The New World Order Begins at Home

It is interesting to think about the presidential race which is upon us shortly, and the fact that we are called, as laypersons in the Church, and working in the world, to exercise our right to vote in a responsible and dutiful manner. Moreover, as responsible citizens we must work toward our goals in whichever ways and means their undertakings present themselves to us.

As a Catholic, the job of choosing a candidate can seem perplexing, yet we still will need to choose to responsibly fulfill our duty, unless by a special circumstance we are to pardon ourselves or to be pardoned from it. Perhaps some, very few, of us feel the need to protest or to call attention to underlying facts which make the real truth of ugly methods more available to the concerned crowds. For most of us, voting is a necessary obligation and we are not really supposed to renege on our duty to do it, since upbuilding the world to the best of our ability, with all due consideration of what we have to work for, is tantamount to celebrating the virtue of religion in the world and in politics. Without this concordance of grace and effort, nothing but eventual annihilation could be achieved within the rank and file of government.

When friends come together to discuss politics, there will be issues which will incite some but which bore others. Personal preference, for the Catholic, should be abolished in favor of a return to a higher standard of morality, in which will reside a plenitude of grace for our country, for our children and grandchildren.

Issues, then, are measured by weight and means. For the moral, upright person to get free reign into the system, there needs to be a community of believers who stand by and support his confidences. Anarchy among masses of Christian believers will result in failure to achieve growth and stature where it counts most.

For many, there is division among mainstream believers. One philosophy holds sway over another, one man meets standards another falls short on. All fall short. We are looking for effective leadership roles, not saints. The value placed on money management cannot take absolute priority over morality, which, for God's sake, must come first.

If we actually weighed moral aptitudes of right and wrong perceived by any particular person, we would often find that one's ideas get bumpy--they are not consistent in the end. People do speak one way, then another, and then action is taken in a third route. This does not only stand for candidates. This depicts the common voter too. The adage comes to light though: "Mean what you say and say what you mean." Laypeople, just as politicians, too often make convictions only to set them aside so naturally when they no longer serve well in a particular instance.

Since man is fickle, we find that it is most important that solid morality becomes the basis of what defines a free country, a country in which human freedom truly is given capacity to flourish, since without capacity, freedom becomes an impossibility in terms of construction. Morality is a definitive term. An amoral, or morally neutral stance, on serious issues, when being given a warm bed, would produce a culture of immorality. The morality defined in our own country is based upon the Judeo-Christian ethic, which is given in fulfillment of what was, through the course of ages, an ongoing revelation, but beginning with Moses, had become more concrete, through the instruction given and the commandments. The refinement and fulfillment of morality was achieved through our Lord Jesus Christ, and developed in accord with the Spirit of God through His Church. Therein lies the vast domain of what constituted the beginnings of Western civilization, marked by its greatness and still on its journey. This moral quest, which is often distorted, overblown, or underrated, then, could never be obliterated from the use of society without destroying society altogether.

The United States of America, built in a spirit of grandeur, conceived in a spirit of moral goodness and exactitude, is on detour. She cannot move forward when tangled in the web. She must stop, reflect, and untangle each thin strand to escape the knot she is tying herself into. It is then that she'll have the capacity to move forward in her greatness and in the company of her world companions once more. In getting out of the tangled web, she must look firstly to the methods employed here in her own domain which are taking her under. The underpinning of problems here and abroad, no matter what the spectrum of homemaking entails, must begin with that appraisal of housekeeping duties and discharges.

The absolute moral necessity of ending abortion must be addressed with depth as it could most easily be declared to depict genocidal killing, which is condemned explicitly in the Catechism, and which has been revealed, through the light which passes over time, to be of a discriminatory origin.

Innocent human life, which begins at fertilization in the mother's fallopian tube, is most and equally vulnerable to the vulnerability of developing human life in the mother's womb. At fertilization, one man or woman has come into existence. That newly conceived man or woman carries with him or her the ability of the human race to continue on through the ages and just as importantly, to communicate gifts and services which ripple out into the entire global community. This most new individual-community member, through abortion, is stripped of what is meant to be a destiny with a simple scalpel blade. One's own family member is junked forever as trash. The human race is altered, and its spirit is weakened. Man's unique effort to search out and kill what lies hidden and alive, in a dark, warm resting place, has proven itself as wicked as our nation tries to escape from responsibility and yet alarmingly spins into a downward spiral. For no other reason but convenience and indifference, this unique person, who no other person could represent on this earth, must die due to a need for a base false security. It shames us to bear it so easily, to conflate it so blindly, and to bemoan it so acceptingly.

When we look to the measurement of crime in our midst, especially integral legalized crime which must be ended, it is advantageous for the whole world that those in any given community discard fear and stand up to address legal genocide, murder, and other unjust killing. To begin, we start with the most odious crimes which are also closest to us in degree of family and community. Atrocities, which begin in a given place but which ripple out into the world, then, can be observed, measured, and weighed in three ways:

• By the natural and real innocence of the victims

• By the potential or real impact upon locality, region, and/or country in terms of consequential demographic shift, referring here to genocidal killing which reaps persons for elimination according to a primary status or a stage of the community-individual, whether through age, color, race, ethnicity, nationality, religious belief, physical traits, sex, and whether in chronological tone over time across a given area or in a single unit of time across a given area.

• By subsequent deplored acts of violence and immorality which observably and statistically show to spring from a particular legal genocide and are related to it.

In those very same degrees of precedent, through empirical evidence based upon said morality, inside of that permanent jurisdiction which has been called to freedom, laws protecting human life, through a constitutional or sweeping design, will restrict bureaucracy, and cause the nation to eventually flourish, in the end, after the bare truth of what America has done and is doing in secret becomes exposed through a more perfect morality.

