George A. Sprecace M.D.,
J.D., F.A.C.P. and Allergy Associates of New
London,
P.C.
asthma.drsprecace.com
Physician-Patient Spirituality Topics
SPIRITUAL HOMILIES THAT LIVE ON
A "HOMILY": An informal explanation
of Scripture, usually offered by a Priest, Minister, Rabbi or other
holy man. The following homilies are
reproduced here as providing much better than average information and
inspiration for all of us. GS.
WITH ATTENTION TO THIS, LIVING A GOOD
LIFE IS REALLY EASY.
THE TEN DAYS OF REPENTANCE, ROSH
HASHANAH AND
YOM KIPPUR, SEPTEMBER 20 - 30.
These are the "holy of holies of Jewish time."
All
Christians should take note as well, for the Jewish people are our
elder brothers in Faith. This fact becomes crystal - clear by reading a
remarkable article which appeared in WSJ Review, Sept. 16-17, 2017,
pC3, entitled:
"The Challenge of Jewish Repentance" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
The reassuring point is that its Theology could have been explained and
embraced by a Catholic Priest or Protestant Minister.
Now
if only Muslims could rid themselves of the cancer of murderous
"Fundamentalism", then there would be real hope for world peace.
For, as noted in this fine article, "The real mystery is God's faith in
us, not vice versa".
"COMPASSION, NOT PITY".
In
sermons such as this, Pope Francis achieves his mission as Shepherd In
Chief, not only of Roman Catholics, but of all good people.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOT
THAT WE NEED ANY
MORE EVIDENCE OF MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN... but
see the article in
the March 3, 2024 edition of the NYTimes by Bodyagina and
Kurmanaev entitled
"Rancid
Food, Barbaric Cold, Broken Psyches" - describing the conditions
suffered by Aleksei
Navalny and so
many millions of others in Russia's Penal Colonies. Such
Facts arouse our
worst impulses toward humans like V. Putin...but to no avail. It
is only our health
and equanimity that suffer from such reactions. We
need but remember
that it is God who gave us Free Will and God who promises to hold us
to the
exercise of that
Free Will. ("VENGEANCE IS MINE. I SHALL REPAY". sayeth the
Lord". (Romans ll). And
meanwhile, it was
The Lord Himself who was well aware of the capabilities of the humans
around
Him: "But
Jesus would
not trust Himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need
anyone to
testify about
human nature. He
Himself understood it well."
(John 2:13-25). And
we certainly don't
want to know anything about who ends up in Hell. GS
I HAVE
KNOWN NUMEROUS PRACTISING
MUSLEMS, MAINLY THROUGH MY MEDICAL WORK.
They
are good people, God-Fearing
people.
What
is not compatible with a
God-Fearing people is a Theocracy.
What
is even worse is a Theocracy
that sanctions and encourages its members to KILL anyone who does not
accept
its Religion and its Theocracy as its own.
BESIDES
THE BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO
ROMAN CATHOLICS FROM AT LEAST WEEKLY PARTICIPATION IN THE HOLY
MASS, THERE
ARE THE WEEKLY READINGS IN
ADDITION TO THE HOLY GOSPEL. Those
from St. Paul, the greatest
convert to Christianity, are among my favorites. We
all have the Ten Commandments to
provide us with the bed-rock of our guidance as we exercise our
God-given Free
Will in this mortal life as we prepare for our immortal life -
hopefully with
God. What
follows should be considered a
critical expansion of that guidance. GS. A
reading from the First Letter of
St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians6:13c....). "Brothers
and sisters: The body
is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body;
God
raised the Lord and will also raise us by His power.
Do you not know that
our bodies are members of Christ? But whoever is joined to the Lord
becomes one
spirit with Him. Avoid immorality. Every other sin a person commits is
outside
the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not
know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have
from
God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a
price.
Therefore glorify God in your body."
The word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ALWAYS
RELEVANT, ESPECIALLY IN
TODAY'S WORLD. OR WAS IT ALWAYS SO? GS
"Let
us love the Cross and let us remember that we are not alone in carrying
it. God is helping us. And in God who is comforting us, as St. Paul
says, we can do anything." - St. Gianna Molla
"BE
PATIENT, BECAUSE THE
WEAKNESSES OF THE BODY ARE GIVEN TO US IN THIS WORLD BY GOD FOR THE
SALVATION
OF THE SOUL. SO
THEY ARE OF GREAT MERIT WHEN THEY
ARE BORNE PATIENTLY. ST.
FRANCIS OF ASSISI.
FOR CHRISTIANS,
ONE OF THE BENEFITS
OF ATTENDING WEEKLY HOLY MASS IS THE READING OF SELECTIONS FROM THE
BIBLE... generally
including the Old
Testament, the Letters of St. Paul and other Apostles, and Jesus' Words
in the
New Testament. The Readings for
September 10, 2023
are particularly instructive for the Unequivocal Command coming
from
both God and from the Son of God. In effect: I AM
MY BROTHER'S
KEEPER...no if's, and's or but's...an Affirmative Responsibility. "...I will
hold you responsible
for his death". For Jews, our
older brothers in
Faith, the message is the same. This is THE GOD
OF MERCY. And He is
also THE GOD OF JUSTICE: "VENGEANCE IS MINE. I SHALL REPAY, SAYETH
THE
LORD". (Romans, ll). So: for
practising Christians and
Jews...see you on Saturday or Sunday. For fallen away
Christians and
Jews...COME BACK! And for those of
other spiritual
persuasions, Study their tenets. Compare and Contrast. Then Decide in
Whose
Embrace you want to spend this Human portion of your Immortal life...and
then the never-ending remainder of that Life. GS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"PEOPLE NEEDING
PEOPLE" "TOUCHING"...A
VITAL NEED,
AS EXPLAINED IN THE CLASSIC BOOK BY ASHLEY MONTAGU. "IT IS NOT
GOOD FOR MAN TO
BE ALONE"...GOD'S EARLIEST COMMENT TO ADAM. Another
excellent offering by Dennis
Prager, perhaps the modern William Shakespeare...in prose. And check out
the book he wrote in
his earlier years: "Think Again". GS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THESE ARE
NEITHER
"...THE BEST OF TIMES...." NOR "...THE WORST
OF TIMES...." For GOD CREATED
Man in charge of his
own Destiny: Immortal, with Free Will, capable of the greatest Good and
the
greatest Evil, and with the ability to choose Heaven or Hell for all
Eternity. What follows is
a beautiful description
of One Option. And then there
is the other:
"Vengeance Is Mine; I Shall Repay"...Sayeth The LORD". (ROMANS
II). GS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "If you are suffering from a bad man’s injustice, forgive
him—lest there be two bad men."
- St. Augustine
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RELIGION
AND MORALITY, IN ADDITION
TO RIGHTS AND PREROGATIVES OF PARENTS, ARE IN THE CROSS-HAIRS OF THE
WOKE, AS
THEY SEEK TO DESTROY WHAT AMERICA STANDS FOR. This is Standard
Operating Procedure
for any and all Totalitarian goals. See; "Michigan Judge Appeals to
Americans For Morality Reform", by Dustin Bass (in The Epoch Times
May 24,
2023, pC5). What are you
Personally going to do
about it? GS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ONCE
AGAIN, "CHI MI LO
FAR' FARE": WHO MAKES ME DO IT". And again, it's
mainly for myself -
and also for the reader's benefit. Today's
ruminations rightly belong
in this web-site's section entitled "PHYSICIAN /
PATIENT
SPIRITUALITY", where you will find many others. The topic today
is EVIL, of which
there is So Much around us. We could ask:
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW
THIS? Or we could
declare: THE DEVIL MADE
ME DO IT. WRONG in both
instances. We could seek
out perhaps more
enlightened observers: 1) "Why Does God
Allow
Evil?", by E. Christian Brugger (in National Catholic Register May
7-20,
p9). 2) "Harold
Kushner, Rabbi And
Author, Dies At 88", by Emily Langer (in The Day Obituaries, May 6,
2023.). Of these, I
believe that the
accurate answer comes from Rabbi Kushner, the author of "When Bad
Things
Happen To Good People". I also am
convinced that God created
Man with one great gift - FREE WILL , and that all human good and Evil
result
from the exercise of that Free Will. It is not that
God after the
Creation became a passive observer. God has at least
two measures of
man's ultimate reward or punishment: Mercy /
Forgiveness ; and
"Vengeance Is Mine. I Will Repay". (Romans II). Meanwhile, on
our still-mortal level
before we enter immortality, Forgiveness itself among ourselves is the
medicine
for many diseases afflicting us. See the
excellent article entitled:
"THe Secret Weapon for Mental Health: forgiveness", by Gregory Jantz
( in The Epoch Times April 26, 2023, pC1). So: Consider the
above...and also
limit your time following the News. You will be a
lot better for it. GS
REMEMBER THE
LITTLE CHILD'S
PRAYER? "JESUS LOVES ME, THAT I KNOW". It stays with us
throughout our
lives. The holy Gospel
according to Matthew
(Matthew 5:13-16). "Jesus said to
his desciples:
'You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what
can it
be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and
trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a
mountain
cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a
bushel
basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the
house.
Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your
good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father". The
Gospel of the Lord. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Be
patient, because the weaknesses of the body are given to us in this
world by God for the salvation of the soul. So they are of great merit
when they are borne patiently."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You
can't go to heaven hating somebody. Forgive now. Be compassionate now.
Be patient now. Be grateful now. Love Jesus and Mary now. Accept God's
will now."
–Mother Angelica
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Faith
and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the
contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire
to know the truthin a word, to know himselfso that, by knowing and
loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about
themselves."
IRISH BLESSING May the road
rise up to meet
you,
May the
wind be always
at your back,
May the
sun shine warm
upon your face,
And rains fall soft
upon your fields,
And
until we meet again,
May God keep you
In the hollow
of His hand. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GOD
LOVES ME. THIS I KNOW.
Me: God,
can I ask You a question?
God: Sure
Me: Promise You won't get mad
God: I promise
Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me
today?
God: What do u mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late
God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start
God: Okay
Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had
to wait
God: Huummm
Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I
picked up a call
God: All right
Me:
And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet
in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn't work!!! Nothing
went right today! Why did You do that?
God: Let me
see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send
one of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through
that
Me (humbled): OH
GOD:
I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your
route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed)
God:
The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't
want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss
work.
Me (embarrassed):Okay
God:
Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to
give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let
you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me (softly): I see God
God:
Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw
out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted
to be in the dark.
Me: I'm Sorry God
God: Don't be sorry, just learn to Trust Me.... in All
things , the Good & the bad.
Me: I will trust You.
God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is Always
Better than your plan.
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, Thank
You for Everything today.
God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being
your God and I Love looking after My Children...
ALL OF US, ALL
GIVEN THE GIFT OF
LIFE AND MUCH MORE BY OUR CREATOR, HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO "PAY IT
FORWARD" IN SOME WAY. GS
"Each
of you knows
that the foundation of our faith is charity. Without it, our religion
would
crumble. We will never be truly Catholic unless we conform our entire
lives to
the two commandments that are the essence of the Catholic faith: to
love the
Lord, our God, with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as
ourselves." –Blessed Pier Giorgio
Frassati
With one million
deaths in this country from the Pandemic - and counting, many of
us have experienced this life-altering part of life. A vital part of
surviving and growing from that experience is GRIEF.
Different from the long-lasting sense of Loss, Grief is more visceral
and uncontrollable. And it cannot be "managed". It must be given vent
for as deep and as long as it requires. The alternative can be
long-lasting psychologic and physical injury for the person left
behind. Now comes a related condition: "Grieving Before A Loved One
Dies". Three articles in Medscape.com on these subjects are
definitely worth your time. They appear in the editions on March 21 and
29, 2022. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
INTERESTING.
LET'S TRY THIS
OUT. But don't expect
to hear a booming
baritone. Just a little whisper that comes into your consciousness as
you wait
quietly. Very likely, THAT'S IT. GS
"Whenever
I go to the chapel, I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and
I say to Him, 'Lord, here I am. Tell me what You would have me do.' If
He gives me some task, I am content and I thank Him. If He gives me
nothing, I still thank Him since I do not deserve to receive anything
more than that. And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I
tell Him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen. If you listen,
God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both
speak and listen. God always speaks to you when you approach Him
plainly and simply."
–St. Catherine Laboure
Several
years ago, I heard a very popular Christian speaker talk to a large
audience for an hour. He said nothing heretical. He said nothing
controversial. He just focused on the “unconditional” love of God.
Again, nothing wrong with what he did say, but it is what he did not
say that bothered me. He said nothing about repentance of sin. There is
a reason Jesus said what he said in the above bible verse. And there is
a reason John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world with the exact
same proclamation in Matthew 3:2: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand.”
There
is a popular trend going on in the American Christian church. The trend
is to talk of the love of God without talking about the justice of God.
But if you read the Bible, it is clear, there exists both the grace of
God and the wrath of God, and Jesus Christ spoke of both.
Many
Christians around the world have been celebrating Holy Week this week
culminating today with Easter Sunday or what some churches call
Resurrection Sunday. It is to commemorate the victory of Jesus over
Satan, sin, death and hell. This is good news! And “good news” is the
meaning of the word “gospel.”
It
is true that God’s love for mankind is “unconditional.” However, in
order for man to be in right relationship with God, man must conform
his life to match with God’s requirement of man. And God does not force
this decision on man. God draws a person to himself, but it is the free
will of the individual to decide if he or she will obey God’s
requirements for a right relationship or not.
Jesus
called this experience being “born again.” In other words, a person
(every human) must understand that he or she has violated God’s laws
and is forever separated from God spiritually unless he or she repents
of their sin and trust in the shed blood of Jesus on the cross for
forgiveness of that sin in order to be counted among those who have
been redeemed. Redeemed from the consequences of unrepentant sin which
is death and hell. What I am writing here in not popular in modern day
America and where we want to live our own life without interference
from God. It’s our natural tendency to live for ourselves instead of
obey the commands of God. That is the eternal struggle between flesh
and the spirit.
In
order to prove our love for Christ, he says we must deny ourselves,
pick up our cross daily, and follow him. Our “cross” is a challenge to
wake up daily and try our best to live like Jesus. The way we learn to
live like Jesus is to study the Bible, take time to pray and fellowship
with other believers (followers) which we call “church.” God knows we
will fail at this precisely because we are human. Sometimes we are
tempted by sin and we give in to it. But the Bible also says that if we
are willing to confess our sins to God, He is willing to forgive us.
That also is great news!
No
one is compelled to believe this. You may read this and call it
foolishness. That is your right. But if that is your view, I at least
encourage you to read one book in the Bible, the gospel of John, and
consider the claims of the Bible and Christ before you dismiss
Christianity. To
my fellow Christians, I say, “He is Risen!” Tim
Wildmon, President American
Family Association
FROM: ISAIAH
43:16-21: "Remember not
the events of the
past,
the things of long ago
consider not; see, I am
doing something new!" The word of
the Lord. Thanks be to
God. LET US ALL DO
"SOMETHING
NEW". GS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HERE IS ANOTHER
"KEEPER"
FROM ST. AUGUSTINE: "WE ARE
CHRISTIANS, AND
STRANGERS ON EARTH. LET NONE OF US BE FRIGHTENED; OUR NATIVE LAND NOT
IN THIS
WORLD". I'll have to
study more about St.
Augustine. He may be a Soul-Brother. GS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
'WHAT
THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE,
SWEET LOVE". Not serial
"hook-ups" and
one-night stands. Not marriages
with no intention of
having children...or even of being faithful to each other. Not "...'til
death do us
part"; just until a better offer comes along. Not a world with
hundreds of
millions of aborted babies, and so many children raised in one-parent
homes -
or no parents. SO: WHAT IS
LOVE? "Brothers and
sisters: strive
eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still
more excellent
way. If I speak in
human and angelic
tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing
cymbal. And
if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all
knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am
nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so
that I
may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is
patient, love is kind. It is
not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it
does not
seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood
over
injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the
truth. It
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things. Love never
fails. It there are
prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will
cease; if
knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we
prophesy
partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When
I was a
child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child;
when I
became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see
indistinctly, as
in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I
shall
know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these
three; but
the greatest of these is love." The first Letter
of Saint Paul to
the Corinthians (1Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13 or 13:4-13). GS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"What
does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet
to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It
has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love
looks like."
–St. Augustine
God
created Man in His Image and Likeness. And then He gave him the gift
that makes
man almost god-like: Free Will.
And what
did man and woman do with that free will? They immediately disobeyed
God in the
Garden of Eden.
