Wounds and Scars

I had coffee with a friend the other day and somehow we started talking about scars from the past. I mentioned that Jesus still manifests the wounds from the nails and the spear on his body. I don’t think too many people give much thought to that. I couldn’t understand it myself for a long time until I read that it is a visible reminder of what Jesus did for us.

I often wish I could have selective amnesia so I would stop getting flashbacks. But then I remember the wounds of Jesus and a beautiful quote from Mother Angelica. She said, 

“Some of your pain will never go away. It will become our hidden cross, known to you and God alone. This is the cross of Jesus…Our lives are not some kind of spiritual endurance test designed to see how much punishment and humiliation we can take from the world in despair. But we do accept responsibility to radiate the love of Jesus to the world. And part of that responsibility calls us to accept whatever it is that comes our way with a loving detachment…Jesus’ act of forgiveness did not take away his pain. And your forgiveness will not take away yours.”

I almost want to say – then why bother forgiving?!

We often hear that we’ll never fully understand why most of the injustices we suffer have been permitted by God. We’re told that in the next life we will know why and even thank God for bringing good out of our suffering. No wonder St. Teresa of Avila told God that if this is how he treats his friends it’s no wonder he has so few of them.

In the Old Testament the prophet Habakkuk asked God how long he’d have to call him for help, help that never seemed to arrive when needed.

How long, Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
    but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Habakkuk wants knowledge of good and evil. Ask Adam and Eve how that went for them…

Do I want knowledge of good and evil? Or am I going to forgive and bless my enemies and let God deal with them?

I think I have my answer. I think I actually just had a breakthrough!

Bewitched

I picked up the local paper this week and I have to say I was shocked that there was a full-page story on a woman that identifies as a witch. When I read the article, I wasn’t exactly angry, except for the last line, but I fear for this woman’s soul and everyone in her sphere of influence.

The article paints a very innocuous and inoffensive portrait of witchcraft and magic. This is the typical modus operandi of evil. Satan never shows up with horns and a pitchfork. He shows up today, just as he did in Eden, with a subtle promise of knowledge and a taste of forbidden fruit. He sees where we are curious, perhaps somewhat inattentive or hurting, and begins to groom us. Did that give you a shiver? Good.

However, even though satan is powerful it’s important to remember that he cannot read your mind. He is observant and can play on our vulnerabilities but only God knows your thoughts.

In the article, the woman being interviewed is quoted as saying she works in love and light. Interestingly, she used the description of light. As a Catholic Christian, I believe Jesus is the Light. For a witch, the light can only mean Lucifer, the fallen archangel. The evil one has manipulated a symbol of goodness to serve his own purposes. This woman has been bewitched and does not realize how she is being used. She thinks she has power but she is actually a pawn. 

The article goes on to talk about reincarnation. The Catholic church has always denied it and the bible condemns it. In Hebrews 9:27, St. Paul writes, and just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment. The self-professed witch states she had experiences of past lives. I would say she is trying to apply some kind of meaning, however misguided and flawed, to her dramatic imagination. Francis Cardinal Arinze attributes these sorts of beliefs to “ the desire to escape the consequences of one's life choices and modern stress.”

As always, I cannot overstress the evil of Tarot cards and the Ouija board. So many people think these are fun or entertaining. They are actually doorways that demons can easily use to gain entry into your life. I even heard of a Wiccan who avoids the cards as she found them to be malevolent and controlling and claiming she had seen great evil come from the use of them.

The article concludes with a quote from its subject that she is not worried if we don’t believe her, that we are not where she is yet. And with that I smashed the newspaper shut and loudly said, Thanks be to our Almighty Powerful Living God that we are not!

*****

Seek the Lord while he may be found,

    call upon him while he is near;

 let the wicked forsake their way,

    and the unrighteous their thoughts;

let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:6-7 

Keep Going?

Brothers and sisters, Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. ~ 1 Cor 1:17

Well, there you have it – I was sent to proclaim the gospel but not with eloquent wisdom! St. Paul said it and now I am saying it. It makes me feel better about my blog too – sometimes I just don’t know what to write about and sometimes I wonder who my 2 readers are. Sometimes I lament my poor grammar, especially when I run it through the online writing assistant. 

