Luke 18: 11-14

Tonight is Halloween and if the kids don't start coming I'm going to make myself sick eating all this candy.  But for now, I'm giving thanks.

Let Me Die Naturally

Rose Ferron
https://www.facebook.com/Rose-Ferron-Foundation-of-Rhode-Island-836949263025145/ 

First I want to make it clear that I don't want extraordinary measures taken to extend my life when I am obviously dying.  I want to die naturally.  I want to be kept free of pain, free of depression but not pressured to end my life for convenience or  others' misperceived judgement.  I want to enjoy every single sunrise and sunset that I can.  And how many sunrises and sunsets that is, is NOT my decision.  It's God's.  I place my life in his hands.  Don't forget.

I believe my life is just as valuable as yours.  Every life is precious--a gift from God.  When I am ill and become disabled, it is an unfortunate burden on everyone.  But I am human and don't want to be pressured by society, laws, doctors, or family to end my life to make everyone else's easier.  Please respect my human dignity.  The disabled and mentally ill are no less valuable than anyone else.  When I am most vulnerable I want to be treated as importantly as if my decisions and opinions are still considered valuable.  

I want my family to stay close to me.  I don't want to miss a single smile.  I want to enjoy every single moment of time until I die on my own.   In 2012, Massachusetts had assisted suicide on the ballot.  The measure was defeated in large part due to the efforts of doctors.  The Massachusetts Medical Society campaigned vigorously against it.  They said there was no need for it.  If pain is an issue, it can be addressed.  Patients can be kept comfortable until death by adequate pain control.  If a patient needs depression medicine, that also can be provided.  

In December 2011, the chief policymaking body of the Massachusetts Medical Society voted to oppose
physician-assisted suicide. (This vote reaffirmed a policy established in 1999.) The policy also reaffirmed the
Society’s support for patient dignity and the alleviation of pain and suffering at the end of life:
“The Massachusetts Medical Society will provide physicians treating terminally ill patients with the
ethical, medical, social, and legal education, training, and resources to enable them to contribute to the
comfort and dignity of the patient and patient’s family.” 1
Lynda Young, MD, MMS past president, testified about the MMS policy

So please don't forget my wishes.  I want to eek out every morsel of life I can.  My life may not be as useful as I wish, but I will still need love.  Respect my life will be my last wish.  

Halloween and the Communion of Saints

Halloween is fun, is it not?  But it has me worried--a bit.  Our children want to wear scary costumes that have to do with killing.  I'm thinking of those that dress like Jason in Friday the 13th.

When I see these kind of costumes, I am reminded that we really do live in a culture of death.  We live in a world where new life is aborted or contracepted, and our sick and elderly are encouraged to commit suicide.  WTF!

Lord, help us.  Hear my plea.

This is why I prefer happy jack-o-lanterns and smiley, dancing scarecrows, to  ghosts and scary creatures.  And actually, Halloween was never meant to be scary.  I don't know how such a dark view came about.  It can't be a Wiccan influence because Wicca was started by Gerald Gardner around the 1950's.  It merged a bit with some "new age" stuff, but anyway, I don't think Wicca influenced our Halloween customs.  Wiccans like to celebrate Halloween because they think its anti-Christian and/or anti-cultural and it's their own.  It's not.  The Wiccans are confused.  Just the fact that they congregate in Salem, MA to celebrate Halloween is confusing.  Those poor "witches" that they are celebrating were good Christian girls and would be appalled at  Wicca.  They would disassociate themselves faster than you can say Boo.

And pagans from long ago worshipped gods and goddesses.  No one dresses as Zeus or Apollo.

I've heard that the "scary" comes from the Celtic holiday, Samhain.  Samhain marks the end of the harvest season.  The celebration also brought to mind the ancestors and recently deceased loved ones.  Perhaps this celebration influenced our modern conception of Halloween.  But Samhain welcomed their ancestors.  It wasn't scary, in fact, they set a place at their table in case a loved one did return.

