God made women to be superior at being a women. God man man to be superior at being a man. God made men and women with free will so they could freely chose to enter into the most intimate relationship where one could simply not do without the other – become one flesh – from which God’s greatest treasure to the world is created – a child – new life – hope for the future which depends upon the love of creator mom and dad one spirit!
In this world today can marriage be discussed without being called homophobic if one supports traditional and a religious marriage?
Those who honestly seek objective truth these days is hard to find these days. Not a single person walking the face of the earth was created without having a female mother and male father. Not a single one! Sex without the potential to create new life is not a marriage in the eyes of God – all it is without the open possibility to create new life is fulfill self gratification!
Further marriage is a contract that unites a male, a female and the intimate act that creates children into the building blocks of something greater than self. We call it the church and civil society. Change this formula and what results is sex for self gratification without the potential to create new life and at that point it doesn’t who one partner is.
The Christian concept of marriage is not confusing – it is clearly laid out “In the beginning – Genesis”. God made man – male and female he created them. He didn’t make a mistake – it was good. Bone of my bone and flesh of they were to become one. The two were created to become one flesh and only united together can they create new life. They were called to enter into an intimate and vulnerable encounter – one flesh cooperating with the spirit of God entered into a partnership with God with the real possibility of creating a new life in the image of God and then with the commitment to nurture that new life for years to come – a child. A third human being was not required. That’s what a Christian marriage is – a man and a women open to the creation of new life – it is procreative.
This truth is not prejudice or bigoted – it is simply the truth.
Every human person is a gift and each is called to give themselves away for God created them for a purpose and that purpose is to discover God’s will and purpose for which they were created. Always to testify to the creation of new life – the truth and to live life fully to testify to that truth.
Christians know it didn’t take the first humans long to get into trouble with the desire to play God. Things got messy fast in the garden so we should not be surprised that humans in our modern day society approach the tree of knowledge with lightning speed and some even think they own the tree and can redefine the truth any way they want and change the truth anytime they decide.
God created men and women different on purpose. So they would be dependent upon one another and their survival would be dependent upon the mutual gift of self = through an intimate act of love that would require sacrifice. Every human has a mother and a father. Unfortunately our modern day intellectual society – tough many are well intended people – well society seems to be making bigger and bigger mess. We seem blinded to the self destruction taking place all around us – we have many who appear to be throw away people especially those who are old and the unborn who have no voice. So many say life matters but do nothing to address the war taking place in the womb of mothers the soul of our future nation and the world. Many seem hell bent on destroying truth our only source of salvation, rather than marching into the mess created by broken families and those communities at war within themselves. Who is working to heal all the brokenness being created by self truth?
If you would like an eye opener come with me to prison – I will introduce you to many young people who are angry as hell because they know deep inside their spirit they are supposed to have a mother and a father who were called to love them and every child knows discipline is love.
Sorry it’s not all about you – it’s not about the selfie generation of today. It is and has always been about about God’s love and truth from which we can hide but never our spirits can never escape.
When are we going to grow up spiritually and ask what the hell is our society doing to mothers and fathers who are supposed to form families and what have we done to the one flesh concept God gave us that every life is sacred? We seem more interested in setting free the one who seeks to destroy us – the one who says it all about me – my world – my life and come with me on a trip to hell?
Look at what humanity is doing to itself – we have declared war on the safe haven of the womb of mothers. We are invading it with tactics designed to destroy the gift of the one flesh union and take the life of babies while dismembering their bodies for profit. We have divided the house of marriage against ourselves and our future. But we are not done sinking into hell as some are seeking to take the body whole for the profit margin tempts us to ignore God’s truth.
When a woman alone, has the right to destroy an unborn child alone, what must also die? God’s plan for creation of one flesh, the father, the marriage of male and female must also be sacrificed by the female the one who God created to be the single source and birth channel for new life and the future of humanity.
Who have we become?
