Fall Beauty

The Pope's Visit to the U.S.

Pope Frances has just completed speaking to the United Nations. He addressed the U.S. Congress yesterday and has made other speeches as well.

I am tired of hearing how the Pope pushes a left wing agenda. He has articulated Catholic positions.

He asked the Bishops to seek to heal divisions and in leading by example, he wasn't divisive in his addresses or harsh or "in your face."

Because of this, many pundits and commentators are calling him a Marxist or the Anti-pope or other nonsensical things. He's the leader of the Catholic Church and advocates for life, in all stages; for the poor, for humane treatment of immigrants; for the abolition of the death penalty and for good stewardship of planet Earth.

His speech at the U.N. was more explicit in articulating Catholic positions than his speech to the U.S. Congress, but both managed to get his point across. Yes, some of those positions agree with the American political left. Some of them also agree with the American political right.

But, all of them are Catholic positions and I wish people would quit disparaging our Pontiff. His positions are very similar to those Christ might have taken were He to address such august bodies.

Yes, there were times when Christ railed against things He didn't like. The over-turning of the money changers tables in the temple comes to mind. But, more often than not, Christ was kind, loving and merciful. He showed His love by healing and feeding people, not by offending them.
There were many times when Christ could have taken offense, such as the time when he wasn't offered water to bathe his feet and a woman of ill-repute washed them with her tears and dried them with her hair. Did Christ get all huffy and puffy about it? No, He took the opportunity to teach Simon about God's love and mercy.

Our Pontiff is using his time in America to show a way past the ugly, partisan divide that has paralyzed our leaders and inflicted our daily lives with strife and tension. Is Pope Frances perfect? No. He doesn't claim to be. Instead he claims to be a sinner in need of forgiveness.

I keep thinking about Jesus and  Simon Peter when He gave Him the keys to the Kingdom. Jesus knew Peter wasn't a perfect person and yet, He still trusted Peter to lead the young church. And that trust has accompanied each person who has been Pope for the history of the church.

In other words, Christ knows what He is doing. Through the Holy Spirit acting in, with and through the College of Cardinals, Christ selected another successor to Peter, upon whom He built His church and "the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."

I can understand that some might not trust Pope Frances. I can understand that some might view the Pope's ideology through the lens of their own and find it wanting. But what I cannot understand is that Catholics of all stripes do not trust in Christ. After all, it's His Church and He has promised that it will endure. So, why not trust Him?

Into the Ark

"As it was in the day of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." ~ Luke 17: 26-27.

Well into the fourth week of Easter and almost into May, I realized that now is the time to "pack up" and move into the new Ark of the Covenant.
The world spins more out of control on a daily basis and we children of God must prepare ourselves for the epoch "flood" about to deluge the world.
Of course, I am not speaking of a water flood, but of a last and terrible onslaught of evil that is about to break upon us all.
As I write this:
1) Economic indicators are grim because of the debt load of virtually every nation.
2)Russia, China and Iran grow increasingly aggressive. The Chinese are building a base on some islands as a precursor to a battle with Japan; Russian military taunt other nations; Iran sits at the table talking peace but readies itself for war and intercepts ships in international waters. The U.S. does nothing.
3) The persecution of Christians grows daily with the onslaught by LGBT groups intent on forcing their way of "life" on everyone.
4)The education of our children has been co-opted by those with agendas far different than what many parents feel is appropriate.
5) Racial instigators urge altercations, especially with law enforcement,  even when no racial injustice has been committed.
6) The lies and corruption that abound in the governing class are astounding, even treasonous as our country is being sold out.
7) Natural disasters are just beginning to gear up...earthquakes, volcanos, floods, drought and undoubtedly plagues somewhere.
When taken all together, one must "read the signs of the times."
Our news outlets do little to keep us informed on the potential turmoil about to be unleashed. Rather, they do everything to convince us that all is hunky dory.  Buy another this or that, turn on the tv and don't think about it.
For too long I have ignored the signs and put off moving into the Ark. But I cannot ignore it any longer.
Of course, the new Ark of the Covenant is Mary, Blessed Mother.  She beckons us to come into her that we might be saved as she bears us to her Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Oh what sweet relief it is to find refuge in Blessed Mother. I don't pretend to think that I will be unscathed, but I know that Mary commands the angels and saints to fight for my soul. I am thankful.
My Lord, I beg forgiveness for my neglects of your commands.
Help me to go forward into the new day, prepared for the battle and thankful and joyous because I am a child of God.