I blame Hollywood for picking up the idea that our dead are scary.  They promote death as scary and bad. Some people think it's fun to be scared.  I can see it, as long as I'm scared in a theatre.  But as a Catholic Christian, I regret this trend.  Not only do I not think that death is evil; I think it is good.  It is not the end; it is a beginning.

Catholics celebrate November 1st and 2nd.  Nov. 1st is a celebration for those who we know are in heaven.  We call them "hallowed" or "holy."  Hence the night before is celebrated as "All Hallows Eve," just as we celebrate Christmas Eve before Christmas.  It's a festival.  Catholics love celebrations!  That's not all!  The party goes on.  The very next day, November 2 we also celebrate for all our deceased loved ones.  November 2 is called All Souls Day.  Catholics don't forget our dear ones who have passed.  We are still in communion with them.  We talk to them still; by the way, that's called praying.  We ask them to pray for us.  We ask for their intercession and they pray for us.
Nice, huh?  Matthew Kelly would call this "the genius of Catholicism."

I propose that we celebrate Halloween as Christ's victory over death.  Let's put smiles on.  Let's dress
as our "Hallowed" and look like heavenly beings.  That's what I'll be celebrating.

Luck v. Blessings

Boy! Am I in a good mood!  I just won three games out of three playing cribbage this afternoon. All three games came down to the wire and in all three I counted first.  That's pure luck.  And I had good hands.  That's luck too.

And that!  Boys and girls, is the difference between luck and a blessing.  A blessing is a grace from God.  Luck is the card hand you're dealt.

Heart and Soul

For the past few days, I've been absorbed in the book The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.  It was one of those times when you can't put the book done.  I highly recommend it as a very enjoyable read.

Near the end, the character Isabelle tells her sister something that someone told me a long time ago.  I've never forgotten it.  Isabelle, broken and beaten, suffering and sick, tells her sister "They couldn't touch my heart.  They couldn't change who I was inside.  My body...they broke that in the first days, but not my heart..."

Where I heard this before was from a prison inmate.  He was trying to tell me the very same thing.  He said, "they've taken everything away from me, but not my soul.  They can't take that."

Who you are, can't be taken away.  Maybe identity cards and name changes look like you've changed, but you don't.  Not if you don't want them to.  It's up to you.

Story of Waste

The preacher looked out over his small congregation.  He began:

There’s a testimony in here that you don’t cry about your situation, you don’t feel helpless, you don’t feel useless, that you’re not a failure….

                Amen, Brother…
                     Amen…
                                Amen…

I’m going to tell you a new parable.

There was a baby camel that came to his mother to ask some questions. 

“Mama, why do I have two toes on each foot?”

“The toes spread wide when you take a step.  This helps support your body as you walk across the desert sand.”

“Mama, why are my eyelashes so long?”

“The eyelashes keep the desert sand out of your eyes.”

“Mama, why are their two big bumps on my back?”

“They are reservoirs to store water as we travel across the desert.”

“So Mama, the toes are for walking in desert sand, the eyelashes are to keep out the desert sand, the bumps are for water storage for the desert.”

“Yes, my Son.”

“Then Mama, why are we here in a zoo?”

The preacher then turned around to look at the prison guard.

* Thanks to Bam Bam for the story.

Hiking on a Beautiful Day

F. Gilbert Hills State Forest is where my hiking group went today.  We saw some wonderful color in the leaves reflected in Sunset Lake.  Most interesting was the man who donated the forest to the state.  Rev. William Barton donated the land around the turn of the century.  That's over a thousand acres.  I was impressed with the wild rhododendrons.  They must be beautiful in bloom.  Mrs. Barton even had a secret garden with a statue of Pan in it.  

Resolution 15-66

Tonight the Franklin Town Council voted to accept Resolution 15-66, Reconstructing, Adding to, Equipping and Furnishing the Franklin Public Library. Woohoo!

