An #embryo in the womb of a #woman is a #child in early development or it wouldn’t be a #child at #birth. A fertilized egg before implantation in the Fallopian tube of a woman, is a child even still, in early development, or it wouldn’t be a child at birth. No matter how small, a child is a child at the moment of conception, or its not a child at all.
The heart is the very first organ to develop in every developing child. Is it a shocker that in EVERY Eucharistic Miracle that has come to us, that Heart Cells are found in the blood in the Eucharist? Pro life is at the HEART of Christ. Pro life is in the Heart of Faith in Christ. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us all.
VERY short post as copied from my facebook account today after a night of very good reading.
Spent some time reading St. Thomas Aquinas last night (without distractions) and realized what was missing in society today. His writings are like taking vitamins for the mind and intellect.
I watched a video today that I must share on this day of Remembering The Holocaust..
I am not going to write about this, as I just feel, know in my heart, there is more of a need today, for them to tell the story.
Edith Zierer was born to a wealthy and educated Jewish family in Katowice, Poland. In 1939, in advance of the German invasion of Poland, her family fled and moved from place to place.
“Suddenly, totally unexpectedly, a young priest made his way through the people and approached me. I looked up and saw a Christian priest in a brown robe standing in front of me, with a great light in his eyes. He turned to me of all the people who were sitting there in the station, and asked ‘Why are you sitting here like that?’” she recounted.
The young priest was Karol Wojtyla, who in 1978 would become Pope John Paul II. He brought her a sandwich and tea. “I was thin, gaunt, tired and ill. To this day I remember the first bite … I finished the sandwich and he told me to stand up because ‘We’re going,’ as he said. I wasn’t capable of standing on my skinny legs. I fell onto the floor of the train station and he was forced to carry me in his arms.”
Photos of Holy Mass taking place on the Pennsylvania Turnpike as thousands get stuck on the way home from #MarchForLife to end Abortion.
Jesus Christ is LORD. Not government. Not political leaders. Not unjust laws. Jesus Christ is LORD of the USA the entire universe. That is why we march for life. All life is sacred. We must end abortion, euthanasia and all things contrary to the Culture of Life. Repent and believe in the Good News.
As I sat with our Lord tonight in Exposition, I had SO many questions about my trials. UNTIL I pondered and asked Him why am I allowing any of this to bother me. I have You Lord. Then came – I may not THINK I am worried, nor unsettled but in reality, that is what it is, for others. I became quiet. At that moment I began to ponder St. John and how beautiful it was for him to rest his head on the chest of our Lord. But, that too (for those moments) were only temporary moment for St. John. BLAMO This scripture than came to my heart. “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” We are still in the world, although in exile, while living in the Spirit there is complete tranquility. Think about how spending one hour with our Lord in Exposition is truly time to rest your head on His chest and lean into Him. My work in my interior life needs to reflect more on His peace while I am still here, in an unsettled world, I must be “settled” in Him.
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
For today’s Novena please CLICK LINK
The only healing I have found, is through our Lord Jesus Christ and the much needed Sacraments He gave to us to act on and grab hold of the mercy and forgiveness He is offering to each and every soul on earth.
There is a bit of a discussion of late in regards to the graphic images being used of the innocent children taken through abortion. If you have read the link I posted in regards to my story, you will understand that seeing the images of aborted children is horrific. What is more horrific, is not seeing them at all in public, and still seeing them in every day actions. It brings to light the grim reality of what we are doing.
I will post a comment I made yesterday, before I seen what today’s Novena contained. There is a Light in the dark.
Ask yourself, what would happen if we removed the graphic image of our Lord Crucified from our faith because it was to gruesome? What does that image of our Lord invoke? What does the thought of His battered and bruised body cause us to do? Repent. The second we remove Christ Crucified from our worship is the second its no longer Him and He is reduced to a sanitized idea of what He did for us. Its no different for the smallest among us. The reality’s of abortion have been removed from society and its turned into a sanitized idea, no longer seen as the murder of an innocent child. They need to be seen and heard in entirety for the reality to set in. I am post abortive. Before the images came to be used, I would see them anyway as I struggled from time to time with the sin I had committed as I see it now as a way for our Lord to being me to repent deeper and understand the MERCY He is offering through His forgiveness. The images are not doing a disservice nor are they a lack of respect for the children taken. By ending Abortion completely and making it unthinkable to do, they give glory to our Lord for the slaughter of the innocence finally ending.
