JMJ. What do YOU think of when you hear the word "miracle?" Usually I think of big, splashy extravaganzas, a la Cecil B. DeMille. You know the kind--Moses sticks up his two arms and the sea flees from him and ultimately ends up drowning the Egyptians following behind in their chariots. Or the miracle of October, 1917 when the sun came down out of the heavens over the small village of Fatima, Portugal presaging the arrival of the Blessed Mother of God. Or even the time this poor man got hung up on a cross beam of a tree and appeared again alive, three days after His documented death. You know, big, in-your-face type events.
Sometimes, though, they come to us in small, bite-size, out-of-the-corner-of-your-eye happenings, kind of like the caress of the wind on your cheek. The birth of a child is of this kind although a good bit noisier. This latter type is what happened just recently in my home-town, Berea. I've mentioned before the religous goods store, Tilma, where the Blessed Mother whispered that Her Son was knocking at the door to my heart. I owe my faith to this store and its proprietess who staffs Tilma, taking no salary. She is paid in the small kisses on the cheek our Lord gives her occasionally to let her, and all of us Tilma groupies, know that He's alive and well, working in our community.
Well, to make a long story even longer, the economy has not been kind to the religious goods sector. Tilma was in imminent danger of closing its doors completely at the end of this last month and there was no discernible answer to the economic dilemma. Jan Marie was confiding this to me one day and the only answer we could see was to pray as we've never prayed before. A lady who was shopping (and over-heard the conversation) agreed with us and also was distressed at the bleak imminence of Tilma's closing. Once she left she drafted a letter with all pertinent information, circulated it to all her friends, and suggested that if they loved Tilma they would do the same thing--pray, shop, contribute, and pass the word.
I took the problem to all the saints I'm particularly attached to and Jan Marie took her prayers to the Infant of Prague. Or rather, to His antique porcelain statue. The figure needed, in the high four-figure range, was written on a small piece of paper and placed under the statue. Shoot, you've already guessed the outcome. Sales increased dramatically, folks were becoming militant, and we even received a donation from a professional person in a small, rural town in Ohio that no one knew anything of. Both person and town! Within three weeks Tilma was out of the woods and out of debt! A small miracle, but an important one, we think. Tilma (Our Lady's Store in Berea) will continue with its out-reach apostolates and will continue, through the grace of God, to evangelise to all. Deo gratias!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
"A Must-Read"
JMJ. I should have posted this a few weeks ago but then, I put the "pro" in procrastination. If nothing else you'd have a great idea for a Christmas gift made to keep giving and giving. (Sounds like the flu, doesn't it?) Actually, I'm writing about the book by Archbishop Chas. Chaput of the Archdiocese of Denver, entitled Render Unto Caesar. I finished it about a month ago and managed to do so, reading sporadically, in less than a week.
Although it's a call to arms to the laity, bidding them vote carefully, it is even more a call to militancy on behalf of the things that are God's. We need to hear this and need to hear it forcefully. Christ told the Pharisees to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's. Americans in particular and most Christians around the world in general have the first part down pat. It's the second part that's the stickler. That's the tough part.
I think the reason for the difficulty is two-fold. Either we don't know what is actually God's and how to render it unto Him, or we do but have convinced ourselves that we don't need to do it or that we can render it as suits us. Americans are justly proud of our democracy but in religous matters we automatically assume that that same democracy ought to apply there, too. It doesn't. Our Church is a monarchy with Jesus Christ as our King and the Holy Father, the Pope, as His regent or prime minister.
God managed to create the heavens and earth without our help and I seriously doubt that He needs our suggestions as to how best to run it. We poor humans just can't help kibitzing, though. If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me (or in times past, I said to myself), "I don't think" or "I think that" or "It's my opinion", I'd never have to work another day in my life. That's a sign that we think that we know better than the Almighty. We don't. Archbishop Chaput disabuses us of this notion, does it well and charitably, and then shows us how to be Catholics obedient to the will of God. PLEASE pick up and read his book. Then e-mail him at his archiocesan web-site. He really does answer his own e-mail.
Although it's a call to arms to the laity, bidding them vote carefully, it is even more a call to militancy on behalf of the things that are God's. We need to hear this and need to hear it forcefully. Christ told the Pharisees to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's. Americans in particular and most Christians around the world in general have the first part down pat. It's the second part that's the stickler. That's the tough part.
I think the reason for the difficulty is two-fold. Either we don't know what is actually God's and how to render it unto Him, or we do but have convinced ourselves that we don't need to do it or that we can render it as suits us. Americans are justly proud of our democracy but in religous matters we automatically assume that that same democracy ought to apply there, too. It doesn't. Our Church is a monarchy with Jesus Christ as our King and the Holy Father, the Pope, as His regent or prime minister.
