All our life is a journey toward God

Hi, everyone. :) Yes, I know it's been over a month since I posted anything here. I'm sorry about that. :/ It's not that I had nothing to share or write about, just that I sort of ...didn't. I don't know. xD Lack of time and motivation, perhaps. But now I'm back. I will try to keep up!

Anyway, I've been wanting to share this for a while now, and I think it's high time I do! Back in February, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, an order of nuns in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were featured on Oprah! Shocking, I know. ;) I think it was a lovely show, and so very much needed in this day and age. Many of the questions that were asked I think just reflect the common ideas and misconceptions and fears and "important" things of today's world. So it's good they were answered. Answers are needed, and here they were given. :)

I am not much of an Oprah person myself, but I think she was really touched by the sisters' visit. Both she and Lisa seemed amazed at what they learned! No, nuns are not stuffy and lifeless non-humans. xD I greatly admire nuns like these and if I were called to be one, I would certainly follow God's call. (Oh, and FYI- a full habit is a must for me. No silly "religious pins" on street clothes. Either be a nun and be unafraid to proclaim the fact you are a bride of Christ to the world, or don't. No mushy in-between, please. Also of interest is the fact that the orders who do wear full habits are experiencing great growth, mostly young (the sisters' ages), and are thriving. The ones who don't are aging and rapidly ceasing to exist.)

I also must add that I am friends with a girl who is discerning a vocation with these sisters. :) Which I think is very cool! She just finished her sophomore year of college and has chosen to drop out, working for a year, then entering as a postulant. :) Please keep her in your prayers.

Without further ado, the videos:

(Please take the time to watch all four segments. They are not very long at all and well worth your time. Also, sorry for the few places the quality messes up, not sure why it does that.)

Part One
To view Part One, click here. I'm sorry for the trouble!

It seems Harpo (Oprah's company) removed this video from Youtube. I'm keeping the dead link here for proof, lol.
Parts 2, 3, 4 that I posted are still working. :)


Part Two


Part Three


Part Four

Lest we forget: Memorial Day 2010

Memorial Day 2010

The Field of the Slain, by Evelyn Pickering de Morgan

To all men and women who have given their lives in military service to our country: thank you. Without your sacrifices, America might not be here today. Or at least, not be as she is today. True is the maxim "Freedom isn't free." May we always see freedom as the freedom to do and be good, and not as the freedom to "do anything." I am continually sickened to see how the poisonous ideologies that you fought against are permeating our culture more and more. Beloved dead: pray for us, as we pray for you. You are not forgotten, may God grant you peace.

And to all now dead who fought in our nations battles, here at home and abroad, but were not killed at war, we thank you and remember you, too. My Grandfathers Charles and Robert are my most immediate connection to veterans, in this case World War II. Both returned home. Grandpa Bob entered at the tail end of the war, and didn't see much. In which case, I am thankful, as perhaps otherwise Daddy might not be here...then I would not. Grandpa Charlie witnessed a lot, and was haunted for the rest of his days by his memories of war. He never did talk about it much to my mother, his daughter.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

.......................................

Poem: "In Flanders Fields," by John McCrae, written 1915, during World War I.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

................................

The Red Cross (allegory of Flanders war graves), by Evelyn Pickering de Morgan


Archangel Michael trampling Satan, by Guido Reni



Our Lady of Peace, by Evelyn Pickering de Morgan



St. Joan of Arc, Medieval, artist unknown

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Christ Jesus, Prince of Peace, have mercy on us.
Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.
Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.
St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
St. Joan of Arc, pray for us.

Keep our soldiers safe.

A power beyond the reach of any magic

I knew I wasn't crazy. I still say that Harry 'saved' my life in 6th grade. Even though eventually, in a weird way, the books became both my healing balm and my poison, overall it was balm more than poison. ^_^

Harry Potter for Fighting Depression

"That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.”

~ Albus Dumbledore in The Deathly Hallows

He is risen from the dead!