Lord, I remember You Crucified as I see the children of abortion. May their images bring an end to the slaughter of the least among us. May they bring about repentance to the providers and to all effected by abortion. May these same souls feel the gentleness and compassion in your healing touch and they reach out in need for You. Amen
Lord Jesus Christ, Spouse of my soul, I ask You through the intercession of St. Agnes to keep my soul undefiled, from all sins of the flesh, sins against Your precious Body and Blood, that have inundated the world in which we are only in exile for a short while, for the purpose of pleasing You for all eternity; I ask also for the protection of the children, whom You O Lord have given to me as innocent little souls, for that same protection to all my family, therefor oh Spouse of my soul, to bring into this world a stronger Culture of Life in which the protection of innocence of all in exile is obtained. St. Agnes, patron of young girls, chastity, rape survivors, and the Children of Mary, pray for us. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us all, hear us crying out to you O Lord for your Merciful healing from all that displeases Thee. Amen
Jesus, Fortress of mankind, You are Immaculate as God and Man! Bless me with Your infinite graces, That I may remain in a state of purity. Strengthen my body, spirit and soul To continually reflect Your chastity. Protect my soul in its daily struggles, Guiding it to ponder on Your Godliness. Defend me from the forces of evil, Those that seek to acquire my soul: I am truly Yours forever and ever. Holy is my King, the Conqueror of sin!
As a survivor of a violet crime, I have seen what can take place to a person first hand, who has fallen deeply into things that carry no respect for self, nor others through actions that no human being with the fear of God could ever carry out. It was by the grace of our Lord that I survived, and by the grace of our Lord that I could forgive and move closer to Him, as I know it was Him who carried me out and through it. It is that same grace today that I praise Him. It is that same grace He offers to ALL of us, to be accepted or denied. Forgiveness does not mean we allow violent criminals to walk free from the harm they have caused, but allows the healing of that crime that was committed to begin.
I can never support the death penalty as it does not open a door for repentance in this life, for the survivor or the criminal. Nor does taking the life of another take away the harm, pain and suffering it has caused. It happened and I have to live with it. The only recourse, be it for me or them, is to forgive them so both can keep walking with the same ability to turn toward our Lord and seek forgiveness through repentance. It is not for me to ponder nor spend any time worrying if my attacker has repented or not, as we both, one day will have to face our Lord. I pray for my attacker as I pray for everyone. “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
I have written about my attack and the early aftermath here. Please read: The Power Of Forgiveness
There is a new “cute and fuzzy” animal video going viral on facebook, in which we see a little boy and a bear, “Bonding”. Once again like so many times, viewers comments are based on a delusion that the giant wild bear wants to be “friends” with the little boy overlooking the obvious, that being the bear sees the little boy as a simple and easy snack.
Video Here: “Boy And Bear Bonding” actually posted two years ago.
My children and I were at the zoo yesterday and I captured a video of a California Condor trying to attack my daughter through the glass. Although extremely funny and a great education, I thank God today for the glass that separated the two, along with having intellect and reason to build the glass in the first place.
There is a trend lately with people today who need to equate humans on the same level as animals and forget which side of the glass they are on and who built the enclosures. We see this time and time again with wild animals and the “oh how cute” comments from the very people who would be eaten by them. Animals are incapable of reason and do not understand and can not THINK, if I attack that child, there will be consequences to my actions. They see things in the way of, food, fight, breed, survive. They can not think and reason. Although many humans have taken on this way of living, it does not mean it is right.
Animal worship is rampant in secularism. So much so it loses sight of the fact that animals still kill to eat. Humans included. Man may be able to brainwash man into believing we are one in the same, but he will NEVER brainwash a wild Grizzly bear into thinking about anything, nor will he be able to “guilt trip” him into thinking he is anything other than a grizzly bear. That my friends is Secularism Utopia crushed.
