Pope Francis, Please Canonize Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin

Dear Pope Francis,

       Please, we ask you, go ahead and canonize Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, two American Catholic saints who modeled the early Church like no others here! Please, dear Papa.

      In Christ,
        Thomas and Monica Siemer

My father, Tom Siemer's, portrait of Dorothy

Peter Maurin

It will bring light,
to all the killing in the
world!

Reckless, Passionate Love of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist (Consecrated Bread)

      By Monica    Columbus,  Ohio

       I went into the "desert" this summer, discerning many things as well as drawing more closely to God to better hear His voice and promptings.  The following is a treasure trove of precious diamonds and jewels uncovered in The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius (Tan Classics, 1914 and 2010) with this section focusing on Jesus Christ in the consecrated Eucharist (holy bread consecrated by a priest) as well as housed in all the tabernacles of the world.  I am mainly quoting from the book, with perhaps a few thoughts and inspirations in brackets.  Look out, it is powerful!
     -- "... in every single city [Jesus in tabernacles - small metal ornate 'houses' like the ark of the covenant, that houses Jesus in consecrated bread] ... so that there shall not be any Christian who may not enjoy converse with Him."  (p. 142)

     -- "They [Apostles, disciples] possessed Our Savior during the days of His mortal life.  ...It appear to be to your advantage .. [now, in the bread].  They possessed Jesus Christ in the state of His infirmity; you possess Him in the state of glory [when visiting Him in the exposed Eucharist at Adoration].  They only possessed Him in intervals, for Jesus frequently retired from the company of men to solitude; you possess Him constantly, [if you think about it, receiving communion every day makes Him physically become part of your body continuously!]...  He does not reside more really in heaven than He resides in our sanctuaries." (143)
     -- "Jesus Christ promises you possessions honorable, unfailing, infinite, eternal... they [those who follow Him whole-heartedly such as his Apostles and disciples] have only been surprised in being rendered happier even beyond their hopes ...  Jesus Christ has the most sacred and incontestable rights over your heart." (p. 131)
     -- [I add this next part, the ending of the St. John of the Cross poem, "Dark Night of the Soul:"
"I remained, lost in oblivion;
My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself,
Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies."

"The Life of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist"

       -- "Consider that our Lord reproduces in His Eucharistic Life all the states of all the virtues of His mortal life. (!!!)
     --  "The tabernacles represent the humble house at Nazareth.  ... a life of retreat, of prayer, of obedience."
     --  "He is in a state of absolute dependence, always submissive to the ministers [priests], equally ready, according to their will, either to remain hidden in the tabernacle, or to present Himself to the adoration of the faithful, or to transport Himself to the houses or to the hospitals, to visit His suffering members."  (143-144)
     -- "He [Jesus] teaches still, no longer by His words, but by His example -- by His poverty, by His humility, by His flight from the world, ..."

     -- "The suffering life of our Savior is perpetuated in the sacrament of the Altar ... the same trials ..., the same sadness of heart ..., the same abandonment ..., the same insults ..., the same torment of His Sacred body, equally crucified by His executioners on Calvary ...  The same examples of patience ..., of detachment ..., of charity ..., in a word, of the same heroic sacrifices." (144)
     -- "... the Eucharist ... is an extension of the mystery of the Incarnation, ... but MUCH MORE WONDERFUL is the union He contracts with us in the Eucharist.  In the Incarnation, He takes a nature like ours; He enters into our family, He makes Himself one of us -- our brother.  In the Eucharist He goes farther; it is no longer to a nature like ours He unites Himself, He unites Himself to each one in particular; it is no longer to our family He allies Himself, it is to our person."
     -- "How does He unite Himself to us in the Eucharist?  By the nearest and most intimate union.  The Fathers (of the Church) compare it to the union of two waxes melted into a mix together (St. Cyril of Alexandria). Our Lord compares it to that which exists between His Father and Himself:
'This is the bread that came down from Heaven ... whoever eats this bread will live forever..."  "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, you shall not have life within you. (John 6:52:54)."

