Nghia Vy's Deportation

 Nghia Vy is a former "cloistered brother" and has been free for 17 years.  During that time, he went to school to be a dog groomer and also worked for Sister Ruth in the Hope Chest.  That is, until he got a letter from ICE.  The following poem speaks what happened.

Nghia Vy's Deportation

Time stays the same

       as usual--always.

Nghia helping customers

       find their treasures

Nghia who trained our dogs

       to sit and stay.

Nghia who prayed rosaries

      for all--far and near

Nghia who said "blessed,"

      instead of "happy"

Nghia who spread love,

     not hate and fear.

Nghia who paid taxes

     and obeyed laws.

Then came the letter from ICE

    to appear for a hearing.

Fear took over our thoughts

    suddenly--abruptly.

Passed from state to state,

     from prison to prison.

Nghia was stolen away.

     Unfair!  A good man!

Guantanamo, Panama, Yemen:

     deportation somewhere.

Vietnam the final destination.

     Due process be damned!

Last week we learned

     Nghia is dead.

John Lateran

 November 9th in the Catholic Church is the feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica.  This is celebrated as an important feast because it is the first basilica in Rome.  A basilica is a church that is built to hold the most people, as opposed to chapel, shrine, church, cathedral and then basilica.  

Who is John Lateran?  The land the basilica is on, once had the Laterani family's palace there.  I think it is nice that the family's name is carried on.

Why John?  The answer is not one John, but two.  The name refers to John the Baptist and John the Gospel writer.

That's why the church considers the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica worthy to be celebrated.

Dirty Laundry

 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is a Christmas story set in Ireland, in the 1990's.  The story revolves around Bill Furlong.  The reader learns about his upbringing, which made him the good man he is revealed to be, in the end.

He owns a business delivering fuel.  In the process of his work, he delivers to a convent, which concerns him.  This convent takes in unwed mothers and by the look of the mothers, they aren't treated very well.  This is the story of the Magdalene Laundries.  

Bill finds a girl hiding and brings her home with him.  That's the end of the story.  It is fiction but I would have liked to know how Bill's family accepted the girl.  What became of her?

Remembering a Failure

 Back when I was teaching Sunday school to teens, I planned a lesson on saints.  The class was at 7:00 pm.  My plan was to take the class over to the church and explain each of the stained glass windows.  I thought it important that people should know their own parish church.

Arrangements were made, e.g., doors unlocked, lights on, etc. I even requested parents to come to help guide the students across the busy intersection, getting to the church.
           Picture this:
                   The entire class, plus chaperones, entering the church
                    We all gather in the middle of the aisle
                   We look around us towards the tall windows
          What do we see?
                   Pitch black, unlit, darkness!!! :-( 
                   Stained glass windows only show up in sunlight!!
This through me for a loop.  There went 99% of my lesson plan.  Thank God, I remembered this.  Now, that I am preparing to bring my OCIA class for a tour of the church, I won't spend much time on the windows. There are many other features in our beautiful church to talk about--tabernacle, sanctuary, candles, fonts, pictures, etc.  

Satan is known as a destroyer, destructor--just a wicked, miserable creature.

Our Lady of Succour

 Start praying for the victims of hurricaine Melissa.   https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/hurricane-melissa-jamaica-haiti-cuba-dominican-republic-caribbean-atlantic#google_vignette

Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
ever Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God,
you are most powerful against the enemy of our salvation. The divine promise of a Redeemer was announced right after the sin of our first parents; and you, through your Divine Son, crushed the serpent’s head.

Hasten, then, to our help and deliver us from the deceits of Satan. Intercede for us with Jesus that we may always accept God’s graces and be found faithful to Him in our particular states of life.

As you once saved our beloved city from ravaging flames and our country from an invading army, have pity on us and obtain for us protection from hurricanes and all other disasters.

(Silent pause for individual petitions.)

Assist us in the many trials which beset our path through life. Watch over the Church and the Pope as they uphold with total fidelity the purity of faith and morals against unremitting opposition.