All the talk about white privilege has made me reflect and realize I am guilty of white privilege. And I bet others who reflect upon this story might discover they may have black privilege, yellow privilege, brown privilege, or red privilege. In the beginning, God created man and thus began human privilege – the gift of life created in the image of God.
My grandfather ran a small grocery store in the front of his home – in little Belgium Town USA (Mishawaka, Indiana). He and my grandma were immigrants through Ellis Island before 1900 as children under the age of six. During World War II he and my grandma supported local families so the less fortunate had food to eat. White privilege started before I was born. When the war was over and the main chain stores sprang up his community no longer supported his store and many never paid him back – he didn’t get a bailout and yet managed to survive and build my white privilege.
My mother’s brother, Uncle Butch served in the Army during World War II. He was a tank driver and three of his tanks were destroyed and in each case his partner was killed. Uncle Butch wasn’t satisfied with his 3 purple hearts and white privilege, so he asked for a transfer behind enemy lines to do reconnaissance. My uncle Butch was there when they freed the prisoners from the NAZI War camps. Now that’s white privilege.
My mother’s family has Angel Saxon ancestry and they gave the world the concept of “Self Governance” which our founding fathers used to establish the greatest nation on earth. Wow more white privilege.
My dad worked for Studebaker’s for 24 years. Studebakers moved to Canada and my dad lost his job and 24 years of paying into his pension. He found himself with hard choices. He received no government assistance.
As a boy I got a paper route and delivered papers every day. Sunday’s paper was so big I had to use my wagon so I could pull those papers around as I delivered them early in the morning on Sunday’s. My dad taught to me save some of what I earned. Thanks dad for the white privilege. Yea I had to collect .35 cents a week and pay for the papers myself. What was left over was may pay. $5 – $7 bucks a week and I learned a lot of lessons from that paper route. Another example of white privilege. Imagine pulling a wagon in a foot of snow – wheres my sled?.
When it came time for me to go to college my father was still struggling in his new occupation and my mom had to go to work. Thank God I had saved from my paper route. I paid for my own college education. White privilege thank you.
During the early days of the HIV/AIDS crises I traveled weekly to the bowls of Atlanta to assist with feeding card carrying AIDS victims. 90+% of them were men and most were gay. They were more afraid of me that I was them which I didn’t understand at first. I was healthy and their immune system was not. A small cold was nothing for me but could cost them their life. I learned more during those days than I wanted. But now I know God was preparing me for today’s world of tolerance. Yes it was the white privilege I got from my family that took me there.
What I didn’t realize during my visits to the bowls of Atlanta is that I was listening to what scripture calls the groans that come from the earth crying out for completion. The foundation was being laid for the march to seek the acceptance of gay marriage. People who loved one another were seeking the spousal rights to make decisions regarding health care and property inheritance. With great sadness a new groan is growing and coming forth from children who instinctively know they are supposed to have a mother (female) and father (male) who love them. An increasing number of children are being left out of the marriage issue at an alarming rate. The created one flesh plan for the well being of children is being sacrificed at an altar of a pagan gods ideal of compassion for those who cannot create children.
My dad got Parkinson’s in the last years of his life. I think God wanted me to taste helplessness and teach me more about the sacredness of life. My dad went 11 days without eating and then on the 11th day wanted to know if I was hungry! My dad died penny-less – yes I come from white privilege. I think God wanted me to be able to see that even when one is stripped of every human dignity they cannot be stripped of the spirit God gives each child the moment we are conceived.
Today I go to a State Prison. It is full of young men who have not experienced the white privilege my family and life gave me. I ask myself why are all these men of color coming to listen to an old white man who speaks about the power of hope that lives and exists within the spirit God which was placed in them before they were born? Many young angry men who can not articulate the are angry because they have been abandoned by a society which has turned it’s back on traditional marriage. Yet me and my white privilege were sent to prison to teach things are hopeless even behind bars. Angry young men without fathers can come to understand they have the potential to become fathers to those who will surely follow them into prison and give them hope as well. That’s what the gift of life (white, black, brown, yellow, red) privilege has taught me.
