tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53806645537559154902024-02-22T20:53:43.627-08:00Angels and Saints . . . and the Rest of UsMuddling through this life with an eye on the next, realizing we need all the help we can get.M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-39693661033025442632024-02-13T23:48:00.000-08:002024-02-13T23:48:23.405-08:00The Incredible Final Journey of Father Mike<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PR9hoo21I6fXiqslbP-nLzGD8EOEFvGNNGBk4TdA1OQ7QlDzGNHaLy69y9Z7Pn_4xGF6hMlxz2Vkdzrbg1rwyCLQLnjlfFJN1L3MmPXfPrwH9YNpf_wiqxdgOWfpMbUD27J3Fen37MAa0PdrOKG9We4sdxlX1dErnCVzjEjLVz9rtNCWTIqpTNY8/s800/feather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PR9hoo21I6fXiqslbP-nLzGD8EOEFvGNNGBk4TdA1OQ7QlDzGNHaLy69y9Z7Pn_4xGF6hMlxz2Vkdzrbg1rwyCLQLnjlfFJN1L3MmPXfPrwH9YNpf_wiqxdgOWfpMbUD27J3Fen37MAa0PdrOKG9We4sdxlX1dErnCVzjEjLVz9rtNCWTIqpTNY8/w302-h202/feather.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>Dr. John Lerma, in his book <i>Into the Light: Real Life Stories About Angelic Visits, Visions of the Afterlife, and Other Pre-Death Experiences</i>, recounts his interactions with an elderly priest he identifies only as “Fr. Mike.” It is a fascinating story for all of us, particularly as we enter the season of Lent with penance and reparation on our minds.</p><div style="text-align: center;">---------------------</div><div style="text-align: left;"><p>Fr. Mike was a Catholic priest dying of severe neck and head cancer at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston. He was missing an eye from the cancer and suffering intense pain, yet he refused any pain medication. Dr. Lerma, his attending physician, recalled Fr. Mike instructing him on the Catholic group Opus Dei's beliefs about pain and suffering. Fr. Mike felt his suffering would help countless souls worldwide, including other hospice patients. Though it went against his medical training, Dr. Lerma honored Fr. Mike's desire to feel his pain raw and unmodified.</p>
<p> Despite describing his pain as unbearable, Fr. Mike maintained a joyful spirit, insisting he felt only love for God. He spoke of seeing angels dressed in white and said they were working on projects to spread optimism globally. Fr. Mike believed focusing too much on negative news darkens the soul and “puts us in a position to develop fear and judgment of others.” He also talked frequently about unconditional love and said random acts of kindness could stop wars and change the world. He cautioned that technology without God could destroy humanity but could also be a great good if controlled by people who were close to Christ. He saw prayer, knowledge, self-sacrifice, love, and joy as the keys to life.</p>
<p> When Fr. Mike slipped into a coma, Dr. Lerma described him as glowing with incredible peace despite a racing heartbeat and labored breathing. On the day of his death a few days later, an ominous storm raged over the region, with the worst of it, it seemed, right over the hospital. When Dr. Lerma arrived in the hospice wing after being paged about Fr. Mike's passing, the lights were flickering on and off, yet there was “an incredible sense of peace in the midst of the chaos.” The nurse and secretary said they saw a bright light shine from Fr. Mike's room, making them think that the overhead lights were coming back on. But the most incredible event that happened, and which was witnessed by all, was that each time the lights pulsed, feathers fluttered down from the ceiling like snowflakes, vanishing as soon as they landed. Attending nurses also said they saw a glowing orb exit the priest’s body, circle the bed, and fly away. Moments later, the lights came back on.</p>
<p> When Dr. Lerma went into the priest’s room, Fr. Mike still wore a striking smile, his palms were open, and he seemed downright blissful in death. Later, the dean of the Catholic university where Fr. Mike was once the president, reported similar electrical disturbances and falling feathers at their offices right around the time those things were happening at the hospital. The dean noted Fr. Mike had collected feathers from around the world throughout his life and kept them in a jar in his office. After the disturbances were over, the dean went to the priest’s office and discovered that the jar of feathers was empty.