Goodness and Light

Posted on by Beckita

At the great Easter Vigil we proclaimed that Christ is the Light of the World!

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

How we need His Light of Life in the current darkness and how grateful we can be for His Light infused in the inspirational guidance of the core message of TNRS. Without fear, we must also acknowledge the darkness is ever-deepening as danger looms on every horizon. Events such as the letter that was published last month in the Des Moines Register reverberate in sickening shock on earth and beyond the veil while, surely, the people of the Kingdom and the people of heaven shudder in sadness. Such events are all around us, albeit, with different circumstances, in different places. As reported here:

“Sixty-eight faith leaders who say they are Christian signed a letter of protest against a proposed Iowa law that would protect preborn children from abortion once their heartbeat is detectable… Mainline Protestant denominations led the letter in both numbers and prestige, with a female United Methodist bishop and priestesses from the Presbyterian Churches USA, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, American Baptist Churches USA, Reformed Church in America, Unity Church, Episcopal Church, and United Methodist Church signing the document.”

What response can we make but to fight for Truth and Goodness and to pray?

Come, O Light of the World! Lead Kindly Light, for we are, again, wandering in the desert. Some say lost at sea. For certain, too many are far from the home of being faithful to Your life-giving Covenant which You established with us. We need You, Pillar and Cloud. Step by blessed step, lead us; lead us on our way. Shine Your Light within each one at ASOH, Your Light so strong as to make of us Your beacon of hope. More, Jesus. More, please. Fill us with more and more of You, to proclaim Your Kingdom and Your Goodness with sure and certain faith, to tend to others in such a manner that our Love may reveal Your Love for all.

At TNRS, we often spoke of God’s whispers, the importance of listening and, then, honoring His guidance and prompts. In the last few months, I’ve been pursued with what I call, “thundering whispers,” the kind that come from many places and compel attention. These gentle yet firm thought-provokers have woven together around the theme of these lines from the Office of Readings, prayed each day in the Divine Office:

“Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Do not grow stubborn as your fathers did in the wilderness, when at Meriba and Massah; they challenged me and provoked me, although they had seen all of my works.” 

Each Lent, we contemplate, anew, the journey through the desert made by our ancestors in the faith. This year, I was nudged to consider more closely the whining of the Israelites as we read, again, from the books of Exodus and Numbers. Oh! How they complained while persisting in disobedience and disbelief, continuing to demand that God do things THEIR way, definitely infected with what my friends in AA call “stinkin’ thinkin’.” So unfortunate was this course of thinking and acting that our forebearers were found wanting and were left wandering that they might learn to rely totally on God. Ultimately, they needed to embrace the joy that Abba IS the Father of fathers and He IS Goodness and Love. In His Divine Providence, He will not always give us what we want, the way we want it, but He WILL meet our needs and ensure that our lives are fashioned to bring what is best for us.

As a modern day Israelite, I have been praying to be prepared for the worst of what is yet to come – not in fear, but in desire to serve well. Surely, Holy Spirit was answering these prayers, throughout Lent, by drawing attention to the importance of attitude and knowledge. The knowledge of who we are as descendants of Adam and Eve and Who God is as the Perfect Father from Whom all Goodness flows keeps us mindful of the fact that God isn’t the cause of this worldwide consternation and tumult among the nations. This, in turn, fosters an attitude of reverent gratefulness as we realize He DESERVES our confidence in His Plan, our full trust in Him, our effort to grow in faith, our belief in His words and promises, and our constant prayer of thanksgiving.

All of this is not to say we should not cry out to God in our anguish. About a third of the psalms are those of lamentation. I have noticed that such prayers often begin with acknowledging God’s Goodness to us, both throughout the generations and  throughout our own lives. Then there is the pouring out of our pain in forthright expression of our hopes and needs. Usually, the psalmist closes with words of trust in God’s proclivity to save and vindicate as well as expressions of praise and thanksgiving to Him. This builds within us such a different attitude than that reflected in the words of bitterness, accusation and disobedience proclaimed in the desert during the original Exodus.

