Survivor of '73

Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ,

I'll start this by extending my hope and prayers that all reading this, will have had a very Merry Christmas and will be blessed with future graces to come in the New Year!

As someone born a year after Roe v. Wade was made legal, I find it necessary to tell you we are all survivors of 1973! Normally, I do not try to use this blog as a platform for political discussion and this will not be a political discussion but a moral one.

We are God's hands. feet, mouths, etc. while we are on earth, we only have one shot while we are here so let's make it worthwhile.

I know if many of us saw the true horrors of abortion on an everyday basis we would do more to help and even though we don't always see this "hidden sin" as we should the effects of it are all around us.

It's in our family members and dear friends who are searching for their soul mates, it's in those who are lonely and need a friend, it's in those who are confused and could not find love so chose to look for it wherever they were accepted. Think about this.

We don't always see the implications our choices have on us or even on the world around us. Take this as an example, think of Hitler. Think of Hitler and all the madness, kaos, and killing that went with him and his ideals. This was death and destruction the world could see and still people chose to ignore it.

In today's society, the effects of abortion are astounding! Look at the loneliness, the confusion, the heartbreak, the illnesses that haven't been cured, the addictions, the abuse. Sure you may look at me for an instant and say, here's another one blaming all of the world's problems on one little political issue.

Well, that's fine, but that's not what I'm doing. These are all symptoms of the sickness that is abortion. This is how it has attacked and destroyed society. Abortion=death. Plain and simple. Death means without life. We are "living" in a culture of death.

Now think about this, many who are for this culture of death are the same people who believe in euthanasia or mercy killing based on quality of life. Quality of life? Is this quality? Is doing whatever you choose to be moral in a culture of death quality of life? So if I choose, I can kill my mother because I do not believe her quality of life is up to par. Well call it euthanasia, abortion or the latest word you want but if you had to explain it to a five-year-old, you would have to keep it simple and tell it like it is, death! So let's do ourselves a favor and look behind the curtain of abortion and take a good look at the destruction it has caused our society. Who are we to think this way? We have made ourselves gods in our own eyes and worship ourselves as the law makers. Where has the virtue of the Fear of the Lord gone? Where has the respect gone?

We who can recognize the truth are here to enlighten the minds and hearts of others and pray, pray, and pray more! God's work is never done.

I write this with urgency not because I am self-righteous or believe my way or the highway, but because I can recognize truth.
Your hearts can all recognize truth as well, it is called your conscience. If your conscience is even in the slightest aware of an offense of God even though you do not recognize it, your conscience does and immediately looks to numbing that voice. Music, Friends, Food, Drink, Drugs, you name it and you will try to numb it. This explains part of society's addiction problem.

See the problem is we've been brain-washed to believe that certain things are okay, or are "normal". This simply is not the case. There will always be a natural law of what is right and wrong and anything outside of this we'll know, this is what makes us human. Just as we know it is not right for others to starve at night while we go to sleep with a full belly, or why some of the rich walk around haughty and never bother to give back to others. These we know are wrong or are off-kilter and society says it is okay to agree with this. However, if we think of abortion, we think it is a woman's choice. Well, as a woman, I'd like to say it is also a woman's choice to have sex or not. As with rape, even though it is not her choice, God has allowed that life to come into the world for a reason. It could be to right the wrong of it's father. You never know, we;ll never know.

Now look at abortion this way, when's the last time you thanked your best friend's mother for having him or her and not aborting them? Think of your life without them. Now think of your spouse, what if their mother never had them or chose to abort? Where would you be today? Who would you be with? Would you be the same? Whether we think about it or not our human relationships can have long-lasting effects on those around us, whether good or bad. Now go and talk with someone who is desperately looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right but instead is opting for someone of the same sex out of desperate need for companionship? Think about it!

Those of you in my generation and beyond have been robbed of spouses, friends, co-workers, doctors, priests, nuns, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, all for the sake of choice and convenience. If someone told me that the man I was supposed to marry was aborted and I would now have to remain alone, I would have been devastated. This choice is no better and no more moral than Hitler's choice of annhilating the Jews. The only difference is we do not have concentration camps, we have clinics. We do not have bodies rotting in the sun, we have bodies rotting in our clinics, trash, and hospitals. There is more convenience because we cannot smell it, we cannot see it, and we do not want to know about it! When we actually see the pictures of an aborted baby we are naturally disgusted and ashamed but still we do nothing! All I ask is you do your part and pray for the aborted babies and those in danger of being aborted and their mothers. Pray that they are given the peace of heart and mind that God wants this child in the world for a reason and it is not their choice to play god and say no. We all have the right to say no, but this does not mean it is the right thing to do.

