Thursday, March 11, 2021

Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Idolatry

My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
At a word from You the devil and his minions flee in terror.
You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength.
By the power of your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech You, O Lord
To extend Your saving arm and to send Your holy angels
To defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces.
Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses Your Bride, The Church,
So that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation
We may turn fully back to You in all fidelity and trust.
Lord, we know if You will it, it will be done.
Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception...pray for us
St. Joseph...pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel...pray for us
(the patron of your parish )... pray for us
(your confirmation saint)...pray for us

"Freedom from Idolatry" by Fr. Rick Heilman

Reports surfaced that there was no cell phone activity in a high-security portion of the Wuhan Institute of Virology from October 7 through October 24, 2019, indicating that there may have been a "hazardous event" on or about October 6. On the very same day (October 6), Sr. Agnes Sasagawa of Akita received a private message ... the first since 1973 (year of infamous Roe v. Wade decision). The message was not unlike the warning Jonah received for Nineveh, in that it called for repentance: "Put on ashes and pray a repentant rosary every day."

It's more than interesting that Our Lady of Fatima appeared with her warning from May to October in 1917, urging the world to pray the rosary, repent, turn from its wicked ways, and return to the Lord, or there would be consequences. This warning came just before the 1918 plague (the Spanish Flu) broke out and claimed 50 million lives. Until now, this was the last plague in which churches were closed.

A consistent theme in the Bible is that when the people distance themselves from God and His will, which always leads to idolatry, God repeatedly allows a punishment, which is usually a plague.

Our Lady of Fatima pointed to the errors of Russia: "Russia will spread its errors throughout the world, raising up wars and persecutions against the Church." It was in May of 1917 (just as Our Lady first appeared to the children in Fatima) that the Russian Revolution broke out, leading the way to communism. Communism is a reductively atheistic materialist worldview which aims at undermining anything Christian in society. At its essence, communism is an idolatry of man over God, and its atheistic materialist worldview has spread across the planet like a virus.

What about our time? On March 24, 2020, as we were entering the height of the COVID-19 plague's worst devastation, Bishop Strickland of Tyler, Texas, tweeted the following: "People of the world, fall to your knees. Fall to your knees to beg forgiveness of your sins. Stop worshiping yourself, stop worshiping creation, stop worshiping your desires, fall to your knees and worship God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Repent!" Bishop Strickland was among many, including myself, who recognized the biblical and historic connection between idolatry and plagues.

According to paragraph 2113 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, Satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc." What do we revere ahead of God?

So many times, I have pointed to the Pew Research study from August 5, 2019, which revealed that nearly 70% of professed Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence. 70%!!! I recall Bishop Robert Barron being shaken by this, but very few others. Personally, I believed this was a "make or break" moment in which the Church needed to act decisively, or else.

But no, instead, the talk of communion for those in mortal sin, ending celibacy for priests, women as deacons, sodomy no longer being a sin, nature worship, etc. only accelerated in the weeks and months that followed (leading up to October 2019). It became so escalated during this time, that there was even an apparent movement to "normalize" pagan idols being brought into our churches. It was as if you could hear God say, "ENOUGH!"

Okay, so what do we do? My thoughts go to Nineveh and Jonah's warning given to them. What did they do? They repented and even put on sackcloth as an outward sign of their humility before God. Most importantly, and this is repeated throughout the Bible, they put down their idols and made God the highest priority in their lives.

Now is the time for us to be honest with ourselves and ask, "What am I making a priority ahead of God in my life? What are my idols?" We must ramp up our prayer and fasting, particularly for the bishops and priests in our Church to become more and more courageous in their stand against the forces in the world who oppose God and His will. The laity must be courageous too!

Satan and his narcissistic useful idiots are emboldened, maybe as never before. Why? Because we are too busy with our idols to stand up for God and His will. The hope is that the horror of this plague and the shock of unbridled evil from sea to shining sea will bring us to our knees, as a country, as we call out to God seeking His love and His mercy!

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

We love You, Lord! We are so sorry, Lord! Heal our land, Lord!

