Flitting

Swallowtail at rest amongst flowers.

It is really sad the way history repeats itself. The facts reveal themselves inexorably, and Donald Trump is being stripped and revealed for who he is, and in my mind, is not qualified to be the leader of our country.

Other people have been caught up in the vile things that have their hooks in Donald Trump, and they will pay the price for their association and collaboration. Adolph Hitler seized upon the methamphetimines of his time, in order to try to achieve super human power to control the world. He got the power he wanted, but was destroyed by it, and Donald Trump is also being destroyed in a similar way. For all we know, perhaps Vladimir Putin is too. None of them realize who they are, and it is not fame that engulfs them, but infamy.

To be someone totally driven by ego and drugs and paranoia is sad to say the least, but even worse, they are being led by others on whom they are totally dependent.

The bottom line is that we do not need or want such people leading our country. We are still great. Our nation has not dissolved into chaos the way so many third world countries have. We can still provide example and leadership for the world, and correct our errors along the way, by working and thinking together, but we can't do it by promoting promiscuity, immorality and selfish greed for power. 

God gave us what greatness we have preserved, but we preserved nothing on our own; GOD is the one whose plan included us and we are who we are today because of our good and bad choices in life.

Nations cannot engage in the immorality destroying so many young lives without stumbling and bad judgement, killing the unborn as an inconvenience in our modern life. He will not bless or tolerate our weaknesses if we are prejudiced and seeking to use power against the poor and disadvantaged. Such behaviour will be punished; He will allow us to do what we want rather than hinting that we should do differently. 

Lent is soon upon us. Use the time to reflect who Jesus was, how He acted, and the things He did. Discern how we have allowed ourselves to be shaped by evil, and how to correct our errors. 

The mystical spiritual world is very real, but we scarcely notice it unless we have strained and worked hard to learn to see Him in our will and mind, so as to do the things that make a person sensitive to God.

That sensitivity is hard to see, like a butterfly flitting from tree to tree  in the wind. Taking a good photograph of a butterfly requires patience and wits to anticipate where it will go next and when it will launch itself into the breeze again. They know when the flowers they visit, have nectar or are emptied of it already and ready to shrivel and fall.

Our life with Jesus requires thoughtfulness and patience. We think so often that we are forming our life by our own efforts, and can hardly control our feelings and desires, and all too often, sin when we thought we were going to do some good thing. He allows us to stumble and fall so we learn. As long as we keep on moving, we are alright. He guides our steps gives us confidence by revealing Himself to us bit by bit, until we begin to live in His proximity and to be glad for being by His side.

In order to reflect sufficiently, a person needs peace and quiet, to be still, and to listen to our heart. That means turning things off, praying and listening within ourselves, skills acquired slowly over time. We will not achieve any progress without silent stillness in our lives that occur regularly, and turning our to Him to listen and try very hard to catch every word and every intonation of every word.

We can build a peaceful world by persevering and making wise decisions.

Flitting

Swallowtail at rest amongst flowers.

It is really sad the way history repeats itself. The facts reveal themselves inexorably, and Donald Trump is being stripped and revealed for who he is, and in my mind, is not qualified to be the leader of our country.

Other people have been caught up in the vile things that have their hooks in Donald Trump, and they will pay the price for their association and collaboration. Adolph Hitler seized upon the methamphetimines of his time, in order to try to achieve super human power to control the world. He got the power he wanted, but was destroyed by it, and Donald Trump is also being destroyed in a similar way. For all we know, perhaps Vladimir Putin is too. None of them realize who they are, and it is not fame that engulfs them, but infamy.

To be someone totally driven by ego and drugs and paranoia is sad to say the least, but even worse, they are being led by others on whom they are totally dependent.

The bottom line is that we do not need or want such people leading our country. We are still great. Our nation has not dissolved into chaos the way so many third world countries have. We can still provide example and leadership for the world, and correct our errors along the way, by working and thinking together, but we can't do it by promoting promiscuity, immorality and selfish greed for power. 

God gave us what greatness we have preserved, but we preserved nothing on our own; GOD is the one whose plan included us and we are who we are today because of our good and bad choices in life.

Nations cannot engage in the immorality destroying so many young lives without stumbling and bad judgement, killing the unborn as an inconvenience in our modern life. He will not bless or tolerate our weaknesses if we are prejudiced and seeking to use power against the poor and disadvantaged. Such behaviour will be punished; He will allow us to do what we want rather than hinting that we should do differently. 

Lent is soon upon us. Use the time to reflect who Jesus was, how He acted, and the things He did. Discern how we have allowed ourselves to be shaped by evil, and how to correct our errors. 

The mystical spiritual world is very real, but we scarcely notice it unless we have strained and worked hard to learn to see Him in our will and mind, so as to do the things that make a person sensitive to God.

That sensitivity is hard to see, like a butterfly flitting from tree to tree  in the wind. Taking a good photograph of a butterfly requires patience and wits to anticipate where it will go next and when it will launch itself into the breeze again. They know when the flowers they visit, have nectar or are emptied of it already and ready to shrivel and fall.

