peek a boo

my pic

VEE:  Wow, I just came across this picture while going through old photos of my time in Japan.  I didnt know she was there.  I didnt know who she was.  I was a Catholic in name only and I only went to Mass that Sunday because my mom was visiting and she wanted to go.  Therese was there, always there, with me even when I didnt know and thought I was a long way from God.  The significance of this photo is very difficult to convey.  No matter what, God is with us, His saints are with us whether we want them there or not, whether we care or know or not.  They are always drawing us ever closer to Him even though we may not notice or it maybe very painful it is ultimately for our own good.  I didnt love Therese first, she loved me and if I have a certain sense of humor to her that others may find difficult to understand thats because it is sibling rivalry and humor between sisters.  Therese being the sister I try to disown but who never goes away!!! LOLOLOLOLOL

The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

Today the Church celebrates the Assumption of Mary.  We, as Catholics, believe that the Almighty God would not allow the body which bore His Son to suffer any decay.  Tradition tells us that Mary died and was placed in a sepulchre.  When the Apostles went back to the place where she was laid, she was gone.  They believed that she had been assumed into heaven, body and soul.  This explains why there is no burial place for Mary designated anywhere, nor are there relics of the Virgin.  Some Catholics believe that Mary did not really die, but that she just "fell asleep."  On this day, they remember the "Dormition" of Mary.  Since the very beginnings of the Church, the story of what happened to Mary was passed down, discussed and believed.  It wasn't until 1950 when the Pope proclaimed it a Dogma of the Church---a part of the Deposit of Faith which encompasses the totality of  belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.

© Bridgeman Art Library / Narodni Galerie, Prague, Czech Republic / Giraudon

What is beautiful about the Assumption, is that God did not want the body of His Mother to decay.  This shows us the great dignity we must show our mortal bodies.  In a time when even some Catholics believe that certain immodest fashions are acceptable, where the world at large is becoming more complacent toward degenerate behaviors, and where fornication and deviant sex is the norm, the message of the Assumption may be lost.   All that God has created is beautiful, and everything He has given us in our bodies is glorious.  We are temples of the Holy Spirit.  The Almighty God DWELLS within us.   We are His beloved people, and we have every reason to revere what He has made in us.  It is only to our own ruin that we abuse our bodies in such a way as to allow impurity to molest us. 

The Assumption also points us to the fact that, although we will die, we will be risen from the dead on the last day, in our glorious form, both body and soul and dwell with Christ forever in eternity.

Happy Solemnity to you all! 

Maksymilian Maria Kolbe

Today the Holy Church celebrates the life of St. Maximilian Marie Kolbe, known as the martyr of charity. He is called such because he died for the life of a fellow prisoner, Franciszek Gajowniczek, in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Franciszek was chosen by the Nazis as one of ten men destined for the starvation bunker in retaliation for two prisoners escaping. The man begged for mercy, exclaiming he was a husband and father. St. Max stepped out of line (a move that could get you killed,) approached the Nazi leaders and asked to take Franciszek's place. When they discovered St. Max was a priest, the trade was made. Witnesses say that St. Max prayed with the prisoners, said Mass in the bunker, gave them all last rites, and gave them as much consolation as one can give in such a hellish place. After two weeks, everyone was dead but St. Max. The Nazis then injected him with carbolic acid to kill him. His remains were burned in the giant stoves of the camp. 

Franciszek survived Auschwitz and lived for another 53 years.

A few years back, I was in Libertyville, Illinois at the Shrine that is dedicated to St. Max's memory. I saw a few of the locks of his hair that the prisoners of Auschwitz were able to save. These relics are on display. Even though this is all we have left of his person, St. Max left us a more powerful example of the love we are to have for our fellow man.

"Greater love hath no man, than to lay down his life for his friends."---Jesus Christ

Dzien Dobry!

Today is Monday August 13, 2012

On this day in history:

1917

The visionaries of Our Lady of Fatima were kidnapped by the provincial administrator and threatened with death if they did not come out and admit the apparitions were a lie.  The provincial administrator was a freemason and anti-Catholic.  The children would not say such a thing, because it wasn't a lie.  One by one the administrator took the children out to be "burned alive in hot scalding oil."  When the last child was taken out of the interrogation room, supposedly to die, she was surprised to find the other two very much alive in their jail cells.  The administrator had tried to trick them into lying, but it did not work.  The jailhouse was besieged by thousands, shouting for the release of the children. The administrator had no choice but to let the children go.  Our Lady appeared to them on the Feast of the Assumption, since the children could not be at the Cova on the 13th.

Catholic quote of the day:

“Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.”---Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Picture of the day:

Political cartoon of the day:

©Copyright 2012Randy Bish - All Rights Reserved

Music video of the day:

Word of the day

fallow:  not in use

example:  Do not allow your Bible to lie fallow, for "ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."



Memento Mori

Remember death.

VEE:  Recently I had to help a friend clean up the apartment of their relative.  This relative is not dead yet, however due to poor health will never be able to live on their own again.  Their hospitalization occurred suddenly, so the apartment was left with this person not knowing they would never be back.

People in general tend to care about stuff and gather all kinds of items around them but there will come a time in each of our lives when we will be parted from that stuff, and other people will be cleaning up and throwing out that stuff.  Now is the time to clean up your life.  Clean it up physically and spiritually.  Put things in order, especially with God by going to Confession and amending your life.

