J.M.J +
Dear Friends
I am posting to petition you to consider donating your time and prayers to help end one of the darkest evils we face today, abortion. Our family has decided to become a part of 40 Days For Life pro-life campaign and we hope yours will too. 40 Days For Life is a peaceful 40 day vigil of prayer that will take place in front of Planned Parenthood in Norwich CT as well as many other states throughout the U.S.A. If you are unable to keep an hour at PP, prayer and fasting during these 40 days from work or home is very much needed. Please feel free to pass this information on to all your friends and family and check out the video below for more info on this cause.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On9jankGqB0
I copied the following from http://www.40daysforlife.com/norwich/
This fall, from September 26 - November 4, Norwich CT will be one of 89 cities in 33 states joining together for the largest simultaneous pro-life mobilization in history -- the nationwide 40 Days for Life campaign.
We are praying that, with God's help, this groundbreaking effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our city and throughout America.
40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign that consists of:
40 days of prayer and fasting
40 days of peaceful vigil
40 days of community outreach
To obtain more information in your state please go to
http://www.40daysforlife.com/
God Bless!
The Eucharist
May the Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Getting Lost in Secularized Media
J.M.J
“The serpent asked the woman, ‘Did God really tell you not to eat form any of the trees of the garden?’… ‘You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.’ The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of it’s fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gn 3:1-7).
You know those subtle lies the devil likes to tell us, the ones which can appear at first glance as good for us and pleasing to the eyes? It is more than clear in our society they surround us each day. The television, the news, and the internet speak a language of lies and deception which often are portrayed as for the benefit of humankind. As loyal Catholics striving to be obedient to God, we are accused of being prejudice or not loving or accepting of all people. If we wish to pray we are faced with a world that does not accept prayer for fear of offending those who do not believe in God. Prayer has been replaced with “moments of silence” and God with the importance of self will. We have removed God from our world, yet we wonder where He has gone when tragedy and terror strike us down. If we view the world through the eyes of Christ and His Church, it becomes clear that the secularized media offers us nothing more than the serpent offered Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before their fall.
The secularized media has become a powerful vehicle for the anti-Gospel message in which desensitized society has become progressively and perpetually immersed. As Catholics following Christ, it is important we protect our families by filtering out inappropriate messages and media images which distort the Truth, which is Christ Himself. With our fallen nature it is easy to get caught up in the lies that media, the internet, and society tries to feed us. But when we look with open eyes, the eyes of faith, it is not so difficult to see that sin and deception are more accessible now in a technological way. It really is not surprising that the world is in such a state of turmoil, unrest, and confusion when we look at the amount of time spent engaged in the secularized media each day. Adults are no longer filtering out inappropriate content for the sake of their souls and are desensitized to the increasing corruption of the message of our times. The Good News seems to be a thing of the past and the “new” news, a norm to be accepted and enjoyed.
It is true; the message of a feel good society is wreaking havoc on the soul. Children are often left unattended to sit for hours in front of the television screen and many have their own television and internet access in their bedroom. The message they receive is one of a world without God, focused on sex, violence, greed and self importance. Young boys are learning manhood means sexual promiscuity, not purity. Young girls are learning to forgo their purity and true femininity, in hope of becoming as “equals” to their male counterparts. The result leaves us with children who have lost their innocence and are no longer living in the state of grace. We are left with children who kill one another in their own schools, those same schools which no longer offer a time for prayer or the mention of God’s name.
One cannot help but wonder what has caused our children to hate one another so much as to kill? Could it be our society has taught them well? Is not the pro-abortion message itself the message our children are modeling? This message distorting abortion to that of a “choice” and not as the killing of a human being?
My husband, son, and I recently participated in a peaceful rosary procession at a local abortion mill in Connecticut. As I prayed what kept coming into my mind was that we were indeed praying outside of the Children’s hospital. In this place which was dedicated to saving the lives of children, unborn babies lives were being taken away.
