7/31/11

Happy Birthday, Lori!


Lori

Happy Birthday, Lori!

July 29, 2011 would have been my daughter, Lori Cahill’s, birthday. What a beautiful child God presented to me. I’d live all those 39 years over again, even with the painful, hard times.

I’ll always remember bringing you home when you were drifting from one place to another, feeling so lost and alone. You had been drinking and I wrapped my arms around you while you laid your back against my chest while we sat on the couch. Your words will stay with me until I die.

“If you only knew, Mom, how good it feels with you holding me!”

Little did I realize that would be the last time I would hold you in my arms. How alone a substance abusers feel.

There was a time when your laughter filled our lives. The warmth you showed to your daughter, Meagan, and your son, Joe, who is now a Marine fighting in Afghanistan. How proud you must be of him as you look down with love. I miss seeing the tight bond you had with your sister, Debbie. You two shared so much.

I love you, Sweetheart, and pray daily God has you in his loving care with your father and you’re both at peace. I miss you. The emptiness is never filled.

Love, Mom
Alberta Sequeira    http://www.ahealingheart.net/



A Family In Crisis: A Time To Heal
Alberta H. Sequeira: Author, Speaker & Survivor!

7/30/11

Revelation: Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska



My day is drawing to a close,
Even now I glimpse the refulgence of Your light, O my God.
No one shall learn of what my heart is feeling;
My lips shall fall silent in great humility.

Even now, I draw night to the eternal nuptials,
To heaven unending, to spaces without limit.
I long for no repose or reward;
The pure love of God draws me to heaven.

Even now, I go to meet You, eternal Love,
With a heart languishing in its desire for You.
I feel that Your pure love, Lord, dwells in my heart,
And I sense my eternal destiny in heaven.

Even now, I go to my Father, in heaven eternal,
From the land of exile, from this vale of tears,
The earth can no longer hold back my pure heart,
And the heights of heaven have drawn me close.

I go, O my Bridegroom, I go to see Your glory,
Which even now fills my soul with joy
There where all heaven is plunged in Your adoration.
I feel that my worship is pleasing to You,
nothingness though I am.

In eternal happiness, I will not forget those on earth,
I will obtain God's mercy for all,
And I will remember especially those who
were dear to my heart,
And the deepest absorption in God
will not allow me to forget them.

In these last moments I know not how to converse with others.
In silence I await only You, O Lord.
I know the time will come when all will understand the work
of God in my soul.
I know that such is Your will. So be it.

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1653b

Fatima visionary saw and confirmed the apparitions of our lady of Medjugorje.

The children of Fatima
Lucia, Francisco, Jacinta

http://www.medjugorjemiracles.com/2011/07/fatima-visionary-saw-and-confirmed-the-apparitions-of-our-lady-of-medjugorje/

7/28/11

Daily Grace: Permit Me to Lead You....


Daily Grace: Permit Me to Lead You....: "'Dear children! May this time be for you a time of prayer and silence. Rest your body and spirit, may they be in God’s love. Permit me, litt..."

7/27/11

Medjugorje Youthfest Orchestra and Choir - Receive the Power from The Holy Spirit


Uploaded by medjugorjeyouthfest on Jun 6, 2011
Medjugorje Youthfest Orchestra and Choir performing "Recieve the power" (by Guy Sebastian and Gary Pinto) at the International Youth Festival in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

7/26/11

MEDJUGORJE: SEER AT FAMOUS APPARITION GAVE ENTHRALLING HINTS OF WHAT MAY BE IN HER FIRST 'SECRETS'

Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo

SPIRITDAILY
__________________________________________________

SEER AT FAMOUS APPARITION GAVE ENTHRALLING HINTS OF WHAT MAY BE IN HER FIRST 'SECRETS'

Those who believe in apparitions are often intrigued by so-called "secrets," particularly in well-known places like of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Hercegovina, which is currently under Vatican study [see current story]. Recently, during a talk on June 24, 2011, during anniversary celebration in the village, seer Ivan Dragicevic gave some interesting comments.

"Many people ask me if Our Lady has ever talked about the second coming of Jesus?" he said. "No. Has Our Lady talked about the end of the world? No. Our Lady hasn’t come because of that. So many ask, what does Our Lady say? What do you talk, with her every day? We talk a lot. And believe me, if we had 24 hours, we would miss some minutes. But one day when the time comes, when some things get revealed, you will understand why the apparitions are such a long time and why every day. Later on, we will understand some things. Later on, our eyes will be opened. When we see physical changes that are going to happen in the world. This is so important to understand. I’m not going to tell you the secrets! (laugh). The time in front of us is the time of great responsibility.

"In 1985, another seer, Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo, gave some rare, revealing, and far more sobering indications of what is in the secret prophecies she maintains the Blessed Mother gave her before daily apparitions halted in 1982 (after she was granted her tenth such alleged prophecy). The seer, who has been called to testify before the Vatican commission investigating the events, explained, in a private interview with her spiritual director, Father Petar Ljubicic, that there would be events in the first two secrets she was given that would come as warnings, and then a “sign” that would serve "as additional confirmation."

In recent years, Mirjana has stayed almost completely away from discussing her secrets, as do the other visionaries. In fact, she has stated that a supernatural "block" about them has allowed her to go about life without thinking or even readily recalling most of them. She brushes aside questions about them.

But back in 1985 -- when the alleged revelations were fresh -- she said about the first secret, “To the people of this world who pray it will be a gift.” Other parts of the interview were even more revealing:

Father Ljubicic: How would you assess the current situation around the world? How would you personally view all these things?

Mirjana: There never was an age such as this one, never before was God honored and respected less than now, never before have so few prayed to Him; everything seems to be more important than God. This is the reason why she cries so much. The number of unbelievers is becoming greater and greater. As they endeavor for a better life, to such people, God Himself is superfluous and dispensable. This is why I feel deeply sorry for them and for the world. They have no idea what awaits them. If they could only take a tiny peek at these secrets, they would convert in time. Certainly, God always forgives all those who genuinely convert.

Father Ljubicic: Did she perhaps alert us to other things we must do, in addition to praying and preparing for that time? Perhaps something concrete?

Mirjana: Yes, she told me it is necessary to pray a great deal until the first secret is revealed. But in addition to that, it is necessary to make sacrifices as much as possible, to help others as much as it is within our abilities, to fast – especially now, before the first secret. She stated that we are obliged to prepare ourselves.

Father Ljubicic: Tell me, how do you view the situation around you? How do you view the young people around you? I am referring to your peers, the ones you live and interact with?

