tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219493941558894642024-03-13T03:06:17.937-07:00Bad Martha“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;" Luke 10:41 Remember Martha? Bustling about, trying to be the hostess with the mostess? But she was a GOOD hostess and a quick learner. Jesus only had to tell her once that Mary had the better portion. I'm not even a good pre-talk Martha, but I'm working on it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-80463936846312589832016-08-16T15:33:00.000-07:002016-08-16T15:33:02.190-07:00How to Pray the Rosary - Walking Through the Rosary ExcerptDid you ever wonder how to pray the Rosary? Here it is.<br />
<br />
<h1>
<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930330"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930130"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930073"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929936"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929829"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929779"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584686"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584593"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420327903"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420322385"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321914"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321767"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321716"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321659">How to Pray the Rosary</a></h1>
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Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
Few people realize that the Sign of the Cross is a prayer, and there is a
partial indulgence for those who devoutly cross themselves while saying the
words.</div>
<h3>
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</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;">In
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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After the sign of the cross, say the
Apostle's Creed. This is how we declare our Catholic faith, by stating our
beliefs. The Apostle's Creed was compiled from the teachings of the apostles. </div>
<h3>
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<i style="text-indent: 0in;">I
believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his
only Son, our Lord, who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into
hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right
hand of God the Father almighty; from there he
will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the
holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">Say one Our Father.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0in;">Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and
forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Say three Hail Mary prayers (for an
increase in faith, hope, and charity.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;">Hail
Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed are Thou amongst 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.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Say the Glory Be.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;">Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be, world
without end. Amen.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Now it's time to delve into the
heart of your meditation!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Announce the first mystery for the current day.
For example, if you are praying the Joyful Mysteries, the first mystery is The
Annunciation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Say one Our Father. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Say ten Hail Mary prayers while meditating on
the mystery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Say one Glory Be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Repeat this sequence for remaining mysteries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Once you are finished, you can say the
Concluding Prayers. Typically, these consist of a Hail, Holy Queen and a prayer
that seems to be known only as the Let Us Pray.
At the very end, finish your prayer time with the Sign of the Cross. <br />
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<h3 style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
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Holy Queen</a></h3>
<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;">Hail,
Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do
we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sorrows,
weeping and mourning in this vale* of tears. Turn then, O Gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the
fruit of thy womb, Jesus.</i></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i>O
clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, Pray for us Oh Mother of God, that we
may be made worth of the promises of Christ. Amen.</i></div>
<h3 style="text-indent: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p> </o:p><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Let
Us Pray.</i></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i> O</i><i style="text-indent: 0in;"> God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection has purchased
for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating
on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may
imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ
our Lord. Amen.</i></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span></b>
<br />
<h2 style="text-indent: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
There are additional prayers that
are often said throughout and at the end of the Rosary. Usually the Fatima prayer is prayed after
every Glory Be. There is a second Fatima Prayer that the Blessed Mother gave to
the three children at Fatima, and this can be said at the end of the
Rosary. The Memorare is also an
important prayer to include when your Rosary is finished. Blessed Teresa of
Calcutta, more popularly known as Mother Teresa, used to say three Memorare
prayers when she didn't have time to say the Rosary but had an important
request. For a big finish, requesting St. Michael's protection is always a good
idea. </div>
<h3 style="text-indent: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i>Oh
my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls
to heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy. Amen.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<h3 style="text-indent: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0in;">Remember,
O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to
thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left
unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my
mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother
of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and
answer me. Amen.</i></div>
<h3 style="text-indent: 0in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<i>"My
God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I beg pardon of You for those
who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You."<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<h3 style="text-indent: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p> </o:p><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Saint
Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O
Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell Satan
and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of
souls. Amen.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
Finally, many Catholics pray an Our
Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the pope.</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930343"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930143"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930086"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929949"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929842"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929792"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584699"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584606"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420327916"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420322398"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321927"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321781"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321730"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321673"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418936631"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418760238">The Mysteries</a></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joyful (Say on Monday and Saturday)</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Annunciation</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Visitation</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Nativity</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Presentation of Our Lord</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Finding Jesus in the Temple</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sorrowful (Say on Tuesday and Friday)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Agony in the Garden</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Scourging at the Pillar</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Crowning with Thorns</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Carrying of the Cross</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Crucifixion</div>
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Glorious (Say on Wednesday and Sunday)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo3; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Resurrection</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo3; text-indent: 0in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Ascension</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Descent of the Holy Ghost</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Assumption</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Coronation of Mary </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Luminous (Say on Thursday)</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Baptism of Jesus</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Wedding at Cana</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Proclamation of the Gospel</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Transfiguration</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Institution of the Eucharist</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span>Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-72874946569764756312016-06-29T06:16:00.003-07:002016-06-29T06:16:28.551-07:00Priest(s) for Life Takes St. Kateri Parish by Storm<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KEJKjKfyfig/V3FlBYxuNqI/AAAAAAAACYw/b2IOntgFCfglJtKjhNJ-soqJpFB0b--rwCLcB/s1600/Father%2BStephen%2Band%2BDonna%2Band%2Bvolunteers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KEJKjKfyfig/V3FlBYxuNqI/AAAAAAAACYw/b2IOntgFCfglJtKjhNJ-soqJpFB0b--rwCLcB/s320/Father%2BStephen%2Band%2BDonna%2Band%2Bvolunteers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fr. Stephen, St. Kateri Respect Life Ministry Leader Donna B.,<br />
a volunteer, and a parishioner, eager to learn more.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Though there wasn't anything confrontational about Father Stephen Imbarrato as he gave the weekend homilies and a special presentation on Sunday afternoon, his words carried through the parish with the force of a tropical storm. Tropical Storm Stephen. It fit.<br />
<br />
His words were powerful not because they revealed something most of us didn't already know deep inside. They rocked because they carried the Truth. And people heard them. I've since spoken with several woman who experienced "Aha!" moments during those homilies.<br />
<br />
I already knew that most women who have abortions are coerced into them, but Father Stephen explained so clearly how that happens and why. "I'll support <i>you</i> whatever <i>you</i> decide." Sounds innocuous, doesn't it? But behind the words is a clear message: "It's all on you. It would be more convenient if you decided to get rid of this child, but if you choose to keep it, I guess I'll have to support your decision, though I'd prefer it if you got rid of the problem." In other words, women have abortions because they believe they DON'T have a choice.<br />
<br />
Why do women allow these seemingly benign words to convince them to commit an act that goes against every natural instinct? <i>Because we are intuitive</i>, and we can sense the real message behind the facade.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Father Stephen came with a plan. </h3>
<br />
He said there was a way to end abortion in five years. FIVE YEARS. That's five years too long, but it's a heck of a site better than someday. So, how does this priest think we can win this war? With fortitude.<br />
<br />
If, during the reelection year of a first-term president, Catholics, Protestants, Atheists, and all pro-life people went on strike until the murder stopped, the country would come to a standstill, and politicians would be forced to act. Following the example of Poland's peaceful Solidarity movement led by Lech Walesa, we too could accomplish our goal.<br />
<br />
That, combined with the peaceful protests of Martin Luther King, Jr., could allow us to change this country. Father Stephen wondered aloud how many people might become more aware if they saw two people on a street corner holding signs that said things such as <i>I love babies! I'm pro-life! or I love women! I'm pro-life! </i>And again on another corner. And another.<br />
<i><br /></i>
Surely, if 1/3 of the Polish workers were able to take on the evil of communist rule and win, we can take back our own country from the politicians and movements that promote a culture of death.<br />
<br />
An alternative plan came up at the Sunday talk. If all parishes would join the <a href="https://thegabrielproject.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Gabriel Project</a>, women would have true choice. The Gabriel Project is a national parish-based pregnancy assistance resource. They "seek to serve all pregnant mothers in need regardless of their personal situation, the size of their family, their age or their baby’s gestational stage." Imagine all the women who would keep their child if they saw a way to do it? <br />
<br />
This means we must put our intentional discipleship into action. Too often, we think that throwing money at an issue is enough. Jesus didn't ask us to pay for social change. He asked us to go out and <i>be</i> social change.<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Here's where I make a confession. I was at one time pro-choice (years ago, when I was away from God), and the biggest stumbling block for me was that standing out front of a clinic with a sign didn't help these women. I imagined that once protesters convinced a woman not to abort her child, they would be satisfied and she would still be alone facing an abusive boyfriend, homelessness, or poverty. The Gabriel Project addresses this very real concern. </b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b><br /></b></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>In fact, the more I learn about the abortion industry and the mindset behind it, the more I realize how it is a coordinated attack on women. </b></span></i><br />
<h3>
<br />What are some steps we can take now?</h3>
<h4>
Prayer, fasting and alms giving.</h4>
<br />
Jesus told his apostles that "some demons require prayer and fasting." Pray and fast. Don't stop eating solid foods. Start slow. Give up snacks in-between your meals. Drink water instead of coffee or soda for a day. Fasting from food is traditional and effective, but what if you can't do it because of a medical condition or your pregnant or elderly? Fast from Candy Crush or watching television and pray instead. Every sacrifice of a worldly pleasure counts. And don't worry if you fail. Just get back up and try again. Your effort will please God, and maybe more so than if it were easy.<br />
<br />
Another interesting point made by Father Stephen was that abortion is a sin of convenience. We can make our prayer a prayer of inconvenience to counter it. How? <br />
<br />
If it is inconvenient to get up early to pray, do it anyway. If you're tired at the end of the day and don't feel like taking ten minutes to talk to the Lord, do it anyway. Maybe a friend has asked for a ride to Mass, and that would cut into your morning coffee time. Do it, and offer it up. It makes perfect sense.<br />
<br />
The third step is alms giving. Support <a href="http://www.priestsforlife.org/" target="_blank">Priests for Life</a> or <a href="https://40daysforlife.com/" target="_blank">40 Days for Life</a> or any other pro-life organization. Make sure you do your homework, because some pro-abortion organizations use confusing names deliberately. Take Planned <i>Parenthood</i>. Who would guess that it's all about eliminating the necessary element of parenthood--a child?<br />
<br />
<h3>
Don't Take on the World </h3>
It's easy to get depressed or angry over the big picture. When you hear Hillary Clinton praise Margaret Sanger, a racist of the top order who admired Hitler's eugenics program, and then realize she has a very real chance of becoming our next president, it's easy to want to give up. But Jesus is in charge of the world, not us. Stay humble and trust that He's got it covered.<br />
<br />
You can see Him at work when Hillary Clinton broke rhetoric by referring to a fetus as an unborn child, something she was blasted for by the president of Planned Parenthood. Sometimes the victories are subtle, but they are sweet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you want to find out more about what inspired the Solidarity Movement, here is some suggested reading:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<br />
St. Pope John Paul II "<a href="http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens.html" target="_blank">On Human Work</a>" <br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leszek_Ko%C5%82akowski">Leszek Kołakowski</a>'s 1971 essay "Theses on Hope and Hopelessness"Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-40949926276925346592016-06-10T09:09:00.000-07:002016-06-10T09:10:54.266-07:00Walking Through the Rosary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RSLwJ8eME98/V1rmgj5Z1aI/AAAAAAAACX0/a8A0dx_L9q8MAuprW26w0AC54sy4C5_ngCLcB/s1600/Walking%2BRosary%2BCover%2BRosary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RSLwJ8eME98/V1rmgj5Z1aI/AAAAAAAACX0/a8A0dx_L9q8MAuprW26w0AC54sy4C5_ngCLcB/s320/Walking%2BRosary%2BCover%2BRosary.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sometimes, it can be difficult to meditate on the Rosary as you pray it. You should be thinking about each Mystery: The Agony in the Garden, The Visitation, etc. Though it's easy to bring up a familiar image from religious art, the question still remains - how does this Mystery apply to me, personally?<br />
<br />
I've written two meditation guides on to help: <i>Walking Through the Rosary </i>and <i>Walking Through the Rosary for the Childless.</i> These are both available on Amazon and other places as both ebook and paperback. However, the purpose behind these books was to get people more involved with this beautiful, deep, Scriptural prayer, and so I decided to make the book available, chapter by chapter, here on Bad Martha. I'll being with the chapter, "Why Pray the Rosary?"<br />
<br />
I hope that it brings you many hours of fruitful prayer.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930325"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930125"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930068"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929931"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929824"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929774"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584681"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584588"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420327898"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420322380"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321909"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321762"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321711"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321654">Why Pray the Rosary?</a></span></h1>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930326"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930126"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930069"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929932"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929825"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929775"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584682"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584589"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420327899"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420322381"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321910"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321763"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321712"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321655"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418936614"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418760223">The
Rosary is a weapon for peace.</a></span></h2>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What if you knew there was a weapon
available that could end war? That would put an end to violence on the streets?