Actions
have Consequences: God removed them from their birth-right. And we have
been
struggling to get back ever since.
But God
is both Just and Merciful. He gave man ten very clear Commandments.
“Thou shalt
not…”
And what
did man do? He killed his brother. Free Will in action.
And we
have been struggling ever since.
God
decided on a “Do-Over”: the Flood and Noah’s Arc.
Not
enough. Then He sent his Son to show us the way back to Him.
What He
did not do is to cancel our Free Will. That would have rendered us
simple
drones.
And God
loves his creation too much to do that.
So here
we are: human beings with Free Will, capable of the greatest good and
the
greatest evil. And we continue to tend toward evil, thanks to the
efforts of
the keeper of the final state of punishment for those who have earned
it –
Hell.
Remember:
we have to Earn Hell. We cannot earn Heaven. Heaven is God’s gift to
us, His
creation…from the very Beginning.
Free Will
equals Choice. Man has been making those choices since the beginning of
Time.
CHANUKAH
(HANUKKAH), THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, IS BEING CELEBRATED NOW.
Although not Jewish, I a Christian have always considered the Jewish
People my older siblings.
How can it be otherwise, by History and by Morality?
We all await the Coming of the Messiah - sooner rather than later,
given the state of the world.
And whether it is the first Coming or the second Coming, we pray for
that Coming.
Meanwhile,
we live within the confines and potential of our humanity. We are
reminded of those limitations by a poignant article: "The Roots Of Resilience",
by Jared Cohen (in WSJ December 4-5, 2021, Books, C9). That worst
anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history occurred in 2018, many years after
my son had completed his education in the same neighborhood - at
Carnegie Mellon University. Sustained by whatever Faith, that is our
humanity: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
FOR THOSE OF YOU VISITORS TO THIS WEB SITE WHO HAVE DONE SOME EXPLORING,
you might have found "Physician /
Patient Spirituality" category.
This is perfectly natural for a Profession that had its origins in the
ancient Priesthood of Genesis and then in Egypt.
I trust that my offerings in this section are of help to my patients
and to others whose needs transcend my medical abilities.
In
that vein I offer the following, both worth reading in toto and both
based on the greatest Evil of any Time: Murder and in this case
Abortion.
"Conscience And COVID
Vaccines", by Edward Pentin (in National Catholic Register,
November 7-20, 2021, p7);
"Blame Pelosi, Biden And The Media", (Editorial, ibid,
p10).
FOR ALL PRACTISING CATHOLICS, FOR COULD-BE CHRISTIANS, AND FOR GOOD
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE...
GS
Today,
we celebrate All Saints’ Day. On this Solemnity, the Church remembers
the saints in Heaven—those who are canonized as well as the countless
unnamed saints.
Over the past year and a half, we have
been adding new Seasons and Feasts pages to our website. Today, we hope
that you will visit our All Saints’ Day online resource:
ewtn.com/allsaints.
On this page, we have included many
questions and answers about All Saints’ Day. We also have a free eBook,
Comfort from Scripture and the Saints. Featuring beautiful photography
from the EWTN Vatican Bureau, this eBook includes both Scripture
passages and quotes from the saints that will remind you that God is
with us through every trial. He is always at our side.
And as we celebrate All Saints’ Day, we can look to the Communion of
Saints as examples for us in every situation.
• When the Truth is unpopular, we can follow the
example of St. Paul to speak the Word of God.
• If our children fall away from the faith, we can
ask St. Monica to intercede.
•
When we need strength in the face of adversity, we can look to the
martyrs—such as Maximilian Kolbe, Perpetua, and Felicity.
• As we grow in our faith, we can ask the Blessed
Mother to always point us toward her Beloved Son.
Truly, we have many examples and intercessors who can assist us in our
daily lives, and we should take advantage of their help.
While
we are focusing on the wonderful Communion of Saints, we can also
remember that God wants each one of us to become holier—and grow in
love for Him—every day. Mother Angelica said, “God has something very
special in mind for you. He wants you to be a saint.”
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T
TAKE AT LEAST
THE WEEKLY OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND HOLY MASS,
including its Readings
from the Old
and the New Testament and its Letters of the Apostles,
there can be no greater
gift than
the following from The Lord himself.
A reading from the holy
Gospel
according to Mark.
"One of the scribes
came to
Jesus and asked him, 'Which is the first of all the commandments?'
Jesus
replied, 'The first is this:
'Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is
Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord
your God
with all your heart,
with all your
soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your
strength.'
The second is
this:
'You shall love your
neighbor as
yourself'.
There is no other
commandment
greater than these'. The scribe said to him, 'Well said, teacher.
You are
right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he'. And 'to
love him
with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your
strength, and
to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt
offerings and
sacrifices.' And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he
said to
him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And no one dared to ask
him any more questions."
"IT IS PART OF THE DISCIPLINE OF GOD
TO MAKE HIS LOVED ONES PERFECT
THROUGH TRIAL AND SUFFERING.
ONLY BY CARRYING THE CROSS CAN ONE REACH THE
RESURECTION."
I
dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me
around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom
filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first
section and said, "This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions
to God said in prayer are received."
I looked around in
this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out
petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all
over the world.
Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second
section.
The
angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery
Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked
for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for
them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were
many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had
been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.
Finally,
at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a
very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated
there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment
Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed
embarrassed. "How is it that there is no work
going on here?" I asked.
"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that
they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments."
"How does one acknowledge God's blessings? "I asked.
"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord."
"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.
"If
you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of
this world. If you have money in the bank, in
your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of
the world's wealthy, and if you get this on your own computer, you are
part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity."
"If
you woke up this morning with more health than illness.. You are
more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day."
"If
you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of
starvation... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world."
"If
you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture
or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people
in the world."
"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're
unique to all those in doubt and despair......."
"Ok," I said. "What now? How can I start?"
The
Angel said, "If you can read this message, you just received a double
blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you
are more blessed than over two billion people in the world
who cannot read at all."
Have a good day, count your
blessings and, if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else
how blessed we all are..........
ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.
"Thank
you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for
giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it."
If you have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been
blessed with, how can you not send it on?
Thank God for everything, especially all your family and friends.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything
depended on you."
— St. Augustine
"Some
beginners, too, make light of their faults, and at other times indulge
in immoderate grief when they commit them. They thought themselves
already saints, and so they become angry and impatient with themselves,
which is another great imperfection. They also importune God to deliver
them from their faults and imperfections, but it is only for the
comfort of living in peace, unmolested by them, and not for God; they
do not consider that, were He to deliver them, they would become,
perhaps, prouder than ever."
— St. John of the Cross, p. 9
Man was created in His Image and Likeness, born to live
Forever....
Man is intended to join God Forever.
Man was given Free Will...as a Gift from God, in order to make
him Whole.
Man
cannot "earn" Heaven; it is always God's Gift...unless he declines it
through a bad use of Free Will: ie. Mortal Sin, as defined by God.
"Vengeance is Mine. I Shall Repay, Sayeth the Lord". (Romans 2).
But
God is not vengeful. God is infinitely merciful. Witness the Gift of
His having sent His Son to become Man in order to help show us human
beings how to use our Free Will to gain our Inheritance.
God and Jesus Christ also left us a human organization, The
Church, to help us follow that path.
But,
being human, The Church itself can fail in its Mission - without
removing us humans from our personal responsibility to the plan...whose
elements are listed in the 10 Commandments, in the Holy Bible,
and in the Teachings of Jesus Christ. The Lives lived by Holy Humans is
also helpful.
There is One God. the God of All, whatever human
institution people choose to follow... only If all humans adhere to the
same Basic Rules: a) Jews, regardless of the First Coming or the Second
Coming...He is Coming Again! b) Muslims...but Not those whose basic
tenet is the murder of non-Muslims who do not convert to Islam! God's
rules for Immortality with Him the same, regardless of what human
organization is followed in our Free Will.
And that Free Will
of humans is also the reason that there is Evil and suffering in the
world. It is because of some humans' decision to be or to do Evil.
Even
here, we falling humans have until the moment of human death to repent,
thereby regaining God's gift of eternal Life in Heaven...Or Not. If
not, those humans are Still Immortal, facing God's vengeance for
eternity. Here, facing Evil, the good are given even more opportunities
to do good..., to right wrongs. to "pay it forward".
So don't fear Death. It is just a way-station to the rest of
our Immortal Life.
