I watched a Programme last night called the History of the Bible and this episode was about Moses and the Ten Commandments sympathetically narrated by Ann Widdecombe MP a Catholic convert who lamented the fact that the ten commandments were no longer a barometer for behaviour in the West. But even more striking is that she interviewed Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchins who condemened the God of the Ten Commandments and promoted a very aggressive secular worldview that is becoming increasingly prevalent. They speak to packed halls condemning Christianity and Catholicism in particular like evangelists for their world-view. They are both highly intelligent and articulate [ideal candidates for conversion!]. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050530/30europe.htm There is no doubt that we are witnessing the death of the faith in Europe. Without our Lady's apparitions in Medjugorje the situation would be a lot worse!
I am less ad less convinced that argument, no matter how articulate ,leads to conversion and more and more certain that prayer and fasting is the way to go. That is not to say that we must use our minds, but there is a real spiritual war going on.
You know I just did a 7 day fast with great prayer and I am convinced that it is THE key. I have been very fearful of fasting and did it only on a very limited basis....fasting until 3:00pm or fasting just the morning. I don't know why I was riddled with fear but I was. I was invited to fast with two friends, Leyla and Luis, for 7 days to pray for conversion of our families among other things and I jumped right in. We fasted all day on water and then had a light meal with our families. The first two days were really bumpy, headaches and lots of prayer that I could continue but in the 3rd day there was a breakthrough and the 4th day really an experience of peace that I'd never felt before. I recognized that what Our Lady asks of us (fasting on Wed. and Fri.) is so little, a tiny chip for the fire. This experience hasn't made me fearless but it's ushered me to a new plane of understanding. I read a book recently as well on fasting that was fantastic, I'll include a clip, it takes about 15 minutes so have time set aside. The author's name is Jentezen Franklin, a protestant minister, but boy does he have it down. His explanation of fasting with the Bible scriptures helped me tremendously. http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/watch/
Thanks very much for posting this Gail, I very much look forward to watching this later. I find instruction on fasting wonderful, but its hard to find any, there are not so many even holy people fast these days. I think I will fast a little for the American Bishops Conference. I have been watching clips about them and I just cannot believe what I am seeing and hearing, it is incredible. Talk about Judas.
I ad no idea your link had such a treasure trove of videos Gail!! Great this will fill me with ideas right through Lent!! Great, thanks again so much!!
I am afraid this is a sign of a great apostacy from the true teaching of the Church and there is already a schism within the Church between those with liberal beliefs and those who have Orthodox beliefs. The Garabandal prophecy is coming to fruition in front of our eyes and is a very powerful endorsement that Garabandal is a true authentic Marian apparition: "As My Message of October 18, 1961 has not been complied with, and has not been made known to the world, I am advising you that this is the last One. Before, the Cup was filling up; now it is flowing over. Many Cardinals, many Bishops, and many Priests are on the road to perdition, and are taking many souls with them. Less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist. You should turn the Wrath of God away from yourselves by your own efforts. If you ask His forgiveness with sincere hearts, He will pardon you. I, your Mother, through the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel ask you to amend your lives! You are now receiving the last warnings. I love you very much, and do not want your condemnation. Pray to Us with sincerity and We will grant your requests. You must make more sacrifices. Think about the Passion of Jesus."
The thing that is so interesting to me , Bobby is that the people who have been given the power, by God, the Bishops to act as shepherds just seem so helpless. I wrote to the Archbishop of Dublin a few weeks ago about a priest in his Diocese who was talking outright heresy on TV. I got an email back saying that there was nothing he could do as the priest was a member of a religious Order!! Although this priest is serving in an inner city Dublin Church. Now the Archbishop did not say the priest was not preaching heresy he just said that there was nothing he could do about it. I flat out do not believe this. 'This selection from Saint Augustine's Sermon 46 on Pastors (Sermo 46, 20-21; CCL 41, 546-548) is used in the Roman Catholic Office of Readings on Wednesday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time with the accompanying biblical reading taken from the prophet Ezekiel 37:1-14, the famous vision of the dry bones. Here Augustine comments on the image of the shepherds of the Church as watchmen who are obligated to warn God's people when they are going astray. He also comments on the words of Jesus to his disciples that they are to do what the chief Priests and Pharisees say, but not as they do. Saint Augustine of HippoWell then, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!” What must you shepherds hear? Thus says the Lord God: behold, I am above the shepherds and I will call them to account for the sheep in their hands. Listen, sheep of God, listen and learn: God will call the bad shepherds to account for his sheep and for their deaths. As he says elsewhere in Ezekiel: Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them in my name. If I say to a wicked man, “Wicked wretch, you are to die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked man to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you do warn a wicked man to renounce his ways and repent, and he does not repent, then he shall die for his sin but you yourself will have saved your life. You see, brethren? Do you see how dangerous it is to keep quiet? If you remain silent, you die; and rightly. You die for your impiety and sin – it is your negligence that kills you. He who has said, As I live, says the Lord might have found a living shepherd – but since the shepherd was negligent, not warning those he had been given authority over, those whose sentry he was, he will die justly and the sentry will be justly condemned. But if – the Lord continues – you say “you are to die” with one I have threatened with the sword, and he does not avoid the sword and it comes and kills him, he will die in his sin but you will have set your soul free. That is why we must not keep silent – and you, even if we did keep silent, must listen to the words of the true Shepherd in holy Scripture. Since I raised the question, let us see if he takes the sheep from the dead shepherds and gives them to good ones. I certainly see him taking the sheep from the bad shepherds: I am above the shepherds, and I shall take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. For when I say to them, “Feed my sheep,” they feed themselves and not my sheep. I shall not allow them to feed my flock. How does he stop them from looking after his sheep? Do whatever they say, but do not do what they do. It is as if he were saying, “Their words are my words but their actions are their own.” When you avoid what the bad shepherds do, they are not in charge of you any more: when you follow what they say, it is my words you are following and it is I who am tending you.'