Feeling grateful for these gems born of Lenten pondering, I was pleased to find further reflection connected to acknowledging God’s Goodness in a brief piece by Fr. John R.P. Russell entitled, “Joseph & Seeing the Good in the Midst of Evil,” which you will find here. This Joseph of whom Father writes is the one famed for his coat of many colors. How rich is this exhortation to look for God’s Goodness in these times of prevalent evil that we may enter the very worst of the Storm with an attitude which reflects that we are God’s beloved children, for this is our true identity.

 

Excerpts from Joseph & Seeing Good in the Midst of Evil:

“Joseph sees the good in the midst of evil. Do we? Or, do we complain constantly about every little thing we suffer without ever stopping to give thanks and praise to God for the good with which we are also blessed?

This is not to diminish our sufferings. Our sufferings are real and sometimes unjust and it’s worthwhile to complain about them from time to time. We see this with Abraham – and the Psalms are full of complaint. But it’s not okay to neglect the other part of it… If we complain to God about every evil, we must also remember to thank him for every good.

Sometimes, we even blame God for our suffering. Things don’t go our way and we say to God, “I can’t believe this is how you treat your friends,” as if he was the one who visited evils upon us. Or, we look at all the evils in the world – the cruelty visited upon the innocent by war, murder, rape, abuse, and neglect; by poverty and ignorance; by natural disasters, earthquakes, fires, floods, and diseases – and we conclude that no good God could let this happen. By this reasoning, atheists and enemies of God conclude that either there is no God or that God is not good. One important thing to remember is that God is not the author of any of these evils. God did not make death (Wis 1:13). It is our sin that brings all these things into the world. It is my sin. We are to blame and not God, for every evil.

Even so, we might object, “Doesn’t God have the power to prevent these evil consequences of our sin?” Yes, he does. He brings good out of every evil he permits, but he isn’t beholden to any evil… Yet God alone gives a peace which surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7)…

What’s perhaps more remarkable is the seeming preponderance of people who blame God for every evil while neglecting to credit him for every good. We experience a great deal of good in our lives and in creation…

If you cannot see the good, it’s not because it isn’t there, but simply because you lack the eyes to see – the eyes of faith… In the same way, there is good, even if we can’t always see it. It is there and it sustains us in being. If you cannot see it now, it doesn’t mean that you will never see it again. Have hope and pray for the gift of faith. The Lord loves you and in his own time and by his own means, he will answer that prayer and give you that gift.

Joseph sees the good. The Lord has clearly given him the gift of faith, I think, and he was not a man unfamiliar with suffering and evil… Some of us know the sting of false accusation. When you do, remember that you are in the good company of Joseph and draw inspiration from his example.

Despite suffering all of this as a result of their crime, Joseph says to his brothers, “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life” (45:5)… If he was angry, I would not fault him. Would you? Yet, he sees the good so clearly, that the evil he has suffered drowns in the good… he concludes that it was not his brothers who sent him to Egypt, but God (45:8). This is a stunning faith and ability to see the good…

Like Joseph, let us not focus so much on recovering our ease and comfort when we find ourselves in trouble and distress that we forget to always seek and offer thanks to the Lord for everything that is good.”

91 thoughts on “Goodness and Light”

  1. Again and again, I am drawn to this poem by Blessed John Henry Newman used as lyrics for a song which was commonly sung during World War I. “One step enough for me” – NRS – Trust Do Love

    Lead, Kindly Light

    Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
    Lead thou me on!
    The night is dark, and I am far from home,–
    Lead thou me on!
    Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
    The distant scene,–one step enough for me.

    I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
    Shouldst lead me on:
    I loved to choose and see my path, but now
    Lead thou me on!
    I loved the garish days, and, spite of fears,
    Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.