George A. Sprecace, M.D., J.D.
AND WHAT IS HEAVEN?
Here,
read the great Homily offered many years ago by Rev. Joseph Castaldi,
long-time Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in New London Connecticut. READ
IT AND REJOICE!.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - IN A NATION AND A WORLD WHERE HUMAN LIFE IS INCREASINGLY
DEVALUED, IGNORED, AND DESTROYED...
the following is a clear statement of the morals and ethics at stake,
at the risk of one's own immortal soul.
"Let
us love God, but with the strength of our arms, in the sweat of our
brow." — St. Vincent de Paul
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
JANUARY 30, 2021
"In
her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great
ship being pounded by the waves of life's different stresses. Our duty
is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course."
– St. Boniface
MEDITATION OF THE DAY
"What
is time, with regard to myself? It is my present and actual existence.
Past time, or my past existence, is no longer anything, as far as I am
concerned; I can neither recall it, nor change anything in it. The time
to come, or my future existence, has not yet arrived, and perhaps never
will arrive. I does not depend on me; I cannot count on it ... No one
is ignorant of these two simple truths, but very few draw from them the
conclusions they ought to draw ... This present moment, or this actual
existence—from whom do I hold it? It is He who has preserved my
existence from one instant to another, and who is preserving it at this
present moment. Will He preserve it for me in the moment that shall
immediately follow this one? I do not know; and nothing in the world
can give me the assurance of it. Why has time been given to me? So that
by it I may merit a happy eternity. I shall live forever: faith teaches
me this; my reason even assures me of another life. The desire of
immortality is implanted in the depths of my heart, and this desire,
which God Himself has planted there, can never be frustrated of its
object. I am, then, born for eternity, but this eternity will be happy
or wretched ... My fate for all eternity depends, then, on the use I
make of time, and since neither the past nor the future is in my own
power, it is quite true to say that my eternity depends always on the
present moment. Now, at this present moment, what is my state? Would I
like to die just as I am now?"
— Fr. Jean Nicholas Grou, p. 82-83
"What
does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet
to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It
has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love
looks like."
– St. Augustine
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- - - - - - - - - -
"The Cross is the way to Paradise, but only when it is borne willingly."
— St. Paul of the Cross
2020 was not as bad as it could have been. Remember the
20th century?
2021. Wishing won't make it so. We each must work (and pray)
very hard to make it "happy" and "healthy".
As for "happy", start out with the scores of aphorisms of
Benjamin Franklin. They are True!
As
for "healthy", life-style is responsible for 50% of all illnesses in
America. Begin with overweight / obesity. If your BMI is 30 or more,
lose 15% of your body weight by June, 2021. Check out as a starter the
http://www.medidietresources.com web site which I have offered for
decades. If your BMI is 40 or more, run - don't walk - to the nearest
Bariatric center.
In all of this, be "process oriented", problem identifying and
solving...Not "outcome oriented": what if...??
Now: LET'S GET ON WITH IT!
Pay
it Forward. We all have received personal gifts in life...some more,
some less. But we all have Something to offer to our fellow man, if
only a smile or a greeting. Get those endorphins flowing!
Do
your part...for yourself and for others. The First Rule of Service is
Survival. Remember to put that O2 mask on yourself before your child.
Then Help! Look in the mirror. Are you satisfied with what you
see?
Recognize
and accept (subject to Prayer) what you have to work with: Human
Nature, subject to the greatest Good and to the greatest Evil. But you
also have Free Will. Use it for Good.
Yes, there Is a Life beyond Human Life...and you have to Die to
get there. Where? That's your Choice. Choose carefully.
Choices
have outcomes, for ourselves and for Society. As for Society and our
Governance, I will always be loyal to the Founding and enduring
principles of this nation. And I will fight for them.
Personal
Responsibility! What a concept. It begins with "choosing the right
parents", the most important teachers. All other teachers have a moral
and professional responsibility to teach Truths as well as the highest
that humanity has to offer...and not to indoctrinate their students
with distortions and falsehoods and with their own shortcomings.
Then
comes each of us: Personal Responsibility!!
As St. Augustine, a very worldly Saint, said:
"PRAY AS IF IT ALL DEPENDS ON GOD.
WORK AS IF IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOU".
GS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HERE IS A GOOD MOTTO TO LIVE BY:
"Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be". Abraham Lincoln - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HERE IS A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT WHICH I'LL SHARE.
The Human Spirit, and God within it, LIVES.
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
————————–
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled.
Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
————————–
The sermon this morning: “The Lord Walks on the Water.”
The sermon tonight: “Searching for The Lord.”
————————–
Ladies,
don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things
not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
————————–
Don’t let worry kill you off — let the Church help.
————————–
Miss Charlene Mason sang ‘I will not pass this way again,’ giving
obvious pleasure to the congregation.
————————–
For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery
downstairs.
————————–
Next Thursday there will be try-outs for the choir. They need all the
help they can get.
————————–
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the
church.
So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
————————–
A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall.
Music will follow.
————————–
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be ‘What Is Hell?’
Come early and listen to our choir practice.
————————–
Eight
new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new
members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
————————–
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased
person you want remembered.
————————–
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and
gracious hostility.
————————–
Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM, prayer and medication to follow.
————————–
The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind.
They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
————————–
This
evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from
the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. (the g was
missing)
————————–
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies
of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the
pancake breakfast next Sunday.
————————–
Low Self-esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use
the back door.
————————–
The
eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in the Church
basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this
tragedy.
————————–
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the Church hall. Please use large
double door at the side entrance.
————————–
And this one just about sums them all up:
The Associate Minister unveiled the church’s new campaign slogan last
Sunday: ‘I Upped My Pledge — Up Yours.’
1
Why go to Church?
I think this is fantastic, I just love the guy's answer and the
interpretation of the BIBLE. Enjoy and pass on.
If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this.
If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and
complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.
He
wrote: "I've gone for 30 years now, and in that time I have heard
something like 3,000 sermons, but for the life of me, I can't remember
a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time, the preachers
and priests are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all".
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column.
Much to the delight of the editor, it went on for weeks until someone
wrote this clincher:
"I've
been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked
some
32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire
menu
for a single one of those meals.
But I do know this: They all
nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If
my
wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be
spiritually dead today!"
When you are DOWN to nothing, God is UP to something!
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible & receives the
impossible!
Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment!
IF YOU CANNOT SEE GOD IN ALL, YOU CANNOT SEE GOD AT ALL!
B. I. B L. E. simply means: Basic Instructions Before
Leaving Earth!
An atheist bookie was at the races playing the ponies and losing his
shirt.
He
noticed a Priest step out onto the track and blessed the forehead of
one of the horses lining up for the 4th race. Lo and behold, that
horse - a long shot - won the race
Next race, as the horses lined up, the Priest stepped onto the track.
Sure enough, he blessed one of the horses.
The
bookie made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on
the horse. Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse
won
the race.
He
collected his winnings and anxiously waited to see which horse the
Priest would bless next. He bet big on it, and it won.
As the races continued the Priest kept blessing horses, and each one
ended up winning.
The
bookie was elated. He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all
his
savings, and waited for the Priest's blessing that would tell him which
horse to bet on.
True to his pattern, the Priest stepped onto the
track for the last race and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was
100/1. This time the priest blessed the eyes, ears, and hooves of the
old nag. The bookie knew he had a winner and bet every cent he
owned
on the old nag.
He watched dumbfounded as the old nag pulled up
and couldn't even finish the race. In a state of shock, he went
to the
track area where the Priest was.
Confronting him, he demanded,
'Father! What happened? All day long you blessed horses and
they all
won. Then in the last race, the horse you blessed never even had a
chance. Now, thanks to you, I've lost every cent of my savings!'
The Priest nodded wisely and with sympathy.
"You are not Catholic are you my son?"
"No, I'm an atheist"
"That's the problem", said the Priest,
"you couldn't tell the difference between a blessing and last
rites".
Lord’s Prayer
By a 15-year-old school kid who got an A+ for this entry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd
If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the State.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong.
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"It
is part of the discipline of God to make His loved ones perfect through
trial and suffering. Only by carrying the Cross can one reach the
Resurrection."
— Archbishop Fulton Sheen
"The heart
cannot exist without love; it will love either God or creatures. If it
does not love creatures, it certainly will love God. In order to become
holy, we must therefore banish from our heart all that is not for God.