The problems run so deep within the Church from top to bottom that it is difficult to see how they might be addressed. There is a general apostacy from the true teachings of the Church even amongst many church-going Catholics many of whom do not accept the Church's teachings on contraception for example. I think the next Pope predicted to be Peter the Great by St Malachy might tackle this problem of dissent head on and may enforce proper discipline within the Church. I think he will be an incredibly holy [like St Peter] but in trying to discipline the Church I can see a schism breaking out. There may therefore be an anti-Pope too who is a liberal and therefore will appeal to many dissenting Catholics. Perhaps a smaller number may follow the true Pope. Some prophecies speak of this schism so perhaps it is for our generation.
I am so saddened by what was on the video about the Catholic Bishops here in America. I have to say on behalf of my own local biship he is doing a good job and I probably should be praying for him more often. A few years back I ran into a problem with a priest in trying to get him to allow me to take confession but he brushed me off and gave me a video that instructed me that I only needed to complete confession once a year (I hadn't had a full confession in "many" years) and I left the church confused and stayed away for about three years. After I returned, a very nice young priest who was supporting me through my rather long confession reassured me and encouraged me to write the bishop of my previous experience. Soon after that priest who caused me so much confusion was asked to retire. I am certain my letter to the bishop was only one peice of the puzzle to having the man step down, but it was reassuring that it could be done when needed. Our bishop has been very open and forthright about dealing with any sexual offences reported, even after 30 years. I am very thankful for Bishop Jenky- but knowing the crisis of faith across the country and how alone he must be in his fight for traditional Catholic teaching, I realize my prayers are sorely needed. I really was very interested in the Youtube video- thanks for posting this. I've been a bit starved for Catholic news. Again, you all are filling me full of wonderful insight. Thanks again. God Bless, Kath
I think that there are many, many , many wonderful Bishops, I am sure many of them saints , just like yours Kathleen. I think generally the failing of many, many Bishops and priests is, not that they are evil but that they are weak. A Bishop is like a shepherd of sheep in very wild country and must be prepared to go out and fight wolves and even lions , even single handedly. I fear so many of our Pastors do not have the inner moral conviction, which springs from a deep personal holiness to do so. Or to put it another way they have been taken over by the Spirit of this world rather than Spirit of the next. Or as Scripture tells us, 'The Spiritual man sees all things Spiritually'. The priest who told you to go to confession just once a year was like this as were the benighted individuals who made that video. False shepherds who let the wolf within the fold. They are ,if you like a little like a crowd of Opray Winfey's, well meaning, but dominated by another wisdom than the Wisdom of Heaven, but are filled with the 'Wisdom' of this world and so they cannot water or feed their sheep, unfit to lead themselves they cannot lead others. John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly”.
I have to agree with Padraig on this. I speak from experience. Back in 1993 the Lord and Our Lady hit me upside the head with Grace and it was at that time that I converted and began to serve the Lord. I can only attribute this to the prayers of the saints here and in heaven as there was no one there trying to guide me into the Church. God's grace is sufficient!!!! But we must pray. Lord help me to pray for I don't do it enough. I feel that if we as Christians and especially as Catholic Christians would live our lives it would change the world. Imagine, if all one billion Catholics would dedicate only one hour a day before the Blessed Sacrament and then vote according to church, teaching the changes that would come. Sorry for my rant. I do believe that most of the members of this group are trying and let us remember to join each other, spiritually if not physically, in daily prayer.
