Definition of a Martyr

 A martyr is someone who dies for the faith.  They're killed because of their religion.  I'm reading a little book, Blessed Charles de Foucauld: A Grain of Wheat.  Blessed Charles de Foucauld died in the first World War, 1916.  He was killed not for religious reasons, at all.  During an attack by rebels, de Foucauld let himself be taken, was tied up, robbed, and killed.  His body lies in El Golea.  

In a meditation of John 19:30, Bl. Charles wrote:

My Lord Jesus you are dead.  You died for us?  If we really believe this, we ought to want to die, to die a martyr's death; to accept suffering in death instead of being afraid! It won't matter for what motive we are killed if we ourselves receive that unjust and cruel death as a blessed gift from you, if we thank you for it as a gentle grace, as a blessed imitation of your end... The motive for killing us won't matter, if we will die out of pure love and our death will be a sacrifice pleasing to you.  If this is not martyrdom in the strict sense of the word, and in the eyes of the world, it will be in your eyes.  It will be a very perfect image of your death and a loving end which will lead us straight to heaven.

What do you think?  "If we receive the death as a gift from God."

Then many of us are martyrs, are we not?

Tomb of Blessed Charles de Foucauld in El Golea.

With A Little Help From My Friends

 TOPS is a "weight loss" group.  It's big on recognition and support.  There's no diet because it's up to the individual to pick a method that works for them.  I count carbs.  Another is on a plant-based diet.  Another is on Keto.  Whatever works.

The support is the mentoring.  We've been texting each other.  I usually send cartoons about being fat.  I intersperse the jokes with helpful nutritional hints, i.e., "low cal and low carb" snacks.  High Protein breakfasts and/or other meals, to try.

We encourage one another when we haven't loss any weight and we celebrate when we do.  

The recognition is regional and state.  The region will have a workshop meeting.  The state recognition can be formal, really dress up.  There's usually a theme and people dress for the occasion.  Those that have reached their goal weight are honored, as well as those that have kept their weight off.  

Lastly, TOPS is one of the cheapest weight loss clubs.  Also, their magazine has invaluable information, as well as their website.  They're very well done.  I bet there's a club near you and if not, there're online TOPS clubs.  

Who Watches the Watchers

 Another free ebook from the Gutenberg project and another Joseph Muller mystery is my subject.  The Case of the Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Auguste Groner is a nice, short, and enjoyable mystery.  

The protagonist is a detective in the Austrian Imperial Police.  He's different than the other detectives.  Firstly, because he's an excon.  He understands the criminal mind.  He's very methodical and can visualize scenarios to place situations. He hardly eats nor sleeps, when in the middle of a case.  But solve the "who done it," he will.  

In this case, the village houses an insane asylum and the director will sometimes walk around the village with inmates.  The suspects include some of the inmates and maybe a villager or maybe one of the keepers.  Trust Detective Muller to see what others miss.

 

Opposites Can Attract

 The Best Gift by Irene Hannon is a love story with no sex.  !!!!! How refreshing!  The gift to AJ is an inheritance of half a book store.  The other half belongs to a man.  Mmmmm.  Could be.  Nah, they're opposites.  She's an outgoing extrovert.  He's somber and introverted. 

There was a little caveat in the will.  The two have to work together for six months before they could inherit.  Fortunately, a threat to the bookstore business necessitated that they work together.  Their neighbors and AJ and Blake went to their town hall and expressed their point of views.

The merchants won and so did romance.  Not only did AJ and Blake inherit the bookstore legitimately, they became engaged.  Nice story and nicely written.

A Cozy Mystery

 Everyone knows not to judge a book by its cover.  However, Loom and Doom, by Susan Sleeman, not only had an attractive cover, it has a ribbon bookmark.  Evidently, this book is only one in a series of "Antique Shop Mysteries."  The author, Susan Sleeman is only one of the many authors that write for "Antique Shop Mysteries."