Prayer of Reparation

My Lord and my God, we have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to not see fulfillment in Your goodness. We have stilled our tongues in the face of evil. We have been too self-involved to notice the damage our sins have wreaked on our neighbor and broken faith with You. We have expected You to be pleased with our duplicitous and selfish hearts. We have, at times, been a source of scandal for those searching through our sinfulness and rebellion to You. In our fear, we have allowed the ancient foe to advance. We turn to You Lord, in our sorrow and guilt, and beg Your forgiveness for our idolatry and lack of sorrow. We beg for the grace of Your goodness to build up within us what You sought to build up in Your apostles in that tempest-tossed boat. We know, Lord, if You will it, it will be done. Trusting in You, we offer our prayer to You who live and reign forever. Amen.

Prayer of Exorcism

Lord God of heaven and earth, in Your power and goodness, You created all things. You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship. By the strength of Your arm and Word of Your mouth, cast from Your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the devil. Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to idolatry and worldliness. Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to Your will. Send Your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of idolatry have planted in Your Church. Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the devil and his hellish legions. Trusting in Your goodness Lord, we know if You will it, it will be done, in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven,
have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son
of the Eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, etc.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy,
Blood of Christ, victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

V. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood.
R. And made us, for our God, a kingdom.

Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Checklist

__ Prayer for Freedom from the Devil
__ Daily reflection and prayers
__ Litany of the day
__ Pray a Rosary
__ Divine Mercy Chaplet
__ Spiritual or corporal work of mercy
__ Fast/abstain (according to level)
__ Exercise (according to level/ability)
__ Refrain from conventional media (only 1 hr. of social)

__ Examination of conscience (confession 1x this week)

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Lailat al Miraj-KIDNEY DAY

Deuteronomy, Chapter 6, Verse 1-2

¹This then is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances, which the Lord, your God, has commanded that you be taught to observe in the land you are about to cross into to possess, ²so that you, that is, you, your child, and your grandchild, may FEAR the Lord, your God, by keeping, as long as you live, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you, and thus have long life.

Those that fear the Lord have a great love for Him. “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15)

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way. But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all. (Col. 3:5-11)

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent[1]

Prayer. MAY heavenly propitiation increase Thy people subject to Thee, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and make them ever servants of Thy commandments.

EPISTLE. Jer. vii. 1-7.

In those days the word of the Lord came to me, saying Stand in the gate of the house of the Lord, and proclaim there this word, and say: Hear ye the word of the Lord, all ye men of Juda, that enter in at these gates, to adore the Lord. Thus, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Make your ways and your doings good: and I will dwell with you in this place. Trust not in lying words, saying: The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, it is the temple of the Lord. For if you will order well your ways, and your doings: if you will execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, and walk not after strange gods to your own hurt, I will dwell with you in this place: in the land which I gave to your fathers from the beginning and forever, saith the Lord Almighty.

GOSPEL. Luke iv. 38-44.

At that time Jesus, rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought Him for her. And standing over her, He commanded the fever, and it left her. And immediately rising, she ministered to them. And when the sun was down, all they that had any sick with divers’ diseases brought them to Him. But He laying His hands on every one of them, healed them. And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them He suffered them not to speak, for they knew that He was Christ. And when it was day, going out He went into a desert place, and the multitudes sought Him, and came unto Him: and they stayed Him that He should not depart from them. To whom He said: To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for therefor am I sent. And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

Lenten Calendar[2]

Read: The Seven Penitential Psalms, Day Three:

(During times when we wish to express repentance, and especially during Lent, it is customary to pray the seven penitential psalms. The penitential designation of these psalms’ dates back to the seventh century. Prayerfully reciting these psalms will help us to recognize our sinfulness, express our sorrow and ask for God’s forgiveness.) Today we will focus on Psalm 38.

Reflect: Read this reflection on Psalm 38—Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner.

Pray: “LORD, do not punish me in your anger, in your wrath do not chastise me!” (Ps 38:2)

Preparing for Battle[3] Know Your Weapons-fasting

When God’s people fast, the power of their prayers is increased, especially when they are engaged in spiritual warfare.

In response to Daniel’s fasting and prayer, God had sent the Archangel Michael to battle a demonic power (called “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”)

If prayer is a spiritual weapon, fasting is the spiritual whetstone on which it is sharpened.