So for all those who are struggling to find love, friendship, companionship, etc. Tell them, I also am a Survivor of '73 and you and yours are in my prayers.

Last Week of Advent...

Rose, I'd like to thank you personally for inspiring this! A dear friend of mine, Rose, told me about a Poem she read about Our Lady, and the last line simply said: Will You Prepare a Place for Her?

This really got me thinking the last few weeks. I've always tried to prepare a place in my heart as a Tabernacle for Our Lord, but rarely do I contemplate a place for Our Lady, especially as an expectant Mother waiting for the Messiah to be born.

I've really been thinking how can I help our Lady and prepare a place for her before she gives birth? Think about the Inn Keeper not being able to give Joseph and Mary a room but still providing them with the shelter of a stable. And even though it was a stable, Mary and Joseph humbly accepted this as the perfectly warm and dry place to give birth to the Messiah.

So I realized if the Lord can humble Himself to become flesh in a dirty, smelly, stable, then I should not be so proud to think that the humble crumbling Tabernacle that I've prepared for Him in my heart would not be satisfactory for Him and Our Lady.

It's not the material of the Tabernacle or Stable or Room, but the Love in which the place for Our Lady and Our Lord was prepared.

So my Dear Mother and Precious Christ Child, I offer you the cold, dark, lukewarm and warm places of my heart out of love for You and do with them whatever You see fit! Make them into something beautiful to lay before your throne! Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to His people on Earth!

God Love You All!

~Erin

If I could have my Heaven today...

If I could have my Heaven today, I would spend today in silence in Awe of God's creatures.

If I did not have my daily duties to accomplish, I would help and pray for those that need it.

If I weren't so tired, I could get more done for our Lord!

If I were smarter, I could think up new ways to spread God's love and mercy!


But since I do have daily duties to fulfill, and I am tired, and I am not smarter, I guess You will have to take over for me today

God! God says: "You should always let Me lead you, for only I know if tomorrow's duties exist or not. Give until it hurts, work

until your hands bleed, for you are My hands on earth, I speak through your heart and mouth, never doubt My inspirations, for

if they are not from Me, no fruit will they bear. Prepare a place in your heart for me where only I will dwell, everything else

does not matter for it passes away with time and wind. I am the only "I am" constant and secure, place all your trust in Me and

you will be as immovable rocks on the shore. Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today, for tomorrow will happen

but only I know where you will spend your day and night. The time draws nearer every day when I will ask you: Did you see Me

in the crowd? Did you see Me in your struggles, in your friends, in your enemies? Did you feed me, give me drink, clothe me,

shelter me? Did you prepare a place for My Mother? All of these questions and more will be asked of you, do not waste time on

things that do not matter, I have your best interest at heart, even more so than yourself. Ask Me for an increase of virtues,

and I shall grant it, but you must Ask! Now go, and do My Will!"

May God bless and protect us all during this Advent and Christmas Season! Prepare a place for Our Lady and Our Lord! Will

your place be cold, lukewarm, or on fire for His Love? It is our choice!


God love you all!

Erin

Be Not Afraid...Again!

The Lord our Father loves each and every one of us very much! Even if we stray from Him, He wants us to come running back to Him with open arms, hearts, and minds. Those around us may push and spit on us, but what does it matter when Christ is for us? Try to shift the focus from them, to yourself, and then from "me to He". Keeping our eyes focused on God is the only way to make it and persevere until the end. For it does no good to reach the prize if it is thrown away at the last minute! We must persevere until the end! Remember, the road less travelled will be narrow and rocky and maybe not as pretty, but the destination is so much sweeter, Paradise!

It can be compared to being up very high and not looking down, if we look down we become scared. So it is the same in the spiritual life and not dwelling on hurts or injuries caused by others, feel the pain, forgive, and move on. Sometimes the first step in forgiving may be wanting to forgive. The actual forgiveness may come later, but stay with our Lord, our Father, our Lover, our Friend. He knows what will happen to you everyday of your life, and He's still interested to see what happens as if He's watching you for the first time! How awesome!

Pray, Pray, Pray!

Prayer is Hand to Hand combat!

"The best way to fight the devil is by staying close to Christ in Prayer."
"The weapons of our warfare are not of this world, but mighty through God."
2 Col 10:4

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, Have Mercy on us and on the Whole World!

Jesus, Mary, we love You, Save Souls!

Go with Christ,

Erin

St. Therese, God, and our relationship with Him...