While true that the problems throughout the world are large and varied, and could be parsed to expose a vicissitude of pattern and behavior, still much of what is perceived as polarizing encompass the frontal sins dealing with human sexuality and violence. Therefore, again, morality is the key to allowing a healthy free market to flourish, since an incapacity is naturally created through an augmented delay of freedom to operate effectively. With the value in law of abortion as becoming illegal, it is not a case of ending something but a case of beginning a New World Order created in service to humanity, and ultimately to God Himself. Yes, it is time to set fear aside, and begin on a new course, one which looks to neighborly help, and individual rights for each and every conceived human being.

Once abortion is ended, it will be more clear where value lies in addressing needs and problems for the American people. Demographics will shift toward a more natural outcome, and lineage will increase, thereby giving the elderly, who are now to be at a stage which pertains to a certain period of rest once again, the comfortable haven in their retirement years. The economy will naturally grow as there is an increase of production in available natural resources, farming, factories, and businesses. Collective efforts among specific groups of a new pro-life population will give way to better and more varied methods of ecological reform, embraced because they work for the actual good of humanity. The world will increase in population, as well as in wealth, culture, and refinement.

The Lord Giveth, and the Lord Taketh Away

Once upon a time my five young children and I had set out to buy a kiddie pool for the back yard, so that on those hot summer days which we were experiencing, little bodies could jump in to cool water and have some time for diversion. The pool that I would find instead, however, was a pool of God's mercy for my life, and a more perfect ability to trust in Him for my daily bread.

I had met and become associated with another woman who was getting into middle age, who was a bit older than myself, but still within my age range. She and her husband had a large family of children. She was intelligent and likable, rather charming. She had lots of ideas, and was eager to follow through on much of what she declared, able to have a certain amount of success in making her own dreams come true. We had had lots of friendly visits. I enjoyed her contagious deep-dimpled smile and had gleaned much from her adept knowledge in a wide range of areas.

One sunny afternoon while the kids played, we had been discussing the how to's of managing a family on a budget, how to pay off all the bills, and then to move forward into the future in a way by which one's materially based dreams would come true. She had spoken of her opportunity to have come by some advice from a lady who wrote a newsletter which taught a person to be so very frugal that one could pay off one's dream house over a rather short duration of time, and have everything else besides, all by just noticing how to scrimp and save properly in the little ways, such as buying all toys at rummage sales or re-using disposable vacuum cleaner bags. Our conversation, of course, was beneficial even if it was only laughter and chatter, since we both enjoyed the discourse, but on this particular day, something had come across me. Call it wishful thinking or call it pride, but I became determined to become like the lady spoken about, the one with the dream home on a budget.

Something within me must have needed to die, I realized later, as I found myself wanting this very much, through the few details which she had given to me. Swiftly I had declared to myself that I must know better how to scrimp and save. I would need to hang onto this incessant conviction that each and every move would be for the dream our family was looking to the future to behold, those material items wished for and a large bank account. I would be shrewd, and eventually rich, all from declaring from that day forward, and living it, that I would now buy and use responsibly. This responsible attitude would save me thousands, and I would, through my own will of power and positive thinking bring about wealth in our home, which would be my much deserved reward.

The Lord dealt with me quickly and swiftly. Here is the account of my first trip out with my new "will to power" attitude:

My first task, after conviction, was to go out and buy a kiddie swimming pool for the back yard as cheaply as possible, since that was the first "necessity" which came up on my "cheap" list, as we were getting into summer time. We were able to go to the lake now and then, and the kids were learning to swim at the local pool, but a kiddie pool would bring a diversion to the kids on those heated afternoons, and we could enjoy the back yard more, which had now donned only a simple swing set for them. To ascertain a price, I recalled that a few months before I had noticed that there were some of those cheap plastic pools being advertised for about $12 dollars. So I set my price. I would refuse to go over that price. The kids and I set out in the mini van on a warm afternoon. It would be a quick trip, and then we could come home and all enjoy a sunny afternoon.

I recall distinctly that it was on my husband's and my anniversary. It was more than a dozen years that we were married. I had planned to stop at the store to buy something special for dinner, as it was in the middle of the week, and we could not go out dining, as he got home too late. When at the grocery store, I decided to go ahead and splurge on the seafood and wine though, because I knew my husband would like this on our special day, and I didn't want to disappoint him for dinner. Still more so then, I thought that I must make up for the cost by selecting the cheapest pool I could find, since costs for the day were already getting high, and it was my job to "save" us into a salary.

After purchasing the food, I drove, then, on this hot summer day, with the kids in the car, cramped and sweating in the heat despite the air conditioning, from store, to store, to store, to store, looking for that one cheap kiddie pool. The average pool was $25, to my annoyance. I had already made up my mind on what to spend, and the store price and my price did not match up. However, I could not back down, I thought, or I would never be able to achieve this new dream which I had come up with. I was determined to find the cheapest pool in town. This attitude hinged on my own will to power through a newly found positive conviction, and my own will to believe I was entitled to the pool I wished myself to have. As for the kids, I temporarily forgot all about what their real needs were about. Now their kiddie pool had become more about me than them.

Pulling up in front of Rite Aid, into one of the perpendicular slots which normally sit in front of their stores, I sighed, looked around, and found myself sorely disappointed at what I was seeing. Their pools were sitting right out in front of the building, under a sign which said $25 dollars. I would not buy it, as I would keep obsessing, in my mind, about my new conviction. I then watched as a man ran across hurriedly in front of my car to his van. I put my vehicle in reverse, backing out.

That was when we all felt the lurch, the bump. I had hit something. The man in the van to my left and I both got out of our vehicles. There he was, that same man who had just run across in front of my car when it was turned on and running, ready to back out. Ugh! I couldn't believe that he could get into his van and back out that quickly, and that we could hit each other. I was already backing out when he was still walking...or so I thought.

Both vehicles were, to my observance, backed into each other, both backed at each other at an angle to turn toward opposite directions. He declared the accident to be my fault, and said he was going to call the police.

I looked at the man. He appeared to be of middle age, but on the younger side of it. He was dark skinned and even featured, maybe mostly African American by race. Although he had a confident and polite demeanor and a well groomed appearance, he laid out the disturbing news. He told me that he had five kids and simply could not afford to pay for the damage.