Forgiveness and Mercy

Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." ~ Mathew 18:21-22

The Wilderness

I have been a longtime fan of Tom Selleck and I am usually pleased with the characters he chooses to portray in his many movies and television shows.

So it was with utter dismay and sadness that I watched the most recent television episode of Bluebloods.

In this episode, Selleck's character Police Commissioner Regan, is called upon by a longtime friend who met with tragedy years ago when her family was brutally murdered. She was six years old at the time and the young woman is grown and about to get married. Life seems to be going well for her. She meets with the Commissioner and shows him a letter she has received from the person who committed the crime of murdering her family. She hasn't read the letter but gives it to him and asks him to read it.

She later asks him to tell her what's in it and he tells her that the criminal who is behind bars for the rest of his life wants to meet with her. It's because of a program called "Restorative Justice," that has been instituted by the penal system. The Commissioner tells her he doesn't advise it for her. He wants her to be happy and go about her life without the specter of meeting with the man who brutally murdered her family.

She leaves but later comes back and insists that she's going to meet the criminal. PC Regan tells her she isn't going alone because he can't see any good coming from this program for her, at least. He is thinking only of her and thinks that the man is playing some kind of mind game with her and that meeting with him will only haunt her for the rest of her life. She thinks that meeting him will allow her to put it behind her.

So, they go to the prison. The man tells her that he has a mental illness but that he has been properly diagnosed and because of proper medications can now realize the horror of the evil he committed against her. He doesn't expect her forgiveness but wanted to meet with her and tell her how truly sorry he is for that crime.

What comes out of the mouth of this young woman is the harshest kind of vile evil I have ever heard. She despises him and wishes that his attempts to end his life were successful. She insists on him looking at photos of the family she no longer has and jabs him with the punches that she will not be able to enjoy their company at her wedding. She asks that he attempt suicide again, only to make it a successful attempt. Her tirade is truly hateful.
Perhaps understandable, but what I failed to comprehend is that Selleck's character sat there and instead of being appalled by her spewing of this vileness merely nodded sagely, as if he completely agreed with the premises that she was extolling.

After this, the next scene is at her wedding and PC Regan gets up and extols the virtues of this young woman as if he had never heard the vile evil spewed forth by her just days before.
I found the whole episode to be a terrible example of what a "good Catholic" like PC Regan is supposed to be, what justice is and what compassion and mercy truly mean.
It could have been an example of how to forgive, how to be merciful, what compassion looks like, what Christianity and Catholicism truly is. Instead it was a cop-out to the secularism of the day.

Everyone seemed to think it was justified that she be allowed to spew hatred at the man who murdered her family, with the exception of Baker, the Commissioner's secretary. She believes people can change and tells the Commissioner so, even inviting him to fire her if she ever thinks otherwise.

I found Baker's view of the fallen nature of man to be more in line with authentic Catholic teaching. It is so difficult to forgive, especially when extreme hurt has been done. Yet, hanging onto hurt and wishing violence against another isn't healing. Instead of it being a healing event for anyone, it was the most tragic of episodes because hatred and vengeance never heal.

Only by forgiving can we escape the violence done us. Christ knows that and tries to show it by forgiving his executioners from the cross.

Heart Ignited by Love

The Shelter House

During a meditation yesterday on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, I was shown a vision of my heart being ignited with the fire of love for souls.

This was just what I needed because myself and a friend are beginning a ministry of reaching out to lapsed Catholics.

Although we agreed to pray together for 40 days prior to taking any action, I wasn't feeling "the love" I should be experiencing for souls that are in danger of being lost.