The War (against God) is growing more intense. The Secular progressives got the taste of blood, the world wide news of defeating Christians at every level has emboldened them. To make matters worse Christian have been waking up to the secular progressive agenda and the confrontation has begun. The threat of losing power has them frantic to shut up Christians by any method – the end justifies the means is acceptable.
The right to worship versus the truth = Freedom of Religion. Not what one does in church but how one lives ones life is at stake.
The attack on Religious Freedom in our day is alive and well. Secular progressives call religious freedom discrimination and bigotry. Shut them down and if that doesn’t work shut them up is the battle cry!
The redefinition of the use of Christian language and lets expand it on the idea of marriage. Freedom of Religion can be used to discriminate! Yea that’s the idea. Lets depend upon Christians not knowing what is marriage is all about in the first place – it’s all about love — RIGHT? Lets confuse what love means and truth has nothing to do with it. It’s all about how it feels – it’s emotional – no logic – no restrictions – that’s not progressive. Let have it our way – the human way – let eliminate God from the conversation. The best way to do that is attack the oldest Christian Church – the Catholic Church.
Let’s see – what does the Catholic Religion teach about marriage? Oh yea — two people / humans / who are open to the real possibility of the creation of children all by themselves – well with God’s help of course.
If these two people / humans are not open to the possibility of creating children themselves then marriage is not a possibility. Well the secular progressives don’t want anyone ( especially the young who think it’s all about love) to know that truth – well just shut your mouth. Could it be it’s the children who have the right to the marriage and not the adults after all? Let’s try and remember these are supposed to be mature people and they are making a life time commitment to each other and to the children they may create without a third person and it’s for life.
Let’s see – what does the bible say – In the beginning God created man. Male and female he created them and it was good. Together they became one flesh – they have reciprocal parts made to fit – bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh and it was good. So again the basics – which set of two humans can create children without seeking the help of a third party? Yep that would be a male and a female just like God said in the beginning –> the required pair needed to form a marriage.
So if in practicing ones religion takes place in every day life outside of worship services, one would find oneself in a scandalous situation of being forced to support the marriage of a man and woman that are openly opposed children oh what must I do? That would be based upon having arrived at informed conscientious. I should decide I can not support or participate in such a marriage. This is not discrimination or bigotry – it is freedom of religion as is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
So if two people of opposite sex can create a scandal could two people of the same sex do so as well? Lets examine – can the two of them alone create children? So heavens name then why would the government find it necessary to require people of faith to honor this odd arrangement of marriage? It would force participation one into scandalous behavior – God created those who claim to be gay and lesbian as male and female and it was good. The have every right a straight couple has! But they want more.
We Christians need to recover our courage and defend the language (words) of faith. The Secular progressives are not God and do not have authority to change the meaning of words to fit their progressive self driven agenda.
The battle had just begun and we Christians need to wake up to the stealth war raging in our culture.
We are called to love one another and we do so by being truthful with one another.
Micah was the last of the four prophets of the 8th century BCE. He was called to address the people during dark times. Times were bad, very bad. The people had been led into captivity and slavery. The future looked bleak, and hope seemed to have vanished. The People were distressed and questioning. They are surrounded by signs of darkness and loss.
Sound like today? 20 little lambs and six shepherds lay out in a field. What do we want most for Christmas?
Danger surrounded them on all sides. The Assyrian’s armies of Tiglathpilser III had conquered Damascus and Samaria. Sennacherib was occupying part of coastal region and menacing Moresheth. Micah knew the people had long ago chosen to reject God. For not only was the threat external but the prophets, priests and judges had long been accepting bribes.
Micah witnessed the wickedness of leaders political and spiritual. Princes and merchants were cheating and robbing the poor and humble, esp. women and children. Priests, prophets and leaders were adapting words to create images the people wanted to hear. Their leaders mislead the people to swap what was evil for good. The Lord must have looked away and abandoned them to their plight.
Poor little suffering small inconsequential town. Taken into captivity, families separated, children from parents, parents from grandparents, spouse from spouses. No one to speak about their heart ache and pain. Was there nowhere to turn?