You see our library is the first public library in the USA.  Yes, even before Boston!  Our claim to fame is due to Ben Franklin sending the town books for public use.  The books were placed in the minister's home and were available for the town's people to  borrow. 

At the turn of the 19th century, a wealthy family in town, the Ray family, donated money to build our current building.  Since then the funds left the library from the Ray family were used to fund the library.  NO taxpayer dollars were spent!  It was all Ray monies.  That lasted until the 1980's.  The town took over the library and helped expand and support the library.

A history of the library can be read here.

Presently, the library needs to be updated and expanded.  The library needs $ 11, 500, 000.00 for updating electrical, mechanical and plumbing in the existing building, including compliance to the American with Disabilities Act, and an addition to provide additional space.

I was among those in the audience to support this proposal.  Since I am an avid reader and use the library a lot, I wanted to show my support.  Not only do I borrow books, CD's, DVD's, I also bring my grandchildren to the library for books, and programs.  A good library is an asset to the town.  

Think about it.  The town is named after Benjamin Franklin.  And he, himself, started our library.  Wouldn't it be a shame and an insult to not take care of his legacy?  The Ray family also, who gave their fortune for this important heritage.  Kudos to the Town Council for honoring this important literary and institutional heritage.

Stories Inside Stories

Book Club is in about an hour.  I want to get my thoughts straight before I go and their opinions influence me.  The book is Copper Beech by Maeve Binchly.  I have never read her before because I thought she was a sappy romance writer.  I admit I was wrong.  I loved the book, Copper Beech.  Maeve Binchly is excellent in character development. The title comes from a tree that grew in front of the school everyone in the village attended.  The stories and the lives of 10 characters are what the book is about.  Their lives are interwoven and intersected are expertly crafted in the plot.  Everyone is tied together.  Binchy paints everyone compassionately objective.  

My favorite character was Maura Brennan.  I loved her pragmatism.  Her common sense and practical assessment always proved the best.  I loved how she mothered her son.  In fact, this child is the catalyst for the climax of the story.  I won't spoil it for you, but I think everyone will love this book.

Exclusion

The question is "who might feel excluded from parish life?"

Divorced?
Gays?
Single people?
Young Adults?

What to do about it?  The answer for "divorced and gays" would be support groups and that would take a facilitator with expertise in dealing with those issues.

How about single people?  Any single person could start a group for social, and spiritual support.

The same would be true for young adults.  It does seem that from high school until one gets married, there's nothing for these young adults to do.  One of these people needs to start a club or group for social and spiritual support.

All these people can be welcomed to parties, meals, ministries.  Why not have a thanksgiving reenactment?  Games--Bingo, cards, stump the priest, etc. 

Speak to Me

Today's meditation was on this drawing by my "cloistered brother," MEK.  What do you see in it?

I see God holding the world in His Hands.  In particular, God is Jesus.  See the wound in His hand?

What are the flames coming out of the globe?  Fire?  Prayers reaching up?  Perhaps both?  Because the world is at war, the people's prayers are lifted up?  What do you think?

What else do you see?  I see part of Saturn.  I see stars and the moon and other planets.  I see a cross in the stars.

God has everything under control.  This is my mantra:

                                               All is passing.
                                           God is everlasting.

Halloween at the Brick School

It’s known as the Brick School.  At one time, all the children in Franklin attended that school.  It was remembered quite fondly by the residents.  But time goes on and change is inevitable.  The town grew and needed more schools—bigger and better schools.  Inevitably, the town closed the school.  And there it sat—unused. 

That was the state of the building until this one particular Halloween night.  Neighbors noticed that there were lights in the windows.  When people approached the school, children’s voices were heard.  The children were singing:

One little, two little, three little pumpkins,
Four little, five little, six little pumpkins,
Seven little, eight little, Nine little pumpkins,
All for Halloween night.

People tried the door, but it was locked.  The windows were locked, also.  What was going on? What mischief was this on Halloween night?  