So, I was much relieved when I saw and felt my heart being ignited with the fire of love for souls yesterday. It is a gift from God. Try as I might, there was nothing in me that enabled me to feel this love for my neighbor. It had to come from God and it had to be given during a quiet time as I listened to Him.

Very often, I am so busy with all the prayers I think I need to be praying and the deeds I need to be dong that I often forget I must also just be quiet before the Lord and absorb His love and His goodness so that I have it to pass along to others. I am like an empty vessel when I do not take the proper time to prepare myself for whatever God has in mind for me for that day.

I also experienced a moment of total surrender prior to that moment of seeing my heart ignited with love. I have been having trouble breathing and it had gotten so severe during the previous night that I had the feeling of "impending doom" that I was nearing death. I was panicked as I lay in bed that night, struggling to adequately breath and gasping for breaths. I thought of all I have left to do or things that have been left undone by me and I was fighting it.

Then, at some point, I realized that I wasn't trusting God and His mother as I need to trust them. I wasn't and am not sure what they have in mind for me, but at some point, I just surrendered to them. If it wasn't done, it wasn't because I hadn't had the time to do so...time that I wasted. I surrendered to God's mercy and just realized that there is nothing I can do to prolong my life if God wants to take it at this time.

I felt a great sense of peace at that moment of surrender, but I also know that I have been healed. The healing isn't instantaneous, but it is coming or will come. Even if the healing is just spiritual, I am content, knowing that God and His Blessed Mother...my Blessed Mother have my life in their hands and I trust in them.

I praise you and thank you, my God and Blessed Mother for all the blessings poured out upon me. Please guide me this day that I may do your will.

Seeking Faith

Jesus said to his disciples: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." ~ Matthew 7:7-8

I have always loved this reading from the book of Matthew. It speaks so eloquently of the Father's generosity, I so often sit around, begging for crumbs, as if I am an orphan, and yet I am a daughter of the King.
Is it because I do not truly believe these wonderful words from Jesus' mouth? Or just that I lack sufficient faith to truly believe that God will give me all good things?
I do know better for I have often received such wonderful gifts and God truly takes care of me in all my needs and desires. But, it seems as if I forget it too often.
Lord, I pray for more faith. Increase my faith, that I might truly live my life according to the above scripture verse. Amen and I thank you and praise you for all the wonderful gifts you have given me, even if I sometimes forget that you have blessed me so abundantly.

Snow Rainbow

I have been trying to wean myself from the scourge of our day that is television. While it can be a useful tool, as all tools are useful for something, I use it more by force of habit that from any need for this tool.
It has become a mechanism for allowing evil to insidiously infiltrate itself into my home and life, and still I do not shut it off. I have begun turning off the particularly vile programs, but it has become so invasive that even the commercials are a means of transporting evil into my home.
I do not watch it during the day and have started turning it to old programs in the evening after my husband has gone to bed. I can enjoy watching these programs without the benefit of commercials, but I still watch too many of these old programs.
Most importantly, I have been shown, that it is vital to my spiritual health that I do not fall asleep in front of the television while it silently delivers into my subconscious all kinds of evil.

A couple of nights ago, I was plagued by a series of ugly dreams. My husband often has nightmares, or so they seem because he is a person who talks in his sleep. Often his words are violent and distressing.
I have begun to wonder if the reason for his unrest is because I watch television while he is sleeping and so allow evil to enter his subconscious, even if the programs I am watching are not or do not seem to be particularly evil.
Is it the mechanism itself that allows evil to enter our home unimpeded?

It has opened my eyes to what I need to do while he is sleeping and that is to turn it off and do my reading and praying instead of watching even old programs.

I also have been shown that I need to use holy water and blessed salt to cleanse our bedroom from any lingering evil spirits that might be lurking around. So that is what I shall do.

The Lord has already asked me to give us my daily "news blog" readings for Lent. I think it is because I am so overloaded with views from a particular point of view that I am not open to new ideas or views He might be wanting to impart to me. So, am also cleansing myself of my "addiction" to reading news blogs.
I am still reading Catholic blogs and news sites, however, so I do get my "internet fix," at least for now. I thank you, Lord, that you do allow me some internet use. Please guide my choices and help me to firmly stick with my Lenten fast. It may be that I will not even desire to return to those sites once Lent has passed.

