Padraig, Perhaps they carry the weight of those times they weren't there for their parents. Lord, give them the grace to forgive themselves and to embrace your merciful Love!
The whole thing was inspired. But I especially liked this last part. As awesome as the solar eclipse was, you made me think about how it will pale in comparison when gazing upon God for the first time. There won't be enough oohs and ahhhs in the whole world, in the history of time, to express our amazement.
We noticed that the wind completely stopped here. As soon as eclipse passed the wind resumed. The temperature dropped as well.
The life of the dead is placed on the memories of the living. The love you gave in life keeps people alive beyond their time. Anyone who was given love will always live on in another's heart. ~Marcus Tullius Cicero
I honestly believe when St. Catherine of Siena said to "cry aloud with a hundred thousand voices", she was thinking along these lines ~ with the voices of our ancestors ~
There is one thing I notice about the dead who have died and eventually gone to heaven that is different from the saints who have been raised to the altars of the Church... official saints if you like. The church saints have one foot in heaven and one on Earth. They are there to help us out in so many ways . They continue the work they did on Earth but in a much grander, greater way. With other souls in heaven they have a kind of business, their own works and tasks to do. I know this because sometimes when I asked them in prayer to help me out I was cautioned to give them peace and to let them get on with things. Not to bother them too much. With Church Saints it is different. The other day , for instance I lost a caravan part I really needed and Prayed to St Anthony of Padua and there it was lying in the grass. Another thing with Church saints we always think we pick the saints. But I don't think this is true, I think it is the saints who pick us. They have their favourites, if you like.
Not only the souls in heaven and in purgatory but I think of the outraged angels in heaven. Angels don't give 10 per cent or 50 or ninety, they are totally all in about reverencing God. We can see this in the Book of Daniel and The Apocalypse. In a human sense we can tell they are in a real rage and forme t about what is going on down here. The horrible blasphemies, sacrileges and heresies and are just raring to go. They remind me of angry football fans begging God to let them rush onto the field and sort a lot of the bad players right out.
Yes, I think this is true, Padraig. In my family history, Great-grandfather Edward and his bride came over in the mid-1800s and "just happened "to settle" in Philadelphia not far from the Carmel. Once the Little Flower exploded upon the scene, my Grandpa Dan developed a deep devotion. Moving forward, my Dad, John O'Loughlin, and my Mom Christine, hoped to have a girl to name after the Little Flower. I was the youngest of 3; both my Mom and I almost died in childbirth. Since I wasn't a girl, they named me Terrence (a close equivalent) in honor of Therese because my birthday and hers' matched (January 2). She is still playfully involved with the O'Loughlins in each generation. Our firstborn, Fr. Benjamin, was born on Therese's feast day, October 1st. And our daughter, Therese, gave birth to her firstborn, Jack, on September 30th, the actually day on which St. Therese died. Perhaps you all can see why my devotion (besides answered prayers) remains steadfast.
Solar Eclipse: Is Divine Justice Looming? From 'A Catholic Minute' with Ken and Janelle Yazinski, A Canadian couple I watch:
Wow! Talk about obvious consolations! Amazing! My mom-in-law (RIP) also had a birthday on Jan. 2nd and was a 3rd Order Carmelite when she passed. I have a particular devotion to St. Therese myself
St Therese is a kind of super saint. I saw a wonderful modern statue of her in the Church I attended last week. She would have hated a lot of the sugary sweet depictions of her. She was a real warrior.
My mother's family had a strong devotion to St. Therese. My uncle Pádraig on my mother's side of the family never married. He had wanted to become a priest. He was born in 1914. At that time the regulations for being accepted into the seminary were very strict. They were a poor farming family and my mother was the only girl. Their father had died and money was scarce. My mother got a job looking after children in a wealthy family and she sent her earnings home to help her brother. He was accepted into Maynooth which was a great source of pride and joy to the family. At that time it was a 7 year program. In the early years he had a swimming accident and sustained a burst eardrum but he progressed OK. He always had extraordinary devotions to St Therese. At the end of year 6 he came home for summer holidays. He had actually been told that he would not be able to go forward as he was essentially deaf in one ear and that could be an impediment to his ability to hear confession. He did not know how tell the family and was praying to St Therese to help him. My mother saw a book in his room 'story of a soul' and started to read it and found the letter in the book so all was revealed. Funnily they had accepted the news when he was contacted again to tell him that they had changed their minds and he returned for his final year. Unbelievably the exact same scenario occurred just before ordination and my mother found the letter in the book again, so that was that. He went on to become a teacher. He founded a school and he was instrumental in helping many of his students to go forward for priesthood. He and my mother really had great devotion to Therese and in later years visited Liseuix every year. In recent years I have found her myself. Sorry for being so long winded.
I think of St Therese as another Esther. She took her courage in her hands and entered the King's sanctuary which broke the protocols. The King descend from his throne and goes to meet her. Likewise Therese gave us small souls the courage to gaze at the King.
'You make me think of a very little child who is just able to stand upright but does not yet know how to walk. Intent upon reaching the top of the stairs so as to get back to his mother he lifts his foot to climb the first step. Fruitless endeavor! At each attempt he falls without advancing in the least. Well, be like that little child; by the practice of every virtue keep on ever lifting your little foot to climb the steps of sanctity, and do not imagine that you will be able to mount even the first! No; but good will is all God requires of you. From the top of those steps He is watching you with love; and won by your unavailing efforts He will Himself soon come down, and taking you in His arms will bear you away to His Kingdom, never more to quit Him. But if you cease to lift your little foot He will leave you a long time on earth.' ---St Therese --- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The key is to gaze into the loving Father's eyes with longing (Love), not giving up and playing with toys (detachment from comforts, possessions, power). Stay at the foot of the stairs (perseverance in the evangelical virtues of poverty, chastity, obedience) gazing on His face (prayer). He will come and lift you (Transforming union) if you persevere and abandon yourself.
I think a lot of inspirational stuff I found out about St Therese were from outside her autobiography,. A for instance when she said, ' I never thought it was possible to suffer so much, never, never, never'. The fact that she asked the medicines on her bedside table be removed in case she commited suicide. Her asking for the strongest nun in the convent to nurse her to ease the pain in being nursed. That she knew that she would be declared a saint after her death. She reminds me of grapes that have been squeezed totally dry in God's winepress.