Our life with Jesus requires thoughtfulness and patience. We think so often that we are forming our life by our own efforts, and can hardly control our feelings and desires, and all too often, sin when we thought we were going to do some good thing. He allows us to stumble and fall so we learn. As long as we keep on moving, we are alright. He guides our steps gives us confidence by revealing Himself to us bit by bit, until we begin to live in His proximity and to be glad for being by His side.

In order to reflect sufficiently, a person needs peace and quiet, to be still, and to listen to our heart. That means turning things off, praying and listening within ourselves, skills acquired slowly over time. We will not achieve any progress without silent stillness in our lives that occur regularly, and turning our to Him to listen and try very hard to catch every word and every intonation of every word.

We can build a peaceful world by persevering and making wise decisions.

Need

The hermitage where I used to live.

You don't get what you need by taking what you want. Many times, something less expensive is more comfortable and useful than the thing someone is hawking in the marketplace.

In fact, one does not get a long life without risking it, and making considerable sacrifices. One does not get freedom by taking it from someone else, even if they have committed great wrongs. One does not get children, for instance, without sacrificing considerable freedom over time, safeguarding the infant, and welcoming the child into your life, in spite of the demands made on your time and resources.

Speaking lies is not without risks, and cheating does not ensure power. There is always someone smarter who can see through the lie and alert their friends and loved ones to avoid the trap. Going through life always looking for the advantage is a sure way to eventually lose it all. While it might be regrettable that one did not get some prize thing, low hanging fruit isn't always ripe or palatable. And if the only person you spend any effort pleasing is yourself, you have had your pleasure, and soon enough it fades and withers like a rose.

We have fought two wars that engulfed the whole world and the entire human race, and still, people react to their anger and the transgressions of others with ever-increasing, efficient violence and destruction. Now we can do it in a fraction of the time it used to take.

The people who were killed in the wars we have fought cannot come back to tell you to your face, what it was like to be torn to bits by bullets or to be shot out of the sky, or be blown up in a bombing raid on a ship. They will tell you of the extreme cost, and warn you that to take their lives for granted is not a way forward as a civilization, that leads to fruitful, satisfying life. 

Too many times, too many people have had their lives cut short, and are cutoff from the happiness that for a moment was all too close. Their opportunity to hold their sleeping infant son in their arms was snatched away from them forever, and they will do all in their power to make you recognize the depth of the pain of their sacrifice.

If we take the easy road in life all the time, and consider nothing but out own pleasure and happiness, no one will be happy, and there isn't a drug strong enough to swallow up regret.

If you have the opportunity to make a sacrifice to God, then do so; the opportunity may not be yours again, and the one whose suffering might have been lessened will have to endure without relief.

People have made tremendous sacrifices so you can enjoy a life happiness, but you cannot always be happy, and the most unhappy persons in the world lived selfishly to the extreme, and perhaps dodged the finger of chance, but we will be judged by God and our fellow human beings, because everything will be plain to see. Make it easier on yourself by doing penance, making sacrifices and atoning for your sins, so at least you may be clothed in happiness when your time comes to stand before God.

The most dangerous people on earth do not believe in God or morality or treating others with dignity and equality. You must be the just person who stands before God now as if it were the judgement day, and pleads for others as well as himself.

Need

The hermitage where I used to live.

You don't get what you need by taking what you want. Many times, something less expensive is more comfortable and useful than the thing someone is hawking in the marketplace.

In fact, one does not get a long life without risking it, and making considerable sacrifices. One does not get freedom by taking it from someone else, even if they have committed great wrongs. One does not get children, for instance, without sacrificing considerable freedom over time, safeguarding the infant, and welcoming the child into your life, in spite of the demands made on your time and resources.

Speaking lies is not without risks, and cheating does not ensure power. There is always someone smarter who can see through the lie and alert their friends and loved ones to avoid the trap. Going through life always looking for the advantage is a sure way to eventually lose it all. While it might be regrettable that one did not get some prize thing, low hanging fruit isn't always ripe or palatable. And if the only person you spend any effort pleasing is yourself, you have had your pleasure, and soon enough it fades and withers like a rose.

We have fought two wars that engulfed the whole world and the entire human race, and still, people react to their anger and the transgressions of others with ever-increasing, efficient violence and destruction. Now we can do it in a fraction of the time it used to take.

The people who were killed in the wars we have fought cannot come back to tell you to your face, what it was like to be torn to bits by bullets or to be shot out of the sky, or be blown up in a bombing raid on a ship. They will tell you of the extreme cost, and warn you that to take their lives for granted is not a way forward as a civilization, that leads to fruitful, satisfying life. 

Too many times, too many people have had their lives cut short, and are cutoff from the happiness that for a moment was all too close. Their opportunity to hold their sleeping infant son in their arms was snatched away from them forever, and they will do all in their power to make you recognize the depth of the pain of their sacrifice.

If we take the easy road in life all the time, and consider nothing but out own pleasure and happiness, no one will be happy, and there isn't a drug strong enough to swallow up regret.

If you have the opportunity to make a sacrifice to God, then do so; the opportunity may not be yours again, and the one whose suffering might have been lessened will have to endure without relief.

People have made tremendous sacrifices so you can enjoy a life happiness, but you cannot always be happy, and the most unhappy persons in the world lived selfishly to the extreme, and perhaps dodged the finger of chance, but we will be judged by God and our fellow human beings, because everything will be plain to see. Make it easier on yourself by doing penance, making sacrifices and atoning for your sins, so at least you may be clothed in happiness when your time comes to stand before God.