</p><br /></div><p></p>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-49337954467028345422024-02-04T21:11:00.000-08:002024-02-04T21:11:10.754-08:00Homilies and the Heavenly Hosts<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCv4seaqpXr4XMNAM6Q_8brGqCdzPZOSgSkSB5ZVmZSs5cnWpA_WKROivx7Dj2aL5ZjDcxiHrRtCovqqvn36Y9hoDjQbr2uxV9_FQ3rYWn-XmR-0HGHb7ZX3YYBQx9zMhw3Rs1aKhPcINrfriynLAQZz6nKCI2RVo0i2HX6zgupP5aRl6uI-xTzaa/s852/%C3%81ngel_lamparero,_Benito_de_Hita_y_Castillo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kjfskdfa" border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCv4seaqpXr4XMNAM6Q_8brGqCdzPZOSgSkSB5ZVmZSs5cnWpA_WKROivx7Dj2aL5ZjDcxiHrRtCovqqvn36Y9hoDjQbr2uxV9_FQ3rYWn-XmR-0HGHb7ZX3YYBQx9zMhw3Rs1aKhPcINrfriynLAQZz6nKCI2RVo0i2HX6zgupP5aRl6uI-xTzaa/w240-h320/%C3%81ngel_lamparero,_Benito_de_Hita_y_Castillo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Ángel lamparero, Benito de Hita y Castillo.jpg</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It has long been a practice of many priests in the Church to call on their guardian angel for assistance before preaching or giving a sermon. St. Francis de Sales would greet the guardian angels of all those at Mass so that they might help him to preach in a way that would inspire the faithful to holiness and conversion. Dominican preachers were also known to begin their sermons by silently praying to the guardian angels of their listeners, seeking their intercession so that their words would have a real impact.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In an interview in which he discussed his belief in the need to revive the practice of private devotions, particularly devotion to the angels, Fr. Basil Cole, OP, Professor Emeritus at the Dominican House of Studies, recalled an interesting personal experience that drew on the traditions of his predecessors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">During a parish mission, Father Cole prayed to the angels of his congregants before delivering his prepared homily. To his surprise, the sermon he delivered deviated considerably from his original outline. However, the impact was profound. Penitents lined up for the sacrament of reconciliation afterward, attributing their presence to the sermon they heard. “I'm here,” said one person after another, “because of that sermon.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Since that experience, Father Cole has consistently sought the assistance of the angels before teaching or preaching. He is certain that it improves the effectiveness of his ministry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So, if you find yourself particularly inspired by the next homily you hear, it could be partly the doing of your guardian angel.</div><div><br /></div></div>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-32436390952491894462023-08-17T16:57:00.002-07:002023-08-17T16:57:56.846-07:00Beware of "Spirit Guides" . . .<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nsPhS2gxUd96EnycIbCjuMop8FmG5PtzjQFud-7AM7-rGmvjA8CSizOYWHsGfeEGvsZg3MvpLFNLy2WsKBvg0iHCq_W0Bvd1jd-quIsx6nFZNf6eQ87vnmIWx_Q2hQM72SbKmktGAOkus4i7prEfT_BDU3kq8-Pk4Ep_BuPLEWmltD8DCxqDBe-T/s1280/angel_boy_shushing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1280" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nsPhS2gxUd96EnycIbCjuMop8FmG5PtzjQFud-7AM7-rGmvjA8CSizOYWHsGfeEGvsZg3MvpLFNLy2WsKBvg0iHCq_W0Bvd1jd-quIsx6nFZNf6eQ87vnmIWx_Q2hQM72SbKmktGAOkus4i7prEfT_BDU3kq8-Pk4Ep_BuPLEWmltD8DCxqDBe-T/w399-h263/angel_boy_shushing.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">. . . they may not be who they say they are.</p><p style="text-align: center;">--------------------</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Catholic Church has long taught that each of us has a guardian angel to guide us throughout our lives on our way to God's Kingdom. In a demonic inversion of the sacred, some occultists posit that you have a </span><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">personal spirit </em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">or a </span><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">spirit guide."</em></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">In his latest blog post on <i>The Exorcist Diary</i>, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti reminds us to be ever vigilant of deceptive spirits, and to never try to communicate with our guardian angel via New Age or occult practices.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Read the <a href="https://www.catholicexorcism.org/post/exorcist-diary-253-guardian-spirits?utm_source=so&cid=0865544c-5c71-4873-bb39-afb94dd0d929&utm_content=3956e738-1bc8-4e67-89ee-dddc949d603a&postId=89d9acb0-e91c-4e5a-873b-3eb3b56e4b61&utm_campaign=2a1cf24c-0681-428e-888b-1498cc30ce16&utm_medium=mail" target="_blank">whole post here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-17104579031056672692023-04-25T19:51:00.001-07:002023-04-25T19:51:21.351-07:00Angels and Exorcisms<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aOcsxbIOwAQhoZP6pAuKlCpa4eNJqmR5HE1T6auoD7kXbRmktq9DNQGVQ0IqC5QjugcGvvfSfw_wpZsSBfiCvekkZ2Wd-F8aAlNfgcdbpkmznOclERxGJV_MZdQTdtMhbitB0WzIvWG7Sn7I38Z7fDM_zTlaKaOmTiNomCc1nmKePVA6LVQszA/s512/Angels_at_War_with_the_Devil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="512" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aOcsxbIOwAQhoZP6pAuKlCpa4eNJqmR5HE1T6auoD7kXbRmktq9DNQGVQ0IqC5QjugcGvvfSfw_wpZsSBfiCvekkZ2Wd-F8aAlNfgcdbpkmznOclERxGJV_MZdQTdtMhbitB0WzIvWG7Sn7I38Z7fDM_zTlaKaOmTiNomCc1nmKePVA6LVQszA/w458-h183/Angels_at_War_with_the_Devil.