    So long thy power hath blessed me, sure it still
    Will lead me on;
    O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
    The night is gone;
    And with the morn those angel faces smile
    Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.
    ~Blessed John Henry Newman

    Liked by 14 people

  2. Oh my gosh, Christians? Satan has really armed himself with unsuspecting people. My rosary, when I pray it from my heart, is the only effective weapon for this war. I’m afraid If I don’t pray from my heart I’m firing blanks.

    Liked by 11 people

  5. Dear Brothers and Sisters in The Risen Christ Jesus

    We have just celebrated and are still in the midst of the season of celebrating the Death and Resurrection of Our Dear Saviour. To enhance that glorious celebration, we have now also celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday, where we have contemplated His Mercy towards all of us, and our call and need to trust always in Him.

    Still, we look around us and find more in number, and more in depths of evil, examples of the inhabitants of a world running “helter skelter with fingers in their ears”. While we celebrate hope in the rising from the dead, of the One who conquered sin and death, we see even more sin and death around us.

    It’s stench grows daily, but is overcome by the Easter incense, and the incense of our prayers as they rise to Our God, in our gratitude for all He has done for us, and continues to do.

    The devil is being allowed by God to test us, our faith and our love. His time is almost up, and we must remain faithful and true. Like Joseph, we are in the court of Pharoah, and must hear and speak the prophetic voice of God as called upon, proclaiming good news and freedom for the captives.

    But, we are not compelled to allow the devil free reign over the earth. If we resist the devil, he must flee from us, and all things over which we have authority. We have been given by God the power of binding and loosing in heaven and earth. It is part of our creation in God’s image and likeness.

    I have recently been compelled, with my dear wife to bring back regularly into our prayer lives, the Authority Prayer, which my prayer partner and I came across about 25 years ago, and have prayed often. Our Pastor has adapted it for use in our pastoral support prayer group, and also for prudential release to the parishioners here at Holy Family in London Ontario.

    It is a prayer of authority, and must be prayed in faith, with no doubt about its efficacy.

    God Bless all who come here.

    Michael Brandon

    Authority Prayer

    In the name of Jesus, We take authority and we bind all the powers and forces in the air, in the ground, in the water, in the underground, in the netherworld, in nature and in fire.

    You, Jesus, are the Lord over the entire universe and we give you the glory for your creation. In your name, Jesus, we bind all demonic forces that have come against us and our families, and we seal all of us in the protection of Your Precious Blood that was shed for us on the Cross.

    Mary Our Mother, we seek your protection and intercession, with the Sacred heart of Jesus, for us and our families, and surround us with your mantle of love to discourage the enemy.

    St. Michael and our Guardian Angels, come and defend us and our families in battle against all the evil ones that roam the earth.

    In the name of Jesus, we bind and command all the powers and forces of evil to depart right now away from us, our homes, and our lands. And we thank you Lord Jesus for you are a Faithful and Compassionate God, Amen.

    Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be . . .

    Liked by 1 person

  6. An Easter Vigil baby was born into our family, baby #6, ‘neath the light of the Blue Moon, 45 minutes shy of midnight. What a blessed Easter morning it was, and a privelage to walk with the Lord through Lent in the late weeks of pregnancy as well. Just wanted to announce another little sign of hope here! Thank you for your prayers, you all have been in mine.

    Liked by 14 people

    3. Wow Momma – a trial for you but obviously there was a rainbow present because you ended up with the pot of gold in your arms! Praise God and congratulations.

      Liked by 3 people

  7. As long as we compromise with evil, there will be no peace.
    The West has the heart of a fornicator and as long as her heart wishes this, she will desire to rule its consequences. To desire abortion laws is like using a box of bandaids while being eaten by a lion. As long as the desire for unprincipled sex is upon us, we will slide down to the contraception mindset and abortion. And the longer our generations grow up under such a cloud, the more acceptable and “normalised” it will become to each successive generation and this is showing itself to be true in the above article.
    A change of heart, not of law, is what is required. Laws don’t change hearts, they reflect the heart of the people either directly or indirectly. Truth and justice are from above and until we turn back to the source, we will receive neither.

