Furthermore…

Healthcare burocrat to person in wheelchair:

“You don’t look sick to me!”

Yesterday I was fortunate in seeing  on EWTN a new  video announced by Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life.  The part I saw showed closeup in color, in the womb, a live unborn child of 6 weeks development.  Captions and commentary  pointed out to the viewers the tiny brain, the beating heart, the eyes, the hands and feet, and other areas of the developing child as the camera seemed to move about and record the images from different aspects.  A sort of technical chart alongside the picture noted the stage of development and, I believe, other information.

Coincidentally, this morning I reported to the medical offices which serve me for a couple of ultrasound examinations.  As I lay on the examining table and chatted with the gentleman performing the tests I remembered and told him about the amazing video I had seen the night before.  I made a point of mentioning that they did state that it was not an ultrasound, but he could not believe that it would have been anything else but an ultrasound.   I left the offices hoping that he would look further into the nature of the process, if only for professional reasons.  I felt glad to have told someone in a timely manner of what I had witnessed, and I also mentioned that it would be widely distributed by the Pro Life community.

Sign in front of church:

HELL.  YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE

This account which caught my attention  was posted on the Multiply Catholic Friends group site.

“From: BRENDA WALSH

Many people want to know about the recent Apparition at Knock. There have been many reports and descriptions so let me try to tell you about what my family, neighbours and friends who were there have described to me.

Knock is in County Mayo in the West of Ireland. You can learn more about the 1879 Apparition at …………………. http://www.knock-shrine.com/

On Sunday 11th October around 30,000 people turned up for the prophetic apparition at Knock. A Dublin man named Joe Coleman who has had regular visits from Our Lady had told the people of Ireland through the media (newspapers, radio) that Our Lady had told him that She was going to appear at Knock on Sunday (11th Oct). 30,000 turned out for the event.

Around 3.10pm, thousands saw the sun dance, spin and change into a multitude of various colours and it grew everescently bright, very very bright. The colours were azures green, blue, pink, yellow, red, purple, orange and so forth. Then many saw it begin to spin out of the sky and plummet towards the people – people began praying loudly and many were also sobbing from their hearts. My sister Marian witnessed this at the back of the Apparition Chapel where she sat near the Glass Window there.

Joe Coleman announced to the people that this was similar to the Miracle of the Sun in Fatima.

My neighbour Patrick who is Pony Dealer, told me that he was at the front of the chapel beside the 3 Apparition Statues of St Joseph, Our Lady and St John. He noticed the woman beside him had basically gone into ecstacy. She told him that Our Lord had manifested himself beside Our Lady’s Statue. She said that Jesus stood there with His Hands outstretche and asked this woman ‘Where are my priests?’
None of the Knock priests were present.

At least six people saw Our Lady at the Gable Wall and one woman went on Mid-West Radio and told her story of Our Lady’s vision to her. The Blessed Mother told her that She came to ask people for prayer to stop the Third World War and that She, Our Lady would come two more times to Knock before Christmas.

I have spoken to people whom I consider to be of sound mind and they are all saying the same thing – that something magnificent had occurred at Knock. I also spoke to some of the B&B Owners as I know them from taking pilgrimages there and they too agreed that something supernatural happened on that Beautiful Sunday at Knock.

I believe all of these witnesses 100%! Good timing too by Our Lady after the dreadful Yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty. She also knows that the One World Plotters are about to impose their One World Dictatorship on us all with the significent signing of the Copenhagan Treaty in December which will move this Sinister Plot closer to our backdoor step. God help us!!!

Now Our Lady said She will come two more times to Knock before Christmas. Well the Good News is that She will be in Knock again on the Eve of All Saints, 31st October.
My friends and I have already booked our flights.

If you intend going, you better book now before all the flights are gone and indeed, before all the accommodation, beds in Knock are gone. There is only so much accommodation in Knock so book NOW! Irish people are taking the 31st Oct, a Saturday off work so that they can be in Knock for this great event. There was 30,000 there on the 11th Oct so you can expect 10 times as many to be there for the 31st Oct.”

Pastor to distraught boy:

“Jimmy, you agreement was to take your sister to the dance, and there’s no way I can have it annulled!”

Yesterday a deacon who has been assisting at our parish said his first Mass, after having been ordained the day before. It was especially noteworthy for us because this man had come to the United States from Poland only a few years previously to pursue his vocation.  Many priests, both American and Polish, con celebrated the Mass with him.  His Mom and some other relatives came here from Poland to be present at these important milestones in his life.  The Mass was will attended, and an attractive fourteen page program was distributed to serve as a  worship aid and to be saved as a souvenir.  Afterwards, a luncheon was provided in the church hall, and our new priest gave a special new priest’s blessing to all who stepped forward.

Secretary to Pastor over intercom:

“There’s a salesman here for odorless, invisible incense.  He says it’s more spiritual!”

What to look for in a good preacher?  Perhaps a sincere ability to communicate in a way that reaches the hearts of  people is the single most critical element.  Of course, a  strong clear voice and a topic of real interest are certainly necessary requirements,  not always met,  sad to say.  And clarity of thought, down to earth good sense, stirring conviction, fascinating stories, or love of the faith, just to mention a few good ingredients, play into the judgment.

Kid to Mom, as priest gets ready to preach:

“Here comes the commercial.  Can I talk now?!”

At the start of our meeting we always read a series of  resolutions that includes

“It is our hope that the true business of this meeting

will be our spiritual transformation

and the transformation of others through us,

and not simply the accomplishment of tasks and projects.”

I always thought this was  ‘a consummation devoutly to be wished’  (where does that come from?) but was wondering to what extent it may be happening.  Yesterday, as the meeting drew to a close, one of the members launched into, without referring back to the prayer, a kind of sermon exhorting us to focus on how and to what extent we are bringing our readings and discussions to bear on our individual lives.  I’m thinking about how we ought to figure out a way to make this kind of attention to practical applications into everyday life  a regular part of our routine. The prepared materials we use to guide us through our readings often have little questions such as “In what ways do Jesus’ words in the Gospel remind you of … ” but they seem so artifical and contrived compared to the sincere, spontaneous testimony we heard yesterday.  It’s the old conundrum: how to be spontaneous on cue!