Spiritual Moment by Padre Pio

Don't waste energy on things that generate worry, anxiety and anguish.
Only one thing is necessary:
Lift up your spirit and love God.

Padre Pio

The Purity of Soul Necessary for Holy Communion

Hat tip to Sue.

"For Catholics to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in Holy
Communion while in the state of mortal sin (having committed a mortal or
grave sin which has not been confessed and forgiven in Sacramental
Confession) is itself a mortal sin --- a mortal sin of Sacrilege." So writes Fr. Stefano Manelli.

What is there to say about the great purity of soul with which the saints approached to receive the bread of Angels? We know that they had a great delicacy of conscience which was truly angelic. Aware of their own misery, they tried to present themselves to Jesus "holy and immaculate," (Eph. 1:4) repeating with the Republican , "O God, be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13), and having recourse with great care to the cleansing of Confession.

To read what other saints have to say about this CLICK HERE

Understanding Medjugorje

Book cover courtesy of Theotokos

In a previous post CLICK HERE TO READ, I shared with you Francis Phillips' review of the Donal Foley book Understanding Medjugorje

When I received the book, which Mr. Foley helped me obtain in the United States and a big mahalo to him for that, I was determined to read the book with an open mind.

Prior to learning of this particular book, there were times I believed in the apparitions I say that because, although I have never felt any draw to the Gospa's appearances there, I personally knew many people, including a priest who is very orthodox when it comes to church teachings, and friends who were brought back to the fold because of Medjugorje. All of these people "reverted" back to the Catholic faith because of Medjugorje. Even my own dear mom was a devotee of these apparitions and every since the 80's, she was determined to bring one of my brothers there to help his conversion.

So you see, I had no reason to doubt the apparitions. Yet I didn't believe wholeheartedly.

Donal Foley's book is written in a matter of fact way. He was not a harsh critic nor did he condemn the apparitions. He laid out the facts for the reader step-by-step. The followers and supporters have certain arguments as to why they believe these apparitions to be genuine. Mr. Foley counters each one of these arguments with logical explanations and questions.

Another way of presenting the argument against these apparitions was by comparing Mary's messages and the behavior of these visionaries to a true and church approved apparition such as that of Fatima and the seers there, the little shepherd children.


The book Understanding Medjugorge is highly recommended reading.
For another commentary of the Medjugorje apparitions, please see Mary Ann Kreitzer's article which can be FOUND HERE

Mother Teresa - The Movie

Poster courtesy of Olivia Hussey Online


Recently a friend emailed me a lovely powerpoint presentation of Mother Teresa. It was full of her beautiful and thought provoking quotes. If you would like to see it, please feel free to emai me and I will be glad to send it to you.

Which brings me to a wonderful movie my family and I watched tonight. It was a story on the life of Mother Teresa starting from her life as a schoolteacher in India to the end of her life.

She is portrayed in the movie by actress Olivia Hussey. Some of you may remember her as the Mother of Jesus in the movie Jesus of Nazareth.

Ms. Hussey does an incredible job of bringing Mother Teresa to life for us. She somehow captured Mother's mannerisms and with a little help of make-up, she looked a little like dear Mother Teresa...but not quite.

My family strongly recommends that if you have an opportunity to watch this movie, do so with your entire family. The only fault we found with the movie was the it went along very well from beginning, capturing the viewers attention. However, during the end, it is rushed to conclude. Still , worthwhile to see.

Only Two Defining Forces

Mahalo to Judie for sharing this with me.




Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American G.I.

Jesus died for your soul, the G.I. for your freedom.

Thank them both today.

Humor Break - The Gates of Heaven

This one came from both John and Lloyd. Thanks Gentlemen!

After a long illness, a woman died and arrived at the Gates of Heaven. While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked through the Gates. She saw a beautiful banquet table. Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had loved and who had died before her. They saw her and began calling greetings to her -- "Hello" "How are you! We've been waiting for you!" "Good to see you."

When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him, "This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?"

"You have to spell a word," Saint Peter told her.

"Which word?" the woman asked.

"Love."

The woman correctly spelled "Love" and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven.

About six months later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day. While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived.