God managed to create the heavens and earth without our help and I seriously doubt that He needs our suggestions as to how best to run it. We poor humans just can't help kibitzing, though. If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me (or in times past, I said to myself), "I don't think" or "I think that" or "It's my opinion", I'd never have to work another day in my life. That's a sign that we think that we know better than the Almighty. We don't. Archbishop Chaput disabuses us of this notion, does it well and charitably, and then shows us how to be Catholics obedient to the will of God. PLEASE pick up and read his book. Then e-mail him at his archiocesan web-site. He really does answer his own e-mail.
Friday, December 3, 2010
"Politics NOT As Usual"
JMJ. If the last election did one thing, it pointed out the growing polarisation between the Republicrat and Democan parties. Ok, poor joke, but if one thing has become glaringly evident in American politics, it is that veniality is non-partisan. Folks get up on their soap boxes and accuse each other of accepting bribes or not working hard enough for the poor or debate the best way to fleece the middle class (who ultimately pay for everything anyway.)
American politics consists of one party achieving power and instituting its ruinous schemes while the losers rail and chastise that only they can reverse those boners. When the time comes and the electorate throws the bums out, the new in's leave things just the way they were and pass their OWN ruinous schemes that just make the whole mess worse.
Why vote for one party rather than the other then? Simple. The only program that makes a hill of beans'-worth of difference is the Culture of Life. The only person worth electing is the one who will protect the unborn, work to reverse Roe vs. Wade, vote against gay marriage and fetal stem cell research, and in short, do his or her best to serve our God. We are in His hands and we will be judged by how well we listen to Him and do His will. Nothing else matters. Once we are all on the same page, THEN we can worry about those pesky illegal aliens or the obscenely wealthy rich folks. I have a feeling we'll be waiting a long, long time.
American politics consists of one party achieving power and instituting its ruinous schemes while the losers rail and chastise that only they can reverse those boners. When the time comes and the electorate throws the bums out, the new in's leave things just the way they were and pass their OWN ruinous schemes that just make the whole mess worse.
Why vote for one party rather than the other then? Simple. The only program that makes a hill of beans'-worth of difference is the Culture of Life. The only person worth electing is the one who will protect the unborn, work to reverse Roe vs. Wade, vote against gay marriage and fetal stem cell research, and in short, do his or her best to serve our God. We are in His hands and we will be judged by how well we listen to Him and do His will. Nothing else matters. Once we are all on the same page, THEN we can worry about those pesky illegal aliens or the obscenely wealthy rich folks. I have a feeling we'll be waiting a long, long time.
Monday, November 15, 2010
"A Little Peck on the Cheek"
JMJ. I may have mentioned this before and if I have, please overlook my poor memory, but my friend Charlie has a concept he calls God's little peck on the cheek. I don't know if he thought it up all by himself but it refers to the fact that one's prayer life is not all sweetness and light. It is full of long periods of dryness when it seems that we're just praying to a deaf wall. We're not, of course, but it's oftentimes hard to keep this in mind. God DOES always hears prayers even if He doesn't always act on them or act on them the way we know He should.
What He DOES do is give us a little peck, just to let us know that He's there watching out for us and listening to us intently. I got one of these on the last First Friday at Tilma, my hang-out away from home. I was sitting talking to Jan Marie, the owner, when who should walk throught the door but my favourite pastor, Fr. B. And he had a bourse around his neck signifying that he bore the Blessed Sacrament. He owned that he was distributing Holy Communion to his parish's shut-ins for their First Friday devotion. (Now I ask you--how many priests are concerned with this devotion nowadays and of those, how many would personally deliver Communion? You see why he's my favourite priest.)
Anyway. I have often doubted my true acceptance and awareness of Christ's presence in the Blessed Sacrament. I mean I accept it and I profess it, but I'm not always sure if I've internalised it. Jan and I continued our conversation after greeting our Lord and Fr. B. and it was then I got my little peck on the cheek--I realised that the Person Jan and I were talking about was truly in our midst, listening to our conversation and hopefully approving what was said. It was an absolutely awesome feeling and a peck that I will always cherish. One more self-doubt expunged. Thanks, Lord.