I looked at his van. It was quite old but obviously well maintained despite its lack of luster and style. There was a big dent on the back right rear side.

Then I looked at my car, quite new and shiny. The back light was broken out and there was a very small ugly dent which was bearing metal. I immediately felt remorse for what I had helped to cause both of us in damages. He made it clear then, that he was calling the police, declaring that it was my fault. I was not sure if it was all my fault...the thought of insurance and premiums and deductibles made me sick for this moment...the thought of the police, the weight of a cycle of negative expectations augmented for me the misery which was laying itself out for a course ahead.

Just then, something like magic seemed to happen. I looked around in my nervousness, and there, yonder across the smoothly paved highway of parking lots, a large overhead sign caught my eye, and seemed to be calling to me. It said, "Nick's Auto Body". A collapsed spirit immediately was given renewed breath within me. "I know," I said to the man, pointing at the auto body shop, "Let's go over to there and see what they can do for repairs."

For a second he was reluctant. "You'll take off on me. You'll drive away," he said. I gave him my license. This quelled his fears, and he reacted with a "what the heck, I'll go for it" attitude. We jumped in our vehicles, the five kids and I in my hunter green mini van, and he, alone, in his fairly large, reddish van. We drove smoothly across the parking lots and came to the site of the auto body shop. Stepping out of our vehicles, and standing together for a moment, assessing what to do, we immediately encountered a man there on the spot, who had noticed us handily. We waited as the man said that he would go and get Nick himself, who would be with us shortly to help us. The man with the van and I were cordial, as if both of us personally had hopeful expectations for a resolve to this petty vehicle mishap.

Anticipating Nick, as we did there together in the parking area--my kids still in the car but hanging out windows--one might automatically have expected to see a middle aged, graying man called Nick coming toward us to approach us about the damage. It was an amusing surprise when Nick emerged out of the somewhat usual dilapidated looking auto body center. By his casual dress alone, he looked like he could have been making Hollywood movies and millions. I guessed, though, that he wasn't aware of this sort of missed opportunity. Young and extremely handsome, with fabulous hair, full red lips, a well sculpted nose and pensive eyes, Nick gave us a warm greeting. He asked us what he could do for us in his thick Eastern European accent which I recall to have been Russian.

The man with the van, whose name I never learned, began to converse with Nick. He explained exactly what he wanted done. He seemed to be accustomed to a knowledge of body work, and pointed out details of what he desired in the repair of the vehicle's body. Nick was agreeable as they discussed briefly back and forth. It had been discussed that I was to pay for it.

Nick turned around to face me, ready to make a deal.

"It will be $200.00," he said patiently in his straight business tone.

Gasping a bit, I yelled out in response, "...$175!"

Nick had observed my car full of kids carefully, but now he looked straight at me and gave what I would describe as a long, drawn out, dull, and very blank stare. Looking straight back at Nick, I couldn't quite guess what his reverie was indicating, but so was I simultaneously and unabashedly trying hard to make expressive, happy, exaggerated smiles at Nick, thinking that it would cheer him into reducing the price by $25, which I wanted to desperately save. It was no longer a matter of spending $25.00. All I wanted was to save a measly $25.00. Yes, I wanted to only save $25, which I could maybe spend on a pool for the kids!

The ever-long moment of silence, the tiny, minute eternity soon broke, and Nick, shifting positions, ever-so-slightly smirked with a friendly, heartfelt nod. He said he'd do it for $175.00.

My reaction, ironically, was that I felt defeated. "Oh shoot," I thought, "I should have tried to lower it to $150.00." But then I saw how reality was dealing with me, that I had to pay there and then. I was able to let go, to accept the pain of what had been caused by my careless acts. I stepped over to the car to get my checkbook, and scribbled out a check for Nick with my own smirk.

The three of us stood there then, in our conference circle, and the pleasantness of the afternoon, through the warm breeze and the bright sun, seemed to surround all of us, together, in our contentment. It was a brilliant moment. We were all happy with what we could get from the standards we had originally set, in a peaceful way. For a moment I felt the kindling of a friendship with the two others, one which I would remember always.

I turned back over to the car. With all the windows open and the breeze blowing, the kids were more impatiently hanging out to get a breath of cooler air. Now I must get home, as the expensive sea food had rolled out of the bag in its wrapper. It was surely getting warm and starting to spoil.

Nick looked at the back end of my mini van as I was getting ready to leave. "What will you do with your vehicle dent?" He asked in his thick accent.

"Ah, probably just let it rot," I answered jokingly with a laugh. I got into the car, and I drove away, leaving Nick and the man in the van to fold up the rest of the loose ends themselves.

The kids were now all buckled in their seat belts, happy to cool off with the air conditioning blowing hard upon their overheated little bodies. Driving along, I surely hoped the fixing of the other guy's van would all pan out well. My name and address were on the check, so surely, all must have gone well, as there was no other notice ever received. I made note, as I drove along, that the $12.00 swimming pool would cost about $250.00 after fixing my own back light, and that was 10 times the original price of a standard pool. But life would go on.

Hours later, as the sun was finding its way on a downward trek in the heat of a hot summer's day, my husband and I were able to have a nice anniversary dinner out on the back patio. I felt thankful, that evening, for such little favors as peacefulness and friendship that day, as well as a nice, simple outdoor dinner to commemorate our wedding anniversary after a long day's work. As to the vehicle, we figured we could order a piece of the back light, and buy a small patch up bottle of paint to cover the bare metal. That would have to suffice, and actually, it did.

Fair market value has its reasons, as does saving, as does frugality, as does the need to spend. Spending and saving wisely are certainly virtues, but as for the conviction about that darned prideful scrimping, it went out the car window on that hot afternoon, as we drove home in the hot sun without a pool, spoiling sea food, kids that were overheated, and a check balance of nearly $200 less and nothing to show for it but a dent in the back. I was now beginning to learn that all important lesson, that we are to trust in God and not in ourselves, that prudence bears with it discernment in many considerations, and that what we strive to do on our own, without prayerful and recollected consideration based on the Spirit of God, may very well, sooner or later, bring about the exact opposite results of what we have set out to accomplish.