Might I bring up a documentary called *Grizzly Man* 2005, a Werner Herzog documentary about Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived for several years with grizzlies in Alaska, “protecting” them from encroachment. Spoilers: He was mauled by Grizzly’s. Not only was he mauled, but placed the life of his girlfriend in danger who also, was mauled.
What is more horrific is he wasn’t alone and placed another human life in danger which is no different then what we are seeing over an over again today in a society filled with cuddly emotions rather than Truth driving the bus they are on.
When we look at the lives of Saints who were confronted by God’s “cuddly creatures”, we see distinctly, what is missing today in secular society. A society so in love with His creation, self, above that of love for Him. Which in fact, is bringing secular society itself, by their own hand, lower than the image in which man and woman were created, to that of animals. If we are left in the hands of a society that does not protect and nurture their own, through worshiping self, continuing to abort and euthanize, how then, can we protect and nurture anyone or anything?
O my God, I firmly believe
that you are one God in three divine Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I believe that your divine Son became man
and died for our sins and that he will come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths
which the Holy Catholic Church teaches
because you have revealed them
who are eternal truth and wisdom,
who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
In this faith I intend to live and die.
Amen.
Act of Hope
O Lord God,
I hope by your grace for the pardon
of all my sins
and after life here to gain eternal happiness
because you have promised it
who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind,
and merciful.
In this hope I intend to live and die.
Amen.
Act of Love
O Lord God, I love you above all things
and I love my neighbor for your sake
because you are the highest, infinite and perfect
good, worthy of all my love.
In this love I intend to live and die.
Amen.
There is a beautiful prayer and reflection from Mother Angelica. I have shared this before on my blog, while sharing the story of my child, one in which our Lord took home, whom I call Angelica. Please see here.
I am sharing it once again here…
My Lord, the baby is dead!
Why, my Lord—dare I ask why? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face—it will not see the beauty of Your creation or the flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord?
“Why, My child—do you ask ‘why’? Well, I will tell you why.
You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.”
I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool—forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity.
— Mother M. Angelica
I pray for all couples who have longed to have children of their own. I pray for children today, waiting for Adoption and I pray for couples who can not conceive children, to consider adoption. May our Lord bring the two, together to become one family in Him.
Intercession: For the conversion of all hearts and the end to abortion.
Prayers: Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be
Reflection: Today’s Gospel reading (Mk 2:13-17) recounts Jesus dining with tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees question Jesus about this, he responds, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” In a society where millions of people have fallen prey to the false promises of the culture of death, let us witness to the mercy of Jesus and invite all who’ve been wounded to experience his abundant love and healing.
Acts of Reparation (choose one):
Go to an abortion clinic and pray, or set aside an hour today to pray for those who are struggling with a decision of life or death for their unborn child.
Spend some time reflecting upon today’s Gospel passage.
Use Facebook or another form of social media to post something that builds up the culture of life.
To love the Holy Virgin Mary does not equate to worshiping her. You can love someone very deeply, but it does not mean that you worship them. I can not say how many times I have said to our Lord, I love you. Tonight, pondering, and praying in front of Him in the Blessed Sacrament, the words fell from my lips, I worship You.
“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” –Saint Maximilian Kolbe
I was drawn into the Wedding at Cana in which our Lords public ministry began, (John 2:11) by the intercession of our Holy Mother Mary, approaching our Lord to inform Him, “They have no wine”. In other words, Please Help! How can we not ask of her, for that same help today for the times that we do not have wine. When there is no cause for celebration in our lives. When we are presented with the injection of chaos in our daily lives that are the cause of personal struggles and storms. When trouble arrives and conflict is eminent. In all our trials. In the dark trenches of misery we face from time to time. When we have no wine. She, as all our Holy Angels and Saints, are here to help.
in·ter·ces·sion
ˌin(t)ərˈseSHən/
noun
the action of intervening on behalf of another
CCC 2647 Prayer of intercession consists in asking on behalf of another. It knows no boundaries and extends to one’s enemies.
A prayer from St. Don Bosco
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian,
how sweet it is to come to your feet
imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children,
how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you,
your perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners.
Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.
I must share… Its a must read from Msgr. Charles Pope
It is rather a typical assumption of the modern Western mind that differences and hostilities are due mainly to misunderstandings or a lack of proper information; that if we would discuss (“dialogue”), share information, respect pluralism (diversity), and overcome misunderstandings, all would be well and there would be peace.
Missing in this approach is the more sober notion of the hardness of human hearts. Information alone does not usually bring peace and an end to trouble. Rather, transformation effected by repentance and conversion is the truer and more biblical answer. But repentance and conversion usually require a lot more than dialogue or the sharing of information.
O Lord, take away my heart of stone, my hardened heart, my uncircumcised heart and grant to me a new heart, a heart of flesh, a clean heart! O Thou who purifieth the heart and loveth the clean heart, posses my heart and dwell in it, containing it and filling it, higher than my highest and more intimate than my most intimate thoughts. Thou who art the image of all beauty and the seal of all holiness, seal my heart in Thine image and seal my heart in Thy mercy, O God of my heart and the God of my portion in eternity.
Amen.
Praying for the soul of David Bowie, or anyone else you may not like, agree with, can’t stand, find fault with, can’t identify with, or love, is a spiritual work of mercy. One to be focused on when tempted to condemn. When the world loses one of its prized possessions, its best to enter into the sadness with them rather than mucking up the waters with more dirt. When the world is saddened with a loss, its best to bring the Light into their darkness of grief and mourning.
I found David Bowie to be a fantastic entertainer. Different. Unique. I don’t know the struggles he faced in his life. I didn’t know him personalty nor had I ever met him, nor attended any of his performances. I didn’t know he was so sick. I don’t know that much about his personal life at all.
I do know his music.
I do know he was created in the image of God as you and I were. Created in His image, who’s soul is now in need of prayers, the same as you and I, still here in exile. May we pray together always, for all in this world. May our Lord bring us His peace.
Eternal rest grant unto David Robert Jones O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he and all the holy souls in purgatory rest in peace. Amen.
Edit to add:
More Than One Day – Homily given a while back by FATHER THOMAS C. GIBBONS, CSP,
Music artist David Bowie died Sunday, January 10. Below is a homily I gave a number of years ago based on his Live Aid performance of “Heroes” (with accompanying YouTube video).
Welcome 2016! As just as this past year, glory praise and honor to our Lord for allowing us all to live to see it come and 2015 go. To be able to be charitable to the least among us and to share thoughts and experiences with you all.
The health concerns I had, are no longer a concern and to God be the glory. All the results of my tests came back and cleared me for any concern for serious illness, although painful muscle spasms in the bile ducts are to blame for a multitude of problems I have experienced for a few years now. Its a condition know as SOD <— See the link. All controllable with the correct medication. I pray for souls who also have this condition as its not easy to detect and family often times lose patience with you when the tests you undergo come back negative but the pain and miserable condition of your life in this pain and suffering, continues.
With this new year comes new life for me. A life now, that has placed all the issues of medical concern behind with hopes of living an even more a deeper life in Christ. I pray now, for greater changes in my home life as my children are becoming older and feel a bigger need to up our family prayer life. As of now, my children & I pray the Rosary daily and we actually look forward to this time we are granted to pray together. I feel a need to introduce Divine Office to them, just Vespers to start, before we pray the Rosary to together. That is my goal for 2016. To help my children learn the faith in a deeper, lasting way, to help them in their lives to come.
As we begin 2016, I have come to realize this year and the years to come, have nothing to do with me and need to be dedicated through the service of our Lord for others. Use me Lord, and do with me as You see fit. All glory, praise and honor is Yours. Amen
Tomorrow marks the 49th year I have been a child of God, but i never understood it, nor even remembered for most of my life that I actually am, a child of God. I was baptized on January 1, 1967. Just three weeks after I was born.
In all the years that have passed, the trials, tribulations, joys and sorrows, tears and laughter, this morning, it dawned on me in a beautiful way. I have spent most of my life painstakingly looking for “something”. This morning, our Lord allowed me to understand, what I had been looking for, was never gone. It was Him.