The mysteries are touted as "cozy" mysteries.  The locale, in Maine, the antique shop, which Maggie, the main protagonist, owns, and the quaint village, add to the lure qualifying the book as "cozy."  

The village was having a large "flea" type sale, where all the merchants place their merchandise outside.  There's a festival type atmosphere and the festivities begin with an auction. One of the items, which Maggie wants to buy for herself, is a carpet bag. When she was bidding, another bidder ran up the bid against her.  Maggie finally won. 

After the auction, Maggie's competitor for the carpet bag is murdered. He was killed with one of the auction's items--a sprocket.  Very strange.

Maggie wondered why this victim was after the carpet bag.  Upon closer inspection, she found a drawing of a house, hidden inside the lining of the bag.  The house in the drawing is in the vicinity.  There is a loom in the house missing a sprocket. There's a tunnel under the house and the key is the sprocket.

Maggie and her friends, piece everything together to solve the murder and its surrounding mystery. Therein lies the suspense.

Imprecations

It's been a week since I've posted.  The reason is because I've been contemplating what I should have said to my friend.  Sitting at the table, in a dinner for Book Club, my friend turned to me and asked, "Is it wrong to hate and wish evil happen to someone?"  Needless to say, the question took me by surprise.  Sensing she was really asking if she were a bad person to "wish evil" upon someone.  I said "no."  Well, for the past week, my answer has been bothering me.  I prayed about it.  I've read what those whom I respect have written, and I came up with the letter below. 

The person and situation are political.  My friend is enraged that our current president is in power.  She feels deeply and I sense partly ashamed of her vindictive hate.  After all, she is a good person.  How could these evil emotions overwhelm her?

This is reminiscence of King David and his kingdom.  How could his enemies triumph over God's chosen people?  She feels what David felt.  David expressed his very human feelings in lyrics.  We call these lyrics, psalms.  Meditating upon the psalms, I felt better able to respond to my friend.  So, I wrote her this letter.

 Dear Friend,

      You asked me if it were wrong to wish harm on Trump and his ilk.  I intuit what you felt yet were concerned.  After prayer and reading, I can formulate a better response than what I gave you, on Thursday.  The short answer is no.  However, I think it is important to know why.  Reading these imprecatory psalms will resonate with your feelings: Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137 and 140. An imprecation is a curse that invokes misfortune upon someone.  These particular psalms were calling down God's judgment on the enemies of Israel. God promises to help the persecuted and bring judgment on sinners.  These psalms are asking for justice to be done.

       In the book of Psalms, you will find the whole range of human experience. Most of the psalms were written by David.  In them he confesses sins, doubts, and fears.  He asks God for help and gives Him praise.  David also gives advice--suggestions as to what David would like God to do to his enemies (you'll like these, see 109). Imprecatory psalms are true human feelings.

       While Jesus instructs us to hate evil and work to overcome it--hate the sin but love the sinner, because everyone is made in the image of God.  Pray for the grace to separate the actions from the person.  Like David, we should pray for God to be swift in His judgment of evil people.  The psalms were not written out of vindictiveness or vengeance. Instead, David was invoking God's protection against degenerate and ruthless conquerors, who repeatedly tried to destroy God's people.

       Jesus, Himself, quoted some imprecatory psalms, John 2:17 and 15:25.  However, Jesus asks us to love our enemies--Note Well--the New Testament makes it clear that our enemy is spiritual, not physical! Ephesians 6:12.

      Let's pray for compassion for the people who are under the devil's influence.  We should want everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9. Above all, seek the will of God in everything, have patience, and leave the final outcome to the Lord.  Romans 12:19.

Peace,

Faith

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1My God, whom I praise,

do not remain silent,

2for people who are wicked and deceitful

have opened their mouths against me;

they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

3With words of hatred they surround me;

they attack me without cause.

4In return for my friendship they accuse me,

but I am a man of prayer.