    Liked by 10 people

  9. Beckita,

    A few scattered thoughts:

    From the Third Spiritual Alphabet by the Franciscan Francisco de Osuna, a foundation work for Discalced Carmelites, Prologue:

    “The material was created to support the spiritual, especially the soul . . .”

    From the Showings by Lady Julian of Norwich, Long Text chapter 68:

    “[Christ] did not say: You will not be troubles, you will not be belabored, you will not be disquieted but he said: You will not be overcome. God wants us to pay attention to these words, and always to be strong in faithful trust, in well-being, and in woe, for He loves us and delights in us, so the wishes us to love Him and delight in Him and trust greatly in Him and all will be well.”

    From A Ladder of Eight Rungs found in Late Medieval Mysticism of the Low Countries:

    “Beloved Jesus Christ, I submerge my sould and my body and I blend all my thoughts, words, and deeds into the loving merits of Your holy suffering and into the depths of Your sacred wounds. I long to be cleansed of all my sins hoping to enjoy enternal life without intermediary. O Lord Jesus Christ, purify my soul from all stains of sin in the blood shed from Your holy wounds and receive my soul inthe hour of death into Your bloodstained, outstretched arms. Amen.”

    Prayers for all!

    Liked by 10 people

  12. Beckita, your entire writing spoke volumes to me in a unique way. I read it while thinking about my son-in-law as he fights cancer. The cancer that he beat two years ago has metastasized. I was pondering what to say to him and how to address his fears. You gave me the answer. Abortion is like a cancer. “What response can we make but to fight for Truth and Goodness and to pray?” Each word you wrote seems to fit his situation. You provided the words that I pray will speak deeply to his heart to give him comfort. Thank you.
    To share a few precious moments: the cancer has metastasized on my son-in- law’s thorax. Their 3 year old recently put his ear to daddy’s chest and said, “dad, dad, I hear somethin’! I hear a miracle”. On another occasion he placed a crucifix under daddy’s shirt as he slept.
    Thanks Beckita, for all you do.

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Oh Kris. Praying for your son-in-law and his family. Praying, too, that Holy Spirit overshadows you as you bring him, and those around him, comfort. Such a story of holiness and pure love from your young grandson! God bless each and all in your family as you accompany your son-in-law through this leg of the journey.

      Liked by 4 people

    5. Kris, joining with our many friends here in praying for your son-in-law. May a cure be found for all afflicted with this horrible disease. May Our Lord be with him in strength and support.

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    8. Thank you everyone, for your prayers for son-in-law Jerry. Our church has a beautiful new Adoration Chapel. Jerry and I spent time there a few nights ago.
      That time spent with Our Lord along with all your prayers, has brought Jerry to a calm I haven’t before seen. Thank you all again. Your prayers are needed and appreciated.

      Liked by 3 people

        1. My daughter Pernille is also calm and whith good spirit and hope. She is now bald and shall have her 4. kemo on tuesday. She is brave and very reasonable, but it is hard for me to hear all her plans for the future. I want and hope to belive it will come true, but I can not stop thinking that it may not be so. (Anyway it will not be so anyway caused the future world situation)

          I am trying to find a way to talk of heaven and hell whith her. I am scared to do so because she have rejectet alle this earlier. Though in these times I do sometimes find a small window to drip some thaughts and words about religion. She do not rejekt what I say in the same way as before. I hope some drops of my words will hit her. But I am scared for the outcome, espessially If she stubbornly will reject God as she used to and will be to proud to change her thaughts. I am unhappy about the situation and sometimes my tears just run, but most of my time I am ok.

          I am thankful for your prayers and they are needed.
          Love you all❤️

          Liked by 3 people

          3. Mona, I will pray a PMT for Pernille and for you today, and add you both to my Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. God bless you and your daughter! 💕🌷

            Liked by 3 people

          5. Joining in, Mona, with the prayers and love of all who are praying for your dear Pernille and for you, May both of you, and all the family, be strengthened, heartened and comforted in these days when the Lord is as close to you all as your very own breath.