Today as we remember and pray for all of the people who died in the attack on September 11th and their families, let us ask God to please open the hearts of all Americans to receiving His grace. We pray to come to understand that a country without God is a country without true freedom, peace, and love. It is a country where our children, which are our future, remain lost. Mary Queen of Peace pray for us and our children. Please take us under your mantle of protection and love. Amen
“The serpent asked the woman, ‘Did God really tell you not to eat form any of the trees of the garden?’… ‘You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.’ The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of it’s fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gn 3:1-7).
You know those subtle lies the devil likes to tell us, the ones which can appear at first glance as good for us and pleasing to the eyes? It is more than clear in our society they surround us each day. The television, the news, and the internet speak a language of lies and deception which often are portrayed as for the benefit of humankind. As loyal Catholics striving to be obedient to God, we are accused of being prejudice or not loving or accepting of all people. If we wish to pray we are faced with a world that does not accept prayer for fear of offending those who do not believe in God. Prayer has been replaced with “moments of silence” and God with the importance of self will. We have removed God from our world, yet we wonder where He has gone when tragedy and terror strike us down. If we view the world through the eyes of Christ and His Church, it becomes clear that the secularized media offers us nothing more than the serpent offered Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before their fall.
The secularized media has become a powerful vehicle for the anti-Gospel message in which desensitized society has become progressively and perpetually immersed. As Catholics following Christ, it is important we protect our families by filtering out inappropriate messages and media images which distort the Truth, which is Christ Himself. With our fallen nature it is easy to get caught up in the lies that media, the internet, and society tries to feed us. But when we look with open eyes, the eyes of faith, it is not so difficult to see that sin and deception are more accessible now in a technological way. It really is not surprising that the world is in such a state of turmoil, unrest, and confusion when we look at the amount of time spent engaged in the secularized media each day. Adults are no longer filtering out inappropriate content for the sake of their souls and are desensitized to the increasing corruption of the message of our times. The Good News seems to be a thing of the past and the “new” news, a norm to be accepted and enjoyed.
It is true; the message of a feel good society is wreaking havoc on the soul. Children are often left unattended to sit for hours in front of the television screen and many have their own television and internet access in their bedroom. The message they receive is one of a world without God, focused on sex, violence, greed and self importance. Young boys are learning manhood means sexual promiscuity, not purity. Young girls are learning to forgo their purity and true femininity, in hope of becoming as “equals” to their male counterparts. The result leaves us with children who have lost their innocence and are no longer living in the state of grace. We are left with children who kill one another in their own schools, those same schools which no longer offer a time for prayer or the mention of God’s name.
One cannot help but wonder what has caused our children to hate one another so much as to kill? Could it be our society has taught them well? Is not the pro-abortion message itself the message our children are modeling? This message distorting abortion to that of a “choice” and not as the killing of a human being?
My husband, son, and I recently participated in a peaceful rosary procession at a local abortion mill in Connecticut. As I prayed what kept coming into my mind was that we were indeed praying outside of the Children’s hospital. In this place which was dedicated to saving the lives of children, unborn babies lives were being taken away.
Today as we remember and pray for all of the people who died in the attack on September 11th and their families, let us ask God to please open the hearts of all Americans to receiving His grace. We pray to come to understand that a country without God is a country without true freedom, peace, and love. It is a country where our children, which are our future, remain lost. Mary Queen of Peace pray for us and our children. Please take us under your mantle of protection and love. Amen
Getting Caught Up in the Web!