     -- "What does He do to unite Himself to us?  He multiplies miracles and reverses all laws of nature.  He exposes Himself to all insults....  He gives all He has and all His is -- His body, His soul, His divinity, and with this every grace.  He is generous even to exhaustion ... He gives Himself thus entirely, not once only, but every day, if we wish.  Every fresh communion is a new gift that Jesus Christ makes of Himself to us."
     -- "Represent to yourself heaven opening at the voice of the priest and our Lord descending upon the altar amid choirs of angels."
     -- "Beg a lively faith in the mystery of the Eucharist and a tender love for Jesus Christ present in the tabernacle." (146)
     -- "Contemplate our Savior present in the tabernacle and impatient to give Himself to you."  "Represent to yourself [imagine] the glory of His adorable humanity; ... the majesty ...; the sweetness of His countenance ..., the dazzling light that flashes from His wounds...; the flames that escape from His heart ...   What goodness this divine Savior casts on you those eyes, one look from which converted sinners ..." (146).

      -- "Say to Him [Jesus] with the prophet: 'Lord cast your eyes upon me, and have pity on me ...  Look upon me and have mercy on me.'  'Make the light of Your countenance to shine on Your servant...; save me in Your mercy' (ps 31:16)."
     --  "Listen to the incarnate Savior who speaks to you.  And what does He say to you?  Words of consolation: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn.  Blessed are they that suffer persecution."
     --  "Perhaps words of reproach but of sweet and tender reproach ..." (147).
     --  "... words of counsel and invitation: 'Take up my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, because I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls;  for My yoke is easy and my burden light."
     --  "Words of encouragement: 'I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich ...'
     --  "Words of desire and love: 'Behold I stand at the door and knock ...'  ' My son, give me your heart (Prov. 23:26)"
     -- "  With holy attention, say to Him, 'Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening..."
     --  " ... the sweetness of the virtues He practices in His Eucharistic life -- His patience, His charity, His obedience, His poverty, His humility, His solitude, His prayer ..., Unite yourself to Him as a model to imitate His example; as a victim, to sympathize with His sorrows ..." (147).

St. Ignatius of Loyola

(founder of the Jesuits, 

Pope Francis' order)

     --  "... application of touch ... woman ... touched the hem of his garment ... Madgalene ... embraced His sacred feet and watered them with her tears; ... Thomas who placed his finger in His wounds; St. John, who reposed on His breast, ..."
     --   "Put yourself in their places ... sometimes as a penitent, embracing His sacred feet and asking pardon for your faults;  sometimes as a disciple, whose confidence requires animating and strengthening, then place your finger in His wounds to convince yourself of His love; sometimes as a friend ... to intimate familiarity, and then figure to yourself that Our Lord presses you to His heart."

     --  "Discourse of Our Lord After the Last Supper"
     --  "Represent yourself the disciple Jesus loved [John], reposing on His bosom and drawing from His heart .. understanding ..."
     --  "Ask the grace to partake Him this place of honor during your meditation [lying against His chest reclining comfortably]... [ It was here that Jesus said: "I will come back and take you to Myself so that where I am you may also be" John 14:3]."
     -- "'If any man loves Me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.' (John 14:23)." (149)

     -- "No servant is greater than His master.  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.' (John 15:20)"
     --  "If I go, I will send the Holy Spirit to you ... He will convince the world of sin, of justice and of judgment.  ... "He will teach you in all truth.'"  "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.' (John 14:27).
      Throughout the entire Exercises of St. Ignatius, the prayer called, "Anima Cristi," is repeated.  I personally did not know this and had been praying this favorite prayer for a few years.  I was ecstatic to see it here, and while it is attributed to St. Ignatius because he prayed it so often, other scholars believe that it was someone before.  Either way, it is powerful.  The sequence of sentences have direct connections with the Eucharist (the consecrated body and blood of Jesus Christ), whose "flesh is real food and blood is real drink," as He boldly proclaimed (John 6:55).

     If you do not believe in the extra power of praying right in the midst of Jesus Christ, exposed in Eucharistic Adoration (when He Himself is put onto an altar outside of the tabernacle), just know that this is how the charismatic renewal in the U.S. began more than 50 years ago.  It was during a retreat at Duquesne  University and the "first" experiences of several Catholics in one night being somewhat "slain in the Spirit" was when they went, one-by-one into the Eucharistic Adoration chapel at Duquesne.  It was that simple.
     The difference is that those with the gift of calling down the Holy Spirit, Ralph Martin among those praying from other places, were calling down the Holy Spirit upon them and the chapel where the retreatants were.  Nothing is as powerful on this earth than sitting with Christ Himself right in front of you, and others, including Mary, interceding for you!