Micah was thrust into the stark reality that dreams and images of hope had been shattered and darkness had closed in from all sides.
An ancient story, a promise of hope that buried in his heart leaped into Micah’s mouth and ever so gently escaped into the dark night air.
Said the night wind – to the little lamb: Do you see what I see?
‘Way up in the sky, – little lamb,
Do you see what I see? A star, a star Dancing in the night,
|: With a tail as big as a kite. 😐
Bethlehem, Ephrathah the city of David. Too small to among the clans of Judah, from you shall come for me the ruler, origin of old, from ancient times. The Promise of Hope!
The message of a Promised King.
When the virgin gives birth and He shall stand firm and shepherd, with that shall reach to the ends of the earth, shall be peace.
Said the little lamb to the – shepherd boy: Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing thru the sky, – shepherd boy, Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song High above the tree, |: With a voice as big as the sea. 😐
Times were bad. Danger not only external but prophets, priests and judges were accepting bribes. Micah is preoccupied with the wickedness of leaders, political and spiritual. While princes and merchants cheat and rob the poor and humble, esp. women and children. Priests and prophets adapt their words to please their audience. The leaders mistake evil for good. Dreams shattered all about as the darkness of night closes in from all sides. Nowhere to turn. Unable to procreate.
True prophecy is rejected, and sacrifices are emptied of their relationship to God. The Lord must look away and abandon them to their plight. However, a message of Hope in the middle. A remnant.
Bethlehem, Ephrathah the city of David. Too small to among the clans of Judah, from you shall come for me the ruler, origin of old, from ancient times.
Hebrews Bethlehem, Ephrathah the city of David. Too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come for me the ruler, origin of old, from ancient times.
The Child, the Child, – sleeping in the night
He will bring us – goodness and light He will bring us – goodness and light
Business’s
These words “Somebody Else Built It” were spoken recently by the president of the USA referring to those who have created and / or built a business. Within this statement lives a point of view and a value of the president about the creation of a business. No one is capable of building a business independently or on their own! He further sated the business’s employees who work hard are also responsible for the business.
Well how come these statements have become so controversial?
Let’s examine the business creator to begin with. This person or persons must have made a conscientious decision to create a business and at the stage a worker is not even in the picture. At this point the business lives in the mind and heart of the creator.
Next the creator must do the necessary prerequisite work to create a business concept and plan. One must undertake an investigation to determine the financial and personal risks. Eventually the creator must decide to take the necessary steps and risk of investing ones time, talent and treasure into this new venture! Still at this point in the process a potential employee / worker is still not in the picture.
Once the creator launches into the new business the creator must be willing to dedicate oneself to work as many hours and days as is necessary to achieve financial and individual satisfaction. Even now an employee is not necessarily in the equation.
At some point when the business enterprise achieves sufficient success the creator must begin the search to identify prospective employees! The the creator must conduct some type of analysis to determine which person have the proper attitude and aptitude to help the creator grow this business. The creator must further assess the proper talent, attitude, pay and benefits compensation to attract the correct employees which will be critical to continued success. We still do not have an employee and the creator is still working.
So when the creator does hire an employee the creator is still not finished. The mission and vision of the business which lives in the heart of the creator must be passed on to the employee. But this informational passage is just the beginning for the creator. The creator must now monitor the employee to validate and assure the employee understands and is willing and able to support the mission and vision of the business.
At this point the creator must assure the business operates in compliance with all regulation and rules of local, state and federal regulations.
Should the business begin to fail the creator takes home the problem in hope a solution will be forthcoming. Should and / the employee become a detriment to the success the creator must confront the problem head on and if necessary take corrective action or even dismiss the employee.
Should the business begin to struggle financially the creator must confront the salary of every person working in the business including the owner.
None of this is done without an emotional toll on the creator.
— Let’s see — How is it —
the president equates the owner/creator & the worker as co-equal?
Yep it’s only fair — they both can work hard right?