I started this project a month ago to see if I had a writing charism. I’ll write for a few more weeks and then I may mothball the project…or not. It really depends on what God wants me to do. I am open to whatever he wants but I am looking for some feedback. NOT compliments. No. A charism is given to someone in order to be given away. So if the blog has touched you then please let me know. You're also free to send others a link - it is public.

One other thought regarding readership, perhaps this blog is meant to be a daily journal that will only be read and distributed after my death. If that is God’s will then it’s mine too. 

Swimming In the Shallow End of the Pool

Politics is not something I want to write about on this blog but in light of all that is happening this year I realized that for the first time ever, within 3 months, North America could be led by 3 Catholic politicians. Now I know what some of you are thinking and I agree with you. Two of these fellows are Catholics in name only. The third, the president of Mexico, does identify as Catholic but prefers to call himself a “Christian, in the broadest sense of the word…” Fair enough. In fact, I think he is the most truthful one of the bunch.

So, let me dig a little deeper into the faith of the other two. Actually, I don’t think I have to dig too deep at all as their beliefs seem more wide than deep. Recently I read a chapter in Dan Burke's book Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits and he writes,

Catholics simply do not know the Faith they claim. Years of immersion in the shallow end of the pool does not teach someone to swim, no matter how much time they have spent in the water.

And I can’t remember where I read this but,

Being sentimental about rosaries or nuns is not faith.

I don’t personally claim to have insider knowledge of a certain prime minister or that guy running for president south of the border but I have heard on multiple occasions of their support for abortion, among other things.  Just supporting abortion alone is contrary to Catholic teaching. Yet, a former first lady of America states that the presidential candidate is 'guided by faith'. Not sure how she came to that conclusion. I mean, standing in a garage doesn’t make me a car, same as sitting in a church doesn’t make me a Christian.

Please don’t get me wrong – this is not a post of support for the current president. He has used people of faith because they routinely vote for his party. He’s no more prolife than the other politicians I have referenced.

Our neighbours to the south are in deep trouble. Their only hope is to pray for an outcome to the election that is pleasing to God. I have no idea how that is going to happen without an enormous and miraculous conversion. Americans need to fast and pray for their country. We need to do the same for ours but for the moment our politeness as Canadians, which is rapidly deteriorating as the virus continues to grip our country, will hopefully keep us from self destruction.

All of this reminds me of Luke 19:41-44 where Jesus wept as he approached Jerusalem and said the city would be crushed by its enemies because the people didn’t recognize the time of their visitation from God. I am praying we will be attentive and recognize his presence before it is too late.

Empty Prayers

Eleven years ago, my son was deployed to Afghanistan. He wanted to be a soldier since he was 10 years old so none of this came as a surprise. He was well trained and is very intuitive so I knew he had done everything he could to prepare for his mission.

I’ve often had a sense if something will ultimately turn out or not but I was coming up blank about this situation. I felt hyper-aware and dead at the same time. Someone told me I would get through this because I was a person of faith but I told them that faith is not an anesthetic. I lay awake many nights wondering what my son was doing but trying not to count the days until he was home.  I would be positive one second and down the next. There was simply no middle ground.

In an effort to do something with all these turbulent feelings I started collecting holy cards of saints that had some connection to the military or the safety of soldiers. I planned to pray for their intercession every day. I made a list of all the prayers I would say each day for the 7 months my son was gone - the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and other devotions and litanies as well. I determined I would attend Mass as often as possible and be as attentive as possible. I think I lasted a week. It was simply too much to sustain under those stressful circumstances. If I prayed at all, the only prayer I could muster up was Lord, please keep my son safe.

Thankfully God knows us well so he sends his Spirit to help us. In Romans 8:26-27 St. Paul writes,

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

So that was how I prayed for months, with sighs and groans too deep for words. Thankfully I also had the church community and other Christian friends praying. When I could not pray, they did.

These days are also stressful and we are also laying in wait for hidden enemies to show up.  There will be times we feel so depleted and distracted it will be hard to pray. Yet even under these extraordinary circumstances, we have continued to make time to be with our friends. If we can do that then let’s try to meet each day with Jesus at an appointed time and rejoice in our time together – just like we do with our other friends. 💗

Psalm 9

I’m finding it difficult to come up with something new today so I’m just going to post a few lines from Psalm 9. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and I will be inspired. In the meantime, I can’t have a better contributor than the Lord!

 R. You will never abandon those who seek you, Lord.

 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,

   a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you,

   for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.