That would eliminate hate? There is, and it's not the latest bomb from the
military but a simple recitation of prayers that's been around in various forms
for over a thousand years. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, you ask, why hasn't anyone
ever told us about this? Why don't the popes recommend it to us? They have,
even back to Pope Urban IV in the 1200s. The Rosary was the favorite prayer of
St. Pope John Paul II. In an address given to the crowds in St. Peter's Square
on October 7,2007, as reported on Zenit.org, Pope Benedict XVI said,
"...the Rosary is a means given by the Virgin for contemplating Jesus and,
meditating on His life, for loving and following Him always more
faithfully." In a Vatican News story on May 4, 2015, Pope Francis told the
Swiss Guard to arm themselves with the Gospel and the Rosary. It would be safe
to say that the popes are behind the Rosary.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If we want peace in the world, we
need to pray the Rosary. Never lose hope. Here are some examples of how the
Rosary changed the outcomes of some dire situations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Battle of Lepanto, 1571 </b>- Ottoman
Turks outnumbered Christians by three to one, but when the Christian
soldiers prayed the Rosary, they miraculously defeated the Turks. </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Russians Pull Out of Austria</b> -
After World War II, the Allies turned Austria over to communist Russia,
and the citizens were subject to the atrocities of communism. Father
Petrus, a Franciscan priest, began a Rosary rally, and 70,000 Austrians
pledged to pray the Rosary every day for Russia to leave the country.
Although Austria was a strategic location rich with mineral and oil
deposits, Russia inexplicably <i>and
peacefully</i> left the country in 1955. </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Russian Missile Launch Fails</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- In
1960, Nikita Khrushchev, after promising to "bury" the United
States, went home for a final test launch of a nuclear missile. Pope John XXIII
called for the world's Catholics to pray the Rosary. On the night of
October 12 - 13, about 1,000,000 pilgrims prayed the Rosary at Fatima. At
least 300 dioceses around the world joined them. When it came time to test
the missile, it didn't leave the launch pad. After about fifteen minutes,
government officials and scientists left the safety of the shelter, and
the missile exploded, killing over 300 people. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A Promise to Defeat Boko Haram</b>-
In a recent news story, Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme from Nigeria tells that he was
praying the Rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus appeared to
him and held out a sword. When the bishop reached for the sword, it turned
into a Rosary, and then Jesus said three times, "Boko Haram is
gone." Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist group that captured 300
schoolgirls in 2014 and murdered 54 people in 2015, is a scourge in the
bishop's country. Bishop Doeme understood this apparition to mean that
praying the Rosary would rid his country of the terrorist threat of Boko Haram.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">UPDATE: By the end of April 2015, CNA/EWTN had reported that
Nigerian troops had rescued over 400 women and children from Boko Haram in
separate operations. This is after Bishop Doeme began his crusade to get people
to pray the Rosary for peace. Coincidence? I don't believe it is. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span></b>
</span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930327"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930127"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930070"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929933"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929826"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929776"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584683"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584590"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420327900"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420322382"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321911"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321764"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321713"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321656"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418936615"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418760224"> </a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0in;">We are called to pray it, so it must be
important!</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over and over again, the Blessed
Mother has urged us to pray the Rosary in her apparitions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">At <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lourdes, Mary emphasized the Rosary and prayed it many times with Bernadette.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">At<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Fatima, Mary told the children, <i>"Pray
the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in
the world . . . for she alone can save it."</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(Our Lady, July 13, 1917)</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">In <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kibeho, Rwanda, our Lady asked that the
entire student body of Kibeho High School pray the Rosary for her, and she
asked one of the visionaries, Marie-Claire Mukangango, to reintroduce the
Rosary of the Seven Sorrows to the world. (Instructions for how to pray
the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows appear at the end of this book.) </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Archbishop Fulton Sheen summed up
the Rosary with these words: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"<i>The Rosary
is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of
love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates
them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other
men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this
world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond
description.</i>"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930328"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930128"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422930071"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929934"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929827"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc422929777"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584684"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420584591"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420327901"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420322383"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321912"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321765"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321714"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc420321657"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418936616"></a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418760225">There are benefits to praying the Rosary</a></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Catholic Church has attached
indulgences to praying the Rosary. Catholic Answers gives this explanation from
<i>The Handbook of Indulgences:<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">A <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">plenary
indulgence is granted when the Rosary is recited in a church or
oratory or when it is recited in a family, a religious community, or a
pious association. A partial indulgence is granted for its
recitation in all other circumstances.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">It h<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">as
become customary to call [one set of mysteries] the "Rosary"
also. Concerning this customary usage then, the following norms are given
regards a plenary indulgence.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">The <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">recitation of [one set of mysteries] is sufficient for obtaining
the plenary indulgence, but these five decades must be recited
without interruption.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Devo<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ut
meditation on the mysteries is to be added to the vocal prayer.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">In i<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ts
public recitation the mysteries must be announced in accord with approved
local custom, but in its private recitation it is sufficient for the
Christian faithful simply to join meditation on the mysteries to the vocal
prayer.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">In<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> the
Eastern Churches where recitation of the Marian Rosary as a devotional
practice is not found, the patriarchs can establish other prayers in honor
of the blessed Virgin Mary which will have the same indulgences as those attached
to the rosary, (e.g., in the Byzantine churches, the Akathist hymn, or the
office Paraclisis). (79-80)</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What is an indulgence? According to
the <i>Catechism of the Catholic Church</i>,
1471, "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment
due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Partial indulgences are the partial
remission of temporal (not eternal!) punishment for sins. Plenary indulgences
are the full remission of temporal punishment for sin. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, Mary made 15 Promises to
those who recite the Rosary. She gave these promises first to St. Dominic and
later to Blessed Alan de la Roche, and each promise bestows great favors on
those who regularly pray the Rosary with devotion. </span></div>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The
Fifteen Promises</span></h2>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc418607282"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Prepare yourself. These are AWESOME!)</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the
recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces. (Signal graces are signs
from God to help us make the right decisions.) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->My special protection and the greatest graces to
all those who shall recite the Rosary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The Rosary will be a powerful armor against
hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It will cause virtue and good works to flourish;
obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; withdraw the hearts of men from the
love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal
things. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Those who recommend themselves to me by the
recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly,
applying himself to the consideration of its sacred Mysteries, shall never be
conquered by misfortune.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->God will not chastise him in His justice, he
shall not perish by an unprovided death, if he be just, he shall remain in the
grace of God and become worthy of eternal life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->During their life and at their death, the light
of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall
participate in the merits of the saints in paradise. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I shall deliver from purgatory those who have
been devoted to the Rosary. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit
a high degree of glory in Heaven.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">11.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->You shall obtain all you ask of me by the
recitation of the Rosary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">12.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be
aided by me in their necessities. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">13.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and the
brothers of my only son, Jesus Christ.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">14.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the
advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court
during their life and at the hour of death. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">15.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Devotion (to the Rosary) is a great sign of
predestination. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Predestination is the doctrine that
God, in consequence of His foreknowledge of all events, infallibly guides those
who are destined for salvation. Definition by Merriam-Webster.)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
</span><br />
<h1>
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></h1>
Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-7716233952025944152015-10-28T06:50:00.002-07:002015-10-28T06:50:44.221-07:00The Exorcist: A Beautiful Movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw2j5R2fbGM/VjDEhLSD1tI/AAAAAAAACAI/r2xxKwl0kiE/s1600/Exorcist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw2j5R2fbGM/VjDEhLSD1tI/AAAAAAAACAI/r2xxKwl0kiE/s200/Exorcist.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
I didn't see <i>The Exorcist</i> until I was well into my twenties. Maybe even my thirties. I had no desire to see pea soup sprayed all over actor Jason Miller, as I have a low threshold for gross. Part of me, even when I wasn't following Jesus, thought the idea of possession was too scary to sit through. So I passed until one Halloween, when the hubby convinced me it was a good film.<br />
<br />
I thought it was one of the most beautiful films I had ever seen.<br />
<br />
While moviegoers and critics focused on the special effects, I saw the story of a man's struggle with faith. Father Karras, who after years of counseling others through their pain, couldn't find his way out of the pain in his own life. This was a man who had given his life to God, and instead of receiving the accolades he deserved as a top psychiatrist, he watched helplessly - cash poor and working in another city - as his elderly mother declined in health. He was reminded that if he had dedicated himself to the secular world, he would have been able to afford better care for her. Instead, he had to find out from others that she had died in her home, undiscovered for days. <br />
<br />
He lost his faith.<br />
<br />
This is reality. There are uglies in each of our lives, and following Jesus won't make them go away.<br />
<br />
Even as he walks into the room to assist Father Merrin with the exorcism, we still don't know if he believes, but when the moment comes to save the girl, Father Karras makes the ultimate sacrifice and gives his life for hers.<br />
<br />
There are moments in the film that give me chills. The first is when Chris Mac Neil pulls out the Ouija board. What many think of as a simple parlor game is an entryway for evil. Evil needs a doorway. An entrance. An invitation. And evil disguises itself as fun things. Pleasurable things. The character Regan thinks she is playing with a child-friendly spirit called Mr. Howdy. That's creepy.<br />
<br />