What He DOES do is give us a little peck, just to let us know that He's there watching out for us and listening to us intently. I got one of these on the last First Friday at Tilma, my hang-out away from home. I was sitting talking to Jan Marie, the owner, when who should walk throught the door but my favourite pastor, Fr. B. And he had a bourse around his neck signifying that he bore the Blessed Sacrament. He owned that he was distributing Holy Communion to his parish's shut-ins for their First Friday devotion. (Now I ask you--how many priests are concerned with this devotion nowadays and of those, how many would personally deliver Communion? You see why he's my favourite priest.)
Anyway. I have often doubted my true acceptance and awareness of Christ's presence in the Blessed Sacrament. I mean I accept it and I profess it, but I'm not always sure if I've internalised it. Jan and I continued our conversation after greeting our Lord and Fr. B. and it was then I got my little peck on the cheek--I realised that the Person Jan and I were talking about was truly in our midst, listening to our conversation and hopefully approving what was said. It was an absolutely awesome feeling and a peck that I will always cherish. One more self-doubt expunged. Thanks, Lord.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
"Misplaced Priorities"
JMJ. A lot of things set my teeth on edge; nowadays more so than ever for some reason. One of the things that's guaranteed to make me see red is the plethora of bumper stickers, ribbon loops, etc. that say "God Bless America" on them. Now I know that these folks are one, being patriotic, and two, acknowledging a belief in God. But they obviously aren't thinking straight. I ask you--why should He? Why should God bless America? What have we done lately, like in the last fifty years or so, to bless Him, to thank Him for His many blessings, to obey Him?
The answer, of course, is "nothing." Or at best, very little. We've cast Him out of our schools, He's no longer welcome around the dinner table, no longer welcome in polite conversation, or politics. We abort the little ones who were to come unto Him, we destroy fetuses in the name of science, we gas His chosen people in concentration camps, we assert that two men or two women constitute a "married couple," and that it's okay to remove the feeding tubes and iv's from our elderly or infirm whom we no longer value as human beings. And we expect Him to BLESS us?
Our political candidates this election year said it was all about the economy or all about jobs, or all about racial respect. It wasn't and it never was. It was all about the dignity and worth of the Culture of Life but it looks like the culture of death is going to come out on top again. God save America 'cause we sure can't do it ourselves!
The answer, of course, is "nothing." Or at best, very little. We've cast Him out of our schools, He's no longer welcome around the dinner table, no longer welcome in polite conversation, or politics. We abort the little ones who were to come unto Him, we destroy fetuses in the name of science, we gas His chosen people in concentration camps, we assert that two men or two women constitute a "married couple," and that it's okay to remove the feeding tubes and iv's from our elderly or infirm whom we no longer value as human beings. And we expect Him to BLESS us?
Our political candidates this election year said it was all about the economy or all about jobs, or all about racial respect. It wasn't and it never was. It was all about the dignity and worth of the Culture of Life but it looks like the culture of death is going to come out on top again. God save America 'cause we sure can't do it ourselves!
Monday, November 1, 2010
"Another One For the Whore of Babylon"
JMJ. That's the favourite epithet for the fundamentalist: "the Catholic church is the Whore of Babylon!" Which neatly brings me to today's topic. If the Church is the Whore of Babylon, why in heaven's name has she produced so many saints? Good question, isn't it? I hadn't thunk of it until I listened to a CD made by (I think) Peter Kreeft. Even the biggest haters of the Church wouldn't think of disparaging St. Augustine or St. Francis or Bl. Mother Teresa.
Well, that's a problem for them to stew over. I've found another. Sunday's gospel reading spot-lit one I hadn't considered before...Zacchaeus. I was just amazed, sitting there in the pew listening to our Fr. Michael talk about the conversion of a notorious sinner. For Zacchaeus was a hugely wealthy tax collector. Now I am not hugely wealthy but I am a poor sinner and I was even worse prior to my conversion. But in both our cases, Zacchaeus' and mine, we could not resist the work of the Holy Ghost.
Zacchaeus was prompted to climb a tree, the better to see this Jesus he'd heard so much about. And I, I was inspired to walk into a little Catholic religious goods store in Berea called "Tilma." And our lives changed. All it took was a little opening, you see. Christ and the Blessed Mother took it from there. Zacchaeus climbed down from the sycamore tree a changed man. I went home clutching a copy of Archbishop Sheen's autobiography a changing man. That's the difference between Zacchaeus and me--becoming a saint is going to take me so much longer (if, by the Grace of God I ever make it at all.) Simon of Cyrene helped Christ carry His cross to Calvary, Zacchaeus gave half of his vast wealth to the poor and paid recompense fourfold for his sins. While I walk forward toward my sanctification looking back all the while at Egypt. All ye holy angels and saints, please pray for me.