5They repay me evil for good,

and hatred for my friendship.

6Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;

let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7When he is tried, let him be found guilty,

and may his prayers condemn him.

8May his days be few;

may another take his place of leadership.

9May his children be fatherless

and his wife a widow.

10May his children be wandering beggars;

may they be driven ^a from their ruined homes.

11May a creditor seize all he has;

may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12May no one extend kindness to him

or take pity on his fatherless children.

13May his descendants be cut off,

their names blotted out from the next generation.

14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord;

may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

15May their sins always remain before the Lord,

that he may blot out their name from the earth.

16For he never thought of doing a kindness,

but hounded to death the poor

and the needy and the brokenhearted.

17He loved to pronounce a curse—

may it come back on him.

He found no pleasure in blessing—

may it be far from him.

18He wore cursing as his garment;

it entered into his body like water,

into his bones like oil.

19May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,

like a belt tied forever around him.

20May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,

to those who speak evil of me.

21But you, Sovereign Lord,

help me for your name’s sake;

out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

22For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is wounded within me.

23I fade away like an evening shadow;

I am shaken off like a locust.

24My knees give way from fasting;

my body is thin and gaunt.

25I am an object of scorn to my accusers;

when they see me, they shake their heads.

26Help me, Lord my God;

save me according to your unfailing love.

27Let them know that it is your hand,

that you, Lord, have done it.

28While they curse, may you bless;

may those who attack me be put to shame,

but may your servant rejoice.

29May my accusers be clothed with disgrace

and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

30With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;

in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.

31For he stands at the right hand of the needy,

to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

All You Need is to Love God

Peter Kreeft's How to be Holy is a guidebook.  If I were a spiritual director I would recommend this book.  I would be discussing the chapters with my directee.  Kreeft's style is easy, humorous, colloquial, and is an accessible, modern Abandonment to Divine Providence by Father Jean Pierre de Caussade. I confess I couldn't get through Caussade's book, but I had no problem reading How to be Holy.  That's my point.  

Kreeft unpacks  Romans 8:28—“We know that all things work for good for those who love God”.  His short chapters enable the reader to read and meditate on a chapter a day.  That's perfect for me.  

The Link between God and Me

 St. Charles de Foucauld wrote a prayer that more or less says he's such a sinner, he can't see how he will ever get to heaven.  Near the end of the prayer, he sees the heart of Jesus beating his name.  It's Jesus love that will draw us to Him and heaven.  

                                                Act of Confidence in the Sacred Heart of Jesus

As bad as I am, as great a sinner as I may be, I must hope that I'll go heaven, You forbid me to despair.

You forbid me to ever be discouraged, in front of my misery--You won't let me tell myself; "I can't go any farther--the road to Heaven is too steep--I'm going to give up and slide back down to the bottom."  Faced with my continually renewed faults, for which I ask Your pardon each day, and which I repeatedly fall into, You forbid me to tell myself: "I can never correct myself--holiness is not for me.  What have I in common with Heaven?  I am not worthy to enter there."  In light of the infinite graces You've heaped upon me, and the unworthiness of my present life, You for bid me to say to myself, "I have abused so many graces--I should be a saint and I am a sinner; I can't correct myself; it's too difficult; after all that God has done for me, I'm full of vices and pride; there is nothing good in me; I'll never go to Heaven."  You  tell me to hope in spite of everything.  I must believe that I will have enough grace to be converted and one day be with You in glory.  What is there in common between the perfection of Heaven and my miserable self? 
    This is Your Heart, Lord Jesus--Your Heart is the link between these two things which are so unlike one another.

Blessed Prison

 In a letter from St. Cyprian, when being Christian was against the law, he writes “How blessed is the prison honored by your presence, how blessed the prison that sends men of God to heaven!”

I can’t help but think of my “cloistered brothers”.  