When I moved to Los Angeles, it was the thing to go to tarot card readers and to have sessions with mediums. There was one medium who met with a group of us. I thought, "Another out-of-work actress." She allegedly channeled some spirit, and when she spoke of the current generation being born, she described them with pleasure. I remember I got a chill, thinking that what she described as beautiful, I thought was horrible - selfish hedonists without moral sense. Years later, her "prediction" came true, and I wonder if there was really something in the room that night. I was lucky. And stupid.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tzUNa3HHeK0/VjDIWQlsmWI/AAAAAAAACAU/S8fOBG_OOyA/s1600/exorcist2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tzUNa3HHeK0/VjDIWQlsmWI/AAAAAAAACAU/S8fOBG_OOyA/s1600/exorcist2.jpg" /></a>The next is that famous image of the child Regan clawing at the sky while a statue representing evil looks on. Take off the blinders and look around. When you meet people who actively embrace sinful living, there isn't a lot of joy. There may be temporary satisfaction as the desire of the moment is met, but they are generally unhappy and in pain. As they claw their way through what the world has to offer in their search for meaning and joy, the devil looks on. I doubt that anything filled with hate can feel pleasure or satisfaction, but he must be feeling triumph, because God wants every soul, and anything the devil can do to keep that soul from finding God is a success.<br />
<br />
The image on the front of the movie box (see above) brings me joy. Father Merrin, knowing what he will face, stands before the house and prepares to enter anyway. I've listened to many talks by exorcists, and these are men on the front line who stare evil right in the face. Full possession is rare, but they still deal with manifestations in their deliverance ministry. They see evil. They hear the taunts of Satan and his demons. Over and over I've heard them tell their fellow priests that there is nothing to be afraid of. These are the marines of the religious world (with all due deference to the Franciscans. They'll know what I mean.)<br />
<br />
We all struggle with faith. It's hard to stay focused on God when there are difficulties, such as financial problems, illnesses and relationship problems. The character of Father Karras gives an example of one man, facing the ultimate test, who finds the strength to choose God. That's a beautiful story.Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-20771955237333243692015-09-25T03:00:00.000-07:002015-09-25T05:33:36.323-07:00Connie Rossini on Centering Prayer<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Connie Rossini gives whole families practical help to grow in holiness. She is the author of </span><i style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trusting-God-Therese-Connie-Rossini-ebook/dp/B00LTATI6C/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Trusting God with St. Therese</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Growth-Choleric-Child-Children/dp/069243156X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">A Spiritual Growth Plan for Your Choleric Child</a>,</i><span style="font-size: 16px;"> and the free ebook </span><i style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Five-Lessons-Carmelite-Saints-Change-ebook/dp/B00DBBA1BS/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Five Lessons from the Carmelite Saints That Will Change Your Life<span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></a></i><span style="font-size: 16px;"> She writes a spirituality column for </span><i style="font-size: 16px;">The Prairie Catholic</i><span style="font-size: 16px;">of the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota, and blogs at Contemplative Homeschool. She is also a columnist for SpiritualDirection.com. She manages the Google+ Community Indie Catholic Authors. Connie and her husband Dan have four young sons.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>I recently ran into Centering Prayer. There seemed to be something off about it. Fortunately, I ran into Connie Rossini's book "Is Centering Prayer Catholic?" at the same time, and I found the answers I was looking for. Connie has graciously agreed to answer a few of my questions here on the blog.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Welcome Connie!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>Could you first briefly explain what Centering Prayer is?</b></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In Centering Prayer, you begin with the intention to be present to God. Then you sit in silence, turning away from every thought, feeling, or impression. When you find yourself following a thought or emotion, you silently focus on a "sacred word" you have chosen ahead of time. This word is supposed to be only one or two syllables long. You do not think about the meaning of the word. Once your mind has quieted down, you drop the word and go back to silence. Then at the end of your 20 minutes of practicing this, you sit for a couple of minutes longer to transition back to your everyday life. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><i>Is Centering Prayer "a Catholic thing", or do other Christian denominations use it?</i></b></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Centering Prayer was created by three Trappist monks, Fathers William Meninger, Thomas Keating, and Basil Pennington. However, it is popular with some Protestants, especially Episcopalians. Ecumenical Centering Prayer retreats are common.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>What drew you to the subject of Centering Prayer?</b></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I blog on the contemplative life, so people regularly ask me about prayer. I began looking into Centering Prayer in depth when my brother's friend asked me about it. The more I write about it, the more confusion I see among my readers about what prayer truly is for the Christian. I want my readers to grow in intimacy with God, which is impossible without prayer.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>What is the difference between Centering Prayer and St. Teresa's infused contemplation?</b></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Infused contemplation--which has been recognized since the early centuries, so long before St. Teresa--is a pure gift of God. Centering Prayer is a technique or method. Some methods can prepare us to receive infused contemplation, but none can make us contemplatives. Fr. Thomas Keating has said that Christian contemplation is really the same thing as eastern meditation. This is completely false. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>What do you see as the biggest danger to Centering Prayer?</b></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are two interconnected dangers. First, that people will be led off course, pursuing interior silence instead of pursuing intimacy with Jesus. Getting to know and love Jesus is the way we grow spiritually, and traditional Christian prayer methods help us do this. Centering Prayer, in contrast, rejects using the mind or the heart. You cannot get to know or love God by turning away from your thoughts and feelings about Him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Secondly, prayer and theology are intertwined. The theology taught by Fr. Thomas Keating is more influenced by eastern religions than by Christianity. For example, he teaches that there is no real difference between God and the human soul. That is pantheism, not Christianity. The practice of Centering Prayer supports and is supported by this bad theology. So people who start without considering the theology behind it can nevertheless be led towards unorthodoxy in their beliefs. I have seen this in conversations I have had with Centering Prayer practitioners.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b> What would you tell someone who says that if three priests came up with it and Catholic retreat houses are teaching it, Centering Prayer must be alright?</b></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Unfortunately, many priests over the centuries have taught error. In fact, most of those whose teachings have been officially condemned by the Church have been priests. So being a priest is certainly no assurance of orthodoxy. The Church has not yet condemned Centering Prayer by name, but it has issued two documents on New Age errors that describe some of the very things taught and practiced by Centering Prayer proponents. When you compare these documents and the Catechism to Fr. Keating's teaching, as I have done, you see clearly that he is teaching error.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>How can a person who wants greater union with God get started? What should be his or her goal?</b></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Greater union with God has a twofold component: prayer and virtue. If we want to advance in prayer, we must dedicate ourselves to resisting temptation and being obedient to God's will. Growth in prayer also gives us the grace to do this. Prayer and virtue support each other. My advice is to set aside time each day to prayerfully read the Gospels and talk to God about what you read. In addition, frequent the sacraments, work on avoiding even the smallest sin, and begin making small sacrifices out of love for Christ. Union with God is really an intimate love relationship with Him. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. He is the beginning and end of our faith.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i><b>I understand you will be coming out with a paperback edition of your book. When can readers look for it to be available? </b></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I released the paperback a couple of weeks ago. It is now available through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Centering-Prayer-Catholic-Thomas-Keating-ebook/dp/B014ED3U6E/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/is-centering-prayer-catholic-connie-rossini/1122617904?ean=9780692518489" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble online</a>, and Createspace, among other retailers.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Thank you Connie! Please read on for a brief review of Connie's book. </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Is Centering Prayer Catholic?: Fr. Thomas Keating Meets Teresa of Avila and the CDF</span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">by Connie Rossini</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Four Waters Press</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Paperback $9.95</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">ebook $2.99</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Synchronicity in religion can be a dangerous thing. Catholics have been known to mix their beliefs with anything from voodoo and witchcraft to New Age beliefs, which is like mixing oil and water. Unfortunately, when the person doing the mixing is a Catholic priest, Catholics can be fooled into believing that the outcome is okay, and that's what happened when Father Thomas Keating mixed Catholic meditation with Eastern meditation. The result was Centering Prayer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Author Connie Rossini, a 3rd order Carmelite for seventeen years, uses the prayer practices of Teresa of Avila to demonstrate where the practice of Centering Prayer leaves the path of Christianity and enters dangerous territory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Her writing style is conversational, and she includes comments and exchanges from her various social media sites as well as from her blog at the beginning of each chapter, which clearly shows the confusion that people have about this prayer technique. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The author lays out Father Keating's philosophy on Centering Prayer as a counterpoint to the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church for her writings and teachings on prayer as well as </span><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"> the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on New Age spirituality</span>. By the end of the book, the differences between Centering Prayer and Catholic prayer are clear. </span></div>
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Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-5187526065751879322015-08-27T09:08:00.004-07:002015-08-27T09:08:46.724-07:00The Sticktoitiveness of Saint Monica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today we celebrate Saint Monica, mother of St. Augustine. When Augustine was a young lad, he was not a nice Catholic boy. He dabbled in heresy (the Manichean heresy), drinking and carousing. He lived with a woman and had a child out of wedlock. He was extremely smart, but he was a pain in the side to poor Monica.<br />
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And so Monica prayed. And prayed. And prayed. She prayed for 17 years.<br />
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By her example, we can see that our petitions to the Lord should not be one-offs. We shouldn't give the Lord or ourselves deadlines. <i>I'll pray for five years and if nothing happens, it must be God's will. </i>We shouldn't give up, ever.<br />
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Most people acknowledge her example of perseverance, but she exemplifies several other virtues as well.<br />
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Humility</h3>
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She offered her prayers and petitions to the Lord knowing that He will* act in His own time. It was her job to pray. The rest was up to Him.<br />
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<br />Fortitude</h3>
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She stayed close to St. Augustine, closer than he wanted, so one night he ditched her and took a boat to Rome. She followed, but found he had gone to Milan. She followed. This was at a time when boat travel was perilous and difficult. She had the courage of a marine!<br />
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Trust</h3>
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Monica, though a Christian, was given to a pagan in marriage. The man had a violent temper, and he came with a cranky mother. Most people would have packed it in and figured that this was a cross to bear. Monica prayed, and before they died, both her mother-in-law and husband converted to Christianity!<br />
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She also gives us an example of <b>expectant prayer, </b>something that we are sorely short of in our culture. We should have faith that God will answer our prayers.<br />
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In our instant gratification culture, Saint Monica serves to remind us that God's gifts are not "on demand", and that He always hears our prayers.<br />
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Saint Monica, pray for us!</h3>
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* (No. That's not a grammatical error. God is always in the present.)Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-44841814430000238512015-08-09T11:00:00.002-07:002015-08-09T11:00:20.660-07:00The Miraculous ChurchAs Catholics, we tend to forget that our Church is the Church of miracles. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone (even priests) downplay the supernatural aspects of the Church.<br />
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"We can pray for healing, but it will be a spiritual healing. God will help us through our suffering."<br />
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No, no, NO!<br />
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Jesus didn't tell lepers just to be strong and bear their leprosy with dignity. He didn't tell them to offer it up. He <i>healed </i>them, but he always asked them what they wanted first. <br />
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And He always credited the faith of the person who was being healed. As Dr. Margaret Schlientz explains it, it was His power that did the healing, but it was the person's faith that manifested the healing.<br />
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At St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic parish this weekend, we are honored to host "The Eucharistic Miracles of the World", a Vatican approved exhibition. Time after time, Jesus has reached out to give us the proof we, as flawed humans, need that the Eucharist is the Real Presence, the actual Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And the Eucharist is the ultimate healer.<br />