Mirjana [then in her teens and studying in Sarajevo]: Father, I wish you only knew how I feel on some days! There are times when I feel that I could go mad. If Mary wasn’t here, if she didn’t fill me with strength, by now I would have surely gone mad… When I see how people believe, especially in Sarajevo, how they use God and His Name in their swearing, how thoughtless they are, how they curse God… These wretched ones have no idea what awaits them in the near future. It is then, as I observe them, that I take pity on them. I feel so sorry for them and pray and cry and pray, pray so much for them. I pray to Mary to enlighten their minds because, as Jesus said: they truly do not know what they do… And yet the first two secrets are not all that severe and harsh. What I mean is, yes, they are severe, but not as much as the remaining ones.

Father Ljubicic: Are [the secrets] perhaps of a notable, distinct character, or more of a spiritual nature?

Mirjana: Distinct, distinct.
Father Ljubicic: Distinct?

Mirjana: Yes, distinct. It will be visible. It is necessary in order to shake up the world a little. It will make the world pause and think.

Father Ljubicic: Something like a catastrophe?

Mirjana: No, it will not be anything as huge as that. That will come later. It will be something that will give the world something to think about seriously, allow it to see that she was indeed here, and to see and realize that there is God, that He exists.

Father Ljubicic: After that, will there be anyone who will say, ‘This is some sort of a natural phenomenon’ or along those lines?

Mirjana: Perhaps some staunch unbelievers might say something like that after the first and second secrets.

Father Ljubicic: I am just curious whether anyone will be able to say, ‘I feel something, that something will happen soon’ or along those lines.

Mirjana: Well, you can see there are some rather peculiar things going on in the world. People are unhappy, dissatisfied, avarice reigns every where, hardly anyone admits that they ever have enough of anything. Yet, none of this gives any clues about the secret. This secret stands on its own. The secret will abundantly speak for itself and requires no prior clues or signals

Father Ljubicic: Once again, concerning the first secret, who will experience, see, and be convinced and then be able to say: ‘Truly, that which has occurred or is occurring is the manifestation of the secret’? Who will be able to see all that?

Mirjana: All those who will be here or in the place(s) where the secret will unfold.

Father Ljubicic: Let me assume that this involves a specific place. All those who will wish to see and experience this sign or whatever the secret is, will they have to come to that particular place to see and experience this?

Mirjana: Well, father, surely no one wishes to watch disasters, distress, and misfortune. I don’t think that this kind of thing attracts people at all. Why would people go to see something of that sort? It is one thing to go and see a sign, quite another to go and see suffering or a disaster. Who would, for example, go to Italy to see a dam collapse? Who has that kind of a desire? I don’t think that anyone does – and that is how it will be with this secret. Whatever is in the secret, it will, of course, be something that everyone, everywhere, will immediately hear about.

Father Ljubicic: Tell me, if the secret involves a location rather than a condition or a situation, wouldn’t it be desirable to have as many people as possible see – to have as many eyewitnesses as possible – even though it may not be a joyful thing or something pleasant to look at?

Mirjana: Father, it will be obvious… It will be something that people will hear about very far.

Father Ljubicic: Out of the ten secrets that each of you will receive – and you and Ivanka [Ivankovic] already did [now also a third named Jakov Colo] – do you know which of them will be exactly the same? I mean, which secrets will be exactly the same for you, for Ivanka, and the others?

Mirjana: No, I don’t know.

Father Ljubicic: Someone said that only three of the secrets that each of you received are identical, while all the others are different.

Mirjana: The one about the sign is identical, I am positive about that because there will not be six different signs.

Father Ljubicic: Not on the same spot.

Mirjana: The sign is the same sign. Personally, I never spoke about the secrets with any [of the others]. After all, in the same way that the secrets were entrusted to me, that is how they were entrusted to the others as well.

Father Ljubicic: Thus far I never spoke with you about the permanency of the sign. Each of you maintains persistently that it will be indestructible, permanent, and very large. Accordingly, one will be able to understand it as something tangible.

Mirjana: Yes, the sign will be indestructible and permanent. Naturally, it will be clear to everyone that it is not something constructed and erected. Nobody will be able to say that it was brought and placed in that particular spot by, let us say, someone from Medjugorje.

Father Ljubicic: The sign’s manifestation – will it be during the day or night? By asking that, am I encroaching on the secret?

Mirjana: Oh, that is a secret. I cannot answer because that touches upon… the secret already has a specific date and time.

Father Ljubicic: Does the secret have a specified minute and second?
Mirjana: I know the exact day and the hour.

Father Ljubicic: Do you anticipate that there may be some people, some souls, who will perhaps ‘feel’ something, without anyone else’s knowledge or anticipation, that something is about to happen and will, therefore, come in large numbers?

Mirjana: I do not know. But I did have the opportunity to ask Our Lady something to that effect. I do know that, during the secret’s manifestation, there will be spiritual conversions.

Father Ljubicic: There will be conversions.

Mirjana: Yes, there will be conversions.

Father Ljubicic: Do you think that [of those who will convert] a majority of them will be those who were suspicious, who doubted, who didn’t believe?...

Mirjana: There will be all kinds: those who were just suspicious, those who didn’t believe at all, and others.

Father Ljubicic: Do you think that there will still be those who will remain hardened – despite the explicit, tangible, visible signs and warnings?

Mirjana: Yes.

Father Ljubicic: There will be?

Mirjana: Yes, there will be.

Father Ljubicic: Yes, of course, just as there always were. Even today, so many see the obvious works of God, yet they simply reject Him because they are so hardened, just as the Pharisees did.

Mirjana: Those are the ones who have shut their souls to God.

Father Ljubicic: Let me touch upon Our Lady’s latest message. It seems that Our Lady is drawing attention to our greatest enemy, Satan. It seems that he is increasing his attacks, that he is attempting to create confusion and entangle the entire situation.

Mirjana: He is responsible for the unbelievers. Satan. This is why she said to bless the home with Holy Water on Saturdays. He is the one who makes people into unbelievers. Who else?

Father Ljubicic: Do you think that Godlessness is growing or decreasing today?

Mirjana: Father, it is increasing. A miracle is necessary for Godlessness to decrease.

