Seeing through God-colored lenses

"Clippety clop, clippety clop," sang little James, as he galloped along on the broken broom stick. His father had smoothed the wood on it, before he'd asked his son to put out by the trash containers. As James carried the stick, he was quickly lost in a world of fanciful imagination, where he had become a royal knight pledged to serve his King in the kingdom of magnificent castles and, well, headless horses.

There was a frail old man that the little boy spied rummaging through the trash containers just as James had decided to find and serve his King. James found it to be a startling thing, to look around for his regal ruler and suddenly see this little old man in such a sorry state, instead. The man was dressed in worn and tattered clothes, handling the filthy garbage, and he was leaning on a baby buggy for assistance in standing. Immediately, the boy began to gallop away in the other direction in search of a better dignitary to pledge his allegiance to. He proceeded back toward where his amused father stood watching him play. James passed him by singing out, "clippety clop, clippety clop, find us the real King, Clippety Clop."

James pulled back on the stick horse using invisible reins, looked back proudly at his father, the peasant, and addressed him with a voice he deliberately deepened, asking "Sir, have you seen the King?"

"Oh, yes, I have seen the King, my Lord," the man responded as he bent forward in a long graceful bow. "Your majestic steed, Clippety Clop, will take you back to him straightway. Go forth, noble horse, bring your master to his King, for His Majesty awaits your service, and he needs his royal scepter," he chuckled, pointing back over to where the little old man was digging in the trash containers.

"Dad," grumbled James, "you're not doing it right. That dirty old garbage picker isn't my king. You just want me to give away my new stick horse. Watch, you'll see that he is not a king," James scowled, and trotted over to the old man. He looked at the man, who pulled a mangled aluminum can out of a container, and placed it in the baby stroller with the others he'd collected. James came closer, trying to see if the old man could possibly be a real king. This startled the old man, who lost his balance and banged his knee, and let out a painful groan.

"Sir, are you a king?" James asked with his deepest possible manly voice as soon as the flustered old man looked at him. "King? King, did you say?" the old man seemed to shout out as he rubbed his knee. James thought he should shout, too, and loudly stated, "I'm looking for the king! Are you a king, Sir?"

The old man let go a great bout of laughter and cried out, "Oh, heaven's no, child, I'm no king. King of the trash, maybe, yeah, you could say that." James was amazed to hear this, and taking the old man seriously, he bowed deeply, with obvious genuine respect. Then James handed him the broom stick willingly, saying, "very well, Your Majesty, this is for you." Then James looked over at his father, who nodded his approval. The little old man smiled then, and his eyes grew bigger. He put some of his weight on the stick and felt the place where the hand grip had been sanded smooth for him. "Why, it's just perfect for me, child, its a great walking stick. Thank you, my boy," came the man's voice, wavering some. "This is an answer to my prayers."

"Why would a great king pray for a broken old broom stick?" James scoffed, but felt concern for the man who was wiping away tears with his coat sleeve. "Oh, I didn't pray for any old stick, child," the old man cleared his throat to correct the boy. "No, child, I prayed that people would see me the way God sees me, instead of as a garbage picker. But I never dreamed He would honor me like a king."

Experiencing the mystery of the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple

During the night Ileane was overcome with one of the seven deadly sins. She had no idea how it happened. It may have been something as innocent as scratching an itchy spot on her body. It may have been an all-out demonic attack. Or some combination of things. In any case, it was extreme temptation that Ileane was in the midst of, and it was as if there was nothing else that existed but herself and the overwhelming excitement and enticement of sexual sin. Ileane was intoxicated and delighted about it.

For many years this kind of thing would have just been a part of life, something Ileane didn't even know to fight against. She used to go along with such lusty temptations, and acted on these feelings in many sinful ways. Some people call it being horny. Ileane called it "being in the mood." Rolling with the flow of that energy used to be natural to her, and wonderful.

However, once Ileane's spiritual eyes were opened, and she had come to a place in life where she had denied herself, picked up her cross, and was following Jesus in obedience to strive for holiness and to love others; she found that she had to fight against sinful temptations. Ileane understood over time that some sins are more easily overcome than others. Some are taken care of through miracles of God. Some call for hard work on her part. Some call for one to be ever-vigilant and valiant in many spiritual battles waged by the evil one, who intends to keep repentant sinners from holiness and closeness to God.

Ileane come out of this wretched darkness after having spent much of her life embracing vile imaginations and acting upon them. She was given no instruction manual for holy saint wannabes. There were bad habits that needed to be broken, new ways to learn to look at things, and Ileane began to submit her will to that of our Heavenly Father more and more as time went on.