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The miracles include Lanciano, where the bread and wine turned into actual Body and Blood. Modern scientists evaluated the samples without knowing where they came from. They said the samples came from a heat muscle, and they wanted to know how the doctor took a sample from a man who was still alive.<br />
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When the later miracle at Buenos Aires occurred, samples from Lanciano and Buenos Aires were compared, and scientists said they came from the same person.<br />
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And still we doubt.<br />
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If we want to see more miracles in this modern world, then we need to have expectant faith. Expect miracles. Expect healing. Expect a huge, active God to take part in your daily life. He wants to, but He won't circumvent our free will.<br />
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<b><i>What miracles have you seen in your own life? </i></b><br />
<br />Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-86545347673200674932015-07-31T09:36:00.002-07:002015-07-31T09:36:37.523-07:00Is Your Face Shining Like Moses? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Moses would speak to God, his face would shine. He had to wear a veil in order to keep from freaking out his fellow Israelites. When we have a personal relationship with God, our faces should shine as well. It's got nothing to do with good skin creams or our inner beauty. The glow is a reflection of God's love.<br />
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I've heard it said that Mary is like the moon in relation to Jesus, the sun. Just as we can see the moon because the light of the sun reflects off of it's surface, Mary reflects the light of Jesus. I love that analogy, and it applies to each of us as well. Mary was full of grace, but she was still one of God's creatures, just like us. That means that we, too, can reflect the love of Jesus to everyone we meet.<br />
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So, how to we up the wattage?<br />
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<b>Spend time talking to God...</b><br />
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To activate that shine, you first have to speak with God. If you're just starting out, you can use the words of prayers already written. Even better, God has given us words we can use to express every emotion in the Psalms. Don't just read them. Pray them.<br />
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<b>...and listening...</b><br />
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If we wanted to learn the accumulated wisdom of our grandmother, we wouldn't go to her house, sit down, and proceed to talk the entire time, never letting granny get a word in edgewise. We would eagerly anticipate what she had to tell us, knowing that life will be fuller and richer if we heed her advice. If we want to hear what God is saying, we need to keep our mouths shut.<br />
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<b>...so that God has a chance to tell us what <i>He </i>wants.</b><br />
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When we are worried or there is an outcome that we are focused on achieving, we can certainly tell God about it. But if we sit back and wait for an answer to what we think is the problem, we may dismiss or ignore what <i>God</i> wants for us. Mother Mary tells us repeatedly in her apparitions that God answers ALL prayers. That should give us great joy.<br />
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What if you told God that you were worried about your son, who has separated himself from God. In our limited minds, we expect the answer will be a sudden stirring of that son's heart and instant conversion. But what if God's response is to tell you repeatedly to volunteer for the soup kitchen?<br />
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You might get annoyed. You might push it aside, because what has a soup kitchen to do with <i>your </i>problem with your son?<br />
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But what if you went to the soup kitchen. You eventually make friends with a young God-loving female volunteer. One day, your son picks you up from your volunteer work. They meet. They start dating, and slowly he sees how God is an important factor in the beauty of this person he now loves. He starts attending Mass or services with her and finally develops his own relationship with God.<br />
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See how God answered your prayer? Just not the way you expected.<br />
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(And remember, He will never impose Himself on the person you are praying for. They have free will, too. So, He may issue an invitation to your son, but your son can reject Him.)<br />
<br />
<b>Spend Time in His Presence...</b><br />
<br />
Moses got that light from being face-to-face with God. We can sit in the chapel, mere feet away from God, in Adoration. The Eucharist does not have to be exposed in order to adore. The physical presence of Jesus is in the tabernacle. <br />
<br />
<b>...and see the changes in our lives.</b><br />
<br />
If you develop a relationship with God through reading His Word and regular prayer, you will change. Once you've given God permission to act, you won't be able to stop the flow of love that will permeate your life. He won't promise you riches or prestige. Those are things of the world. But, He will fill you will peace and love, and you will learn to recognize His presence during every moment of your day. And what could be better than walking with God?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-29107788492069983042015-06-28T21:35:00.000-07:002015-06-28T21:35:21.369-07:00The Enemy Has Made His Latest Attack...And I'm SingingIn the wake of the enemy's latest attack, my first response was depression. A horror of what's to come. Anger at the foolishness of mankind. And then I realized that, by my reaction, I was making the same mistake that many Christians make in the face of seemingly hopeless situations We inadvertently give the enemy more credit than we give God. And that's a mistake.<br />
<br />
My God is massive. He's HUGE. In the words of the song, He is "Indescribable. Uncontainable... All powerful. Untameable." Which is why "Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You are amazing, God."<br />
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When I give glory to God for His goodness and recognize that He is the one in control, that He is all powerful, then I can get proper perspective. Too often, I think in little terms, the terms of the world around me. But in the right perspective, my troubles are so small. The government is so small. Even our world is so small compared to our humongous God.<br />
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Our prayers shouldn't be troubled, fearful whispers asking Him to save our world. They should be bold proclamations of His marvelous works. Joyful shouts telling of His unconditional love. Awestruck professions of His complete and absolute power. And song.<br />
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And I think that He is just waiting for us to turn our gazes on Him where they belong, and when we fall to our knees and humbly proclaim that our God is AMAZING, we will see the enemy recede into the darkness where he belongs. Then we will witness the power of God.<br />
<br />
And that's why I'm singing.Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-25936820037505706752015-06-25T09:18:00.000-07:002015-09-23T16:02:03.298-07:00The Fallacy of Random Acts of KindnessRandom Acts of Kindness. It's a phrase that bothers me. Every time I catch sight of a bumper sticker proclaiming these out of control impulses, I cringe. If I replace the word random with some of its definitions, maybe you'll understand.<br />
<br />
Accidental Acts of Kindness<br />
<br />
I can't imagine how we can be kind accidentally. Our kindness may have unintentional consequences, such as when we are kind to the checker at the grocery store. The next person in line who witnesses our actions may feel better about the world. But we were intentionally kind to the checker in the first place.<br />
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Haphazard Acts of Kindness<br />
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This brings up images of someone stumbling around and spilling splashes of kindness paint on passersby, creating a Jackson Pollock-type world.<br />
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Hit and Miss Acts of Kindness.<br />
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While I admit that acts of kindness don't have to be accepted by the intended target, the actual act itself has to be directed at a recipient, even if it's ourselves. Try being kind to an empty room. </div>
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So, why does this bug me? It belittles kindness by turning into some kind of tick. </div>
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It takes an effort to be kind. It take practice. Kindness is like a muscle we develop through use. If someone cuts you off in traffic, which is more difficult? To wave your fist in the air and grumble about incompetent drivers, or to wonder if the poor soul is lost or late or frazzled and then follow with a quick prayer for the person's peace of mind? </div>
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You have to work at being kind, especially in our knee-jerk reaction world. You have to have self-control, which requires discipline. </div>
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We really should be kind to everyone we meet. If we practice Intentional Acts of Kindness, it could spread. We might even develop a sense of peace and a reputation as a <i>nice </i>person. Nice is underrated, but that's another topic.</div>
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Have you performed any Intentional Acts of Kindness?</div>
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Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-71906997107352722182015-06-18T08:39:00.000-07:002015-06-18T08:39:05.558-07:00Cherry Jam and the Good StewardMy cousin, Susi, is a blue-ribbon winner at state fairs for her jams and such. She recently sent me samples of her cherry and apricot, and boy are they worthy of awards! She makes the apricot from the trees in her backyard.<br />
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It really is a simple process. Not making jam. Being a good Martha.<br />
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First, you recognize the gifts you have been given, like the apricot trees in the backyard.<br />
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Then, you use those gifts, just like the top guy in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. God doesn't give us gifts so we can admire them and then forget about them. I think He's happiest when we take them and run, like Susi with her jam.<br />
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It's homemade, so it's wholesome compared to something with chemicals you would pick up in the store. It's efficient, because now you don't have to buy jam. And it's a celebration of creation, making something wonderful out of something beautiful.<br />
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But then there is the third part, and that's sharing. Susi could have hoarded her jam and had a private taste-bud festival, but she shared her wealth with others. She shared her talent, and she shared her joy.<br />
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And let me tell you. That jam is bringing us a lot of joy.<br />
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So, the secret to being a good Martha? <br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Recognize the gifts all around you. </li>
<li>Use those gifts. </li>
<li>Share them with others. </li>
</ul>
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<br />
Sounds like a plan.<br />
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(I may remind Susi of this when I run out of jam.)Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-1074227925256387092015-06-10T22:06:00.001-07:002015-09-29T16:12:57.489-07:00Walking Through The Rosary Meditation GuideAs I've matured in prayer, my Rosaries have gone from concentrated recitations of the prayers to personal meditations on the mysteries. I often apply the particular mystery to the challenges I'm facing for the day, and I've found great peace and solutions by doing so.<br />
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For example, if I'm worried about finances and the mysteries for the day are the Joyful Mysteries, then focusing on how Mary had complete trust in God during the scary times can really help. Or if I've been struggling with something I don't really want to do, knowing that Jesus followed the Father's will and was baptized by John, even though it wasn't necessary, helps put things into perspective.<br />
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I compiled some general meditations into a book, <i>Walking Through The Rosary</i>, and it's finally available on Amazon. I plan more books, such as meditations for brides and meditations on the Our Lady of Sorrows Chaplet.I like the Kindle cover shown here. The paperback has a different cover.<br />
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I originally came up with it as an addition to the Rosary decade bracelets I make, and I think it's pretty cool<br />
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<i><b>Has meditating on the Rosary helped you to solve problems?</b></i>Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-49955422113313197892015-05-06T14:12:00.001-07:002015-05-06T14:12:14.137-07:00Do You Have a Problem with Acedia?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I did a reflection for our Women's Bible Study on The Visitation. Through prayer, I felt that the point of The Visitation was, for me, at this time, a cure for acedia. Here's the reflection I presented: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Acedia. How many have heard that word? Probably not very many. It's from the Greek
word akedia. It's used in terms of spiritual apathy. It's also called the
"noon day devil." You know that tiredness that comes over us around
lunchtime? We've lost our first energy of the day and we just feel like taking
a nap? The rest of the list for the day, well, I'll do it some other time. It's that laziness or indifference in our
spiritual lives. Not direct acts of evil, but a refusal to do the good because
it takes too much time. It costs too much. It's too uncomfortable. It's such a
little thing that it's not worth it. I can't be bothered. It's an indifference
to our spiritual lives <i>and</i> our
salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We've all been apathetic at
one time or another. After Easter, I used the leftover ham in a family recipe
that called for horseradish. After I added it to the casserole, I did the math
and realized that I'd had that same bottle for, oh, three years. My apathy
could have led to the poisoning of my family, but I called Mom and Dad and they
said, with their usual confidence in man's ability to overcome anything,
"Three years? That's nothing. You'll be fine." And we were. I think
the reason that it's so easy to give into apathy is because it doesn't require
any effort. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So does that mean we're all
doomed unless we become spiritual dynamos? I don't think so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once, when I was meditating,
I saw a well. It went deep into the earth and I couldn't see the bottom. It was as black as pitch, as if there wasn't only an absence of light, but even air. It
was suffocating. It was evil. It was the path to hell, the place where Satan
sucked souls down into the dark nothingness where God isn't present because the
souls there choose to break from Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But above ground, surrounding
the well on the earth, there were lights. And the lights kept multiplying.