Lailat al Miraj[4]Muslim Holiday

Lailatul Miraj (Arabic: الإسراء والمعراج) commemorates Prophet Muhammad's ascension to heaven. Muslims believe that on this night, an angel came to the Prophet, washed his abdomen with Zamzam water, and filled his heart with wisdom and belief. Then, Muhammad was called by God from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he prayed at the Masjid Al-Aqsa (Jerusalem). From Jerusalem, he ascended to heaven, where he was honored by being allowed to see God directly, visiting the highest levels of heaven, and leading all the past Prophets in prayer, including Joseph, Adam, Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Jesus, and John the Baptist. To get to his destinations, he rode Al-Buraq, a heavenly animal that was smaller than a mule but bigger than a donkey. He was given the gift of prayer by God. When he returned to Mecca, he accurately described a caravan that was headed to Mecca from Jerusalem to show the Quraish that had actually been there. Although the exact date of Laulatul Miraj is unknown, most believe it fell on 27 Rajab.

Lailat al Miraj Facts & Quotes

· Muslims believe that there are several levels in heaven. Muhammad was taken to each one by Angel Gabriel. At each heaven, a gatekeeper asked both the angel and Muhammad to identify themselves before proceeding.

· Muslims believe that Muhammad saw "Al-Bait-al-Mamur" (God's house). Gabriel told Muhammad that every day since the beginning of creation, 70,000 different angels pray there daily.

· Muhammad is also believed to have seen "Sidrat al-Muntaha" (a tree) in the seventh heaven. Its leaves resembled elephant ears, its fruits resembled clay jugs, and from it originated four rivers. Two of them were hidden in heaven, while the other two were made apparent to man in the forms of the Nile and the Euphrates.

· Muslims believe that God had originally assigned fifty daily prayers. Moses, upon hearing about this from Muhammad, is reported to have encouraged Muhammad to negotiate and reduce the number of prayers God assigned, which He graciously reduced to five daily prayers. (Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 4, Book 54, Hadith number 429[6])

· On the night Prophet Muhammad was taken on a night journey two cups, one containing wine and the other milk, were presented to him at Jerusalem. He looked at it and took the cup of milk. Gabriel said, 'Praise be to Allah Who guided you to the right path; if you had taken the cup of wine, your nation would have gone astray.' - Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 69, Number 482 This incidence is used to explain the fact that wine is forbidden to Muslims.

Lailat al Miraj Top Events and Things to Do

· Muslims are actually discouraged from celebrating or fasting on this day because of two reasons: First, the exact date is unknown. Second, there are no real rewards from God for celebrating this day.

· Read the award-winning book, 'The Sealed Nectar'. It is Muhammad's biography and tells of the many events that happened on Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Lailatul Miraaj.

Kidney Day[5]

Kidney Day was first celebrated in 2006 asking the above question – Are Your Kidneys Ok? The idea that there is great need to educate the world about the importance of kidney health, and reduce the impact of kidney disease and other health conditions associated with them, is what pushed the ISN and IFKF to team up and make a difference.

The goal that was established was to raise awareness of what our kidneys do and what can happen when they are not working properly. They strive to teach the risk factors and bring screening to those at risk for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Prevention is the main overall goal by teaching communities how to keep their risk factors as low as possible.

Respectfully, Kidney Day is also about donation. Transplant professionals use the day to educate people on the need for organ donation. This is a decision that if left until the last moment can be difficult and painful for families. But individuals can easily make their wishes known and in the United States can identify this on their identification. These donations can bring the joy of life back to someone who is suffering from kidney disease.

How to celebrate Kidney Day

Across the world, celebrations take different forms, from free screenings to Zumba marathons! Is your community planning an event? Celebrate by attending and learning more! Do you know what your personal risk for Chronic Kidney Disease is? If not, use this reminder to make an appointment to see your physician and find out.

According to worldkidneyday.org, there are 8 golden rules for kidney health.

Keep regular control of your blood sugar. About 50% of people with Diabetes will develop kidney damage. Make sure you are doing all you can to stay in control!
Keep fit and active. Staying active helps in many areas to keep your kidneys healthy as well as promotes positive mood and weight loss.
Eat healthy and keep your weight in check. Making good food choices will go hand in hand with staying active to reduce weight and encourage good health.
Water, water, water! Keeping hydrated is good for your skin as well as your kidneys. Staying hydrated flushes, the toxins out of the kidneys and reduces the chance of kidney stones.
No Smoking! Smoking is bad in many ways, but for the kidneys, the chance of developing cancer in them increases by 50% for smokers.
Stay away from over-the-counter medicine for chronic issues. Many over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen can harm your kidneys if taken regularly. It is ok to take for emergencies, but see a physician if you are having chronic pain for options that will not cause harm.