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Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Last Rites

‘Two men badly wounded in the firing line, Sir.’ I was fast asleep, snugly tucked up in my blankets, dreaming a pleasant dream of something ‘hot.’ One always dreams of lovely hot things at night in the trenches, sitting at a warm fire at home, or of huge piles of food and drink, but always steaming hot.
‘You will need to be quick, Father, to find them alive.’ By this time I had grasped the fact that someone was calling me, that some poor dying man needed help, that perhaps a soul was in danger. In a few seconds I had pulled on my big boots, I know I should want them in the mud and wet, jumped into my waterproof and darted down the trench.
It was just 2 a.m., bitterly cold and snowing hard. God help the poor fellows holding the tumbled in ditch which is called the Front Line, standing there wet and more than frozen, hour after hour; but more than all God help and strengthen the victims of this war, the wounded soldier with his torn and bleeding body lying out in this awful biting cold, praying for the help that seems so slow in coming.
The first part of my journey was easy enough, except that the snow made it difficult to keep one’s feet, and I began to realise that one cannot run as easily at 44 as one could at 24.
All went well till I reached a certain part of the trench, which rejoices in the attractive name of ‘Suicide Corner,’ from the fact that the Germans have a machine gun trained on it and at intervals during the night pump a shower of lead on that spot in the hope of knocking out some chance passer-by.
It was just my luck that as I came near this place I heard the ‘Rat-tat- tat’ of the beastly gun and the whiz of the passing bullets. It was not a pleasant prospect to run the gauntlet and skip through the bullets ‘made in Germany’ but what priest would hesitate for a second with two dying men at the end of the trench? I ducked my head and ‘chivvied’ down that trench. (I do not know what this word means, but I believe it implies terrific speed and breathless excitement.)
In the dark and at that distance I was quite invisible to the German gunner, but I think the Old Boy himself was turning the handle that night, but luckily for me was out of practice; the cold I expect upset his aim. Away on my left as I ran I could hear in the stillness of the night the grinding ‘Rat-tat-tat’ of the machine gun, for all the world as if a hundred German carpenters were driving nails into my coffin, while overhead ‘crack, crack, whiz, whiz’ went the bullets tearing one after another for fear they would be too late.
It was a novel experience to have a whole machine gun all to yourself, but it is a pleasure I am not particularly anxious to repeat. At the same time I do not think I was really in any great danger as judging by the sound the leaden shower was going too high.
The guns make all movement by night very unpleasant. Both sides have any number of them firing all night, from time to time at fixed points, for example cross-roads, ‘dumps,’ light railways etc., everywhere in fact where men are likely to be. Yet in spite of the fact that each fires about 10,000 rounds each night and bullets are flying about like mosquitos, it is very rare indeed that anyone is hit, weeks at a time without a casualty and scarcely never if one takes the ordinary precautions.
The first man was ‘in extremis’ when I reached him. I did all I could for him, commended his soul to the merciful God as he had only a few minutes to live, and hurried on to find the other wounded boy.
A journey along the Firing Line in the day time is not an easy matter, but in the darkness of the night it baffles description. A star shell from time to time gave me light and I made good progress, only to end in blackness and a pool or a shell hole full of mud and water.
I found the dying lad, he was not much more, so tightly jammed into a corner of the trench it was almost impossible to get him out. Both legs were smashed, one in two or three places, so his chances of life were small as there were other injuries as well. What a harrowing picture that scene would have made. A splendid young soldier, married only a month they told me, lying there pale and motionless in the mud and water with the life crushed out of him by a cruel shell. The stretcher bearers hard at work binding up as well as they may his broken limbs; round about a group of silent Tommies looking on and wondering when will their turn come. Peace for a moment seems to have taken possession of the battlefield; not a sound save the deep boom of some far off gun and the stifled moans of the dying boy, while as if anxious to hide the scene, nature drops her soft mantle of snow on the living and dead alike. Then while every head is bared come the solemn words of absolution, ‘Ego te absolve,’ I absolve thee from thy sins. Depart Christian soul and may the Lord Jesus Christ receive thee with a smiling and benign countenance. Amen.
Oh! surely the gentle Saviour did receive with open arms the brave lad who had laid down his life for Him, and as I turned away I felt happy in the thought that his soul was already safe in that land where ‘God will wipe away all sorrow from our eyes, for weeping and mourning shall be no more’.
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Sunday, January 24, 2016

5 Remedies Against Sadness

"Saint Thomas Aquinas suggests five remedies against sadness that have proven surprisingly effective." From a conference given by Carlo de Marchi, vicar of Opus Dei for Central-South Italy.
Recent News                           
 
On certain days we have all been sad, days when we have been unable to overcome an inner torpor or depression that weighs down on us and makes it difficult to interact with others. Is there a trick for overcoming sorrow and recovering our smile? Saint Thomas Aquinas suggests five remedies against sadness that have proven surprisingly effective (Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 38).