Southern Californians are very familiar with fires and how fire spreads. It leaps from branch to branch and envelop everything that's in its path. These
lights were us, spreading the light of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How do you stop a fire? You
take away the fuel. The fuel of this fire is God's unfathomable love, the flame
of His Sacred Heart, the burning love of His Word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And I realized that God's
fuel would never run out. While there was still this hole, this well, people would
have to get close enough to the well to get sucked in, but the lights would
keep multiplying and spreading, and the well would never catch up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What does this have to do with the visitation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Here's Luke 1:39 from the NIV. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white;">At that
time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">From the NABRE: </span></div>
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<span class="text" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;"><b><sup><br /></sup></b></span></div>
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<span class="text" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;"><b><sup> </sup></b></span><span class="text" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in
haste to a town of Judah,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mary was on fire with the
love of God. She had a mission and she didn't dawdle. If it were me being told that Elizabeth were
pregnant in her old age, I might stop to think about how inconvenient it would be. Maybe Elizabeth would settle for a phone call, or a carrier pigeon, or maybe I
could send word through someone who was already headed in that direction. I
would make excuses. I need to take care of myself. Or, I'm sure Elizabeth is
really busy getting ready for her child. I'll only be in the way. Or, it's not as if she's having the baby
tomorrow. I can wait a month and get things in order here before I leave. Did I
cover them all?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mary had the best excuse
ever. She was pregnant with the Son of
God, and she could have thought, "I need to take care of myself." But
the Angel Gabriel made it known that her cousin was in a position where she
would need Mary's help, and Mary hurried.
She traveled in haste. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her and she was on
fire, and she spread that light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And I love that she put her
faith in God that He would take care of the details, because it WAS dangerous
to travel back then. There were robbers. There were wild animals. I looked it up online. I saw cute things in
the desert around Judah, like gazelles and hares, but there are also wolves,
jackals, leopards, and there used to be bears and lions. That's why people traveled together. So Mary
caught the first caravan and left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is so much evil at work
in the world today. Sometimes it's obvious, like the killing of Christians in
the Middle East, but more often, it's subtle. It's that noonday devil slipping
in and whispering in our ear that the thing we were going to speak out against
might hurt someone's feelings, or make us unpopular. That kind act that we were
going to do really isn't important in the scheme of things. Maybe you see a woman who looks like she
could use a kind word and you think, "I don't really know her. I'll be
imposing on her. Who am I to think I could help her." So you remain silent. You don't spread the
fire. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is an 80/20 rule. 20%
of the people do 80% of the work. So 80%
of the people don't care, or they think someone else will take care of the
ministries or the volunteer work or the evangelizing. Well, you and I are that
someone else. You and I need to be that 20%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So how do we overcome the
demon of acedia and hurry to do God's will in our lives? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The book <i>Noon Day
Devil</i> has a few suggestions. One of them is prayer and work. Having a
prayer life in which you talk to God every day keeps you in informed. You will
know Him, and you will know His will for you.
As for work, you can't be listless when you're being active, whether
it's your day job or making dinner, doing the laundry, or wiping a kid's sticky
face. You're spreading the light of Christ to your husband, your children, your
coworkers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another way to counter acedia
is with contradiction. This is having scripture verses handy to counter those
whispers that tell you what you're doing doesn't matter, or can wait. Here are a few: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I feel that what
I'm doing just doesn't matter, or I think I'll give that volunteer work or that prayer
time a pass, or if I can't come up with time to talk to God,
or I think <i>I go to Mass on Sunday. Why
bother with weekday Mass. That's so fanatic, and besides. I want to sleep in.</i> I can turn to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: #b34b2c; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A23&version=NABRE">Colossians 3:23</a>: </span></b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18pt;"><i>Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the
Lord and not for others, </i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18pt;">Offer everything up to the Lord. That load of
dishes you're washing. Make it a prayer. A prayer can turn the mundane into the
sacred.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, stress is always a problem. I work at home, which means I'm easy prey for
people who want to talk to me. My mother calls me almost every day. There are
times when I see her on the caller ID and I'm in the middle of something
important. But my mother won't be around forever, and I doubt if I will
remember those important things, but I'll remember the time I didn't give her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Or there are times when I'm worried about all
the things I have to get done, and I blow off my prayer time. Then I can turn to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: #b34b2c; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12:26&version=NABRE">Luke 12:26</a>: </span></b><i><span style="line-height: 18pt;">If even the </span><b style="line-height: 18pt;">small</b><span style="line-height: 18pt;">est </span><b style="line-height: 18pt;">things</b><span style="line-height: 18pt;"> are
beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?</span></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is a reason why Jesus kept telling us not
to be afraid. It's because fear is the biggest snuffer of lights out there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I encourage you to look through your Bibles to find a favorite verse of Scripture. I love Proverbs when I'm looking for practical advice. <span style="line-height: 18pt;">Write it down if your memory is like mine, and when you feel that apathy,
when you think it's time for a break from your spiritual practices or your
mission, or you feel your love for Jesus starting to flicker, pull it out and
read it. Say a quick prayer. And be part of that 20%. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One final thought.
Gratitude. We have so much. We have our
friends here in Bible study. We just had a wonderful breakfast, so we're not
hungry. We have this wonderful church, the Eucharist. But sometimes, we're like
children at Christmas. You know how kids will open a ton of presents, and then
they'll lay there like slugs, sighing. "But I didn't get what I really
wanted!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gratitude makes it difficult
to be apathetic. Gratitude can fill you with energy, and it can remind you of
the God who is so good and then maybe put us in the frame of mind where we want
to give him everything, in haste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Open you're Bibles to Luke 1:46
and we'll close by reciting the ultimate prayer of gratitude, the
Magnificat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Luke
1:46-55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Canticle of Mary.</b> <b><sup> </sup></b>And Mary said:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“My soul
proclaims the greatness of the Lord;<br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> my spirit rejoices in God my
savior.<br /><b><sup> </sup></b>For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;<br /> from now
on will all ages call me blessed.<br /><b><sup> </sup></b>The Mighty One has done great things for me,<br />
and holy is his
name.<br /><b><sup> </sup></b>His mercy is from age to age<br />
to those who fear
him.<br /><b><sup> </sup></b>He has shown might with his arm,<br />
dispersed the
arrogant of mind and heart.<br /><b><sup> </sup></b>He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones<br />
but lifted up the
lowly.<br /><b><sup> </sup></b>The hungry he has filled with good things;<br />
the rich he has
sent away empty.<br /><b><sup> </sup></b>He has helped Israel his servant,<br />
remembering his
mercy,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><sup> </sup></b>according to his promise to our fathers,<br />
to Abraham and to
his descendants forever.”</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-15822604444755972632015-04-17T11:55:00.000-07:002015-04-17T11:55:29.174-07:00Stop Talking About Jesus!You're in your home. Loved ones come over. You're so happy to see them...until they walk past you and sit at a table nearby. You can hear them talking, and they're talking about YOU! How much they love you. How wonderful you are. How they can't imagine life without you.<br />
<br />
But they won't talk TO you. In fact, every time you try to jump into the conversation, they talk over you or ignore you.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCgywYL0muM/VTFW2B0Ab_I/AAAAAAAABfs/Ke7bcVV-cIk/s1600/left%2Bout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCgywYL0muM/VTFW2B0Ab_I/AAAAAAAABfs/Ke7bcVV-cIk/s1600/left%2Bout.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from The Commons Getty Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Would that make you happy? All warm and fuzzy inside?<br />
<br />
Not me. I want to be part of the conversation, and I think that might be how Jesus feels. There are many people who sincerely speak of their awe of God the Father, their affinity for the Holy Spirit, and their love for Jesus, but they can't find time to sit down in prayer and talk TO Him.<br />
<br />
If my husband never listened to anything I had to say, he wouldn't <i>know </i>me. My wishes for our relationship. He wouldn't know what I wanted, even if it was something as simple as picking up milk from the store on his way home.<br />
<br />
Take ten minutes today, find a quiet spot that is free of distractions, and talk to Jesus. Listen. It's the only way to grow in your relationship with Him, and it's the only way to change your world.Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-45691694465245642812015-03-19T13:42:00.000-07:002015-03-19T13:42:30.507-07:00Is the Blessed Virgin Mary Telling Us to Shut Up?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2mnxc7AY4x4/VQs0Ckvsh8I/AAAAAAAABcI/HPwZXqqR6wg/s1600/marymotherofgod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2mnxc7AY4x4/VQs0Ckvsh8I/AAAAAAAABcI/HPwZXqqR6wg/s1600/marymotherofgod.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the February 25, 2015 message to the Medjugorje visionary, Marija, the Blessed Virgin Mary said these words:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Dear children! In this time of grace I call all of you: <b>pray more and speak less</b>. In prayer seek the will of God and live it according to the commandments to which God calls you. I am with you and am praying with you... ."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I first read this message, I thought that Mary, like a gentle but admonishing mother, was telling us to be quiet. Stop talking. But why???</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Did she mean that when we talk about God we run into the danger of making His words and will reflect <i>our </i>words and will? Like that nasty group that runs around protesting at Christian churches and military funerals?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was ready to shut down my blog, withdraw from doing reflections for the Women's Bible Study, and keep my trap shut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But wait.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are <i>supposed </i>to proclaim the Good News, and one of the best ways is through our own actions and <i>our words</i>, by sharing our experiences. What some might call "witnessing", though that word has always carried bad connotations for me. Someone living like a hypocrite, yet shouting "Praise, Jesus!" after ever sentence. So what could Mary have meant? My brain was shorting out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, I found Jesus' own words to St. Foustina, to whom He revealed His desire for a devotion to His Divine Mercy. These words were recorded in her diary:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 22px;">My daughter, when I was before Herod, I obtained a grace for you; namely, that you would be able to rise above human scorn and follow faithfully in My footsteps. Be silent when they do not want to acknowledge your truth, because it is then that you </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 22px;"><strong>speak more eloquently</strong> (<em>Diary</em>, 1164).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;">He was telling us that we<i> should</i> speak the truth. It was when people chose to ignore us that our silence would "speak more eloquently". So, discuss the truth, but don't rant at those who dissent. Don't turn proclaiming the good news into a Jerry Springer show. So, tell Nancy Pelosi that she's choosing to turn her back on Jesus when she encourages abortion, and when she responds with something inane about killing babies being all about women's health, walk away. She's heard the truth; now she has to choose. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;">It's really, really difficult not to shake someone by the shoulders to wake them up, but it's not my job. We all have free will, so I can present it, and then it's up to the other person to accept it or not. Only God knows what's in their heart. Maybe, I'll have planted that tiny seed in the person's brain and, when they are less defensive, they will think about it, explore it, and come to the truth on their own (with some help from the Holy Spirit).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;">Good deal.</span>Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-49477485884512686812015-03-06T17:29:00.001-08:002015-03-06T17:30:23.726-08:00Encountering Jesus This LentOur parish is in the middle of an Encounter series for Lent. It's kind of our parish mission, but it's much more than just a few speakers. It's an encounter with Jesus meant to last the rest of our lives.<br />