            Liked by 1 person

              2. I hope my sometimes wierd spelling can be used to free some souls out of purgatory. I would love the thaugt, because I often is embarrased about my postings, spellings and contence. But I am up against different difficultys. A foreing language, dictionary books, a spelling control and my Christian background as a Lutheranian.

                I often pray for people in purgatory when I pray. I hope it will have some effect for some souls. It is not something I have learned in my protestant church. I do not even think they belive there is a purgatory. They think they go direct to heaven. May be they will be surpriced😉

                I have learnd a lot following this site during several years, and I think it is a meaning whith my following this site for me. I open the site several times every day and I am sort of addicted to it.

                I do not know why, but Mother Mary have called me to Medjugorje 3 times, so she has a purpose for me I think. I hope it has to do whith going to heaven when I die. May be something other before that.

                I am sorry, I am just rambeling right now. I do not know why.
                I love to follow this cite and have done it it in more than 4 years. Why am I focused on this cite? I do not know. American politiks is not THAT interesting for an European. But I am sure there is a reason somewhere.

                Liked by 2 people

                1. So happy to be here with you, Mona. There is worldwide interconnectedness in all that is transpiring. God’s Plan is for all His children, wherever on this planet we may be living and the Triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will shower graces which shall surely touch every human heart and soul. Our prayers for one another and our desire to serve the Lord well as we tend to those around us is a common cause for each and every one.

                  God is with you; do not lose courage; be strong; Jesus will stand at your side.

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                3. Well, Mona, I used to watch some Swedish police procedurals in the original language with subtitles. Whenever my son would come home, he would chuckle that I was watching my “hooken-flooken” shows (a wry commentary on what the language sounded like to him), and that he wasn’t interested. I loved them, though. I know you’re not from Sweden, but you’re kind of my “hooken-flooken” commenter – and I like the misspellings, for I can hear a little of the hooken and the flooken in them. It is so nice having you here as part of our community. Now if you can come up with some amusing phrase to describe how Americans sound to you folks in Denmark, you can tell your friends that this is the equivalent of your “hooken-flooken” site – only using the Danish equivalent. The Nordic-Scandinavian countries are not known for their Catholic (or even Christian) communities. I’m glad you found ours, for it is yours, too.

                  Liked by 3 people

  13. One other thing, everybody. Look at the Pop’s new apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et exsultate.” It is superb and that is an understatement. You can pick up when readimg the exhortation that the pope is a disciple of (why isn’t he canonized) Lorenzo Scupoli. This exhortation is good and useful spiritual reading, my friends!

    Liked by 5 people

      1. Beckita, some here might remember commenter Daniel O’Connor from Charlie’s previous blog – he has made it easy for us on his blog – dsdoconnor.com – by highlighting for us in context of the document what he believes are twelve new magisterial teachings. I will have to have a better look at it in the morning as I simply couldn’t do it justice tonight!

        Liked by 3 people

    2. James, I just wanted to come back and thank you for posting this- I had forgotten is was coming out! I have been reading it slowly, little bits at a time, and so many of my prayers and questions I have been pestering the Lord about are being answered! 🙏🌹 What a gift this is!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Yes, Beckita, thank-you! And Congratulations to mammacarmella.
    Our lent has continued this past week or so and then, today, with my Catholic email girlfriends, we began – again – the Surrender novena. Today, Day 1 plus holy mass resulted in what appears to be light. Finally. Blessed Light. My husband and I, as well as my email CF’s have felt “oppressed by the foe.” Today, however, is already different. How can I thank the Lord for all the good he has done for me? I will take the chalice of salvation… the prayers of consecration move me to to tears… I do believe the healing has begun.

    I wish to thank all here who, while I have been praying for you, have been praying for me, for us.

    I will continue to pray for all here and give thanks to the Lord, for He IS good!