As for the scrimping lady with the dream house, who re-used disposable vacuum cleaner bags (mine burst open when I tried it) I learned something too. I learned that the gifts and charisms of my neighbor are not necessarily mine too.

It is now all a delightful memory, and its valuable lesson in my earlier years was well worth the small price I actually paid.

Shepherds Rejoice in God Their Savior

On Christmas Eve, our Lord was born in a manger. What could have been more fitting for the birth of the Son of God? Mary, our mother, knew it's beauty as she pondered "in her heart" and it was she who related years later the incidents surrounding Christ's birth to those who finally recorded it. We have been given the written testimony which first came from the mother of the Son of God in the Nativity Story recorded in Gospel accounts.

No riches could suffice, no imposed prestige could honor, no insurance could guard, no equipment could procure. Our Lord is God. It is the greatest paradox, then, that all that could be Willed by God Almighty is for the Son of God to be born in the most humble poverty.

Shepherds Rejoice in God Their Savior

There in a manger in a barn,
Lay the Christ Child in his loveliness
Ubiquitous in his omnipotence
Flesh caressed in the solitude of emptiness

Out on the fields in the dark
Stood the shepherds on the berm's bright height
Forlorn in the coolness of a gentle breeze,
Overcome in the soft grip of Peace and Light

Afar from the sky's great dome
Appeared one angel to address those in fear
About the joy of their faith in The Promise
Uttered through ages of prophecy so dear

Spoke, did a Multitude from Heaven
Sang to the earth of God and humanity
What sin could not forbid in His charity
That Gift which produces effect in eternity

Angels took them by surprise
Onward they traveled to their destination
Looking for the doorpost of the Firstborn
Arriving discreetly in the Final Revelation

The pure Virgin Mother welcomed
The Blessed strangers from the dark in delight
Who met at the doorpost with staff in hand
In conviction the wanderers arrived safely that night

Shepherds saw Thine heavenly reward
The wraps showing only His Hallowed Face
Through the womb of a Virgin He came to be Flesh
For the good of mankind, King, in the Order of grace.

Merry Christmas and may God bless!

The Spouse of the Holy Spirit is Mother

We spoke earlier about our friend, confidante, and mother, Mary. Since Advent begins its ascent toward Christmas firstly through Mary, who is the Woman spoken about in Genesis (Genesis 3:15) in a more succinct interpretation, let us again review and learn our Faith for the honor and glory of God, who established Mary into His plan from the beginning of humanity and its fall.

The Church has proclaimed, simply and brilliantly, four dogmas about the Woman, Mary:

• The Immaculate Conception of Mary
• Mary's Perpetual Virginity
• Her title, God-bearer, known in the Latin rite as Mother of God
• Her Bodily Assumption into Heaven at the end of her earthly life

All of these dogmas have been put forth emphatically for clarity in Church teaching about Mary and must be believed and proclaimed as Truth by all Catholics. In other words, we do not get to decide for ourselves about these Truths, and though many in the Church do not hold to them, these articles of Faith must be believed by those Catholics who are united to the universal Church. Private parish leadership ideas which part from Church teaching cannot be tolerated as an acceptable stance. The Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic, causing simultaneously both the division and the peace spoken of by Christ in the Gospels, and this division and peace needs to be fine tuned, it needs to be in keeping with His Will in the confines of His Grace, not according to our personal biases. Dogma fine tunes our belief system.

Dogmas are not ideas or private revelation, but direct channels of grace to belief. They are not subject to opinion, and they will not change, but only develop. They spring from the infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit through the constancy of Church teaching in their essence, as all articles of Faith are from the Apostles, from Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, Truths are defined dogmatically through the spoken censor of Councils, and seldom, but yet authoritatively, through the mouths of Popes who sit as in the Chair of Peter in their declaration of Truth. These means are the channels of grace in which we receive the full and enlightened public revelation from Christ's Church, sometimes making a doctrine or the the development of it to seem to be on par with new revelation itself. Yes, this happens in the case of dogma. It might seem to the untrained ear that a new proclamation has been issued, when what has actually transpired is that existing doctrine has been made clear through a proclamation, because popular misconceptions and false ideas surrounding the issue at hand have spread.

So although to some in their fear and nakedness it might seem that they have been tricked into new ideas by the devil, or that historians know better, clearly their understanding is misunderstanding, as development of doctrine and proclamation of dogma must spring from its seed, which is already there in Truth through the de facto circumstances of Christ and through the command of the Word of God, both now revealed in Gospel acclamation. Anything new, which is not within the unfolding of the dogmatic Truth, but which is added in, or anything old which is taken away, constitutes heresy. As an unborn babe in the womb, all development must be within the seed kernel from the very beginning. We look to the Gospels, and there we read in Matthew 13:31,

He proposed still another parable: "The reign of God is like a mustard seed which someone took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest seed of all, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes so big a shrub that the birds of the sky come and build their nests in its branches."

It can be re-emphasized then, that dogma about Mary, containing the seed from the beginning, can be likened to a growing mustard seed, as can the Church herself. It's substantive formation was there from the start in circumstances surrounding Christ and through the command of the Word of God.  It is not the same as "private revelation" like Marian apparitions, for instance. Apparitions concerning Mary--and those I'm speaking of here are the ones which are held to be worthy of belief through Church authority--are not required to be believed to be in good standing with the Faith, although the Church certainly encourages belief in those which have been deemed as worthy. Yet, the desire to believe or not to believe in apparitions does not hold true about dogmatic instruction, which must be believed and accepted in order to attain the ability to enter in fully to Christ's salvific plan for us. Belief on single dogmatic issues, then, is required for the fullness of doctrinal Faith and the fruitfulness of subsequent works of Faith. Finally, it is of immense value in the order of the Salvation of the Just.



