Sandy, Was that You?

Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus
Beautiful!

Yesterday, Thursday evening, I was listening to an afternoon call in show on EWTN.  A woman named "Sandy" called in and asked the host, I believe it was a priest, and asked:  "Why does your church teach that Mary was sinless?  Doesn't that make her equal to God?"  The absurdity of the question reminded me of a woman on a Catholic debate forum I participate on.  She'd ask questions just as thoughtless.  Like the Sandy I knew on the forum, the Sandy on EWTN had already made up her mind that that was what the Church taught.  It was clear she had no interest in being confused by facts.

The EWTN host tried to explain to Sandy what the Church teaches about the Blessed Virgin Mary and her sinlessness.  He tried to tell her that Mary's sinlessness was a gift from God so that she, as a spotless vessel, could carry God in her womb.  As an example, the host tried to use Adam and Eve as an example.  "Adam and Eve were created sinless before the Fall.  That did not make them equal to God.  They were creatures."  Sandy insisted that because Mary was born after Adam and Eve, our teaching that Mary was sinless was making Mary equal to God. 

St. Anne carrying the Immaculate Mary

As the host tried to show how the comparison between Adam and Eve's sinlessness before the Fall, and Mary's before the conception of our Savior, Sandy talked over him.  She said, "Well, your church is wrong.  She is not equal to God."  It was quite obvious that her mind was made up and she had no intention of having it changed--by fact or any explanation.

After Sandy hung up, the host asked her to call back, saying, "I'd love to discuss it with you, and I promise I won't hang up on you."  Of course, she didn't call back.

St. Mary's sinlessness is a teaching that has everything to do with our Lord Jesus Christ, very little to do with Mary herself.  St. Mary is, as Sandy and her ilk like to put it, "just" a woman.  However, to deny that she was a special woman is to deny the specialness of the Incarnation.  Can God enter what is unclean?  [Of course not]  Can God know ahead of "time" what a person's reaction/answer/reply to His calling is?  [Of course He can--He is God after all.  He created "time"; time does not rule His actions]  God gave St. Mary the gift of an Immaculate Conception [a clean soul, free of Original Sin at her conception] precisely because she would say "YES" to God's calling her to be the mother of the Incarnate Son [God became Flesh--John chapter one].  She was not sinless by her own power.  The Church has never taught that.  All virtues, all gifts, all favors, in fact, anything done in and through St. Mary were by, for, and point to her Son--Who IS God.  Period.

I still pray that Sandy's mind, which seems to be shut tighter than a sprung bear trap, will be open to the true Gospel and the true Savior, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Someday, just maybe, she will be open to becoming part of the Body of Christ.

Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day a Success

It was a success here in Midwest City, Oklahoma!!  The line went around the back of the building at one point.  There was a steady stream of visitors the whole hour or so we were there.  There were cars down the block for the drive through.  Our Chick-Fil-A is in the same complex as a large strip mall, so many people parked in the lot across the street and walked over to avoid the drive through traffic.

Picture taken by Piers Donahue (age 16)
on his i-Pod 8/1/12 in front of Chick-Fil-A,
Midwest City, Oklahoma.

Chick-Fil-A Song by Tim Hawkins

This made me LOL out loud!  (Monk fans will know this reference)  I had to share it!
Don't forget to support Chick-Fil-A today (Buycott)!

The Odyssey

Our odyssey began last Monday.  My daughter woke up with a great deal of pain in her right ankle.  I didn't think much of it.  Kids get mysterious aches and pains; they go away.  Tuesday she thought the pain was subsiding and I thought that I was right in thinking it was nothing.  However, her pain increased again later in the day and she got a fever.  Then I worried.

I got an appointment at the medical clinic Wednesday morning--a miracle itself.  The doctor ran blood tests and had an x-ray taken.  She didn't see anything in the labs at that time and nothing on the x-ray.  So, she sent us home with the diagnosis of a possible sprain and said the fever was probably just coincidental.  I treated her pain with Motrin and her fever with Tylenol (no, not at the same time).  Her pain and periodic fevers continued on Thursday and I tried not to worry about it.