The most dangerous people on earth do not believe in God or morality or treating others with dignity and equality. You must be the just person who stands before God now as if it were the judgement day, and pleads for others as well as himself.

Splendid

Day's Saints
Alberic of Citeaux, Benedictine
Conan of Iona, monk

Gospel Mk 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

+ 

His creation is indeed splendid, and you
are part of what makes it so :) +

Do not judge by appearances. While it seems as if there is an eternity of time to make right our ways before God, there is no such thing. When the new kingdom is at hand, it will appear and no one will be spared. For those who love the Lord, that is not a problem, because they knew the only thing worthy about them was God's choosing to dwell in them.

Yes, everything will change, and the day before the correction, there will be the warning and then it will indeed be time to repent.

Guard against irrational rejection of the truth, for stubborn men go down into the abyss and do not emerge again. Having your own way all the time is not only boring, but entrenches a lie in your heart and one grows to reject God and His Law, to his downfall. The way of righteousness is not to judge other people as if they were lost, but seeing them in error, the loving man, who is just, tries to persuade this brother of the truth, and goes as far as to risk his own life to save him, for the love of a brother, just like Jesus Christ.

Jesus was crucified, actually died, and was resurrected to ascend into heaven to rejoin His Father.  the manner of His death was unpleasant and uncomfortable in the utmost extreme. So much so, that some He loved unusually well, and He joined them to Him in the Passion so others might have eternal life and His saving act be extended in time until today. They, in the excess of love, suffered as Jesus suffered, and died, patiently waiting for the end, so they may hand intact, their sacrifice to Jesus to join to His own so they might be well.

St. Padre Pio, Capuchin

God will illumine you to know what He wants. Wait for Him, and watch steadfastly faithful to Him, and you will not fail to please or be useful to Him, no matter how ordinary your life. In fact, there is no such thing as an ordinary life, for God's love, given us abundantly, is extraordinary in His Heart and Mind. Thus, whether you live in a single room, or in a splendid castle on a hill, both people live to please God, and out of pure love, sacrifice many things to Jesus, to reveal that He is the good shepherd and Lord of all. 

Do not halt your prayers or be interrupted in them by anything else, but the more you are tempted to give up, cry out to Him all the more, that you love Him, and you will always be at His side to please Him, and on the last day, will have nothing to fear, since love has defended you against evil which is foul hatred and lies, murderous acts and violence. In order to put these things to death, He died, and we will be resurrected and awaken to His love as a consequence.

St. Gemma Galgani, Passionist

I know these things as one who has lived what he relates. I do not claim to be perfect or spotless, for I have made mistakes as all men do, but the Lord who loved me, did not cast me aside, but cherished me all the more for my distance, and in time, overwhelmed my sins with His love, and He made my sacrifices fruitful. Thus, in the end, love is all there is that is worthy, and we are privileged to live in perilous times so that we may see the triumph of good over evil and a world free of evil, and abundant with His love.

You have but to reach out to heaven and cry out your love, and you will encounter love, and deprivations and desolation will not matter, because He has emphatically proclaimed His love for all people, great and small.

Splendid

Day's Saints
Alberic of Citeaux, Benedictine
Conan of Iona, monk

Gospel Mk 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

+ 

His creation is indeed splendid, and you
are part of what makes it so :) +

Do not judge by appearances. While it seems as if there is an eternity of time to make right our ways before God, there is no such thing. When the new kingdom is at hand, it will appear and no one will be spared. For those who love the Lord, that is not a problem, because they knew the only thing worthy about them was God's choosing to dwell in them.

Yes, everything will change, and the day before the correction, there will be the warning and then it will indeed be time to repent.

Guard against irrational rejection of the truth, for stubborn men go down into the abyss and do not emerge again. Having your own way all the time is not only boring, but entrenches a lie in your heart and one grows to reject God and His Law, to his downfall. The way of righteousness is not to judge other people as if they were lost, but seeing them in error, the loving man, who is just, tries to persuade this brother of the truth, and goes as far as to risk his own life to save him, for the love of a brother, just like Jesus Christ.

Jesus was crucified, actually died, and was resurrected to ascend into heaven to rejoin His Father.  the manner of His death was unpleasant and uncomfortable in the utmost extreme. So much so, that some He loved unusually well, and He joined them to Him in the Passion so others might have eternal life and His saving act be extended in time until today. They, in the excess of love, suffered as Jesus suffered, and died, patiently waiting for the end, so they may hand intact, their sacrifice to Jesus to join to His own so they might be well.

St. Padre Pio, Capuchin

God will illumine you to know what He wants. Wait for Him, and watch steadfastly faithful to Him, and you will not fail to please or be useful to Him, no matter how ordinary your life. In fact, there is no such thing as an ordinary life, for God's love, given us abundantly, is extraordinary in His Heart and Mind. Thus, whether you live in a single room, or in a splendid castle on a hill, both people live to please God, and out of pure love, sacrifice many things to Jesus, to reveal that He is the good shepherd and Lord of all. 