<br />
The Encounter program did begin with speakers from all over the country who brought us stories and examples of how we can encounter Jesus in our lives. Being the queen of lists, I embraced a checklist of the Daily Disciplines of a Disciple of Jesus. Are you ready for them?<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">1. Read Scripture</span></h2>
<br />
Encounter Jesus through the Word of God every day. Father Larry Richards has a saying: No Bible, no breakfast; no Bible, no bed. Where do you start? The New Testament is a good place. Just don't neglect the Old Testament, because it all ties together in a miraculous way. (That's what happens when the Holy Spirit picks up a pen, using men to do the writing.)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">UPDATE: </span> </b>Matthew Kelly just did a great video on reading the Bible, and if you're just getting started, here are the books he recommends you jump in with: The Gospel of Matthew; Genesis; Psalms.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">2. Prayer</span></h2>
<br />
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's more than reciting "Now I lay me down to sleep" at the end of the day. It's dialogue. To hear God, you need some silence. You need to listen, so at least find a quiet spot for your prayer. One great way to pray is with Scripture, Read slowly. Read again. Take the word or words that stuck out or struck you and meditate on them. Listen. Let God get a word in. Then resolve an action for the next day.<br />
<br />
Here's an example: I read Luke 1. It's about Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. The couple were old and childless. Zechariah was a temple priest. This particular year, he had been chosen by lots to go into the temple and burn incense. This was a big job. They would tie a rope around the priest so they could drag him out if he died in there. He would come out and speak the name of God and give the people a blessing.<br />
<br />
While in the temple, an angel of the Lord appeared and announced that Elizabeth would become pregnant. Great news! <b>But Zechariah doubted</b>. Would you have asked questions? I probably would have. As punishment for doubting, Zechariah was struck dumb. This meant that he wouldn't be able to give the blessing or pronounce God's name to all of those people who had made the trek.<br />
<br />
<b>What struck me was the other people waiting to hear God's name and receive a blessing.</b> Because of Zechariah's doubts, he wouldn't be able to perform this task. For some of the faithful, this was the only time in their lives they could make it to Jerusalem. This was the only chance they would have to receive the blessing and hear God's name. Remember, back then, if you spoke the name of God, you were stoned to death. So it was a big deal.<br />
<br />
<i><b>It became clear to me that my lack of faith, my fears, affect others. Maybe God has a gift for them, and if I balk at doing my part, they won't receive that gift.</b></i><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">3. Living the Sacramental Life</span></h2>
<br />
The Sacraments are <b>Baptism</b> (which you only receive once), <b>First Communion,</b> <b>Reconciliation</b>, <b>Confirmation</b>, <b>Holy Orders</b> (for those who become priests), <b>Matrimony</b>, and <b>Anointing of the Sick</b>. You can receive the Eucharist every time you attend Mass, and in most areas in the United States, you can attend Mass daily. What a blessing! Reconciliation schedules vary, but you should be able to find it once per month. I go twice per month. Otherwise, those sins slip into habits. We receive grace through the Sacraments. <i>Who couldn't use more grace? </i><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">4. Fellowship with each other</span></h2>
<br />
It's not Jesus and Me; It's Jesus and Us. We are the Body of Christ, a community. Don't be an island! Part of the Encounter series is small group communities that will meet throughout Lent to share our journey as we get closer to Christ. If you can't get out of the house, there are online communities. Just don't get caught up in the anonymity of the web over live interaction.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">5. Service to Others</span></h2>
<br />
The majority of non-profits out there are Christian. There is a reason for this. We are Christ's hands and feet. Put them to work for Him.<br />
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<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: purple;">6. Proclamation</span></h2>
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You do this through word and action. First, be joyful. When people are exposed to the joy of a life in Christ, they want to know more, and that's a perfect time to introduce them to Jesus. Never be intimidated. I have found that if you bring Jesus up, more often than not, others are at least willing to listen. Quite often, they want to talk about Him themselves, but are too intimidated or shy.<br />
<br />
Boy. If I can do all of these daily for one year, I ought to see a difference in my life, and others should see a difference in me.<br />
<br />
Do you have any suggestions for carrying out these steps? Additional steps you would add?<br />
<br />Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-5315811510001758992015-02-06T10:32:00.000-08:002015-02-06T10:32:43.616-08:00Encountering Christ Through Praise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5wqmdUNaQ-I/VNUHwjj3OQI/AAAAAAAABV0/5AA12F9bdiU/s1600/Praise!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5wqmdUNaQ-I/VNUHwjj3OQI/AAAAAAAABV0/5AA12F9bdiU/s1600/Praise!.jpg" height="167" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This week, our parish held a three-day Encounter. There were speakers, filled with wisdom, who shared stories from the Bible and connected them to stories about real life. Their messages were funny, heartfelt, exciting, and jarring. They encouraged us to deepen our relationship with Jesus, either through opening ourselves to begin that relationship or to bring our current relationship to the next level. They laid out how simple that choice should be, and how hard it <i>can</i> be because of our fallen nature.<br />
<br />
The most incredible gift was the praise, especially through music. It set the tone, and it definitely pleased God, because He sent His Spirit rushing through that church to bring His children closer to Him. And I deliberately use the term gift, because God doesn't need our praise. He's God. He doesn't need anything. Praise is His present to us, because we were made for worship. WE need to praise, and through it, we experience joy.<br />
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I'll admit that I have an aversion to what I call happy-clappy music, and this has come about from attending Masses where people become the audience, rather than participants. They like the music, but as entertainment. Meanwhile, they wander in late, play on their cell phones (and I know some use devices to follow along as Scripture is read, and that's fantastic) or chat with each other, and they ignore Jesus and what's taking place on the altar. The lack of respect is a distraction I have to fight.<br />
<br />
After my experience this week, I've determined that the problem lies not with the music, but with the misuse of the music. I just have to pray that those who don't get it will allow God to work in their hearts to convert them to a place where the music becomes praise.<br />
<br />
Back to the Encounter. Every evening began with praise. Gifted musicians led the people through songs meant to open our minds and hearts to Jesus. There are always those who raise their hands and sway with the tempo. I'm the one tho folds her hands in front of her and stands at attention, but that doesn't keep the Holy Spirit out.<br />
<br />
The first step in prayer, whether you're following the structure found in the Psalms or you're winging it in your own prayer, is giving God praise. There's a reason for this. It's like activating His presence. With that praise, we glorify Him and put ourselves in communion with Him, and I believe He is pleased and responds by lifting us up to a place where we can hear His voice.<br />
<br />
Only then will we have the clearest line, the best connection, that will enable us to pray with confidence for our requests, to hear His voice in Scripture, to receive guidance as to what He wants you specifically to do as His disciple. <br />
<br />
And then we thank Him.<br />
<br />
(But it all starts with the Praise!)<br />
<br />
<br />Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-70644077858577029722015-02-03T06:46:00.001-08:002015-02-03T06:46:27.939-08:00Our Lady of All Nations: A Prayer for Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rt2Zku3lLg/VNDfDlxg61I/AAAAAAAABS0/ba_gV2zrcrM/s1600/OLAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rt2Zku3lLg/VNDfDlxg61I/AAAAAAAABS0/ba_gV2zrcrM/s1600/OLAN.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
During her apparitions to Ida Peerdeman, a Dutch woman, from 1945 - 1959, under the title of Our Lady of All Nations, Mary gave her a prayer for peace. She asked that it be prayed daily in front of the Cross.<br />
<br />
Mary often predicts world secular events as a way to catch our attention, to get us to believe. In this instance, she predicted<br />
<br />
- the return of the State of Israel<br />
- the Korean War<br />
- the communist revolution in China<br />
- the "Arab Spring"<br />
<br />
Our Lady asked people to write to the Holy Father and encourage a fifth Marian Dogma that declares her Mediatrix, Co-Redemptrix, and Advocate. She put special emphasis on the "Co", and said that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will to send her, bearer of the Redeemer, into <i>this </i>world as Co-Redemptrix. She said that it would cause much controversy, but the more the Church fought for it, the stronger it would become.<br />
<br />
Why does Our Lady ask for titles? Is it because she's gone egocentric? NO. It's because Mary's <i>titles </i>are her <i>functions.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
She also asked that we say this prayer daily in front of the Cross to end the degeneration, disaster and war in this world.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now your Holy Spirit over the earth. Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations, that they may be preserved from degeneration, disasters, and war. May the Lady of All Nations, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our Advocate. Amen."</span></b><br />
<br />
If you would like to write the Holy Father, you can do so at:<br />
<br />
Pope Francis, 00120 Vatican City.Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-60535625988802013252015-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:002015-02-02T12:20:14.212-08:00Do You Have a Relationship with the Church, or a Truce? I heard an interesting comment the other day.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"50/50 is not a relationship; it is a truce." </div>
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<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UTQb2voVRM/U3FCEgpf2PI/AAAAAAAAAyI/oEG7qpqE1tw/s1600/800px-Handshake-300x189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UTQb2voVRM/U3FCEgpf2PI/AAAAAAAAAyI/oEG7qpqE1tw/s1600/800px-Handshake-300x189.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It really hit home, because most of us are looking for a truce, whether it be in our marriages, our jobs, our<br />
relationships with family and friends, or our relationship with the Church.<br />
<br />
Anyone who is happily married or has children will tell you that love is not give and take; it's give. Any time I've looked for my 50% or tried to divvy things up to make them fair, I've wound up miserable or angry or both.<br />
<br />