Then comes Friday...the doctor called our house.  She asked if we could bring my daughter in for more tests.  They took more blood, because the culture they had taken on Wed. showed staph in her blood.  We also had to go to another clinic for an MRI.  The doctor still wasn't sure that it was anything serious.  So, we get a call about 4pm.  The doctor told us to take her to the Children's Hospital.  She had significant swelling inside her leg.  At this point my daughter's leg was so painful she could not even walk on it.  She was checked into the hospital Friday about 5pm.  We've been here ever since.  She's had another x-ray, her blood drawn four times, an IV put in Friday to receive her IV anti-biotics and now had a central line put in today. 

We will be going home tomorrow--a full week in the hospital.  I've spent every day here and rather neglected the boys.  It is wonderful that she has such a great big brother.  He's had to take care of two of his siblings and two dogs all week.  One sibling is at camp, so that is somewhat of a relief.  He's done a great job.  The house actually looks pretty good.  I just hope I can convey to my sons how proud I am that they behaved, got along, fed the dogs, and took care of each other. 

I want to send a thank you out there to all my friends and family that prayed for Clare.  Our odyssey isn't quite over, she has weeks of IV anti-biotic therapy ahead, but our hospital stay comes to an end tomorrow. 

Thank you to Desiree, RN, Deb, RN, Dr. J. Davis, Dr. Knapp, Dr. Davis, Elizabeth, Lindsey, RN, Brittani, Yen, Dr. Balan, and all the other nurses, nurse assistants, and doctors who were so kind and gentle with Clare.  I appreciate all that you do but I hope not to see you again very soon.  God bless you all.  

Fortnight for Freedom, cont.

Prayer for Religious Liberty

"O God Our Creator,
from Your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as Your people and given us the right and the duty to worship You, the only true God, and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through the power and working of Your Holy Spirit, You call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society.

"We ask You to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of Your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

"Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all Your sons and daughters gathered in Your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome--for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us--this great land will always be "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ Our Lord.

Amen"

June 28---

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."  2 Cor. 3:17

"Lord Jesus, Divine Martyr of Calvary,
the Passionist Martyrs of Daimiel generously sacrificed their lives in order that Thy universal Kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love, and peace, become a reality upon earth.  Through the merits of their sacrifice, united to Thine upon the Cross, grant that we may work untiringly for the coming of Thy Kingdom of salvation in the entire world, living as brothers and forgiving one another.  Through the intercession of these Thy martyrs, grant us also the particular grace we humbly implore for Thy glory and the good of our souls. 
Amen."

Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War
From July 18, 1936 to April 1, 1937, no fewer than 6,832 priests and religious, both men and women, were killed for the Faith.  Of the martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, ten were canonized in 1999, and there have been over 500 beatifications.

John Dickinson, signer of the U.S. Constitution

"[Governments] could not give the rights essential to happiness...We claim them from a higher source:  from the King of kings, and the Lord of all the earth."

Fortnight for Freedom, June 21-July 4, cont

Prayer for Religious Liberty

"O God Our Creator,
from Your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as Your people and given us the right and the duty to worship You, the only true God, and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through the power and working of Your Holy Spirit, You call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society.

"We ask You to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of Your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

"Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all Your sons and daughters gathered in Your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome--for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us--this great land will always be "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ Our Lord.

Amen"

June 26---

"When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors He will send them a savior and defender, and He will rescue them."Isaiah 19:20

Peace be to all who have bad or troubled will;

and may an end be put to all anger and all talk of chastisement and vengeance. For these mock all norms and principles; they are beyond all limits of human understanding, and there are many who suffer needlessly.

Pray for those who persecute us, and for all wrongful women and men, that they may gain the courage and strength of those who long for peace, that one day the good would count and not the bad.

O Blessed Martyred Sisters of Compiegne, pray for us and help us grow in courage and fortitude!

Amen

Knights of Columbus Martyrs of Mexico
The 1920s brought a revolution to Mexico, along with the widespread persecution of Catholics. 
Missionaries were expelled from the country, Catholic seminaries and schools were closed, and the Church  was forbidden to own property.  Priests and laymen were told to denounce Jesus and their faith in public; if they refused, they faced not just punishment but torture and death.

Patrick Henry, Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity and freedom of worship here."

Goodbye, Ryan

I don't know how many of you out there watch "Master Chef", but season three has been very exciting.  I cannot express in words how happy I am that Ryan left the show tonight.  Happy, happy, happy.  I'm rooting for Christine or Monti, maybe even Anna.  But, Ryan was an immature, snotty, unemployed immature (did I say that already?) nut who needs to get off his butt and get a job already.  Goodbye, Ryan.  Best Wishes.  I will pray that you get a job.