The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima was nice, Joan of Arc with Ingrid Bergman was good as was, The Greatest Story ever told, I love those old films with Pat O Brian in them as the priest, the one were James Cagney acts the bad guy and gets executed, I loved 'The Bells of Saint Marys and Miracle on 42nd street with Maureen O'Hara also the Quiet Man..all John Houstons films were great, I loved She wore a yellow Ribbon. One of my favourites is the keys of the Kingdom and one about a fictional Pope during the reign of Pope John 23rd I will try to recall its name. I love any film with a moral message. The early Disney films were great of course I cried my eyes out when Bambi's mother got killed. Hollywood has gone more and more to the devil, I can't believe the hew Batman movie can be watched here by 12 year old kids, its pornography of violence.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. --John 19: 26, 27 This is an incredible interaction between Jesus, His mother Mary, and the Apostle John. Our Lord Jesus, the Son, honors His Mother. First, in the most practical sense, He gave the Apostle John charge of caring for Blessed Mary: And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. Some years after the crucifixion, as persecution of the early Christians in Jerusalem began, St. John took the Virgin Mary to Ephesus on the Aegean coast in Asia-minor, present day Turkey; he had a house built for her on Nightingale Mountain above the city, where she lived for the remainder of her life. "Behold, your mother." These words are also for us. A woman becomes a mother by bringing a child into the world. This is meant to happen within the Sacrament of Marriage with a mother and a father who love each other the way God intended. But the work of a mother does not end when her baby is born; her work is just beginning. A mother loves and nurtures, protects and teaches her children. She wants only good for her children because she loves them. God, in His great love, uses us little human beings in His plan of salvation, and Jesus has honored His mother by giving her the greatest of roles in this plan. The Virgin Mary was chosen from among all women to be the mother of Jesus, the mother of the Word became flesh. Mary bore Jesus in her womb for nine months; she is “theotokos” the God-bearer. Mary is the mother of Jesus, the mother of our Savior: Holy Mary, Mother of God. At Cana, Mary pointed the world to her Son when she told the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” A good son, Jesus has obeyed the commandments and honored His Mother! This was a foreshadowing of this time on the cross – "Behold, your mother." – Jesus gave His mother to his Disciple, and He gives His Mother to all of His disciples to love us and teach us and guide us. And what does our Blessed Mother tell us to do? Do whatever Jesus tells us! Throughout the centuries, Jesus has continued to send His Mother to the world, she made full of grace, who always leads us to her Son. She comes as a sign to have faith and call us to conversion, and her messages always echo the Gospel message, the Good News of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. According to tradition, the first apparition of the Blessed Mother occurred just about seven years after the crucifixion of our Lord to the Apostle James who was evangelizing in Zaragoza, Spain. James and his companions had stopped at a quiet spot to rest one evening, and they had begun to pray when James was startled by heavenly music, the sound of angels chanting, “Hail Mary, full of grace.” The Apostle fell to his knees and saw a radiant light. He beheld the Blessed Virgin Mary descending from the clouds, seated on a marble pillar and surrounded by two companies of angels. What is the meaning of this first recorded apparition of Mary Most Holy? The Apostle was out following the direction of our Lord Jesus: preaching the gospel to the whole world. To me, this is a message from Heaven, affirming the role Jesus gave to His Mother – bringing her Child to the world. I’m reminded of a little grace I was given last year. Out for a morning walk with my Rosary, I was going along an irrigation canal and at one point spotted a mother duck with three little ducklings. The mother duck began swimming in the other direction while quacking very loudly – calling for her young to follow. After going about ten feet or so, the mother duck exited the canal on the opposite side, climbed to the top of the bank, turned around and continued to call very loudly and unceasingly to her children. The little ducks followed their mother. The baby ducks looked to be no more than a few days old, and although the canal bank was only three or four feet high, it was very steep. It must have looked like a mountain to those little ducklings, and they struggled to follow their mother. Half-way up, one of them fell and tumbled all the way back down into the water, but the little guy got right back up and started climbing again; and all the while, the mother duck never