Here is the shorter verssion:

ANIMA CRISTI

Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O good Jesus, hear me;
Within your wounds hide me;
let me never be separated from you;
From the evil one protect me;
At the hour of my death, call me;
And bid me close to you that with your saints,
I may praise you forever and ever.

Amen.

The Crowd, Lenten/Spring Lamb Catholic Worker Newsletter

The Crowd    

by S. Johansing and Monica       LCW  Columbus, Ohio

 

      As we approach Lent and Easter 2017, this article spotlights the responses and actions of the crowds to Christ and the internal human responses Jesus may have had to all that He was experiencing as well as to these responses of Him, especially during what transpired from Palm Sunday to His ultimate Passion.
     By the point in Jesus' life of Palm Sunday, the poison of the Jewish leaders' jealousy and fear had been fanned and cultivated to the point of immense hatred at the murderous level. While self-evident for a long time, the love and mercy of Jesus' most Sacred Heart had to have made Him hold onto a last thread of hope for them.
     After all, He did not seek fame for Himself, constantly shushing whoever he healed or set free, in order to move about and teach Truth as far and wide as possible before His end.  They had to have seen this.  He did not cater to the popular "women of prominence" or even them, nor anyone (such as a highest rabbi or Pharisee) who could have had the power to cast him above them. He had zero interaction with the local and national leaders to undermine them either. He was no real threat at all.
      The only threat He was to them was His holiness of life and audacity to speak the Truth to them -- particularly about the hypocrisy of their lives and hearts.  To speak what was true -- about God's mercy, love, and especially His humility that even they, lesser than God, chose not to live by in their roles as religious leaders.
     Knowing that He most likely will suffer and die a grueling death, He enters Jerusalem as a king, to the uproar and great enthusiasm of the cheering and praising crowds.  They even loudly sang songs over him while they put palms down for his donkey to walk upon, as a carpet emitting the highest royalty.
     It must have been such music to His ears!  He had to have thought for a fleeting moment that maybe, just maybe, He may not have to suffer so greatly on the cross. It must have been the height of His time, that maybe "they DO understand.  They might finally get it and see what I am trying to do and that I truly truly do love them.  They see and finally KNOW the truth behind my message, the Truth of this new Way, the way of love.  Truth itself. They finally do understand I AM. My Kingdom on Earth has truly, truly come and begun. I was to come into the world and fix the mistake made in the fall, but maybe I do not have to go through with that which I know I must do; perhaps My kingdom has begun without this, and I do not have to be exposed to that level of hatred and physical pain."
      But ...
     It starts slowly, taking Him in the night a few days later.  Even though He knew this must be, He had pre-warned His Apostles, even though He had given them His Body and Blood in the first Eucharist, that awareness and exultation of Palm Sunday before must have given Him a tiny glimmer of hope.  He still begged His Father at Gethsemane, after the first Eucharist, for this cup to please pass Him by if it could. He would not have asked if He did not think this was possible.  His desire was steadfastly to solely do the Will of His beloved Father (who is one with Him), and perhaps this easier path may be His Will, He may have briefly thought.  Their praise and adoration still rang out in His head.  His sweat was like drops of blood as He pleaded hard for this cup to pass Him by, of what most likely lie ahead, if it was His Will.

