GREAT Friday

What a paradox this day in history is: a gruesome death, yet a defeat that leads to everlasting life. A sure stumbling block for some to comprehend.

The Passion gets glossed over too much, because we're quick to look to the Resurrection or we hang crosses in our homes without the Corpus. We don't want to see our Savior depicted in this manner, because it's easier to ignore the reality of the event. When we do this, we fail to acknowledge the Cross and how Christ Crucified suffered for our fallen humanity.

"Keep your eyes on the crucifix, for Jesus without the cross is a man without a mission, and the cross without Jesus is a burden without a reliever."
Archbishop Fulton Sheen

"Sumite: hoc est corpus meum"

A happy Holy Thursday to everyone to begin their Easter Triduum. A reminder to all that the last will be first and that we're here to serve.

May the Lord bless you and keep you; may His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may He look upon you kindly and give you His peace.

"The First Dream"

My attraction to Don Bosco really started after I talked to a Priest friend about some vivid dreams I was having nearly five years ago. Don Bosco's "First Dream" was when he was 9, so I guess at age 27, my "prophetic" dreams were a little late.

Let's first look at what the Catechism has to say about dreams...

CCC 67 reads:
Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.

Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such "revelations."

So now that my post has been prefaced, I can save myself from being lumped in with cults since nothing revealed to me was in contradiction to the Word...

I remember it being such a peaceful sleep. I didn't feel as if I was dreaming and I didn't feel awake. It was definitely another dimension if you will. I found myself in a mist of gray. I couldn't even see myself or where I was at, as if in a cloud on a rainy day. No sound.

After a bit, I noticed I was in a small rowboat in the middle of an open body of water. I could only see about 15 feet in front of me and beyond that, more gray. No sound, but the ringing you hear when there is perfect silence.

It felt like hours on the rowboat when the clouds began to disperse. From the clouds came a figure and finally: color. The absolute whitest horse began approaching with the most stunning mane of white hair. On the horse was a great man of stature, bigger than anything I had ever seen. He had a long white robe, long flowing gray hair, and a long beard. As they got closer, I remember feeling elated, as if everything was going to get better.

The man and horse kept their distance and at once the horse leaned back on its hind legs and unleashed the loudest sound - so loud I couldn't hear. I only felt the power of the horse's "growl". While on its hind legs, as commanded, the man reached up into the sky with what I now saw was a scepter. Still no color. He touched the sky and from where he touched, the most radiant sun appeared. Blinding. I couldn't see.

The sound and light faded and when I raised my eyes, they now approached even closer, standing above me. The man took the scepter and rested it on my shoulder and at once, I began to see color.

A grin of assurance from the man and they departed.

The clouds began to disappear, the sun was brightly shining, and the water was blue. I was no longer in the rowboat, but now hovering above the water. I now saw other boats in the water, which I approached. The boats had people in them. The boats, the people - all gray with gloom in their faces. I then touched them with my hand and color and joy entered the boat as if I brought life to them. The most vivid memory I had was that of a boat containing a man and a woman. When I touched them, a child appeared in their arms and they were filled with so much love and affection.

My alarm goes off.

Alright, at this point I am MORE than freaked out. I think I stared at my alarm clock for about 5 minutes, wondering what was going on. I took me forever to get ready for work that morning and even walking to work, I remained in a daze. As expected, I began retracing my night. I didn't go out. I had no alcohol. Believe it or not, I had not read - or seen - The Lord of the Rings at this point in my life. I didn't even read Revelation before I went to sleep. So what was it?

Are you ready for the conclusion?

It was some months later when my girlfriend at the time introduced me to her good friend and her husband. We attended a class reunion together and that night it was revealed to me that they had been trying for some time to conceive. The next day we all attended Mass together and I noticed how closely they held each other and how their pain was evident. After Mass we were parting ways (her husband was heading off on a hunting trip) and I had this uncontrollable urge to place my hand on this girl's lower abdomen.
Well, I didn't. What struck me first was the thought of touching a woman I barely knew in such a manner and what would've struck me next would've been her husband's fist!

A month later I found out they conceived and since they were practicing NFP, they knew when it happened...


...the day the husband left on the hunting trip.

Pope Obama I

Oh, Barack, but you ARE less Christian for thinking abortion and same-sex marriage is ok.

This kind of stuff boggles my mind. Anything OPPOSED to life is anti-Christian. End of discussion.
The absolute nerve of Senator Obama to "interpret" the Sermon on the Mount for allowing same-sex unions. Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!

How we can allow someone to murder a human being is so foreign to me. The "unfit" being destroyed has been carried out by so many dictatorial monsters in the past. I don't know how so many people in our society are blind to this Nazi-like treatment.
We're talking about a HUMAN BEING here. People like to argue that at such an early age, it really isn't a human life - that is, until it's "born" from its mother's womb.
Well what in the world is it? A toaster oven?

NO.

It's a HUMAN LIFE; not a choice. Calling a child a choice really disarms the facts.


I hate politics, but when the state of our country hangs in the balance of a couple of "Christians" (Obama & Clinton) who think the Bible - and Christ - approve same sex marriage and abortion, I absolutely have to point out heresy.

Let us pray for Obama, Hillary, and all those deceived by the lies of the Evil One.


Here's a great blog about politics and religion in general.

Body and Blood

I previously examined the effects of "consuming" something. In coming to that conclusion, I reflected upon what occurs when we consume Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

As human beings, we could say that we're 50% from our father and 50% from our mother - give or take some percent based on physical traits, etc.
We could also say the same for Christ, even though he was 100% human and 100% divine.