When anyone came to the Fathers of the desert and desired to be
received by them he was asked: 'Do you bring an empty heart that it may
be filled by the Holy Ghost?' And they were right, for a heart that is
filled with the things of earth has no room for the love of God. He who
brings a vessel filled with earth to the spring will never be able to
fill it with water until he empties it of the earth with which it is
filled. How does it happen that so many pray and go frequently to Holy
Communion and still make no considerable progress in the love of God?
The reason is doubtless because the heart is full of self-esteem, of
vanity, of self-will, and of attachment to creatures. He, therefore,
who wishes to arrive at the perfect love of God must practice poverty
in spirit. He must be detached from worldly possessions, from temporal
honors, from his fellow creatures, and from himself."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 114-5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"You
can't go to heaven hating somebody. Forgive now. Be compassionate now.
Be patient now. Be grateful now. Love Jesus and Mary now. Accept God's
will now."
— Mother Angelica
"True devotion to Our
Lady is interior; that is, it comes from the mind and the heart. It
flows from the esteem we have for her, the high idea we have formed of
her greatness, and the love which we have for her. It is tender; that
is, full of confidence in her, like a child’s confidence in his loving
mother ... It implores the aid of its good Mother at all times, in all
places and above all things: in its doubts, that it may be enlightened;
in its wanderings, that it may be brought into the right path; in its
temptations, that it may be supported; in its weaknesses, that it may
be strengthened; in its falls, that it may be lifted up; in its
discouragements, that it may be cheered; in its scruples, that they may
be taken away; in the crosses, toils and disappointments of life, that
it may be consoled under them. In a word, in all the evils of body and
mind, the soul ordinarily has recourse to Mary, without fear of
annoying her or displeasing Jesus Christ."
— St. Louis De Montfort, p. 54 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Faith
and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the
contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire
to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and
loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about
themselves."
— Pope St. John Paul II
"We live in a
fallen world. We must therefore work out our destiny under the
conditions created by sin. Did we but realize this truth, we would
accept each of life’s trying changes in the same spirit in which we
accept the penance from the confessor. Were we truly convinced that our
hope of pardon, and consequently our salvation, depends upon
repentance, we would willingly undergo all the sufferings of life’s
warfare."
— John A. Kane, p. 81
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
But
when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and,
beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus
stretched out his hand and caught Peter. From today's Gospel, Mt
14:22-33.
When we read this gospel passage we often think
of Peter's time of doubt and of the importance of having faith. We may
also wonder, “Why would Peter not trust?” If we put ourselves in
Peter’s place, in the middle of a storm, would we have remained calm?
Maybe, maybe not. We are human, it’s not easy to have steadfast faith.
In our lives, what are the storms that sometimes cause us to shake or
fall? Yet have we noticed that no matter how many times we fall, Jesus
is there to pick us up? Perhaps if we refocus our vision not on the way
Peter doubted but on how Jesus did not fail him, we will be able to
understand the role of Jesus as our Savior in a much deeper way.
This
Sunday let us reflect on the gift of God's presence and of His desire
to be with us. After Peter cried out "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately
stretched out His hand. He did not delay. He did not ask any questions;
His response was without hesitation. This reminds us of how Jesus is
always near and always wants to help us. So much so that when we
pray to God, it is because He inspires our desire to seek Him. He
initiates, and salvation is being constantly offered to us.
However, it is in how we respond that we can truly find redemption. We
must allow God to save us. What would have happened if Peter would have
preferred to swim back on his own because of pride? Instead he
recognized Jesus was the only one powerful enough to overcome the storm
and save him.
Can we allow ourselves to be saved? How? The answer
is prayer. It is through prayer that we can see Jesus coming to us in
the midst of a storm. "The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well
where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human
being. It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus
thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God's desire for us.
Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst
with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him." (CCC 2560)
Today,
let’s allow ourselves to be saved. Let us not be afraid of the storms
we are facing, in whatever form that storm may be. Let us remain at the
expectation of our Lord coming to us, and when we see Him let us cry
out like Peter, “Lord, save me!” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rapid Response for SUNDAY,
September 27,
2020
LET'S TAKE STOCK OF OUR
LIVES. THESE ARE THE FACTS. THEN:
1) Let's Thank God.
2) Let's "Pay It Forward".
3) For any worthwhile desires for the Future...
"Pray as if it all depends on God.
Work as if it all depends on yourself". (St. Augustine of Hippo).
Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began
Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.
People were sick, hospitals full,
Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.
As winter gave way to the promise of spring,
The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.
People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen.
They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.
April approached and churches were closed.
“There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.
“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”
Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest.
The world was focused on masks and on tests.
“Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went.
The virus pressed on; it just would not relent.
The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed.
The virus still menaced, the people, estranged.
“Pooh pooh to the saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming.
“They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
And then all the saints will all cry boo-hoo.
“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.”
So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear.
And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies.
It started down low, then it started to rise.
But the sound wasn’t depressed.
Why, this sound was triumphant!
It couldn’t be so!
But it grew with abundance!
The world stared around, popping its eyes.
Then it shook! What it saw was a shocking surprise!
Every saint in every nation, the tall and the small,
Was celebrating Jesus in spite of it all!
It hadn’t stopped Easter from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and puzzling.
“Just how can it be?”
“It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies,
It came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”
Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
And what happened then?
Well....the story’s not done.
What will YOU do?
Will you share with that one
Or two or more people needing hope in this night?
Will you share the source of your life in this fight?
The churches are empty - but so is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom.
So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer,
As the virus still rages all around, everywhere.
May the world see hope when it looks at God’s people.
May the world see the church is not a building or steeple.
May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,
May the world find Joy in a time of dejection.
Alright:
I changed my mind, consistent with a little more time and with "a sense
of proportion". Here is a different subject, which should resonate with
all who have had a father...and even more with those who haven't.
Check out the book by Father Donald Calloway:
"Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders Of Our Spiritual Father".
But first read the excellent extended interview conducted with the
author ("It Takes A Father", by Joseph Pronechen (in
National Catholic Register, March 15, 2020, p5).
Whatever your Faith, and even for those without Faith: you won't be
disappointed.
THIS IS ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH...AND ABOUT THE
CHOICES WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER.
I have a personal prayer:
"I Love You. I Trust You. Thy Will Be Done. I Am Yours."
I
also believe that, consistent with that position, we can have a role to
play in our last days...totally excluding euthanasia, physician -
assisted suicide, and all suicide.
To clarify, I suggest you read three articles - and then discuss them
with your spiritual advisor.
a) "MY FATHER'S PASSPORT",
by Christine Hemp (in NYTimes Jan. 23, 2020). I believe that a rational
and also spiritual choice might be made under such circumstances,
consistent with "The Will Of God".
b) Google Search: "Billionaire Dead
From Pancreatic Cancer".
Steve Jobs was unfortunately not rational in placing his treatment in
delusions for too long a time.
See also the article about him and his wife (Laurene Powell Jobs) ( in
NYTimes March 1, 2020, Sunday Business).
c) "PREPARING FOR A GOOD END OF LIFE", by Katy Butler
(in WSJ Feb. 9-10, 2020, Review, pC1).
Then, having done the above: "Don't Worry...Be Happy!"
When
an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an
Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of
any value. Later, when the nurses were going through his meager
possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed
the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the
hospital. One nurse took her copy to Melbourne ..
The old man’s
sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions
of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental
Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple,
but eloquent, poem. And this old man, with nothing left to give
to the
world, is now the author of this ‘anonymous’ poem winging across the
Internet.
~ CRANKY OLD MAN ~
What do you see nurses? . . . . . .What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . when you’re looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . . . . with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . .’I do wish you’d try!’
Who seems not to notice . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . . . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . . The long day to fill?
Is that what you’re thinking?. . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . you’re not looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of Ten . . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . who love one another.
A young boy of Sixteen . . . . . with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he’ll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . . that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . . With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons . . . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . . . to see I don’t mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . . . . Babies play ’round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . . . And the love that I’ve known.
I’m now an old man . . . . . . . and nature is cruel.
It’s jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . . . . . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I’m loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a Cranky Old Man! - - Look closer . . . . see . . . ME ! ! !
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might
brush aside without looking at the young soul within . . . .
AN OFFERING FOR HOLY
WEEK AND FOR PASSOVER.