    God bless,
    Katey in OR

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  15. With no pockets I placed my blessed rosary around my neck today to always have available to pray if caught up in the spiritual storm. Our weapon for these times as Padre Pio said.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I’m with you, Sandi. I almost never have pockets, so I started wearing my rosary (also blessed) years ago. Most of my children also wear theirs, too. I was pleasantly surprised when my oldest son kept wearing his after he started college. He’ll graduate in December, and he’s still wearing it.

      Liked by 9 people

  16. Absolutely beautiful piece Beckita😄 With everything falling apart & watching my mom pass away this past Lent & all my siblings torn apart, I find myself in a bit of a funk…& yet, my prayer today was..”Dearest Jesus, please help me..please help us all…but if it pleases you that I should continue on in this depression & abandonment, let it be so to console you…but if it pleases you to make the depression lift, I’d be ok with that too..” Hahaha..

    Though I am sinful & weak I find comfort that ONLY in THE NEXT RIGHT STEP CAN WE BE ASSURED OF PEACE IN THESE CRAZY CRAZY TIMES…we all wonder…will WWIII begin tomorrow with Russia???? Goodness!!! Our Father in Heaven, Thy Kingdom Come..THY WILL BE DONE…ahhhhhhhh…. peace…Charlie..again, I thank God for you…for you have prepared us well…xoxo TNRS

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  17. So, I’ve been researching various topics we have on here and items that Fr. Heilman mentions on RomanCatholicman.com. One item that’s come up again and again is the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) vs. the Novus Ordo style mass. I am young enough to not have experienced the TLM, and I know some, like Michael Voris in a recent video regarding “The Deep Church”, talks about how Novus Ordo is all part of the evil turning our Christ centered church into a Man centered church. Since I’ve only experienced Novus Ordo, I feel I must seek out a TLM! I see that Archbishop Chaput is starting a quasi-parish dedicated to the TLM even….

    So I guess my long ramble should be narrowed down to two things…. 1) what do you who have experienced the TLM like most about it? and 2) How much do people agree with Voris’ commentary (I know I am shaking my head “yes” to much of it, but then also scratching my head to other parts of it)?

    Thanks, and God bless us all in these tumultuous times,
    Bill

    Liked by 2 people

    1. My brother Steve, who was a sudden convert after a quarter century of staying away from ANY Church, loves the Latin Mass. Many of my closest friends are devotees of the Latim Mass. I appreciate its beauty, but I prefer the Novus Ordo Mass – though my favorite type of Mass is one I very rarely get – the Novus Ordo with the Priest celebrating ad orientum (facing the tabernacle) and using communion rails. I have much respect and affection for traditionalists, but I think they get badly in the weeds when they condemn the Novus Ordo Mass as an evil. It is not.

      Liked by 7 people

    2. Bill, it’s important to remember that the Novus Ordo Mass is as valid as the Traditional Latin Mass. In my youth, I was raised with the TLM. I am now blessed to attend some very reverent, spirit-filled Novus Ordo Masses and those who attend with me are serious about their faith. I have priest friends who offer beautiful, reverent TLMasses and I know many who love to attend these. Michael Voris is incorrect in his assessment. That is his opinion; it is *not* a Magisterial teaching. Here, I think of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 15 when the Pharisees pitched a fit due to the Lord changing some customs and Jesus reminded us that out of the heart comes every evil thought and deed. Some prefer the TLM; some prefer the Novus Ordo. How beautiful that the Church provides each way. No need to discredit either style of worshiping the Lord. God bless you and your desire to attend a TLM. Let us know how it goes as you explore this ancient and beautiful Mass.

      Liked by 6 people

      1. Thanks Beckita! I agree that Novus Ordo is very beautiful! I will try to find a TLM to attend, however, just to see for myself! Thank you so much for Matthew 15 – strong point to help me take TNRS on this matter! 😉

        I have listened often to Dr. Hahn on the significance of the various parts of the mass (ref. the Novus Ordo style), and will once again. I LOVE the mass… I truly pray for those I know who don’t know it and need to!

