Today is the fifth day of Christmas.
On the 5th day of Christmas my True Love gave to me... Gabby!
BTW. I don't know what the Hobby Lobby is... well I kinda do, but I haven't been paying much attention to it because it is probably the first of many such cases and I can't do anything about it. I also don't have insurance - so I'll be fined myself.
I haven't paid much attention to the Fiscal Cliff deal either - I've already fallen off - I'm poor.
Speaking of poor, did you know the poor can be proud? Let me explain. Someone wanted to give me a donation and I refused saying, "I don't take donations." So full of myself, huh? Too good to take donations - how is that virtuous? The donation thing has always been my rant - that I'm so above the kindness of strangers. How strange, huh? So I'm considering doing a Donate button now. Haha! You see, if I had accepted the donation, I would have allowed the benefactor to perform an act of charity, and I in turn could have helped a friend whose car is in the shop and she can't afford to get it out, nor pay her rent, nor buy groceries. I'm not a good poor man at all. I'm a bad man.
Smug.
The other day I glanced at a blog written by a person who is an extraordinary champion and defender of the faith. This person will take on anyone in the blogosphere of Catholic teaching and orthodoxy. Valiant soul! This person assured the readers of the blog she held them up in prayer throughout these days of Christmas. That is truly a beautiful thing, and a wonderful act of charity indeed.
The tone reminded me of myself. In those times of feeling so close to the Lord, convinced I'm doing so well spiritually and faithful to the teaching of the Church, and so on. Praying for all of you - and my enemies too. "Assuring you of my prayers!" "Be assured of my prayers!" "United to you in prayer." As well as the priestly, "Sending up prayers right now..." or "Lifting you up in prayer!" - Oh wait - I don't say that. Anyway - it's all good, I'm not at all criticizing prayer for one another - prayer is charity, it is an act of mercy - in fact we are obliged to pray for one another. Although sometimes I think we can secretly congratulate ourselves in fulfilling this particular duty, and maybe attribute to ourselves just a little too much perfection. Sometimes we think we did something or we obtained something for someone else. Especially when praying for enemies. Slice, dice and pray. Sometimes - at least in my case - we fail to realize our enemies may have a reason to dislike us, therefore, our prayer might better be understood as one of reparation than lifting any one up... an act of justice, more than of mercy.
Sometimes we holier-than-thou types, who only get by on a wing and a prayer ourselves, can be in denial as regards our own faults and failings... it's the Pharisee and the publican thing enacted all over again... and again... and again. (We also have to remember we can't be holier than the Church...)
As the psalmist prays, "From my hidden sins acquit me O Lord!"
Oh my God! I have this huge log in my eye! Have mercy on me a sinner!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
One final note - it seems to me total consecration to Our Lady and the faithful recitation of the rosary covers a multitude of sins, as well as all our prayer needs and intentions. Our Lady not only helps free us from sin, she applies our prayers according God's will - not ours.
Keep an eye on Terry -
he's got a lot of people fooled!
We just got a Hobby Lobby in Spokane not too long ago. It's a beautiful store known for their soothing music.
ReplyDeleteThey have great art supplies, craft stuff, and fabric, as well as home decor stuff. I can handle Hobby Lobby - unlike Michael's where the visual stimulation is way too much for me.
I'll be doing more shopping there in the future to show my support. Funny - they're not too far from "Catholic" Gonzaga University which is going along with the mandate while "promising to make Catholic teaching clear." Really?
I dunno Terry, I find that kind of in-your-face so-called defense of the faith repulsive. It seems to exist more for the sake of convincing the already-convinced rather than winning souls for Christ, and the "oh, by the way, you're in my prayers" bit just rings hollow to my ears. I've got a whole lumbar yard obstructing my view, let alone a log, make no mistake about it. If someone finds value in that kind of writing, so be it. I'm personally better off not indulging in it with any regularity because when I do, I feel like a piece of my soul has been robbed. On the same note, it does not escape my notice that a few days before the Newtown shooting, a certain priest was joking about selling guns and ammo to help support himself, and then uttered not a single word of concern or petition for prayers for the victims. I have purchased items that have helped support that priest and I am now questioning why, when there are so many other worthwhile endeavors that beg for our help. My only interest is in the truth. It's often a lonely place to be. And I think that is one of the biggest "traps", if you will, of Catholic blogging, for me at least. That feeling of wanting to belong, even when doing so can be such a compromise. I'll quit now because I'm not sure I'm even making sense! But I think you understand. Peace.
ReplyDeleteWhere to begin, Terry. I don't know much about Hobby Lobby, either, except that they are standing up against a government that wants to enshrine intrinsic evil, and I hope this will motivate all of us to be strong against the evil that is encroaching everywhere. ¡Viva Cristo Rey!