In a later interview with the same priest, Mirjana expanded upon the other secrets, urging especially conversion of the young. They were especially the ones Mary wept over, she explained. “I now know about things that are not particularly pleasant,” said the visionary, whose daily apparitions halted in 1982, when she received the tenth secret – the first of the six to do so. “I believe that if everyone knew about these same things, each one of these people would be ‘shocked’ to their senses and would view our world in a completely different light. Of course, my greatest advice to all is to pray for all the unbelievers. You see, Mary expends the greatest amount of time talking about that very thing. We must also not forget the elderly and the infirm. They are ours, too. They sacrificed their whole lives. Many of them lived their entire lives for God and in prayer. Their senior years shouldn’t have to be sad and miserable. I cannot elaborate much more, it is hard for me [to do that]. You see, so much is tied to the secrets. If the people saw the first secret, as it was shown to me, all of them would most certainly be shaken enough to take a new and different look at themselves and everything around them.”

Father Ljubicic: The manifestation of that secret, will it only be a momentary thing or will it be something that will last for an extended period?

Mirjana: It will last for a little while.

Father Ljubicic: Little while?

Mirjana: Little.

Father Ljubicic: Will its effect be lasting and permanent or will its effect be momentary and passing?

Mirjana: How can I explain that without encroaching on the secret? Let me just say that it won’t be good at all, it won’t be pleasant.

Father Ljubicic: After that, if anyone were to come here knowing that such and such had occurred, will that person be able to see anything – any evidence that something indeed did happen here?

Mirjana: Yes, yes, yes.

Father Ljubicic: It will be visible?

Mirjana: Yes.

Father Ljubicic: This whole situation: it seems that she is trying to prepare us and to ‘dress’ us with saintliness, God’s Love and perfection, so that we may greet Our Lord when He comes. Is there anything that signals something of that nature?

Mirjana: Just as any mother, she cares for her children. She wants us to come and meet God the Father well-prepared. She doesn’t want us to weep and wail when it’s too late. God said that He forgives at any time – providing the soul repents sincerely. All she asks for, the one thing she waits for, is for all of us to repent so that we may be forgiven. What follows are the secrets that are really unpleasant. I would be happy if everyone would finally understand that. I cannot tell [the secrets], but once they begin to be fulfilled, then it will be too late.

Father Ljubicic: Will the interval between the first and second secret be lengthy?

Mirjana: That varies according to the secrets. What I mean is that, for example, the time between the first and second secrets is of a certain period, between the second and third is of different length. For example, and I stress: for example, the first secret may take place today and the second one already tomorrow.

Father Ljubicic: Tell me, what do you think about the people who are specially inspired by God, I mean persons who are having genuine mystical experiences, the mysterious experiences? I am talking about those to whom God is showing and saying something, in a variety of ways – things that will occur in the future. Can you make a connection between them and the present world situation?

Mirjana: I believe that they, too, were chosen by Mary – just as we were. All of us were not chosen because we are somehow better than the rest – not at all. I simply mean that all of them were chosen to help people, to focus the people’s attention [on God], to tell people [about Him and all that will happen], to instruct the ones around them in some way, to talk with them and to tell them what Mary says. To do and say the same things that she tells us. Perhaps people will listen to them. The main task for all of us [seers] is to spread the faith in God.

7/25/11

Revelation: Saint Sister Maria Faustina


Revelation:

I do not know, O Lord, at what hour You will come.
And so I keep constant watch and listen
As Your chosen bride,
Knowing that You like to come unexpected.
Yet, a pure heart will sense You from afar, O Lord.

I wait for You, Lord, in calm and silence,
With great longing in my heart
And with invincible desire.
I feel that my love for You is changing into fire,
And that it will rise up to heaven like a flame at life's end,
And then all my wishes will be fulfilled.

Come then, at last my most sweet Lord
And take my thirsting heart
There, to Your home in the lofty regions of heaven,
Where Your eternal life perdures.

Life on this earth is but an agony,
As my heart feels it is created for the heights.
For it the lowlands of this life hold no interest,
For my homeland is in heaven-this I firmly believe.

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1589

Our Lady's Medjugorje Message of July 25, 2011



Feast of St. James, Patron Saint of the Parish in Medjugorje

"Dear Children! May this time be for you a time of prayer and silence. Rest your body and spirit, may they be in God's love. Permit me, little children, to lead you, open your hearts to the Holy Spirit so that all the good that is in you may blossom and bear fruit one hundred fold. Begin and end the day with prayer with the heart. Thank you for having responded to my call."


Once again Our Lady is emphasizing the importance of prayer, one of her key messages. She is calling us to be recollected in our spirit so that we can hear God's voice and respond to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. She, who is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, desires to lead us along the path of salvation. Each day we should beg the Holy Spirit through the intercession of Our Lady to "create in us new hearts" so that we can become the person God has intended us to be. Our minds need to be renewed and prayer is one of the best ways for that to be accomplished in our lives. If you do not know how to pray with the heart, ask Our Lady to teach you. She is a wonderful teacher.

7/24/11

The Interior Life of Prayer

John of the Cross

The Interior Life of Prayer


Posted by Carmelite Sisters • July 24, 2011

Going Deeper - The Interior Life of Prayer

Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D.

Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles

A typical day in most people’s lives is usually pretty ordinary. We wake up, get up, get going, and then continue through the day with the thousand and one habits and routines that fill our waking hours. Some days can fly by so rapidly that we “can barely catch our breath,” as the expression goes. This moment-by-moment existence often drops to the level of mindless routine. We forget who we are, why we are here, and where we are going. Caught in the exigencies of the what and the how of daily living, it is easy to forget the why. As a consequence, we become restless, bored, and, at times, confused. At some level, however, we recognize that our daily lives are less than they could or should be. Something within us cries out, with or without words. Sometimes all we perceive is a yearning, a longing for something, and we don’t have a clue what it is. We only know that it is.

In time we begin to understand that we are experiencing a spiritual longing. Our very spirit within us, our soul, has been unknown, forgotten, or neglected. Catholic teaching affirms that the human soul is our life principle at the center of our being, the place where our intellect and will reside. Knowing, choosing, willing, and loving all take place within the soul. The human soul is completely invisible, immaterial, and spiritual. It cannot be seen, heard, tasted, smelled, or touched by any physical, material thing. It is vitally and essentially connected to our physical body and operates through it as we go about our daily routines. Most people do not think of their souls very often. From time to time, however, this spiritual part of us makes itself known. Everyone experiences these special times of grace. These are God-moments. During these revelatory occasions, we realize that such depth of feeling can only come from our spirit.

In this innermost sanctuary of our souls, the divine encounter takes place at a profoundly deep level of our being. Because of the intensely intimate nature of a prayer that is this deep, this personal, this spiritual, it is hard to understand or discuss. It is too holy. Our profoundly intimate encounter with God through prayer in our deepest center is the theme of Carmelite spirituality and the topic of the writings of the Carmelite mystics. Putting words to these experiences and explaining them, usually by way of an analogy, is Carmel’s gift to the world. This concept is captured in the mission statement of the Carmelite Sisters – “To Promote a Deeper Spiritual Life among God’s People.”