Who did the president say takes home the burden and responsibility for the business and it’s employees?
Was it the creator or the worker?
Contraception and the Freedom of Religion
The War on Women – oops – maybe this is really a War on men!!! Maybe it’s war against survivability of the human race?
In the 1960’s when I was growing up contraception – the pill offered great hope for woman who wanted to decide when to have children and have a better way to avoid pregnancy during various family situations. Contraception a good – right? .
Well What Has Happened Since?
Today the divorce rate has sky rocketed to over 50% of marriages and is closer to 80% for second and third marriages. Today over 50% of the babies being born are to single unmarried women and increasing!
What does Contraception do the Natural Woman?
Contraception fools the women’s hormonal body into believing she is pregnant and therefore she enters a fertility sleep induced state. Her body no longer manufactures and sends out normal hormonal scents and messages.
Now I admit to being old, so am willing to take the risk to admit in my life time I have discovered my masculinity has a built in automatic capacity to detect and sense a woman who is sexually ripe to be impregnated. This male capacity is not dissimilar to that a Buck deers ability to detect those does in estrus from those that are not. It is built in by mother nature and a deer requires no lessons or study.
Those non contraceptive women who enter into a peak fertility period change visually as well as secret hormones one cannot smell yet is detectably by a human male. Frequently in my life I have noticed women, who normally I did find attractive to one day capture the automatic attention of my eye. Over a period of years I became aware these women who caught my eye soon were obviously pregnant. As a result of my observation I began to question this conclusion. Could it be true?
I could also see this phenomena in young girls as they reached sexual maturity which is long before they reach social maturity in today’s world. But I noticed another phenomena – when those same girls began using contraception a few years later my instinctive attraction to them rapidly declined.
Contraceptives fool the body of a woman a fertility dormant state which a man automatically can detect and has consequences for the woman as well.
Contraception has stealthily changed the natural attraction chemistry and hormonal reactions between males and females. In other words contraceptive women are now chossing their mates without the benefit of mother natures instinctive guidance. And the difference in the choices they make open the possibility the circumvention of natures non contraceptive attraction is not working out so well!
Mother natures plan seeks to match a female with a male who can protect, defend and procreate children who will one day replace the male and female.
To counter this unintended consequence, woman realized something was amiss – cause the boys attention had drifted. So what have they done? Less cloths and tighter clad cloth that reveal more and more while the use of augmented enhancement facial and breast surgery has escalated.
One could conclude contraception has stolen humans natural attraction between male and female and substituted artificial stimulus.
So the government has taken the position women have a right to contraceptives! And we know how insightful and politically correct the government is!
So what does this have to do with religion – well at least the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on contraceptives. Abstinence is a free will choice that enables a woman to avoid contraceptives and all the unintended consequences. Mother natures natural attraction is facilitated through the release of a women’s unimpeded hormones and her ability to use that of the opposite sex as uninterrupted criteria to select a life long mate.
With contraception the male instinctive senses are over ridden and we have an increased state of confusion among males.
Studies with monkeys have been undertaken which suggest contraception confuses the work of mother nature and the impact to males is equal to that of females. Perhaps leading us toward the further confusion and the wussification of men!
Emotions – The Creation of the Perfect Storm
Let see the National Debt has now exceeded the Gross national Product – meaning – if every cent make from production & prophet in America were applied to the National Debt it could not be paid off in one year!
No Problem no one has any intentions of paying off our debt!
If every cent made by those ambiguously defined as rich and corporations were confiscated by the government the National Budget would not and could not be balanced this year!
No Problem!
So lets be fair by everyone contributing their fair share. But almost 50% pay nothing and we can’t change that. What was that logic again?
No Problem!
Oh and by the way there exist an empty safe / file cabinet in Washington D.C. that contains $$ paid into the Social Security System. And since I paid in the government owes me – so pay up!
No Problem!
Proof exists the Social Security and medicare System’s are “Ponsi Schemes”. But it’s the government running the scheme so it’s OK!
No Problem!
