Tag Archives: death

Dismiss All Other Loves!

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Red draped the Crucifix as it proceeded amidst waving palm branches – blood red! Shouts of “Hail and hosanna” would soon change to “Crucify!” It is so brief a time to reign and be acknowledged as the Holy One of God.  Our homilist, Fr. Michael De Palma asked what happened? For the Church, not many weeks ago, we were gazing on the face of the Christ Child.  Angels sang and Wise Men bowed low. We sang:

“Sacred Infant, all Divine,

What a tender love was Thine;

Thus to come from highest bliss

Down to such a world as this !

Teach, oh, teach us, Holy Child,

By Thy face so meek and mild.

Teach us to resemble Thee,

In Thy sweet humility !

What happened?  Have we, too, dismissed Him?  He reigns on our calendars, but what about our hearts? What other loves have replaced Him in our day to day?  Can we bear to look upon His disfigured Face?  Can we “Behold the Man?.”

Father Michael invited us to live this week differently from all others, to banish all other loves and gaze upon one bruised and bloodied Face.  Angels trembled at what we had done to the Son of God.  They trembled, too, at what He accomplished on that Cross for me and you.

We will soon sing with the Church around the world:

O Sacred Head, surrounded
by crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding head, so wounded,
reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
of thy most holy face,
yet angel hosts adore thee
and tremble as they gaze

I see thy strength and vigor
all fading in the strife,
and death with cruel rigor,
bereaving thee of life;
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn thy face on me.

(Words Henry Williams Baker after Bernard of Clairvaux)

One Holy Week remains of Lent.  We are invited to walk these days with our Lord to Calvary.  Without the Cross there is no Resurrection, no Easter glory.  With Christ we, too, can rise again to new Life

“When He is King we will give Him the Kings’ gifts,
Myrrh for its sweetness, and gold for a crown…

When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,
Myrrh for embalming and wood for a crown..

Bethlehem Down – words by Bruce Blunt

Jesus Takes Revenge

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In today’s reading, Jer 11:18-20, Jeremiah wants revenge.  He sees himself as a trusting lamb led to slaughter; although he knew he was in danger, he did not realize that his enemies were hatching plots against him.  Jeremiah wants vengeance and he wants to be there to witness it in spades.

“Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!”

In today’s homily, Monsignor, asks, “How does Jesus take vengeance on His enemies?”  Monsignor answers,  “He dies for them!”

Christians imitate Jesus. Scripture directs us in dealing with our enemies:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:43-44
If your enemy be hungry, give him food to eat, if he be thirsty, give him to drink;
For live coals you will heap on his head, and the LORD will vindicate you. Proverbs 25:22

We are all in the same boat, we are all sinners, enemies of  God, so long as we persist in Sin.  Jesus, for his part, dies for us. He has prayed for his enemies, “Father, forgive them!” He has fed them, “Take and eat!” He has satisfied their thirst, “Take and drink!”

Jesus appeals to the heart of men.  We can turn away.  We can experience, with Jesus, rejection.  In all these circumstances Jesus says pray.  That prayer is powerful, whether it is prayer of praise, worship, thanksgiving, adoration, or petition.

If we could only see it with Heaven’s eyes as John did as he records in the Book of Revelation:

“And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Rev 5:8

“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple.”Rev 7:14

What is this washing of their robes, if it is not the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  If it were referring to Baptism, they would not be doing the washing, whereas in Reconciliation we have an active role.

Jesus wants what’s best for each of us. He wants enemies (sinners) to feel the hot coals of  prayer heaped upon them.  To see ourselves as Jesus sees us when we sin can be distressing. Such a moment, though wrenching, is a moment of grace. Jesus desires a response of the heart that sends the sick and sorrowful to show themselves to the priest for healing and forgiveness.

Our revenge is to be like our Christ. Our revenge is to die to ourselves with our Christ.  Our revenge is to see the enemies of Christ come forth from the confessional with tears of joy and thanksgiving in all humility; no longer enemies but as brothers.

What will it take? Prayer.  All are called, moment by moment, while we live, “Repent and believe the Good News!” Mk 1:15

General Public – Generally Duped! Update

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Update:

Thoughts From the Great Unwashed – putting it in the vernacular so no one has a reason to be uninformed or unconcerned – simplifies the thinking behind the   Obama/Pelosi/Reid attack on America and human life:


If We’re Going to Murder Babies We Might As Well Use the Tissue.

Update: Cardinal Rigali :

Obama stem cell order  “a sad victory of politics over science and ethics”.

According to the Catholic News Agency, the Cardinal explained:

” that embryonic stem cell research is wrong due to the fact that it destroys “innocent human life” by “treating vulnerable human beings as mere products to be harvested,” and also noted that the executive order “disregards the values of millions of American taxpayers who oppose research that requires taking human life.” “It ignores the fact that ethically sound means for advancing stem cell science and medical treatments are readily available and in need of increased support.”


No People

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“They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways. So I swore in my anger, “They shall not enter into my rest.”

Little Ones, you who are robbed of life this day by those who should have nurtured and protected you,  if God says to His people in the desert, “You shall not enter into my rest, ” what is He saying to our generation.  We are entering the desert of our Time; we, whose hearts go astray and do not know His way.

In our desert, we cry out, “Lord, save us!  Save our homes, our jobs, save our Nation!”  Yet, we’ve settled for gods of convenience. We hail as progress what Mary Shelley would call a  Frankenstein.  Human life for sale, for profit and for manipulation! We say, “But God, the end justifies the means.  Does it not?”  As if we didn’t know.  “They will service the good of humankind,” we say.  While God says, “They are MINE!”

We dare to answer God, “Just building blocks for health and well being, a boon to mankind, these.  You have so many more.  We will by ourselves bring about a new order of audacious Hope.”

The hallowed parts of the so, so young, and, oh so destroyed, devoured on the altar of irreverent “Progress,” bereft of human dignity or worth, save to fire an industry of blood, cry out!  The fifth seal waits it’s Time……..  This Time?

“You are a people whose heart go astray.”  You silent people, you unethical Congress, you President No People, call to your gods to save you. I look for My Son in you.  Show Me My Son.

General Public – GenerallyDuped!

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Our public godhead, President Obama, seems to mistake himself for the real Deity.  Speaking on issues beyond his capacity, he is linking embryonic stem cell research with “scientific integrity” as reported in USA Today.  Obama can’t see past the pocket of Planned Parenthood, his indebtedness to them, and Planned Parenthood’s BIGGER agenda which is NO LIMITS – NO GOD!
The general public has been generally duped in a well orchestrated bombardment of half truths and emotional sop.  Smothered in scientific jargon and human interest pieces depicting Parkinson patients suffering, supposedly with no other recourse but the unethical one of embryonic stem cell research, the media, the general public, we the people, and our politicians have caved.  No news reporter has the good sense or gumption to report that NO success has come from this unethical side street of science. Embryonic stem cells are unnecessary according to the scientific community!  We have other ways and better ways that have already shown results.
I can understand how the misled mass media has been sold a fabricated bill of goods.  I can understand that Planned Parenthood and the others of that camp simply want a free, no holds barred approach to win out over moral and ethical concerns and discussion; and so wage war.  What I don’t understand is why we let them?!  I don’t understand where the Christian voices in all this are?  I hear the voice of the Roman Catholic Church speaking clearly and courageously, but where are all the others of faith. Obama talks about “scientific integrity” all the while violating the integrity of human life.  Once a human life is seen as fodder for our scientific perversion there is no limit to how far our society can fall. Do we really want our Nation aligned against the God of Life?

A Great Prayer For Life

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A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer.” – Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), n. 100.

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!