     Yet He fully submitted, as always, to the most perfect Will of the Father in heaven. Imagine His "fully human" side, once the sequence is put in motion, looking down at His bound hands, ...  This time He won't evade a stoning or avoid getting hurled off of a cliff, ...
       He could not turn to others for support either, to lean on ... Yes, even His beloved Peter really did do it, completely denied ever having known Him in His hour of greatest need.  And He was to be the HEAD of this new Kingdom on Earth.  Even though He had told Peter on Holy Thursday that He would do this three times against Him, and even though He told Peter that He will be sifted greatly but He will pray for His strength to encourage His brothers after, the beginning of the Church --  it still had to have grieved Him greatly knowing those moments of Peter's voice nearly swearing vehemently that he knew nothing of Him.  Such rejection from someone so close for three years.
     Even though He knew all this was to be, what a sinking, sinking feeling it must have been when the sting of the first whip jarred Him, and the rawness of excruciating shredded skin was being further whipped deeply into muscle tissue... He is fully God and fully human.  His physical pain no different than our own.
     It gets worse and worse without a minute of let-up... the piercing thorns driven into His skull by blows of reeds as dense as hollow baseball bats -- that crown of thorns that continued agitating His skull all day while struggling.
     The very people who had jubilantly sang praise of Him five days earlier - praising the one who they had heard so many great things about - now viciously turned on Him, urged on by the ringleader Pharisees and Sadducees.  It was not long that the power of suggestive doubt, suspicion, and hate had swayed the crowd, taken root, and grown into hateful and dangerous thoughts against Him.  It was crystal clear from the Father: "No, you really DO have to do the whole thing..." And as always, He willfully obeyed when He could have ended the suffering in a flash.
      Nudged on they shouted to crucify Him, to release Barabbas, even after seeing how badly He had been scourged. As he passed through them, they screamed into His face, they spit on Him, threw things at Him.
      Now He carries on his raw stinging open back a huge, impossibly heavy cross, like concrete blocks, through the city streets and up this insurmountable hill....  with the shrieking screams of the two other prisoners being crucified ahead of Him...  the long crude nails being driven through His hands and feet, splitting them open, like a worm with a hook through it, and hanging by His body weight on only His nailed hand and feet wounds ...  the humiliating nakedness in front of these women for hours all in front of the malicious crowd.
     The most wrenching of all, putting His sweet mother, sobbing at His feet, through indescribable pain and suffering at the sight and experience of His torture -- the sword of swords piercing her heart over and over and over again without mercy, with nothing to ease her pain.
      And the feet.  How beautiful the feet that walked so far to bear good news, now bearing the force of love... And that unspeakably raw spot at the top, that constantly bore the force of His entire body weight bearing down hard upon it, by gravity, rubbing and agitating this open fleshy tangle of nerves and vessels, especially when He had to push His body upward to take a breath.  Excruciating.  Stinging.
       On the cross you typically died from lack of air.  The extended arms put pressure down upon their chest and lungs over time. In order to take a breath, you had to "stand up" high on your feet, lungs higher than arms.  Such torture for Christ upon His precious feet! That's why they broke the knees of the other two prisoners so that they could not stand higher to take a breath, and so, would die quickly.
      It is one thing to have a nail driven through your hand or foot accidentally, and wait for help to arrive.  It is altogether another to have your entire body weight hanging and pulling hard solely from those terribly injured inflamed and raw places of the body for hours, ripping them more all the time.
      One Gospel account puts it at SIX hours not three that He hung at those pressure points, that He needed to pull Himself upward every few breaths, at His hands and onto His feet.  Unimaginable.

    

        May this Lent be a time to ponder more closely and fully than ever, every detail of the Passion of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Stations of the Cross done together most Friday evenings of Lent in Catholic churches, moving throughout the entire church together along the walls (14 Stations), as the crowds did who followed Christ carrying His cross through the streets, is powerful!  This is not only from the intense prayers and detailed meditations in the booklets, but physically walking through each detailed phase of it does one great good -- with meditations on what went through His mind and that of those in the crowd, of prayers He has for us to help fully enter the scene for insight into our own lives.
       May this also be a time of pondering who we are in the crowd, in different crowds we find ourselves in, toward Christ and His Way of love, of mercy, of peace.  May His love and His peace reign in our hearts and in our world for all that He modeled and sacrificed for us; just as Dietrich Bonhoffer and Franz Jaegerstatter sacrificed in refusing to join Hitler's army of hate, greed, and lust for power.  Mussolini and Hitler could not have killed the millions that they did without a LOT of help -- it took thousands of Catholic soldiers in both Germany and Italy to massacre millions.
      May we, like Christ, be a shining light on a hill, a city set apart, refusing to kill sacred human life as the nonviolent Cross of our Lord and Savior has taught us in word and deed!  (See the new movie directed by Mel Gibson, "Hacksaw Ridge").
      At an Encounter weekend I recently attended, I explained to a Franciscan of the Renewal who was praying over me on the last day (and had put a relic of St. Padre Pio on my shoulder while ministering to me) that I felt like a punching bag, with hard boxing glove blows from others through Satan in their actions and words, not knowing from which direction they will come from next, to the point of even being denounced as evil.  He said, "Do you know what this means?!  What an honor this is?!  How blessed you truly are .... the few who have had this honor..."  I needed that, praise Jesus.
     May we trouble ourselves this Lent to read an entire Gospel in a short time (a week or two) to truly and fully put ourselves into the sandals of Christ's most precious feet.  May our Shofar (Old Testament horn for rallying all to religious services and to war) be blasted the loudest for Christ the King of Kings and Prince of Peace in this world of great hate, fear, suspicion, and killing.  May all of our actions mirror only Christ's and His most holy Apostles and martyrs.

