Fr Stan Fortuna-Raggae na Veia… Do you love me

Safety “When The Coyote Comes”

With all the turmoil going on in our world these days, disasters in various places, wars, famine, and in our own country the tension and distress of our people for various reasons, it seems our foundation is being shaken mightily. Will our foundation hold? Are we people of God or are we stiff-necked people choosing to “make our own way”!

Some of us are like dogs “barking” in the night, sounding the alarm to wake up, reach out to the Light, the Good Shepherd who is Jesus! Some only want to “close the blinds”, trying to hide from the night and all it holds, thinking they have no need of the Good Shepherd, no need of safety within the sheepfold. They see, they hear but choose go their own way. Others sleep through the night upon their laurels, deaf, blind and uninterested in any danger that may lurk close by. Still others “dance in the night”, knowing of the danger and yet choose to continue their frolicking on the edge, thinking themselves invincible until the enemy is so close they can almost feel his breath upon their necks! It is at that moment they flee. Some won’t make it home.

If not for our God, our Lord and Savior, where would we be? Of whom shall we go except into the arms of our faithful Shepherd! His sheep hear His voice and follow Him! We can be at peace amongst turmoil knowing that we are of His flock, the sheep of His pasture and He will guard us against the enemy, the wolf (coyote)!

John 10:7-18

So Jesus spoke to them again:

‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them, I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; this is because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. And there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and these I have to lead as well. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, and one shepherd. The Father loves me because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will, and as it is in my power to lay it down, so it is in my power to take it up again; and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’

Sail Along

I was reading  the “Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska” this morning and this entry touched my heart. I am presently going through some rough seas,  a season in my life where I sometimes fear my “barque” is on the verge of sinking. This entry encouraged and strengthened me; an answer to unending prayer.

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J.M.J.

The barque of my life sails along
Amid darkness and shadows of night,
And I see no shore;
I am sailing the high seas.

The slightest storm would drown me,
Engulfing my boat in the swirling depths,
If You yourself did not watch over me, O God,
At each instant and moment of my life.

Amid the roaring waves
I sail peacefully, trustingly,
And gaze like a child into the distance without fear,
Because You, O Jesus, are my Light.

Dread and terror is all about me,
But within my soul is peace more profound than the depths of the sea,
For he who is with You, O Lord, will not perish;
Of this Your love assures me, O God.

Though a host of dangers surround me,
None of them do I fear, for I fix my gaze on the starry sky,
And I sail along bravely and merrily,
As becomes a pure heart.

And if the ship of my life sails so peacefully,
This is due to but one thing above all:
You are my helmsman, O God.
This I confess with utmost humility.

A Universal Lenten prayer

This video puts video to the Universal Prayer as spoken by Fr. Ryan Humphries of Alexandria, LA at the “Devotio” podcast. The original prayer is attributed to Pope Clement XI.

Some of My Favorite Franciscans

Great Speech given by Cardinal Francis George

Cardinal George gave this wonderful speech at Brigham Young University on February 23, 2010. I think it brings clarity to the role a “religious” people can and should play in our country. Cardinal George said:

“Religious freedom means that religious groups as well as religious individuals have a right to exercise their influence in the public square, and that any attempt to reduce that fuller sense of religious freedom, which has been part of our history in this country for more than two centuries, to a private reality of worship and individual conscience as long as you don’t make anybody else unhappy, is not in our tradition,”

Read the entire article here:

http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2010/10-039.shtml

Thank you Cardinal George!

Question and Answer Session with Justice Clarence Thomas

Justice Thomas is one of my heroes so I was pleased to find this Q & A session as I was browsing the internet. He gave many interesting answers and insights but the one thing that I will keep tucked away in my mind and try to always put into practice is:

“Stay positive, do the right thing, and do your best.”

This video is rather long, about 90 Minutes, but you will be glad you listened!

http://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=89374250b14749a9958da667a4cd571a

Jesus Christ in the Eucharist – The Real Presence

Stay Clear of Royal Welcomes

Those magic men the Magi

Some people call them wise
Or Oriental, even kings
Well anyway, those guys
They visited with Jesus
They sure enjoyed their stay
Then warned in a dream of King Herod’s scheme
They went home by another way

Yes they went home by another way
Home by another way
Maybe me and you can be wise guys too
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Steer clear of royal welcomes
Avoid a big to-do
A king who would slaughter the innocents
Will not cut a deal for you
He really, really wants those presents
He’ll comb your camel’s fur
Until his boys announce they’ve found trace amounts
Of your frankincense, gold and myrrh
Time to go home by another way
Home by another way

You have to figure the Gods saying play the odds
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Home is where they want you now
You can more or less assume that you’ll be welcome in the end
Mustn’t let King Herod haunt you so
Or fantasize his features when you’re looking at a friend

Well it pleasures me to be here
And to sing this song tonight They tell me that life is a miracle
And I figured that they’re right
But Herod’s always out there
He’s got our cards on file
It’s a lead pipe cinch, if we give an inch
Old Herod likes to take a mile

It’s best to go home by another way
Home by another way
We got this far to a lucky star
But tomorrow is another day
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Patience

Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in us. Practically, we are required to be patient in many ways: for there are some things, trials and crosses, which come to us from God; others, temptations and enticements, that come to us from our old adversary the devil. Still other difficulties arise from our neighbor: persecution, complaints, unjust accusations. Against all this we must be ever on guard lest we give way to complaining against trials our Maker sends us; lest again we be led astray into sin, which is what the devil wants; or to be overly disturbed by the thoughtlessness or unkindness of others. For if we want to have our own way always aren’t we really seeking our reward here below in the things of this life? Let us couple patience and long-suffering in the spirit of meekness and faith (and so bring forth fruit in patience)!

— St. Anthony of Padua