stopped calling to her young. I stood and watched the little ones in their struggle, and they finally made it to the top. I continued on my walk. Lord Jesus, You have honored your mother and send her to the world. Unceasingly she calls to us; always she calls us to conversion; always she encourages us to follow Jesus; always she implores us to climb the mountain of prayer and holiness. Lord Jesus, give us the grace to listen to Blessed Mother; give us the grace to always follow the right path; give us the grace to choose to climb. ♦ ♦ ♦ For the past two millennia, our Blessed Mother has appeared at various times and places throughout the world; she comes as a sign of faith and to call her children to her Son. One of the most incredible apparitions of the Virgin Mary occurred in the sixteenth century in Guadalupe, Mexico. Christopher Columbus arrived in the new world in 1492. At that time, the Aztecs of Mexico were ruled by the sinister Montezuma and millions of people were sacrificed on the pyramids to pagan gods. In 1509, Montezuma’s sister, Princess Papantzin, had a vision. A glowing angel with a black cross on his forehead led the princess to the ocean shore. She saw ships, unlike any she has ever seen before, with black crosses emblazoned on their sails. The angel told her that her nation would be conquered and brought to the knowledge of the true God. Montezuma, respectful of prophecies, brooded upon hearing his sister’s dream. Once the Spanish invasion began, conflicts were numerous and bloody, but Montezuma’s defeat was swift. Spain moved quickly to bring the Aztec people into the Christian faith. Missionaries were dispatched, and churches, schools and hospitals were opened. A distinguished scholar, Prior Juan Zumarraga, was appointed the first Bishop of the new world. Princess Papantzin, Montezuma’s sister, was one of the first Mexicans to be baptized Catholic, but there were very few conversions—the people were too set in their pagan ways. Bishop Zumarraga prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary and asked her for a sign—Castilian roses…even though Castilian roses did not grow in Mexico. In 1531, a 57-year-old peasant name Juan Diego was on his way to Mass. As he approached Tepeyac Hill, the site of a former pagan temple and of human sacrifice, Juan heard music like that of a celestial choir coming from a glowing white cloud and emitting a rainbow. He heard a voice call him by name, and he ran to the top of the hill where he beheld a beautiful glowing Lady. She told him she was the Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God. She instructed him to go to the house of the Bishop of Mexico City and to tell him that she wished for a temple to be built on that site. Juan Diego rushed to Bishop Zumarraga’s house and told him all that he had seen and heard, but the Bishop did not believe him. Juan Diego started home, but Mary was waiting for him at Tepeyac. The Blessed Virgin urged Juan Diego to return to the Bishop and repeat her request. The next day, Juan Diego returned to the Bishop’s house. This time, the Bishop interrogated him at length, and Juan Diego repeatedly recounted his story, consistently and without contradiction. The Bishop began to believe, but he told Juan that he would need a sign. Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac Hill, followed by the Bishop’s spies, but as he reached the top of the hill, he disappeared from sight. The Bishop’s men left in frustration. Juan recounted the Bishop’s statement, and the radiant Virgin promised to deliver a sign the next day. On the morning of Tuesday, December 12, 1531, Juan Diego faced a dilemma: his uncle was dying, and he needed to find a priest who could give last rites; but he had promised the Virgin that he would return to the Bishop’s. Juan decided to take an alternate route in order to avoid Tepeyac and find a priest, but the Mother of God intercepted him. Poor Juan explained, and the Blessed Mother comforted her son. She told him that his uncle was cured! Juan Diego then rushed to Tepeyac Hill, and there he found the sign promised by the Virgin Mary—Castilian roses blooming in the frozen December soil! He gathered the flowers in his cape as instructed, and the Virgin herself arranged them! Juan Diego returned to the Bishop. At first, he was detained, but then he was allowed an audience. He opened his cape to allow the flowers to fall out, and everyone present fell to their knees in awe. On Juan Diego’s cape, they beheld a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary! Within the next few years, over nine million Aztecs converted to Catholicism! Juan Diego’s cloak has remained intact for almost 475 years! Scientists say the simple peasant tilma woven from cactus fibers should have disintegrated within about ten years. ♦ ♦ ♦ Human sacrifice ended with Montezuma’s reign in Mexico 500 years ago, but sadly, the sacrifice of innocent human lives to false gods continues into the twenty-first century. While working in several ministries, a number of women have