In the Catechism we read:

At once virgin and mother, Mary is the symbol and the most perfect realization of the Church: "the Church indeed...by receiving the word of God in faith becomes herself a mother. By preaching and Baptism she brings forth sons, who are conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of God, to a new and immortal life. She herself is a virgin, who keeps in its entirety and purity the faith she pledged to her spouse." (CCC paragraph 307, with quote from Lumen Gentium.)

The insight to Marian dogma gives to us the testament about where our Faith begins in its entirety. Jesus Christ is the central focus of all history. Immediately before Him is His own human mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who offers her flesh for the Sacrifice and Salvation of the world, and after Him has come the institution of Mother Church, made up of the human believers who hope to be divinized in His Kingdom, offering through the Sacrifice His Flesh, now taken into their own, for the Salvation of the world. The consummation of this Divine Flesh comes through Him, with Him, and in Him for the Salvation of the world, but shared through our own works and sacrifices, within our own humanity and flesh as Church, and through our Mother, Mary.

Both mothers, Holy Mary and Holy Church, share allegorically as one in the order of Salvation through Christ, and yet they are both distinct and real. Both can be called the Mother of all the Living, as was she, Eve, our first mother in the natural sense, and yet, both partake in the Divine Event. And so we see that in a profound way, our value of Mary speaks of our trust in her perfect intercession as does our value of Church speak of our trust in her perfect intercession, as our initial cause toward Salvation through Jesus Christ, Son of God. Both Mary and the Church establish the grounding for the keystone and the opening to the gates of Salvation through Christ, for all who enter, whether perfectly in belief or not.

Some Four Dogmas of Mary and Then Some Zany Criticism of Zany Critics

Mary Reached Perfection Through Grace and Cooperation

Looking through the Catechism, we see that in the Eastern tradition, as stated in paragraph 493, our Lady is called "the All-Holy" and that she is celebrated as "free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature." After acknowledging this universal belief about Mary, it goes on to state precisely,

"By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long" (CCC 492).

Furthermore, over the course of time, Mary as "Mother of God" is a title which relates to her from the Gospels themselves. In paragraph 495, we read:

Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord." In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). (CCC 495).

With Mary, some of the titles bearing her name are antiphons which speak of her mesmerizingly lovely nature, given by God and still, within her heart, kept in perfect fidelity to Him. They teach us to hear and obey the Word of God, in His plan, as did His mother, like no other, as an antiphon response to Him, joining with her in the way she lived her life. We look to Mary, and we chant in verse and response, first from the Gospel Word, the inspiration from the Holy Spirit which is spoken, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus," and then with earthly response we add for ourselves, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." If we need her prayers immediately in a single instance, we might look upon her as one of God's verses given to us for Redemption and Salvation, and then respond back to Him, glorifying Him through her, as we say, "Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." It is then as if we all, Our Heavenly Father, Our Lord Jesus Christ, our mother Mary, and ourselves, are together in verse and response, speaking of the beauty of what God has done for us! Our method of verse and response to Mary and through her is ever fitting, as she was adorned with grace as was no other creature who ever lived, and she brought to us, through the plan of the Heavenly Father, His only begotten Son. This exultation given by God so befits the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, as He who is truly God and man is to be adored and glorified above every name and creature alike. So then, to this most glorious and unfathomable plan, we form choirs, as do the angels, and we sing of the Divine marvels on this earth.


Throughout the ages the Church has made explicit and implicit doctrinal decisions which--like other issues of theology concerning Christ, Angels, Saints, the Church, and so on--have needed clarification. Over the course of time, it has been established dogmatically that Mary was the Perpetual Virgin, that she is to be called the Mother of God, that Mary was Immaculate, conceived without original sin, and that she was Assumed into Heaven. These four areas of recognition are known as the four dogmas of Mary. Furthermore, through understanding and writings of profound theological study, and through definitions given by the Church in documents and encyclicals, we find that Mary is to be venerated in an exulted way, above the other Saints and Angels who are also in Heaven.

As we have learned through an unfolding in erudition, Mary, by the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, through a prevention by the Almighty of that original sin which she too would have been destined to inherit, needed also the salvific power of her Son for the curse of Adam and Eve, as she too is a member of their long extended family. Yet Mary, fashioned by God with special care for the announcement of Salvation, was given that singular grace called the Immaculate Conception. Known completely to Himself in the purpose of His plan, He has allowed it to unfold to humanity over time with an ever more transparent view, making her charm even more delightful and her sweetness even more savory to those who have trusted in her intercession. As awe-inspiring as the whole affair of her Immaculate Conception is, we must always remember that this great privilege did not come without great cost, which she accepted in complete fidelity and cooperation. She cooperated perfectly, then, never turning to sinfulness, which, through her God-given free will, she could have done, in a likeness to Eve. Because she did not sin in her incomprehensible spiritual suffering, she bore the weight for others in a perfect offering with her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. No other person has done this.

In the vein of what merit has asked of each person, who is saved by Jesus Christ's dying on the cross, we are taught by Mother Church that we too carry our own crosses according to the grace and privileges granted to us, to atone for our own sins and those of others. We are able to call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ now, but more perfectly when we enter into Life, when each of us has reached, finally-- after our own suffering and purification--that perfection which is cherished by God.

The Fear of Her Critics: Lack of Perceived Achievement?

The doctrinal matter which is being spoken about here, her freedom from sin, and her maternal motherhood which rests in the words "Mother of God" conflict with a view of unworthiness in her person to those who hold her in contempt, who are many more than should be comprehensible. The great suffering and spiritual pain which she endured in seeing her Divine Son crucified is also implicitly denied and then forgotten--a perplexing antidote to real love by those who profess Love. There is antipathy for her submissive behavior to God's Will, as faults of hers are sought out in Gospel accounts and even found. For instance, when she is waiting outside of a place where her Son is preaching, and asking for Jesus (Mark 3:31-35), there is delight by those who hold an aversion to her that Jesus turned his back on her, which He purposely seems to have done throughout the Gospels in various circumstances, but in a manner which could be described as "just barely". This is a mystery to ponder, and we should remember that He preached that renouncing family and property for the sake of the Kingdom was in the Divine plan(Matthew 19:27-29). In addition, it is worth noting and quirky that one should not notice that it is psychologically healthy for a young man to turn away from his mother. Jesus was acting out nature's way as a man who was mature and ready to immerse himself into His mission, who was responsible enough to turn his back on His nurturer even though he loved her immensely and honored her with perfection. His mother, now, must take second place to Him. This was all Good.