We spend more time looking for Him, or better yet, what we “assume” to be Him, rather then accepting Him. We spend more time trying to find Him rather than trying to find out where our relationship is with Him. He is always here. He is constantly waiting for us as we constantly run away from Him.
In this new year, I pray for souls to stay put. To accept our Lord as He is, therefore accepting who we are. I pray that more souls pick up the gifts He has given to us through the Holy Spirit and use them. I pray souls begin a prayer life pleasing to our Lord. I pray more souls do the will of Abba Father, and love and serve our Lord more deeply in one another.
May our Lord Jesus Christ, be with us always, bless us in this new year and may we all use the grace He has given to us all, for the greater glory of God and not self.
Blessed, healthy and joyful New Year to all. Prayers for all to take our Lord up on this beautiful Year of Mercy and do what He has created us to do. Amen
“Be subject to one another
out of reverence for Christ”
(Ephesians 5:21)
Today is the feast of the Holy Family. Although my family is not “perfect”, it is one that our Lord has placed me into, to work for Him, under all circumstances, no matter how hard, as He is the true head of the Family, through the Sacrament of Marriage.
From this mornings Feast of the Holy Family – December 27, 2015 from Vatican Radio
Life Messages: 1) We need to learn lessons from the Holy Family: The Church today, encourages us to look to the Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for inspiration, example and encouragement. They were a model family in which both parents worked hard, helped each other, understood and accepted each other, and took good care of their Child so that He might grow up not only in human knowledge but also as a Child of God. Jesus brought holiness to the family of Joseph and Mary as Jesus brings us holiness by embracing us in His family.
2) Marriage: a Sacrament of holiness. The Feast of the Holy Family reminds us that, as the basic unit of the universal Church, each family is called to holiness. In fact, Jesus Christ has instituted two Sacraments in His Church to make society holy – the Sacrament of priesthood and the Sacrament of marriage. Through the Sacrament of marriage, Jesus sanctifies not only the spouses but also the entire family. The husband and wife attain holiness when they discharge their duties faithfully, trusting in God, and drawing on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through personal and family prayer, meditative reading of the Bible, and devout participation in Holy Mass.
3) We need to make the family a confessional rather than a courtroom. A senior Judge of the Supreme Court congratulated the bride and groom in a marriage with a pertinent piece of advice: “See that you never convert your family into a courtroom; instead let it be a confessional. If the husband and wife start arguing like attorneys in an attempt to justify their behavior, their family becomes a court of law and nobody wins. On the other hand, if the husband and the wife — as in a confessional — are ready to admit their faults and try to correct them, the family becomes a heavenly one.”
4) Let us extend the boundaries of our family: The homeless man or woman today in the streets of big cities, fighting the vagaries of weather, is part of our family. The drug addict in a den, or living in fear and aloneness this day, is member of our family. The sick person, dying, alone, dirty and maybe even obnoxious, is a member of our family. The person sitting in the prison cell for whatever reason is also a child of God, and as such, according to St. John, is a member of our family. All these, as well as the cherished intimate members of our family, are “family valuables,” and, as such, are worthy of safekeeping and reverence.
While at Holy Mass last night, before it began, I was focused on the Tabernacle. My thoughts drifted to Bethlehem. The table this Tabernacle sat on became a donkey. The Tabernacle became our Holy Mother Mary, and as Holy Mass began and moved into the Consecration, our Lord was born. We can never forget that first Christmas Miracle, of our Lord becoming Flesh, is taking place at every Holy Mass, through all time and space, dwelling among us.
May we always recount the beauty of the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ and celebrate with Him for all eternity with that same joy our Holy Mother Mary had at the moment she first seen Him at His birth along with the same Love she had in her heart for Him, the moment she said yes to Abba Father, through the Angel Gabriel’s message. Knowing, He is always with us.
Hope! Peace! Joy! Love, for all eternity in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Thank you Lord. Thank you Mama Mary. I love you too.
“Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.”
Isaiah 11:1-3a
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord
Sound the trumpet in Zion; the day of the Lord is near; he comes to save us, alleluia.
It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer now than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent, the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. – Romans 13:11-12
Peg Pondering Again 