"I'm surprised to see you," the woman said. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been doing pretty well since you died," her husband told her. "I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the lottery. I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a big mansion. And my wife and I traveled all around the world. We were on vacation and I went water skiing today. I fell, the ski hit my head, and here I am. How do I get in?"

"You have to spell a word," the woman told him.

"Which word?" her husband asked.

"Czechoslovakia."

The Brown Scapular and Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Picture courtesy of Mary Pages

Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Dominic, "One Day through the Rosary and Scapular, I will save the World."

"Whosoever dies clothed in this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire."

This is Mary's Promise made July 16, 1251 to Saint Simon Stock.

The devils revealed to Francis of Yepes, the brother of St. John of the Cross, that three things especially tormented them.

1. the Name of Jesus

2. the Name of Mary

3. the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. "Take off that habit," they cried to him, "which snatches so many souls from us. All those clothed in it die piously and escape us. From the Pieta Prayer Booklet

Prayer or Novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

O Beautiful flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of heave, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist me in mynecessity! (pause and mention petitions).

In you I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when burdened

with trails, and light in doubt and darkness. Dear Lady, I firmly believe that you can grant me the grace I implore.

My dearest Mary, be pleased to accept this act of prefect resignation to the decrees of your adorable heart, which I sincerely desire to be fulfilled in and by me and all God's creatures forever.

Amen

Local - Strange Happenings - Holy Ghost Bird??

Photo courtesy of NOAA

My fellow dogwalkers and I have been noticing something strange in our neighborhood. Fairy Terns hover over our dogs when we walk them in the park.

First there were one or two of them and they come very close. My dog is so low to the ground, she is oblivious to them.

The other day, there were about 6 of them and the followed us onto the street.

At first they frightened me because although these seabirds are beautiful, they are also kind of spooky-looking.

I asked a few people about them but they didn't even know what kind of birds they were. However, one of my friends did and I did a little research on the internet. Found out they are pretty harmless and if anything, they could be endangered.

But the question remains: Why do they hover over the dogs?

This is what I found out:from Celestial Visions - Fairy Tern Birds

On some tropical islands, the fairy tern is known as the Holy Ghost bird


The fairy tern is a celestial vision: Its silky plumage pure white, its slender wings translucent, its large, black-rimmed eyes the deepest midnight blue. When one hovers above you, all innocent curiosity, you can easily understand why on some tropical islands it is called the Holy Ghost bird.


Fairy terns are small, robin-sized birds with long wings. They have no natural enemies, and generally they are gentle, tame and trusting. They live on remote tropical islands in the Pacific, Indian and South Atlantic Oceans, out-of-the-way spots some people equate with paradise. With their ethereal beauty, the dainty birds fit right in.


I watched them on Bird Island, northernmost of the Seychelle Islands in the Indian Ocean. This 62-acre coral-and-sand outpost set in a turquoise sea is aptly named: Upon it nest in serried ranks nearly a million sooty terns, as well as brown and lesser noddies and about a hundred pairs of fairy terns.


Eccentric breeders, fairy terns are also called love terns. Unlike sooty terns that lay their eggs with synchronous precision during two weeks in early June, they breed at any time of year, at least in the Seychelles. One pair near my cabin was gently amorous in May: The mates sat close together on a branch and alternately preened the fine feathers on each other's faces, the preenee uttering soft, buzzing chirps of pleasure.

Dirt

Mahalo Brother John for sharing this.


God is sitting in Heaven when a scientist says to Him, "Lord, we don't need you anymore! Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what you did in the 'beginning'."

"Oh, is that so? Tell me ... " replies God.

"Well," says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of You and breathe life into it, thus creating man."

"Well, that's interesting. Show me."

So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil.

"Oh no, no, no..." interrupts God,

"Get your own dirt."

Novena to the Holy Family

Hat tip to Maureen for posting this Novena. She wrote:

It seems to me that the devil has been hitting Catholic homeschool families hard lately. I know of several families currently struggling with pending divorce. Of course, satan is always going to hit those doing the Lord's work the hardest. And we Catholic homeschoolers are doing no less than the Lord's work.

With that in mind, I hope that you all will join me in praying a novena for our Catholic homeschooling community, particularly our marriages.

NOVENA TO THE HOLY FAMILY