St. John of the Cross, Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church, wrote four major works: The Ascent of Mt.Carmel, The Dark Night of the Soul, The Spiritual Canticle, and The Living Flame of Love. His writings explain, usually by way of analogy – after all, there are no human words to describe the divine – the prayer journey. He wrote about the detachments and purifications needed to begin and continue the ascent up the mountain of prayer, the dark night of the soul, and the joy and fulfillment expressed in the spiritual canticle and the living flame of God’s love. In contemporary terms, these four works by St. John of the Cross talk about “letting go and letting God.” They describe the growing relationship between a human being and God, all occurring within the soul. “Know you not that you are God’s temple and that His Spirit dwells within you.”

Today, there seems to be a great number of people who are not attuned to their souls; rather, many people are not even aware of this integral part of their being – or so they say. The following excerpt from St. John of the Cross’s famous work, The Spiritual Canticle (Stanza 11, verse 3), explains the three ways in which God is present within the human soul. This verse begins by asking God, “Reveal Your Presence.” He then proceeds with the following commentary on the verse:

In explanation of this verse, it should be known that the presence of God can be of THREE KINDS:

I. THE FIRST PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE HUMAN SOUL IS CALLED “THE PRESENCE BY ESSENCE.”
In this way, God is present not only in the holiest souls, but also in sinners, as well as all other creatures. This presence gives them their life and their being. Should this essential presence be lacking, all would be annihilated. This presence is always in the soul.

II. THE SECOND PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE HUMAN SOUL IS BY GRACE, IN WHICH GOD ABIDES IN THE SOUL, PLEASED AND SATISFIED WITH IT.

Not all have this presence of God. Those who fall into mortal sin lose it. The soul cannot naturally know if it has this presence or not.

III. THE THIRD PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE HUMAN SOUL IS HIS PRESENCE BY SPIRITUAL AFFECTION. SOME CALL IT ‘THE PRESENCE OF FRIENDSHIP.’

God usually grants this presence to devout souls in many ways by which He refreshes, delights, and gladdens them.

To ask God to “reveal His Presence” is to ask Him for something that is personal, powerful, and at the same time, life-changing. It is the essence of why we were given the gift of life.

Life can never be the same, once we discover that in the deepest center of our soul, we can live that intimate relationship with God for which we were created. Yes, we will continue our daily routine, but it will become a life lived from our deepest center, filled to the brim, good measure and flowing over – and because God is infinite we can always go deeper.

7/23/11

Golfing With My Dad

Bishop Thomas Tobin
Roman Catholic Diocese of
Providence, R. I.

Golfing With My Dad

BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN

7/21/11

Summer’s a time for slowing down, kicking back, relaxing, and reminiscing. It’s for that reason, perhaps, I’ve been thinking a lot about summers past, and especially one of my favorite pastimes in summers past, golfing with my dad.

Though it’s been 19 years now since my dad died, the memories of our golf outings remain crystal clear.

They usually took place on Wednesdays, my regular day off from both of my parish assignments. And in the compulsive Tobin way of doing things, they quickly assumed a highly disciplined routine.

After morning Mass, breakfast, and a few errands around the parish I’d arrive home about 11:00. We had a quick lunch, then dad and I took off about 12:15 – every week. My mom didn’t mind getting us out of the house. It was quiet time for her and she had her own routine, especially as she prepared for dinner. If, however, we weren’t back by 4:00 there’d be lots of questions and worry. (“I thought something had happened!”)

We usually went to one of two public nine hole courses in the North Hills section of Pittsburgh – Green Valley or Franklin Park. Green Valley was a narrow little course arranged in such a way that on just about every hole you’d be driving into other golfers walking toward you. “Suicide alley” it was sometimes called. We didn’t go there very often.

Franklin Park was our home course. It was wide open and easy, not much more than a par three course. (Par was 32 I think.) No sand or water either. You could play that course, break 50 and feel pretty good about your game!

And dad and I needed all the help we could get. If you had a picture next to the word “hackers” in the dictionary it’d be us. But we had really good excuses for our ineptitude. We didn’t play very often after all. And I suspect that our clubs were deficient. My dad never did have a complete set, but just a starter set, and that with the brand name, “J.C. Higgins.” (Never heard of it? It was the Sears-Roebuck brand name for sporting goods. Since dad worked for Sears for almost 30 years, everything in our house came from Sears, except me I think.) My clubs weren’t much better, though I had a complete set with a mainline name. I still have and use a “J.C. Higgins” putter, by the way.

Despite the lack of championship caliber play, our games were as competitive as anything you’d find on the PGA tour. Winning meant bragging rights for a week. And we gambled big time, 10 cents a hole. If someone happened to win all nine holes, which I did a few times, we’d round it off to a dollar, though it pained my dad to do so.

The best days at Franklin Park were in the middle of summer, when it was ninety – “hazy, hot and humid” the weather reports said – and sane people stayed home, out of the sun and away from golf courses. On those days there were no crowds, and thankfully no twosomes or foursomes on the first tee watching us drive, muffling their giggles at the topped shots dribbling down the hill.

It was really nice when we had the whole course to ourselves. Though by that time of the year the fairways were dry and dusty, and the greens brown, it didn’t really matter. Undaunted we plodded up and down the hills of Franklin Park pulling our shaky golf carts (also from Sears) behind us. Life was good. I was with my dad and we were having fun.

I usually won our mini golf tournaments, and pocketed about 30 cents a week.

But not always. I remember at least one time that dad beat me. I handed over the dime reluctantly and pouted. He was so proud and happy it made me happy, though I didn’t admit it.

Then it was back home to repair to the front porch or back porch, whichever was in use that day, for a drink or two – gin and tonic for him, a martini or scotch for me – and some conversation between father and son while also describing our tournament to mom. After dinner it was a couple more hours of relaxing, visiting with neighbors, tracking the Pirates game on the radio, and listening to mom and dad read the newspaper to each other. They did that a lot. Then for me it was back to the rectory. In those days priests seldom had “overnights.” We always had to be at the Church for Mass the next morning.

After my dad passed away one of the hardest things I had to do was dispose of his golf clubs, a hand-me-down gift to one of my young nephews I think. The clubs weren’t worth much – a partial, old, worn set with that very funny name, “J.C. Higgins” – but they were priceless to me for the memories they inspired.