        Thanks again, and God Bless! Bill

        Liked by 2 people

    3. Bill, here’s my $0.02: I am a huge fan of the TLM; in fact, for about a year-and-a-half a bit over a decade ago, my family belonged to a parish that offered the TLM. My 15-year-old made his First Holy Communion at that parish, and it was beautiful. That said, I am also a huge fan of a Novus Ordo Mass well said by a holy priest. I know that there’s a Latin Mass community in Lansing, and St. Mary’s in Jackson has the TLM every Sunday at noon. If you ever want to check that Mass out, let me know which Sunday you’ll be there; and I’ll try to make sure my family is there so that we can say howdy. But I’ll also say this: If I lived close enough to your parish to be a member, and to weekly bask in the awesomeness of Fr. Eric, wild horses couldn’t drag me away. 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Thanks Mick, I’ll certainly let you know if I time it right on a TLM opportunity! With 5 kids, we tend to stick to our known path and stick to St. Marys most. Fr. Eric is a blessing indeed! I pray for him often and for not only our parish, but all surrounding as well! We’ve got an awesome Mid-Michigan area that has solid foundations for sure – though the prayers are even for further growth in our faith. I just talked to Fr. Eric yesterday and he’s good with the Rosary Coast to Coast and I’ve added St. Marys to the map! We’ll be reaching out everywhere to invite everyone on Oct. 7. Pray for us that we won’t have enough room! God bless!

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  18. I love the mass, period. The reverence displayed in the Latin mass is exceptional but since I do not know Latin, my mind is quick to wander. My Mother who grew up with the Latin Mass said they would break out their rosary beads and pray since no one understood what the Priest was saying. The mass should be in the common language of the people.

    On another issue with common critiques: communion in the hand. Here is today’s second reading in the Liturgy of the hours: Quote from Paragraph 3, last sentence “We hold it in our hands, we receive it in our mouths, and we accept it in our hearts.” This sermon is a bit lengthy, but entirely worth the read.

    It should be noted, I love communion rails (should be reinstated) and do receive on the tongue when doing so.

    *******

    Second Reading
    From a sermon by Saint Gaudentius of Brescia, bishop
    The inheritance of the new Covenant

    The heavenly sacrifice, instituted by Christ, is the most gracious legacy of his new covenant. On the night he was delivered up to be crucified he left us this gift as a pledge of his abiding presence.

    This sacrifice is our sustenance on life’s journey; by it we are nourished and supported along the road of life until we depart from this world and make our way to the Lord. For this reason he addressed these words to us: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life in you.

    It was the Lord’s will that his gifts should remain with us, and that we who have been redeemed by his precious blood should constantly be sanctified according to the pattern of his own passion. And so he commanded those faithful disciples of his whom he made the first priests of his Church to enact these mysteries of eternal life continuously. All priests throughout the churches of the world must celebrate these mysteries until Christ comes again from heaven. Therefore let us all, priests and people alike, be faithful to this everlasting memorial of our redemption. Daily it is before our eyes as a representation of the passion of Christ. We hold it in our hands, we receive it in our mouths, and we accept it in our hearts.

    It is appropriate that we should receive the body of Christ in the form of bread, because, as there are many grains of wheat in the flour from which bread is made by mixing it with water and baking it with fire, so also we know that many members make up the one body of Christ which is brought to maturity by the fire of the Holy Spirit. Christ was born of the Holy Spirit, and since it was fitting that he should fulfil all justice, he entered into the waters of baptism to sanctify them. When he left the Jordan he was filled with the Holy Spirit who had descended upon him in the form of a dove. As the evangelist tells us: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan.

    Similarly, the wine of Christ’s blood, drawn from the many grapes of the vineyard that he had planted, is extracted in the wine-press of the cross. When men receive it with believing hearts, like capacious wineskins, it ferments within them by its own power.