J.M.J
The World Wide Web, as we call it, offers a plethora of vast knowledge accessible instantaneously. We can access information in the blink of an eye and send email or text messages to family, friends, and strangers alike with the click of a button. However there can be a great danger when the Internet is used along with the mentality of the world in which we live. When the Internet is not used with the careful awareness of God’s plan for us, the Web becomes something one’s soul could certainly get tangled up into. I am growing increasingly disturbed by the many chain email message I receive in my inbox daily, most from my Catholic friends. I am sure you all know I am referring to the poems, stories, and prayers which usually end with some wish to be granted if you send out the message to 20 people standing on your head in 8 minutes while scratching your nose or else terrible evils will befall you and your family. Now I am not writing this to wag a finger at anyone who passes on these things, but I feel it uncharitable not to write about the fear and confusion which these types of messages breed. One email “prayer” chain letter I received brought great sadness to my heart. It was a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe accompanied by a prayer to have your wish granted. Under her beautiful image were threats of what can happen to the person who does not forward the message to friends and family, including an example of the death of one’s family who did not comply in the time specified. As Catholics and Christians we need to set an example for others, especially our children, what our faith really means to us. Passing on superstitious and malicious messages which detracts from the richness and beauty of our faith and especially our Blessed Mother should never be tolerated. If we do not convey to others through our words and actions how important Jesus and His Church are to us we are robbing them of an opportunity to see the splendor of our faith. It is our job to protect our faith as well as our brothers and sisters who may not understand it. Perhaps others really do not understand how these types of emails attempt to detract from God’s greatness. Perhaps they are fearful of the threats or desperate for the granted wishes in lack of a solid faith. What a wonderful opportunity to serve our Lord through reaching out to those who need us. We so often do not think of how our actions will affect other people. Everything we do or say can affect the life of others in a profound way. The bottom line comes down to this; God does not put attachments onto prayer. If we say a novena we do so in faith and anything else attached to that, such as asking you to pass it on in a specific manner has nothing to do with God. If we pass along a prayer or message it should be out of the charity of our hearts. Really, what is loving about passing on an email to your friend that threatens harm? What are you saying to that person? I can remember two chain letters I received when I was caring for my mother who was battling cancer. I am assuming they came from family or friends who were afraid of the repercussions if they did not send them on. Both specifically threatened imminent death of a close loved one if I did not comply with their distribution. As a Catholic I knew the letters were nothing but garbage however it was very hurtful to know that someone I loved, who obviously believed they were true, would send them to me with a terminally ill parent. So next time you receive one of those chain emails delete it and send your friend back something they can really pass on to others, the richness of our Catholic faith.
The World Wide Web, as we call it, offers a plethora of vast knowledge accessible instantaneously. We can access information in the blink of an eye and send email or text messages to family, friends, and strangers alike with the click of a button. However there can be a great danger when the Internet is used along with the mentality of the world in which we live. When the Internet is not used with the careful awareness of God’s plan for us, the Web becomes something one’s soul could certainly get tangled up into. I am growing increasingly disturbed by the many chain email message I receive in my inbox daily, most from my Catholic friends. I am sure you all know I am referring to the poems, stories, and prayers which usually end with some wish to be granted if you send out the message to 20 people standing on your head in 8 minutes while scratching your nose or else terrible evils will befall you and your family. Now I am not writing this to wag a finger at anyone who passes on these things, but I feel it uncharitable not to write about the fear and confusion which these types of messages breed. One email “prayer” chain letter I received brought great sadness to my heart. It was a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe accompanied by a prayer to have your wish granted. Under her beautiful image were threats of what can happen to the person who does not forward the message to friends and family, including an example of the death of one’s family who did not comply in the time specified. As Catholics and Christians we need to set an example for others, especially our children, what our faith really means to us. Passing on superstitious and malicious messages which detracts from the richness and beauty of our faith and especially our Blessed Mother should never be tolerated. If we do not convey to others through our words and actions how important Jesus and His Church are to us we are robbing them of an opportunity to see the splendor of our faith. It is our job to protect our faith as well as our brothers and sisters who may not understand it. Perhaps others really do not understand how these types of emails attempt to detract from God’s greatness. Perhaps they are fearful of the threats or desperate for the granted wishes in lack of a solid faith. What a wonderful opportunity to serve our Lord through reaching out to those who need us. We so often do not think of how our actions will affect other people. Everything we do or say can affect the life of others in a profound way. The bottom line comes down to this; God does not put attachments onto prayer. If we say a novena we do so in faith and anything else attached to that, such as asking you to pass it on in a specific manner has nothing to do with God. If we pass along a prayer or message it should be out of the charity of our hearts. Really, what is loving about passing on an email to your friend that threatens harm? What are you saying to that person? I can remember two chain letters I received when I was caring for my mother who was battling cancer. I am assuming they came from family or friends who were afraid of the repercussions if they did not send them on. Both specifically threatened imminent death of a close loved one if I did not comply with their distribution. As a Catholic I knew the letters were nothing but garbage however it was very hurtful to know that someone I loved, who obviously believed they were true, would send them to me with a terminally ill parent. So next time you receive one of those chain emails delete it and send your friend back something they can really pass on to others, the richness of our Catholic faith.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Loving the Poor is Belonging to Christ
“It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.” Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
J.M.J
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta often said that in all of her work with the poorest of the poor, spiritual poverty was by far the most devastating form of desolation she had ever encountered. Her motivation for starting the order of the Missionaries of Charity was an encounter with an abandoned dying woman she found on the streets of Calcutta in front of the local hospital. Blessed Teresa stayed with that woman until she died and then went onto dedicate her life to serving and loving Jesus in the poorest of the poor. She understood what it is Jesus is calling us to be as His followers. She heard His call and responded by loving each individual she encountered as a human being deserving dignity and as her family of brothers and sisters, the children of God.