I got this in my inbox this Easter morn, I pray you let me share it with you. :) Easter joy and blessings upon you all! Remember, Eastertide is 50 whole days, so don't stop the celebrating just yet. ^_^

Let us never forget that in proportion as our love is “rooted and grounded” in the next world, our faith must branch forth like a fruitful tree into this. The calmer our hearts, the more active be our lives; the more tranquil we are, the more busy; the more resigned, the more zealous; the more unruffled, the more fervent. This is one of the many paradoxes in the world’s judgment of him, which the Christian realizes in himself. Christ is risen; He is risen from the dead. We may well cry out, "Alleluia, the Lord Omnipotent reigneth." He has crushed all the power of the enemy under His feet. He has gone upon the lion and the adder. He has stopped the lion’s mouth for us His people, and has bruised the serpent’s head. There is nothing impossible to us now, if we do but enter into the fulness of our privileges, the wondrous power of our gifts. The thing cannot be named in heaven or earth within the limits of truth and obedience which we cannot do through Christ; the petition cannot be named which may not be accorded to us for His Name’s sake. For, we who have risen with Him from the grave, stand in His might, and are allowed to use His weapons. His infinite influence with the Father is ours,—not always to use, for perhaps in this or that effort we make, or petition we prefer, it would not be good for us; but so far ours, so fully ours, that when we ask and do things according to His will, we are really possessed of a power with God, and do prevail:—so that little as we may know when and when not, we are continually possessed of heavenly weapons, we are continually touching the springs of the most wonderful providences in heaven and earth; and by the Name, and the Sign, and the Blood of the Son of God, we are able to make devils tremble and Saints rejoice.

Such are the arms which faith uses, small in appearance, yet “not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;” [2 Cor. 10:4] despised by the world, what seems a mere word, or a mere symbol, or mere bread and wine; but God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, and foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and as all things spring from small beginnings, from seeds and elements invisible or insignificant, so when God would renew the race of man, and reverse the course of human life and earthly affairs, He chose cheap things for the rudiments of His work, and bade us believe that He could work through them, and He would do so. As then we Christians discern in Him, when He came on earth, not the carpenter’s son, but the Eternal Word Incarnate, as we see beauty in Him in whom the world saw no form or comeliness, as we discern in that death an Atonement for sin in which the world saw nothing but a malefactor’s sentence; so let us believe with full persuasion that all that He has bequeathed to us has power from Him. Let us accept His Ordinances, and His Creed, and His precepts; and let us stand upright with an undaunted faith, resolute, with faces like flint, to serve Him in and through them; to inflict them upon the world without misgiving, without wavering, without anxiety; being sure that He who saved us from hell through a Body of flesh which the world insulted, tortured, and triumphed over, much more can now apply the benefits of His passion through Ordinances which the world has lacerated and now mocks.

~ John Henry Cardinal Newman, from the sermon ‘Keeping Fast and Festival’ (1838) Click here to see the full text

Let God arise

As an "antidote" or follow-up to my last very disconcerting post, here is another blog post, from my favorite Vultus Christi. Father Mark offers much in the way of beauty and wisdom there. I thank God for him. Here, In our struggle with the powers of darkness, I am given hope and a chance to breathe. Please, read it.

After all, though a new era of martyrs this may surely be, then that means a new era of saints. Those among us who will rise above the rest and be shining witnesses to God's love and mercy, God's truth and sovereignty, in a hungry, thirsty, aching world. We are all of us called to be saints. Each one of us.
I pray for living courage in the face of evil. I pray for a vibrant, anchored faith in the face of lies and falsehoods. I pray for illuminating hope in the face of darkness and deadening despair. I pray for a living, bleeding, breathing love in the face of hate, indifference, wrath, sin, and the culture of death.

Let us pray together. Let us, through our imperfect lives, help to usher in the Kingdom of God. We are called to be icon-bearers of Christ to the world. For some, we might be the only glimpse of Truth they will ever receive.

Fides, by Sir Edward Burne-Jones

"What is the monster we've become?"

And I thought this world was already utterly, utterly insane.

Guess I was wrong. Sorry to be so depressing today, but check this out. [WARNING: Link contains disturbing and graphic details/info.]
THIS. On top of all that is already WRONG with the world, on top of all that is already EVIL. More. More of it. More insanity.

I feel like screaming, and this is one of the very good reasons why God did not endow me with magical powers and a wand to harness it with. I would be too dangerous with them. Case in point -- situations like this. Mercy fades in my heart and I just want JUSTICE DONE NOW. It is only later when I am calmer do I begin to feel such overwhelming sorrow for the people like this. Sometimes I feel a kinship with St. Thérèse and her great desire to save souls. Sometimes I feel that way. This great burden and responsibility and yearning, this need, to reach people and bring them the Light of Christ. They need it so much. This world needs it so much.

