vega at some point in my life, and one day I put the clutch pedal in and it broke away from the firewall, and that was the end of the evil Vega.

We already had Olga, our first Volvo as well as the Vega, so when the Vega went south, I started looking for a Volvo.  I saw Sven advertised in the newspaper for $ 500.00, back around 1990.  He was a 1972 142 coupe, two door four speed with electric overdrive, four wheel disk brakes, fuel injected, and in pretty good shape.  There was a catch, however;  Sven clunked when you shifted into the next gear.  The guy I bought it from said he'd driven it a long time with the clunk.  As it turned out, I drove it at least two years with the clunk, before I got it fixed.  The guy came down $ 10.00 on the price, and I paid him $ 490.00.

Sven ran great, and I barely did anything to it for a couple of years.  One day, I pulled off from a light, and feeling frisky, put the gas pedal to the floor, and hit second gear, when Sven shook his head, and gasped for air, and we drifted over to the side of the road.  I popped the bonnet, and looked about.  I popped the distributor cap and laughed.  There were points under the cap!  Burned to a crisp points, today.  I ripped some material off a matchbook, and stuck it under the actuator nub on the points to force them to open some.  I turned the key, and Sven started, but had little power.  I limped a little down the road and came to an auto parts store.  There, I got points, condenser, cap, roter, wires, plugs, and hand cleaner.  I limped home, about four miles.  Confident that to my casual observance, a tune up should take care of everything, I went to work.  Things changed quickly when I found all the slop in the distributor shaft.  Time for a beer and make a few calls.  While I was having the beer, I did locate a distributor at a junk yard, the next town over.  I brought my old one to make sure, and sure enough, it was a sure thing.  I went home with my new/old distributor, and went to work.  Things came to a screech when I discovered the hold down screw for the condenser was all buggered up.  I had to cut down a screw to fit and not interfere with the spin of the distributor.  Soon poured and roared into action! 


One night, very late and in a winter storm, no less, Sven cut right out and I had to push it to the side of the road with the aid of a passerby er.  Don't ask whey I did not flashlight or gloves, but I did not that night and I trudged through the blowing snow one block to an all night store where I got some cheap gloves and a cheap flashlight.  I had some cardboard in the trunk and spread it out under the rear of the car and crawled under with the flashlight.  The fuel pump was mounted outside the gas tank and I saw two wires going to it.  One wire was broke off the fuel pump.  I got up and from my tool box, got wire strippers and a cotter pin.  Back under, I stripped the broken wire bare at the end, and wrapped it to the eye of the cotter pin, then jammed the point of the cotter pin into the fuel pump connector.  I put the stuff in the trunk, and got in and said a prayer.  I turned the key and heard that familiar whine of the fuel pump, and knew it would start.  I drove home and to work the next day and left Sven at the shop next door for them to fix more "proper"

That's it for now.  Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of Sven, including the drive shaft breaking out of town, and more!

Last month, we got another used Volvo, a 1990 240 sedan.  Theresa wanted to pass her Hyundai off to her son, and we were under the gun to get another car soon.  There was this used Volvo at a Volvo garage, where I had some work done before.  The work was very good, the guy knows Volvos backwards and frontwards, so I made the mistake of assuming this used car was somewhat kept up.  As it turned out, the mechanics there, took turns driving it for the winter, and fixed nothing.

The first issue was the door locks were frozen on both front doors.  They advised me they had another set of locks for $ 50.00 more.  I got him to throw the locks in for nothing.  The day we got home with it, I attacked the door panel, and changed the drivers side lock. 
It seemed to all go OK, but the next day, as soon as we started the engine, the locks went crazy, going up and down on all the doors, forcing me to pull the fuse.  I also found the battery dead the first morning!  I went out and bought a new battery, and stuff to tune it up, gaskets to stop the oil leaking, and got dirty. 

The second day, it was raining hard when we got in to go out, and we found the windscreen leaking near the rear view mirror, forcing me to grab duct tape to administer a temporary repair.
Yesterday, being beautiful out, I changed the hoses, thermostat, and coolant.  The new thermostat failed to open, forcing me to take it apart again, make a mess, and install a second new thermostat. 
Then I moved on the the windscreen leak, and applied silicone sealer to suspected areas.  As it has not rained since then, the outcome of that repair is yet to verify.
Then, I figured I'd attack the door locks again.  After getting back inside the door and removing the wiring harness from the lock, I discovered all the wires bared about an inch from the connector!  About one foot down the harness, I found more bare wires.  I cut the harness apart and used shrink wrap to try to insulate the bare wires at the connector.  Then I stripped back and connected the other end of the harness, using wire nuts.  That's when I discovered that I could not orientate the wiring connector back around the lock cylinder.  I spent all afternoon and seemed to get nowhere.  Finally, I snipped away a portion of the connector on the one side, hoping to gain the room I needed to orientate the connector around the lock.  It only fits one way before it locks shut and tight.  My little snip worked and I finally got it back on the back of the lock.  By then, it was getting dark fast and I still had to put the door panel back.  I was tired and had to take it back apart three times before everything went back correctly.

The doors now all lock and unlock with the master door lock at the drivers door!  I could put the fuse back in regain the inside lights, clock and radio!
Theresa just called to inform me it all works great and she got to work without incident!
Good ole Hedwig!