  

Shirking Responsibility

 It's hard to think, know, and understand, that when praying to God, that's not the end.  One cannot sit back and think that God will solve our problems.  Worse, solutions will probably ask for strength and work.

God gave us intelligence, judgment, and free will.  We are to use them.  God will inspire us to use our gifts, but it's up to us to do the work.

Remember the story of the man who heard on the news that a flood was imminent.  He prayed to be saved.  The flood came, but he stayed in his home and prayed.  The police came and knocked on his door and asked him if he needed help.  He refused because he was relying on God.  As the flood waters reached his second story windows, the fire department rowed a raft to him and told him to come aboard.  He said no, God will save him.  Finally, a helicopter flew on his roof, and he still refused their help.

When he arrived in heaven, he asked God, "Where were you?  God replied, I sent the police, the firemen, and the helicopter.  Why didn't you use your gift of intelligence and judgement to accept their help?"

Some Conversions are Hard to Believe

 Please, Lord, teach me now how to serve you with all my heart, to know at last what it really is to love, to adore, so that I may worthily administer your kingdom here on earth, and find my true honour in serving your divine will.’

When Thomas Becket was consecrated bishop, this was the prayer he recited.  At least, this is the prayer, author Jean Anouilh put in Becket's mouth, in the play.  I think everyone can pray it.  Don't we all aspire to do God's will?

Public domain via Wikimedia

Becket had a religious conversion, and it defined his life from then on.  Hard to believe; it does happen.  Many monks, nuns, and other religious, can attest to that fact.

The Diary

The Case of the Pocket Diary Found in the Snow by Grace Isabel Colbron and Auguste Groner is a free book, offered by Gutenberg eBooks.   I thought I would try it.  It was very short--a plus!  More delightful than that, it was good.  I was attracted by Joseph Muller.  He is a convicted felon.  He has proven himself valuable in solving crimes.  So much so, that he is a secret service detective with the Imperial Austrian police.  

This particular mystery starts with Ludwig Amster being fired from his factory job.  Dejectedly, walking home in the snow, he finds a diary, with a note attached saying to bring the diary to the nearest police station.  He does as instructed and ends up not only helping Joseph Muller solving the mystery but also being offered a job with the Imperial Austrian police.

The diary explains that a lady is being held prisoner.  Muller and Amster follow clues and figure out where the lady was held.  Consequently, they figure out how she was taken by taxi.  The next step was to find the taxi driver and go to where he brought the lady and her abductor. The story ends in confrontation with the lady being rescued.

This little free Gutenberg eBook will not be my last.

Selfishness

 Love can be defined as willing the good of the other.  The two major characters in The Divide by Nicholas Evans are too selfish to will the good of anybody but themselves.  They do what they want and to hell with everyone else.

The novel begins with two skiers in Montana, finding a frozen corpse.  It belongs to Abbie Cooper.  How poor Abbie ends up dead on the side of a mountain, is the story.

Abbie's father breaks up his marriage by dumping his teenage children and wife to shack up with an artist.  Everyone is devasted!  He does what he wants.

Abbie is crushed.  She is also away from home, at college in Montana.  Her family home is New York.  But it's not home without her father.  She feels traumatized.  She's majoring in environmental science, and it is through her environmental interest that she meets Rolf.  Rolf and Abbie write graffiti and hold signs protesting corporate rape of the environment.  Abbie becomes obsessed with Rolf--think Stockholm syndrome.  Soon Abbie is committing arson.  Then, the arson turned to murder.  Abbie is stuck.  She's on the run, away from government authorities, because she is now considered a terrorist.  Rolf uses Abbie and when she finally realizes it, she runs to hide with a former boyfriend.  

Right from the beginning of Abbie meeting Rolf, she wanted to go home to New York, but Rolf wasn't keen on it.  Is that love?  Is he willing the good of Abbie?  Abbie is as selfish as her father and sticks to Rolf, just as her father sticks to his new lover.