"A
classic episode of The Twilight Zone begins with a jewelry thief
fleeing the police and getting shot. He is awakened in the afterlife by
a man dressed in white, a 'guide' who assures him he has only one
concern:
'Your comfort. My job is to see to it you get what you
want - whatever it may be'. Incredulous, the shameless crook is soon
wallowing in wealth, wine and women. Eventually, however, he becomes
bored and argues there must have been some mistake. 'Look, I don't
belong in heaven,' he says. 'I want to go to the other place'. The
guide responds, 'Whatever gave you the idea you were in heaven'...This
is the other place.'
In the episode's closing narrative, we're
told, 'Now he has everything he's ever wanted - and he's going to have
to live with it for eternity.'"
(From Editorial, Columbia magazine (Knights of Columbus) April 2019).
Saint
Paul, Saul of Tarsus, born just a few years before Jesus, and
originally a persecutor of Christians, became one of the most important
Christians ever to have lived. As a tireless apologist for Jesus, His
mission and His message, Saint Paul traveled widely, spoke and wrote
prolifically, and did not suffer fools.
Here is his message on the above question, offered in his First Letter
to the Corinthians.
"Brothers
and sisters: If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can
some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If the dead
are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not
been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those
who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only
we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all. But now Christ
has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those have fallen
asleep."
THIS IS FOR THE "OLDER
FOLKS"...AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO WANNA BE.
"Life
is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: 'WOW!!
WHAT A RIDE!"
you may be interested in this summary of "What Catholics Believe", by
Matthew Walther (in the week.com).
And know that, even if you are not interested, we Christians are
interested in you.
He died a billionaire at 56yrs of Pancreatic Cancer and here are
his last words on the sick bed:
"I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In
others’ eyes my life is an epitome of success.
However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth
is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.
At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole
life, I realize that all the recognition and
wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become
meaningless in the face of impending death.
You
can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you
cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you.
Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that
can never be found when it is lost – "Life".
When
a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is
one book that he has yet to finish reading – "Book of Healthy Life".
Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will
face the day when the curtain comes down.
Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for
your friends...
Treat yourself well. Cherish others.
As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing
a $300 or $30 watch - they both tell the same time...
Whether we carry a $300 or $30 wallet/handbag - the amount of
money inside is the same;
Whether
we drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and distance
is the same, and we get to the same destination.
Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $10 wine - the hangover is
the same;
Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq ft - loneliness is
the same.
You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from
the material things of this world.
Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down -
you go down with it...
Therefore..
I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends,
brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have
sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth,
.... That is true happiness!!
Five Undeniable Facts of Life :
1.
Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be Happy. So
when they grow up they will know the value of things not the price.
2. Best awarded words in London ... "Eat your food as your
medicines. Otherwise you have to eat medicines as your food."
3.
The One who loves you will never leave you for another because even if
there are 100 reasons to give up he or she will find one reason to hold
on.
4. There is a big difference between a human being and being
human.
Only a few really understand it.
5. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you
die. In between, You have to manage!
NOTE: If you just want to Walk Fast, Walk Alone! But if you want
to Walk Far, Walk Together!
Six Best Doctors in the World
1. Sunlight
2. Rest
3. Exercise
4. Diet
5. Self Confidence and
6. Friends
Maintain them in all stages of Life and enjoy a healthy life.
Rapid Response for MONDAY through
WEDNESDAY,
June 18 through 20,
2018
"THE WORST HUMAN PAIN."
"The distress of a grieving parent has been described as the worst
human pain".
So
begins an excellent article on 'the paradox of a child's death", by
John M. De Figueiredo, M.D., Sc.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at
Yale University School of Medicine.
It is worth reading in full, by
parents who have experienced this tragedy, by people who may then be
better able to console others, and especially by physicians and other
health care professionals - whose own "compassion, encouragement, and
dedication, when balanced with personal attributes such as optimism,
imperturbability, and equanimity, appear to guide their intellect to
overcome the worst human pain by appealing to both reason and
imagination and fostering a union to something larger than themselves."
(Connecticut Medicine, June - July, 2018, Volume 82, Number 6, p377).
DO YOU KNOW WHEN HUMAN LIFE
BEGINS?
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I
appointed you".
Jeremiah 1:4-10.
"Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name."
Isaiah 49:1-6.
ANY QUESTIONS?
"NOW GO, AND SIN NO MORE".
GS
Rapid Response for FRIDAY, June 8,
2018
RR#1
REALLY...
GS
The
Back Nine
I
FIRST STARTED READING THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED
THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND
THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES
YOU STOP AND THINK.
READ SLOWLY!
You know ... Time has a way
of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It
seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my
new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I
wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have
glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.
But,
here it is.. The back nine of my life and it catches me by
surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where
did my youth go?
I remember well seeing older people through the
years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and
that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that
I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.
But,
here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower
and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape
than me...but, I see the great change....Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant..but, like me, their age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see
and never thought we'd become.
Each day now, I find that just
getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not
a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free
will... I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so...now I enter
into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains
and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I
had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though I'm on the
back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that
when it's over on this earth...it's over for here. A new and better
adventure will begin!
Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I
hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many
things I'm happy to have done.
It's all in a lifetime.
So,
if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will be
here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish
in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life
goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure
whether you're on the back nine or not!
You have no promise that
you will see all the seasons of your life....so, live for today and say
all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope
that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done
for them in all the years past!!
"Life" is a gift to you. The
way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a
fantastic one.LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY !
HAVE A GREAT DAY ! Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not
pieces of gold and silver.
LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:
~Your kids are becoming you.......but your grandchildren are perfect!
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because some people forgot they even
knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything like golf.
~The
things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore, but
you really don't care that you aren't as interested.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's
called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF"
switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will
never wear.
~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of
all,OLD FRIENDS!!
Stay
well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them
laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter
That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,
SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
Rapid Response for MONDAY through
WEDNESDAY, June 4 through 6,
2018
REGARDING "END OF LIFE"
DECISIONS, BY PATIENT, FAMILY AND PHYSICIAN.
Without
dealing with the entire question, the main issues here are
considerations of : 1) Patient Right of Self-Determination, articulated
when mentally competent, and reduced to an "Advanced Directive",
accompanied by a "Power of Attorney for Medical Care" in the hands of a
trusted family member or friend; a treating physician's right and
obligation regarding not providing "Futile Care; the patient or family
right to have the patient's care transferred to a different and
accepting physician.
The critical point here is to take action in timely fashion, before a
crisis develops.
A recent discussion of the subject may be found in the National
Catholic Register, June 10, 2018, by Brian Fraga.
GS
Rapid Response for TUESDAY and
WEDNESDAY, April 10 and 11,
2018
EXACTLY!
Today's world is God's punishment for Abortion.
FREE WILL IS NOT FREE.
HAPPY EASTER...NOW FROM A VERY HUMAN
PERSPECTIVE.
Two articles in today's news draw attention to Life as it is today,
after over 2,000 years of Jesus.
One
is about the words of Pope Francis, laced with sadness, caution and
also Hope and directed to peoples' Humanity and Free Will.
The other
is an interview with David McCullough, arguably our time's greatest
historian, emphasizing the lessons of History over "politics".
But the word "politics", from the Greek "politos", means "people".
And
the author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson made a very telling
statement: "There is properly no History. There is only Biography".
The message here in considering the mean, craven and God-less times we
now live in:
We are not "victims", bound by History and powerless before the Future.
We
are persons "created in the image and likeness of God" and endowed with
Free Will. What we do is what we choose to do; and the Outcome is Our
Responsibility, and ours alone.
So: STOP WHINING, STOP WAITING...AND MAKE GOOD HAPPEN.
Create your own resurrection from the tomb in which we now find
ourselves.
The Lord's own Resurrection has shown us that it can be done.
And ALWAYS HOPE.
SOME GREAT HEALTH ADVICE FROM MOTHER
TERESA.
"The
greatest disease in the West today is not TB or Leprosy; it is being
unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with
medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair and hopelessness is
love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread,
but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the
West is a different kind of poverty. It is not only a poverty of
loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as
there is a hunger for God."
From "A Simple Path".
SO: REACH OUT AND CARE ABOUT, CARE FOR AND HUG SOMEONE.
GS
A BREACH IN MORALITY IS LIKE A SERIOUS CANCER. It easily and diffusely metastasizes.
"WHO
DECIDES WHEN A PATIENT CAN'T? STATUTES ON ALTERNATE DECISION
MAKERS".