Word spread quickly and soon the entire neighborhood surrounded the Brick School.  The mood was curiously anticipatory.  Everyone wondered what to make of it.

Since the neighborhood was gathered around the school and in the schoolyard, no one noticed that all the trick or treat candy was disappearing from the neighborhood’s houses.  Silently and stealthily, little ghosts and goblins, princesses and pirates, werewolves and witches, entered the neighborhood’s homes and took all the Halloween treats. 

The people at the Brick School were oblivious.  Eventually, the children’s singing inside the school faded out.  All was silent.  The lights went out--rather suddenly! 

The crowd gasped.  There seemed to be a collective blink.  But then everyone laughed nervously and walked home talking about the strange event.  No one knew what to make of it. 

And no one knew what to make of their stolen candy, either.  But I will tell you one thing; everyone kept a closer eye on the Brick School from then on.  And the town council and school committee didn’t dare demolish the old building.  In fact, from that night on, it became a Halloween tradition for the neighborhood to gather around the Brick School to party and sing:

One little, two little, three little pumpkins,
Four little, five little, six little pumpkins,
Seven little, eight little, Nine little pumpkins,
All for Halloween night.

Glowing in the Dark

My granddaughter and I have tea and dessert, after school.  This afternoon, she spilled her tea on her dress.  It just so happened that I had bought her a Halloween tee shirt and gave it to her to put on.  The front of the shirt had a huge jack-o-lantern on it.  There was a sticker on the shirt that stated, "Glows in the dark."  When Daddy came to pick my granddaughter up, I noted that he picked off that sticker.

Fast forward a few hours, and I'm going into the prison for study-group.  I have to go through a security check, just like people do at the airport.  When being searched, the correctional officer asked me if I glow in the dark.

Immediately, I knew what happened.  The "Glows in the dark" sticker was stuck on my back.

Very funny.

Angel Hair Alpacas

Owner Jay Cohen explaining the wick.

Yesterday, I went to an alpaca farm.  The alpacas were so cute.  They weren't  as big as I thought.  None of them were my height, but they are very strong.  I love their fleece.  It's so thick and fluffy.  The fleece is sheared in the spring, so today the fiber was about an inch long.  It curls into a tight wick.  But it will grow to about four inches long before it is sheared.

The sounds they make are interesting.  They hum.  I only saw once incidence of spitting and I was told that tame alpacas don't spit.  Only badly trained alpacas do that.  The boys were kept away from the girls because they fight.  There were two cria (babies) about three and four months old.

We fed them some feed, although they live on hay.  The feed has other nutrients they need for health.  Each one had its own personality.  Some were so sweet, whereas others were just plain nasty.  Just like people, huh?

The Family Goes to Confession

Watching your children enter the confessional, do you ever wonder what they're going to confess.  Better, or maybe worse, what do you feel when you see your spouse go in to confess?

Do I wish to be a fly on the wall?  Am I better off not knowing?  What if they think the same about me?  

Definitely, this is an exercise in futility.  We should just pray for them to make good confessions, that God touch them, thank God for this saving sacrament.  

Pray for ourselves.

The Dominican Works of Mercy

Yesterday I wrote about the Corporal Works of Mercy.  We Lay Dominicans like to think of them as the Franciscan Works of Mercy.  There are also what we call the Dominican Works of Mercy.  They are popularly known as the Spiritual Works of Mercy:

• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To admonish sinners;
• To bear wrongs patiently;
• To forgive offences willingly;
• To comfort the afflicted;
• To pray for the living and the dead.

 These seem easy for my "cloistered brothers" to do.  They instruct the ignorant because they facilitate a couple of Bible studies and conduct RCIA classes.  For sure they counsel the doubtful; we do that for each other, never mind others who approach them.  I've been admonished myself, more than once for not being all that I should be.  "I am broken!"  