The author, Nicholas Evans writes masterfully.  His descriptions make me want to ski the slopes.  The book is so thrilling you could call it a page turner.  It was one of those that kept me up too late to finish it.  Then I couldn't sleep!

Church Mission Trip

 Guest post by Rhonda Underhill.

How to Plan and Organize a Meaningful and Successful Church Mission Trip

Planning a church mission trip is a spiritually enriching experience, but it comes with a unique set of challenges. A mission trip is not merely a journey to a new place; it’s a purposeful opportunity to serve, connect, and grow in faith. To make it meaningful and successful, careful preparation is essential. Here are some key tips to guide you in organizing a mission trip that leaves a lasting impact on the participants and the community you serve.

Define the Mission’s Purpose with Clarity

A successful mission trip begins with a clear purpose. Ask yourself why you are planning this trip and what you hope to accomplish. Is it for construction projects, evangelism, medical aid, or community development? Understanding your objectives will help you align your team’s efforts and communicate effectively with the host community. A focused mission also fosters unity within the group, as everyone works toward a shared goal. By setting clear intentions, you ensure the trip has a tangible impact and avoids becoming just a travel experience.

Select the Right Destination and Partner Organizations

Choosing the right destination is critical to a mission trip’s success. Consider the needs of the community, the safety of the location, and the logistical feasibility of getting there. Collaborating with trusted local organizations or churches in the area can make a significant difference. They provide valuable insight into the community's needs and cultural context, helping you avoid missteps or unintended harm. A strong partnership ensures that your efforts complement existing programs and resources, fostering long-term benefits rather than temporary fixes.

Build a Well-Balanced Team

The composition of your team plays a crucial role in the success of your mission trip. Strive for diversity in skills, experiences, and perspectives. Include people with specific abilities needed for the mission, such as medical professionals, skilled laborers, or educators, depending on the trip’s focus. Spiritual preparedness is equally important, so prioritize team members who demonstrate a servant’s heart and a willingness to adapt. A cohesive team that respects one another’s strengths will work more effectively and build deeper connections with the host community.

Prioritize Cultural Sensitivity and Respect

Cultural awareness is essential for building trust and fostering meaningful interactions during a mission trip. Educate your team about the customs, language, and traditions of the host community before you arrive. Approach every interaction with humility and a willingness to learn. Avoid imposing your own methods or perspectives, and instead, collaborate with local leaders to ensure your efforts align with their priorities. By demonstrating cultural sensitivity, you honor the dignity of those you serve and lay the groundwork for mutual respect.

Handle Unexpected Challenges

Unexpected challenges during mission trip planning are inevitable, but how you respond to them can define the outcome. When faced with obstacles like last-minute cancellations, budget shortfalls, or shifting community needs, it’s important to approach decisions with a calm and thoughtful mindset. Take a deep breath to help yourself relax and regain perspective before addressing the issue. By involving your team in problem-solving and seeking input from local partners, you can often find creative solutions that keep the mission’s goals intact while fostering unity and resilience.

Prepare Spiritually and Logistically

Spiritual preparation is as important as logistical planning when organizing a mission trip. Encourage your team to spend time in prayer, study scripture, and reflect on their motivations for serving. At the same time, attend to practical details such as travel arrangements, fundraising, and packing lists. Create a detailed itinerary that includes time for ministry, rest, and group reflection. A well-prepared team is more adaptable and able to handle unexpected challenges with grace, ensuring the mission’s success.

Engage in Ethical Fundraising

Funding a mission trip requires intentionality and creativity. Focus on ethical and transparent fundraising methods that emphasize the mission’s purpose rather than personal benefits. Host events like bake sales, community car washes, or benefit concerts that involve your local church and neighborhood. Clearly communicate how the funds will be used, ensuring donors understand the impact of their contributions. Ethical fundraising builds trust with supporters and sets a positive tone for the trip’s mission-centered approach.

