Reclaiming Our Children

Put on Your Armor, just in case...

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (v. 11).

- Ephesians 6:10–13

 

So, October is Respect Life Month and this coming Sunday, is Respect Life Sunday.

There are a lot of things going on in our diocese of New York, and around the country, from 40 Days for Life to Life Chains and, as it should be, there is sure to be preaching on life at Churches on Sunday.

It can be a difficult time for those who have had an abortion, especially if you hear about the horror of abortion, but the mercy of God for those who have participated in them is not mentioned. Unfortunately,although things have improved greatly, that still happens. A lot of people, clergy included, just do not know how to speak on this topic.

One of the things the devil uses to keep us from healing is the thought that we are unforgivable. He would love us to turn from the church and run from God. Most us of already did that to no avail. During this month many people are focused on "saving babies", a good thing, but sadly, even though there have been 60 millions abortions and millions touched, there is not enough attention to  "saving souls", and many are left with their feelings of being "unforgivable", not only confirmed but intensified along with their feelings of guilt and shame.

In just the past two days I have seen huge signs of "Abortion is Murder" front and center at Forty Days locations. While it's true abortion takes an innocent life, signs like this often "abort" souls seeking the forgiveness of God by confirming what they believe inside of themselves. That abortion is the unforgiveable sin. It surely does not speak of God's mercy which He so longs to give those who are contrite.

Abortion is not an "unforgivable sin",  and for all that is lacking, there are also many great priests and clergy ministering to those who have had an abortion, as well as some wonderful ministries out there for those suffering .

I also came across a picture of a baby, a late term abortion. Carhart, the infamous abortionist, in an attempt to make his work seem good and normal, takes pictures of these babies with their parents. It is almost beyond comprehension to imagine such a thing but I myself have seen some of them that were taken by Tiller, who also offered this to the parents of the babies he killed. As if that were not bad enough, this article called the parents selfish and wicked. 

I wish the person who wrote this could meet some of the wonderful couples I have worked with. Couples waiting anxiously to have their babies only to be told they are "incompatible with life". Of course, we all know this is not true but the pressure to abort put on these parents by the medical profession, and sadly even the approval of some clergy through false compassion,  often lead couple in times of great trauma to blindly trust and cave in to the pressure to terminate the pregnancy.

We are called to be the face of Jesus. To call sinners back to His heart. Calling them murderers or wicked when we know nothing about the circumstances is not going to do that, and to be honest even they were wicked Jesus still wants to save them!

The truth is we are all sinners, but the other truth is, Jesus came into this world to call sinners. Over and over in the bible we are shown His love for sinners and His great love and mercy for them.

As St Augustine says, "for the ones who love God all things work for good, even sin." Of course, this does not mean the sin itself is ever good, abortion is always wrong, but it does mean that even this terrible sin God can bring  great good out of if the sinner is repentant. 

'Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

So, put on your armor this month just in case you need it. See yourself in truth, a sinner in need of God's mercy, but also that Mercy Himself loves you, came and died for our sins, even the sin of abortion. He is right there with you and will not let you down.

In the words of Jesus Himself to St Faustina "

“Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy."

 

 

 

Homily Pope Francis Sept. 21

For anyone who feels unforgiveable...beautiful.

EUCHARISTIC CONCELEBRATION

Piazza Pia
Sunday, 21 September 2019

The episode we heard is in Jericho, the famous city destroyed in the time of Joshua that, according to the Bible, should not have been reconstructed anymore (see GS 6): it should have been "the forgotten city". But Jesus, the Gospel says, "enters and crosses" Jericho (see Lk 19: 1). And in this city, which is below sea level, he is not afraid of reaching the lowest level, represented by Zacchaeus. This was a publican, or rather the "chief of the publicans", that is, of those Jews hated by the people who collected taxes for the Roman Empire. He was "rich" (v. 2) and it is easy to guess how he had become: at the expense of his fellow citizens, exploiting his fellow citizens. In their eyes Zacchaeus was the worst, the unsavory. But not in the eyes of Jesus, who calls him by his own name, Zacchaeus, which means "God remembers". In the forgotten city, God remembers the greatest sinner.

The Lord first of all remembers us. He does not forget us, he does not lose sight of us despite the obstacles that can keep us away from him. Obstacles that were not lacking in the case of Zaccheus: his short stature, physical and moral, but also his shame, so he tried to see Jesus hidden in the branches of the tree, probably hoping not to be seen. And then the external criticisms: in the city, because of that meeting, "everyone murmured" (v. 7) - but I believe that in Albano it is the same: it is rumored ... Limits, sins, shame, chatter and prejudices: no obstacle makes us forget to Jesus the essential, the man to love and save.