We know his biological mother was Mary and his biological father was the Holy Spirit.
Since the Spirit was not "flesh" - the flesh of the Holy Trinity being Christ - could we then say that Christ, for all intents and purposes, is biologically Mary; that his DNA, blood type, etc., is solely derived from his mother?

In these assumptions, when we receive the Body of Christ, are we not also receiving the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy?
If at some time we didn't exist, but needed our mother and father to become "one" so that we could come into existence, then we can establish that we in fact inherit the genetic make-up of our parents.

And is it not so with our Redeemer?
As if it's not enough to receive all the graces we do when receiving the Eucharist, we also receive Mary. The Son of God and the Mother of God literally dwell within us. How beautiful and most assuring that not only do we literally become the Son and Mother of Man, but as they are in the Father, we also become what we were destined for: divinity.


And so my inaudible prayer during the Consecration has been:

Flesh and Blood of Mary
Spirit of God
Come to me
Remain in me
Transform me.

PA for Marriage Event

Last night I had the honor to attend a fund raiser for Pennsylvania for Marriage - a non-profit organization committed to passing PA Senate Bill 1250 (SB 1250) in order to preserve marriage as an institution for men and women.
Let's all pray for this to pass, as many states are allowing civil unions, equaling homosexual union to that of a marriage between one man and one woman.

There were a lot of "movers and shakers" there, including Senator Rick Santorum, Maggie Gallagher, and PA Senator Mike Brubaker (sponsor for SB 1250).
(Keep Rick and family in prayers, as his wife is expecting Baby #8...)

It was nice to talk to some of these people. Santorum is very nice - very passionate about life persevering - but my observation was this: everyone there liked to talk.

One man stood out. He made sure he talked to every single person - and he listened. He really listened.

Not sure why anyone would be surprised to know it was Justin Cardinal Rigali.

I love the man. Always have. He is a very holy man and is at the forefront of defending life in this country. Truly one of my role models.
And there he was, as usual (this being the 4th time I've spoken to the man) asking about my wife and daughter, making sure he knew our names, as if to catalog it to pray for us.

And so it was on the drive home where I felt God speaking to me, yet again. A time when my prayer life is suffering from launching a new career. Through it, He is still reaching out to me. No reservations. All He asks is to be open to His grace.

I really felt He placed "poverty" and "humility" on my heart.
Cardinal Rigali bled these traits last night. He listened, while everyone else talked.
So it is by the Lord's calling that I - and all of us - need to listen more. To humble ourselves before everyone we meet. To become the "smallest" person in the room.

We must decrease. He must increase.


And again, my heart is filled with so much love and adoration for our Triune Godhead.

Blessings to you on all.

BLOGOUT 002

Many blessings to some dear friends who got married in India on February 01, 2008. Keep checking EWTN, they'll probably have their own show in a year or two.

PETRA SUPER PETRAM

What do...

...I have in common with Pope Benedict XVI???



We'll both be in Yankee Stadium on Sunday, April, 20th for Mass!

It's official: I got a ticket to go! Ahhhhh!!!!!

The Archdiocese got over 12,000 requests for 3,000 tickets. Pretty slim chance, but someone wanted me to go! Link

My wife saw him in Cologne for World Youth Day, so now it's my time. This is awesome.

Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes everyone!

MAHATMA

It took many years, but I finally got to watch Gandhi. I thought it was a really good movie and Ben Kingsley was just amazing in it.

Two lines really stuck out in my mind, both of which may never have been said:

1. When Gandhi and fellow Charlie Andrews - a Protestant minister - were traveling across India, Andrews joined other Indians atop the train car they were in, because it was too crowded below.
As Andrews was about to take in the wonderful views of Indian countryside, an Indian engaged him in conversation:

"Are you a Christian?"
Andrews replied, "Yes, yes I am."

"I know a Christian woman."

Andrews shakes his head in acknowledgment.

"She drinks blood.

"Blood of Christ. Every Sunday."


Hilarious! Gotta love those "carnivorous" Catholics...


2. While touring the conditions of his home country and seeing how destitute some Indians were, he was imprisoned for "disturbing the peace." Andrews visited him and seeing him in only a loincloth, asked him if they (the guards) had taken his clothes.

Gandhi, referring to his countrymen, replied, "If I want to be one with them, I have to live like them."


Reminded me of that other person who clothed himself as his brothers and sisters...

For to everyone who has, more will be given...

Ahh, Matthew 25:29.
This didn't have extraordinary meaning in my life until two separate instances made me dwell on it.

I recall talking to two friends - ironically both live or have lived in Germany - and telling them how 2007 was such an amazing year for me and how I didn't expect 2008 to be quite the same. It was then I was thumped with some Scripture. My buddy "Donderbolt" said to me, "Nah, for those who have, more will be given." He said it with such certainty, that I began to start believing whole-heartedly in this.
Well, 2008 has afforded me a wonderful opportunity: I have since started two companies, both of which allow me to work from home...and less.

I am so convinced that if we put God and family first, we cannot ever outdo Him in generosity. How do I know this?
I have struggled ever since getting married with the idea that man leaves his home for approximately 10 hours to go "to work." If we count 8 hours for sleep, that leaves 6 hours to take the trash out, clean the house, get groceries, and oh yeah.....spend time with the family.

I decided to revolt.

I sold my share of my company off in December and decided my focus would be the home. I resolved to work from home and let the Lord find me a new career.
Well, I am now working from home. My wife's now a homemaker and our daughter will see her parents.
Praise God!


...More has been given...


Are you ready to revolt?



(Disclaimer: The above was greatly discerned through much prayer and penance.)