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't think the fiscal cliff makes much of a difference when our country long ago fall off of the moral cliff. As Blessed John Paul II said, a nation that kills its children is a nation without hope. What good is money when God has been pushed out of our culture.
Also, I think our enemies are much more important for our spiritual health than our friends are, just as trials make us stronger than good times. Our enemies, like trials, show us who we really are, if we truly have forgiveness and love in our hearts, and if we really are praying for others, especially those who despise and persecute us. Someone who criticizes me makes me much stronger than someone who praises me.
@The Little Way - there is a big difference between discerning and judging. We are commanded to test the spirits. That is far different than judging. "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
I think I've probably covered more ground than I should have, except for a huge amen to your statement about the great love shown to us by our Blessed Mother. Aside from salvation itself, she is the greatest gift our Lord has given to us.
Cath in Brooklyn - I wrote me comment to Little way just as you were posting.
ReplyDeleteI especially love what you said: "I think our enemies are much more important for our spiritual health than our friends are, just as trials make us stronger than good times. Our enemies, like trials, show us who we really are..."
So very true - I wanted to say something on that order in my post but didn't know how to express it. Thanks!
throwthebumsoutin2010.blogspot.com/.../receiving-holy-communion-by-hand-your.html
ReplyDeleteSo, Terry. I am a little confused. Are you saying that she is a defender of the faith or a pharisee?
Maria - 'she' who? You are confusing things here now.
ReplyDeleteMaria - read this carefully - maybe read it out loud if need be:
ReplyDeleteSometimes we holier-than-thou types, who only get by on a wing and a prayer ourselves, can be in denial as regards our own faults and failings... it's the Pharisee and the publican thing enacted all over again... and again... and again. (We also have to remember we can't be holier than the Church...)
"We" - I was including, or better yet, referring to, myself.
This post is not about communion in the hand.
What is it that I am confusing, Terry? Where you referring to someone other than Carol?
ReplyDeleteActually, Terry was talking about me, and said "she" in order to throw people off. Because as everyone knows, there are no female valiant defenders of the faith in the blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteWhat?
Maria - Who is Carol?
ReplyDeleteThanks Larry, for breaking the code.
ReplyDeleteThe other day I glanced at a blog written by a person who is an extraordinary champion and defender of the faith. This person will take on anyone in the blogosphere of Catholic teaching and orthodoxy. Valiant soul! This person assured the readers of the blog she held them up in prayer throughout these days of Christmas. That is truly a beautiful thing, and a wonderful act of charity indeed.
ReplyDeleteWhich blog was this, Terry?
Maria, we must be very careful to keep from indulging in vain curiosities and matters that do not concern us. If I have caused you or anyone else to sin through presumption, I am sorry and beg God's forgiveness. I am a very bad man.
ReplyDeleteTerry, speaking solely for myself, there are any number of blogs I no longer follow or link to because they fit the description I wrote above. If someone finds benefit in them, more power to them. I don't, and that's my choice, just as what I write about may be of no interest or benefit to others. No other explanation is necessary or owed.
ReplyDeleteLarry's response was priceless.
Maria, I thought the "she" you mentioned came from this part:
ReplyDelete"The other day I glanced at a blog written by a person who is an extraordinary champion and defender of the faith. This person will take on anyone in the blogosphere of Catholic teaching and orthodoxy. Valiant soul! This person assured the readers of the blog she held them up in prayer throughout these days of Christmas. That is truly a beautiful thing, and a wonderful act of charity indeed."
"This person assured the readers of the blog SHE held them up..."
My apologies for being so vague in what I was trying to express regarding my own failures and inconsistencies, and the self interest and self love which often lurks beneath the facade of every good deed I attempt.
ReplyDeleteI assure you, this post was about me, and rather sound like some televangelist confessing his sins publicly, I said 'we' often used by a writer wishing to reduce or avoid a subjective tone. I often see the log in my eye reflected in the tiny little faults of people who are better, more virtuous than I am. Is it pride, envy, jealousy which prompts the critical spirit in me at first? probably so. Yet by the grace of God I sometimes see my own faults glaring before me, and I write about them. I document them. Somehow writing about it not only helps me think things through, I am able to impress it more deeply upon my consciousness.
That sounds rather highfalutin for an obscure little blogger to say, but it's my blog - it's a web log - I make observations - I write what I write.
That said, if my intention had been to denigrate another blogger or level criticism towards anyone else, I would either have named the blog and or blogger, or I would have linked to the post or quoted directly from it.
If people are looking for trouble, I have a caption in my side bar for you:
"Sell crazy someplace else - we're all stocked up here."
"Sell crazy someplace else - we're all stocked up here."
ReplyDeleteHa! Happy and blessed New Year to you, Terry Nelson. Your wit is a gift from God that I, for one, enjoy.
Joyce