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Domenico Ghirlandaio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">It's comforting to reflect on how the angels are always with us in all our needs and circumstances. In his latest blog post, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti tells us how comforting and beneficial it is to him and his deliverance team to have angelic defenders present at exorcisms. </p><p style="text-align: center;">--------------------------------------------------</p><h2 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: spinnaker, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="post-title__text blog-post-title-font blog-post-title-color" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></h2><h2 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: spinnaker, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="post-title__text blog-post-title-font blog-post-title-color" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Exorcist Diary #237: Angelic Powers in an Exorcism</span></span></h2><div><span class="post-title__text blog-post-title-font blog-post-title-color" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 WkT0MK _1FoOD _3M0Fe T3Ond1 WkT0MK public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-dfpp8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of our afflicted persons has been particularly violent in sessions and needs strong restraints. At one point, he managed to break free and started to swing his arms wildly. The exorcist was justly alarmed and prayed aloud: "I ask the holy angels to restraint this man until we can secure him!" Immediately, his arms dropped to his side and remained motionless until he was restrained again. After being restrained, he again began to thrash, but was safely secured.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block5" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 WkT0MK _1FoOD _3M0Fe T3Ond1 WkT0MK public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-7hn02" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> A particularly gifted individual told us that we have at least one angel from the angelic ranks of Powers at each of our exorcism sessions . . . </span></span><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.catholicexorcism.org/post/exorcist-diary-237-angelic-powers-in-an-exorcism" target="_blank"><b>Read the entire post here.</b></a></span></span></p></div>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-59148397862987462692023-02-06T09:47:00.006-08:002023-02-06T09:47:53.687-08:00Help For Financial Curses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8jm1N37VneHLBXskM-ADr6VFmjtX9yVujqSC96l31dFXnJ3QzHp12gjVgELa7G6EOEptHd17ZHP61pq-efSA8_qYqHkVeTWi0WsFBEkrpwezlINdoEexbXx_Au0JTCM1Fw5YEACBOLUbjwDz2Bli0gTRXQQzCaAZKPvKXdrqaKUzuyZq5F4Cxw/s1024/demon_money.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8jm1N37VneHLBXskM-ADr6VFmjtX9yVujqSC96l31dFXnJ3QzHp12gjVgELa7G6EOEptHd17ZHP61pq-efSA8_qYqHkVeTWi0WsFBEkrpwezlINdoEexbXx_Au0JTCM1Fw5YEACBOLUbjwDz2Bli0gTRXQQzCaAZKPvKXdrqaKUzuyZq5F4Cxw/w320-h320/demon_money.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Demons will try to take everything from you ... including your money. In this fascinating blog post repeated below, exorcist Msgr. Stephen Rossetti shares wisdom and warnings about the demonic and financial curses.</p><p style="text-align: center;">-------------------------------------</p><h3 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: spinnaker, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="post-title__text blog-post-title-font blog-post-title-color" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></h3><h3 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: spinnaker, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="post-title__text blog-post-title-font blog-post-title-color" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Exorcist Diary #226: Financially Cursed</span></span></h3><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-a8p50" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A man's cry for help to us caught my eye. He said: </span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-4gv9o" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block7" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-dk8rd" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"I own my own business. Large amounts of money come through but </em></span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-eoq1c" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> I can never keep any of it. If it looks like I will have a little profit from a job,</em></span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block9" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-cd4n6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> something