Funny- your rant echo's my yearning for what might be. I so agree and we all keep coming back to our prayer life and the importance of it. I think confession it right up there too. Going so long without it, my prayers were not fulfilling- I knew I was missing a core piece of my redemption. Grace is a beautiful thing- hang on to it. I struggle though with focus during prayer (sorry I'm going off topic a little here). Anyone have some advice on how to keep a good focus? I'm thinking about watching Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" to help me focus on a visual while I'm praying. Any thoughts on that?
That's so true Az, for every time Our Lady is sent from heaven she tells us this very same thing, but how many of us listen? Just to fast and pray, it sounds so simple. Yet as you say if we only did what Our Mother told us how different the world would be. I have grown so sceptical of religious and political leaders who have a billion complex plans to save the world. Nuclear disarmament, peace treaties, economic reform, medical revolutions, scientific discoveries....the Kingdom of God is within,,,,,,,oh if only we might find it there and walk through prayer in its halls. Lord convert the whole world, beginning with myself. Lord safe the world from the fires of Hell,, lead me to your KIngdom and in the doing of this great work , lead the whole world there too. Kathleen when ever I was talking to Our Lady she held a pair of rosary beads towards me and asked me to pray the rosary, more than this she said, with great firmness , 'I myself will teach you'. It seems to me that this promise is made not just to me but to all her children. If we say the rosary , Mary will teach us; she is our mother, she will always stand at our shoulders she will ALWAYS TEACH US. The thing I think about Our Lady is that she points out ways that are so little and humble, not the great proud ways for the world, the many plans and huge ideas to change things. Such a simple thing!! Our Lady to hold out a pair of Rosary beads and ask us to pray!! Yet for myself in only a scarce couple of years, when I left prison and saw again the dear face of my spiritual director Father Bernard and told him how I prayed he said he had only read of such things in books...and when I told my Novice Master in the Monastery he said that only monks who had lived in prayer their whole lives could pray in such a way. And now all these long, short years later I experience such joy and peace in my prayer that I tell you honestly I need not wait for heaven for heaven has come to my heart in the greatest joy and peace, the angels themselves, I really believe I could not be more happy if I stood with the these dear Princes of Heaven, my dearest friends, at the very Throne of God for I hear them so often around me as we sing in joy together. Ahhhhh, Kathleen, the rosary, the rosary, only say the rosary as Mary says and feel the gate of heaven open in your heart.To say the rosary is not to walk in the road of prayer but to run, laughing with Our Dear Heavenly Mother carrying her in her loving arms!! The 15 Promises for those who recite the Rosary The following are the 15 promises of Mary to Christians who recite the rosary: (given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan) 1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces. 2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary. 3. The rosary will be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies. 4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means. 5. Those who recommend themselves to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish. 6. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life. 7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church. 8. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise. 9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary. 10. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven. 11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary. 12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities. 13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death. 14. All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son, Jesus Christ. 15. Devotion to my rosary is a great sign of predestination.
Kathleen, Your desire for greater focus and intimacy is such a blessing. It brings joy to the Heart of Jesus! Now mind you, I'm not a visual person, like you and Padraig, but my beautiful wife is. Geralyn is a doer and can easily get distracted with the busyness of life. One image she likes to keep in her mind is a door into the Sacred Heart. She loves to imagine opening that door, entering into a chamber of Jesus' Heart and resting, allowing herself to be bathed in the love of her Beloved! Or how about this: The tender, merciful embrace of the Father as the Prodigal returns home! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Yes, as a "doer" I relate to your wife's need for focus. I do pray the Rosary, but my mind often runs off in all sorts of directions. Sometimes, I believe Mary is simply giving me advice on what to do on a certain problem (does anyone esle have that experience?) and othertimes I'm just plain not focused and I start over to make sure my mind is on my prayers. I guess I have to stop thinking I am gonna be graded for how well I pray. I still might watch the movie though. I've heard it is very moving and I love to be moved by God. Speaking of moving!- that Robbie Williams song was just beautiful. I think I will ask for a Robbie Williams album for Mother's Day. I'd never heard his music before. I really loved it. Thanks for the advice. Happy Valentine's Day to all. God Bless, Kath
You know Kathleen Mother Angelica says that everyone has a problem with focusing during prayer. She tells a story of a man who told a saint that he had no trouble with focusing during prayer. The saint said that he didn't believe it to be true and that if the man could pray one decade of the Rosary without distraction he would give him his horse. The man of course agreed and began the Rosary saying "Hail Mary full of grace....he then stopped praying and turned to the saint and asked if the horse came with a saddle." The moral is we all have distractions the thing to do is regather ourselves and keep on praying. It happens to everyone. God Bless
I love Mother Angelica. She is one of the most human and Christian persons I have encountered. God Bless, Kath