There is a “War on Women”! Sure there is – it has to be true because we have all seen the Women’s Right movement say so while remaining silent as the media is attacking in an effort to destroy women whose opinions differ!
No Problem, women are grown ups too! How dare they put children first and then speak up publicly!
The unborn – they can’t speak – they have no rights and besides one day those who manage to live will make excellent candidates we can hand our debt too! We will love to present them with such a magnificent gift!
Could you just try and remember it’s about my “Rights”
Gay Marriage is just like a marriage between a man and a woman! What was that about children? Children – come on it’s about my rights stupid!
No problem!
We the people who operate on emotions have decided it’s the children and the unborn who should be held responsible for the debt we create. After all they don’t speak up for themselves and no right minded politician would ever risk their political position and power for someone unwilling and unable to speak for themselves.
Yep – we have decided taxation and debt without representation allows we the mature to support all our various self created “Rights” and there is no such thing as a creator who may one day hold us individually “Responsible”
Dam it, your not supposed to use that word – don’t you know we simply do not refer to that “R” word – we have decided we will not be held “responsible”. Is that clear!
We should know god is spirit and as such god could be mother as well as father. The reason the name father has been used more often is due to the survival of humans throughout history. So when one destroys mom or dad they unconsciously seek to destroy both and marriage as well!
The recent notoriety concerning Ann Romey’s being a stay at home mom and therefore she has and knows nothing about the nations economy has been in the headlines.
The Secular Progressive Agenda to Destroy God
So lets use some independent brain power or are so gullible we have none of our own!
Lets see;
She is now wealthy so obviously a wealthy stay at home mom can not possibly have any comprehension or opinion of the economy!
The fact she and her husband were not wealthy when they started out – lets discount that reality! She raised five boys – well they are not girls so she could not have been exposed to the economy all these years!
She has traveled extensively over the past six years while her husband has campaigned for the nomination of the Republican Party Presidential candidate. Obviously they never spoke to one another about the problems of our nation and if she did her husband surely had to discount her opinions. Marriages that last as long as theirs couldn’t possibly have developed effective communications and respect for the spouses ideas and opinions.
Being a stay at home mom one loses the capability of really paying attention to what her husband thought or had to say. Her hearing must have been severely impaired as she was exposed to all the men and especially women she encountered on the campaign trail!
She had to have no empathy or perhaps not even a soul for she could not hear the cry of concern for the direction the country is heading and the enormous dept the current administration is placing upon her children and grand children. Obviously since she is wealthy she cares little for the future for her children and grand children.
Stay at Home Mom’s make Women Look into the Truth Mirror!
When one does not like the reflection in the mirror of truth the reaction is to discredit, attack and marginalize the offending reflection rather than confront thew truth! The mirror is the voice of god speaking to the heart of the one looking into the mirror. As such the attack seeks to declare god null and void!
As a grandpa who has been married 46 years – I just cannot swallow this criticism without recognizing it is indirect attack which represents a deep seeded attitude of one who can not stand the comparison between good, better and best. It is the voice of one who must take down others whose ideals they themselves are unable and unwilling to emulate. It is the voice of one who knows they themselves can not stand to look into the mirror of truth.
The attack on stay at home moms is equally an attack on the cultural relationship which reflects the most positive of family, marriage and the role faith plays in life. Marginalize mom and one marginalizes dad, the father and a god who speaks from antiquity about the importance of taking care of the widow, orphan and stranger. Well who is it, that is supposed to take care of them? Could it be men and women who form healthy families united through marriage.
Secular progressive seek to eliminate all judgement to remove the reality of sin, guilt and evil! It is mission impossible because the mirror of truth is greater than humankind and therefore can not be destroyed. The truth is the only pathway to freedom and liberty – why oh why has humanity attempted to run from this truth throughout history – simply put humans just can’t resist the temptation to play God!
When I was in sixth grade I had Sister Augustine (maybe not her name cause I’m getting old). Sister Augustine was an older nun – remembering I was just a boy and 30 year old people were old.