unexpected will ALWAYS pop up and take it, like a vehicle breaking</em></span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block10" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-fmtb1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> down, even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with it before. Recently a </em></span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block11" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-f0iph" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">customer wanted to pay their final payment with a credit card. I have three</em></span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block12" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-al7lr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">different credit card systems, each under different companies, but the day I went</em></span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block13" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-7s50b" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to collect the payment none of them would work...." </em></span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block14" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="paragraph"></div><div class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-7vblo" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br role="presentation" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: inherit;" /></span></span></div><div data-hook="rcv-block15" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" type="empty-line"></div><p class="mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-c766n" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393838; direction: ltr; font-family: droid-serif-w01-regular, droid-serif-w02-regular, droid-serif-w10-regular, serif; font-size: var(--ricos-custom-p-font-size,unset); font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; min-height: var(--ricos-custom-p-min-height,unset); outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; direction: ltr; display: block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: var(--ricos-custom-p-background-color,unset); background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> These were just a few of his examples. He had <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">many </em>more!</span></span></p><p><a href="https://www.catholicexorcism.org/post/exorcist-diary-226-financially-cursed">Read the entire post here.</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-38634850077006911182022-09-22T10:19:00.000-07:002022-09-22T10:19:38.948-07:00An Exorcism in 1907<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96NIGD50fVkzu-JuuRQYSFfkpQUb6_86l1_tClfTTZhme6x72lNniN4VJjL5Pns467obVuTgsvS4n0sUBSgB3L-OyXWRIxNdbKwYGiSjcv3RDEo8pG502Kw3j3PrmOyww66ivaJ4N24OANwDuzU7-3UHEGnmVd39yJ3Se9lSz-Y9LZE5R-e9jbQ/s640/Bible%20and%20rosary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96NIGD50fVkzu-JuuRQYSFfkpQUb6_86l1_tClfTTZhme6x72lNniN4VJjL5Pns467obVuTgsvS4n0sUBSgB3L-OyXWRIxNdbKwYGiSjcv3RDEo8pG502Kw3j3PrmOyww66ivaJ4N24OANwDuzU7-3UHEGnmVd39yJ3Se9lSz-Y9LZE5R-e9jbQ/s320/Bible%20and%20rosary.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From <i>Catholic Exchange</i>:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">They carry enormous weights that two men could hardly lift (the girls are about sixteen years old). They understand Latin while in their fits, and they even speak it sometimes. They reveal the secret sins of the school children, etc. Sometimes they are lifted off the ground in spite of the sisters holding them. A few days before, while the sisters were holding Germana, she shouted, “I am on fire!” The sisters withdrew and saw the girl’s dress ablaze. Another time, her bed began to burn also, although there was no fire nearby. And so on . . ."</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://catholicexchange.com/an-exorcism-in-1907/" target="_blank">Read the entire article at Catholic Exchange >></a></p>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-62280478324134898852022-08-07T17:25:00.002-07:002022-08-07T17:25:45.323-07:00St.Michael, Prince of Angels<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13289Tgq12hoXWX4vWGUwbV_ku1lQcPgrRgprqxp4e1zS6avPtiGV386n0pu3qhDhKJ3rqzBdFhY7rs7rDz2QyABCROiC3FQz37Qov7r19mpgvE4gPNd80QMGYDT-vwrueiecUBMBOZcpc2k0sEwa_eD3dSmy1ZI6vXHHkFGPj1a4Wi8z12KfFw/s720/Michael_war_in_heaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="483" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13289Tgq12hoXWX4vWGUwbV_ku1lQcPgrRgprqxp4e1zS6avPtiGV386n0pu3qhDhKJ3rqzBdFhY7rs7rDz2QyABCROiC3FQz37Qov7r19mpgvE4gPNd80QMGYDT-vwrueiecUBMBOZcpc2k0sEwa_eD3dSmy1ZI6vXHHkFGPj1a4Wi8z12KfFw/w267-h397/Michael_war_in_heaven.