God is so good to me and has blessed me so abundantly. I am learning to praise Him in all things and so I hope that I will continue to grow spiritually as I continue this Lenten practice.
Praise you, my God and my King.

My Sweet One, I bless your efforts. Go in my peace, knowing that all is well. I love you.

A Sacrifice of Praise

Hush, now my little one.

You have just feasted on readings and meditations. Let your heart and soul absorb them or digest them. Give yourself time to understand the deep meaning of what you have just consumed.

Yes, thank me for everything during this Lenten journey. A sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving is what I desire from you this Lent.

Give me the gift of a grateful heart, overflowing with thanks and praise for all the gifts you have been given.
Shout for joy on the days when your soul can hardly contain all the goodness I am bestowing upon you.
Even though it is a penitential season, there is still much to be joyful about.

Oh, my Lord. I do thank you and praise you for all the gifts you have bestowed upon me.

Throughout the day, I want you to turn to me and say thank you.

Each time something happens, thank me. Especially when it may seem like something that is not pleasing to you. Thank me and continue to thank me until your heart truly sings for joy.

Oh Lord.
I Thank you and praise you for your many great gifts to me. There is much that I have taken for granted throughout my life. I have been so pampered. Help me to share some of these blessings with others, that they might come to know and love You.

Lord, give me your holy zeal and love for all people.

Show me, Lord, who you want me to be.

Follow each inner nudging that I give to you. That is how I am speaking to you, deep in your heart and soul.

Thank you, my God and King.

Ash Wednesday, 2015

Such turmoil exists in the world today. The terrorist group ISIS has just beheaded 21 Coptic Christians and reportedly burned alive 45 people in Iraq.
May God take these murdered people straight to heaven.

We have been warned, indeed God has granted us such divine gifts of Mercy in this ever darkening time that it is almost overwhelming.

And still, so many people are turning away and buying into the deception that is drenching the earth with filth and sin.

It is a time of preparation, as Lent ever is, for the Resurrection of our Lord.

The Church, too, must go through its own Passion before it can experience its Resurrection.

I pray, Lord, that I will be a bright light for lost souls and that I can be a good Fisher of men and women for You during the coming time of persecution.

Christ will guard His Own

"Christ will guard His own." ~ St Agnes
Thank you so much for calling me to your Presence, my Lord and my God.
I truly love being here with You.
To quote the hymn, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
Thank you for the wonderful way You answered the prayer concerns I placed in envelopes of faith. You take such good care of me. Truly, you do guard your own.
Peace is such a wonderful gift. Your peace, that is; the peace that passes all understanding. Thank you for this wonderful gift.
I give you another concern of my heart, that of the room for our trip to our friends wedding. I suspect my friend has inadvertently canceled our room. So, I give it to you. I know you will see that we have a place to stay. Thank you!
***********************
Yesterday, I was in the community where my father-in-law is buried. I often am there and I have been visiting his grave and placing flowers on it.
Before I went yesterday, I made up a couple of flower arrangements (two of my husbands siblings are also buried there). When I got to his burial site, I was filled with "un peace" because the previous arrangements had been removed.
This was such a silly reaction on my part because I had thought that I would remove the old arrangements when I got there anyway.
But, I felt insulted for some silly reason. I didn't understand it, but today I have received a glimmer of insight.
Perhaps the reaction I felt is how my still living mother in law feels when she visits the grave and sees that someone other than her has been caring for the graves?
I wonder if she views it as an encroachment of her "turf?"
I intended it to be an act of love and was very distraught that I had such a bad reaction.
Please exchange any ill will or hard feelings on either of our parts for love. Your love and peace. I place that in an envelope of faith as well and turn it over to you. I know you will handle it in the best way possible.
Thank you for the insight and please don't let me hurt my beautiful mother I  law.