New England Journal of Medicine, April 23, 2017, p1478.
A few facts:
1) About 50% of a patient's health care costs are incurred in the last
6 months of his/her life.
2)
Over 70% of people agree with the desirability of having a "Living Will
/ Advanced Directive" and a designated Health Care Advocate.
3) Only about 20% of people actually have taken these actions while
they still can.
IF YOU WANT THE ABILITY, AT SOME POINT, TO SAY "STOP THE WORLD; I WANT
TO GET OFF", YOU HAD BETTER GET OFF YOUR BUTT NOW!
GS
Rapid Response for FRIDAY,
January 6,
2017
RR#1
FORGET THE "BUCKET LIST" AND THE BUCKET.
Empty it now - and keep it empty!
GS
AND THEN IT IS WINTER....
THIS
IS RIGHT ON THE NOSE. .......READ IT SLOWLY... I DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE
IT, BUT I AM GUESSING IT WAS A SENIOR!!! I FIRST STARTED READING THIS
EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I
STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD.
THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT-PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK.
AND THEN IT IS WINTER
You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware
of the passing years.
It
seems just yesterday that I was young, and embarking on my new life.
Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years
went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back
then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is... the winter of
my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast?
Where did the years go and where did my youth go?
I remember
well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those
older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off
that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But,
here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower
and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape
than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see
and never thought we'd be.
Each day now, I find that just
getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not
a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own
free
will... I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so...now I enter
into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains
and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I
had done but never did!
But, at least I know, that though
the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I
know, that when it's over on this earth...it's NOT over. A new
adventure will begin!
Yes, I have regrets. There are things
I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are
many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.
So,
if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be
here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish
in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!
Life
goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure
whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will
see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the
things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they
appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them
in all the years past!
"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to
those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.
LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT
DAY!
REMEMBER:....
"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
"LIVE HAPPY IN THIS YEAR AND EVERY YEAR!
LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE
SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
~Your kids are becoming you......
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because other people forgot they even
knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything....
especially golf.
~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you
really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed.
It's called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF"
switch.
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?".."when?"... "what?" .
???
~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it
anywhere.
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will
never wear.
~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of
all, OLD FRIENDS!!
Stay well, "OLD FRIEND.
It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of
Life You Have Lived.
"LIFE IS NOT A
JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE WITH THE
INTENTION OF ARRIVING SAFELY IN A PRETTY AND
WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO
SKID IN BROADSIDE, THOROUGHLY USED
UP, TOTALLY WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY
PROCLAIMING: 'WOW! WHAT A RIDE'"
(author unknown, but very wise)
Rapid
Response for TUESDAY, March 3, 2015
A very large
percentage of health care takes place in the last 6 months of a
person's life. Is that what you want?
"Proof of Heaven:
A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into The Afterlife", by Eben
Alexander, M.D., Simon and Schuster, 2012.
Herein is proof that
Dr. Alexander experienced what he describes
in great detail. Here is evidence that many others have had similar
experiences, all related to the innate and generally unreachable powers
of our
brains. Here are demonstrations that such experiences can make
believers in the
Spirit out of the most barnacled among us.
But it is NOT "proof
of Heaven". That reality will
have to await the culmination of what we were taught in first grade by
the
Nuns: that life should be all about Faith, Hope and Charity.
Faith that
there is One Supreme Being creating and embracing all; Hope that each
of us,
individually, is held within that embrace; and Charity as our means of
realizing that Hope.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY NEW YEAR.
GS
Hubble
Telescope, GS
For our analysis and discussion of many
current
ethical issues facing us, individually and as a society, please refer to the offerings entitled "Point
and Counterpoint", GS
The following is a recently published book that advances
the basic premise of this section:
"SPIRITUALITY IN PATIENT CARE: WHY, HOW, WHEN, AND WHAT",
by Harold G. Koenig, 2nd edition, Templeton Foundation Press,
2007. ISBN-13:978-1-5994-7116-7.
"Although many health professionals are uncomfortable with
anyone other than a chaplain or clergyperson performing a spiritual
history and assessment of a patient, the Joint Commission for the
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires that a spiritual
assessment be made for each patient admitted to an acute care hospital
or a nursing home or seen by a home health agency. Furthermore,
this spiritual assessment must be documented in the medical rercord." (from
"Book and Media Reviews", JAMA, April 2, 2008, Vol 299, No. 13).
Another resource on this subject has recently come to my
attention and is worth reviewing: "The Role of Spirituality in
Health and Mental Health", by Alice Yick Flanagan, PhD, MSW; in CME
Resource, Sacramento, California (800-232-4238); Course #9197, 2008.
There
was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness
and had been given three months to live. So, as she was getting her
things 'in
order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to
discuss
certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what
scriptures she
would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the
young
woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly..'
'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.
'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be
buried with
a fork in my right hand.'
The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to
say.
'That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked.
'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and
from that
time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love
and those
who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials
and
dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were
being
cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.'
It was
my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like
velvety
chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with
substance!'
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my
hand
and I want them to wonder, 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to
tell
them: 'Keep your fork...the best is yet to come.'
The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young
woman
good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her
before
her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of
heaven
than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than
many
people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She
KNEW
that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket andthey saw
the cloak she was
wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the
Pastor heard
the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled.
During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he
had with
the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the
fork and
about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not
stop
thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be
able to
stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it
remind you,
ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends
are a very rare
jewel. They make
you smile and
encourage you to succeed. Cherish
the time you have,and the
memories you share.Being
friends with someone
is not an opportunity, but a sweet responsibility.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A NICE STORY...NEVER OLD.
As
we were taught in first grade by the Nuns,
life should be all about Faith, Hope and Charity: Faith that there is
One
Supreme Being creating and embracing all; Hope that each of us,
individually,
is held within that embrace; and Charity as our means of realizing that
Hope.
GS
A
little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a
glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.
She
poured the change out on the floor and
counted it carefully. Three
times, even.. The total had to be exactly perfect... No chance here for
mistakes..
Carefully
placing the coins back in the jar
and twisting on the cap, she
slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug
Store with
the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She
waited patiently for the pharmacist to
give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.
Tess
twisted her feet to make a scuffing
noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat
with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she
took a
quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter.. That did it!
'And
what do you want?' the pharmacist asked
in an annoyed tone of
voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in
ages,' he
said without waiting for a reply to his question.
'Well,
I want to talk
to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone..
'He's
really, really sick....and I want to buy a miracle.'
'I
beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.
'His
name is Andrew and he has something bad
growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him
now. So
how much does a miracle cost?'
'We
don't sell miracles here, little
girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said,
softening a
little.
'Listen,
I have the money to pay for it. If it
isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'
The
pharmacist's brother was a well dressed
man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle
does
your brother need?'
'
I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes
welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an
operation.
But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money..'
'How
much do you have?' asked the man
from Chicago .
'One
dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered
barely audible.
'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'
'Well,
what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A
dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little
brothers.'
He
took her money in one hand and with the
other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I
want to
see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle
you
need.'
That
well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton
Armstrong, a surgeon,
specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of
charge and
it
wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
Mom
and Dad were happily talking about the
chain of events that had led them to this place.
'That
surgery,' her Mom whispered.. 'was a
real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'
Tess
smiled. She knew exactly how much a
miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little
child.
In
our lives, we never know how many miracles
we will need.
A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a
higher
law.
I
know you'll keep the ball moving!
Here
it goes. Throw it back to someone who
means something to you!
A
ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It
keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. But the treasure inside
for you
to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.
Today
I pass the friendship ball to you.
Pass
it on to someone who is a friend to you.
MY
OATH TO YOU...
When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.
When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.
When you are worried.......I will give you hope.
When you are confused......I will help you cope.
And when you are lost...and can't see the light, I
shall be your beacon...shining ever so bright.
This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.
Why you may ask?....Because you're my friend.
Signed:
GOD
On Life in Eternity - Zenit.Org
Dear brothers and sisters, hello!