confided in me that they’ve had abortions. Not a single one of them ever told me that they felt empowered by having an abortion. Just the opposite – they were wounded and terribly scarred. This is the false god to which our babies are sacrificed: the idea that abortion empowers women, that it liberates them from the sacrifice of motherhood. It’s a lie. Now, let me state very clearly that I am not blaming women for the problem of abortion. We men are equally, if not more, to blame. If men were respecting women in the first place, we wouldn’t be having sexual relations outside of marriage. I’m reminded of the example of Adam and Eve and the fall from grace. People sometimes point out that Eve was the first one to eat the forbidden fruit, but I think it was Adam who had the greater sin. He just stood by when the serpent was lying to the woman. He should have acted! He should have said, “No! This is forbidden, and we need to trust in the Father. We need to believe what the Father has told us. We need to be obedient to what the Father has told us.” Then, to our great shame men, when God confronted them, Adam pointed the finger at Eve; he blamed her. Adam should have acted. And men, we need to step forward and be the leaders in our families; we need to be there with our wives and children. We need to make sure we’re putting God in the first place, every day, and especially on the Lord’s Day. So all of us, men and women, we need to learn from the mistake of our first parents. We need to say, “No” to the serpent who is trying to deceive us. We need to reject this false idea that killing our children is empowering. Yes, commitment and children means sacrifice, but that’s what love is. That’s the true road to happiness. So we need to reject the ways of a selfish world, and embrace love. And we need to begin saying “Yes” to God, “Yes” to obeying the commandments; “Yes” to the sacraments; “Yes” to life. We need to echo Mary and her Fiat, and then we too will truly be blessed. "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1: 38 ). If we believed in the Sacrament of Marriage – a sign instituted by Christ giving the grace it represents – that the family is a communion of persons – then we would understand that a woman is a person to be cherished, and children are the supreme gift of marriage. If we understood this clear teaching of the Church, if we believed in the Sacrament of Marriage and were open to the gift of life, then the abortion clinics would be going out of business. “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.” --Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2270-2271 The teaching of the Church has always been very clear: human life is sacred from the moment of conception. I confess that I wasn’t always open to life. There was a time when I didn’t want children because they would interfere with my own selfish pursuits. I understood that being a parent meant sacrifice; it meant giving up time and sleep; for some it might mean giving up a career; for others it might mean giving up lifelong dreams. Being open to life means being willing to sacrifice, and that’s what love is: putting the welfare of others ahead of the needs or wants of self. It is in the family that we learn to love; the family is a reflection of the Holy Trinity. The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it reflects the Father's work of creation. It is called to partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in charity. The Christian family has an evangelizing and missionary task. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2205 As I said, I wasn’t always open to life; at the beginning of our marriage, I didn’t want children because they would interfere with my own selfish dreams. However, Liane wanted children, and she was persistent in letting me know that her clock was ticking. So I consented, but my attitude was, “I’ll give you children, but you’re going to take care of them.” At that time, bike racing was still number one in my life. Then, after little Johnny was killed, I came to understand what an incredible gift children are. Now, I thank God for giving me children, because it is from my family that I have learned to love. We learn to love in the family because the family is a reflection of the Holy Trinity; the family is a reflection of God, and God is love. For God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; the Son so loved us that He gave Himself on the cross; the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son – a total outpouring of love. Human love demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another. When a husband and wife give themselves to each other, totally and completely, they cooperate in the creative action of the Father, and God may bless them with children, a gift of love and a sign of faith to the world. I came to realize that I needed to be open to life. Quite simply, I took the attitude of trusting completely in the will of God; His will be done. If He wanted me to have more children, then I wanted more children. And on May 22, 2003, our fourth child, Isabella Rose, was born. Our little daughter Isabella started kindergarten last week, and she was very excited. When she came home after her first day, she ran to me. I picked her up and we hugged each other tightly, and she said, “I missed my Daddy. I missed my Daddy.” If Liane and I hadn’t been open to life, I would never have experienced that joy. The Christian family has an evangelizing and missionary task. The Christian family is a sign telling the world we are open to life. On a practical level, by having children, we evangelize by bringing more Christians into the world. This is a great responsibility for parents as they must educate their children to fulfill God’s law. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in charity. The family benefits the children and the parents; in the family, we learn to give and forgive; we learn to give of ourselves. In the family, we grow closer to God, for God is love, and love sacrifices. I’m reminded of the great old film, It’s a Wonderful Life: it’s the story of a man who loves. It’s the story of a man, George Bailey, and like all of us, George has dreams. As a boy his dream was pretty simple: he wanted to travel and see the world. His story is a story about life and the choices we make as we go about our day-to-day lives, and the consequences of those choices. All of our choices have consequences, and even when we do the right thing, sometimes there’s a price to pay for that. One day when George was just a boy, his little brother fell through the ice, and George saved his little brother. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t think about it, he acted, and he saved his little brother. George paid a price for that act; he got an infection and lost his hearing in one ear. Years later, just as George was preparing to leave for college, his father died. Now George’s father was the manager of a small-town building and loan, and the board decided that they would close the business George agreed to take his father’s place. Now George didn’t want to do this; he wanted to go to college, to follow his dream of traveling and making something of his life. But George realized that if he didn’t accept and take over running the company, the town would lose it and be left to the designs of an evil banker. So George again made a personal sacrifice, and he used the money he had saved to send his little brother to college. Next, just as George and his new bride were leaving for their honeymoon, there’s a run on the bank, and George stayed to once again save the building and loan. Over and over again, George sacrificed his own dream for others. In the end, George discovered he was blessed, with a wife who loves him, and a house full of wonderful children. It wasn’t a mansion; it was a rickety old house that was just about falling apart, but it was a house full of love. I was thinking about Juan Diego today during my walk. He did as Our Lady asked; he was a little uncertain and reluctant at one point as he wanted to find a priest for his dying uncle, but Our Lady assured him that his uncle had been healed! Juan Diego trusted the Blessed Virgin and followed her directions. Juan’s uncle was healed as Our Mother said, the sacrifice of innocent lives ended, millions were converted, and we were given a physical sign of faith – the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which endures to this day. Our Mother comes to us to remind us that her Son gave Himself on the cross for us – to show us the way of love. Killing our children is not the way of love. "Behold, your mother." The way of love says yes to our Father in Heaven. “May it be done to me according to your word.” The way of love is open to life. Our Lady, my Mother, you said “Yes” to God, and the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. My Mother, take us by the hand as we pray this Holy Rosary, and lead us to your Son. Mother, take us to Jesus. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us! St. Juan Diego, pray for us!
A great post to read, Darrell on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary!! I think, on the subject of abortion, that there is a dynamic between men and women. Satan knows this and is using it to be a cause of division between the sexes rather than a healthy dynamic. I noticed this on another forum years ago when I was against abortion and a number of women left the forum in a huff because as a man, they felt I had no right to comment. One of them said she had been crying and would be praying for me in chapel, which I found pretty mind blowing, that she would be praying for me, as a fellow Catholic because I oppose abortion as child murder. I suspect abortion is the single biggest cause of our entrance into the Tribulation and why Mary is appearing all over the place to call us back to our senses. Matthew 2:18 "A voice was heard in Ramah: wailing and great mourning. Rachel was crying for her children. She refused to be comforted, because they no longer existed."