Well, that's a problem for them to stew over. I've found another. Sunday's gospel reading spot-lit one I hadn't considered before...Zacchaeus. I was just amazed, sitting there in the pew listening to our Fr. Michael talk about the conversion of a notorious sinner. For Zacchaeus was a hugely wealthy tax collector. Now I am not hugely wealthy but I am a poor sinner and I was even worse prior to my conversion. But in both our cases, Zacchaeus' and mine, we could not resist the work of the Holy Ghost.
Zacchaeus was prompted to climb a tree, the better to see this Jesus he'd heard so much about. And I, I was inspired to walk into a little Catholic religious goods store in Berea called "Tilma." And our lives changed. All it took was a little opening, you see. Christ and the Blessed Mother took it from there. Zacchaeus climbed down from the sycamore tree a changed man. I went home clutching a copy of Archbishop Sheen's autobiography a changing man. That's the difference between Zacchaeus and me--becoming a saint is going to take me so much longer (if, by the Grace of God I ever make it at all.) Simon of Cyrene helped Christ carry His cross to Calvary, Zacchaeus gave half of his vast wealth to the poor and paid recompense fourfold for his sins. While I walk forward toward my sanctification looking back all the while at Egypt. All ye holy angels and saints, please pray for me.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
"How Long Can I Keep This Up?"
JMJ. I admit it. I'm not the most persevering person in the world. My dear wife, to whom I'd been married for a good 25 years at the time, I'm sure, shook her head at my conversion to the Catholic Church and wondered how long this enthusiasm would last. I can't fault her--I wondered, too. I remember thinking, "Lord please don't let this be just another passing fancy."
Well, it's lasted now for over eleven years. And it just keeps getting gooder and gooder. So--I've written about my perpetual Rosary and how it's helped to focus my devotion to the Blessed Mother while relieving me from having to remember which day I should say which mystery on. (I've never been anything if not frugal of my energy, mental or physical.) As part of this on-going theme I've tried something else and it's proving to be a real boon to my prayer life, too.
Before I forget, it's only fair that I give the credit for the idea to my friend, Charlie. And I'm sure he would not hesitate to say that it wasn't original to him but he's such an important part of my spiritual development that I'll always associate it with him. You see, his hot button is the Divine Mercy. He lives and breathes it. He leads its recitation at the hospice he volunteers at, he makes rosaries with beads spelling it, and can't help but pass on this enthusiasm to everyone he meets.
Charlie and I were talking one morning over breakfast at Perkins and he said, "You know, Jim, your mission is converting souls. Have you ever thought of saying the novena for the Divine Mercy from now on instead of just the nine days before the Feast [of the Divine Mercy]?" I allowed as how I hadn't so I decided finally to give it a try. I was gob-smacked when I got to the fourth day and read the introduction: "Today bring to Me the pagans and those who do not yet know Me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart."
Someone, sometime had been praying this for ME! Our Lord had foreseen ME! Wow. And as is sometimes said nowadays, I decided to pay it forward. I pray now that the whole world might be converted, not just this one wee part of it. What could be more natural than a perpetual novena to the Divine Mercy and a perpetual Rosary? Won't you join me?
Well, it's lasted now for over eleven years. And it just keeps getting gooder and gooder. So--I've written about my perpetual Rosary and how it's helped to focus my devotion to the Blessed Mother while relieving me from having to remember which day I should say which mystery on. (I've never been anything if not frugal of my energy, mental or physical.) As part of this on-going theme I've tried something else and it's proving to be a real boon to my prayer life, too.
Before I forget, it's only fair that I give the credit for the idea to my friend, Charlie. And I'm sure he would not hesitate to say that it wasn't original to him but he's such an important part of my spiritual development that I'll always associate it with him. You see, his hot button is the Divine Mercy. He lives and breathes it. He leads its recitation at the hospice he volunteers at, he makes rosaries with beads spelling it, and can't help but pass on this enthusiasm to everyone he meets.
Charlie and I were talking one morning over breakfast at Perkins and he said, "You know, Jim, your mission is converting souls. Have you ever thought of saying the novena for the Divine Mercy from now on instead of just the nine days before the Feast [of the Divine Mercy]?" I allowed as how I hadn't so I decided finally to give it a try. I was gob-smacked when I got to the fourth day and read the introduction: "Today bring to Me the pagans and those who do not yet know Me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart."
Someone, sometime had been praying this for ME! Our Lord had foreseen ME! Wow. And as is sometimes said nowadays, I decided to pay it forward. I pray now that the whole world might be converted, not just this one wee part of it. What could be more natural than a perpetual novena to the Divine Mercy and a perpetual Rosary? Won't you join me?
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