My "cloistered brothers" bear many, many wrongs patiently.  They have no choice.  And they have to forgive offences willingly because they've been on the other side.  They are cloistered because they are offenders.  Following this train of thought, they know to comfort the afflicted.  They at times need the comfort, so certainly they do what they can.

Pray they do.  They are quite efficacious prayer warriors because Psalm 69:33.

The Corporal Works of Mercy

My "cloistered brothers" and I were discussing the upcoming Year of Mercy.  We were going through the Corporal Works of Mercy:

• To feed the hungry;
• To give drink to the thirsty;
• To clothe the naked;
• To harbour the harbourless;
• To visit the sick;
• To ransom the captive;
• To bury the dead.

and wondering how they could perform some of these tasks since they were "cloistered."  I thought their solution to "to clothe the naked" was ingenious.  When they need a new habit, they can't get one, until they hand over their old one.  So what they do is find someone else who is their size, and whose habit is raggier than theirs, and swop.  The raggy habit is then turned in and the "cloistered brother" can then get a new one.  

"Ransom the captive" is difficult.  Since my brothers have no money, they pray and try to help others who are captives in other ways, e.i., captive to an addiction, a bad habit, etc.  

The other corporal works are easy for them to perform.

The Grand Game

I am writing a comparison between two writers of detective stories.  While researching, I came across Monsignor Ronald Knox's satire/bad joke/ semi-serious comparison of the Bible with Sherlock Holmes.  It seems that the clever monsignor started a phenomenon  that is continued to this day.

It all begin when Ronald Knox had to prepare a talk for two different groups.  They were completely different groups.  Think theological versus a general subject for college students.  Let me preface the story by explaining that Ronald Knox was a stickler for orthodoxy and it bothered him, more than a bit, that nit-pickers were arguing over whether authors of certain books of the Bible were the one person the book was attributed to, or his disciples.  Knox, ingeniously, pointed out in his paper, Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes, inconsistencies in the detective stories. He offered the Sherlock Holmes stories as a Bible.  He proposed a theory that Sherlock Holmes was not written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but by Watson.  (Yes, the very same Dr. Watson, in the stories.)  He contrasted and compared the disputed authorship of the books in the Bible to a disputed authorship of Sherlock Holmes stories.  And he did this with a straight face.

Much to Knox's surprise, the theologians swallowed the fish tale, hook-line-sinker.  It was meant to be a spoof.  And it took awhile for Knox's trick to catch on.  Well, it wasn't really meant to trick anybody; it was obvious to Knox that he was presenting a tongue in cheek comparison.

Even more surprising, is that Knox's spoof was copied by others.  Some others expanded on the biography of Holmes, giving him a birthdate and schools he graduated from, and more.  Dr. Watson is humanized, also.  It became a game that is carried on to this day.

 I think it sounds like fun.

*My source: http://ronaldknoxsociety.blogspot.com/search/label/Detective

Food is Good

Yesterday, the Office of Reading spurred a sharp rebuke aimed at St. Paul's letter to Timothy.  Today, again, the Office has inspired a post.  I may not be advancing spiritually, but I am paying attention.  In 1 Tim 4: 1-5, Paul warns us of following teachers of error.  I'm specifically looking at demons who teach people to turn away from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by believers.  Everything God created is good; nothing is to be rejected when it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by God's word and by prayer.

That's T.O.P.S.' philosophy.  Everything in moderation.  Do not deprive yourself to the extent that you are starving.  We eat mindfully.  We practice portion control.  We eat all the food groups and do not eliminate carbohydrates, or dairy, or red meat, or meat at all.

 TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is the short name for TOPS Club, Inc., the original nonprofit, noncommercial network of weight-loss support groups and wellness education organization. TOPS offers tools and programs for healthy living and weight management, with exceptional group fellowship and recognition. Established in 1948 to champion weight-loss support and success, we've helped millions of people live healthier lives.

Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts.