People stash things away in corners of drawers and the back of closet shelves etc and they do this spiritually too but there is nothing that is hidden that will remain hidden from God.  He knows it now and you arent fooling anyone.  What you even do online counts to God both the good and the bad.  The bad you need to confess and stop doing it.  Clean up your life and be blameless before God.  

Feast of St Teresa Benedicta

VEE: Lucky for her when Edith Stein entered Carmel around age 40 (I forget exactly) there were no age limits at the convent.  Still now most Carmels dont worry about age for those who are truly called.  "Jesus recognizes a Carmelite by her heart" as Bl Elizabeth of the Trinity wrote one time and it is true.  St Teresa Benedicta did not die in Carmel nor in her habit.  She died in a Nazi gas chamber, habitless, with her sister.

I wonder about her life in the regular world for the roughly ten years of time between when she felt called and finally entered.  She worked, and spent some time living with Dominicans because of her job.  Surely this was the most difficult and trying part of her life!  But ten years between the ages of 30-40 must be difficult.  How many of her peers were married and raising families?  Men must have been interested in her but having felt the call she wouldve known that none of them were the Jesus she wanted to belong to.  Were her friends and family understanding or were there a few who would ask" when are you getting married?"  Did they wonder if she had same sex attraction disorder?  After years of waiting was it difficult for her to give up her successful job?

St Teresa Benedicta can see too lofty for me at times however what is easier to understand is her love of God and love of others.  Carmelites do not live for themselves.

9:02pm our time

67 years ago, or 11:02am Japan time "fat man" was detonated over Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki while Mass was going on. 

before

after

 

Mary (wooden statue)

 

rosaries from the Cathedral

Happy Feast of St. Dominic!

flockdraw image by DS

DS:   Today is the feast day of my spiritual father, St. Dominic de Guzman.  He founded the Order of Preachers in order to stop the Albigensian heresy that was infiltrating the Church and stealing souls away from God.  He began first with founding a cloister of women to serve his mission through intense prayer.  Ten years would pass before the fruits of that prayer came in the form of his first followers: monks who were given the permission to preach to the masses.  They proved to be highly successful, as the Albigensians returned to the Catholic church in droves.  (Also, do you know of any Albigensians today?)

flockdraw image by DS

St. Dominic was a chosen soul.  He was born with this special mission from the Almighty God.  His mother, Bl. Jane D'Aza had a dream while pregnant with Dominic.  She dreamed she gave birth to a dog, and this little dog carried a flame in his mouth.  As soon as he was free, he ran throughout the world, catching it on fire.  The symbolism of that dream was played out throughout Dominic's life.  The name Dominic is a play on the Latin phrase which means "Hound of God."  Another occurance of his birth, was a strange and mysterious light emanating from his forehead. From the beginning, he displayed intelligence and a desire to serve God with his life.  He was first a Canon Regular of the Diocese of Osma.  It was on a trip to Rome along with his Bishop Diego that he realized how terrible the heresy of Albigensians had grown, and how much he desired to save their souls.  With the permission of the Pope Innocent III, through the help of Bishop Diego, Dominic set about on his work to evangelize those fallen away from the Catholic church.

I love St. Dominic, his zeal and his love for the Church.  Today, his Order of Preachers extends throughout the world.  There are nuns in cloisters, active Sisters, monks, priests and Bishops who wear the precious habit of St. Dominic and carry out his mission, which is more than ever needed in today's world.

not my picture

athletes

VEE:  As the Olympics are on there is a big deal made over various athletes.  They can go higher, faster, and are stronger than anyone else.  They train for hours every day for weeks months and years.  They show us what humans can accomplish athletically when they put their minds to it and are celebrated for it.  The first place prize, the gold medal, is so sought after that people will even resort to cheating.

This applies to any sport as well.  Think of the famous basketball, baseball, football, and soccer players.  They are paid millions of dollars and admired because they can hit throw or kick a ball well, but all of that is physical not spiritual.  One may spend all that time training their body but what matters is the spiritual, especially for Catholics.  We are members of the Church Christ founded and to whom much is given much is expected.  We are to be top notch, the best of the best, not luke warm, second best, lazy, fence sitters.  We have to challenge each other to be better even when others don't want to hear it.  We arent perfect but we are to try our hardest to be and we have the saints to follow, the spiritual athletes that show us how.  If it  seems too hard its because its supposed to be.  Nothing in this life is easy.

DS:  The road to paradise is very narrow and Jesus says, "blessed are those who find it."  The athletes on display at the Olympics are the finished product of years of sacrifice and suffering.  These young men and women worked through toil and pain to make their bodies the machines they are today.  The same goes for the soul.  You can't just sit lazy doing absolutely nothing and be saved.  Jesus Christ says just because you cry "Lord, Lord" does not guarantee you paradise, but you must do the will of His Father in heaven.  What is this will?  It is walking that narrow road.  It is not paved but rocky.  It is not straight but twisted and steep and scary.  It isn't comfortable.  You will trip and fall. You will taste fear and anxiety, sadness and joy.  You will reach heights only to be brought low again.  The narrow road is the way of the Christian.  It is the way of Love Himself.  And Love demands sacrifice.  

"Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.  How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life:   and few there are that find it!" (Matthew 7:13-14 douay-rheims)