As for the Blessed Mother, she is daringly despised for doing everything as she should have done, with the defense of Scriptures as her witness. As a consequence to the disparaging clatter, of the overt criticism of those who hold her in contempt, and even to Catholics themselves, the Virgin is less recognized and accepted, in keeping with the popular piety of the time, although, hopefully this attitude will wane as theology gives more reasons for one to Hope in her prayer and intercession.

Perhaps she epitomizes our weak human condition: things did not go well for her at all times. The unspoken gist seems to be that she made some mistakes; and Joseph too made some mistakes.

From a quizzical point of view, the Holy Family becomes disconcerted. The most important Event of all time seems to take place before Mary is actually ready, and Joseph is confused about how to handle the affair at hand. This could not be through fault, and yet, sinful human nature will somehow cause them to deserve it, through misgivings and blindness due to hardness of heart. After getting their living arrangements straightened out, they seem to have blundered again. Perhaps they end up having the baby in a manger only because they weren't thinking ahead. Then they are directed to flee the country, due to a dream, because they had not anticipated their circumstances, due to human ignorance, and the Baby would be killed, already at such a young age, without Divine intervention! Perhaps it is held against them that they do not have the ambition, drive, or ability to become rich and powerful, which would be a way of making Jesus' popularity more plausible to His listeners in later years.

Many prefer to despise this sort of person who has constant trials and tribulations, setbacks and hardships. We all want someone sleek and rich to show us success; we want the recalcitrant ally to counter the foes we would like to bring down. People want to correct things in a way which is unattainable, to bring normalcy to circumstances impossible without God, or to simply deny truths which need to be admitted and then prayed about fervently. With our Mother, Mary, we cannot deny her suffering, think up excuses for what we don't like about the way her life fell together, arbitrarily decide about the circumstances of possible other children on a whim, or pore over the New Testament for a matter of time, and then in a gush of pride, feel disdain at her lack of worldly notoriety, and her lack of zealous, screaming appeal to the flock. We cannot make her sinful too, either, by making her a merely normal sinner like us, since this does not indicate who she is. Humility is grounded in a well-rounded truth first, and then that truth is analyzed for understanding. Mary has been hidden as mystery, and this is part of the beauty of God's wonderful plan for her and us.

As Mother of God, and without questioning human circumstances permitted by God, we need to look beyond her earthly temporal situation at a glance, and see the marvelous mystery in the Handmaid of the Lord. Whatever she did, it works as poetry for those who meditate on her life with Jesus and Joseph, and later, with the Apostles. It works well, despite the callous hardships that God permitted should befall her. And at no time did she forsake her Creator by showing a preference to herself. This then, is the show of her humility, the model of Faith which we look for in Mary, that in all things, her heart was beating for God, that Immaculate Heart which is blasphemed by many today.

Yes, as for Mother Mary, we should be venerating her in glorious fashion as do the Saints and Angels in heaven who see her as God's greatest--and only--emblem of the sublime paradox, the perfect purity of Perpetual Virginity and the most fruitful bearing of Divine Motherhood in the person of the Woman, both in her own person and as Mother of the People of God. This incomprehensible mystery, and the others, linked directly to her Son, Jesus Christ, speaks of who she is, relative to Him. Details in the Gospel account bring to light mysteries pertaining to her to be pondered in love, rather than providing for a few bulletined facts of a few sparse occurrences given in a zany critical commentary about whether or not God loved Mary more or less than He loved us.

The Beauty of the Ceremony Emphasizes the Value of the Sacrament of Matrimony

On November 12, 2011, we celebrated with joy the marriage of our daughter, Maria, who wed Simon in a beautiful ceremony in Seattle. The wedding was quite grand and showy, with violins and a choir, with the exquisite singing of the psalms, and in general, the singing throughout the whole Mass. Along with that, the bridesmaids, in their lavish berry colored, long and full-skirted dresses, the groomsmen dressed in black tuxedos with white shirts and wine-colored vests, and the adorable flower girl and ring bearer, with the mini bride and groom apparel, gave way to pageantry and pomp for this festive and solemn occasion. The reception afterwards highlighted the celebration of their new life which was just beginning, together. While we know that the fanfare is not a necessity for a true and valid marriage, so too do we know that it speaks of the very importance of marriage.

When Maria and Simon had only begun to date, but after they had known each other as friends for some time, they had been in a tragic motorcycle accident, and Simon had lost his lower leg and foot to that event. Maria had suffered abrasions all over her body, was experiencing a concussion, and was induced into a coma for her healing. The doctors and nurses called it "extremely lucky" that not one of her bones had been broken or crushed, as she had been thrown from the motorcycle onto hard ground.

When first seeing her, we were overcome with grief. She was swollen up, bloody, and bruised. Although she looked to be flirting with death, we were told that she had fared well in the accident and that we should be very thankful. For Simon, on the other hand, one might have guessed the accident to be somewhat innocuous seeing him smiling on the hospitable bed, and yet, inside the cast lay a leg without a foot. Much of his hardship, pain, and suffering would have to be endured at a later time, and of course, throughout life.

Many friends and family called on them, and we all felt the warmth of love surrounding us through this ordeal. As time went on, so did Maria's recovery, and Simon's ability to use his prosthesis effectively. He recovered so well that within about a year he was able to run in a relay marathon. Along with their healing then, their interest in beginning a new life together grew strong too. Thus came the engagement for six or seven months, and then the wedding ceremony in the setting of a beautiful nuptial Mass.