I don’t play golf very much anymore – a tight schedule and even tighter back conspire to make it difficult. And maybe that’s okay. Without my dad, golf isn’t nearly as much fun as it used to be, though the memories of our time together still make me happy.

This column was previously published in the Rhode Island Catholic on July 26, 2007.

7/22/11

Miracles or Extraordinary Happenings?


Miracles or Extraordinary Happenings?


God reminds us, with a tap or shove, how much He loves us

* By Father Roger J. Bourgea, S.M. - The Priest, 8/1/2011

During my many years as hospital chaplain in various hospitals, I have experienced many uplifting and encouraging situations that make me love my ministry as hospital chaplain all the more. When people express with exuberant joy: “Gee Father, I feel better already,” after receiving the Anointing for Healing, or they say, “Father, you really made my day today,” after receiving holy Communion, I can’t help but feel very privileged to be involved in their joy and happiness. People of faith in the hospital find it very easy to express great appreciation for the presence of a priest in the hospital.

Years ago, during one of my hospital visits, I went to see a woman who was told by her doctor that she must abort her four-month old baby because, if she didn’t, she and her baby would both die. Now this was a woman of great faith who believed that it was always wrong to abort and kill a child. She was very upset with the direction her doctor had given her and asked me what she should tell him. Of course I told her that she should tell him to do everything in his power to save both her life and the life of her baby and that abortion was completely out of the question. She told him that and, as a consequence, she gave birth to a very healthy baby, and both she and her baby went on to live.

God Is Always in Charge

This situation only confirmed for me even more strongly that God is always in charge and that we should never hesitate to tell people, even those caught in very tough situations, that they should place their full trust in God, no matter what other professionals tell them.

On another occasion, I went in to visit a man who had been diagnosed with a large tumor on the left side of his stomach. He was scheduled to go into surgery the following day so he called me and asked me to give him the Anointing for Healing. I gave him the sacrament and prayed with him. The following day, before he went into surgery, the doctors took more x-rays just to make sure exactly where the tumor was. Upon further examination, they found that the tumor had completely disappeared.

‘Father, what did you do to that man?’

The doctor came running to me and asked, “Father, what did you do to that man?” as though I was the one responsible for the tumor disappearing. This was a non-Catholic doctor and so I explain to him that I had simply prayed that God would heal the patient, and that is what He did. It was He who had removed the tumor, not I. All I did was to administer the sacrament. Then I went on to explain to him briefly that we Catholics believe in the power of the sacraments, and that we have experienced that power. He just shook his head and walked away in disbelief.

Though I had previously seen many people healed by the power of the sacrament, I must say that this for me was one of the most visible proofs of the power of that sacrament. When that man first entered the hospital, the doctors took x-rays that revealed a large tumor, but now after the patient had been given the Sacrament of the Sick, the tumor was gone. How else can you explain that? Even the doctors had no explanation.

On another occasion, I encountered a situation that was even more powerful than the two previous ones. A middle-aged man was admitted into the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit of a hospital where I was chaplain. When I entered his room, I found him sitting on a chair, something a little unusual for a cardiac patient in an ICU.

This patient had had a major heart surgery 10 years previously and had survived that operation very well. But now he had been readmitted into the hospital just to make sure that nothing serious was going on, as he had been experiencing a bit of chest pain. But he did assure me that the doctors found nothing to worry about and that he would be discharged later on that afternoon.

A Dismissed Invitation

I asked him if he would like to receive Communion before going home. Instead of simply saying “No,” as most patients who do not want to receive would, he dismissed my invitation to receive the Lord in such a cavalier manner, telling me that even though he had been brought up very Catholic — altar boy and all that — he no longer received Communion. He laughed while he was telling me this, but then caught himself and apologized for his laughter after he realized that what he was telling me was not amusing me in the least.

I asked him, “Don’t you feel that you owe God something for the healing that He gave you after your former serious surgery?” That question didn’t seem to touch him in the least. Anyway, I told him to think it over and that if he changed his mind and wanted to contact me, I was on call and that I would be happy to come back to visit him.

His cynical response to my offering him Communion disturbed me very much. I had never heard that kind of response before from any patient who did not want to receive Communion.

That night, Tuesday, after I got home, I went into our chapel and prayed that God would tap my friend on the shoulder, and that if he didn’t respond, He would give him a shove to help him to realize how much he owed God for all that He had done for him in the past.

In the hospital, on that same night, Tuesday, maybe at the same time I was praying in the chapel, my friend’s heart went into arrest and stopped beating completely. The doctors had to use the paddles on him to get his heart beating again. He was then put on a respirator and several other kinds of machines.

Two days later, Thursday, I went back to visit my friend, not knowing what had happened to him on the previous Tuesday. I found him flat on his back, tied up with all kinds of tubes and machines. I couldn’t believe it. I approached him and called his name. He opened his eyes but could not speak.

‘Don’t worry, friend. God loves you.’

I told him, “Don’t worry, friend. God loves you. You went through a bit of a setback the other night, but you’ll be OK. Remember what we were talking about a couple of days ago. God is just trying to get in touch with you. He loves you, and you are going to be OK.”

Now I don’t know how I could have assured him with such conviction that he was going to be OK. The words just came out of my mouth. I just had a gut feeling that all was going to turn out all right. Anyway my friend blinked his eyes as though to tell me that he understood all that I was saying.

Two days later, Saturday, I went back to visit him again. He was completely out of it, with no eyes blinking or anything. I said a prayer and left him alone. Then, as I was going to be away from the hospital for a week, I asked the other chaplain, who would be covering the hospital, to keep an eye on my friend.

Four days later, Wednesday, I called the chaplain to find out how my friend was doing. He was still flat out on his back, tubes all over the place, no response and no change. That night, Wednesday, I went back into the chapel and asked the Lord to heal my friend.

I reminded Him that I had only asked Him to tap my friend on the shoulder or to shove him a bit, but I hadn’t asked Him to kill him. I wanted Him to do for my friend what He had done so often for me in the past: wake me up to realize how much He loved me and how much I owed Him. I pleaded again with the Lord that He heal my friend so as to give him a chance to repent, confess and receive Him in holy Communion again.

Never hesitate to pray to God to tap a patient

That night I had spoken to some of my priest confreres at the house about this case. They asked, “Aren’t you sorry you asked God to tap your friend on the shoulder? Don’t you feel guilty for the way he’s turning out?” I said, “Of course not. I asked God to tap him on the shoulder and that is what He did. It was a gift I was asking the Lord to give my friend, and it was up to Him to do that His way.”

