Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Psalm 34, verse 5-12

⁵ I sought the LORD, and he answered me, delivered me from all my fears. ⁶Look to him and be radiant, and your faces may not blush for shame. ⁷ This poor one cried out and the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.⁸ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he saves them. ⁹Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him. ¹⁰ Fear the LORD, you his holy ones; nothing is lacking to those who fear him. Come, children,listen to me; I will teach you fear of the LORD. ¹¹ The rich grow poor and go hungry but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. ¹² Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you fear of the LORD.

While taking a prayer filled hike in the Round Lake, New York area; I asked our Lord on the hike to communicate to me as we walked along the way. The Lord spoke to my heart and said that in this world there are two kinds of people those that give and those that get. He said amazingly those that get never get enough and those who give always get enough.

As we walked Christ pointed out to me the things that I should be giving to others.

As I started the hike, I noticed the sign with the map of the hike was reversed and if I did not study it closely, I would be lost. Christ urged me to:

· Give good directions.

Walking along I met others walking or riding bikes coming from the opposite direction that looked rather glum and miserable. Christ urged me to greet them. As I did, I noticed their expression changed from glum to happy.

· Give greetings.

Walking along I heard music from a tavern near the trail. Christ urged me to:

· Give music and song to gladden other hearts.

Walking along I met a small turtle that on seeing me tucked into his shell. Christ urged me to:

· Give others respect and privacy.

Walking along I passed a stream and notice the path was shady. Christ urged me to:

· Give refreshment to others.

Finally, as I was walking along as the Lord answered me, I noticed He had delivered me from all my fears.

Nineveh 90[1]

Nineveh 90 for life: January 23, 2019 to Easter vigil (Apr 21)

Whether it’s a Navy SEAL or a Saint, we admire those who put it all on the line — go “all in!” — Those who are totally dedicated to the mission … and God admires them too. Throughout salvation history, we have seen how God responds to this resolute and determined kind of prayer, just as Jesus taught His disciples. It was in Nineveh that the entire city turned back to God and did all that they could, through prayer and penance, to “demonstrate to” God that they were absolutely resolute in this “turning.” God saw how “serious” they were about this, and He was moved (Jonah 3:3-10). This is yet another story that demonstrates how God – a perfect Father – compels His children to be truly resolute and quite serious when calling out to Him.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote,

“Timid prayer does not pierce heaven, because immoderate fear binds the soul so that prayer, far from flying upward, cannot even come out. Being lukewarm, it grows weak in its flight and falls because it has no strength. Prayer that is faithful, humble, and fervent will undoubtedly pierce heaven and it will certainly not return fruitless.”

This is what “Nineveh 90 for Life” is all about. This is a prayer campaign for resolute spiritual “WARRIORS!!” who seek to join ranks with tens of thousands of others in this “Supernaturally Charged” 90-Day crusade to deal the last blow to the culture of death.

Congress is becoming more pro-life, this administration is more pro-life, the courts are becoming more pro-life, “science” is more pro-life, and the country itself is becoming more pro-life. I believe we are on the verge of witnessing an end to the worst mass murder of innocents in the history of civilization. The time is now for us to marshal everything we’ve got to see this through to its completion … to deal the last blow. Nineveh 90 for Life begins January 23 and goes until the Easter Vigil (April 20). Special Forces Prayer Warriors (those who join) will be challenged to enter into a period of prayer and mortification. “Mortification,” at its essence, means to “die to yourself.” This will be our time to let go of bad and sinful habits and to embrace better and healthier and Godly habits.

The research in the behavioral sciences says that 90 days is about the time needed to change bad habits. What better time to be resolute then when, traditionally, many take on “New Year’s Resolutions.” Except this will be done with a support system that is tens of thousands of Special Forces warriors strong! We will also be using some of the tried and true very powerful supernatural elements. Namely, the Brown Scapular, 54 Day Rosary Novena, and the 33 Day Preparation for Marian Consecration.

We believe supernatural strength increases to the degree we are detached from worldliness. “He must increase, but I must decrease” was the call of St. John the Baptist. This is our time to “make straight a path for the Lord.” To put aside everything that stands in the way of Christ to fill us up completely with His Divine Life. THIS is the way we become “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power!” God will surely hear and answer this throng of tens of thousands detached from the world and resolute in our plea to end the culture of death. I am certain of it!

“Consecration Day” will be on April 20 Easter Vigil,

Nineveh 90 – Ten Elements

For these 90 days, resolve to let go of repetitive sin you struggle with (e.g., acts of impurity, over-eating, alcohol, etc.)

1. Wear Brown Scapular (Scapular Medal allowed) – Akin to Sackcloth

2. Daily Mass (If you are able)

3. Confession (at least once a month … immediately following grave sin)

4. Support System: Create or join a “Nineveh 90 Squad” of 3+ people. Maybe create a Facebook group. Also, try to join together with an “Accountability Buddy.”

