Faith, War and Peace

My thoughts this Advent this Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe and also the Day of St. Jane Francis from text of Ephesians 4:4-10,14-16 and Luke 2:13&14 NRSV
Ephesians 4:14a We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about
 With these words St. Paul gave his spiritual children in Ephesus a directive that is just as true now as it was 2000 years ago. Only then they believed Christ would come again soon and we have lost the faith that we will see Him in the clouds to end the mayhem that is in the World today. Before Christ came into the World as the Babe of Mary only a few believed their Messiah would be found to give them Hope and Peace. Today all persons are in a spiritual battle with the powers of the all evil one.
Many have said organized religion causes war. Certainly in the history of western civilization and Christendom there seems a pre-eminence of war fought in the name of religion. It really does pallor in the face of the wars and genocides fought in the name of socialism in particular; Asian and African conflicts, especially ethnic and cultural in origin: not to mention the Holocaust, the European slaughter of innocents. This seems to me to only be one of the devils horns aimed at the Church today.
The other horn to wrestle with is that of the greed so prevalent in North American countries. While the United States is blamed for being the predominant cause of the collapse of the capitalistic empire itself; Canada has had just as much greed as a Common Wealth, NATO and G7 nation. I get the Virtue of Selfishness but just because God has blessed us in Canada with every material blessing does not mean we cannot bless others in the Christian Way who do not have as much as we do.
This is the way to peace. This is true religion: it does not cause war, it brings about peace. This is the reason for the season of Advent and the true meaning of Christmas. This is why Christ came into the World in the first place. And Jesus said that when upon return will there be Faith found in the world?
So if your world seems helter-skelter; there are wars, or even just a bit hectic in the Christmas rush remember
Luke 2:13&14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those he favours!”
– and then you won’t fear the end of your little world or His return.
 

funny Christmas poem

I’m afraid the Judaic Christian tradition of angels and demons is almost lost of the European and Western minds. Sprites and elves, science and medicine both have failed to give way to a firm belief in your angel or your demon and have replaced them. I try to embrace the Church’s tradition unlike the liberals, however feel in no danger of rejecting it when indulging in some fiction:
 St. Nicholas’ cousin was a humorous elf
 The product of the same lab which produce the St.
 Sean was his contemporary of little fame
 But be careful when with the same brush you try to paint

 Sean too was a Christmas elf
 He too seemed to travel time
 Certainly Sean was a generous soul
 No end to his shenanigans – it consumes my rhyme

 If we should attempt a Christmas tree
 To place our cards, gifts, and presents under
 Decorations lost, broken, so prevented
 Till his cousin brought one from yonder

 Tags got changed and cards in wrong envelopes
 Would leave one and all dissatisfied with things
 Unless the St. restored the order
 To remind us of the joy Christmas brings

 We can’t blame Sean for burning the turkey
 That was done by Auntie Lu
 But had he not unhooked her rug
 She might have had the mind not to do

 Sean did give the canned heat to the beggar child
 But then we couldn’t keep the gravy warm
 No; opened the window: let out the smoke of burnt fowl
 Sending in the wasp swarm

 Sean the elf always thought to light a candle
 But not to keep from it used gift wrap
 He had Fr. Pat bless his baby Jesus
 But in Fr.’s manger tied his cat with a strap

 You’d say Sean was the life of the party
 First to get there and last to go
 But like his fellow time traveller
 It seemed just the opposite, was he there, we didn’t know
 

a poem for Hallowe'en, and All Saints, past, All Souls, and American Thanksgiving Days

Three Realms

Besides the World divided in realms of two
That of Evil and of Good
You find the Church of Christ amongst three
The gates of Hell shall not prevail ‘tis true
Against her and her motherhood
And with St. Peter you find intrusted the key

The Church Suffering is in Purgatory
Your beloved uncle with Christ some day
Now just sleeps in the Lord of life
He needs our prayers still in misery
Have you but one Hail Mary to say
And with the saints he’ll give up the strife

For once perfected is the Church Triumphant
Alive with the Angels in Heave
Are the Saints of the Lamb of Mary
For them we must give thanks jubilant
As they do for their Bridegroom them did save
Your saintly grandma guardian patron the whole company

Surrounded by this cloud of witnesses on Earth
Risen to battle is the Church Militant
Combatting Evil by being the Good
So give thanks the right man sends us forth
On our side Lord Sabaoth victoriant
Give thanks for others rest in God care and food

This view may seem overly simplistic
The Worlds split in two the Church in three
Yet Jesus puts us in a state of peace
We give thanks also for this grace fantastic
Give thanks for the Good passed into eternity
They pray for us we for them a thanksgiving day for heavenly repast

