Message March 25, 2018
Message of the Blessed Virgin Mary
March 25, 2018
"Dear children! I am calling you to be with me in prayer in this time of grace when darkness is fighting against the light. Pray, little children, confess and begin a new life in grace. Decide for God and He will lead you towards holiness; and the cross will be a sign of victory and hope for you. Be proud that you are baptized and grateful in your heart that you are a part of God's plan. Thank you for having responded to my call. "
Happy Easter
Live in the Light,
Follow the Son.
Our Heavenly Mother
We have a Mother in Heaven, the embodiment of Divine Mercy, the Immaculata. So, if the thought of life and of pasts sins torments you, if you do not have the courage to look at what awaits you beyond the grave, offer yourself to her completely, without limits. Entrust the whole matter of your salvation, your whole life, death and eternity to her. Go to Confession with sincerity and fully trust in her, and you shall know what peace and happiness are, a foretaste of heaven and you shall long for it. -St. Maximilian Kolbe
"The Way of the Cross is Not Something of the Past..."
Pope Benedict XVI
The Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation is for Spiritual Wounds received after Baptism.
Original sin was washed from the infant in Baptism, and in the case of the adult, personal sins as well. But the Lord is "practical." He knows that the white robe given in Baptism is not always kept immaculate; that the ''just man falleth seven times a day." Therefore, in his mercy, He instituted a sacrament which is a tribunal of mercy for spiritual healing.
These are The Sacraments
By Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Cardinal Timothy Dolan: Democrats Have Abandoned Catholics
A couple of events over the past few weeks brought to mind two towering people who had a tremendous effect on the Archdiocese of New York and the U.S. more broadly. Their witness is worth remembering, especially in this political moment.
Last Saturday's feast of St. Patrick, the patron saint of our cathedral and archdiocese, reminded me of Archbishop John Hughes. As the first archbishop of New York (1842-64), "Dagger John" displayed dramatic reverence for the dignity of Irish immigrants. Thousands arrived daily in New York-penniless, starving and sometimes ill-only to be met with hostility, bigotry and injustice.
An immigrant himself, Hughes prophetically and vigorously defended their dignity. Because the schools at the time were hostile to these immigrants, he initiated Catholic schools to provide children with a good education sensitive to their religion and to prepare them as responsible, patriotic citizens. The schools worked. Many remain open to this day, their mission unchanged.
The second event was the recent funeral of a great African-American woman, Dolores Grier.
A convert to Catholicism, she was named vice chancellor of the archdiocese three decades ago by Cardinal John O'Connor; she was the first layperson and first woman to hold the prestigious position. Grier was passionate about civil rights, especially the right to life of babies in the womb.
She never missed an opportunity to defend, lovingly but forcefully, their right to life.
Grier attributed her pro-life sensitivity to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who preached that abortion was an act of genocide against minorities. No wonder, she often observed, abortuaries were clustered in poor black and brown neighborhoods. The statistics today confirm her observation: In 2013 there were more black babies aborted in New York City (29,007) than were born here (24,758).
The values Archbishop Hughes and Dolores Grier cherished-the dignity and sanctity of human life, the importance of Catholic schools, the defense of a baby's civil rights-were, and still are, widely embraced by Catholics. This often led Catholics to become loyal Democrats. I remember my own grandmother whispering to me, "We Catholics don't trust those Republicans."
Such is no longer the case, a cause of sadness to many Catholics, me included. The two causes so vigorously promoted by Hughes and Grier-the needs of poor and middle-class children in Catholic schools, and the right to life of the baby in the womb-largely have been rejected by the party of our youth. An esteemed pro-life Democrat in Illinois, Rep. Dan Lipinski, effectively was blacklisted by his own party.
It is particularly chilly for us here in the state Hughes and Grier proudly called their earthly home.
In recent years, some Democrats in the New York state Assembly repeatedly blocked education tax credit legislation, which would have helped middle-class and low-income families make the choice to select Catholic or other nonpublic schools for their children. Opposing the bill reduces the ability of fine Catholic schools across the state to continue their mission of serving the poor, many of them immigrants.
More sobering, what is already the most radical abortion license in the country may soon be even more morbidly expanded. For instance, under the proposed Reproductive Health Act, doctors would not be required to care for a baby who survives an abortion. The newborn simply would be allowed to die without any legal implications. And abortions would be legal up to the moment of birth.
I'm a pastor, not a politician, and I've certainly had spats and disappointments with politicians from both of America's leading parties. But it saddens me, and weakens the democracy millions of Americans cherish, when the party that once embraced Catholics now slams the door on us.
To Archbishop Hughes, Dolores Grier, and Grandma Dolan, I'm sorry to have to write this.
But not as sad as you are to know it is true.
Cardinal Dolan is Archbishop of New York.
The Wall Street Journal (Excerpts)
March 24, 2018
'A Date Which Will Live In Infamy'
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
What God did at Pearl Harbor that day is interesting, a little known bit of history.
Tour boats ferry people out to the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii every thirty minutes.
We just missed a ferry and had to wait thirty minutes. I went into a small gift shop to kill time.