    May the loud blasting horn call Christ-followers to a spiritual war -- armed with "the breastplate of righteousness," the "sword of Truth" (the Word made flesh), and with the greatest of all  - LOVE -  against an Old Testament mentality so prevalent in the Middle East to this day.
      This Lent may we also take the priceless time of listening to the voice of the Lord alone, that of our Beloved.  Eucharistic Adoration with the actual physical flesh and body of our Lord Jesus Christ in the room is powerful!!
      As learned in Theophostic prayer, may we have uncomfortably long wait times, seemingly fruitless wait times in silence, beyond any more words, prayers, expressed internal yearnings or even praise, for that sometimes faint and quick "wisp of smoke," or "still small voice" of God, the manner described in the Old Testament when God speaks to us.
      Patrick Reis, at an Encounter weekend,  gave a wonderful exercise in hearing the voice of God.  He said, "Shut your eyes and say your first and last name in your head....  That is what it is like to hear the voice of God."  I have had this happen as well, more clearly and conversationally in addition to that still small voice, but usually in the second or third hour of Eucharistic Adoration.  This still small quick manner has happened more often than the other, for me.  Always have pen and paper ready - and discern after with prayer, to make sure it is from God.
      St. Catharine's just opened up its Thursday Eucharistic Adoration in Lent for 11 hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Praise the name of Jesus for this, and Fr. Dury (and Fr. Lumpe for beginning regular Eucharistic Adoration again).  We also have Adore, another newer form of Eucharistic Adoration, on the first Sunday of the month at 6:30 p.m.  We will have our 7th one March 5th at St. Catharine's.  This is and has been done Franciscans of the Renewal style, which I won't give away!  POWERFUL.
    We know how this epic story, the greatest love story ever told, of Christ's passion, ends after all the torment and suffering.  It ends GLORIOUSLY and extends forever and ever and ever for all of our stories, sprung from the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!  He has truly freed us from death and set captives free, set all of us free by taking our sins upon Himself on that excruciating cross: our sins of the past, present, and future if we plug into the Cross of Christ.  We can be freed from pride, lust, greed, hate, wrath, vainglory, suspicion, and all other forms of sin.  Praise our King, our Savior and Deliverer, the Prince of Peace, now and forever!!

     In this year, 2017, of the 100th anniversary of Fatima, consider reading and undergoing the book, "33 Days to Morning Glory."  The beauty of this book is the meditations of others who have done this: St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II, St. Maxmillian Kolbe, and St. Louis de Montfort.  All of these saints have added pearls of great price to this experience.

     While you are supposed to begin it 33 days before an actual Marian feast day (see schedule below), so that it ends on a feast day, if you have done it before, you may want to additionally consider beginning on April 10 -- 33 days before the first apparition of Mary at Fatima, May 13, (1917 was the first time).  Mother Mary appeared at Fatima six times, once a month on the 13th for six months.  Great miracles in the sky appeared on the last one, witnessed by tens of thousands, October 13, 1917.

    If you have never undergone it in the St. Louis de Montfort way - (I have not yet) you may want to undergo this much more rigorous manner involving removing yourself from "the world" for the first 12 days!  I plan on trying to this summer when I am off from teaching.  

    

Start of 33-day Plan	Marian Feast You've Chosen	Feast / Consecration Day
9 Jan	Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary at Lourdes	11 Feb
20 Feb 1	The Annunciation	25 Mar
13 Jun	Our Lady of Mt. Carmel	16 Jul
13 Jul	The Assumption	15 Aug
6 Aug	Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary	8 Sep
13 Aug	Our Lady of Sorrows	15 Sep
19 Oct	Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary	21 Nov
5 Nov	Immaculate Conception	8 Dec
9 Nov	Our Lady of Guadalupe	12 Dec

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CANONIZATION OF DOROTHY DAY AND PETER MAURIN!