Do not halt your prayers or be interrupted in them by anything else, but the more you are tempted to give up, cry out to Him all the more, that you love Him, and you will always be at His side to please Him, and on the last day, will have nothing to fear, since love has defended you against evil which is foul hatred and lies, murderous acts and violence. In order to put these things to death, He died, and we will be resurrected and awaken to His love as a consequence.

St. Gemma Galgani, Passionist

I know these things as one who has lived what he relates. I do not claim to be perfect or spotless, for I have made mistakes as all men do, but the Lord who loved me, did not cast me aside, but cherished me all the more for my distance, and in time, overwhelmed my sins with His love, and He made my sacrifices fruitful. Thus, in the end, love is all there is that is worthy, and we are privileged to live in perilous times so that we may see the triumph of good over evil and a world free of evil, and abundant with His love.

You have but to reach out to heaven and cry out your love, and you will encounter love, and deprivations and desolation will not matter, because He has emphatically proclaimed His love for all people, great and small.

Tied Up

 Day's Saints
Vincent of Saragossa, Martyr
Blessed Giuseppe Nacimbeni, Franciscan

Gospel
Mk 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and
"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.  
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

+

Beware, and pay heed to what He says about how a house is plundered; the thief must first tie up, restrain or incapacitate a person before he can help himself to his property.

For us, it is a warning equally applicable, concerning our treasure. We cannot be blinded or bound by evil without our consent, and he knows enough tricks to bind many, and without the mercy of the Lord, they cannot be freed. One may implore the Lord to be freed and do penance to atone for sins, and gain His favor. But do not wait to act, lest you be called before Him and must explain, for what can you says but " I have sinned in your sight and I ask your mercy", as you work to atone. He may allow us to do more when we have stood before Him by way of purgation in suffering because we are not rejoined to Him to remain forever.

Pray for one another, and do not hesitate to do penances for each other, for such a kindness deserves a considerable blessing. If you suffer, do not hesitate to use it to advantage for souls, for you will earn no punishment that way, but rather your eyes will be cleansed so you may see Him clearly, a blessing much desired by holy souls.

Do not be startled or dismayed by what evil men say to gain power over people so that they may plunder and ravage and do all sorts of evil. Those who do such things are anti-Christs, and God gives them no power. Nations might be annihilated, but the children of God will be protected by God, while the enemy is being cast into the shouldering depths of hell. If their sins are revealed to all, they are to be shunned as the evil they are.

Tied Up

 Day's Saints
Vincent of Saragossa, Martyr
Blessed Giuseppe Nacimbeni, Franciscan

Gospel
Mk 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and
"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.  
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

+

Beware, and pay heed to what He says about how a house is plundered; the thief must first tie up, restrain or incapacitate a person before he can help himself to his property.

For us, it is a warning equally applicable, concerning our treasure. We cannot be blinded or bound by evil without our consent, and he knows enough tricks to bind many, and without the mercy of the Lord, they cannot be freed. One may implore the Lord to be freed and do penance to atone for sins, and gain His favor. But do not wait to act, lest you be called before Him and must explain, for what can you says but " I have sinned in your sight and I ask your mercy", as you work to atone. He may allow us to do more when we have stood before Him by way of purgation in suffering because we are not rejoined to Him to remain forever.

Pray for one another, and do not hesitate to do penances for each other, for such a kindness deserves a considerable blessing. If you suffer, do not hesitate to use it to advantage for souls, for you will earn no punishment that way, but rather your eyes will be cleansed so you may see Him clearly, a blessing much desired by holy souls.

Do not be startled or dismayed by what evil men say to gain power over people so that they may plunder and ravage and do all sorts of evil. Those who do such things are anti-Christs, and God gives them no power. Nations might be annihilated, but the children of God will be protected by God, while the enemy is being cast into the shouldering depths of hell. If their sins are revealed to all, they are to be shunned as the evil they are.

Caring

 It is as much work not caring as it is caring. One can go through life oblivious of the outrageous behavior of nations and their leaders, but what will you say to the Lord when you stand before Him having lived your life as a slob who didn't care?

For me, my pain is private, and if they have any clue, it is hard to tell. I only know I can greet the stranger and welcome the immigrant ( and we have many here). But the Lord is present in my pain, and my happiness is in His embrace that reassures and comforts me, so I may extend it to the other people in my life.

I have said often enough, that we should occupy ourselves doing penance for our sins, so we can so penance for those who do not seek foregiveness because they are afraid to ask, lest they be forbidden.

But if His life tells us anything, He never withheld His mercy or His love, and on too many occasions, those who were leaders were uncaring and saw nothing wrong with treating others as merely disposable objects.

None of us likes to be treated as disposable, as if our feelings do not matter and our pain nothing that requires us to make any effort to care or to comfort. Nevertheless, we all need His care and His love, and we need to realize just how much effort He put into His children's well-being.

To counteract the the violence and destructive hatred in the world, we need to care beyond our strength. We cannot grow weary or give up in despair, because His power is total, not limited like nations and armies.

The earth displays its violence on occasion, and then it is all open and visible to see, nothing hidden, as homes and lives are overturned and destroyed. He cares, whatever happens to us. If we wish it for ourselves, we must make sure we care for others, and then what we have afforded others comes back as our consolation.

