Acts, Chapter 27, Verse 20 #hope
Neither the sun nor the stars
were visible for many days, and no small storm raged. Finally, all hope of our surviving was taken away.
We Catholic’s are
blessed for we are still in the boat (church) with Paul and no matter what the
storms and we are totally lost and there is no hope of surviving; we still have
the Lord with us. Paul during this voyage encourages the others to
eat. Paul breaks bread and emboldens these lost men. When Christians flounder in
the storm of life we should recall Jesus’ assurance of protection. The
Eucharist gives us courage in our trials.[1]
Hopeful in Prison #WWII
Father Paul Wolff was 15
years old when he first joined the Belgium resistance during the years of the
Nazi occupation of World War II. He was the youngest member of the Belgium
resistance. Unfortunately he and other members of his group were captured and
at 17 he was tortured, condemned to death and imprison in the Nazi Prison in
Liege, Belgium. There he languished yet his faith would not allow him to lose
all hope and the resistance still worked to get him and the others (256) out.
Part of the plan was to
get a radio to the prisoners. To do this the resistance secreted small parts of
the crystal radio inside bars of soap. Interestingly these were lever brother
bars of soap large about brick sized. Father Paul related that during the Nazi
occupation not all Jews were in German prisons if they were of use to the
Nazi’s. In this case the soap bars were made by the Lever Jews and the radio
parts were easily hidden inside the soap bars. Father Paul stated that when
they received the soap they then washed their hands raw in wearing away the
soap to get to the radio part. Then after several bars they constructed the
radio which was the Morse code type. Father Paul typed in code in English which
he spoke along with German and French the words over and over “SOS SOS 256
prisoners in Liege prison condemned to death SOS SOS.” They hoped someone would
get the message and somehow they would be rescued. All they had was hope.
Father also related that
it drove the Nazi’s crazy because they intercepted the message but never
suspected it was coming from the prison. Father Paul said that in the cell they
were in there was only one barred window but it was so high that to look out it
required a person to stand on the shoulders of a fellow prisoner. He further
relayed that they when they would see women that were friendly with the guards
coming and going they would call them the nastiest things they could think of
calling them. Yet one day during an air raid while the guards were hiding as
deep as they could go; one of these young women (secret agent) came and taking
the heel of her shoe wrote on the pavement that during the air raid they are
going to be rescued by commandos and they were. Father Paul stated neither he
nor the others ever lost hope. After his escape he went underground. He was a friend of King Leopold III. He served as General Patton's Belgian guide during the battle of the bulge.
Leopold III was King of the Belgians from 1934 to 1951. He served as a front-line soldier in World War I and came to the throne after the tragic death of his father in a rock climbing accident. During World War II he led the Belgian army, resisting the Germans for 18 days (longer than any other of the low countries) before surrendering; for which he was criticized by the Allies. Leopold III was also castigated #ouch for remaining in Belgium with his people during the German occupation. He went to Switzerland after the Axis defeat and finally, because of deep political divisions at home, he decided to abdicate in 1951 in favor of his son King Baudouin. He died in 1983.
COURAGE FOR THE MODERN WORLD 2017
Authored by Mr. Richard H. Havermale Jr.This book is the continuation of my first book based on more than 365 references in the Bible to fear, dread, and that in fact our God encourages us to "BE NOT AFRAID". To do this we must be in the presence of our Lord and talk to Him. I recommend you develop the habit of spending 10-15 minutes a day with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel or if that is not available some other quiet place where you can be in the presence of our Lord. Read the daily entry and reflect on it asking our Lord and His mother to talk to your heart and reveal to you the will of the Father and then Do it. The layout of this book is to list and reflect on the books of the bible Sirach through Revelations. In the early part of September my search of the verses dealing with fear and being afraid was completed; so I asked the Lord what do I, do now. After some reflection I realize that the fruit of fear in the Lord is the Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Love which ultimately results in Peace of the Lord. As a consequence the month of September will deal with Peace, October with Love and the month of November will be reflections on Faith and Hope. After Thanksgiving for the season of Advent and Christmas this work uses a multitude of references that reflect the Christmas season. There are many theologians who state that the eighth deadly sin is fear itself. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. Saint John Paul II in his writings and talks also tells us to BE NOT AFRAID. In fear or anger we walk away from God. Our Lord, Jesus Christ taught us how to walk back toward God in His sermon on the mount through the Beatitudes. Each of the beatitudes is the antidote for the opposite deadly sins.
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