Leave Room for Reflection and Growth

A meaningful mission trip doesn’t end when you leave the host community; its impact continues through reflection and action. Plan for daily group debriefings during the trip to process experiences and share insights. After returning home, encourage team members to reflect on how the trip has shaped their faith and worldview. Consider hosting a follow-up event where participants can share their experiences with the congregation. Reflection fosters personal growth and motivates continued engagement in service and ministry.

Empower Long-Term Impact

A mission trip should not be an isolated event but part of a larger commitment to supporting the community you visit. Work with local leaders to ensure your contributions align with their goals and build sustainable progress. Maintain communication after the trip to show ongoing support, whether through prayer, financial aid, or follow-up visits. By prioritizing long-term impact, you ensure that your efforts leave a legacy of empowerment and collaboration rather than dependency. By focusing on thoughtful preparation, cultural respect, and spiritual growth, you can organize a mission trip that truly embodies the heart of Christ’s ministry. The journey will challenge, inspire, and transform everyone involved, creating lasting change in both the host community and your team.

Image Freepick.

 It's been four days since I wrote a post about Bishop Marianne Budde lecturing President Trump and entourage, to their face.  I thought it was rudely confrontational.  Since then, I can see where Jesus would do the same.  He would have confronted the authorities in power.  

I can see that.

Personally, I don't have the personality and/or temperament to do that.  I don't know whether it's because I care too much what people think of me, or whether because I empathize too much when thinking how I embarrassed them.

Is it an attribute to empathize too much, or a defect?

Narrative Non-fiction

 Master Slave Husband Wife by IIlyon Woo is a historical narrative.  It is the story of two slaves who escape, a couple of decades before the civil war.  The wife looks white and the husband is black.  They escape from the South by disguising themselves; she is the male owner of the black slave.  So not only were they denying their slave status but also their roles as sex and race.  Can you imagine what would have happened to them, if they were caught?

The story was a thriller, as they made the excruciating slow journey, from Georgia to Philadelphia.  It took forever to travel from train to train and stay in hotels and dine with others who must have wondered if this couple were legit.

Anyway, once in Philadelphia, more thrills were encountered.  Some southern sympathizers would have turned them in.  And then some who just believed that you had to follow the law, immoral or not.  

Eventually, the couple moved to Boston.  Here were names of familiar people that we learn about, in history.  I was surprised by Daniel Webster.  He was not an abolitionist.  He was not a southern sympathizer, either.  He was one of those who believed that you should follow the law without question.  He would go to arrest the couple, but rejoice because they escaped.

After Boston, they went to Canada and England.  They settled in England, for quite a while, where they started their family.  

After the Civil War, the family slowly made their way to the Carolinas and Georgia.  There they were assimilated more or less, like we all were, and still attempt to do.

Valentines

 Valentine's Day

And before you gift me,
buy a box of chocolates.
Many things I appreciate:
Flowers, perfume, and such.
Yet, nothing's good on my plate,
Unless you give me
      chocolates.

There's Godiva, Russell Stover,
Lindt, Hershey, Ferrero Rocher...
Lots to choose but not kosher.
There're dark, caramel, and milk.
But unless you give me chocolates
any other gift is just mediocre.

I won't be pleased with wine
when you bring me out to dine,
flowers in a vase can sit
center table set so fine.
But nothing is acceptable,
unless you give me
    chocolates.

Marianne Cope

Today is a memorial for St. Maryanne Cope.  She was a religious sister who answered the appeal to care for the lepers on Molokai, Hawaii.  

This is where this poem by Robert Louis Stevenson comes in.  Remember he wrote Treasure Island and other works.  While he was cruising the South Pacific, he met Mother Maryanne and was touched.  This poem was written for her.  He also sent the sisters and lepers a piano!  What a generous man!  May God bless him.