In our daily lives, we are meant to ponder and penetrate the mystery of His passion. It was a passonate passion; He cared and spare Himself nothing in order to reach the point of sacrifice which could redeem us. The temple veil was torn from top to bottom, the sky was dark for three hours, and the earth trembled and tossed in the moments after He died, a fact noted in the Gospels.

Do you honestly think that He shows no signs in our world around us of His love for us? You are mistaken. Take hope and comfort one another and do not give up. Do not give up feelings because you are tired of hurting without rest. Jesus did not give up during the three hours He hung crucified. His last act on the cross was to forgive the centurion who lanced His Heart.

Caring

 It is as much work not caring as it is caring. One can go through life oblivious of the outrageous behavior of nations and their leaders, but what will you say to the Lord when you stand before Him having lived your life as a slob who didn't care?

For me, my pain is private, and if they have any clue, it is hard to tell. I only know I can greet the stranger and welcome the immigrant ( and we have many here). But the Lord is present in my pain, and my happiness is in His embrace that reassures and comforts me, so I may extend it to the other people in my life.

I have said often enough, that we should occupy ourselves doing penance for our sins, so we can so penance for those who do not seek foregiveness because they are afraid to ask, lest they be forbidden.

But if His life tells us anything, He never withheld His mercy or His love, and on too many occasions, those who were leaders were uncaring and saw nothing wrong with treating others as merely disposable objects.

None of us likes to be treated as disposable, as if our feelings do not matter and our pain nothing that requires us to make any effort to care or to comfort. Nevertheless, we all need His care and His love, and we need to realize just how much effort He put into His children's well-being.

To counteract the the violence and destructive hatred in the world, we need to care beyond our strength. We cannot grow weary or give up in despair, because His power is total, not limited like nations and armies.

The earth displays its violence on occasion, and then it is all open and visible to see, nothing hidden, as homes and lives are overturned and destroyed. He cares, whatever happens to us. If we wish it for ourselves, we must make sure we care for others, and then what we have afforded others comes back as our consolation.

In our daily lives, we are meant to ponder and penetrate the mystery of His passion. It was a passonate passion; He cared and spare Himself nothing in order to reach the point of sacrifice which could redeem us. The temple veil was torn from top to bottom, the sky was dark for three hours, and the earth trembled and tossed in the moments after He died, a fact noted in the Gospels.

Do you honestly think that He shows no signs in our world around us of His love for us? You are mistaken. Take hope and comfort one another and do not give up. Do not give up feelings because you are tired of hurting without rest. Jesus did not give up during the three hours He hung crucified. His last act on the cross was to forgive the centurion who lanced His Heart.

Grains of Wheat

 Day's Saints
Honoratus of Arles, Abbot
Blessed Giuseppe Antonio Tovini, Franciscan Tetiary

1 Sm 16:1-13 Samuel and the anointing of David

Gospel Mk 2:23-28
As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

+

God did not make human beings so they could be oppressed by other human beings, and enslaved by those who think they know more than all the rest.

Sufficient to the task was the will of men, to know and love Him and serve Him. Beyond even that, He made men to serve one another by giving good example and doing the Will of God. Neither He make it so difficult to know His Will that they could not succeed; they were not made so God could have something to condemn. But He did make us all to use our minds and our wills and train them to align with His thoughts and Will, for in these He provides what we need to do what pleases Him.

Men in power over others have a double responsibility to make sure laws are reasonable and in accordance with God's Will. He did not intend men to become ravenous beasts, devouring one another in greed. 

The grain in the field was God's gifts to men to sustain their labors and help them live. Do not take away from others what is necessary to live.

Do not empower men who will oppress others, for to cause grief separates God's children from Himself, and He will not bless what separates men from God. He is with men of His own accord, but it is difficult to seek and find what unites to  God. If you empower an immoral man and men sin on account of it, will He not look into the matter and set things straight?

Bring down on yourselves no wrath from God, but do as He asks, for He has only the best in mind for you.

Grains of Wheat

 Day's Saints
Honoratus of Arles, Abbot
Blessed Giuseppe Antonio Tovini, Franciscan Tetiary

1 Sm 16:1-13 Samuel and the anointing of David

Gospel Mk 2:23-28
As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

+

God did not make human beings so they could be oppressed by other human beings, and enslaved by those who think they know more than all the rest.

Sufficient to the task was the will of men, to know and love Him and serve Him. Beyond even that, He made men to serve one another by giving good example and doing the Will of God. Neither He make it so difficult to know His Will that they could not succeed; they were not made so God could have something to condemn. But He did make us all to use our minds and our wills and train them to align with His thoughts and Will, for in these He provides what we need to do what pleases Him.

Men in power over others have a double responsibility to make sure laws are reasonable and in accordance with God's Will. He did not intend men to become ravenous beasts, devouring one another in greed. 

The grain in the field was God's gifts to men to sustain their labors and help them live. Do not take away from others what is necessary to live.

Do not empower men who will oppress others, for to cause grief separates God's children from Himself, and He will not bless what separates men from God. He is with men of His own accord, but it is difficult to seek and find what unites to  God. If you empower an immoral man and men sin on account of it, will He not look into the matter and set things straight?