When we really stop to think about it, we as people often take the message of Jesus, to love one another, and distort it to fit into our own lives. It seems we want so much to feel good about ourselves, to do what we feel is right for us, and to try to alleviate the fear that we are less than others, that we often neglect the poor around us each day. What is really ironic is that in our selfishness and self focus we truly become the most poor.
How often have we hurt God in others by excluding them from our lives because we rationalize it is what is best for us and our families? Blessed Mother Teresa once told a story about a woman who had nine children who were starving. Mother and her sisters travelled to bring milk to the family and as soon as it was given, the woman scurried off unannounced and in haste. Blessed Mother Teresa asked the woman upon her return where she had gone. She replied that the woman next door had eight children and she gave her half the milk so that the children would not go to bed with an empty stomach. It did not surprise Mother that she gave, as often there is great generosity and love amongst the poor, rather what impacted her was that this woman knew who her neighbor was.
Do we know who our neighbors are? Do we have the generosity and love of the poor? Blessed Mother Teresa, in dedicating her whole being for the love of Christ, understood His simple and yet profound message. She understood that giving of self and losing its false nature brings us closer to God. She saw Jesus in the sick, dying, unloved, and abandoned. She often said Jesus was her all, He was her love, and she needed to be able to talk about that Love. She always said that everything that she did, she did for love of Him.
Blessed Teresa no longer saw the outcasts of society before her; it was her beloved Jesus, who was truly in her midst and dying in her arms. She was not afraid to touch the lepers or how catching their disease might affect her life. She was more concerned about others catching a diseased heart, unable to give and receive love. The only fear one could say she may have had was that others might not come to know that through their suffering, Christ lives within them. She wanted the poor to know she loved them and more importantly that God loves them. She understood that a self focused world would sadly miss one of the greatest privileges of all, that of loving the suffering Jesus amongst the poor, even in our own families. Blessed Mother Teresa knew that God was truly in her midst in every lost soul and every abandoned and dying child. In her humble and simple ministry she found a peace that only comes from giving your life away for Christ and others.
How often do we make other lepers in our own lives out of fear of losing ourselves? It is only when we realize as Blessed Teresa did, that everything we have and all that we are is God’s gift to us, will we begin to understand true happiness and peace. It is in understanding that we posses nothing, that we can begin to understand how Mother so freely gave everything that she had. It is then we can come to understand that authentic love is self sacrifice, mirrored after the Ultimate Sacrifice, Love Himself.
Blessed Teresa took God’s gift of her life, and made it a living prayer in thanksgiving to Him. Even through her decades of the dark night she remained faithful to what she knew God called her by vocation. Despite her own struggles and emotions, she remained obedient to God, the blind faith which He is calling of each of us. Blessed Mother Teresa said “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” I often ask myself if I am doing my job as a Christian when so many of my brothers and sisters are leaving the Church. Was I so preoccupied with myself and my life that I missed someone felt unwelcome in our Father’s House?
Are we truly doing our best to make others feel they belong to us? In a very dark world full of false promises, it seems God’s people need each another more than ever. Let us pray to Blessed Mother Teresa to intercede for us for the grace to understand what Jesus is calling us to be as Catholics, what He is calling us to be as families, and what He is calling us to be as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although He was rich, that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Thank you Blessed Teresa for teaching us that true richness comes from serving the hidden Christ, who is always amongst the poor.