Beginning the Journey

"Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father." ~ 1 John 2:24

When I received St. Raphael as my patron saint for the year and after researching him a little, I thought, "Oh! We're going to be traveling more this year. "
Then I had that "Ah ha!" moment when I realized that while we may indeed be going to travel more, the primary reason St. Raphael is here is to travel with me spiritually as I journey ever closer to You, my Lord.

I also thought it might be because I have for so long wanted to be an instrument of Your healing love and grace and power for others.
Perhaps St. Raphael is here to also heal me? So that I might heal others?
To teach me discipline and knowledge and to share his love for You and his wit and humor.

St Raphael as my patron saint for the year is Your gift to me.
Thank you so much!

Oh, I love you my child! Truly, I do. When you do recognize me in the gifts I offer, you are like a sweet child, awed by the goodness of the gift--even if you sometimes don't know its full use or importance in your life.
Yes, this is the year when you will make significant progress on your spiritual journey with St. Raphael and your guardián angel as your guides and teachers.

Bless J.T. this year, too, my Lord and my God. Help me to be the friend she needs at this time in her life.

Jesus, I love you. God, the Father, I love you. God, the Holy Spirit, I love you. Blessed Mother, I love you. All the angels and saints, I love you.
Thank you for being my friends.

A New Beginning

Each new day brings a new beginning to a believer in Jesus Christ.
And each new calendar year brings with it new promise and hope.
My prayers this year are that I can draw ever nearer to my God as we journey through this life.
I have been selected by St. Raphael the archangel as my partner through this year.
I am excited because one of my prayers has been to be an instrument of God's healing love. With the guidance and help of St. Raphael, perhaps that prayer has been answered.
So, thank you, Lord, for giving me into the safekeeping of St. Raphael this year. And thank you, St. Raphael for choosing to travel with me this year. May we be blessed with the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we seek out those who are in need of God's healing grace and love.
Other goals are to get some exercise each day and to also work on becoming more organized. Similar goals that I have had in previous years and days.
So, let's pray that with the help of St. Raphael and St. Frances of Rome that I will become the person God wants me to be.

A Mother's Love

I love my daughter so much and I fear that something is terribly wrong in her life.
She doesn't seem happy. She seems empty and sad and very tired.

Perhaps I am letting my imagination run wild.

Earlier this Advent, when I was wrapping gifts, I felt a sense of finality. As if I needed to make sure this Christmas was special. Not only for my daughter, but for my sons as well and my grandchildren.
But, my daughter and her family were going to be here and the others are not.

It was one of the reasons I made a point to decorate this year, even though it was minimal compared to the decorations of others. So that I could make a statement to them that it is important to honor the Lord.

It was sad, this brooding sense of finality or loss, but I am not sure what it actually meant.

Does it mean that I am approaching my death? Or is one of my children?

When my daughter was just here with her husband and their daughter, the sense returned that there is something not right going on. Too much alcohol? My beautiful daughter seems to have lost interest in her appearance. Or is she being verbally abused so that she doesn't care about herself?
Or is there something physically wrong?

Or was it a more general sense that this might be the last time we would be celebrating Christmas with such generosity? That the times of giving gifts and Christmas festivity is drawing to a close?
Because the world is becoming darker every day.

I hope and pray that my sweet children can find their way to You, my Lord.

You are the reason for the celebration and to miss the importance of it is definitely something sad.

Perhaps I feel sad for so many people who do not recognize Your coming, neither the first time or that the time of Your second coming approaches.
Even if that means for some of us that death will take us before You return in Your Glory.

Lord, please bless my children, their spouses and their children with the sure knowledge that You, the Son of God, was born of the most pure virgin Mary. At midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. And that that is a cause for wonder and awe.
Thank you, my God.