Keeping score doesn't work for anything other than sports. That doesn't mean be a doormat, but our definition of doormat has narrowed to the point where the minute the balance is tipped in the favor of someone else, we cry foul. <br />
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How, you ask, can I have a relationship with the Church? It's an organization. Well, that kind of thinking is the start of the problem.<br />
<br />
The Church is the Body of Christ. It is comprised of members, individuals, human beings. Your relationships with those human beings, from your fellow volunteers to the parish office staff to your priest to your bishop to Pope Francis define your relationship with the Church.<br />
<br />
Are you a minimalist? You've filled out a parish registration, dutifully check the Catholic box on surveys, and regularly put money in your donation envelope. What more do they want? Well, does your spouse require more of you than to bring home the paycheck and acknowledge that he/she is part of the family? I would hope so!<br />
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Are you confrontational? Are your conversations about the Church a criticism of everything you don't agree with or understand? Just a suggestion: Have you ever tried to understand the Church's position? I've found they are usually well thought-out positions with valid reasons behind them. Get a Catechism. It's a great resource.<br />
<br />
Do you write your pastor with complaints about the music, the altar server's tennis shoes, or parish leaders? Have you ever offered a (workable/kind) solution? Sometimes your solution won't be accepted even though it's obviously the most brilliant idea since American cheese. Realize that there are others who don't agree with you and let it go.<br />
<br />
If you feel as if nobody ever says hello, have you ever introduced yourself? They may be shy, new to the parish, or feel they are respecting your privacy. Conversely, do you know the names of any of your fellow parishioners? Or do you approach them at Mass the same way you'd approach fellow audience members at the theater? You're all there for the same show, but no talking!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Relationships take effort. Sometimes you may be the one who has to go more than halfway, but life is <strike>rarely</strike> never 50/50.<br />
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There can be great peace in tearing up your scorecard. </div>
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Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-81772312180208476872015-01-27T07:02:00.002-08:002015-01-27T07:02:51.477-08:00My Talk About Mary and the Saints Given at Bible Study<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">How many of you have a
devotion to Mary or one of the Saints? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I had a difficult time
forming a relationship with Mary and the Saints. I believed all of the doctrine and dogmas
about Mary, and I understood that we have an amazing community of Saints that
we can draw on for support and inspiration. I just couldn't seem to connect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Unfortunately, there are many
Christians who are separated from these relationships, especially with Mary, but
it wasn't always this way. In fact, here are a few quotes about Mary. Guess </span><span style="font-size: 21px;">their</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> source: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">- It is a sweet and pious belief that the infusion of Mary's soul was effected without original sin....</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">- The veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">- Christ, our Savior, was the real and natural fruit of Mary's virginal womb...This was without the cooperation of a man, and she remained a virgin after that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">You might be thinking St. Louis de Montfort, author of <i>True Devotion to Mary, </i>or St. John Paul II, who dedicated his papacy to Mary. Right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">These observations were from </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Martin Luther, some of it after the split from
the Church.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">From the beginning, the
Church recognized Mary and her role as our Savior's mother.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">People prayed for her intercession. An
ancient prayer to her is:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">We turn to you for protection,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">holy Mother of God.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Listen to our prayers</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">and help us in our needs.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Save us from every danger,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">glorious and blessed Virgin.</span></span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I went through a prayer
exercise where I needed to envision both Mary and Jesus being in prayer with
me, and I could envision Jesus, but Mary was always hovering around the
background. But then again, isn't that
where she has always chosen to be? Supporting the apostles in the early Church,
yet not the one who gets talked about in Scripture? Who
thinks Mary just said, "Good luck, Son!" when Jesus started His
mission and then went about her business until the Crucifixion? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">But we don't hear about her.
Isn't that strange? Or is it <i>just like a mother</i>? How many mothers have
supported their children without getting or asking for credit? <i>Just like a mother.</i> There were reports while Mary was still alive of her bilocating--being in two places at the same
time--which, from what I understand, is an ability of most mothers. We take advantage of her when we think of it,
we ignore her when we don't need anything, and we try to manipulate her when we
want something, <i>just like a mother</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">And then I fly to the
opposite end of the spectrum and find, through my own deficiencies, that she is unapproachable. As if she's that
intimidating aunt who was always trying to kiss you at family gatherings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Forming a relationship with
the saints can be just as intimidating. I love Padre Pio, but I sometimes feel
that if I approached him, he would say, "Who are you? You've sinned 4
times since we started this conversation. I'm going to go talk to Blessed
Mother Teresa."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">But if you aren't ready to
approach the saints, the good news is that they will approach you. When I first returned to the Church, Padre
Pio was stalking me. His name came up in
conversation, but I had no idea who he was. Then someone handed me a novena with
his face on the front of it, and I naively thought, "What a
coincidence!" Then I went to a meeting, and there was Padre Pio staring down at me from a
picture on the wall. So I got a book on
him and read about his suffering from the stigmata, his persecution from
jealous people, and his amazing connection with his guardian angel, Mary and
Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I've had other instances
where saint have made themselves known to me.
God will use any medium to reach you.
I was flipping channels and stopped on a program on EWTN on Venerable
Pierre Toussaint. He was a slave who was educated and trained in hairdressing. He
was basically a free man with the title of slave, who went to Mass every
morning and earned his own money. When
his master died, he remained a slave so he could support the household, because
the mistress wouldn't have taken money from him if he had been a free man. He
financially helped wealthy people who had fallen on hard times, and he did it
anonymously so they wouldn't feel
ashamed, because he knew that doing Christ's will was more important than his
own ego. I watched this show, and I had tears running down my face. My first
thought was, "Rats. Here comes menopause." But he was showing me
something I needed to learn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqsrFPmyuAg/VMenNTg7kRI/AAAAAAAABSI/DT1hFZmnT3M/s1600/JB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqsrFPmyuAg/VMenNTg7kRI/AAAAAAAABSI/DT1hFZmnT3M/s1600/JB.jpg" height="200" width="141" /></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Another time I caught a movie
on Saint Josephine Bakhita, also a slave, who radiated joy in every
circumstance. After I discovered her, I was praying, and I felt that I was
under attack with negative thoughts. Suddenly, the image of St. Bakhita
appeared in my mind, and I was filled with joy. It's as if she swooped in to
save me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I did wonder about the slave
theme that was appearing in the saints who were coming to me, and then I
realized that I am a slave to many things--anxiety, worry, sin. Maybe sin was
letting in the anxiety and the rest. That may be why Reconciliation was so
important to the saints. Kind of an armor against sin. Many of the saints who
were priests were dedicated and gifted in hearing Confessions. Some could tell
you your sins, and the big ones aren't necessarily murder. Did you know that the only sin Padre Pio
wouldn't absolve was gossip unless the person promised not to do it again? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Mary also repeatedly points
us toward Confession, because the Sacrament of Reconciliation repairs our
relationship with Jesus. In one of her apparitions, she said that a return to
monthly Confessions would save the West. That's it? What are we waiting
for! It sounds simple, but pride does a
pretty good job of keeping us away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I remember I had one sin I
didn't want to confess. It wasn't murder. Isn't it funny how murder is always
the standard? I didn't kill anyone, so I don't really need to go. Well, this
wasn't murder, but I bet all of us have that one sin that embarrasses us. It
could be <i>I made a strong man blush by my swearing</i>, or <i>I got depressed and
ate an entire cake</i>. That's gluttony, which is a sin. To sin, you need
knowledge that it's a sin and you need to do it of your own free will. I knew
eating the entire cake would be a sin, and I ate it anyway. But doesn't
gluttony sound terrible? Worse than murder? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I'm not saying that was the
sin, but it was embarrassing for me. I actually got online and was searching
the internet for other parish's Confession schedules, because I thought if I
confessed my sin to Father Albert, I'd never be able to look him in the eye
again. Or rather, he wouldn't, because every time he saw me he'd be thinking,
"It's the cake lady." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">That's pride at work, and the
enemy is really good at using it to keep us away from this sacrament! Once I
realized that one of the gifts of Confession is practice in humility, I bit the
bullet and went, and Father Albert has yet to run away screaming when he sees
me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I think it helps if we
realize that Mary and the Saints were human beings, just like us, but they
worked at their humility and at living as Christ wanted them to. Out of the billions of people born, it's as
if God gave us certain people to point out to us how to live as Christians, including
how to overcome our difficulties. I
relate to St. Jerome. He was mouthy, rude, critical, and didn't play well with
others, but that didn't stop him from becoming a saint. That gives me hope. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">St. Peregrine was cured of
cancer, and last minute at that, so he gives us hope when we're in despair from
critical illnesses. St. Augustine - a
womanizer and a drinker and, at one time, a pagan. He gives me hope when I have
momentary doubts, or when I eat that chocolate that I was giving up for Lent
because I "needed" a lift, or...well, I can't say I've been a
womanizer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">But what if your son or
daughter is living in sin? Has a baby out of wedlock? St. Augustine is right there as an example
that God can reach them wherever they are, and you need to pray for them and
have hope, though hopefully you won't have to pray for forty years like St.
Augustine's mother, St. Monica. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eeYe73gu94/VMeoHemX-gI/AAAAAAAABSY/xsGnC7nDOWM/s1600/MT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eeYe73gu94/VMeoHemX-gI/AAAAAAAABSY/xsGnC7nDOWM/s1600/MT.jpg" height="200" width="162" /></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Padre Pio taught us how to
endure suffering with dignity. Blessed
Mother Teresa taught us to treat each individual with dignity, even if they
were outcasts of society, even if they smelled of rotting flesh. She would
carry a dying person from the streets and place them in a bed and stroke their
face and call them Jesus, because she saw Jesus in every human being. They are our examples, and we should get to
know them so we can see how to live as Christians but also to see how human
they were. That it's okay not to be perfect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">But we should still strive to
be perfect, and that's where Mary comes in. She was the perfect disciple and
therefore our perfect example. I think
of the Joyful Mysteries as her Mysteries.