5. Daily Prayer (Developing a quality Catholic Prayer Life)

6. Morning Offering

7. Angelus (6, Noon,6)

8. Rosary

9. Holy Hour (or at least 20 minutes of quiet prayerful reflection time. Does not need to be before the Blessed Sacrament. This is normally done at home or your favorite prayer space … maybe create a “God Cave” in your home)

10. Bedtime Prayers

For 90 Days, Commit to …

· Regular and challenging exercise

· Seven hours of sleep is essential

· No alcohol

· No desserts & sweets

· No eating between meals

· No soda or sweetened drinks

· Limit television or movies to uplifting shows

· Only music that lifts the soul to God

· Limit televised sports (maybe one per week)

· Limit recreational computer time (only use for personal needs and fulfillment. May be needed for Nineveh 90 too)

· Sundays and Solemnities: May be a day of relaxed discipline, but not abandoned. (Sleep in an extra hour, cream in your coffee, a dessert, a beer, etc.)

· Fasting: Wednesdays and Fridays (Water/Juice and bread only, if medically allowed, otherwise as is outlined by the USCCB)

Timeline

· 54 Day Rosary Novena (Basic Training in Holiness) – January 23 (Feast of St. Vincent to March 17 (St. Patrick's/2nd Sunday Lent)

· 33 Day Preparation for Consecration – March 18 to April 19 (Good Friday)

· Marian Consecration – April 20, 2019 (Easter Vigil)

Prayer Intentions for 54 Day Rosary Novena:

· End to abortion

· Personal holiness

· For the conversion of loved ones.

Complete My Joy[2]

The Suffering of Sin

101. The sin of one family member upon another may be the greatest of sufferings within the family. Abuse inflicts unspeakable hurt and takes many forms, whether verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual. Unhealed wounds can bleed into relationships in the home and prolong pain for generations. Addiction dissolves the ability to love freely and creates chaos in family life. Divorce, while socially acceptable and often mistakenly encouraged, can leave in its wake injured spouses, traumatized children, and broken homes. This is a type of suffering few acknowledge, and abandoned spouses

and the children of a divorce are often silenced by social shame. Fatherlessness in particular is an epidemic which has scarred the souls of millions of children, whose hearts echo the cry of Jesus on the Cross, “Why have you abandoned me?” Even within otherwise strong and intact marriages, there will be hurt stemming from selfishness, misunderstandings, and lack of charity. I hear this in confessions, and in communications from many of you.

102. Be on guard against the lies that the ‘father of lies,’ who preys upon hurting souls, would speak into these wounds. He is our enemy, and when we are hurt his voice speaks of resentment, fury, revenge. This is not God’s voice or his will. Forgiveness is key to remedying the wounds here. Forgiveness is an important step in the process of healing, and sets us free from the pain, resentment, and anger that can enslave us when we hold hurts too tightly. Forgiveness is not primarily a feeling, instead it is a choice—a choice to extend God’s merciful love to someone who has hurt you, in obedience to Jesus (Matt 6:14-15) who not only taught us about forgiveness but gave us an example while on the Cross. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The Way[3] Mortification

"Read these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in the end you will be a more worthy soul."

The joy of us poor men, even when it has supernatural motives, always leaves behind some taste of bitterness. What did you expect? Here on earth, suffering is the salt of life.

Captain Kangaroo[4]

On Oct. 3, 1955, Bob Keeshan stepped onto a nautical-themed set wearing a captain's cap and a jacket with big, kangaroolike pockets. He smiled into the camera and became a television icon. Keeshan would play Captain Kangaroo for 36 years--more than 9,000 performances--to the amusement and betterment of generations of delighted children.

Keeshan died (January 23, 2004) at a hospital in Windsor, Vt., after a long illness. Though no cause of death was announced, he had suffered from cardiac problems since the 1980s. He was 76. Unmistakable with his brushy mustache and bowl haircut, the Captain passed time with his good friend Mr. Green Jeans (Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum), visited with puppet animals such as Bunny Rabbit, whom he scolded for eating too many carrots, and Mr. Moose, who loved knock-knock jokes. The animal characters were voiced by Cosmo "Gus" Allegretti. Ahead of his time in recognizing the importance of early learning, Keeshan's Captain built confidence and intellectual development in children who were having too much fun to notice the lessons. "Play is the work of children," he said. "It's very serious stuff. And if it's properly structured in a developmental program, children can blossom." Captain Kangaroo most will remember--a grandfatherly figure (though Keeshan was just 28 at the beginning) who spoke directly to the camera, with no audience, no children in the cast, no intermediaries in the conversation he was having with his at-home viewers. "One of the reasons I work in television today," said David Kleeman, executive director of the Chicago-based American Center for Children and Media, "is because, when I was 4 or 5, I said `Hello' to Captain Kangaroo when he came on the screen, and he said `Hello' back to me. I really believed that he was talking to me. And I think he would have agreed. We're losing the generation of children's TV hosts who made a new mass medium personal--who could talk into the camera as though we were the only person on the other side."

In later life Keeshan spoke often about the importance of good parenting. `Role models' "Parents are the ultimate role models for children," he said. "Every word, movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent." [Emphasis added]

Keeshan insisted that viewers must always feel special, never just part of a huge audience. He screened advertising to assure that what he considered exploitative commercials would never be shown. Over the years, his stewardship of "Captain Kangaroo" was abundantly rewarded. The show won six Emmy Awards, three Gabriels for "uplifting" programming from a Catholic media group and three Peabody Awards.