A friend, Fran Currier, heads the Crisis Pregnancy Center(CPC) operated by our parish, St. Anne, Mother of Mary. A couple recently came in for counseling and the mother's heart began to melt. She looked to the father for support in deciding to keep the baby; Fran said his heart remained hard as stone. We believe the couple opted for an abortion. Yes, indeed Darrell, we men need to step forward! I have a special prayer request relative to this issue for which I would like you all to pray. Fran has asked my wife, Geralyn, to take an active role as a counselor at the CPC. May God's will be done! Geralyn has a great gift talking one-on-one (unlike this famous blabber here!) A couple of doors would have to open, as homeschooling the kids can't take a backseat. Thanks. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!
The Fetus Nebula: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080825.html I thought it was an interesting coincidence that this was posted today on the day that Our Lady of Medjugorje gives a message to the world. Darrell
After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” --John 19: 28 I was thinking about Jesus hanging on the cross at that point: physically, He was very near His end. In shock from the loss of blood, and He must have been numb from the pain. If it had been one of us hanging there, I wonder what we would have been thinking of at that point. I suppose some people might have been in denial, holding out some kind of hope that they might be saved from imminent death. Others might just have been praying for it to end. Some of us might have thoughts of our loved ones we’d be leaving behind. Jesus said, “I thirst.” I think He was thirsty for souls. Some years ago, when I was still in a lot of pain, I was ready to die. I wasn’t afraid to die, and I’m still not. I’m ready to go any time God calls me; I’m good with that. But now I think about death, and I think about my children and how I want to be there for them for as long as the good God gives me. I only want good for my children, and as much as I want them to have good lives, and I don’t want them to suffer excessively or unnecessarily, as much as I want that, and as much as I want them to have happiness in this life, to have a decent life, to have a home and a family and live in peace, as much as I want all of that, more than anything, I want them to have faith. I want them to grow up believing in God and trusting in Him, and seeking always to do His will. Having a good life is one thing, but life is short. Our souls live forever, and eternity is forever, and ever… From my own experience, I know that my children are going to have trials and sufferings in this life, because it’s a fallen world. They’re going to have to deal with death. My young son Dusty, he’s already had to deal with death; he was sitting right next to his brother Johnny when he was killed. Now, almost seven years later, Dusty is still dealing with it because I didn’t deal with Johnny’s death very well. Dusty saw that. What Dusty saw from me was that Johnny’s death was a terrible thing; he saw it tear me apart. What he should have seen from his father was hope, not despair. But if that were to happen now, I believe I would deal with it in a much better way, because now I have faith. I know my son is with God, and I know we’re going to be together again. That’s the kind of faith we all need to have because every day in this life is a gift. None of us knows if we’re going to be here tomorrow, and none of us knows if our loved ones will be here tomorrow. If we have faith, then we have everything we need to carry whatever cross comes our way, and we’ll carry it, not with despair, but with hope. So I want my children to have faith. I want them to accept God’s gift of eternal life, just as He wants all of us to accept His gift of eternal life. That’s what Jesus was thirsty for. What are we thirsty for? O God, you are my God – for you I long! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, like a land parched, lifeless, and without water. --Psalms 63: 2 As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My being thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and see the face of God? --Psalms 42: 2-3 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let the hearer say, "Come." Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water. --Revelation 22: 17 Way back at the beginning of these meditations, I compared my spiritual state to that of a man wandering in a desert, parched. I was thirsty for God. Are we thirsty for God? What are we thirsty for? If we’re thirsty for justice, then we need to start acting with justice, honesty and integrity. If we’re thirsty in our hearts for everything that is good and true, then we need to be good, and we need to speak the truth. If our souls are parched to see an end to hunger, then we need to start feeding the hungry. If we’re thirsty for an end to poverty, then we need to start living lives of charity. We need to reject this keeping-up-with-the-Jones mentality, stop dreaming about bigger homes, fancier cars and where we’re going to go on our next dream vacation, and start digging deep down in our pockets, and start giving until it hurts, because if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not a sacrifice. What are we thirsty for? Are we thirsty for God? In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus tells us the shepherd will leave ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost sheep, and he rejoices more over finding it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. He tells us that it is not the will of our Heavenly Father that even one of His children be lost (Matthew 18: 10 – 14). Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10: 11). Jesus was thirsty for souls, for all His children who had gone astray. “We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all” (Isaiah 53: 6). Jesus was thirsting for each and every one of us. What are we thirsty for?