J.M.J
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta often said that in all of her work with the poorest of the poor, spiritual poverty was by far the most devastating form of desolation she had ever encountered. Her motivation for starting the order of the Missionaries of Charity was an encounter with an abandoned dying woman she found on the streets of Calcutta in front of the local hospital. Blessed Teresa stayed with that woman until she died and then went onto dedicate her life to serving and loving Jesus in the poorest of the poor. She understood what it is Jesus is calling us to be as His followers. She heard His call and responded by loving each individual she encountered as a human being deserving dignity and as her family of brothers and sisters, the children of God.
When we really stop to think about it, we as people often take the message of Jesus, to love one another, and distort it to fit into our own lives. It seems we want so much to feel good about ourselves, to do what we feel is right for us, and to try to alleviate the fear that we are less than others, that we often neglect the poor around us each day. What is really ironic is that in our selfishness and self focus we truly become the most poor.
How often have we hurt God in others by excluding them from our lives because we rationalize it is what is best for us and our families? Blessed Mother Teresa once told a story about a woman who had nine children who were starving. Mother and her sisters travelled to bring milk to the family and as soon as it was given, the woman scurried off unannounced and in haste. Blessed Mother Teresa asked the woman upon her return where she had gone. She replied that the woman next door had eight children and she gave her half the milk so that the children would not go to bed with an empty stomach. It did not surprise Mother that she gave, as often there is great generosity and love amongst the poor, rather what impacted her was that this woman knew who her neighbor was.
Do we know who our neighbors are? Do we have the generosity and love of the poor? Blessed Mother Teresa, in dedicating her whole being for the love of Christ, understood His simple and yet profound message. She understood that giving of self and losing its false nature brings us closer to God. She saw Jesus in the sick, dying, unloved, and abandoned. She often said Jesus was her all, He was her love, and she needed to be able to talk about that Love. She always said that everything that she did, she did for love of Him.
Blessed Teresa no longer saw the outcasts of society before her; it was her beloved Jesus, who was truly in her midst and dying in her arms. She was not afraid to touch the lepers or how catching their disease might affect her life. She was more concerned about others catching a diseased heart, unable to give and receive love. The only fear one could say she may have had was that others might not come to know that through their suffering, Christ lives within them. She wanted the poor to know she loved them and more importantly that God loves them. She understood that a self focused world would sadly miss one of the greatest privileges of all, that of loving the suffering Jesus amongst the poor, even in our own families. Blessed Mother Teresa knew that God was truly in her midst in every lost soul and every abandoned and dying child. In her humble and simple ministry she found a peace that only comes from giving your life away for Christ and others.
How often do we make other lepers in our own lives out of fear of losing ourselves? It is only when we realize as Blessed Teresa did, that everything we have and all that we are is God’s gift to us, will we begin to understand true happiness and peace. It is in understanding that we posses nothing, that we can begin to understand how Mother so freely gave everything that she had. It is then we can come to understand that authentic love is self sacrifice, mirrored after the Ultimate Sacrifice, Love Himself.
Blessed Teresa took God’s gift of her life, and made it a living prayer in thanksgiving to Him. Even through her decades of the dark night she remained faithful to what she knew God called her by vocation. Despite her own struggles and emotions, she remained obedient to God, the blind faith which He is calling of each of us. Blessed Mother Teresa said “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” I often ask myself if I am doing my job as a Christian when so many of my brothers and sisters are leaving the Church. Was I so preoccupied with myself and my life that I missed someone felt unwelcome in our Father’s House?
Are we truly doing our best to make others feel they belong to us? In a very dark world full of false promises, it seems God’s people need each another more than ever. Let us pray to Blessed Mother Teresa to intercede for us for the grace to understand what Jesus is calling us to be as Catholics, what He is calling us to be as families, and what He is calling us to be as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although He was rich, that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Thank you Blessed Teresa for teaching us that true richness comes from serving the hidden Christ, who is always amongst the poor.
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