Taken from "Archbishop Fulton Sheen's St. Therese:A treasured love story. Ch. 7, St. Therese, God, and our relationship with Him"




Archbisop Fulton Sheen speaking to a crowd in Ireland:

"My Dear Friends, in this meditation I am going to try to describe to you what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be a saint.


First of all, how did Christ come to be on this earth? Well, one day an angel came out from the great white throne of light and came down to a virgin kneeling in prayer and said to her, "Will you give God a human nature?" When she discovered that she was not to lose her virginity to give God a human nature, she agreed. So God then took from this woman a human nature through which He taught us , He governed us, and He sanctified us.

One day, maybe while we were yet infants, we were called by God and asked, "Will you give Me your human nature?" God wishes to continue the Incarnation. As Mary gave Him a human nature, He continues His Incarnation by us giving Him a human nature. Now this had to happen too to the Little Flower. From her earliest memories, she always wanted to be God's. So she always offered to Him her human nature. Now, not every one of us gives our human nature to God in the same way. She gave hers completely and totally.

Let me give you an example of a pencil. A pencil is very supple and flexible in my hand. If I want the pencil to write the word "God" it will write the word "God". It's totally subservient and obedient to my will.

Suppose, however, this pencil had a will of its own. When I wanted to write the word "God", it might write the word "dog". I couldn't do anything with it. And why? Because the pencil would not be completely obedient to my person. And so, not every one of us gives our human nature to God in such a way that He can use it totally and completely. We hold back!

Now suppose that a number of worldly people read this sermon up to this point. Suppose they saw a picture of this young girl who dies at 24 years of age and are struck by- well, certainly- the purity of her expression and a beauty to which one cannot be totally indifferent. What would the worldly person say about anyone giving oneself so completely to Christ that she writes out a wedding invitation?

They would say it's a waste! Think of the good she could have done in the world! Wouldn't she have been a wonderful wife?! Maybe she could have done social work!

That would have been their argument. But remember that, in the divine order, some lives have to be wasted, wasted from the worldly point of view.

Take, for example, Mary of Bethany. Our Lord was seated at the table in the house of Simon the leper and Pharisee for a banquet to celebrate Jesus' raising her brother Lazarus from the dead. Her sister Martha served the meal. Mary now enters with a jar of costly perfume made from genuine aromatic nard.

She stand over the feet of our Lord. She breaks the vessel of precious ointment. It was a custom very often among Jews to break a vessel of precious ointment over a dead body and then through the remains of glass into the coffin with the body. Well, she breaks this vessel of precious over the feet of our Lord, Jesus, and Judas who was there, sats, "Why all this waste? It could have been sold for 300 denarrii and given to the poor."

Our Lord immediately came to the defense of that waste, saying, "Leave her alone." And because Our Lord was within 10 days of the crucifixion, he added, "She done it for My burial."

In other words, there are certain things in life that we waste; we are seemingly prodigal about them. The Little Flower was that way about her own life, just as this pious woman, Mary, was prodigal about giving the precious perfume.

You see, gold that is hoarded makes one a miser. Knowledge that is selfishly possessed makes one proud. Flesh that is too cared for turns into lust. It is the things that are spent, wasted for God's sake that become remembered through history.

Now I often go out for a walk and I will say to the good Lord, "All right, now use me." Well, He does use me, and it costs me a lot of money generally, but He uses me. I'll run into people who need it badly or someone who is sick. But we have to offer ourselves as pencils. Let Him write poetry. Let Him write prose. Let Him scribble. What difference does it make? This is happiness!


Thank you Servant of God Fulton Sheen for your God-given wisdom!

Now, will you offer yourself as a pencil for our Lord today? Let Him use you as He sees fit!
God bless and protect you!
~Erin

On Bearing with the Defects of Others...

Taken from : The Imitation of Christ , Book 1, Chapter 16, pg. 36-38


There will always be defects in ourselves or others in which we cannot correct. These we must simply tolerate until God in His goodness sees fit to change things. After all, this may be the best possible way to prove our patience, without which our good qualities are not worth much.

Nevertheless, you must pray earnestly that God in His mercy will help you to bear these impediments with patience.

2. If once or twice you have warned someone and that person does not comply, do not contend further with such a one, but leave all in the hands of God, that His will be done and that He be glorified in all His servants, for He knows well how to turn evil into good.

Learn how to be patient in enduring the faults of others, remembering that you yourself have many which others have put up with. If you cannot make yourself be what you would like, how can you expect others to be as you would like? We wish to see perfection in others, but do not correct our own faults.