In spite of hardships then, they were able to have their triumph, in that God saved them too from the dire moments that they experienced, and brought them toward the fruitfulness which He in His omnipotence desires of them. Now, after the initial "wild ride" as the priest explained it, they will be on another journey with even more grand and perilous moments. May our Lord bless them abundantly! He continued, in his sermon, to scrutinize love. He made it clear that when love feels to be out of season, then love is a decision, a choice, hence, it is still love. Love, in the end,is not a feeling but a choice, and of course, it is this way in the beginning too.

For me, the whole affair was most joyful and prayerful, full of the beauty and awe which encapsulates the worship of God and the honoring of the institution of Holy Matrimony. While marriage has been around since the beginning of humankind, since Adam and Eve, flesh of each other's flesh, and bone of each other's bones, were given the command to multiply and fill the earth in the garden, this particular marriage was blessed by God in His Holy Catholic Church, and that blessing is my prayer for all those who find themselves outside of the enthronement of this purposeful Sacrament. Christ instituted marriage as a Sacrament, making it the image of God's love for His Church, His People. The family, as we are taught, is the domestic Church.

In the same way that Maria and Simon lay the bouquet at the feet of the statue of Mary, to pray for her blessing, I too pray that they shall always find room in their hearts for the Mother of the Son of God to enter into their home to teach love, and to bring to them the Peace of Christmas, our Lord Jesus Christ. With each child, and over the many years, may their love and fidelity be shared in ever more abundance.


Our family photo at the wedding of Simon and Maria

To Enter In, We Move Toward Eternal Life

To enter into the spiritual realm, one must escape from harm's way by finding and proceeding through the door. To enter in, one must find that narrow way, submission and docility to the Holy Spirit. "But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!" (Matthew 7:14).

Often, on the journey of life, we become lost. Sometimes our lost path is brief, and we get back on track. Yet, we know that for some, the loss of knowing the footsteps of the path can go on for many years, even a hefty amount of a lifetime.The further away one wanders from the path of Life, the more desolate will the spiritual gain be. And yet, mercifully, through the Sacrament of Penance, our Lord will allow one to make a full turn back --with wings-- in His powerful and efficacious Grace.

Just as we cannot love both God and mammon with complete fervor, neither can we eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree and expect the spiritual comfort which the Holy Spirit brings after acts which defile us. With God, there is Love and Mercy, of course, and yet, we must reach upon high to strive for the path that brings Life. In this, mystery manifests itself, that apart from God we can do nothing for Him or in Him. His favors are upon us according to His own Wisdom, and according to our desire for Him as God Alone in our lives.

So we strive toward God, toward our Lord Jesus, the Lamb, or we run away from Him, and yet, in Grace, through the prayers of many good people, through the forgiving hands of the priest, through our own efforts to survive spiritually, through the greatest Thanksgiving privilege, the Mass, we shall come to know our Creator and Redeemer, our strength, and we shall be able to give back to Him what He wants from us. Firstly, though, we must enter through the narrow gate that leads to Life.

The physical presence of the Sacraments in our lives are what eventually call us to a decisive determination. They call us home, provided that we do not abuse their use, which may consequently bring God's holy and omnipotent Judgment upon us, for forsaking Him for honor and prestige, which doesn't count with Him. With the physical presence of the power of God in our lives, we turn to Him Alone. We must spiritually, with our beings, our hearts, and minds, proceed to enter in ourselves, too.

To enter into the narrow door: Here is the key by which we ourselves find the favors of Our Lord awaiting us. We enter in and He, in His great Love and Mercy, showers us with His gifts, His virtues, His fruits. To enter in, we must, in the most dire moments, when we would give ourselves over to pride and sin, resist, and submit to the encounter before us as God's gift of suffering to us. At this moment we will find His grace there waiting for us. The rocky road will become a shower of Hope, one that eventually leads to the abundant harvest for which we all yearn.

In the darkest moments, He will give us the greatest Hope, His Divine Will, His Living Hope, His spiritual consolation, Love, and finally, at the end of life, Salvation. Upon entering in, on that great Day, we shall exclaim with all the Saints of Heaven, as the Holy Bride, the Church does, now adorned for Communion:

"Alleluia!

The Lord is king,

our God, the Almighty!

Let us rejoice and be glad, and give him glory!

For this is the wedding day of the Lamb,

his bride has prepared herself for the wedding,

She has been given a dress to wear

made of the finest linen, brilliant white" (Revelation 19:6-8).

The Joyful Offering in the Solemn Moment

When the day came to purify them according to the law of Moses, the couple brought him up to Jerusalem so that he could be presented to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every first-born male shall be consecrated to the Lord" (Luke 2: 22-24).

When trying to cope with the stresses of life, there is a safe haven in which we enter into the realm of Jesus Christ. The fourth joyful mystery of the Rosary, The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, is a most profound example of God's Joy, and the avenue to contentment and understanding of God's way.

Imagine Mary, His mother, and Joseph, who is both her husband and the Babe's earthly father, stepping into the presence of the man, holy Simeon. In the midst of the four of them, contemplating the Christ child in awe, along comes the old lady, Anna, who joins the group. This small group, awaiting in the temple, perceive clearly the earthly grief and heavenly joy which awaits the family of the Child, and the Child Himself. We might recognize that for an instant all stand in silence, in smiles, in anticipation of the moment for which the Savior of the world was born. The beginning of that moment is this moment for them: it is the Presentation of the Child to the Heavenly Father, so that He might begin, in a formal way, His mission on this earth. Yes, as a Babe in arms, He begins His mission.

Let us contemplate: It is Joseph, the most chaste spouse of Mary who stands beside her as she holds the Christ Child in her arms. Joseph stands solemnly there, holding not the Lamb, but two turtledoves, according to the custom. Together, they will present the Lamb, Jesus Christ, to God the Father. He will do so in the regular Jewish fashion. As the father of the household, he will present the two turtle doves, in line with the status and circumstances of which they are a part, as a family of personal holiness who give adherence to the rituals which could not be fully understood, but which were practiced in faith and love.