The next day, Thursday, I got a call from the chaplain telling me that my friend was sitting up in a chair, no longer in the Intensive Care Unit and ready to be released later that evening, and that he had asked to receive Communion before going home. What a delightful surprise! I couldn’t believe it. God certainly tapped and shoved my friend in a very compassionate way.

That evening, before he was discharged, I called my friend and had a nice conversation with him. His first remark to me was, “What a miracle!” And I have to agree with him. That was not the way things normally turn out after a patient has gone into cardiac arrest and then been unconscious for over a week. I reminded my friend of how good God is, even to us who do not always deserve it, and how much we owe Him all the time. He thanked me for that.
What a wonderful experience! No wonder I love being a hospital chaplain. Who would not want to be involved in such situations! The lesson here is that we should never hesitate to ask God to do good things for others no matter how impossible they look, even if it means asking Him to tap them on the shoulder or even to give them a shove to make them realize how much He loves them and how much they owe Him.

After that case shook me up so much, another case that happened shortly after my ordination came back to mind. I was called to see a patient in another hospital. The nurse warned me that the patient was seriously ill with a serious heart problem, but that he did not seem to realize that at all. I offered the patient the Sacrament of the Sick but he refused it. He said he was not really sick and did not need any prayers.

I did not know enough at that time, shortly after my ordination and with so little experience as a priest, how to pray to God to tap patients on the shoulder or give them a good shove. The patient died that night. Since then I have learned never to hesitate to pray that God tap patients on the shoulder or shove them. TP

FATHER BOURGEA, S.M., ordained in 1959, is a member of the Marist Fathers. He spent 29 years as a missionary in Papua, New Guinea, and Fiji.

AND AMAZING GRACE: The Medjugorje “Miracle Mysteries” that the ABC Nightline didn't tell you about...

Christine Watkins with Flerida Gutierrez

AND AMAZING GRACE: The Medjugorje “Miracle Mysteries” that the ABC Ni...: "The Medjugorje “Miracle Mysteries” that the ABC Nightline special didn’t tell you about If you missed the ABC show on Mary, click here t..."

7/21/11

Fr. Neil Buchlein - The Fruits of Medjugorje


Uploaded by DaveDuprey on Jul 7, 2011
Fr. Neil's talk at the the Finger Lakes Marian Conference in Geneva, NY. on June 25th 2011.
So many lives have been changed by visiting Medjugorje. What is the secret to having one's life changed and does one have to travel there to experience change? Our lives are indeed blessed by God.
Are we aware of how we can attain more blessings (fruits) if only we would avail ourselves?

7/18/11

Medjugorje: Our Mother's Last Call


From Our Mother's Last Call Television Series presenting the messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje, the Queen of Peace. Vol One Track 2:

7/17/11

Family Prayer


A pilgrim asked Father Svetozar (a Franciscan priest in Medjugorje): “What would you say to a man who prays each day and wishes to pray with his family, but his family refuses to pray with him?” Father asked him, “Are you this man?” “Yes,” the man answered. Father responded, “You are on the way to holiness!”

The Gospa gave this message several times on the mountain: “Today more than ever before, Satan wants to destroy your families. This is why, dear children, pray with your family and pray for the family!”

This message is vital! Many pilgrims start living it upon their return from Medjugorje. Some encounter difficulties, and sometimes lose peace when members of their family refuse to pray with them. Above all, may they not lose peace! The peace of our heart should not depend on the attitude of others (we would be likely never to have it!). It depends on God, who alone gives true peace, in prayer. As for God, He is always ready to welcome us and to bless us. Our testimony of unshakable peace in the middle of the waves will bear its fruit.

I learned a very valuable lesson here, through the visionaries: The Gospa only requires of us to live Her messages, to do our part (pray each day in our home), and she will do her part! As long as we have done our part, we ought to remain in peace, the rest does not belong to us, Jesus and Mary will take care of the rest themselves. This burden would be too heavy for us. Our total confidence in them is essential; it will hasten the impact of grace on the family.

Vacations are favorable to prayer encounters and to the miracles of conversion which prayer obtains, the Blessed Mother will help us to benefit from this time of grace!

Dearest Gospa, please grant us the wisdom of love!

May we find favorable moments to attract divine blessing upon our families!
Sr. Emmanuel +

7/13/11

Christine Watkins tells about her "whirlwind" 2 day pilgrimage to Medjugorje


Christine Watkins tells about her "whirlwind" 2 day pilgrimage to Medjugorje last week for the ABC News feature.

http://www.medjugorjemiracles.com/2011/06/medjugorje-to-be-featured-on-an-abc-news-%e2%80%9cnightline-prime%e2%80%9d-show-about-the-virgin-mary-called-%e2%80%9cthe-miracle-mysteries%e2%80%9d/

Christine Watkins, author of Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary's Intercession, shares her journey to Medjugorje, where she was interviewed by co-anchor, Bill Weir, for an ABC "Nightline Prime" show about the the Virgin Mary, called "The Miracle Mysteries.

Click here or go to http://www.medjugorjemiracles.com/ to read the whole story.

HOW TO RECEIVE DIVINE REVELATION


HOW TO RECEIVE DIVINE REVELATION

"Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to You I offer praise; for what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children." -Matthew 11:25

The way to receive divine revelation is to be lowly, the merest child, dependent on God alone. Moses is traditionally considered the author of the first five books of the Bible. Moses is one of the greatest recipients of divine revelation in history. He was lowly (see Nm 12:3). He was a victim of tyrannical oppression. He never knew his father and mother. He was a refugee and simple shepherd. He also could not express himself well because of a speech defect (Ex 4:10; 6:12, 30). Moses was lowly, a nobody, to whom God chose to reveal Himself.

We also can become a lowly child and receive God's revelation in an exceptional way. Even if we are blessed, and not deprived as Moses was, we can choose to be poor for God's kingdom (Mt 5:3), wash the feet of others (Jn 13:5), offer hospitality to the poor (Lk 14:13), and be persecuted and rejected for the gospel (Mt 5:10). We can choose to take up the daily cross (Lk 9:23). In this way, we will become a merest child open to God's greatest revelations.

Prayer: Father, may I tremble at Your word (Is 66:2).

7/10/11

The Spirit and The Word


SOW THE WORD CONSTANTLY


"A farmer went out sowing." -Matthew 13:4

How often have you heard a Scripture passage twenty times and on the twenty-first time you hear it, the Holy Spirit makes the passage finally "jump off the page"? You receive a profound new insight into the meaning of the passage. The Word of God comes alive for you.