Bring down on yourselves no wrath from God, but do as He asks, for He has only the best in mind for you.

Light

I was watching "Shoes of the Fisherman" again yesterday. It dawned on me that, although the world is flooded with light, few can see it, mostly because so few do anything with God's grace, which changes us so we can see.

There is no point in decrying the darkness, or mourning the sting of pain, if we do nothing with the grace of God that will open our eyes to see the real light. The light of the world is disappointing, and garish, making us see all the ugliness there is around us. 

The light of God is strong so as to penetrate everything, everywhere. Neither will we be allowed the joy of a good night's sleep or rest, until our hearts have at last responded to what it found so hard to see.

Time which has so often dragged for us, leaps up refreshed and renewed for us if we respond to God. Just as the moon causes  immense tides of water in the sea, in its orbit around the earth, just so God is moving, a living being, around us, so that if we pay attention, we are aware of God and His light, once we have passed the tide of emotion so we may have a grasp on it. Look beyond the tide of light and the emotion, and what remains is God.

He is everywhere, always until the end of the universe passes away, like the moon setting at night. Who has not felt his heart stir to realize it will be there tomorrow, if you know where to look. The moon sets two hours later every night until it is new, and does not show its light. And if our minds and hearts can be so easily moved by a ball of stone reflecting sunlight, how much more should not our hearts leap up when we recognize the Lord?

On a dark night, in the quiet of the garden, awaken to the light of the Lord. Yet it is not like a child opening a package at a birthday party, well anticipated. The object of our desire does fill us with emotion when we realize the love behind it all. There comes a day when our loved ones pass beyond our gaze and are somewhere we cannot go to listen to them anymore. Yet, just as we anticipate the glory of a full moon rising in a dark sky, we know we will see them again, and that all we have lost to time will be restored to us, in eternity.

So it is worth our while to change a little, to shift the eyes of anticipation to greater things, to do those penitential acts that mean salvation and peace to sinners who repent because we bound the wounds of their sufferings with the bandages of our penances.

We are the focus of His Heart. Open your eyes when He prompts you, and do not refuse to waken from your slumber, for something greater waits to rise in the garden of your life. He permits our self centeredness only long enough to be a child and grow into the splendor of our adulthood; our love, mature in being adult, still has selfish roots, but they have become wonderful possibilities if we desire it. Guard your desires, and guard your heart so they may be for Him entirely.

Light

I was watching "Shoes of the Fisherman" again yesterday. It dawned on me that, although the world is flooded with light, few can see it, mostly because so few do anything with God's grace, which changes us so we can see.

There is no point in decrying the darkness, or mourning the sting of pain, if we do nothing with the grace of God that will open our eyes to see the real light. The light of the world is disappointing, and garish, making us see all the ugliness there is around us. 

The light of God is strong so as to penetrate everything, everywhere. Neither will we be allowed the joy of a good night's sleep or rest, until our hearts have at last responded to what it found so hard to see.

Time which has so often dragged for us, leaps up refreshed and renewed for us if we respond to God. Just as the moon causes  immense tides of water in the sea, in its orbit around the earth, just so God is moving, a living being, around us, so that if we pay attention, we are aware of God and His light, once we have passed the tide of emotion so we may have a grasp on it. Look beyond the tide of light and the emotion, and what remains is God.

He is everywhere, always until the end of the universe passes away, like the moon setting at night. Who has not felt his heart stir to realize it will be there tomorrow, if you know where to look. The moon sets two hours later every night until it is new, and does not show its light. And if our minds and hearts can be so easily moved by a ball of stone reflecting sunlight, how much more should not our hearts leap up when we recognize the Lord?

On a dark night, in the quiet of the garden, awaken to the light of the Lord. Yet it is not like a child opening a package at a birthday party, well anticipated. The object of our desire does fill us with emotion when we realize the love behind it all. There comes a day when our loved ones pass beyond our gaze and are somewhere we cannot go to listen to them anymore. Yet, just as we anticipate the glory of a full moon rising in a dark sky, we know we will see them again, and that all we have lost to time will be restored to us, in eternity.

So it is worth our while to change a little, to shift the eyes of anticipation to greater things, to do those penitential acts that mean salvation and peace to sinners who repent because we bound the wounds of their sufferings with the bandages of our penances.

We are the focus of His Heart. Open your eyes when He prompts you, and do not refuse to waken from your slumber, for something greater waits to rise in the garden of your life. He permits our self centeredness only long enough to be a child and grow into the splendor of our adulthood; our love, mature in being adult, still has selfish roots, but they have become wonderful possibilities if we desire it. Guard your desires, and guard your heart so they may be for Him entirely.

Moment

 Blessed the moment that the Lord, standing waiting for condemnation to be pronounced, embraces you from within, and takes you to where He was scourged, and to where He was nailed to the cross, to invite you to participate in Him.

He makes known that it is Him, and how you are to participate, and the pain begins when you say "amen", and you are laid out, immobilized with pain.

Each blood-drenched moment tears you open, significantly intense and penetrating, pain from all sides.