   

Build the Kingdom Here: Store Treasures in Heaven

     THE LAMB CATHOLIC WORKER, Columbus - Our dearly, dearly loved Fr. David Schalk gave a moving homily today at Christ the King Church mentioning "The Lumber Song."  The Gospel today is about not storing up treasures for yourself - even though this is what we all tend to do these days here in America (Luke 12:13-21).  It was the parable of the rich man who could never be satisfied with the wealth he had and so, wanted to build better and bigger barns to store even greater wealth.  He then planned to sit back, and take selfish pleasure in his accomplishments by resting, eating, drinking, and "being merry." This parable was introduced by the first reading today: "... seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Seek what is above, not of what is on earth" (Colossians 3:1-5). 
          Fr. Schalk told the story of a similar man who died and went to heaven.  He was taken to where he would spend his eternity, passing beautiful mansions along the way.  Finally, they stopped at a small shack, which was where he would be for eternity.  He asked, "But why?  How could they be so different?"  St. Peter said, "Every good deed, selfless act, gift to the poor, giving of time to build the Kingdom on Earth - these all were their lumber for their houses.  Looks like this is all you have."
       It reminds also of the Gospel: "Do not store up riches on this earth that moths and rust can destroy, but store up treasures in heaven..." and "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  How much more Catholic Worker can you possibly get!  Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin are celebrating in heaven this homily and this song!

The Lumber Song lyrics (by "Eli")
Said a friend to a friend one day,
Was a man who passed away
St. Peter met him at the gate
Pete said: "Walk with me if you will
I'll take you to the house you built"
Man said: "I can't wait!"
Passed a mansion made of stone
But with each new house he's shown
They get smaller by degrees
Stopped in front of a two room shack
Pete said hope you're happy with that
Man said: "How can this be?"
Pete said:
Chorus:
That's all the lumber--that's all the lumber
that's all the lumber you sent
Looks like the builder--man he's got your number
That's all the lumber you sent 
(intro)
Man didn't know what to say
poor guy was blown away
Said: "you mean this is what I deserve?"
Pete said: "I'm afraid it's so
It's too late but now you know
Shoulda done better work"
Said: You mean not lie and cheat
and helpin' old ladies across the street?
Pete says: Well, that's a start
Remember that man back in that great big house?
He found out early what it's all about
Built that place with his heart--as for you (chorus)
Bridge:
What if that man was me
And I failed that miserably
You're showin' me things I don't wanna see
(intro)
St. Peter if you can
Send me back to earth again
Is that somethin' you can do?
Pete said: It ain't up to me
If it was I'd like to see
How you plan to improve
Said: I'd love God and fellow man
Take a wife and make a stand
Be the givinest guy I can be
And when I get back to this neighborhood
There'd be a big gigantic pile of wood
And I'd say: What's this I see?--You'd tell me (chorus2x)

Divine Mercy Sunday April 7: Prepare by Beginning the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday

THE LAMB CATHOLIC WORKER, Columbus http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/novena.htm
Novena of Divine Mercy
http://thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/chaplet.php
http://vita-nostra-in-ecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/05/shroud-of-turin-passio-christi-passio.html

"Jesus I Trust In You"

      Divine Mercy Sunday (the Sunday after Easter) was instituted by Pope John Paul II at the request, posthumously, of Saint Faustina, in her writings - of whom he held a close prayerful friendship with throughout his entire seminary and priestly life. He would talk to her at her grave site as a young man, touched by her life, death at a young age, and especially, at the inspirations of which she had such passion. Her tender intercession for him may have been one reason why he became Pope.  He was able to honor her in return by beatifying her (2000) before his death and launching Divine Mercy Sunday.  His death came just one day before this holy day - with the entire world praying for him that day, then for mercy upon the world the next within the context of one of his greatest papal masterpieces - initiating this most exquisite day of mercy overflowing from Jesus' heart, or BEAMING as powerful rays, into the hearts of all people of the world. (note: Also see the attached link above -the third one, for a wonderful meditation on Holy Saturday by Pope Emeritus Benedict).

      If you have never done a Divine Mercy "pilgrimage," this would be the year to do it!  You cannot help but become a new creation.  On the same day you do all of the following: mass ( Holy Communion), the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Confession, the Rosary, listening time in Eucharistic Adoration, the Stations of the Cross, singing,  - simply spending an entire day with the Lord, continuously praying for His mercy upon yourself, your family, your community, your country, your Church, and your world.  Physically you feel very different afterward, perhaps because it is so strenuous.  Also, perhaps Jesus' "high-beam" rays of mercy penetrate to the deepest recesses of our souls to reveal concealed fear, pain, and sin at the root of of our sometimes dark and ugly thoughts. Perhaps a lifetime of meditating on and contemplating this concept and image of Christ's mercy in high beam rays of light is what inspired Pope John Paul II in the creation of the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary.  It certainly sounds that way!