Be to us truly Our Lady of Prompt Succor now and especially at the hour of our death, that we may gain everlasting life through the merits of Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us!

Amen.

BFsF

 It was a time of giggles--high school, hip huggers, bell bottoms, saddle shoes, hair flipped, and getting drivers' licenses.  Once you turned 16, the day you got your driver's license, you went and picked up your friends to go for a ride, usually to the beach.

Not so today.  Drivers under 18, can't drive without an adult.  Boo Hoo!  That takes all the fun out of it.  You can't drive your own car to school--how humiliating!

Those were the good memories: cars filled with laughter, weekends with friends--hopes shared and dreams expressed, before high school graduation scattered us all.

How that all happened is more or less a blur.  Boyfriends, graduations, finances, new friends, jobs, marriages, baby showers, children...whew!  What happened?

I remember a class reunion, I think.  I remember Christmas cards with pictures and quick notes, to keep in touch.  Would we recognize each other if we met now?  I guess so, actually, I know so, thanks to Facebook.  We've reconnected.

Once we pass the lined faces, laugh wrinkles, grey and white hair, there you are, and you, and you... The gang's all here.

Really, just the same.  Maybe better than before.  The love and support are still there.  The sparkle in our eyes still blink out.  Blinking an invitation, "Let's go for a ride.  Let's go to the beach."

Litany for our Nation

 

Litany for America

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Christ hear us.	Christ graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,	have mercy on us.
God, the Son, redeemer of the world,	have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,	have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,	have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,	pray for us.
Holy Mary, Immaculate Conception,	pray for us.
Holy Mary, Patroness of the United States,	pray for us.
Holy Mary, Patroness of the Americas,	pray for us.
St. Isaac Jogues,	pray for us.
St. René Goupil,	pray for us.
St. Jean de Lalande,	pray for us.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha,	pray for us.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton,	pray for us.
St. Francis Cabrini,	pray for us
St. John Neumann,	pray for us
St. Rose-Philippine Duchense,	pray for us
St. Anne-Thérèse Guérin,	pray for us.
Father Damien,	pray for us.
St Katherine Mary Drexel,	pray for us.
St. Marianne Cope,	pray for us.
Fra Junipero Serra	, pray for us.
All you Saints and Blesseds of the United States,	pray for us.
Lord Jesus, You proclaimed Yourself the Truth,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From a false understanding of Christopher Columbus,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From the belief that the Catholic Church is anti-democratic,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From the belief that the United States was not founded on Christian principles,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From the belief that traditional Christians cannot be loyal citizens,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From the scourge of revisionist historians,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From the attack on religious freedom,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From violent anti-intellectualism,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From the attack on Western Civilization,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From the materialistic philosophy,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From heretical theologians,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From historical illiteracy,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From racism, real and imagined,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From cowardly Cardinals, Archbishops, & Bishops,	deliver us, Oh God of Truth.
From the human sacrifice of the unborn,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From the human sacrifice of the newly born,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From the human sacrifice of the feeble,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From the human sacrifice of the sick and elderly,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From sexual immorality and child trafficking,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From heterodox Catholic politicians,	deliver us, O God of Truth.
From corrupt politicians,	deliver us, O God of Truth.

 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, the God who is Truth.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. 

Jesus, You came to bring deliverance to the captive.	Deliver us, O Lord.
From our national demonic infestation,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of victimhood,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of socialism,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of violence,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of anarchy,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of atheism,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of irreligion,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of impurity,	deliver us, O Lord.
From spirits of Radical Islam,	deliver us, O Lord
From all spirits who would personally torment us,	deliver us, O Lord.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, our Deliverer.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. 

 

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,	spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,	graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,	have mercy on us.

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Christ hear us.

Christ graciously hear us.

 

St. Michael, the Archangel….

Our Father . . . .
Hail Mary . . . .

 

Copyright 2020 Mr Louis Pizzuti, OP
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