Advent 2014, Day 6

"Then he reached down from heaven, caught hold of me, rescued me from that flood, saved me from triumphant malice, from the enemies that held me at their mercy. Evil days, when they faced me at every turn! Yet, the Lord stood by me, and brought me out into freedom again, his great love befriended me." ~ Ps 18: 17-20

Forgive me, my Lord and my God for the lapses these past few days in regards to my posts.
Forgive me, also, for the argument yesterday in front of the Tabernacle. I am not sorry I called her out for the lies being spread, but I am sorry it took place in the church after Mass. This is a holy place and I ask your forgiveness for violating the sanctity of it.
I am wondering if the silent and only spoken in the depths of my heart, "heart to heart conversation" I had with the Bishop regarding my thoughts on our pastor have been heard by the pastor or somehow affect him and have a bearing on his low self esteem?
I have tried to discuss it fairly and without bias, but I can be a harsh judge of others faults.
Forgive me for that as well. I do pray that the Bishop, who is responsible not only for the health and well being of his priests, but also his parishes, be granted the loving discernment he needs to make the best decisions for everyone.
Ah, my Lord. I have wanted this to be a holy time, preparing for your coming. Perhaps,  it is a testing time as well? I pray that I may be given the graces necessary to pass the test.
Thank you, my God and King, for your loving care of me. Guide me through the trials of the day.
Thank you! I love you!

Advent 2014, Day 3

"Behold, the Lord will come, and all his holy ones with him;
and on that day there will be a great light." ~ Cf. Zec 14:5,7

Earlier today, I watched a beautiful sunrise, reminding me of a great light.

I'm sitting here watching the clouds roll by at a fairly healthy clip. Probably about 30 mph. Just watching and waiting.

The sagebrush in which our vehicle is parked are bending with the wind, to and fro.
I am waiting and watching.
Come,  Lord Jesus, Come and fill me with your love, wisdom and light.

Advent 2014, 1st Monday

"Oh Lord, our God, unwearied is your love for us." ~ Antiphon from Night prayers

How remarkable it is that the Lord's love for us is unwearied. I have often thought that He must indeed weary of me once again coming to him with the same old sins and faults.
I weary of myself and my lack of progress.  How can God find me loveable? Yet, he does.
It reminds me of the time a number of years ago when myself and three friends were returning from a Marian conference. It was a spiritually filling experience, but an exhausting one.
We were giddy and talking about the highlights of the event. One of the topics was how Jesus and Mary are continually working to bring us all back into the fold when my dear friend said, "Don't you think they want a day off?" In all seriousness.
We all laughed until we had tears rolling down our cheeks and our sides ached from the laughter we shared over that comment.
Of course, we all agreed that they probably did want a day off, but we were all thankful that they didn't take one yet and are still working for our salvation.
Thank you, Lord. For not being wearied by your love for me.

Advent 2014, Day 1

"To you, I lift up my soul, O my God.
In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame.
Nor let my enemies exult over me;
and let none who hope in you be put to shame. " Cf. Ps 25 (24):1-3

This verse is the entrance antiphon for today's Mass. It spoke to my heart because I so often feel/think that those whom I love the most, my family, so often scoff and mock me for my beliefs.
I so want my faith in God to be vindicated in a large and great manner. "Let me not be put to shame." Show them, Lord, that I am not crazy or deluded.
It's not necessarily that I doubt, although I have been going through a dark valley recently.
But, it has been so long since I have felt the sweetness that comes from communion with the Lord.
Much of this is my own fault, granted. For my prayer life has not been a fertile time when my soul should be fed and nourished. Rather, it has been a time of rote prayer and me doing all the talking and not listening to that small still voice of the Lord.
I have put barriers between myself and the Lord and I don't know how to break them down. I need God's help doing that. Or rather, I just need God to do it.
A commentary on Advent from "The Word Among Us"  states "He loves you completely. He delights in you. He enjoys giving you good things. So go ahead, and ask him for something this Advent."
I am not sure what to ask for and have been busy planning small Advent surprises for friends and acquaintances. I want them to see Him in the gifts that I give. I want to be His hands.
I want my family to recognize the Gift they have been given in Baptism and Confirmation and to start living their faith.
I want to be thinner and healthier. I want to be more organized.
I want to be holy and ultimately a saint. I want to be able to fast in a way that pleases God. I would love to have a gift of the Holy Spirit manifest itself in my life. And have the courage, humility and knowledge to use it for God's glory.
I want to speak Spanish adequately enough to talk to my Hispanic friends and acquaintances.
Those are my wants and desires. My Christmas list, if you will.
Lord, I don't know which of the above to ask for. You know the desires of my heart. Please give me the vision to recognize the gifts You choose to give me this Advent.
Because I do know that You love me, even though I sometimes don't feel it. I accept it on faith because You have told me so in Your written word and in Your sacraments.
And I thank You for whatever You choose to give me in whatever manner You think is best. I also thank You for the many blessings you have already poured out upon me. I thank you for the gift of Your Mother and for her love of me as well.