What does this Gospel tell us about the anniversary of your Cathedral? That every church, that the Church with a capital letter exists to keep alive in the hearts of men the memory that God loves them. It exists to tell everyone, even to the farthest: "You are loved and you are called by Jesus by name; God does not forget you, you care about him ". Dear brothers and sisters, like Jesus do not be afraid to "cross" your city, to go to those who are more forgotten, to those who are hidden behind the branches of shame, fear, loneliness, to tell them: "God remembers you".

I would like to emphasize a second action of Jesus. In addition to remembering, recognizing Zacchaeus, He anticipates. We see it in the game of looks with Zacchaeus. He "sought to see who Jesus was" (v. 3). It is interesting that Zacchaeus not only sought to see Jesus, but to see who Jesus was: that is, to understand what kind of teacher he was, what his distinctive trait was. And he finds out not when he looks at Jesus, but when he is looked at by Jesus. Because while Zacchaeus tries to see him, Jesus sees him first; before Zacchaeus speaks, Jesus speaks to him; before inviting Jesus, Jesus comes to his home. Here is who Jesus is: he who sees us first, he who loves us first, he who first welcomes us. When we discover that his love anticipates us, that he reaches us first of all, life changes. Dear brother, dear sister, if as Zacchaeus you are looking for a meaning to life but, not finding it, you are throwing yourself away with "surrogates of love", such as riches, career, pleasure, some addiction, let yourself be looked at by Jesus. Only with Jesus will you discover that you have always been loved and will make the discovery of life. You will feel touched within by the invincible tenderness of God, which moves and moves the heart. So it was for Zaccheus and so it is for each of us, when we discover the "first" of Jesus: Jesus who anticipates us, who looks at us first, who speaks to us first, who is waiting for us first.

As a Church, let us ask ourselves if Jesus comes first to us: first he or our agenda, is he or our structures first? Every conversion is born of an anticipation of mercy, born of God's tenderness that steals the heart. If everything we do does not start from the merciful gaze of Jesus, we run the risk of mundanizing the faith, of complicating it, of filling it with so many contours: cultural topics, efficient visions, political options, party choices ... But we forget the essential, the simplicity of faith, that which comes first of all: the living encounter with the mercy of God. If this is not the center, if it is not at the beginning and at the end of all our activities, we risk holding God " outside the home ”, that is, in the church, which is his home, but not with us. Today's invitation is: "be merciful" from God. He comes with his mercy.

To guard the "first" of God, Zacchaeus is an example. Jesus sees it first because he had climbed onto a sycamore tree. It is a gesture that required courage, enthusiasm, and imagination: not many adults are seen climbing trees; this is what kids do, it's something you do as children, we all did it. Zacchaeus has overcome the shame and in a sense he is a child again. It is important for us to go back simple, open. To guard the "first" of God, that is his mercy, we must not be complicated Christians, who elaborate a thousand theories and disperse to look for answers in the net, but we must be like children. They need parents and friends: we also need God and others. We are not enough for ourselves, we need to unmask our self-sufficiency, to overcome our closures, to return small inside, simple and enthusiastic, full of enthusiasm towards God and love of neighbor.

I would like to highlight one last action of Jesus, which makes one feel at home. He says to Zacchaeus: "Today I must stay at your house" (v. 5). In your house. Zacchaeus, who felt himself a stranger in his city, returns to his home as a loved one. And, loved by Jesus, he rediscovers his neighboring people and says: "I give half of what I have to the poor and, if I stole from someone - and he had stolen so much, this man -, I give back four times as much" (see 8). The Law of Moses asked to return by adding a fifth (see Lv 5:24), Zacchaeus giving four times as much: it goes well beyond the Law because he has found love. Feeling at home, he opened the door to the next.

How wonderful it would be if our neighbors and acquaintances felt the Church as their home! Unfortunately, it happens that our communities become foreign to many and unattractive. Sometimes we also suffer the temptation to create closed circles, intimate places among the elect. We feel elected, we feel elite ... But there are so many brothers and sisters who are homesick, who don't have the courage to get close, maybe because they didn't feel welcomed; perhaps because they met a priest who treated them badly or chased them away, he wanted to make them pay the sacraments - a bad thing - and they left. The Lord wants his Church to be a house among the houses, a hospitable tent where every man, a traveler of existence, meets Him who has come to dwell among us (see Jn 1:14).