      Fr. Barron, in his Catholicism series explains that all that makes one a saint is this - to know one's sinfulness.  This is a day to be honest with yourself. The length of this pilgrimage leaves no stone unturned if we are open and willing to work at it, truly humbling ourselves.  The floodlights of His mercy then, in laser-light surgery fasion, removes past sin, lingering guilt, and negative habitual thinking patterns that are not part of His plan for you or for the salvation of the world.  His Transfiguration intensity of mercy sheds light on His word as well, on Himself, the Word, opening our minds to His teachings and way in the world.  He floods us with Himself.

     Even though a difficult, arduous prayer road, this day of pilgrimage is nothing compared to the pilgrimage trips others have taken throughout history!   If you find a church that has only parts of it for only a couple of hours, find another to go to after.  Plan on spending about 4-6 hours or more, even if you have to find two different churches.  The best is to have at least an hour after to simply listen to our Lord in regards to our lives, letting Him simply hold you in His arms and love you.

      Just as importantly, if you start the Divine Mercy Novena (nine days of prayer) on Good Friday, it helps to prepare you spiritually for Easter as well as for the feast of Divine Mercy - to have the most  effective impact. 

      What Jesus did tonight, Holy Thursday, and tomorrow (the way of the Cross), make up the greatest outpouring of mercy into the world, no doubt.  Imagine Him washing tenderly the feet of the one who would betray Him (turning their feet this way then that), ... of offering and breaking the bread, His own Body, for those who will soon scatter at His most dire hour of need.  Picture Him taking on the slicing nails that never stop slicing as those wounds hold up His body weight for hours.  His love and mercy are far more powerful and steady than any ugliness we can throw at Him.  This 9-day novena continues that theme throughout the Octave of Easter, of empyting Himself for us; thus, we too work toward emptying ourselves of sin and doubt. Talk about getting cleaned out!  How to pray this novena leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday is in two links at the top of this article.  Walk with our Lord on Calvary and to the Resurrection.  Allow His love and mercy to wash over you and wash over the world. 

      SPEAKING OF EASTERTIDE (an added note later):  Here are some exerpts from Pope Francis' first Easter homily:

"What does it mean that Jesus has risen?  It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom..."

"So this is the invitation that I address to everyone:  Let us accept the grace of Christ's Resurrection!  Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.  And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace.  Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world ... Middle East ... Africa ... Mali ... Congo ... Nigeria ... Central African Republic ... Korean peninsula ...[He goes into more detail about each]."

"May the risen Christ guide you and all humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace!"

Read An Entire Gospel During Lent in the Year of Faith [in Jesus]