Sister Augustine put me the 3rd group for reading. Every afternoon the few in the 3rd group would be required to read a “3rd” grade reader aloud. Well this blew me away. I was embarrassed, self conscientious which didn’t help me focus one bit on reading.
At the end of sixth grade Sister Augustine recommended I go to summer school and successfully pass it to advance to the seventh grade.
My self esteem intellectually was shot. It was rumored Sister Augustine was going to be the seventh grade teacher the next year. With that news I was determined I would play Hooke from Catholic School and self enroll in the local Junior High. Don’t ask me how I thought I would get away with that with my parents but rest assure I was determined not to have Sister Augustine as a teacher ever again in my life.
Why Catholic’s Shouldn’t Read the Bible
After reading in the afternoon Sister Augustine taught class on the history of heresies in the Catholic Church. During that period of history the people of the church were uneducated and some very ignorant. As such folks in those days were easily persuaded to believe many heresies being propagated at the time. Sister Augustine told us because of such heresies only scholars should interpret scripture from which a young immature sixth grade boy with low intellectual self esteem would conclude – he should ever read scripture because one who can hardly read a 3rd grade reader will never be a scholar. Hence I came to believe I should not read the bible!
Forgiveness – How Long Does It take
Years later when I was in my early 30’s, I found myself working at the Chicago O’Hare Air Traffic Control Tower, the world’s busiest. Somewhere along the line I began to suspect I must not be the intellectual dummy I had concluded and accepted I was. As I found myself solving problems no one else in the country was able a light began to go on. Maybe, just maybe, this boy had a brain!
How Long Does it Take?
A trip to Cleveland Ohio and an encounter with Fr. Cullen who opened the doorway to my heart. St. Ladislaus Catholic Church, Westlake, Ohio, the home of my calling! God loves you just exactly like you are was the message! B___ S___! was my inner response. But with that response bubbled up a thirst and a search for an answer was triggered. The search took me down memory lane to remember and relive the life of a boy too immature and lacking in knowledge to know how to respond to the woundedness of the soul. The wounds we opened afresh and the anger was still there!
Still Not Ready – A Trip to Miami
By now I knew I was being called but to what I wasn’t sure. Certainly I could not articulate this call. To St. Louis Parish in Perrine, Florida and Fr. Russel. Now Fr. Russel was a thespian in college, you know an actor. At the first Mass I attended at St. Louis Parish, Fr. Russel raised his voice. lowered his voice to a whisper. But when he raised arms high above his head my back was pressed against the pew and I immediately reached for the booklet in the pew to verify I was in a real Catholic Church.
You see, the good Lord knew the young boy living itself the man needed some serious stretching if he was to answer the call to which he could not yet articulate.
What Another Move
Miami was a stretch stop preparing the boy to grasp and discern the call he did not yet understand. It was on to Atlanta, Georgia and St. Philip Benizi and the formation of a mission church which held Mass in a local school cafeteria. It was there the boy finally came to understand the call and applied to become a Permanent Deacon.
But the Holy Spirit knew the angry boy was still trapped inside the man. How to get him out? Fr. Beltran was the priest sent by the Archbishop of Atlanta to build the church and the Parish of St. Gabriel. Now Fr. Beltran taught some of the RCIA (adult education) classes and the boy attended. During one such class Fr. Beltran was asked why the catholic Church taught it’s people shouldn’t read the Bible. Well Fr. Beltran went on and on about how the Catholic Church has never taught it’s people they should not read scripture. The boy said to himself how could I be so sure they did and Fr. Beltran sure they didn’t. Well for sure Fr. Beltran never knew Sister Augustine!
The Forgiveness Door Finally Opens
When the new deacon finally began to preach, the woundedness of the boy living inside began to pour out as living water on a people thirsting for truth and hope. The boy finally understood the lesson of Sister Augustine – the woundedness of the boy was serving as a forgiveness bridge over which the love Fr. Cullen taught could travel to the heart of God’s people exactly like they were without condition while the raising and lowering ones voice and held captive the sacred gathering of people.