From time to time Ileane still struggles with the temptation of lust. There are preventative measures that she takes to help her to persevere and stay pure. She prays. She participates in the holy sacraments of our Holy Catholic Church for the grace of God. She keeps herself from experiencing things and places and people that bombard the senses with sinful enticements. She wears a wrist Rosary at night, and Ileane often feels for it and prays during the night. She has entrusted her life to Jesus and Mary. Ileane reads the Scriptures. She performs acts of reparation. All this she does not out of fear or scrupulosity, but for love of Jesus and Mary.This is, no doubt, why her battles with lust are few and far between.

One day, though, in the early morning hours, Ileane found herself ensnared in a wicked trap with no functioning rational intellect to depend upon for assistance. There was no thought of prayer, or pleading for the mercy of God. She could not even think to choose to fight against this evil, but rather she was strangely engulfed and consumed with lust.

Suddenly, there came a single thought, which proved to be a light that penetrated the darkness and dispelled it completely. Somehow, seemingly out of nowhere, Ileane remembered that this day is the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. She did not understand the mystery of her fascinating experience, but it was really as if she had found herself bound in heavy inescapable chains, and yet somebody had miraculously broken her out of them. She had been captured, and held captivated, but as it was now her way to flee and to fight, she was miraculously set free from this captivity of depravity by the merciful grace of God.

The law, the book of St. John tells us, came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. "The most pure Temple of the Savior, the most precious Bridal Chamber and Virgin, the Treasury of the glory of God is led today into the house of the Lord, bringing grace in the Spirit of God. God's angels praise her in song; she is the heavenly Ark." (Kontakion)

Entering the mystery of our heavenly mother's Rosary

Opening the door to greet his friend, Hector nodded hello and smiled, but he did not open his mouth to speak, though he did appear to be mumbling something. He extended his arm toward the sofa, bidding his friend take a seat. The crucifix dangling from a string of rosary beads explained for the young man that he was finishing up his prayers. Hector resumed a kneeling position at a little prayer area where religious pictures graced the wall and pretty statues of saints adorned a small table, and several books were stacked up neatly underneath. Hector took a couple of minutes there to finish praying.


The visitor waited with patient, curious interest, observing Hector as he prayed, self-consciously rolling one bead after another around with his fingers. When Hector concluded the Rosary by making the sign of the Cross and rising to his feet, his friend stated, "I know I'm early, I didn't mean to disturb you praying, sorry about that." "No problem," Hector responded, placing the rosary into his jacket, and locking the door behind them as they headed out to a Bible study together. Hector thought it might be a good idea to share this devotion, and he said, "I can teach you how to pray the Rosary some time. Do you want to know more?"

"It's superstitious to pray repetitious prayers, you know that don't you?" came the unexpected objection. Hector stopped walking and looked at his friend with a puzzled scowl. "Who told you praying the Rosary was superstitious? What do you know about it, anyway?" he asked defensively.

The other young man answered this way: "Sorry, man, I don't mean to offend you, but as your friend I think I should tell you the truth. The Bible tells us not to pray with vain repetitions. You know that, right, so why are you still praying that old-fashioned way that your grandma taught you. She didn't know any better, but I know you do, Hector. Just pray from your heart. I mean, you're not even thinking about what you're saying. It isn't talking to God at all. Do you think praying is like magic, you pray a certain numbers of prayers and God'll finally hear you? Carrying on saying the same memorized thing over and over again is nothing but babbling, Hector. It's just nonsense."

Hector walked on in a confused silence. He was pensive, and had no idea what to say in response to such a reasonable argument. He was feeling hurt and offended because his friend had negative ideas about his family's religious beliefs. His grandma sure hadn't been any kind of saint, for all the Rosaries she had prayed, so what did she know? The Bible does speak against vain repetitions, he thought. Maybe his friend was right.

After Bible study ended, Hector headed home in better spirits, but the practice of praying the Rosary had become a mystery to him. His mother was there and greeted him when he entered. He hugged her, but avoided making eye contact with his mother. "What's on your mind, son?" she asked. She always knew when something troubled him, and as much as he didn't ever want to let her know if he was having a problem, he always would trust her with his concerns. Hector confided in his mother saying, "Mom, why do we pray with old-fashioned vain repetitions? Why do we pray the Rosary instead of just praying right from our hearts?"

