“All I can tell you is exactly what my father-in-law advised me early in my own marriage: “You have a choice to make, you either get on that train or you get out of the way because this train is not stopping.” And just so you know…it never will.”
Moral of the story: A train’s tightly shackled caboose always follows along…because it can’t go anywhere without it.
Readings of the day for Friday, February 5, 2016.
Gospel Reading
Mark 6:14-29 (RSV)
King Herod heard of it; for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; because he had married her. For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’ daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” And she went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
Divine Love was found in the friends who came to gather what remained.
And it’s another Wednesday for Saint Maria Faustina KoWalska (what else,)
with a brief reflection on the Divine Mercy of God:
In Cracow-Pradnik, June 2, 1938, the Lord Jesus directed a young Polish Sister of Mercy on a three-day retreat. Faustina Kowalska painstakingly recorded Christ’s instruction in her diary that is a mystical manual on prayer and Divine Mercy. Having read the Diary I was mesmerized by the unique retreat that Christ gave on the subject of spiritual warfare.
Here are the secret whispers of Jesus to his little bride Faustina on how to protect herself from the attacks of the devil. These instructions became Faustina’s weapon in fighting the good fight.
I personally have gained great strength from them in my own battles. They have helped to clothe me in a coat of protective armor & have maintained peace in my heart in times of great temptation to retaliate in a way less pleasing to my God. I am grateful for the guidance His whispers have provided and seek fervently to follow them better. I pray you find a mighty protective message from them too and may they open wide the doors of Mercy that await for you.
Jesus began, “My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare”(1760). (The Lord’s words are in bold text; comments from Kathleen Beckman, President and co-founder of the Foundation of Prayer for Priests, follow.)
1.Never trust in yourself but abandon yourself totally to My will.
Trust is a spiritual weapon. Trust is part of the shield of faith that St. Paul mentions in chapter six of Ephesians: the armor of God. Abandonment to God’s will is an act of trust; faith in action dispels evil spirits.
2.In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in my name. In times of spiritual warfare, immediately pray to Jesus. Invoke His Holy Name that is feared in the netherworld. Bring darkness into the light by telling a spiritual director or confessor and follow his instruction.
3.Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart.
In the Garden of Eden, Eve bargained with the devil and lost. We have recourse to the refuge of the Sacred Heart. In running to Christ, we turn our backs on the demonic.
4.At the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor.
A good confession, a good confessor, and a good penitent are a recipe for victory over temptation and demonic oppression—without fail.
5.Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds.
Self-love is natural but it should be ordered, free of pride. Humility defeats the devil that is perfect pride. Satan tempts us to disordered self-love to lead us into his pool of pride.
6.Bear with yourself with great patience.
Patience is a secret weapon that helps us to keep our peace of soul even in the great storms of life. Bearing with oneself is part of humility and trust. The devil tempts us to impatience, to turn against our selves so we become angry. See yourself from God’s view. He is infinitely patient.
7.Do not neglect interior mortifications.
Scripture teaches that some demons can only be evicted by prayer and fasting. Interior mortifications are weapons of warfare. They can be small sacrifices offered with great love. The power of sacrificial love evicts the enemy.
8.Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor.
Christ is speaking to St. Faustina who lives in a convent. But we all have people in authority over us. The devil aims to divide and conquer so humble obedience to authentic authority is a spiritual weapon.
9.Shun murmurs like a plague.
The tongue is a powerful vessel that can do great harm. Murmuring, gossiping, is never of God. The devil is a liar who stirs up false accusations and gossip that can kill a person’s reputation. Shun murmurs!
10.Let all act as they like; you are to act, as I want you to.
To mind one’s own business is key in spiritual warfare. The devil is a busybody attempting to drag everyone down. Please God and let the opinions of others go by the wayside.
11.Observe the rule as faithfully as you can.
Jesus is referring to the rule of a Religious Order here. Most of us have made some vow before God and Church and we should be faithful our promises—i.e. Marriage vows and baptismal vows. Satan tempts to infidelity, lawlessness and disobedience. Fidelity is a weapon for victory.
12.If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer.
Being a vessel of divine mercy is a weapon for good and for defeating evil. The devil is about hatred, rage, revenge, and unforgiveness. Others have hurt us all at some time. What good can we do in return? Returning a blessing breaks curses.
13.Do not pour out your feelings.
A talkative soul will more easily be attacked by the devil. Pour out your feelings to the Lord only. Remember, the good and evil spirits hear what you say aloud. Feelings are fleeting. Truth is the compass. Interior recollection is a spiritual armor.
14.*Be silent when you are rebuked.*
Most of us have been rebuked at some time. We have no control over that but we can control our response. The need to be right all the time can lead into demonic traps. God knows the truth. Let it go. Silence is a protection. The devil can use self-righteousness to trip us up also.
15.Do not ask everyone’s opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him.
Simplicity of life can drive out demons. Honesty is a weapon to defeat Satan, the Liar. When we lie we put a foot in his camp and he will try to seduce us all the more.
16.Do not become discouraged by ingratitude.
No one likes to be taken for granted. But when we are met with ingratitude or insensitivity, the spirit of discouragement can weigh us down. Resist all discouragement for it is never of God. It is one of the devil’s most effective temptations. Gratitude in all things wins the day.
17.Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you.
The need to know, and curiosity about the future is a temptation that has led too many people into the backrooms of psychics, witches, etc. Choose to walk in faith. Decide to trust in God who leads you on the path to heaven. Resist the spirit of curiosity always.
18.When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart.
Jesus delivers the same message a second time. Now He refers to boredom. Earlier in the Diary he told St. Faustina that the devil most easily tempts idle souls. Beware of boredom, a spirit of lethargy, or acedia—the noonday devil. Idle souls are easy prey for demons. Be about the business of God.
