Remember

It is Memorial Day.  I have much respect for our fallen soldiers.  My husband is a veteran; I know first hand the sacrifice and life-threatening situations our soldiers endure for our country and our freedom.

This Memorial Day, I am also choosing to remember our fallen brothers and sisters who died defending their beliefs and Jesus Christ.  It is so important to remember these sacrifices especially today when  it seems as if so many in today’s culture wants us to forget the lessons taught by our Savior more than 2000 years ago.  The battlefield has moved to our own state capitals, county court houses, and our own back yards.

In the history of the United States of America, there have been many wars and battles.  The Revolutionary War of 1775 saw 25,000 dead; Vietnam War, a total of 58,209 died.  All together, over a million United States citizen have died protecting our freedoms, including our freedom to follow our own religious beliefs and morals.

Since the time of Jesus Christ, there have been countless martyrs.  Saints Stephen, Peter and Paul all died proclaiming the gospel.  St. Joan of Arc was executed in 1431.  More recently, Maximillian Kolbe died in 1941 and Oscar Romero in 1980.  You may be thinking that all of these individuals were not killed in this great country that was founded on principles of freedom, and that is true.  This country is slowly persecuting Christians by taking away their jobs and economic resources.  Speak out candidly regarding matters of faith and you risk losing your job, friends, and respect.

I will also argue that there are many more victims killed in this country today than ever in our country’s history.  Remember the “Massacre of the Holy Innocents”, Matthew 2:16?  Since 1973, Roe v. Wade, over 40 million innocent babies have been legally killed in abortions.  That is 1100 times the number of fallen soldiers in the Vietnam War.  Already this year, there are over 450,000 victims.  Pro-abortion advocates have always stated that legalized abortion protects women.  The truth is that in 1970 there were 119 deaths resulting from illegal abortions.  Legalized abortions have not brought down that number, in fact it has increased.  Abortion clinics have not been regulated and women have been injured, harmed, and many have died.  Of course there is always a death in every abortion, as a creation of God is given a death sentence because they are an “inconvenience”.

One of the readings at mass yesterday was Acts 8:14-18. “they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”    This passage for Catholics is the Biblical foundation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

As infants, we are baptized into the Church, which is the mystical Body of Christ.  As adults, we become confirmed, which gives us the special strength of the Holy Spirit.  Once confirmed, we are to become true witnesses of Jesus Christ and are obliged to spread and defend the faith by our words and deeds.

It is not easy to speak out in defense of our beliefs these days.  Society wants to tell us our beliefs are old fashioned and meaningless.  We must remember those who have gone before us and gave their lives so that we could be brought up in the faith.

I encourage all of you to view the YouTube video clip of Jim Caviezel’s speech at the Rock Church.  Not only did Jim play Jesus on the big screen; he is living a life in imitation of Christ and defending what is a true Christian.  If all Christians spoke out in defense of our faith – this nation would see great changes.  If all Christians voted according to candidates that will uphold our Christian values – this nation would see great changes.

It starts at the home.  Teach the faith to your children.  Teach your children to stand up for their beliefs.  Pray as a family.  Pray and fast for the conversion of this nation and our world.  Remember all the fallen soldiers who have died protecting our country and our freedoms.  Remember the Christian Martyrs who have given their life in defense of Jesus Christ so that His teachings would remain. Remember the innocent victims of the legalized sin of abortion, both the mothers and the children.  Remember your faith.  Remember Jesus Christ.

C’est Bon

Love,

Sherry

 

 

“Behold Your Mother”

My husband and I are members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.  I have attended mass at this church all of my life, beginning at my baptism soon after birth.  There is a beautiful replica of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Icon in our Church.  I have always loved the icon, but never took the time to understand its meaning or significance to our church history.

It is the tradition of the Catholic Church that Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the oldest Icon of the Church.  It is believed that it was painted by St. Luke while Our Blessed Mother was still in Jerusalem.  According to legend, St. Luke showed the painting to Mary and she blessed it, saying her grace would accompany the Icon.  Many miracles have been attributed to the veneration of this Icon.

St. Luke reportedly gave the Icon to his best friend, Theophilus.  There is little reported on it until the 5th century when St. Pulcheria erected a Shrine in honor of the Icon as “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” in Constantinople.  The Icon disappears around 1453 when Constantinople became under siege.  It reappears years later on the island of Crete.

After exchanging hands a couple of times, the Icon finally found its way on March 27, 1499 to Rome.  There are still centuries of war and reconstruction.  The Icon spent many years hidden away and at one point forgotten.  But the Lord gave us His Mother and He did not want her forgotten!  The Icon was eventually discovered and restored.  It is kept today in The Church of St. Alphonsus Ligouri in Rome.