Heartbreak in the Hinterland

For some time now, I have felt deepening resentment coming from my granddaughter.

It seems to have been slowly building over time, but now it seems that she has almost totally forsaken me.
There seems to be some resentment over books I have given her as gifts that I thought she might find enlightening. There also seems to be resentment over the other gifts I give her, as if my choice of gifts is so totally uncool that I insult her by giving them.
Things seemed to worsen this spring when her paternal grandmother died unexpectedly, leaving me as her only remaining grandmother. My son-in-law also seems to resent me, or my beliefs and has negatively influenced my granddaughter's feelings for me.

It hurts in my heart. I so want them to realize that when I give the gift of having a Mass said for them or for someone they love who is deceased, it is because that is the greatest gift I can give. It is not meant to "insult" them or to foist my beliefs on them. Even though my granddaughter was raised Catholic, my son-in-law has never been "religious" and scoffs at my beliefs, although not openly, but more snidely.

My sweet daughter, on the other hand, does believe, I think, but doesn't stand up for her beliefs because to do so would shut her out from the two people she is closest to. They do seem to shut her out of some things, and it sickens me.

I don't know what to do. I feel increased pressure to try to help "save" my children and grandchildren from the horrors that are coming to this world. I know that only a strong foundation in, with and through Christ can save them, but I think that my attempts to convert them only drive them further away from Him who is "the way, the truth and the life."

What do I do, my Lord and my God?  How do I save my family?

My sweet child,
Know that I love those you love with an intensity far deeper than what you feel for them.  I, too, want them to choose life and not be taken in by the allures of evil that stalk the earth.

Your anxiousness for them is a reflection of my anxiety for them. Yet it is a choice and must be freely made. You cannot force them to choose life. You can pray for them and love them in spite of the hurts they seem to inflict upon you. After all, didn't I, your Lord and Redeemer, do as much for all of the people who laughed and mocked me on the long hike to Calvary?

Do not be afraid to love them or to suffer the pain of rejection and misunderstanding. It is a suffering that you must offer up on their behalf so that they might accept the graces being poured out upon them for their eternal salvation.

Do not fear my little one. Especially, do not fear that you will be unloved by your family members.  Love them powerfully in the inmost recesses of your heart and do not fear to be humiliated or mocked or hated. It does hurt more coming from those you love, but in that you resemble your Lord, who was mocked, hated and spat upon by those people whom He most wanted to save.

For now, speak no words except in the depths of your heart and soul. Use the gift of heart to heart communication I have bequeathed you to speak to your granddaughter's heart. Keep speaking there and know that all is well.
I love you with an everlasting love and I take your concerns upon my shoulders.  I will help you with this burden.
Be at peace, my child. I love you.

Thank you, my Lord and my God. Thank you for showing me Your Glory in the beauty of fall colors and for enabling me to get some photos of it.

Hashtag Activism

I am increasingly bothered by calls to "like this" post on Facebook or Twitter or other forms of social media as a response to evil.
Or signing petitions to "make the president or Congress" do something that the writers of the petition want them to do.
It seems like such a wasted effort, although I have been a part of the problem until very recently.
These things are not going to effect change, nor will they do anything to save souls.
It has become very apparent to me that we have now entered the final phase of the spiritual battle.  The forces of evil are marching throughout the world and we must fight with the weapons God has given us...prayer and specifically, the Rosary. Scott Hahn calls it "Beads for the Battle," and he is right.
Lord, forgive me for my past neglects of this call to action. Help me to do what you have been asking.  