<b>The Annunciation</b>, showing us how to say yes to God no matter how
impossible the odds. <b>The Visitation</b>, showing us how to put other's needs before
our own and just trust in God that He'll take care of our needs as well. To
visit Elizabeth, Mary traveled miles on a donkey (or maybe on foot!) While pregnant! And you might
think, well, she wasn't showing that much when she left, but she did have to
make the journey back, and women's stomachs don't get smaller in the second
trimester. <b>The Nativity</b>, showing us the fruit of saying yes. <b>The Presentation</b>, showing us that no matter
what we give to God, He can't be outdone in generosity. I give you two turtledoves, you give me the
Son of God. What a deal! Give everything to Him. Imagine what you'll get
back! <b>Finding Jesus in the Temple</b>,
showing us that when we look for Jesus, we will find Him. Can you imagine how many people were
strolling around Jerusalem? EVERYBODY showed up for Passover. And yet they found one 12-year-old boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">We sometimes imagine Mary
with a pious long face, but love is joy, and Mary loved God. They said Mary
danced in the Temple as a girl. Think
about when you fell in love, or of the people you currently love. Does it make
you sad? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Everything Mary experienced
was a result of Jesus. Jesus was crowned with thorns, Mary was crowned in
Heaven. Jesus was pierced with a lance, and because of that Mary's heart was
pierced with a sword. Jesus was mocked by the soldiers. Does anyone think Mary
was probably mocked because of her pregnancy before living with her
husband? And yet she remained faithful to God and is
now Queen of Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">She gives us so many tools to
get to Jesus. The Rosary, so we can meditate on the mysteries of His life. The
Fatima prayer. Consecration to her
Immaculate Heart so that everything we offer to Jesus is purified by her
first. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Her message is always the
same. Love my son. He loves you. Love
one another; it's what He wants. Pray, fast and repent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">It will take practice. I still have difficulties. I pray my rosary
while walking the dog and lose my place when I stop to take care of business. And does anyone pray novenas? Nine day
prayers for special intentions? I've never made it through nine days straight
without losing a day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">But ours is a road to
perfection. Mary was full of grace. We are not. That's why she and the saints are available to
us--to help us on that journey so we can all be with God. Be open to them. They are willing and able to
help us get to Heaven. Just pick a saint and decide to learn something about
them and see how it applies to your life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-83311316359338772462015-01-26T08:05:00.001-08:002015-01-26T08:05:39.551-08:00Our Lady of Medjugorje Points us to JesusEver since I first heard about Medjugorje, I looked on the apparition with deep suspicion. The Blessed Mother appearing since 1981? At a specific time? Highly unlikely. Though I believe in apparitions (not all of them), I wondered if this wasn't coming from the enemy. It almost sounded as if Mary, Mother of God, was appearing at the beck and call of alleged visionaries, something that seemed contrary to her position and her dignity. I thought good people were being fooled.<br />
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Then I was reading a book on Our Lady of Kibeho. Mary appeared in Rwanda <i>Medjugorje: The Message</i> by Wayne Weible--a Lutheran.<br />
(and predicted the massacre 10 years ahead of schedule) describing the rivers of blood. She appeared at set times--set by her. She also set the times of her appearances at Lourdes and Fatima. If SHE called the shots, that was a different story, so at the urging of a friend, I looked into </div>
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In his book, he quoted excerpts from <i>The Apparitions of Our Lady at Medjugorgi</i>, by Svetozar Kraljevic, O.F.M. In that book, Father Vlasic interviews some of the visionaries, and their messages seemed sound, because as always, His Mother pointed at Jesus. The enemy wouldn't do that.<br />
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Her principle message is <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Peace, conversion, fasting, penance, prayer. The most important is peace."</span> </i></b><br />
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Not that prayer isn't important. If fact, she repeatedly says, <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"Pray, pray, pray."</b></i></span> <br />
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She stressed a point that Catholics are aware of, though we are often misunderstood because we ask for His Mother's intercession. <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Pray to Jesus. I am His mother and I intercede for you with Him. But all prayer goes to Jesus." </span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b>
She again stressed that there is only one intercessor between us and the Father, and that is Jesus. When we ask for Mary's intercession, we are asking her to be the intercessor between us and Jesus, not the Father. And we ask this as an act of humility. She is the Queen Mother, and as in the times of the Old Testament, we peasants bring our requests to her and she sets them before the King. Everything Mary gets she gives to Jesus.<br />
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One visionary pointed out that the Madonna doesn't act separately from God. She does God's will. When they asked her for a sign, she went to Jesus for the sign, and once He said yes, then she was able to offer the sign. This is what Mary has always done. God's will. </div>
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A few other notable messages (so far in my reading) are:<br />
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- <i>The greatest danger to the world is through godlessness. </i>This explains the rise in Atheism, a relatively new phenomenon.</div>
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- <i>People who are in Hell raged against God in life and continue to rage against Him after death. They refuse to pray to God and, in effect, become one with Hell. </i>This explains the rage behind many who are pro-abortion and anti-marriage. </div>
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- <i>The devil is most active through people of weak character who are divided within themselves. But he also enters the lives of strong believers, as he would rather "convert"real believers than non-believers. </i> This explains the Catholic priest scandal--both the actions of the priests themselves and the response by those in the Church who were more interested in the institution than the people.</div>
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Her messages can be a bit frightening, but they also offer hope. We always have a way out from under the enemy, and that is to hold onto Jesus Christ as tightly as we can. That's why they call it the Good News!</div>
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Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-12830884206236939172015-01-19T08:27:00.001-08:002015-01-19T08:27:42.005-08:00My Heart Breaks for YouShe sat in front of me as I proclaimed the readings at Mass. I tried not to catch her eye, because ten minutes before, I had been informed that her son had suddenly and unexpectedly died the night before.<br />
<br />
As I clasped her hand in the Sign of Peace and made eye contact, the stunned grief I saw in her eyes gave me a physical jolt, and I tried not to think about it until after the Concluding Rite. Afterwards, I gave her a hug and said, "My heart breaks for you," and she thanked me, struggling to hold in the tears.<br />
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In some cultures, it's okay to throw back your head and wail. Today, I wished that we could be so open in the West. To express our pain fully and without reserve. But I know that as she remained for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus heard her cry.Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-34856765801783564362015-01-16T08:12:00.000-08:002015-01-16T08:12:27.793-08:00The Luminous Mysteries Show Us How to Live Our CharismsI just completed a workshop called "Called and Gifted". Each of us is called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and if you are called, you are gifted.<br />
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Charisms are gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us solely<i> for the benefit of others</i>. Think Healing or Intercessory Prayer. We don't earn them. We don't choose them. They can't be used for evil or selfish purposes. With the workshop fresh on my mind while I was saying my Rosary, I noticed how the Luminous Mysteries show us how to live out those charisms.<br />
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<b>Baptism of Jesus</b> - We received our gifts when we entered God's family through Baptism. Jesus' Baptism, combined with prayer and fasting, clarified His earthly mission. We should follow His example and speak to him regularly through prayer to discern what is our individual mission for Him. And if you want to upgrade to Prayer 5.0, then you should add fasting.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMKnS9E5BjQ/VLk315-Jh8I/AAAAAAAABQA/Pe3h34TN0cY/s1600/Wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMKnS9E5BjQ/VLk315-Jh8I/AAAAAAAABQA/Pe3h34TN0cY/s1600/Wedding.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><b>Wedding at Cana</b> - We must test our gifts to make sure they are really charisms and not just natural talents. Jesus performed His first recorded miracle at Cana. He received His mission through prayer, and now He was testing his gifts. Feedback from others helps to confirm if our gift is real. The feedback from the Wedding at Cana is that it's still being talked about over 2,000 years later. :)<br />
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<b>Preaching of the Gospel</b> - "Repent and believe in the Gospel (good news)!" Those are Jesus' first recorded words (translated, of course.) We must keep ourselves in communion with Him through regular confession, which repairs our relationship when we break it through sin, and we must have Faith in the Gospel. We don't make our charisms "work", but if you don't turn from sin and believe, how often do you think you will exercise them?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rb71gLPSktI/VLk34r5KV3I/AAAAAAAABQU/WawOPrpoi4Q/s1600/Transfig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rb71gLPSktI/VLk34r5KV3I/AAAAAAAABQU/WawOPrpoi4Q/s1600/Transfig.jpg" height="200" width="143" /></a><b>Transfiguration</b> - We use our charisms to help people get to know Jesus Christ. He is revealed to them, transfigured from a "nice guy and teacher" to the Lord of all. That is what our charisms are for.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8U8Y7p1m9qA/VLk32uFt_0I/AAAAAAAABQI/qWbHklcbwpI/s1600/eucharist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8U8Y7p1m9qA/VLk32uFt_0I/AAAAAAAABQI/qWbHklcbwpI/s1600/eucharist.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><b>Institution of the Eucharist</b> - Jesus gave us His Body and Blood to help nourish us so that we can do our part for Him to carry out His mission. He's not sending us out unarmed.<br />
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It was an exciting workshop because it also helped define those charisms we do NOT have. So, if you're doing volunteer work that is frustrating you, you may not have the charism for it. It also helped to see how people with different charisms may react to situations in ways I don't understand, so I shouldn't judge them or get frustrated with them (which happens all too frequently!)<br />
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It's just another way that praying the Rosary helps bring me closer to Jesus.<br />
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<br />Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-789939852009523532014-12-29T09:06:00.001-08:002014-12-29T09:06:18.705-08:00The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is Anything But Solemn!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On January 1st, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like Mirriam-Webster's definition of solemnity: <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> formal or ceremonious observance of an occasion or event. Proms are formal. So are most weddings. They are certainly not solemn. In fact, they are celebrations.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So why should we celebrate Mary? Because God chose her as the vehicle for His Son's entrance into the world. Because all of Heaven held its breath when she was asked to take on this incredible mission, and she said yes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mary gave us the perfect example of how we should respond to God. No matter how impossible His request, He will give us the necessary tools and support to carry out our mission.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All we need to do is say yes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321949394155889464.post-68378802027566309102014-10-27T06:47:00.002-07:002014-10-27T06:47:58.583-07:00Joy Moves Like Sand<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XBSakCLXBs/VE5LBvf5EdI/AAAAAAAAA_o/kE2TvG71S1A/s1600/64px-Wooden_hourglass_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XBSakCLXBs/VE5LBvf5EdI/AAAAAAAAA_o/kE2TvG71S1A/s1600/64px-Wooden_hourglass_3.jpg" height="320" width="157" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image by S. Sepp <br />Wikipedia Commons</td></tr>
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There are so many times when I've wanted to kick someone to the curb (metaphorically) for the ignorant things they've said about Christ or the Catholic Church. Approaching people this way is like hammering a square peg into a round hole. The message might get through , but there would be a lot of breakage along the way.<br />
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The better option is to respond with<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: red;">love</span></span>. Love moves like sand through an hourglass. No matter how small the entryway, no matter how tightly closed the heart, love can work its way through those crevices and begin to build up, like the sand at the bottom of the hourglass.<br />
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Our first response is usually to take the devil's way. To holler. To outshout. To criticize or condemn (righteously, of course.) Satan loves conflict, because he's all about dividing and shattering relationships.<br />
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Try <span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">love</span> next time and see what happens. It might not work right away, but as the reservoir builds up, soon love will become the dominant force. <br />
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Why not give it a shot? It worked for Christ.<br />
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And if you want to share the good news about how it worked, or complain how it didn't work (yet), I'd love to hear about it.<br />
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Jacqueline Vickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17066655287551999883noreply@blogger.com0