A Letter to Paul

My dear brother,

I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond, but life has a habit of getting in the way, so to speak.  Please forgive me.  However, some sort of response is necessary because of the inappropriate and misinterpreted manner in which  your teachings are currently being used.  I wish you were here, yourself, to set everyone straight, but that obviously cannot be.  So be it.

It is your closing remarks to Timothy, in your first letter, that I wish to address.  You advise women to dress modestly and quietly and not wear fancy hairstyles, or jewelry.

Then how do women show the glory of God's perfected creation?  Should not an image of God be glorified?  After all, God created man, and then perfected that creation with a second try.  Think about it.  Man was made from dirt.  Woman was made from a human being.

While the subject is self-adornment, why do you not address the blatant and blaring bodily adornments of men?  Men exercise and buff up their muscles and puff out their chests while parading around showing off their well-toned bodies.  They even shave off their manly hair to further delineate their musculature.  They also wear gold ornaments and costly clothing as if they were the kept pets of royalty.

Should not both men and women who profess to adhere to their religious principles adorn themselves with their good deeds and not cheap trinkets?

Please explain to me why a woman must be silent and submissive to an abusive lout?  That is not right.  Surely, you did not think your words to Timothy through.  It is not common sense that anyone be silent when sin is committed.

Finally, let me set the record straight.  Naive Eve was tempted by a higher intelligence.  Adam was tempted by himself; he didn't want Eve to be above himself.  It really was no contest between an angel and woman--higher intelligence v. naivete.  Besides, Adam was in charge; he was there, (Genesis 3: 6) standing right beside Eve when the serpent tricked her; why didn't he speak up.  If anyone is to blame, it would be the man in charge--Adam.  All he had to do was shout, "No!"  What kind of man would allow his woman to fall into sin when he was right beside her?

Excuse my bluntness, Paul, but I think you have a lot of chutzpah to lay the blame of original sin upon the more vulnerable of the pair.  It is clear that the man exhibited cowardly and self-serving behavior.  The woman wanted to be like God and she even shared that desire.  What was Adam's motivation?  Where was his leadership?

I am sorry to say, Paul, that I perceive your advice to be crass, ignorant, misogynistic and an embarrassment to the Body of Christ. In my humble opinion, since Adam was created first, he was in charge of the woman and should have been in charge of the situation in the great temptation.  Since he was not, he should be sentenced to working for his family, for the rest of his life.  He should stay yoked to the mother of his children and work to support his family.  He should play a major role in the upbringing of his children, in order to see to their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  Man will be saved thus, provided he continues in faith and love and holiness--his faithfulness in chastity, of course, being taken for granted.

With love and prayers,
your sister (respectfully submissive) in Christ,
Faith (the One True Faith)

P.S.  Excuse the rant.  (PMS)

Bible Roulette

Picture by MEK

Have you ever played Bible roulette?  Here's how it works:  you have three chances to find one verse in the Bible that will apply to you.  I'll play it for you.

I'm using King James Version for absolutely no other reason than this is the one closest to me, on the book self.  I flip the pages.  Near the beginning I stop.  It's Judges.  I pick Chapter 12.  I close my eyes and my finger rests on 12.  So my first chance is Judges 12:12.  It says:

And E'-lon the Zeb'-u-lon-ite died, and was buried in Ai'-ja-lon in the country of Zeb'-u-lun.

Yikes, am I going to die soon?  Someone I love?  I don't like this game.

Quick, I'm choosing another verse, near the end of the Bible.  It's Hebrews.  I pick chapter 5.  I close my eyes and my finger rest on Hebrews 5: 6:

As he saith also in another place, THOU ART A PRIEST FOR EVER AFTER THE ORDER OF MEL-CHIS'-E-DEC.

At first I thought "well, that doesn't apply to me."  Then I remembered that a priest that I think of fondly, has just left the priesthood and has applied to be laicized.  And yes, he is a priest forever.

One more chance!  I'll pick something in the middle, this time.  It's II Chronicles.  I pick chapter 29.  I'll pick verse one.

HEZ-E-KI'-AH began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem.