1. The first remedy is granting ourselves something we like. It’s as though the famous theologian had already intuited seven centuries ago that “chocolate is an antidepressant.” This might seem a bit materialistic, but no one would deny that a tough day can end well with a good beer. It’s hard to refute this by citing the Gospel, since our Lord took part joyfully in banquets and feasts, and both before and after his Resurrection enjoyed the noble and good things in life. One of the Psalms even says that wine gladdens the human heart (although the Bible also clearly condemns getting drunk).

2. The second remedy is weeping. Saint Thomas says that a hurtful thing hurts yet more if we keep it shut up, because the soul is more intent on it: whereas if it be allowed to escape, the soul’s intention is dispersed as it were on outward things, so that the inward sorrow is lessened. (I-II q. 38 a. 2). Our melancholy gets worse if we have no way to give vent to our sorrow. Weeping is the soul’s way to release a sorrow that can become paralyzing. Jesus too wept. And Pope Francis said that “certain truths in life can only be seen with eyes cleansed by tears. I invite each of you to ask yourself: Have I learned how to cry?”

3. The third remedy is sharing our sorrow with a friend. I recall here the friend of Renzo in Manzoni’s great novel “The Betrothed.” Finding himself alone in his deserted home ravaged by the plague and mourning his family’s horrible fate, he tells Renzo: “What has happened is horrible, something that I never thought I would live to see; it’s enough to take away a person’s joy for the rest of his life. But speaking about these things with a friend is a great help.” This is something we have to experience in order to understand it. When we are sad, we tend to see everything in tints of grey. A very effective antidote is opening our heart to a friend. Sometimes a brief message or phone call is enough for our outlook to once again be filled with light.

4. The fourth remedy against sadness is contemplating the truth. Contemplating the “fulgor veritatis” Saint Augustine speaks of, the splendor of truth in nature or a work of art or music, can be an effective balm against sadness. A literary critic, a few days after the death of a dear friend, was scheduled to speak at a conference about the topic of adventure in the works of Tolkien. He began by saying: “Speaking about beautiful things to people interested in them is for me a real consolation….”
  
5. The fifth remedy suggested by Saint Thomas is perhaps something we wouldn’t expect from a medieval thinker. The theologian says that a wonderful remedy against sadness is bathing and sleeping. It’s a deeply Christian viewpoint that in order to alleviate a spiritual malady one will sometimes have to resort to a bodily remedy. Ever since God became Man, and therefore took on a body, the separation between matter and spirit has been overcome in this world of ours.
A widespread error is that Christianity is based on the opposition between soul and body, with the latter being seen as a burden or obstacle for the spiritual life. But the right view of Christian humanism is that the human person (both body and soul) is completely “spiritualized” by seeking union with God.

“No one thinks it strange to seek out a physician who cares for the body as a guide for a spiritual illness,” says Saint Thomas More. “The body and soul are so closely united that together they form a single person, and hence a malady of one can sometimes be are malady of both. Therefore, I would advise everyone, when confronted with a physical illness, to first go to confession, and seek out a good spiritual doctor for the health of their soul. Likewise for some sicknesses of the soul, besides going to the spiritual physician, one should also go to a physician who cares for the body.”
From a conference given by Carlo de Marchi, vicar of Opus Dei for Central-South Italy, at the National Ecclesial Congress in Florence.

    Saturday, January 16, 2016

    Indulgences

    The term "offer it up" is often received with a sense of befuddlement in regards to prayer.  It essentially is referring to spiritually aligning one's own personal sufferings to that of Christ's.  It can be a powerful way to pray and very efficacious for others.

    Fundamentally, indulgences admit that we’re not in this alone, but that we’re members of one Body who help and support each other on this journey to salvation. Indulgences acknowledge that we are, indeed, our brothers’ keeper, and that the voices of our brothers and sisters cry out for lavish mercy.
    Indulgences draw on the power of “the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God” (CCC 1476) — the power that alone can redeem sin and its consequences. We are invited to participate in that power each time we pray, each time we turn to God for mercy and forgiveness and each time we ask for an indulgence, which applies to ourselves and others of the fruits of Christ’s redemption.