The Holy Spirit does this work in us. The Spirit is also working the same way in the hearts of others. That's why we must constantly sow the Word of God (Mt 13:4). The Word that we sow might be that twenty-first time the Holy Spirit requires to touch a person's heart. Our sowing might be that juicy bait the Lord uses to finally catch a hungry soul He has been working on for years (see Lk 5:4). Our evangelizing might be the seed that next year will produce a harvest thirty-, sixty-, or a hundredfold (Mt 13:8).

A farmer sowing seed can't see what's under the surface of the soil. A fisherman usually can't see what's under the surface of the water, though sometimes he might get a glimpse. When we evangelize for Jesus, if we go only by what we see on the surface, we might make a wrong judgment and decide not to drop a line or plant a seed. We might miss a good catch or a fruitful harvest, even in an unlikely place, if we don't try to evangelize.

God spreads the seed and the water everywhere in today's readings. God never stops sowing, and He always gets results (Is 55:11). The Lord doesn't go by what is on the surface (see 1 Sm 16:7). We must do the same, and sow the Word of God in all places, even those that seem unlikely for success.

Prayer:-- Father, I will spread Your Word at all times, whether convenient or inconvenient (2 Tm 4:2).
Promise:-- "I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing compared to the glory to be revealed in us." -Rm 8:18
Parable of the Sower  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znIBoSHEr48&feature=player_embedded

7/9/11

Remembering Father John Randall

Fr. John Randall

Remembering Father John Randall


BY ROBERT BURNS

7/7/11

On June 18th we laid to rest Father John Randall, a friend to thousands of us in Rhode Island, New England, the USA, and the world.

As I attended Father Jake’s wake Friday afternoon, his Memorial Mass Friday evening, and his Concelebrated Funeral Mass Saturday morning at St. Charles, I was struck with a plethora of emotions, some profound theological insights, and some reminiscence that helped me clarify who Father truly was.

I had the privilege of being with Father at his dear friend’s birthday party, Rene Plante, on May 23. Another dear friend, former State Representative, William McKenna, had organized the gathering since Rene needs assisted living. It was a happy gathering and Father Jake gave a beautiful Grace before the dinner and his Grace reflected his love for the Holy Spirit, his love for our Lady, and his love for his friend, Rene. As Father prayed, no one would have thought he was battling his own health concerns. All of us in attendance will always cherish that last dinner with Father. I thought of Jesus as we gathered around Father Jake and how we were his disciples.

As I walked in the long line going into Father’s wake, I met people whom I had not seen for years. So many of us grew up in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and several things bonded us all together: our Catholic faith, our attendance at Father’s prayer meetings on Thursday night at St. Charles, listening to Father’s Spirit and the Word radio program, Bethany Nights on Saturday evenings with Father and Musician Jon Polce, and of course many Pro Life gatherings at St. Charles. Through it all there was Father, instructing us, guiding us, and praying for and with us. So many of those people whom I loved return to St. Charles and it was a reunion, a celebration, and a solemn moment of respect for the priest who had shaped so many of us in our faith. We had all come home and Father gathered us once again.

As I listened to Deacon Jose recall his thoughts about Father on Friday evening, I was struck by his focus on Father’s constant praying. And, when I listened to Father Robert Randall recall his thoughts on his brother, I was struck by Father’s Catholic upbringing, the Randall family’s praying, especially the family rosary, and also what Father Robert said about his brother’s opinion on Pentecost: “My brother thought we prepared well as Catholics for Christmas and Easter, but we were neglectful in preparing for Pentecost. My brother prayed all night before his last Pentecost and then did an all day teaching at St. Philip’s with the People of God’s Love.” As I listened to Father Robert, I could hear Father Jake’s voice and also the voice of our Blessed Lord. Like Jesus, Father was a great preacher. How lucky we all were to have listened to him.

I also want to recall three personal incidents about Father that shall never leave me. I was in an automobile accident one Thanksgiving. A drunk driver hit me on Route 195 and it was a miracle I was not killed. One month after the accident, I developed vertigo, and for the next two years I could not go anywhere without being dizzy and losing my balance. I was at my wits end one day and went to Mass at St. Charles. Father knew something was not right. I asked him to pray over me. The next day the vertigo was gone and my two-year trial of dizziness was over. Father’s prayers were always powerful and produced many healings. During our Pro-Life gatherings, we had many friends who were defending unborn babies all over the USA. These courageous and faith-filled people were often detained and many were put in prisons. I received phone calls from Father on our friends who needed help. Several were detained in Connecticut and Father called me and asked me to help one in particular, Tom. I picked up Tom and Father said something to me I shall never forget: “Don’t worry about a thing Bobby. I sent the Holy Spirit to guide you, give you the words you need to handle any situation, and to protect you from any further persecution.” Just as Father predicted, the Holy Spirit guided our every step. And the final situation was when my Mom died a few years ago. I had mentioned to Father she was failing and he knew she needed prayers and so did I. The Friday before she died I asked the Lord for guidance to help and protect her and Father came walking in and for the next three hours he prayed over Mom. She knew he was there and she was given great peace and many graces from Father’s visit. Before Father left he said to Mom: “You are in good hands Mary and you have nothing to worry about. He is with you.” Father turned to me and said: “She is now ready and the Lord will decide everything.” Mom died the following Tuesday and I had peace because of Father’s counsel, prayers, and assurance.

There are hundreds of stories about Father that many can recall. Just to see so many bishops and priests and people at his Mass made me realize that we lost a giant in our church. I think it was fitting that Jon Polce sang one of Father’s favorite songs during the funeral, “Rejoice, The Lord Is Risen!” And when Jon finished singing I could hear Jesus saying, “Well done, Jake, my good and faithful servant. Enter into the House of my Father.”

Robert Burns, of Cranston, is a professor at Bridgewater State College and was a friend of the late Father John Randall.

Fr. John Randall, A Great Man of God

Fr. John Randall

A great man of God
7/7/11

TO THE EDITOR: I'd like to thank the RI Catholic for referencing the homily delivered at Fr. John Randall's funeral Mass by his brother Fr. Bob Randall. It was an eloquent and wonderful description of Fr. John's life as a person and priest.

So many, including myself, were touched spiritually by this great man of God. What always struck me was his great ability to relate to the meek, the rich, the poor, the uneducated, and the intellectual, all in the same way, with great love and Christ-like understanding. I truly pray he will become an official saint of the church one day. There are many tributes to him on-line at the Providence Journal obituary section.

It is amazing and edifying to read these and to see how the grace of God was so often manifested through this holy priest of God. He was rightly referred to as one of the "legendary priests of the Diocese of Providence" in the RI Catholic editorial. And yes, he will be sadly missed, and always thought of with great affection by the many whose lives were touched by the Holy Spirit working so wonderfully through him. God bless and keep you Fr. Randall. We will never forget you.