In the gift shop, I purchased a small book entitled, "Reflections on Pearl Harbor" by Admiral Chester Nimitz.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941--Admiral Chester Nimitz was attending a concert in Washington D.C. He was paged and told there was a phone call for him. When he answered the phone, it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the phone. He told Admiral Nimitz that he (Nimitz) would now be the Commander of the Pacific Fleet.
Admiral Nimitz flew to Hawaii to assume command of the Pacific Fleet. He landed at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941. There was such a spirit of despair, dejection and defeat --you would have thought the Japanese had already won the war.
On Christmas Day, 1941, Adm. Nimitz was given a boat tour of the destruction wrought on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Big sunken battleships and navy vessels cluttered the waters everywhere you looked.
As the tour boat returned to dock, the young helmsman of the boat sked, "Well Admiral, what do you think after seeing all this destruction?" Admiral Nimitz's reply shocked everyone within the sound of his voice.
Admiral Nimitz said, the Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make, or God was taking care of America. Which do you think it was?"
Shocked and surprised, the young helmsman asked, "What do mean by saying the Japanese made the three biggest mistakes an attack force ever made?" Nimitz explained:
Mistake number one:
The Japanese attacked on Sunday morning. Nine out of every ten crewmen of those ships were ashore on leave. If those same ships had been lured to sea and been sunk--we would have lost 38,000 men instead of 3,800.
Mistake number two:
When the Japanese saw all those battleships lined in a row, they got so carried away sinking those battleships, they never once bombed our dry docks opposite those ships. If they had destroyed our dry docks, we would have had to tow every one of those ships to America to be repaired.
As it is now, the ships are in shallow water and can be raised. One tug can pull them over to the dry docks, and we can have them repaired and at sea by the time we could have towed them to America. And I already have crews ashore anxious to man those ships.
Mistake number three:
Every drop of fuel in the Pacific theater of war is in top of the ground storage tanks five miles away over that hill. One attack plane could have strafed those tanks and destroyed our fuel supply. That's why I say the Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could make or God was taking care of America.
I've never forgotten what I read in that little book. It is still an inspiration as I reflect upon it.
In jest, I might suggest that because Admiral Nimitz was a Texan, born and raised in Fredericksburg, Texas -- he was a born optimist. But any way you look at it-Admiral Nimitz was able to see a silver lining in a situation and circumstance where everyone else saw only despair and defeatism.
President Roosevelt had chosen the right man for the right job. We desperately needed a leader that could see silver linings in the midst of the clouds of dejection, despair and defeat.
There is a reason that our national motto is In God We Trust.
A Memorial at Pearl Harbor references a poem that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt kept in her wallet during WWII: Dear Lord, Lest I continue my complacent way, help me remember somehow out there a man died for me today. As long as there be war, I then must ask and answer, Am I worth Dying for?
"Apart from the Cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to Heaven."
Saint Rose of Lima. Peru
Latest Medjugorje Message, March 18, 2018
The annual apparition of Our Lady to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo
"Dear children! My earthly life was simple. I loved and I rejoiced in small things. I loved life – the gift from God - even though pain and sufferings pierced my heart. My children, I had the strength of faith and boundless trust in God's love. All those who have the strength of faith are stronger.
Faith makes you live according to what is good and then the light of God's love always comes at the desired moment. That is the strength which sustains in pain and suffering. My children, pray for the strength of faith, trust in the Heavenly Father, and do not be afraid. Know that not a single creature who belongs to God will be lost but will live forever. Every pain has its end and then life in freedom begins there where all of my children come - where everything is returned. My children, your battle is difficult. It will be even more difficult, but you follow my example. Pray for the strength of faith; trust in the love of the Heavenly Father. I am with you. I am manifesting myself to you. I am encouraging you. With immeasurable motherly love I am caressing your souls. Thank you”
"If you judge people you have no time to love them." Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Confession Brings Peace to Your Heart
...Lent is a season reminding us of God's love for us as He gave His only Son to die for our redemption.... When we go to confession; we receive many graces that help us to live our lives according to the will of God.
Our Queen of Peace, Medjugorje, "Jesus desires to fill your heart with peace and joy...I invite you to confession so Jesus may be your truth and peace."
Father Bill Kiel will be spiritual director for a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, June 10-19, 2018. For more information phone: Dennis Todaro @ 724-837-7434 Excerpt from The Spirit of Medjugorje
Reconciliation
A gift of Spiritual Direction is often received from our Priests in this Sacrament.
Father Wm Laska: '...As part of your penance go and tell as many as you can the great value and need for confession. You would not go to the dinner table without washing the dirt away; do not go to the table of the Lord without cleansing your soul! Remember, tell as many as you can, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a channel of God's grace to us.'
One must invite people to go to confession each month-monthly confession will be a remedy for the church in the west." Aug. 6, 1982 Our lady Queen of Peace, Medjugorje
To hear Our Lady's Message, very early by phone, call 1-814-787-5683 (LOVE). Usually available the 26th of each month. Prayer requests at this number are given to the visionary, Vicka, so that she may offer them to Our Lady. Prayer petitions can also be hand written and sent in a sealed envelope to: The Holy Family, Inc., PO Box 442, St. Marys, PA 15857-0442. They are forwarded to Vicka who presents them to Our Lady.