I am going to call this picture "The Deluge," because that's what is happening.  It is time to enter into the Ark, the Ark of the new covenant, Mary. She will carry us safely to the Barque of Jesus, as Mark Mallet has said in some of his excellent blog posts on these days. The photo is one I took of the Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park.

The Invasion has begun

For approximately the past month, the southern U.S. border has been porous, allowing allegedly "children of immigrants" to pass into the United States with no documentation.
This unprecedented flood of people into our country, without having to go through any of the established procedures, is an invasion, I think.
Without being hysterical, I want to posit some questions about the events to see if it makes sense.
We have always had a porous border with Mexico and folks have been able to cross into our country illegally. This time is different, however, in that the sheer volume of "children" passing into our country without proper identification is overwhelming the U.S. Border patrol.
These young people are then being dispersed throughout the country because TSA, the government agency that probes our bodies every time we fly, doesn't require anything of these "children" except a piece of paper.
If you wanted to invade a sovereign nation, one with oceans for two of its borders and a populace that is armed, what better way to do it than to essentially run over the very limited border patrol?
Homeland Security is probably in collusion with the invading force because they are responsible for then "dispersing the troops" throughout the rest of the country.
The press isn't allowed into any of the processing centers to view and/or report what is happening there.
Additionally, this is the same governmental agency that has been requisitioning ammunition in unprecedented amounts.
Is it possible that this country, so self - involved, is allowing an invasion to occur because we "can't be bothered" to stop it? The press can't be bothered to report it. The current president  can't be spared from the fundraising events, it seems. I suspect, though, that whomever is pulling his puppet strings hasn't let him into the loop.
Many of the "children" are young men whom jihadists consider to be old enough to fight and die. Are these young men being dispersed into our country as an invading force, armed when they get here by the Department of Homeland Security, which just happens to have stockpiles of ammunition?
And they are also coming into our country with diseases that we thought we had under control.
It would be one way to take down the United States, from within, because we have become so complacent about our freedoms.
Or are they truly refugees, coming here because living conditions in their own countries is so abominable?
Without a press that is free to report what it can observe, we don't know what is happening with this unprecedented influx of people into our country.
Lord, please have mercy on us. Please bless and guide us into all truth.

God's Creation

Yesterday, my husband and I went hiking and found some antler sheds. We enjoy getting out and walking around the country looking for antlers.
One of my special joys is to take photos of the wildflowers we see on our outings. I am sharing one of these today.
Thank you, Lord, for your blessings today and every day. Amen. Alleluia.
Thank you for allowing me to live in such an amazing and awesome place.

Victory

On Monday evening, I joined with the thousands of people who were praying that the black Mass scheduled to take place at Harvard University would not happen.
My sense of outrage when I first heard about this was intense. I asked others to join me in prayers to prevent the abuse of Our Lord called for in a black Mass.
I had prayed earlier in the day the Chaplet of Divine Mercy,  but also felt called to pray a rosary during the time of the scheduled abomination.
I had to park at the Presbyterian Church because the town had blocked off the street due to a water main break. I almost didn't go into the church to pray the Rosary because of the difficulty in getting to the church.
I felt strongly that I could focus better in church, though.
I wasn't sure which mysteries to pray so I prayed about that first. I had a strong sense that I should pray the Glorious Mysteries, so I did.
As I was praying, I received such a gift of joy and victory. I could feel Mary leading all the angels and saints and all of the people who had come together to stop this insulting "educational" piece. I felt like we were marching around the walls of Jericho singing songs of praise and thanksgiving.
When I went in, I wasn't sure what the world was coming to. When I came out, I knew that Christ had won the victory. It was awesome.
I found out later that the black Mass on Harvard had been canceled.
It allegedly was held at some restaurant, although the owner didn't claim to have knowledge of that happening.
Praise God for not allowing this desecration to happen as publicized. I pray that the desecration of our Lord in the Eucharist didn't happen at all.
Thank you, Mary, for leading us in this spiritual battle.
Thank you for calling me to be a spiritual warrior and for giving me the grace to do what you asked of me.
This photo is of the first wildflowers I have seen.