19.Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Fear is the second most common tactic of the devil (pride is the first). Courage intimidates the devil—he will flee in the face of persevering courage that stands on Jesus, the rock. All people struggle, God is our provision.
20.Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Jesus instructs a Sister in a convent to “fight” with conviction. She can do so because Christ accompanies her. Christians are called to fight with conviction against all demonic tactics. The devil tries to terrorize souls, demonic terrorism—resist! Invoke the Holy Sprit throughout the day.
21.Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will.
All merit lies in the will because love is an act of the will. We are completely free in Christ. We must make a choice, a decision for good or evil. What camp do we live in?
22.Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things.
Christ is instructing a Religious here. But, we all have the Lord as our Superior. Dependence upon God is a weapon of spiritual warfare because we cannot win on our own. Proclaiming Christ’s victory over evil is part of intentional discipleship. Christ came to defeat death & evil. Proclaim Him!
23.I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles.
St. Faustina suffered physically and spiritually. She was prepared for great battles by the grace of God who upheld her. Christ clearly instructs us in scripture to be prepared for great battles, to put on God’s armor and resist the devil. Be vigilant and discerning always.
24.Know that you are on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you.
We are all on a great stage where heaven and earth are watching. What message is our life giving? What radiates from us—shades of light, darkness or grey? The way we live attracts more light or more darkness. If the devil does not succeed in pulling us into darkness, he tries to keep us in the category of the lukewarm, which is not pleasing to God.
25.Fight like a knight, so I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
The Lord’s words to St. Faustina can become our mantra: Fight like a knight! A knight for Christ knows well the cause that he fights for, the nobility of his mission, the King who he serves, and with blessed assuredness of the victory, he fights to the end, even at the cost of his life. If a young, uneducated, simple Polish nun, united to Christ, can fight like a knight, every Christian can do the same. Trust is victorious.
Quotes from the Diary of St. Faustina are copyrighted by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, Mass.
these hugs n’ double-door blessings are for you…may you run across the threshold to receive them!
That seems to be the 900+ million dollar question around our local town today.
“I wouldn’t show up for work on Monday, that’s for sure!” we overheard one man say at the corner convenience store, where long-lines of people stood prepared to make their Pennsylvania Power-Ball purchase.
Tonight’s drawing is a record breaking 900 million dollars and climbing! Leaving suspicion that it may reach One Billion dollars before the drawing actually occurs this evening at 11:28 pm EST. No one has won the Powerball jackpot since early November, which is why the prize has grown so large.
Cuppycake & I have had this conversation once before when this same Pennsylvania State game-of-chance was creeping toward a previous record winnings. Thankfully we both had very similar desires on how the over-sized prize would be distributed. Our first distribution of funds, said almost simultaneously to one another, would be:
“That the first 10% of the total winnings goes back to God!” we proclaimed.
Today, with my potential winning ticket in the pocket of my gray cardigan sweater, I’ve flit-fluttered through the afternoon imagining what that could truly mean. What would I want this gift for God to look like? What good works could I do for Him?
I know our local Catholic Charities office would benefit greatly, as would our Diocesan Bishop’s Breakfast Program! Our parish of course, the Seminarian program and most assuredly the retired priest program (Methuselah Ministry) we established a few years back…all of these would receive the reward of these winnings.
And then there’s the dream I’ve had for establishing a restaurant which serves as a beacon of hope for those looking to rebuild their lives…
Eve’s Garden!
The model for Eve’s Garden is to offer a training opportunity for those seeking to re-enter/enter the work force after a particular difficulty in their personal life. There would be training opportunities in all aspects of culinary service, revolving around all aspects of food preparation. There would be training opportunities for hospitality service and management training for those seeking to progress further.
The entire operation from menu planning to food ordering would offer the opportunity to re-build themselves not only financially but more importantly emotionally & spiritually. Always keeping in mind that this place…Eve’s Garden…is a safe, supportive, stepping stone for them to use as they build toward a renewed life for themselves. The goal would not be to solely train individuals in food service but rather to help help them to believe in themselves again. To assit them in setting goals for their future and see the potential in what they have the power to create this New Life to be.
Why will it be called Eve’s Garden? Because in my dreamity-dream I have always seen us located right next door to our local Fuhrman’sApple Cider Store! The menu would showcase their famous Cider and lots of apple-icious food dishes to boot! And of course the most famous apple orchard of all comes from the Garden of Eden…where Eve often could be found picking the apples I am sure. But it’s not this Eve the restaurant will be named for.
Rather the New Eve, Mother Mary.
Eve Becomes the “Mother of All the Living”
New Eve Becomes the “Mother of All Who Live in Christ”
Eve – a female – sinned and brought about the Fall; thus, there is a certain justice in God’s providence allowing someone of the same sex – Mary – usher in the salvation of humanity. In a full understanding of her biblical roles in salvation history – the New Eve, the New Ark of the Covenant, and the Queen of the Eternal Davidic Kingdom – Mary is seen as the highest created being. She was the pure and perfect vessel for Christ’s Incarnation, i.e., the Theotokos, the Mother of God. No other created human being will ever have such an elevated role.
The New Eve, Mother Mary undoer of the sin of the original Eve, would be the Mother to those seeking to rebuild their lives as they sought safety, support and understanding under employment at Eve’s Garden.
I am certain there are other opportunities to gift God through our potential winnings too, but these are the quick dreams that I would proclaim if I were to be asked,
“What would you do?”
And predictably, if you knew my Cuppycake, he WOULD still show up for work on Monday! (But if there is a lottery-angel out there somewhere, perhaps he may consider at least leaving early that day.)
hugs n’ dreamy blessings to all the lottery-winning angels who may be out there!
hugsnblessings 