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    Thursday, January 7, 2016

    Suffering From Religion

    IS THERE SOMETHING 'DARK' ABOUT ISLAM?
    We don't dispute -- anything but -- that the goal in life is to love. No question. We are also cognizant of how the Blessed Mother, especially at one famous apparition, called Christians to get along not only with other denominations but other religions, particularly Muslims. Asked at one point who the holiest person in the area (Sarajevo) was, the Blessed Mother allegedly indicated a devout local woman who -- however -- was Muslim. It is an area where she came, perhaps, because of age-old disputes between Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims.
    We are also aware of how often and much Pope Francis has admonished us to honor other faiths -- find commonality -- and nations to accept immigrants, especially refugees from places such as the Middle East.
    Many are Christians fleeing ISIS. We can't turn blind eyes and  deaf ears to them.
    The U.S. bishops, even conservative ones, have issued similar admonitions.
    People are to be judged by who they are as people, not by their religion (if we judge people at all).
    We accept this, without question. Recently was the heartwarming account of how a Muslim in Kenya stood by and shielded Christians during an attack by fellow Muslims -- was united with them when faced with evil. Here is wisdom: in life, love at every turn.
    At the same moment, we are also aware of how many Christians have been killed by Muslims (precisely parts of Africa, not to mention Iraq and Syria: truly horrid, brutal mass slayings) and how many attempts or attacks there have been even in North America. There was the Beltway sniper, a Muslim; there was the Muslim fellow who wanted to cause an explosion at Fort Dix; there was the first World Trade Center bombing, at the direction of a Muslim cleric; there was, most of all, of course, the second World Trade Center bombing (9/11), again orchestrated by Muslim fanatics; there was the Boston marathon attack by two Islamic terrorists; the shoe-bomber; the terrorists who tried to blow up Times Square, and the recent shooters in San Bernardino -- never mind abroad, in places like Denmark and Paris. Who knows how many Muslim plots or smaller attacks have not been publicly reported?
    Suspiciously, a plane went down in Queens, New York -- a commercial jet -- shortly after September 11, although news of this was virtually lost in the cloud of trauma following the World Trade Center (and perhaps hushed up by the government). There was also the suspicious crash of a commercial airliner off Long Island in the 1990s -- a crash that occurred after a missile-like object was reported by numerous witnesses (again, hushed up).
    The point: War has been waged on our own soil, and when war is waged, we are allowed to defend ourselves by carefully screening for those of the Muslim faith, particularly coming from ISIS and al Qaeda hotspots, who might seek to harm us (and future generations). This is common sense; it is not bias or religious discrimination. There have been numerous times in the past when the United States has limited migration from certain parts of the world due to security threats. Instead, we are treated as if Christians are at fault, and as if it is Muslims who have been discriminated against. In fact, right after 9/11 President George Bush -- bent to an extreme -- instituted a celebration of Ramadan, as if Muslims had been the ones who had been killed and needed reassurance. They had not been discriminated against. We have a dear friend who died on September 11 and a nephew whose young family -- including a baby -- had to hide in a bathroom in terror as police searched their neighborhood during that Boston attack. These were the victims.
    The threats continue and will continue until we flush the matter out -- allowing in good people from the Middle East (especially Christians fleeing ISIS) while greatly scrutinizing and limiting others. From CNN the day after Christmas (2015): "An alleged ISIS supporter from Arizona, accused of arming and training the men who tried to attack a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in Texas earlier this year, has been indicted on charges that he sought to use pipe bombs to target last season's Super Bowl, according to court documents."
    A writer for Crisis magazine notes that, "Like the Spartans, the first Muslims were warriors. Their leader was both a prophet and a warlord. Since Muslims are still expected to model their behavior on Muhammad, it's not surprising that Muslim cultures will be more prone to violence than, say, cultures that take Jesus or Buddha as their inspiration. Our own culture is completely sold on the importance of having role models to emulate, but hasn't yet grasped the consequences that follow when 1.6 billion people take Muhammad as their primary role model. Indeed, one of the chief appeals of ISIS and company is their promise to return Islam to those glorious days when Muhammad spread the faith by force." Famed historian and parliamentarian Hilaire Belloc once said, "It has always seemed to me possible, and even probable, that there would be a resurrection of Islam and that our sons or our grandsons would see the renewal of that tremendous struggle between the Christian culture and what has been for more than a thousand years its greatest opponent."