I heard a priest say, during the week that a good way to judge our love for God is to measure our thirst for souls. I also heard quoted the words of Saint Alphonsus Ligouri, quoted in the Catholic Cathechism, ,'Those who pray are most certainly saved. Those who do not pray are most certainly damned'. Scarey stuff. Its true Darrell that the more we pray, the more we ant to pray. It is a thirst, but a blessed thirst. One thing I notice really makes me thirst and hunger is the Euchariist, I have a great hunger for it, I'd hate to miss mass on any day at all, no matter the reason. I am also thirsty for the Precious Blood; one day , I hope the Church will insist on both species being given to all the faithful in all circumstances. When you meet Dusty in heaven , Darrell I am sure one of the first things he will tell you is how proud he is of you for keeping the faith so well and thus honouring his memory.
♦ ♦ ♦ When Jesus had taken the wine, he said “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. --John 19: 30 In His final prayer with His Apostles before going to the garden at Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to the Father: “I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do” (John 17: 4). Then, from the cross, He cried out: “It is finished.” As a young man, even when I was confused about what to believe regarding faith and morals, I always had a sense that there was a purpose to life, and even more, a belief that there was something very specific I personally was meant to accomplish in this life, a mission. However, I remained confused as to what it was for many years. I remember my senior year of high school and the uncertainty of not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. I had been accepted to Virginia Tech University, but after graduation, I enlisted in the Marine Corps instead because I thought it would be more of an adventure. Then, as I’ve already shared, away from family, my youthful idealism slid down the slippery slope of moral relativism. There was a period when I believed my own personal glory was to be achieved through athletic accomplishments, and even before that, my dreams were always very egocentric and selfish: I thought my own happiness was the purpose of my life. All those years of chasing after my selfish dreams left me unfulfilled; my own best efforts couldn’t bring me happiness. It was only after I turned back to God and embraced the fullness of the truth of my Catholic Christian faith that I came to understand the purpose of my life. Gone is the quiet desperation: now I have peace, and yes, happiness. Of course, joy and sorrows are usually not far separated in this earthly life, and in fact they often go hand in hand in our day-to-day struggles. Now I understand that my mission lies in this very struggle. We’ve all of us been given a mission in this life, work to accomplish. “God made me to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this life, and be happy with Him forever in the next.” I heard of a man who said that his mission in life was to die and go to Heaven, and take as many people as he could with him. That’s our mission in this life! Our mission is to seek to know God and do His will, to live lives of faith, hope and charity. Now, when I awake each morning, I thank God for the gift of life. I know that one of two things will happen this day: either it will be the day that I die and go to eternity, or it’s another day to live and work on my mission. I win either way! When we understand that every day is a gift, that this just might be the day that we die, it puts everything into the proper perspective: the eternal perspective. This makes it all worthwhile. I’ve never achieved great fame or fortune, and to tell the truth I don’t want it, because I have something much, much more valuable: I have faith. Now, every day I am focused on my mission, and the day-to-day hardships, disappointments or sorrows seem as nothing. Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God's grace (Acts 20: 24). Grace is a supernatural gift from the good and merciful God. We grow in holiness through God‘s sanctifying grace, and we must be made holy before we ever enter into Heaven. We are saved by grace (Acts 15: 11, Ephesians 2: 5, Ephesians 2: 8 ). However, the Apostle Paul also said we must “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2: 12). We must never presume in God’s Mercy – this is a sin against the Holy Spirit. Many people have this idea that no matter what we do in this life, God will forgive us, so we can just decide for ourselves what’s right and wrong and do whatever we want. This has NEVER been the teaching of the Church. Yes, our redemption is a free gift from God, but we must respond to His grace: God's free initiative demands man's free response, for God has created man in his image by conferring on him, along with freedom, the power to know him and love him. The soul only enters freely into the communion of love. God immediately touches and directly moves the heart of man. He has placed in man a longing for truth and goodness that only he can satisfy. The promises of "eternal life" respond, beyond all hope, to this desire: If at the end of your very good works . . ., you rested on the seventh day, it was to foretell by the voice of your book that at the end of our works, which are indeed "very good" since you have given them to us, we shall also rest in you on the sabbath of eternal life (St. Augustine). Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning "favor," "gratuitous gift," "benefit.” Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church. Among the special graces ought to be mentioned the graces of state that accompany the exercise of the responsibilities of the Christian life and of the ministries within the Church: Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12: 6-8 ). --Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2002 - 2004 When we take the eternal view, we understand the temporariness of the things of this world; we can focus on our mission in this life, each of us using the gifts that God gave to us and doing our part to bring about the Kingdom of God. This is my focus in life – to complete my mission. That’s the reason I’m writing these very words now: in the hope that they will make a difference for someone, that they might help someone to find faith, that they might lead someone to Jesus. I have only today to live for. I live each day, looking to the future (a future that may or may not hold a lot of suffering) with hope and joy. Every day I have a mission to live with faith, hope and charity. What can I do this day to help someone else? What can I do this day to help lead someone else to God? What can I do to bring even a tiny bit of hope and joy into another person’s life? This is my focus. Our death can be an emotional burden for others because they’ll miss us. Christians are not supposed to grieve like unbelievers, but rather go on living with hope. Those who have said “Yes” to God, who have responded sincerely to God’s grace, who have made an honest effort to live out their faith and lead good lives, can expect to be reunited with those who have gone before us. Death can be a financial burden. When the sole breadwinner in a family dies, obviously this leaves the survivors without any means of support. This provides the rest of us with the opportunity for charitable works. Christ’s Apostle tells us, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1: 27). My own father died suddenly when I was 12, so my brother and sister and I know what it’s like to grow up without a father. My mother did a good job of raising us, but it’s better to have a father. I am so thankful that Liane and I are committed to our marriage and raising our family together. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to raise children as a single parent; it’s a hard enough job with two of us. Children need both their parents – a father and a mother. A family is a gift, and life should be lived out. Personally, I want to be here for my children, for as long as the good Lord gives me, and if He calls me home before they are grown, I will go and intercede for them in eternity. Lord, grant that I die in a state of grace. Lord, grant that my death is not too much of a burden on others. Lord, grant that I complete my mission in this life. If we have done our best, if we have given an honest effort in seeking to complete our mission in this life, then, at the hour of our death, in all peace, and trusting in God’s Mercy, like Jesus, we too can say, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23: 46). Our Father, who art in Heaven… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Glory be… O my Jesus… Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope, To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears, Turn then most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, Pray for us O holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, Amen. Here we make the sign of the cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Kiss the cross.
Darrell, its really good to hear from you again! I don't know were you get the time and energy to devote your time to so much apostolic activity when you have a young family to bring up! You put a single person like myself to shame. I still think that the good Lord has plans for you woth your writing ,so I am delighted you are keeping at the book. I think your view of life as a married person and after all you have been through give your words particular weight with many people. If you've time I'd love to hear about your experiences in the Marines. Once when I 19 I met a young American who had been a marine in Vietnam, he had been a machine gunner on a gun ship. When I looked him in the eyes they looked so empty and tormented; I never met him again but I always had the impression he might have killed himself he looked do tormented. I must pray for him.....
Darrell, This has been what most inspires me in reading your posts: your focus on the mission and your heartfelt desire to collaborate with Christ who is the Leader and Perfecter of our faith. My efforts are very hesitant and inconsistent. So thank you for being a Paul in my life to call me onward and upward. 8) Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