3.We want to have others strictly reprimanded for their offenses, but we will not be reprimanded ourselves. We are inclined to think the other person has too much liberty, we ourselves will not put up with any restraint. There must be rules for everyone else, but we must be given free rein. It is seldom that we consider our neighbor equally with ourselves.

If everyone was perfect, what would we have to endure for the love of God?

4. God wills us to learn to bear one another's burdens. No one is without faults, no one without a cross, no one self-sufficient and no one wise enough all alone. Therefore, we must support, comfort and assist one another, instructing and admonishing one another in all charity.

Adversity is the best test of virtue. The occasions of sin do not weaken anyone; on the contrary, they show the person's true worth.


Some advice from St. Therese:

To remain little is to recognize our nothingness. To expect everything from the good God and not to be too much afflicted about our faults, for little children
fall often but are too small to hurt themselves.

Christ's Peace be with you!
~Erin

Carrying your Cross, by Mother Luisita

A Letter From Mother Luisita About
Carrying Your Cross


My dear child,

In this life we shouldn't live without a cross. It is true that wherever we go we will find the cross. And woe to us if it were not so. God our Lord sends us whatever sufferings are beneficial to us so that we may be purified and practice virtue. How could we practice patience if the opportunity to be patient never presented itself? And it is the same with the other virtues. How can we enrich our souls if we never practice any virtue? According to the love that God has for us and the place He's destined in heaven for us, He provides us with the means to beautify our souls. Oh, my child, let us love the cross! Let's embrace it and see it as the proof of the love of a crucified God.

Our Lord Himself will be your reward. You will see what a prize He has prepared for you in exchange for your efforts in your work and for so many things that one suffers in this world. Wherever we are, we find Calvary and we learn how hard it is to go up that hill, but after we reach the summit, we possess heaven.

Forward, my child. Suffer with joy whatever the good Lord sends you. That's a very good thing to do. But don't suffer and complain. No. Not that. God our Lord loves you very much and awaits your little victories with affection. Don't expect to acquire sanctity in any other way than by conquering yourself and by doing little things which will enable your soul to attain the necessary strength to endure greater troubles.

It doesn't matter if we are trampled upon, if it becomes a means of raising ourselves up closer to God, and once elevated to God, may we remain that way. We have to be strong and valiant with ourselves and not let suffering get the best of us. All pain is transitory, and as Our Holy Mother Saint Teresa tells us, any pain that is not eternal, is no pain at all.

Sometimes it seems as if the crosses are falling from every angle and, indeed, life can seem a long martyrdom. It's not a matter of dying. Rather, it is a matter of living with contradictions and difficulties. Sometimes heaven itself will turn into bronze, but let nothing disturb you and nothing frighten you.

We grieve when Divine Providence uses the hammer and chisel to polish our souls, turning them into precious stones worthy to enter the building of the heavenly Jerusalem. Suffer, then, and wait. Pray and expect. Whenever we feel tired or exhausted, without strength and longing for a moment of rest...it is a great consolation to be able to say, My troubles resemble those of my Savior.

My child, don't worry. Rather, thank God infinitely for choosing you to follow Him in this manner. Let's praise Him in everything because all that happens is for our own good. Try to fulfill your duties the best way you can and do them for God alone.

If you examine the lives of the saints, you'll discover that there is no way to heaven except the road covered with thorns. At every step they pinch us and make us bleed. Let us bless our good God in every circumstance in our lives, and, smiling, let us look up toward heaven.

- Mother Luisita


Mother Luisita was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II and founded the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles during the religious persecution in Mexico.

The Letter

Dear friend,

How are you? I just had to send a note to tell you how much I care about you.

I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends. I waited all day hoping you would want to talk with me too.

I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you and I waited. You never came. It hurt me! But still I love you

because I am your friend.

I saw you sleeping last night and longed to touch your brow so I spilled moonlight upon your face. Again I waited, and wanted to

rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you. You awoke and rushed off to work. My tears were in the rain.

If you would only listen to me! I love you! I try to tell you in the blue skies and the quiet green grass. I whisper it in the leaves on

the trees and breathe it in colors of flowers, shout it to you in mountain streams, give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you

with sunshine and perfume the air the nature scents. My love for you is deeper than the oceans, and bigger than the biggest

need in your heart!

Ask Me! Talk to me! Please don't forget me! I have so much to share with you! I won't hassle you any further. It is your decision.

I have chosen you and I still wait.

I love you. Your friend,
Jesus

Taken from a prayer card called *The Letter