Father Murphy

Did you hear about Father Murphy?

He's the pastor from hell, that is perceived to be nasty, many perceive to be not very pastoral.You know; is mean to old ladies, pushes the altar servers around, makes fun of the pious, and steals from the poor box.

Well, he was run over by a truck.

When he appeared at the pearly gates, St. Peter asked him if he was the infamous Nazi Pastor.  Naturally, he denied it, and named a few good deeds he had done.  St. Peter has a soft spot for priests, and wanted to give Father Murphy a chance.  So he told Father that he'd check with the Boss.

St. Peter came back and said that God said, "No way.  Father Murphy has to take the elevator down."

"But...but...but", Father Murphy protested.  "Remind the Boss that the morning I died, I put a couple of bucks in the poor box."

St. Peter hopefully carried the message to God.

A few minutes later, St. Peter returned and said, "God said, take your couple of bucks, and go to hell."

h/t  Father Chris O'Connor

Blogging as a Vocation

I prefer to think of it as a cyber ministry.

Seriously.

Catechism for Kids Game

Here's a new video game for kids. It's not out yet, but watch for it.

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Season Five Sign Up

The last ARISE program, Season 5, is open to anyone, even if you never participated before.
You are welcome. Faith sharing groups will begin the week of Oct. 3rd. You may sign up
on-line, http://www.stmarysfranklin.org/arise_registration.php, or on Sign Up Sunday, Sept.18-19.

ARISE Together in Christ
We're looking ahead to the fall
To begin Season 5 for us all
Get ready to sign on the dotted line
For we hope that you'll answer the call.




                                                                                                   

Forgiveness

"...I feel that if I choose not to forgive him that I let him take up space in my head that I could be and should be using for far greater things.’’  Inspired, wise words spoken by a teenager, who was raped.  The girl was a 14 year old girl volunteering in a hospital, for a summer.   She was raped in the stairwell, in that hospital.  See Link.


This girl will move on.  Her life is better and she has a future.  As Bishop Tutu said, "There is No Future without Forgiveness."  It isn't easy, but for the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of a victim, it's a necessity.


I pray for everyone involved in this crime.

The Statue of Our Lady of Fatima

You know that beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima with an over sized golden crown.  That's not authentic.  There was no golden humongous jeweled filled crown.  Our Lady was dressed very simply.

Sister Lucy said  "that there were only two garments visible, a simple tunic and a long veil or mantle. The tunic had no collar and no cuffs. Nor was there a cincture or a sash around the waist, although the tunic was drawn in at the waist. The sleeves were not wide, and the mantle and the tunic were a wave of light. When Tom (the sculptor, Fr. Tom McGlynn, O.P.) asked her how one distinguished between the mantle and the tunic, she said,"There were two waves of light, one on top of the other." When Tom asked her if there was a line of gold on the mantle, she explained "It was like a ray of sunlight all around the mantle." She further explained that this ray around the mantle was like a thin thread. The mantle ... was a thing all made of light and very light, but it fell straight down. The clothing was all white. The cord was a more intense and yellow light....The light of Our Lady was white and the star was yellow."

The story of the Father Thomas McGlynn, O.P. making the statue is in an out of print book, Vision of Fatima, by Thomas McGlynn, O.P., Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1948.  It tells the story of Father McGlynn visiting with Sister Lucy and sculpting the statue under her direction.  I remember that one time, Sister became annoyed at the number of times she had to explain, so with her fingers, she took the top of the clay veil and pulled and flattened it.  That's a big "NO, NO!" to a sculptor.  But what could Father do?  He left her finger print on the veil.  That's the picture with Sister and the statue.

I use to own this book, but I lent it to a friar friend and he died.  I have no idea where the book is now.  I hope it's in the nursing home's library, and not in somebody's yard sale.  This book is where I learned that McGlynn's statue is the authentic apparition.  The one that travels around is much fancier.  That's the traveling Pilgrim Statue.  McGlynn's statue is the white marble statue in the niche above the entrance to the Basilica. I usually can pick it out because there's no crown and Mary's heart is outside her clothing surrounded by thorns.


Here is a picture of Father Thomas McGlynn, O.P., next to his statue.  






And here is the authentic statue, made according to Sister Lucy's directions, in front of the Basilica.


O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Your mercy.

Did the Trinity Exist Before Creation?

Do you want to know how impossible it is to answer that particular question?  Read Ecclesiastes 3:11, which states that God "...has put eternity into man's mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."  IOW, there's no way any human being can know what God has done.

    Additionally, since God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and there's no way we mere humans can ever comprehend him, then what he has created is beyond our human ability to comprehend.  Revelation 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13.