OK, ok - this is NOT true for all of us, but I am as guilty as the next. "No devotion tonight, Christopher, it's LATE!" Oh yes, - there will be a devotion every night. We have to plan better. We must do the family Rosary. We must pray for our world. If you don't believe me - TURN ON THE NEWS!
I am happy to report that you can make good choices and change things up - YOU can fight the devil. Pray the Rosary, do what God calls you to do. Be quiet and meditate on the word - memorize it, use it against the enemy.
Take a look at the readings from today's Mass, found HERE:
Here is the 1st Reading today:
| Zephaniah 3: 14 - 18 | |
| 14 | Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! |
| 15 | The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. |
| 16 | On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. |
| 17 | The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing |
| 18 | as on a day of festival. "I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. |
Here is the 2nd Reading today:
| Philippians 4: 4 - 7 | |
| 4 | Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. |
| 5 | Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. |
| 6 | Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. |
| 7 | And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. |
Here is the Gospel of our Lord:
| Luke 3: 10 - 18 | |
| 10 | And the multitudes asked him, "What then shall we do?" |
| 11 | And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." |
| 12 | Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" |
| 13 | And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." |
| 14 | Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages." |
| 15 | As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, |
| 16 | John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. |
| 17 | His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." |
| 18 | So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people. |
Usually, I do not find such a blatant correlation between the readings. I am sure there is some, it is all God's word, but the theme here is all the same - Thank you God for reminding us YOU are here with us... YOU are here to answer our prayers and YOU will help us understand what we need to know through Jesus your son! Amen!
Mothers wept in church today. Most mothers I know have been weeping since whatever time Friday they turned on the news. Children, like my son are asking hard questions. It is not an easy time. There are no good answers really, so we turn to prayer.
I have friends sending craft stuff to the children. I have friends sending cards and letters, getting in touch through the scouts and many other ways. As I listen to and read the news today I am stunned that someone would threaten the Catholic Church in Newtown and Mass would be evacuated today... http://news.yahoo.com/no-danger-conn-church-phoned-threat-185932850.html. When will it end? I have no words (well that are printable).
If you want to do something to help - pray this Novena for the victims: http://ourcatholiclifeofgrace.blogspot.com/2012/12/novena-for-victims-of-connecticut.html
The devil is happy for he is waging a war - and our country, founded on faith and love of fellow humanity is being raped and pillaged of it's love and innocence and faith on a daily basis.
God is NOT allowed in Schools - CHECK
God is not allowed in Government - CHECK
God it NOT allowed at Public venues - CHECK
Private, Christian businesses are legally required to do un-Christian things - CHECK
We are not allowed to praise God in sports or anywhere else, except churches. It has to stop. We can not call on God and ask where he is, if we have dismissed him, can we? Who do we think we are?
And don't tell me our forefathers were not Christian. Yes they were.
"Religion:
Lambert (2003) has examined the religious affiliations and beliefs of the Founders. Of the 55 delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, 49 were Protestants, and two were Roman Catholics (D. Carroll, and Fitzsimons). Among the Protestant delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 28 were Church of England (or Episcopalian, after the American Revolutionary War was won), eight were Presbyterians, seven were Congregationalists, two were Lutherans, two were Dutch Reformed, and two were Methodists.
A few prominent Founding Fathers were anti-clerical Christians, such as Thomas Jefferson[18][19][20] (who created the so-called "Jefferson Bible") and Benjamin Franklin.[21] Others (most notably Thomas Paine) were deists, or at least held beliefs very similar to those of deists.[22]
Historian Gregg L. Frazer argues that the leading Founders (Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Wilson, Morris, Madison, Hamilton, and Washington) were neither Christians nor Deists, but rather supporters of a hybrid "theistic rationalism".[23]"
If we live in a country founded on EVERYONE's right to believe in whatever way they do, then we need to stand up for God and what is right and find a way to work together - Democrats/Republicans/Independents, of every color and creed... we must find a way to bring peace, respect, pride and love back to our Nation in a BIG way. And I believe we have to bring GOD back to the forefront...
Here is Mike Huckabee speaking on this topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Hm7yxy4AA
I could not have said it better. Way to go sir!
Additionally, I want to point out that this man, Mr. Parker, father of young Emilie Parker, paid such a tribute to his daughter... please listen to his speech. Wow - I am so amazed at the brave, unselfish, Christian manner that he so eloquently spoke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=sino1wwm3cs
I don't think this situation in Connecticut is about Asperger's. I think there are too many people who have that who are not mass-murderers or evil! I don't think it is about what his parents may or may not have done, or about gun laws, or about anything except one man's decision to plan and implement a vile murderous rampage - that he alone should be held responsible for. We should be blaming him and only him.
Regarding gun laws... I don't know if stricter laws would stop the bad element from getting a gun. I think mostly it would stop the good people from being able to protect themselves. I do not wish to debate it though.
As for our family - we continually weed out the bad from our lives... we reframe and fortify our home/family Faith walk. We have come to know that everyone's faith journey is different - as long as you are walking with the Lord and working towards bettering your faith and strengthening your resolve, who am I to say you are wrong?!
I am so happy to be a part of a Faithful community. The Catholic Church is not afraid to speak of suffering and death... it is part of life. EMBRACE IT! Be faithful in spite of what you have been through.
I know my post was rambly, I apologize for that. But I had to get it out.
Take care and God Bless you all!
Love and hugs,
Emily
Oh, Em, I so agree. We must seek God, he will not seek us!!
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