Hector's mother smiled in an assuring and consoling manner, explaining it this way: "When I pray the Holy Rosary, I am praying from my heart, Hector, with all my love for Jesus and Mary, entrusting everything to our Blessed Mother to intercede for us. Hail Marys are theologically sound prayers right out of the book of St. Luke. Praying the Rosary is praying the Gospel. At the wedding feast in Cana, Mary interceded for the people there, and so Jesus performed His first miracle at his mother's request. You could say that Hail Marys are like roses you give to your mother, or that praying a Hail Mary is like saying, 'I love you, Mom.' You can't tell your heavenly mother that you love her too many times, you know."

Hector was amazed at all his mother knew and how she had explained to him so clearly. "How do you know all this, Mom? he asked. She smiled and held his face close to her own. "Well, for one thing, Hector, I'm your mother."

Traditional prayer and praying "in the Spirit"

As a Catholic, you may have had the experience of being told that our devotional prayers like the Memorare are lacking something, they are memorized, and they aren't from you; and that spontaneous prayers that come from your heart are better. Unfortunately, this is a view from ignorance that  lately, even some well-meaning Catholic Charismatics believe. Is it "superstitious" to pray a certain number of repetitions when we pray? Doesn't the Bible tell us not to pray vain repetitions? Isn't it better to pray "in the Spirit"?

Let's take a brief look at our traditional Catholic prayers and why it is valuable to continue in our practice of praying them.

Those old-fashioned prayers that are memorized and recited by Catholics are powerful and they are theologically sound. They have an amazing history to them as well. And they have been approved by the Church. Catholics have devotions for Mary and the saints because over the centuries, miraculous events have been attributed to them. These are the main reasons that they are prayed and passed down from generation to generation. We pray traditional prayers because it works!

The Memorare, for example, has an awesome history of miraculous intervention by the Blessed Virgin Mary. It brings healing and the conversion of sinners as we trust and rely on our Blessed Mother to intercede for us. Accounts of St. Francis de Sales, and Father Claude Bernard, who popularized the prayer, can be read at the link. Check the original sources there at the bottom of the page for additional reading.

It is always a good thing for us to pray for one another. At the same time, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't avail ourselves of the holy saints and angels who are there for us. Spontaneous prayers are great to pray, and Catholics do pray these prayers, too. Yet when somebody prays memorized devotional prayers, it does not mean that the person does not pray from their heart. No, it is just the opposite, for the devotee finds it so dear that it is given a regular place of importance in the Catholic's life. And lastly, even Jesus prayed the same prayer three times for the cup to be taken away from Him by our Heavenly Father. Clearly, our Lord has no problem with repeating prayers. Let's just remember, that when we pray, we likewise agree to accept that God's will be done in the matter, as Jesus did in His repetitious prayer. It is the Son of God Who taught us to pray The Our Father, and The Lord's Prayer, which is not spontaneous, is repeated to this day by all Christian denominations.

Treasure the tried and true. Remember that when we pray traditional Catholic prayers given to us by our Church, we can be sure that we are truly praying "in the Spirit" for it is the Holy Spirit Who guides our Church. So come on, and pray the Memorare with me, with love from our hearts:

Public invited to a special Divine Mercy evening at St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church

You are invited to enter into the mystical realm of the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ. The first-class relic of Polish Saint Sister Faustina Kowalska has arrived at St. Joseph's, a parish with a devotion for Blessed Pope John Paul II, who was also Polish. According to Pastor, Father Marek Ciesla, Schr, Saint Faustina, who was canonized by Pope John Paul II, is going to be busy here. "She'll be available all the time; she is here for the people. If they want to come close and touch her, we will let them do that." You can read more about parish relics and the process to attain St. Faustina's relic here. 

On Friday, November 4, 2011, St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church will host the national touring production "The Message of Jesus, The Divine Mercy."

The schedule is as follows:
6pm  Confessions
7pm  Mass
8pm  "Tell All Souls About My Mercy" Presentation by Mother of Mercy Messengers

I hope to see you there!

You're not alone if your life is too busy to pray for dead people

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The days are so busy. There's always something more to get done, so many things are still needing to be attended to, life has so many demands, so who has time to pray for the dead on top of everything else? It's hard enough just to find time to pray for the living, isn't it?

Those who have read the first line of this blog entry, just prayed for the dead. Yes, you've already done it. That's how quickly and easily it is done. Please pray with me for the souls in purgatory every day.

There is more about purgatory and praying for the dead here.

It's All Saints Day, so let's pray a Litany together

Today is a holy day of obligation. Please be sure to go to Mass. It's All Saints Day. Let's remember all those who have gone before us, and let us ask for their intercession.

Today is a great day to pray a Litany, so click on one of these and join me in a beautiful and powerful prayer. We all need prayer, someone you know needs prayer. Let's do it! You can follow along with the words here.