    There seems to be something inherently dark about Islam, at least as currently preached -- despite the huge numbers of true, good people who are of this faith -- and the attacks against Christians will not end until they come out of this darkness.
    Recently we read about a woman whose Muslim husband cursed her, pulled her by the hair, and beat her due to her conversion to Christianity and reading of the Bible. After a year of relentless persecution, this man woke up in the middle of the night and found himself paralyzed. He couldn't move. A few days later, God revealed to him in a dream that his paralysis was because of his speaking against Jesus. Within a week he repented and asked her to bring others to pray for him, soon joining his wife as a fervent Christian! (Praise God.)
    In the book Imagine Heaven, author John Burke recounts that case of a Muslim woman named Khalida, native of Bethlehem, who had a vision of Christ and in His Presence she heard a "voice like mighty rushing waters, powerful and soothing at the same time." This recalls Ezekiel -- who saw the glory of God coming from the east also heard and said His Voice "was like the roar of rushing waters" (43:2). (She too had a horridly abusive husband.)
    As she put it: "A person was standing in front of me, but different from any person I'd ever known. I heard His Voice -- it was the same voice I heard years before [during a near-death brush]. Though I didn't know who it was then [while still in Palestine], He said over and over to me when my Muslim husband was beating me and threatening my life, 'Leave the darkness for the Light.' Now He said in Arabic, 'I am the Truth, the Life, and the Way, and no one comes to the Father except by Me. The minute He said, 'I am the Truth," I knew immediately it was Jesus. He didn't say, 'I am Jesus,' but every fiber of my being knew Who He was. I was so consumed by His Presence that I dropped to my knees and looked up at Him. He is so glorious, so beautiful. All light inside of Light. He got so close that there was too much light to even see the color of His Eyes."
    If Islam was just another way of worshipping God -- if there was not something fundamentally errant with it -- one must ask why the Lord, if we accept this account, would have indicated to Khalida that she was in "darkness."
    Some see the Koran as filled with exhortations to violence. Others say that Mohammed has been misrepresented -- that he preached love and mercy. It may be something genetic going on in the Middle East, or cultural, more than a reflection of true Islam. We don't know. The prophet may have advocated violence only in defense of his tribe -- which was under attack by wealthy irreligious aristocrats ("infidels"), against whom Mohammed preached. Scholars say that the founder of Islam told his followers to kill only if "villainy" was done in their land, and that he expressly prohibited the slaying of innocent people (saying it was like killing all of humanity). His teachings may have been distorted by other Muslim writers -- including the idea of sexual reward for those who kill "infidels" (which radicals now label us Christians). Moreover, there is much violence in our own Old Testament.
    But does the Koran not instruct followers to hunt down "non-believers"?
    To repeat, there are those many good, sincere, devout, and peace-loving Muslims, but when there also seems to be something problematic at the foundation of a religion (again, at least as preached for the last several hundred years), something one must be cautious about, especially if that "something" inspires violence against Christians (as well as fellow Muslims).
    We should not cede ground -- not an inch -- to any enemy of our country and faith. Churches in Africa and the Middle East are being eradicated by Muslims, not Christians. These are not good "fruits."
    Is it wrong to try and prevent that here in North America, or in Europe? Is it wrong to monitor suspicious mosques, when terrorist plots often originate in them (one example: the first WTC attack in 1993)?
    Love everyone and respect all faiths while protecting your own from what is a growing persecution and a threat to our own homeland, as well as to Christianity (mimicking the Middle Ages) abroad.

    Saturday, January 2, 2016

    Twelve Steps to Avoid Purgatory

    1. In every prayer you say, every Mass you hear, every Communion you receive, every good work you perform have the express intention of imploring God to grant you a holy and happy death and no Purgatory. Surely God will hear a prayer said with such confidence and perseverance.

     2. Always wish to do God’s will. It is in every sense the best for you. When you do or seek anything that is not God’s will, you are sure to suffer. Say, therefore, fervently each time you recite the Our Father: Thy will be done.  

    3. Accept all the sufferings, sorrows, pains and disappointments of life, be they great or small, ill health, loss of goods, the death of your dear ones, heat or cold, rain or sunshine as coming from God. Bear them calmly and patiently for of Him and in penance for your sins. Of course, one may use all his efforts to ward off trouble and pain, but when one cannot avoid it let him bear it patiently. Impatience and revolt make sufferings vastly greater and more difficult to bear.

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