TO MOTHER MARYANNE
by
Robert Louis Stevenson

To see the infinite pity of this place,

The mangled limb, the devastated face,

The innocent sufferer smiling at the rod—

A fool were tempted to deny his God.

He sees, he shrinks. But if he gaze again,

Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain!

He marks the sisters on the mournful shores;

And even a fool is silent and adores.

Guest House, Kalawao, Molokai.

Think Before You Hurt People

 Franklin Graham, a famous Evangelical preacher, gave one of the blessings for Donald Trump.  I couldn't believe he was so unconcerned about embarrassing and hurting former president Biden.  Graham is a man of God!  He was unabashedly mean. 

“Mr. President, in the last four years, there are times I’m sure you thought it was pretty dark,” Graham said.

 The next day, Bishop Marianne Budde, lectured the President and Vice President, right in front of their faces.  She has BIG cajónes!  I agree with her, not the president, on having mercy, but she was out of line.  She literally was holding them captive, while she lectured them.  Talk about a bully pulpit!!!!!

I know people have opinions, but expressing one's opinions has a place.  One shouldn't embarrass anyone.  How would you feel if someone did to you, what you are doing?  What's the matter with people?

The President's Priest Advisor

 President Trump has an advisor who is a Catholic priest.  In fact, he gave the benediction at Trump's inauguration. His name is Father Frank Mann.

How they came to be friends is interesting.  One day when Father Frank was visiting a cemetery, he noticed the name Trump, on a headstone.  The grave was a little messy, so Father Mann pulled up the weeds.  Next time he visited it, he planted some flowers and took a picture.

Here's the beginning of the friendship.  Father Mann sent that picture to Donald Trump, himself.  From then on, they've been in communication.  Not only, trivial banalities, either, but advice on what Catholics look for in leaders, what appeals to them, etc.  BTW, most of Trump's cabinet are Catholics, as were his Supreme Court picks.  

What is noteworthy, is this story is not well known.  Maybe it doesn't fit in with the media's agenda. For the rest of the story see Trump’s inauguration ends with benediction from retired Catholic priest - Catholic Herald

picture from the Architect's Newspaper, Trump family gravesite at All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens, New York. (Matt Green/Flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

God's Laws

 LECTIO:                                                                        Psalm 19: 8,9, 10,15

The law of the Lord is perfect,
   refreshing the soul;
the decree of the Lord is trustworthy,
   giving wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
   rejoicing the heart;
the command of the Lord is clear,
   enlightening the eye.

The fear of the Lord is pure,
   enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true,
   all of them just.

Let the words of my mouth and the thought
   of my heart
find favor before you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer

STUDIUM:

God's laws are not draconian.  His laws are the opposite.  God's laws are guidelines and signs to follow along our way.

MEDITATIO:

Lord, I want to follow Your Words.  What comes out of my mouth must come from the heart.  May my heart align with Yours.

ORATIO:

As I study Your Words, O Lord, guide my understanding.  Guide my actions to follow Your Words.  I only want to please You.

CONTEMPLATIO:

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and Life.

RESOLUTIO:

I need to study God's Words, daily.

   

Course Correction

 

LECTIO:                                         1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.
If a foot should say,
"Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body, "
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say,
"Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, "

it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts,
each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you, "
nor again the head to the feet, "I do not need you."
Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker
are all the more necessary,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable
we surround with greater honor,
and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,
whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.
But God has so constructed the body
as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body,
but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it;
if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

STUDIUM:

The Corinthians must have been arguing amongst themselves.  Paul uses the Greek image of the body, as an example. Hopefully, he got across the idea that everyone had different gifts, but all are to be used to spread the Good News.

MEDITATIO:

All the parts of the body that Paul mentions, work together to get the body to function. A community needs to work together to function.  We all have different gifts.

ORATIO:

Lord, help me be all You want me to be. Lead me away from being jealous of  others.

CONTEMPLATIO:

We are the body of Christ.