The Narrow Door

John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”
 Sometimes one verse gives a person much consternation. When one focuses on a particular passage of scripture, one can develop a slanted theology. Isn’t God merciful and loving? Wasn’t Christ against the religious fundamentalists of the day? Didn’t the Lord come to save sinners? Surely Jesus wasn’t saying that if you’re not worthily taking Holy Communion in a Catholic church you can’t go to heaven? But even in the context of this verse, particularly verses 50-60, you can’t help but get the idea that though this was a hard teaching of Jesus it is necessary. So the Eucharistic tradition of the Church: Christ is really present as the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the bread and wine is not to be ignored. Reject Jesus in the Pascal Sacrifice and you are turning your back on God. It is a Sacrament; It is given by Christ in person to the disciples who passed It on to us.
 The whole sixth chapter is a particularly hectic day of the Lord. It starts off that so many people are listening to Jesus, logistics to feed them leave the disciples at a loss. But the Lord multiplies bread in order to feed five thousand, with some leftover. That night was very stormy and Jesus actually walked on water to reach the disciples boat to ensure a safe crossing of the sea. However, especially from verse twenty-two until the end of the chapter, fifty verses in all, despite the protests of the disciples and desertion of many, Christ seems unwavering in this groundwork for the institution of the Bread of Angels at the Last Supper.
 Today is the Feast Day of St. Teresa of Avila, also known as St. Teresa of Jesus. The Carmelites of her day, like the rest of the Catholic Church of that time, were very lax. Unlike the Protestant Reformers who denied the Real Presence at Mass and left the church, Teresa worked within her Order to bring about reform. Teresa faced much opposition from them. She courageously succeeded in strengthening the Faith and called all to a new time of holiness. Any time we want to say there are many ways to God, let us remember that we must go through the narrow door. 

Canadian Thanksgiving day poem

One Day; How Much Time Left:
One day we’ll know – Who loved us more!
One day we’ll see, the Christ coming in the clouds.
One day we’ll all know – Lordy loved us most of all.
One day we shall be seen, In the light of that love.
We all are found wanting; We’ll all know
When we were missing the mark.
One day we will know: What went on, what went wrong.
One day the Savior will return!
How much time is there left, Before we see God – face to face.
Don’t you ask yourself, how much time left?
Don’t you want to put everything right?;
Before Jesus puts it all right – Forever.
How much time do you have left?
And, how much time? – Before the end of time?
In your youth everything takes forever.
Do you ask yourself How much time left? Now I’m old see -
Mark 14:62
Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'"

Short Prayers from our dream vacation to LGV, BC

A Morning Prayer
Thank you Jesus for a nice night. Thanks Holy Spirit for a good night’s sleep. Thank you Father this morning for a new day.
We praise you anew Holy Trinity in faith, hope, and love to supply all our needs this day. May we adore you Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar until you call us to Heave.
Bless our thoughts, actions, words and feelings today and may we cherish time spent with you.
Our daily Bread, bless our breakfast and us in thy service.
Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us. Immaculate Heart of Mary pray for us. St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse, guard us. Amen.
A Nighttime Prayer
 Now at daylights end we turn to you again. As the nighttime begins renew our courage and our strength.
 Forgive us please any wrong and we shall forgive our neighbour. Then if the night lends a song be it one of thou our Hope to savour.
 We kept in faith today your promise. Love of friend or foe, love, or sinner. Keep us safe and from all demise so the world may know with you we are winners. Amen.
Grace
 Thanks for: this food, for our measure of health, for the cross; and a share in you suffering. Thanks for family and friends, for fun and respite from labour. Thanks for your consolation, for your rest and peace and your presence. Thank you God: for your grace, goodness and mercy; for our spiritual growth. Amen.

And I would like to add how thankful I am for the healing of L'Arche Greater Vancouver, Brithish Columbia and the chance to visit our daughter there. How blessed we are to be able to afford jet, sky train, bus and taxi travel when most of the world is marginally capable as pedestrians.

A poem from Labour Day weekend.

Spiritual Pride
What’s the big idea?
My Saviour said to me.
I want to be a mover
And a shaker!
You want to be holy?
Is that necessary?
May the Lord’s face
Always shine on me.
I did not always seek
The loving Father’s face.
I no longer could face God.
A prodigal in disgrace.
Where are you my wayward son?
Why not give it one last try?
Like so many in denial,
Numb to the hunger inside;
Every time I face temptations:
I was full of spiritual pride,
I don’t need more merciful grace,
Who needs spiritual food?
The Holy Spirit spot lit my heart.
And I begin to see my need.
“Do not hunger and thirst
For that which does not satisfy.
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked.
In as much as you’ve done it
Unto the least of these,
You’ve done it unto me.
Humble yourself!
Take up your cross.
Follow me.