THE LAMB CATHOLIC WORKER, Columbus - Jesus lamented that when He comes again, will He find any faith on Earth left [in Him]?  With the Catholic Church's annual theme being The Year of Faith, may we Catholics dedicate ourselves to truly knowing Christ, the Word, by committing to reading and meditating on an entire Gospel during Lent from beginning to end.  We can dive deeply into His way of thinking, His way of acting, His way of seeing, speaking and loving, and His types of teachings and "new" commandments fulfilling and surpassing the old ways to the point of contrasting many of them ("Before it was ..., but now I say ...").  What is there to fear? It can only do enormous good as an individual and as a Church. The greatest danger is to love as Jesus loved, to anger over that which He angered over (i.e., keeping His "Father's house" - the place/altar of sacrifice - holy) and to see the world and others more clearly as through His eyes and to love them more passionately as with His sacred heart.
      His word is the judgment "sword" that will be the measuring criteria after we die. Did we strive to live up to His Word, His very Self, or did we cling to human precepts and traditions around us? Sometimes His teachings get muddled or confused with very different ones. We in America are morally clear about polygamy even though it was a very widely accepted practice in Jewish Old Testament tradition.  We do not espouse to the 600 washing rules to define one's level of purity and holiness.  Moreover, we would never stone a woman to death who committed adultery, "as Moses commanded."  Why, then, do we cling to many old covenant traditions including the most brutal - that of slaughtering the enemy and entire groups, innocent as well as their brother/father soldiers defending them, even though this is one major thing Christ came to fulfill and teach about on a much higher plane? Going through an entire Gospel at once will light our paths if He is truly to be the Way, the Truth and the Life.  This act done with care will send forth His word, His Gospel message, out to all the Earth, and not return to Him void.
     In order to do this, to make time to not only know Christ but to "hold these things in [our] heart" as Mary did, pondering over them, we may have some heavy-duty pruning to do in our lives to make the time for more growth in silence, solitude, and listening. There exists all around us, a gluttony with technology so habitual that it is commonplace now - with Smartphone games and networking, Internet games and social networks, T.V., movies, music constantly pumped into the ear through Ipods or Ipads, etc.,... It is not that these are bad in and of themselves, but that their time and use rob us of so much Jesus wants to give us, to show us.  It jam packs what little "down" time we could possibly have for inspiration and specific guidance from the Holy Spirit that may occur anywhere - even the grocery store - if we did not have a Blue Tooth, cell phone ear piece, or other gadget distracting us.
     I recently read of a new addiction involving visual gluttony, or the over-consumption of most of the above, and how the images stay with you a long time, having overfed our senses.  If Jesus is truly to increase and we decrease (as well as our entertainments), modeled so humbly in St. John the Baptist, He must not be crammed out of our lives with technological bombardments. How can He increase if there is no real room for Him to squeeze in?  We do not have to live in another century to experience the sacrifice of martyrdom, such as in the lives of St. Paul Miki and his companions in dangerous 16th Century Japan. The technological temptations are so powerful, so overbearing in our lives, that to resist them, to fast from them this Lent and all the time - having as little to do with them as absolutely possible - is a form of dying to self, of sacrificial martyrdom.  It can be painful not to have our cell phones next to us at the beck and call or whim of others. These slots of time can be filled with inspirationsl images, scripture, praise, etc, to direct our lives.  They can also be emptied out as in the holy, simplistic lives of the desert Fathers and others, to be filled only with Jesus.
     We may also look closely at our social lives and how much time is spent on the phone or in person with people who do not necessarily draw us closer to Jesus and the Father.  We need to ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance in cultivating silence, openness, and adoration.  We also need to ask Jesus to write His words and teachings in our hearts Himself through the space that we create for Him alone.  Sometimes when we do steal away for what little time we can give Him, our mind is so flooded with all this stimuli that the time is spent fighting it off or deprogramming.  Weaning ourselves from the over-stimulation of technology in our day-to-day lives, and making it a habit to not have our cell phones near us most of the time or run for the computer the minute we have free time, are great places to start.
     If Muslims must read the entire Koran during their 30-day Ramadan season, how much more should we Catholics commit to knowing Christ by reading one entire Gospel this Lent and a different one every Lent? One Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) is much, much shorter than the Koran. Especially encouraged are our shepherds - our pastors, priests, bishops, cardinals, and other leaders.  All of us need a conversion and rending of heart this lent. We all need to repent and recognize the Kingdom of God among us and live it out among all. It will do Jesus' heart a great deal of good and can only enhance our clarity in understanding His teachings while strengthening our faith in Him.  We can also be an inspiration for Christians in other faiths to do the same.  All of us can commit to knowing Him and following only His ways more passionately by doing this act of love for Him.

 

 Note*  While the 1988 study of the Shroud of Turin claimed that the sample tested was representative of the entire  shroud and carbon dating put it in the 13th-14th century (potentially someone else who suffered a crucifixion), according to one of the original 1988 scientists it may not have been representative of the entire Shroud (newer piece?). Also, for the negative made of photographing the Shroud to have such detail of a human face is highly surprising.  We are the people who long to see Your face, Jesus.  Nomatter what You look like, You are beautiful to we who love You and are after Your own heart.

     This Lent be sure to see the movie, End of the Spear, a 2005 docudrama (true story) set in South America - very powerful!  Keep watching even after the credits have started for a final interview.

Are We Ready for Jesus' Coming? Will the Prince of Peace Find Us Peaceful? See this 9-Minute Powerful 1930's Christmas Comic: "Peace on Earth," by Metro Goldwyn Meyer

THE LAMB CATHOLIC WORKER, Columbus - Metro Goldwyn Mayer made a wise, entertaining, old-fashioned 9-minute Christmas comic after World War I vividly promoting peace on Earth more powerfully than anything we had created at the Center for Peace Studies at Georgetown University!  Enjoy!  Go to the lower left margin under "links" - the first one.  If it will not open, go to Youtube and search, "Peace on Earth," looking for an old-fashioned comic.  Merry Christmas!  Come Emmanuel, "God with us!"