Physical pain is difficult, and spiritual pain is worse. You have no energy to writhe or cry out, but your mind seeks to quiet the emotions and still your thoughts to reach out to the Savior nearby, for the moment of the revelation of His love. No matter how keen the mind, the cross is more intense lest its burden should diminish. Only love is stronger, and there is safety in clinging to it until you can give it away too, and the souls staggering under the weight of the cross can fall and rest, while you take up pain enough for both. 

We do not see Him more clearly because of the withering of the world in the distance of the Lord. Only He has succeeded in reigning in triumph in a corrupted world, and He shines brightly enough to console all men. In the shining is the peace and the rest, and the Lord.

Moment

 Blessed the moment that the Lord, standing waiting for condemnation to be pronounced, embraces you from within, and takes you to where He was scourged, and to where He was nailed to the cross, to invite you to participate in Him.

He makes known that it is Him, and how you are to participate, and the pain begins when you say "amen", and you are laid out, immobilized with pain.

Each blood-drenched moment tears you open, significantly intense and penetrating, pain from all sides.

Physical pain is difficult, and spiritual pain is worse. You have no energy to writhe or cry out, but your mind seeks to quiet the emotions and still your thoughts to reach out to the Savior nearby, for the moment of the revelation of His love. No matter how keen the mind, the cross is more intense lest its burden should diminish. Only love is stronger, and there is safety in clinging to it until you can give it away too, and the souls staggering under the weight of the cross can fall and rest, while you take up pain enough for both. 

We do not see Him more clearly because of the withering of the world in the distance of the Lord. Only He has succeeded in reigning in triumph in a corrupted world, and He shines brightly enough to console all men. In the shining is the peace and the rest, and the Lord.

Plan

 Jesus came to the synagogue to teach His people, to tell them about the Father, and to lead them to love God. Hannah prayed in the temple for a boy child, and the Lord heard her prayer, giving her a son.

There is always more to what He does, for Hannah gave birth to Samuel who would be a prophet. Jesus spoke in the Synagogue to awaken their spirits and to enliven the love of their hearts for God. The leaders rejected Him, but the evil spirit that had inhabited the man were oblidged to leave the man in peace, for it was in the temple of one of God's children, and He would not allow it to persist in what it was doing; Jesus cleansed the temple.

We need to be aware of these things because they are important. Jesus did not come to the synagogue to waste His time, but to carry out a plan to reveal Himself to His children.

To each man comes a revelation, and those who profit from it are blessed, and have a lifelong friendship they will cherish. Do not think that your life was wasted if you suffered privation and pain, for you have not been denied anything, but have joined the Lord in His plan for all men, and have joined with Him in cleaning the temple and you will dwell  in heaven with Him in His own joy, for it gives Him joy to be with you.

Mary visits a monk

Plan

 Jesus came to the synagogue to teach His people, to tell them about the Father, and to lead them to love God. Hannah prayed in the temple for a boy child, and the Lord heard her prayer, giving her a son.

There is always more to what He does, for Hannah gave birth to Samuel who would be a prophet. Jesus spoke in the Synagogue to awaken their spirits and to enliven the love of their hearts for God. The leaders rejected Him, but the evil spirit that had inhabited the man were oblidged to leave the man in peace, for it was in the temple of one of God's children, and He would not allow it to persist in what it was doing; Jesus cleansed the temple.

We need to be aware of these things because they are important. Jesus did not come to the synagogue to waste His time, but to carry out a plan to reveal Himself to His children.

To each man comes a revelation, and those who profit from it are blessed, and have a lifelong friendship they will cherish. Do not think that your life was wasted if you suffered privation and pain, for you have not been denied anything, but have joined the Lord in His plan for all men, and have joined with Him in cleaning the temple and you will dwell  in heaven with Him in His own joy, for it gives Him joy to be with you.

Mary visits a monk

Deception

Day's Saints
Raymond of Penyafort, Dominican
Blessed Leandro, Mercedarian

Is 60:1-6
Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

Temptations of all kinds raise their ugly heads to lead unsuspecting people away from God. If you are not vigilant, you will be led astray into sin. Thus, the reminder of penance and atonement and sacrifice is necessary, to keep yourself focused on God.

He is our creator, and created the universe as well. He cannot be fooled or tricked and will not be subject to ridicule. Disrespect generally leads to death, and respect to long life.

Beware of those who come in His Name but will not even speak it for fear of disparagements. Neither will they be just towards the people, or beneficial to the welfare of nations whom they are intent upon plundering. Their lack of consideration of human necessities leads to the discarding of lives, and the Lord has a punishment for them.

Pray for one another and be ready to help in trials and sufferings with your compassion. You are worth a great price, which He gladly paid for you.

Deception

Day's Saints
Raymond of Penyafort, Dominican
Blessed Leandro, Mercedarian

Is 60:1-6
Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

Temptations of all kinds raise their ugly heads to lead unsuspecting people away from God. If you are not vigilant, you will be led astray into sin. Thus, the reminder of penance and atonement and sacrifice is necessary, to keep yourself focused on God.

He is our creator, and created the universe as well. He cannot be fooled or tricked and will not be subject to ridicule. Disrespect generally leads to death, and respect to long life.

Beware of those who come in His Name but will not even speak it for fear of disparagements. Neither will they be just towards the people, or beneficial to the welfare of nations whom they are intent upon plundering. Their lack of consideration of human necessities leads to the discarding of lives, and the Lord has a punishment for them.