    And so, now that you have escaped from the power of Egypt and of Pharaoh, who is the devil, join with us, all of you, in receiving this sacrifice of the saving passover with the eagerness of dedicated hearts. Then in our inmost being we shall be wholly sanctified by the very Lord Jesus Christ whom we believe to be present in his sacraments, and whose boundless power abides for ever.

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  19. Signs of the Times–I recently found out that Pelianito’s blog has been shut down, unfortunately in my opinion. Someone “reported” her to the CDF and she was asked to take it down. However, she is accepting this with great grace and obedience to the Church, which is a wonderful example.
    St Faustina’s work was shut down for a while too by the Vatican. Yet all that was in God’s plan.

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      1. Janet’s husband died May 12, 2018 . Here is her opening paragraph of the graces they both received.

        “Dear friends, as providence would have it, less than a week after my blog post on praying for those who may die suddenly or unprepared, Jim, my own dear husband of 42 years passed away after a chronic illness. The fingerprints of God, his graces and blessings, are all over this event. I am so grateful for those graces, most especially, the following…”

        ********
        Dear Janet, please know many of us pray for the souls in purgatory and offer chaplets of divine mercy for all those who are going to die today. One of those chaplets was for him.

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        1. Yes, Sean. I believe it was Anne who brought Jim’s passing to our attention last month for prayer. Another prayer for the repose of his soul and for consolation for Janet. Addendum with correction: I see it was Mack who initially brought us this news. ( Another addendum: I’m a total goofball today in the reply. I see Mack was discussing the action from the Bishop. So I do believe it was Anne who first spoke to Jim’s passing. Gee, I think I need a nap.)

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  20. I have a prayer request, but since it encompasses a fight against the darkenss, this article suffices. My neighbor J.lynn suffers from bi-polar depression. This morning she was enraptured with the last episode of Anthony Bourdain. She had me watch it and I had to stop after a few minutes as it was dark. Really, really dark as in evil. Her intent was for me to decifer the ‘hidden meaning’ contained within. Is it me or am I too sensitive? I have asked for the interssession of Blessed Mary of Agreda to assit.

    “Meanwhile, CNN has continued to air new episodes of season 11. The most recent episode, set in Berlin, aired as scheduled on Sunday night with a special introduction by Anderson Cooper. It was followed by a repeat of the cable news network’s tribute, Remembering Anthony Bourdain.” (yahoo online article dated June 11, 2018)

    *********
    “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil. 4:8)

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    1. Praying for you, Sean. Praying, too, for your neighbor. I think being sensitive to evil and protecting yourself from it is not “too sensitive” at all.

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Published by Beckita

Beckita, widow, mother and grandmother, lives in Missoula, Montana. After more than thirty years of service, she retired from two careers: elementary school educator and director of liturgical music ministry in a local parish. Serving the Catholic Church in many capacities since early childhood, she now provides care for a nearly 90 year old priest of Chinese origin and collaborates with him in evangelizing the Chinese people. For more than twenty-five years, she has welcomed words from heaven concerning these sobering times in which we live and, like so many, takes seriously Our Lord and Our Lady’s call to intercede for the return of souls to God. Responding to heaven’s call for prayer, for her, included making pilgrimages to shrines in Europe, Asia and South America. She says these travels, added to her years as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa in the mid-seventies, have expanded her heart to hold dear all peoples of the world. She is a longtime member of TNRS community and when she began reading Charlie’s posts, immediately, she found that his mission and message harmonize well with Church approved private revelation of our times. In September 2015, she accepted an invitation to become part of TNRS Answers Team. As events of the Storm evolved, last fall (2016), she accepted Charlie’s invitation to become managing editor of TNRS should he need to leave the site. With great gratitude to and for Charlie, founder of TNRS, and with great respect and admiration for the lifelong experiences and God-given gifts he brought to bear on his work at this site - she knows we all know he’s irreplaceable – still, she considers it a great privilege to serve the TNRS community.