I mean, read the comments....someone mentions another HEINOUS Youtube video (I unfortunately know such videos/acts are relatively common) involving cruelty to a helpless animal. GOD, I WANT TO SCREAM AND SHOOT SOMEONE. Or at least ask for another Flood. OMG. I FEEL SO FREAKING TICKED OFF RIGHT NOW.

-_____________-


Oh, my God, what have we done?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????

WHAT ARE WE DOING??!!!??!!??????????????????????


Oh, Mary, Mary, Light in All Darkness and Mother of Hope - PRAY FOR US.


Everyone just pray. And fight. We are in a war. Father Phillips, at church, wasn't kidding when he said we are living in a New Age of Martyrdom.

Martyrdom takes many forms, and though right now it may not look like the Age of Martyrs in the past, with horrific tortures and executions, if one but looks, you will see how and where the martyrdoms happen. We suffer and are tortured and killed in other ways. But we are on the path back to all-out persecution. Traces of 1984 and suchlike are becoming more apparent every day.........



Oh, God, I'm so scared!

Oh, God, my heart hurts!

Oh, God, I feel so sick!


My God! You ask us to trust You! How? How?

And yet, still You say - "Fear not, for I am with you always."

"In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

Oh, Mary, when will that be? I'm starting to wish it. Though I do not wish for the end of this life, I wish for thy triumph. I wish for Christ's reign upon this Earth. Oh.......

It's things like this that cause me to lose hope. But we are never without hope. There is always hope. Always. We must be the ones to keep working, keep fighting, keep living and loving, keep its Flame burning.

"And all that is not well shall be made well."



We live in a very, very sick world. Perhaps sicker than it has EVER been before. We must fight for its soul. We must fight and pray. The Holy Rosary is one of the best 'weapons' we have against evil. Pray it. Pray it. Every day. I confess I don't always. :( But I should. Our Lady asked us to, pleaded us to, at Fatima.


We need the Great Physician now more than ever.



Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

He weeps.

The Story of the Whole World

This trailer made me smile so much and nearly cry. I want to see this!!! Ah...yes. ♥

I hate not knowing what will happen

....and so I wait. And so we wait, my parents and I.


Does he recover and live? God, he's not quite 6 years old! Still a young kitty....

Or does he succumb to this sickness and die, leaving us here bereft and weeping?

Oh my darling Wayne, how I love you.

I know in my heart that I would see him again, that in Heaven, God catches up all His creatures in His loving embrace, and delights in them. He forgets not the least sparrow...

But not yet! No, not yet. How can God want Wayne back? What would Nicholas do?? They are best friends, and I know some cats and other animals grieve so extremely they stop eating....they starve themselves....

Come to think of it, some people do that sort of thing, too. sigh.



Does this post remain just my fears and desperate pleas?

Or does it become one of nightmare made real, a post "in loving memory of..." with more bitter tears streaming down my face?

Oh, God, please! I know this is so small a thing, in comparison with other things, other prayers. My loss would be so slight compared with say, the cross that Haiti now bears....

but still I ask. Still I plead. Still I weep and hurt, all my insides twisting with fear and dread....

and here I am, so far from home.

Keep my little Wayne in your arms, sweet Mary, our Mother. Mother of all things, I know you do not spurn my prayers or tears. Instead, you weep with me. Please, please pray for my baby Wayne. I entrust him into your care, along with the loving intercession also of Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi, St. Martin de Porres, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Brigid of Kildare, St. Gertrude and St. Jude. And yes, Michael - who loved animals so dearly, please pray. All ye holy angels of God - please, spare a prayer for my Wayne.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not my pleas! Look with mercy on us, my family and me, and grant healing to Wayne, a beloved member of our family since we took him in August of 2004.

Amen.

As so freaking hard as it is for me to say this: Thy will be done.


I love you forever, my little Waynie-pooh. No matter what.

This is Wayne as a kitten, on the very first day we brought him home in 2004. He was exploring the house, and here we caught him talking about it all. He has since grown into a big boy and is still very vocal.

(l-r) Wayne and Nicholas, best buddies. This was before Nicholas grew a large fluffy "mane" around his neck, apparently, so Nicholas is still somewhat a kitten.

Wayne over Christmas break, looking cute in a funny position while he sleeps.