Pray for one another and be ready to help in trials and sufferings with your compassion. You are worth a great price, which He gladly paid for you.

Hermit

 A Hermit Priest

You cannot be hidden if the Lord
does not want it.

To me as a hermit, it is incredibly important to hear what someone like Father Johannes has to say; we do not live in the most open or accepting atmosphere these days, when even being a Christian can get you killed or persecuted. On the other hand, one need not suffer persecution when there are so many wars and rebellions breaking out everywhere. God needs human beings to be His Voice and to say what is true so it is not forgotten or relegated to the dust bin.

People are constantly under intense pressure to conform or not to disturb other people's fantasies or not bring others down with your depression. For all people, Jesus is present. He is present in US, and in each other, individually and collectively. The sum of all the disappointments and indifference diminishes us all, and the presence of Jesus in each of us, determines whether anyone can open their mouth and speak the truth in spite of the persecution from certain quarters who are incapable of speaking truth or embodying Christ.

Father Johannnes wears a habit, but as he himself says, he is not a monk. He wears a habit because he is called as a hermit, which is a separate religious state which is a state in which he was created, and consecrated as a priest as well.

On occasion I too wear a habit, but either it is not noticed, or occasionally elicits hostility. Many religious in the past have tried to be dispensed with the wearing of their habit because it discomfited others, but in reality it was discomfiting the monk himself and not anyone else. The hostility most notably came from religious, priests and bishops who opposed it and I never attained the permission I desired so badly. 

On occasion when I was in my habit on a nature photography outing, outstanding and unpredictable, but good  things happened which led into a most unique presence of God in an interpersonal moment that turned out to be a ministration of God's grace and anointing. 

Father Johannes has the permissions to carry out his ministry in his unique circumstances. The fact I was not given the permissions I needed and that I ministered in my habit to people who were in dire need, tells me that I have been commissioned as a hermit; it is just that I was not judged worthy, and the judgement lies in those who judged.

The point is, that God will use us for the salvation of the people around us. I need not trek a pilgrimage anywhere. In the first place, I am with the Lord and He is the one leading me, I need only follow and be open. To be a comfort to someone in need also does not need to be in person, because my blog and posts on Facebook and other places are often noted, and sometimes I receive a reply, and I find that what I said found a fertile place in hearts I will never likely meet in this life.

There is a certain comfort to be had for being willing; willing to be a Christian, to be a Hermit and to be a caring human being. My reach is limited because I am limited by the way the Lord wishes to use me. That does not limit God, and if it does, He is more than capable of tagging others on the shoulder to listen up, because He has something to say through them.

If I were asked what the most important things are today it would be that each of us is valuable for ourselves just as we are, and that we are entitled to tell that to others and to be a comforter or someone who encourages.

Secondly, all our prayers and all our hopes and aspirations are important to the Lord, so He will see that our expression matters and hits home where it needs to be. I have gotten the impression that there are fewer vocations these days and that fewer people attend Mass or engage in participating in any other spiritual activity. That may be true, but I also get the impression, that those who do are more important to the Lord, now more than ever, and He will make His voice heard if it is true that we speak for Him or minister to others unofficially or officially.

 Officially, if priests have diluted their faith and scarcely pray, they cannot serve the Lord's people adequately. If an entire Church becomes that way, then we will have reached a point in which He will renew and reestablish His Church, through people who were of no consequence to such priests and bishops. It is important to note, that those who have given into despair and fallen away, will either be renewed by their response to His providence, or simply disappear and fall away in such a way that they are in no position to trouble His Church anymore.

Father Johannes tells us in the video, that our response to suffering in our lives is important, because our suffering is important to the Lord, and important in the way in which we deal with it. Suffering the passion-life is a gift to some, and to others it is merely misery and seems to have no point. But we can reach out and relieve suffering with a word. We just need to say it.

Drowning out our pain in excessive drug use and alcohol or sexual impropriety will not comfort us in any lasting way, and usually reaches a point where it is completely ineffective and of no use help to us. 

Please realize that if you are suffering, Jesus is in the suffering with you so He may say He suffered with you, which is the truth. Pain is misery, but the more we love the Lord  IN IT, the closer we become to Him, to the  point of being able to hear Him and respond to Him in joy. My desire to join Him in His suffering on the cross in a physical way has never been granted in order to prevent me from becoming selfish and possessive of Him. It has always been a silent request to accept a suffering for a while without much consolation or relief. It has always been given when i did not expect it, and it enabled me to finish my time on the cross with Him. It involved me in a very personal way each time, and allowed my offering of it to be what He was looking for, and to be personally effective for someone or some group of people. 

If He had wanted, He could have taken me, a totally unsuitable choice, and expressed His passion in a very visible and bloody way and one which could have been constantly painful. Some of that has happened, but the details are unnecessary here. Just realize, that if you have suffered, it was valuable to the Lord and of great value in some real person's actual life. 

These days, it does not take much to uncover the millions suffering, who were not asked if they wanted to suffer, likely did not see any value in it, and did not gain anything other than an intensification of His love unknown in them, and they went to their graves as they were. We therefore, need not be looking for commendations or glory in our miseries. We may only say that we were unprofitable servants of the Lord.