This man, having been chosen for the greatest fatherly role on earth, is fully charitable and profoundly humble. Being given such an honor and privilege does not force him into prideful thoughts and statements. He withholds...does not seek attention for himself at this historical moment, even though the event which he beholds as head of the household seems to justify such a course. There is no public speech nor argument about who the Christ Child is from his own perspective; he presents the Child in a way which opens up the hearts of others to give light for the world concerning the Savior. Not in words, but in each act, is the sign of the perfection of St. Joseph.

Yet it is Mary, the Woman, now, who really offers the Lamb, her Child who is the fullness and the richness of the whole universe, in a tiny bundle. On behalf of her People, who had been promised the Savior, and on behalf of the whole human race, the descendants of Adam, as only a sweet little Jewish mother could do, she offers her Son to the Father for His purpose. But in her there is abundance as in no other. She, as the Woman chosen by God, presents the Lamb with true and complete meaning, here hidden away from the world in the present moment, and opened up later for viewing through the ages, for all to treasure in the joy and restlessness of their hearts.

Perhaps Joseph, the earthly father of the Only Son, who feels secure in His confidence, his filial trust of the Father in Heaven, also feels helpless in the moment, looking ahead, knowing that he will give this infant over to the entire world, and that he will not be able to rescue the Christ child from wolves on the prowl. His great protection and strength will be a cover for this child for a short time only. His gaze is solemn, his heart heavy, his love great, and his joy complete as he comprehends with a certain knowing, a perception of a suffering Christ. Still, he envisions that the Christ holds the world in His hands. In the midst of this solemnity, surely, our Patron St. Joseph feels awe and wonder which results in that greatest supernatural joy, a peace of heart; and still, a suffering spirit ensues.

With Mary, young and lovely, Mother of the Christ child, the Love of the Father permeates her heart at that moment. She is written into the image of the Son of God upon whom she looks, who she beholds in her own human heredity traits. His image is magnified in her own spirit, that unique spiritual endowment, that singular Gift which she had been given by the Father. Her spirit rejoices in her Savior, the Savior of the world who would be sent to her for motherly care and nourishment.

Anna, a marvelous old lady...Who would have been more deserving than she? She had lived night and day in anticipation. She did not just happen to be around the temple area when He was brought. She was given her reward after years of fasting and praying, a rarity of faith and love for all ages she was. As Prophetess, she appeared, through the Will of God, so that she might enter into the Kingdom of Jesus for a brief moment on this earth, before passing away at her death as a devout Jewess. She loved her People, her Faith, her God, and she so desired the bountiful harvest which the Messiah would bring. It was not a matter of knowing all for this Prophetess, it was a matter of believing in all that He would speak and do, even before He had done so.

Holy Simeon: Let us never forget His faithful words,

"Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace; you have fulfilled your word. For my eyes have witnessed your saving deed displayed for all the peoples to see: A revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel."

Are there more beautiful words which a servant could speak? Furthermore, these words are infinitely beautiful, as they are akin to a depth and length which embrace all humanity. His works could only be spoken in that small increment of time. Some of the greatest words of gratitude ever spoken, then, appear in the smallest frame of time, over a small Baby in arms, once, in a small group of believers! If we search our hearts, two thousand years later, we see that the smallness makes the essence of the moment distinct. Holy Simeon was speaking, was evangelizing to the generations upon generations of humanity over the millenia. He was speaking of God's saving Work to us, who have required the Witness of the Faith in order to succeed in our own trials, hardships, works, joys, and sufferings. His words have given Hope to humanity. There, in the stillness of the temple area, Holy Simeon spoke to the world as a horn, and so much more, He had only raised his tired eyes to God, speaking to Him alone.

As we go on, we see the grief which he prophesied, the division which would cut into the People he so loved, the Jewish People, and still, we know the message of Hope for Israel:

"This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed-and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword--so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare" (Luke 2:34-35).

He turned to Mary with great love and already, a devotion: this Mother of the Living would be pierced. It could not be another way. Her People would be divided, and she herself must bear the pain along with her Son. The anticipation of that Day must have brought, for a moment, grief and heaviness, as St. Joseph stood beside her, feeling heartbreak then too, and still in the presence of God, certainly, he felt assured for his wonderful young Family, knowing that Love would triumph. For Mary, this was her reward for the great gift she had been given, and she would know that it could not be any other way. She was Mother, and her mission too, must begin.

In joy He was presented, but this Joy was supernatural, a result of the grief in their hearts which gave way to the gratitude in knowing that God Saves us. The wages of sin could not be wiped away painlessly and still, we see the great Love in their hearts for their own People, who though Loved deeply by the Father, would be torn at this time of great privilege to them. In the magnificent faith of this small group, we see the abiding Hope which they shared in looking ahead to the tragic moments, knowing that the Baby's mission would be one of heartbreak and turmoil. In their constancy, they embraced the Will of the Father, offering the Babe in sighs.

Years later, Simeon, Anna, and the beloved foster-father of Jesus would all have passed on with those other Jewish Greats--Prophets, Kings, Teachers of the Law, parents, and children, who quietly passed away from earth as the Jews of devout Faith, having revered God, passing the Faith down through their persons, in public and in the intimacy of their own homes. As for the small group of Greats here on this day, it would be in keeping with the Grace of the Almighty, for His own Just purposes, that the least, those in this small group, would be among the greatest citizens in the household of God.

Most of the small group would not be there then, as Jesus Christ was lifted up high on the Cross, as the culmination of an Offering entirely complete, and ultimately, so painful. They would not be allowed the interior bloodshed, the forsaken spirit that Mary felt in the human flesh during the Sacrifice on Calvary. She alone, from this group, would labor to give birth to the newness in singular fashion. She felt the pain as new wine was poured into new wine skins, leaving the old behind, but she knew in her agony the sweetness she would forever cherish as the earthly suffering gave way to the new age of Salvation in Christ, as she herself would become the Mother of all the Living.