Doreen M. Ciancaglini MD
North Providence

Daily Grace: The Song of Trust

Jesus sends out the 12 apostles.

Daily Grace: The Song of Trust: "'Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16 I hear your wor..."

7/8/11

Visionaries pray Magnificat at 30th Anniversary celebrations of Medjugorje phenomenon.


Visionaries pray Magnificat at 30th Anniversary celebrations of Medjugorje phenomenon.

7/5/11

Medjugorje 30th Anniversary in Pictures


Medjugorje 30th Anniversary in Pictures

http://www.medjugorje.com/medjugorje-today/current-information/1141-30th-anniversary-pictures.html

What has been happening in Medjugorje around the 30th anniversary of the apparitions...

source-medjugorje com

7/3/11

The Sun in Medjugorje - 30th Anniversary - June 2011




Dear friends:
These are photos taken this past week at the 30th Anniversary of the Apparitions at Medjugorje. They were taken by a friend in my group (not by me), with her very basic mobile. It is spectacular those of the dancing sun. In one of them we can see a red dove…
The lady who took the photos was astonished because it was her 1st pilgrimage to Medjugorje. She is still wondering why her…Please be aware that they are not fake. I was standing next to her when she took the photos with her mobile.
Maria Vallejo Nagera

7/2/11

Our Lady of Medjugorje’s July 2, 2011 apparition to Mirjana

Mirjana Soldo

Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje’s July 2, 2011 Message


Given to Mirjana on the Day for Non-Believers

Our Lady of Medjugorje’s July 2, 2011 apparition to Mirjana took place at the Blue Cross. Pilgrims from all over the world were gathering as early as 10 PM the night before. Rosaries and singing took place throughout the night. In spite of a few sprinkles, the pilgrims stayed and continued to pray and sing, in preparation for the visit of the Queen of Peace. Medjugorje visionary Mirjana arrived shortly after 8:30 A.M. One could see the anticipation in Mirjana of a longing to see Our Lady. Several times Mirjana was seen as though she were trying to catch her breath and compose herself as she awaited Our Lady. Our Lady came around 8:45 A.M. and the apparition lasted about 5 minutes. Following is Our Lady of Medjugorje’s message of July 2, 2011 given on the day for nonbelievers:

*“Dear children; today I call you to a difficult and painful step for your unity with my Son. I call you to complete admission and confession of sins, to purification. An impure heart cannot be in my Son and with my Son. An impure heart cannot give the fruit of love and unity. An impure heart cannot do correct and just things; it is not an example of the beauty of God’s love to those who surround it and to those who have not come to know that love. You, my children, are gathering around me full of enthusiasm, desire and expectations, and I implore the Good Father to, through the Holy Spirit, put my Son – faith, into your purified hearts. My children, obey me, set out with me.”

As Our Lady was leaving, to Her left She showed darkness and to Her right a Cross in golden light.

It was stated that Mirjana believes that Our Lady was showing the difference between a clean heart and an unclean heart. Mirjana also stated that Our Lady blessed all our religious objects and prayed for priests.

7/1/11

Bishop Tobin Defends Marriage says, ‘God will … pass judgment upon our state’

Bishop Thomas Tobin

Rhode Island passes gay civil unions: bishop says, ‘God will … pass judgment upon our state’

by Christine Dhanagom

Thu Jun 30, 2011 16:14 EST
PROVIDENCE, June 30, 2011

 (LifeSiteNews.com) – “Can there be any doubt that Almighty God will, in His own time and way, pass judgment upon our state, its leaders and citizens, for abandoning His commands and embracing public immorality?” That was how Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin reacted to today’s passage of legislation approving homosexual civil unions in Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island Senate approved the final version of the bill by a vote of 21 to 16. Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who advocated the legalization of homosexual “marriage” in his inaugural address, is expected to sign it into law.

The bill was passed by the House in May and made it through the Senate without amendment, despite opposition from both sides of the issue.

Homosexual advocacy organizations have objected to the legislation because it includes a provision protecting religious entities, including hospitals and schools, from being forced to recognize the legal standing of same-sex unions.

Martha Holt, Board Chair of Marriage Equality Rhode Island, called the bill “hurtful and ill-conceived,” and asked the Governor to veto it, in a statement released today.

Defenders of traditional marriage, however, argue that the provision does not go far enough to protect people of faith.

“By not extending these protections to individuals the Senate has put at risk the myriad of small businesses and practices run by people of faith,” read a National Organization for Marriage blog post. “These voters do not have the resources to defend against lawsuits and as such are left with the tragic choice of betraying their faith or risking their livelihoods.”

The organization also warned that because the bill does not include a definition of marriage, it has “opened the door for the courts of Rhode Island to redefine marriage without a vote of the people.”

For his part, Bishop Tobin expressed his deep disappointment, saying, “The concept of civil unions is a social experiment that promotes an immoral lifestyle, is a mockery of the institution of marriage as designed by God, undermines the well-being of our families, and poses a threat to religious liberty.”

The bishop stressed that the “Church continues to have respect and love for persons with same-sex attraction.” However, he said, “the Church reminds its members that homosexual activity is contrary to the natural law and the will of God and, therefore, is objectively sinful.”

He warned that “Catholics may not participate in civil unions,” and should they do so it would be “seriously sinful.”

MY BE-LOVED


BE-LOVED

"Beloved, let us love one another because love is of God." -1 John 4:7

God calls us "beloved" (1 Jn 4:7, 11). This not only means that He loves us; it also means that He loves us every moment forever. We can live on in His love (Jn 15:10). "Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword" cannot separate us from God's love (Rm 8:35).

 We can be perfectly secure in God's love and be "certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord" (Rm 8:38-39).

In this permanent state of being perfectly and infinitely loved by Love Himself (see 1 Jn 4:16), we are transformed into "more than conquerors" (Rm 8:37). Because we are beloved to this "breadth and length and height and depth" (Eph 3:18), we live lives of constant thanksgiving (see Lk 7:42, 47) and perfect joy (Jn
 15:11).

 Even the worst series of tragedies is dwarfed by the awesome reality of being God's beloved. We have been loved into life, new life, and eternal life. Experiencing God's incarnate, personal, crucified, and glorified love for us, we "attain to the fullness of God Himself" (Eph 3:19). Choose to live forever in His love. Be beloved.

Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, on this day of prayer for the sanctification of priests, penetrate the hearts of priests so that they will know and proclaim Your love.
Promise: "Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart." -Mt 11:29
Praise: Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.