This Sunday’s Gospel presents us Jesus contending with the Sadducees,
who denied the resurrection. And it is precisely on this topic that
they pose a question to Jesus to give him trouble and ridicule faith in
the resurrection of the dead. They propose a hypothetical situation: “A
woman had seven husbands, who died one after the other,” and they ask
Jesus: “Whose wife will she be after her death?” Jesus, always meek and
patient, first of all responds that life after death does not have the
same parameters as life on earth. Eternal life is another life, in
another dimension, where, among other things, there will be no
marriage, which is linked to our existence in this world. The
resurrected, Jesus says, will be like angels, and they will live in a
different state that we cannot experience or imagine now. And this is
how Jesus explains things.
But then Jesus, so to speak, launches a counterattack. And he does this
by citing Sacred Scripture with a simplicity and an originality that
fills us with admiration for our Master, the only Master! Jesus finds
the proof of the resurrection in the episode about Moses and the
burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6), where God reveals himself as the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The name of God is connected to the men and
women to which he binds himself, and this link is stronger than death.
And we can also say of God’s relationship with us, with each one of us:
He is our God! He is the God of each one of us! It is as if he bore our
name. It pleases him to say it, and this is the covenant. This is why
Jesus says: “God is not the God of the dead but of the living, because
everyone lives for him” (Luke 20:38). And this is the decisive link,
the fundamental covenant, the covenant with Jesus: he himself is the
Covenant, he himself is the Life and the Resurrection because, with his
crucified love, he overcame death. In Jesus, God gives us eternal life,
he gives it to everyone, and thanks to him everyone has the hope of a
life still more true than this one. The life that God prepares for us
is not merely an embellishment of this present life: it transcends our
imagination, because God continually awakens wonder in us with his love
and with his mercy.
So, what will happen is precisely the contrary of what the Sadducees
expected. It is not this life that illuminates eternity, the other
life, the one that awaits us, but eternity – that life – that
illuminates and gives hope to the earthly life of each one of us! If we
look at things only with human eyes, we are brought to say that man’s
journey runs from life to death. This is obvious! But this is only the
case if we look at things with human eyes. Jesus stands this
perspective on its head and says that our pilgrimage runs from death to
life: to fullness of life! We are on a journey, on pilgrimage toward
the fullness of life, and that life is what enlightens us on our
journey! So, death is behind us, at our backs, not in front of us.
Before us there is the God of the living, the God of the covenant, the
God who bears my name, our name, as he said: “I am the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob,” also the God with my name, with your name, with your
name..., with our name. God of the living! ... Before us is the final
defeat of sin and death, the beginning of a new time of joy and of
light without end. But already on this earth, in prayer, in the
Sacraments, in fraternity, we meet Jesus and his love, and in this way
we can have a foretaste of the risen life. Our experience of his love
and his fidelity lights a fire in our heart and increases our faith in
the resurrection. In fact, if God is faithful and loves, it cannot be
for a limited time: fidelity is eternal, it cannot change. God’s love
is eternal, it cannot change! It is not for a limited time: it is
forever! And to go forward! He is faithful forever and he awaits us,
each of us, he accompanies each of us with this eternal fidelity. Lord
Walk With Me, by Reverend Joseph Castaldi And Then it is Winter
Rapid
Response for SATURDAY, April 27 2013
When
an old man
died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in
an Australian country town, it was believed that
he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through
his meagre possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content
so impressed the staff that copies were
made and distributed to every nurse in the
hospital.
One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The
old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas
editions of magazines around the country and
appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide
presentation has also been made based on his
simple, but eloquent, poem.
And this old man, with nothing left to give
to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across
the Internet.
> Cranky Old Man
>
> What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do
you see?
> What are you thinking .. . When you're looking at me?
> A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
> Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. With
faraway eyes?
> Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . And
makes no reply.
> When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish
you'd try!'
> Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
> And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
> Who, resisting or not . . . ... Lets you do
as you will,
> With bathing and feeding . . . .The long
day to fill?
> Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that
what you see?
> Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
> I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
> As I do at your bidding, .. . . . As I eat
at your will.
> I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father
and mother,
> Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . Who love
one another
> A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. With wings on his feet
> Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . A lover he'll meet.
> A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart
gives a leap.
> Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I
promised to keep.
> At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
> Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
> A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now
grown fast,
> Bound to each other . . .. With ties that
should last.
> At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and
are gone,
> But my woman is beside me . . To see I don't mourn.
> At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play
'round my knee,
> Again, we know children . . . . My loved
one and me.
> Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is
now dead.
> I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
> For my young are all rearing .. . . Young of their own.
> And I think of the years . . . And the love
that I've known.
> I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. And
nature is cruel.
> It's jest to make old age . . . . . . .
Look like a fool.
> The body, it crumbles .. .. . Grace and vigour, depart.
> There is now a stone . . . Where I once had a heart.
> But inside this old carcass . . . . .A young man still dwells,
> And now and again . . . . . My battered
heart swells
> I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember
the pain.
> And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . Life over again.
> I think of the years, all too few . . .. Gone too fast.
> And accept the stark fact . . . That nothing can last.
> So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . .
Open and see.
> Not a cranky old man.
> Look closer . . . . See .. .. . .. .... . ME!!
Remember this poem when you next meet an
older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young
soul within. We will all, one day, be
there, too!
HOW TO PLANT YOUR GARDEN FOR DAILY LIVING,
(Author
Unknown)
1) Plant three rows of peas: peace of
mind,
of heart and of soul. 2) Plant four rows of squash: squash gossip,
indifference,
grumbling, selfishness. 3) Plant four rows of lettuce: lettuce be
faithful,
be kind, be patient, really love one another. 4) Plant turnips: turnip for meetings, for
service,
to help one another. 5) Plant Thyme: thyme for each other, for
family,
for friends.
Water freely with patience and cultivate with
love.
There is much fruit in your garden! You reap what you sow.
"Life, long or short, Is a journey towards Paradise; There is our fatherland, There is our real home; There is our appointment! Jesus is waiting for us In Paradise! Never forget this supreme and consoling truth." Pope
John
Paul 11 (June 14, 1979)
"We have just enough religion to make us hate,
but
not enough to make us love another."
Jonathan
Swift, "Thoughts on Various Subjects", from "Miscellanies" (1711)
"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully
as
when they do it from religious conviction." Blaise
Pascal, Pensees, No. 894 (1670)
"I have learned...toleration from the
intolerant, and
kindness from the unkind; yet strange I am ungrateful to those
teachers." Kahlil
Gibran, "Sand and Foam" (1926)
The following is a thought from Ronald Reagan:
"A young man whose father is a
carpenter grows
up working in his father's shop. He has no formal education. He owns no
property of any kind. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of
his
father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby
countryside. Walking from place to place preaching all the while even
though
he is in no way an ordained minister he never gets farther than an area
perhaps 100 miles wide at the most. He does this for three years. Then
he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal so he
is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of
his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing -- the only
possessions
he has. His family cannot afford a burial place so he is interred in a
borrowed tomb. End of story?
No, this uneducated, propertyless young man
who preached
on street corners for only three years who left no written word has for
2000 years had a greater effect on the entire world than all the
rulers,
kings and emperors, all the conquerors, the generals and admirals, all
the scholars, scientists and philosophers who ever lived -- all put
together.
How do we explain that?
...Unless he really was what he said he was."
The following is a reading from "Toilers of the
Sea," by Victor Hugo:
"I am standing upon that
foreshore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and
starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and
strength,
and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of
white
cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each
other.
Then someone at my side says "There! She's gone!" "Gone
where?"
"Gone from my sight, that's all." She is just as large in mast
and
spar and hull as ever she was when she left my side; just as able to
bear
her load of living freight to the place of her destination. Her
diminished
size is in me, not in her. And just at that moment when someone
at
my side says "There! She's gone!" there are other eyes watching
her
coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout "Here she
comes!"
And that is dying."
REMEMBERING
Go ahead and mention my child, The one that died, you know. Don't worry about hurting me further. The depth of my pain doesn't show. Don't worry about making me cry. I'm already crying inside. Help me to heal by releasing The tears that I try to hide. I'm hurt when you just keep silent, Pretending he didn't exist. I'd rather you mention my child, Knowing that he has been missed. You asked me how I was doing. I say "pretty good" or "fine". But healing is something ongoing. I feel it will take a lifetime.
AMEN
A thought to live by:
"God does not call us to do great
things,
but to do small things with great love."
Mother
Teresa (1901 - 1997)
A Promise:
"Do not let your hearts be
troubled.
Believe in God, Believe also in me. In my Father's house there
are
many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you
that
I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that
where
I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place
where
I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where you
are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to
him,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father
except through me." John
14:1-6
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