Brothers and sisters, let the Church be the place where others are never looked down on, but like Jesus with Zacchaeus, from the bottom up. Remember that the only time you can look at a person from the top down is to help her get up, otherwise it is not allowed. Only then: look at it like that, because it has fallen. We never look at people as judges, always as brothers. We are not inspectors of the lives of others, but promoters of the good of all. And to be promoters of the good of all, one thing that helps so much is to keep the language steady: not to talk about others. But sometimes, when I say these things, I hear people say: "Father, look, it's a bad thing, but it comes to me, because I see something and I want to criticize". I suggest a good medicine for this - apart from prayer -; effective medicine is: bite your tongue. It will swell in your mouth and you can't talk!

"The son of man - the Gospel concludes - came to seek and save what was lost" (Lk 19:10). If we avoid those who seem lost to us, we are not of Jesus. We ask for the grace to meet each one as a brother and not to see anyone as an enemy. And if we have been hurt, we return good. Jesus' disciples are not slaves of past evils but, forgiven by God, they do as Zacchaeus: they think only of the good they can do. We give freely, we love the poor and those who do not have to give us back: we will be rich in the eyes of God.

Dear brothers and sisters, I hope that your cathedral, like any church, will be the place where everyone feels remembered by the Lord, anticipated by his mercy and welcomed home. So that the most beautiful thing happens in the Church: rejoice because salvation has entered life (see v. 9). So be it.

Surrendering Our Sins and Misery

"Is it possible that by our 'goodness' we are trying to earn God's love? Is it possible that we will receive love from our Creator only in exchange for our achievements and virtues? After all, isn't it true that the only possible exchange that can take place between God and a creature is receiving His forgiveness and His mercy 'in return' for surrendering our sins and misery to Him?"
(God Alone Suffices, pg. 106)SC Beila

“Surrendering our sins and misery”. Sounds like it should be so easy. Who wants to hold on to “sins and misery”, yet, we do. We sometimes cling to them as if they were our best friends! Sometimes it is so difficult to let go even when we do not want that which we cling to. Even sin and misery can become familiar and comfortable!

Over the years I have met many women and men who have refused to let go of the pain of their abortions. I am not saying it is something they do consciously, but they believe they do not deserve to be forgiven, or they are not ready to make changes in their lives. Many are afraid to trust. Who can blame them? Often it was those who are supposed to love them that pressured them to abort?

They may mouth the words of wanting to have the pain go away, and yet they cling to the suffering, refusing to feel any relief. In some ways, I think this is because they are afraid if they “surrender” it to God, they are somehow denying their children again. They think they would forget them, as if this were possible.

In some cases, they want to continue to punish themselves. They believe abortion is the unforgivable sin putting a limit on Gods mercy. Others think they need to somehow make up for their abortions before they can surrender, and so they occupy themselves in a million ways, as if it were possible to make up for the taking of their child’s life.

We cannot earn God’s love. Most importantly, we do not have to. It has, and will continue to always be there, for God is Love and Mercy itself.

Healing from our sins is not something he gives in the future…it exists in the present moment. In turning our lives and our wills over to Him who died for our “sins and misery”, and trusting in this love enough to receive His “forgiveness and mercy”. It is in knowing His love for us and trusting that He is constantly leading us into union with Him no matter what sins we have committed in the past if we are truly sorry and are trying to live life in His grace.

So, let go…surrender your sins and your misery…it may be scary at first and more often than not you may find you have to let go over and over again, but when you do, you will not forget your child or your sins, but instead He will transform them both into channels of His grace and you will live in gratitude for the Mercy He has shown you.

Reaching out with Compassion

Our Merciful Mother of Sorrows

reprint - A personal reflection from one who once feared her but came to love her dearly.

Aleteia -Theresa Bonopartis

There was a point in my life when the thought of Mary, the Mother of God—especially as Our Lady of Sorrows—could send me into a tailspin. I felt so guilty that I could not even bear to look at or think of her. I was personally responsible for much of her sorrow and pain because I had an abortion.

She was everything I wasn’t. She had said yes to God as a teenager, while I had said no. I was neither mature enough in my faith nor aware of God’s love for me to move beyond self-condemnation. It was all about me, and it took time for me to turn my focus to Our Lord and His Mother.

As I grew in faith and knowledge of both Jesus and Mary, I came to understand their love and mercy for me: that it was proven not only through Christ’s death on the cross, but also through Mary’s consent to the sacrifice and suffering, in order to fulfill the will of God in obtaining our salvation.

There rest is here

TJTM-Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mary!

Thanks for always showing the way..TJTM