The Icon is full of symbols and messages.  There are angels on the left and the right sides of Mary and Jesus.  The left angel has the Greek initial for St. Michael the Archangel  He is holding the lance and gallop of Christ’s Passion.  On the right is the Greek initial for St. Gabriel, the Archangel.  He hold the nails and the Cross.

Mary is silent, but speaks volumes.  She is wearing a red tunic; which was worn by virgins at the time of Christ.  The dark blue mantle was worn by mothers at that time.  She is virgin, but also a mother.  Her eyes are large and turned toward us.  She seems to be pleading to us to avoid sin and love Her Son.  Mary’s left hand is supporting Christ possessively; she is His mother.  She comforts Her Son, but also everyone who calls on Her for help.

“Behold your mother.”  John 19:27

She was the mother of God.  She comforted Him and nurtured Him.  She knew of His fate; but she knew it was God’s Will.  She was full of faith and love even as He was dying on the Cross.  Her Son’s last gift to His faithful followers was His Mother.

Every part of Jesus that was human was from His mother – our mother – Mary.  She still sees Him suffer.  There are many more sins in the world today.  She is still trying to comfort and mother His followers.

Happy Mother’s Day to Mary, the Mother of God and of us all!

May mankind finally learn to follow the examples of your Holy Family.  It is not about making you and Jesus happy – You are radiant and in God’s Kingdom.  Following the ways of Jesus and His family will lead to OUR HAPPINESS!

C’est Bon,

Love Your Daughter,

Sherry

 

 

Sacred Truths

My husband and I viewed the movie “Heaven is for Real” today.  I had read the book and found it a very moving testimony, especially since the testimony is from a four-year-old!  God uses all of us –  no matter our age – no matter how long we lived on this earth- no matter if all our whole life was in our mother’s womb – to divulge His truths and lessons.

I am sure most people are aware of Colton Burpo’s story.  Colton’s father, Todd, is a pastor and he was certain that Colton experienced heaven and spoke to Jesus for a reason.  After some soul-searching, Colton’s family decided their mission was to spread the message that heaven is real – a real place where we can love and serve our Lord after we leave this earth.  After reading Colton’s story, I became convinced that there was another message.

Colton told his dad that Jesus had a message for him.  He informed his dad that Jesus wanted his dad to know that He loved the children.  When Colton’s dad responded he already knew that Jesus loved all the children; Colton repeated several times, “But He REALLY loves the children.”

This message from Jesus along with the fact that Colton met his sister who “died in mommy’s tummy”, led me right away to believe that Jesus wanted Todd to preach about the precious unborn.  The Burpos had lost a child of God before they even knew if the child was a girl or boy.  This little girl presented herself to Colton as his sister and could not stop hugging him.  Colton was only four and had not been told of his mother’s miscarriage.  When he related this encounter with his sister to his parents; they truly believed Colton had experienced something very few of us live to tell.  Soon after this revelation, the Burpos were blessed with another baby.

It was revealed to a four-year-old that all life is sacred.  Even the very young in a mother’s womb, who never have a chance to be named or see this earth, share in our eternal glory with God.

I have my own personal experience with this message.  After reading “Heaven is for Real”, I shared my love for the story with someone very dear to me.  She went out that same day and bought the book.  She was in the early stages of her first  pregnancy and she and her husband read the book together.  One week later, the two of them went for a 2 month ultrasound and learned that she was carrying twins.  Double the reason to rejoice – but no, one of the babies was alive, the other baby was dead.  I was out of town when I heard this news and hurriedly called her knowing that she would take this news extremely hard.  But, the Lord had prepared her.  In His mercy He had allowed me to share the story of Colton and He led her to read the book with her husband.  She was calm.  She told me that they were very grateful that one baby was healthy and alive and they knew the other twin was in heaven and they would see Angel one day.

Yes the Lord loves us and sends us messengers.  He guides us and consoles us.  We do not know the reasons for the bad things.  We only know that He knows what is best for us!

God sent His only Son, the Word, to spread the truth.  He now calls each of us to continue what Jesus taught.  It may mean suffering or persecution.  We should follow the example of His Son and take up our cross.

Corinthians 4:1  “You should think of us as Christ’s servants, who have been put in charge of God’s secret truths.”

Thank you Burpo family for picking up your cross and spreading God’s sacred truths!

C’est Bon

Love,

Sherry