Psalm 34, verse 5-12
5
I sought the LORD, and he answered me, delivered me from all my fears. 6 Look
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. 9
Taste 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 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)
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 …
·
No
alcohol
·
No
desserts & sweets
·
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.
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.”
"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.
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.
Daily Devotions
[2]https://family.dphx.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018-Complete-My-Joy-Apostolic-Exhortation-English.pdf
[3]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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