This verse has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my life.

I don't like this game--Bible Roulette.  I don't think these verse have anything to do with me.  Maybe number two does, but not directly to my life.

Bible Roulette is a silly game.  Don't waste your time on it.

Catholic Vocabulary

Catholics have a short-cut way of referring to Catholic devotional subjects.  Not only do we not realize the understanding of what our words mean, but we defend them without trying to think how they are perceived.

Huh?

Take a phrase like, "Pray to St. Anthony."

A non-Catholic would say, "No, pray only to God."  We Catholics do pray to God but we ask St. Anthony to intercede for us by continuing our prayers.   It's quick to say, "Pray to Saint Anthony."  It would take too much time to say, "Since I believe in the communion of saints, which is ...... hence I'm appealing to saint ....... to intercede for me to God, since I can't always dedicate a lot of time constantly praying."

This short-cut Catholic terminology caused a stir on FaceBook, the other day.  Some non-Catholic said that Catholics don't use the Bible.  In the backlash, a Catholic quipped, "Catholics wrote the Bible."  Well!  Now the discussion picked up!

Now Catholics know God inspired the Bible, but the Catholic Church was responsible for the formulation, preservation, and integrity of the Sacred Scriptures.  The Catholic church saved the Bible from destruction and extinction from marauders.  The Catholic Church translated the Bible into many languages.  Until the invention of the printing press, the Catholic Church painstakingly copied the Sacred scriptures.  With the printing press, the average person now had access to the Bible.  Some people have tried to manipulate and corrupt the Sacred Scriptures, but the Catholic Church has preserved the version that everyone accepts today.  Christians of all denominations around the world owe a debt to the Catholic Church for "writing the Bible."

Isn't it just quicker to say "Catholics wrote the Bible?"

Another Flowers for Mary Story

How do you define a miracle?  Read this story.  My friend Marie's birthday is December 8.  A few years ago, her husband bought her a bouquet of roses for her birthday.  December 8th is also a religious feast day--the Immaculate Conception.  This day we honor the fact that Mary, the Mother of Jesus was born without Original Sin.

Anyway, Marie was overjoyed to receive this bouquet and felt very blessed.  She felt moved to thank God by attending the daily Mass in her parish.  She also thought of pleasing Jesus by honoring His Mother by giving her one of her roses.  So on her way into Mass, Marie placed a rose at the foot of the statue of Mary.

After Mass, Marie prayed a rosary. Upon leaving the church, Marie saw her parish priest looking at her rose.  As she approached, he spoke to her.  "Look at that rose.  Every Feast of the Immaculate Conception a rose appears at the foot of this statue."

Marie didn't tell the priest that she was the one who left it.  She, like the priest, was too much in awe.  That was her first and only time of giving a rose to Mary.

Flowers for Mary

The first thing the pope did when he returned home to Rome, from the United States was not crash into bed.  He brought flowers to the statue of Mary in a church in Rome.  This must be his favorite statue and favorite church.  It reminded me of Han.  Han is a Vietnamese/American.  She has a story.

Han is one of the Vietnamese boat people.  These people were prey to pirates.  Many of them were robbed and killed, if not just starved to death because no one would pick them up.  Father Anthony Le tells us that if a boat picked you up, then they were responsible for you.  So many boats passed them by.  Father Le was picked up by a Norwegian boat.  Han's story focuses on divine intervention.

Han's grandmother told her to keep praying to Mary, ask her to protect you.  On Han's boat, every single female was raped, except Han.  And Han was a teenager.  It was like she was invisible.

Ever since then, Han constantly thanks our Blessed Mother, particularly in the image of Our Lady of Hope, a/k/a  Our Lady of Pontmain.  This image was prevalent in Vietnam.  There is a traveling statue of Our Lady of Pontmain, which Han manages to procure every once in awhile.  This picture is the statue with Han (on left).

Also, Han brings Our Lady a bouquet of fresh flowers every single week--just like the pope.