Here's a thought - instead of describing homosexual behavior as 'disordered'...

Stop calling here.

Call it 'impaired'.

Sexually impaired.  It works on so many levels.  Think about it.

Impaired - the sex is im-paired, the natural is impaired.  The parts don't fit, and so on.

Yes, and contraceptive heterosexual relations are too.  So gays aren't that different after all?  Or is it that couples who contracept are gay too?  Both are impaired.

I know!

I'm always here to help!

Back by popular demand.

What?

Is Toonces a boy's name or a girl's name?

Urban gardener.

I think it could go either way.

Sr. Mary Toonces.  Toonces-Bob Thornton.

It's quite a versatile name.

Did you know Toonces is actually a derivative of Anthony?  Tony.  Toony.  Toongabbie in Australia has a church dedicated to St. Anthony.  It's amazing what I know.

What?

I made that up.

So?

PSA:  Anyway - this is the second week of Easter, so there is no Easter Monday through Saturday this week - those titles are reserved for the Octave week.


Art:  Not mine - found it here.

Today is Matt Talbot's Birthday

May 2, 1856

"Somewhere along the path of life of every human being there comes a dread moment when he suddenly sees himself for what he is." - Fr. Ralph Pfau

I had hoped to finish my new painting of Matt Talbot by today - but I have more to do.

I started it last year - then set it aside until last month.  I was working on some other images.

Conversion.

This is the way of the Prodigal Son, who dropped on his knees in the swine pen and cried: "Father, I have sinned" or with it's echo "I am powerless... my life is unmanageable"- and perhaps for the first time in his life that man REALLY prays and begins to MEDITATE, THIS IS THE HUMBLE MAN. And day by day he prays and he MEDITATES on TRUTH lest again he fall back into his former life-long HABIT OF EXCUSES. For the LIFE OF ALL IS LOADED WITH EXCUSES-AND SYSTEMATIC, PERSISTENT AND CONSISTENT MEDITATION ALONE WILL DISSIPATE THEM. "With desolation is the land made desolate because there are none who thinketh in their hearts." - Fr. Pfau

Matt Talbot gave up drink for the rest of his life when he was 28 years old.  He did without it.  Human beings can change, they can give up legitimate goods when their affection for them gets to be disordered and turns out to be an obstacle to union with God.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I place all my trust in you!

NFP Classes in my backyard all week.

The rabbits.

Seriously - they just don't quit.

As long as they are open to life,

It's all good.

Minnesota Wild

I'm so excited.

I don't want to jinx it though - so I won't post anything about - you know.

I'm still busy with my project anyway.

The Protection of St. Joseph

Do not be afraid.

Today is a special feast for me.  I owe much to St. Joseph.

I liked the morning meditation from Cardinal Begoglio in Magnificat, on how Joseph was afraid, yet found courage ...

St. Joseph has always saved me, as he saved Our Lady and the Child Jesus.  He also saved me from an isolated life.  He reordered my life, rearranged things.

Prayer.  Never give up prayer.  If you seek chastity - go to Joseph.  He will be your director and protector.  He will teach you to pray, he will be your good Samaritan, he will find you lodging, support, and healing.  He will guide you and bring you to Jesus and Mary, in the Church.  Be not afraid.

What seems impossible for man is possible with God.

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong,so prompt before the Throne of God,I place in you all my interests and desires.O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercessionand obtain for me from your Divine Sonall spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord;so that having engaged here below your Heavenly powerI may offer my Thanksgiving and Homageto the most Loving of Fathers.O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating youand Jesus asleep in your arms.I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart.Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me,and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath.St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls,pray for us.Amen

Homos Online

When I finish my project I'll have to get back to blogging about queer Catholics.

What?

Seriously - there is a really good film on the subject - gay and Catholic.  Whatever that means.  In the film, people are talking about their conversion, their return, their coming into Catholicism.  The film is called, The Third Way - it is excellent.

The third way is love and acceptance.  The Church calls men and women with same sex attraction to sanctity and a chaste life - in love - charity.  It makes so much sense.  It's not about making gay people straight - it's about becoming saints.

I didn't like the title at first because it seemed to suggest a third sex, so I watched the video.  It strikes me the third way means the Catholic Church offers a third way to those who experience same sex attraction.  The third way is chastity withing the context, the reality of their cultural experience, so to speak.  The world offers an active homosexuality, other churches/programs offer various forms of 'conversion therapy', the Catholic Church offers acceptance, love, and chaste holiness - happiness.

I may not have expressed it very well - just watch the video - here.


Art:  Contemporary depiction of "The Call of Matthew" - source.

Here's a thought. The next Pope.

The Council of Cardinals 

If something should happen to Pope Francis (God forbid), chances are - or I should say, more than likely - one of these men will become the next Pope.

I'm busy painting so all I have time for on the blog is to push buttons and check emails.

That's all.

Signs Above the Cathedral of St. Paul

Cathedral of St. Paul struck by lightning yesterday, Divine Mercy Sunday - at the exact same time the canonizations took place in Rome.

That's what I read.

What?

Song for this post here.

H/T to a blog I'm banned from and forbidden to have contact with.  Photo credit: Kare 11 1398645780000-Allison-Claire---Lightning-in-St-Paul

"Acquiring the Spirit of God is the true aim of our Christian life, while prayer, fasting, almsgiving and other good works done for Christ's sake are merely means for acquiring the Spirit of God." - St. Seraphim

That's it!

Prayer parts the clouds.  Prayer calls fire down from heaven.  Prayer incorporates us into the life of the Holy Trinity dwelling within us.  O then soul, you who seek God in 'things' - don't you know he is within you?  That you are his temple?  "Acquisition of love, proceeding from the Father and the Son, alert me to be ever aware of thy indwelling!"

Great is the power of prayer, and it brings most of all the Spirit of God, and is most easily practiced by everyone. We shall be happy indeed if the Lord God finds us watchful and filled with the gifts of His Holy Spirit. Then we may boldly hope "to be caught up . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:17) Who is coming "with great power and glory" (Mk. 13:26) "to judge the living and the dead" (1 Peter 4:5) and "to reward every man according to his works" (Matt. 16:27). - St. Seraphim of Sarov

Never give up prayer. 

Divine Mercy and Storms

In the diary of St. Faustina, Our Lord revealed to her that he sometimes speaks to souls through storms...
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"Write that I am speaking to them through their remorse of conscience, through their failures and sufferings, through thunderstorms, through the voice of the Church." 1728 (90) Diary, Divine Mercy In My Soul
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The night before Our Lord gave St. Faustina the chaplet, she saw in a vision a great storm threatening the earth, and she had no other recourse but to pray  the words of the chaplet she heard interiorly.  "As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel's helplessness: he could not carry out the just punishment which was rightly due for sins."  - 474-475 Diary
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I gathered from this that the chaplet of Divine Mercy may be efficacious against storms as well.  
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Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.  For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
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Link:
How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Jesus, I trust in you.

A Cloud Over the Canonizations

Sorry.

That is my sense.



Photo:  Benedict escorted by Ganswein.  They both have aged considerably.  Source.

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday

Mass chat ...

The homily at the Mass I attended was all about Earth Day and saving the planet.  That was it.

So anyway...