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">From <i>Mary's Blog:</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">"During the summer just past, I was rudely awoken one night by a strong stench of burning. The air around my bed seemed heavy and thick with particles of scorched earth. In my sleepiness, I thought that someone had left a pot of earth-encrusted potatoes on the boil too long and that their muddy skins were now burning. But as I tried to move from bed, the smell of earth-on-fire came at me with a violent power that pushed me backwards and I wondered how I could even raise my voice to cry out that something was on fire. Then the ferocity of the stench struck me as not being of a natural origin and I realized that it was a variety of demonic attack and my soul shrieked, HOLY MICHAEL, PRAY FOR ME . . ."</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://thepathlesstaken7.blogspot.com/2021/09/even-demons-admit-that-st-michael-is.html" target="_blank">Read more at Mary's Blog >></a></p>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-1140298470620305372022-08-04T15:21:00.002-07:002022-08-04T15:21:33.648-07:00An Angel in Chattanooga?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C_N1IgJCJawRiL7afAjnKlTlbzQsUTTMHCNALQmUWhfDwnOQbYew8wgLI1OaoMFtcb_sM2_9-lsTeKOTkfsZzHDnwj6nzs8mKk3E6IHIyGcN6R703XqR-w_RjMEikWSosDAmDcGEF8HsbOTUWd2q6ac2jQcCTfO0Ui_mRGYGNTBu8l7-HhzPpA/s800/Enigmatic_man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C_N1IgJCJawRiL7afAjnKlTlbzQsUTTMHCNALQmUWhfDwnOQbYew8wgLI1OaoMFtcb_sM2_9-lsTeKOTkfsZzHDnwj6nzs8mKk3E6IHIyGcN6R703XqR-w_RjMEikWSosDAmDcGEF8HsbOTUWd2q6ac2jQcCTfO0Ui_mRGYGNTBu8l7-HhzPpA/w301-h203/Enigmatic_man.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/linuz90/1361444491/in/photolist-35iL1T-YvtsnQ-9hdAb-piAs9P-6BQAuY-NjGsmB-6fSWMq-5ZWbuS-2mgHw97-5pNobb-2kWT8RC-2kEqLo4-PSdyZk-6pXnqo-7RVGgu-2iUuwBL-XKAQ2r-up2Gke-23c43xK-omNjXo-6XtA1L-7nQddX-DxuNWw-2n9Bgnd-9ehBSv-2iSaU1g-239GBzF-239GC3e-GZbdUh-rpdeJ-2nBLhM3-P4ftAe-2k1CRPj-2iRNTea-2kXDkNJ-2kaLuav-2geZNoS-2gsmUhm-RwwYo-24wm1Vj-2n4Q6Zy-qcGu7w-no1SxF-rurbyH-Tv6pJ2-2kcgaME-2gojd8G-HfcRiL-7DzaeZ-9kvMjM" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Fabrizio Rinaldi (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)</span></a></p><p></p><p>"Was it . . . an angel?</p><p>One of the most incredible accounts I’ve heard involved a Christian chemist named Vincent Tan Ban Soon, who emigrated from Singapore. He was working in a laboratory late the night of March 25, 1993, this in Tennessee, and about 1:30 a.m., as he readied to leave, he happened to look out the door and spot a man standing next to his car, on the passenger side.</p><p>It was a tough part of town, known for its crime . . ."</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://spiritdailyblog.com/strange-things/the-mystery-man-near-chatanooga" target="_blank"><b>Read more at SpiritDaily.com>></b></a></p>M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-87240721927287174492019-10-21T20:55:00.000-07:002019-10-21T20:55:26.464-07:00St. John Henry Newman and the Angels<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YlU-O-i1YxIIpF4ApHPrUu11317iKWGTBX3U9agAyb_CqPSJXGkogMl_DCvcKb4aKhHg4_o6PCesvXmffpbQwZH95T2ULB7-aTQNMx7bxKBzDY8PzMvAuW5EdumlsGNsAmWEg8lp_w/s1600/newman_angel_quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="850" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YlU-O-i1YxIIpF4ApHPrUu11317iKWGTBX3U9agAyb_CqPSJXGkogMl_DCvcKb4aKhHg4_o6PCesvXmffpbQwZH95T2ULB7-aTQNMx7bxKBzDY8PzMvAuW5EdumlsGNsAmWEg8lp_w/s320/newman_angel_quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Newly canonized Cardinal John Henry Newman had an extraordinary devotion to the holy angels. In <i>Sermon Notes</i> he wrote:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Many wonderful things in this world, but an angel more wonderful than all. If a creature so wonderful, what the Creator?”</blockquote>
<br />
In 1853, he wrote a beautiful poem to his guardian angel. Please take a minute to read it, with a prayerful attitude if possible. Your angel will be glad you did.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>“Guardian Angel”</b><br />
<br />
MY oldest friend, mine from the hour<br />
When first I drew my breath;<br />
My faithful friend, that shall be mine,<br />
Unfailing, till my death;<br />
<br />
No beating heart in holy prayer,<br />
No faith, inform’d aright,<br />
Gave me to Joseph’s tutelage,<br />
Or Michael’s conquering might.<br />
<br />
Nor patron Saint, nor Mary’s love,<br />
The dearest and the best,<br />
Has known my being, as thou hast known,<br />
And blest, as thou hast blest.<br />
<br />
Thou wast my sponsor at the font;<br />
And thou, each budding year,<br />
Didst whisper elements of truth<br />
Into my childish ear.<br />
<br />
And when, ere boyhood yet was gone,<br />
My rebel spirit fell,<br />
Ah! thou didst see, and shudder too,<br />
Yet bear each deed of Hell.<br />
<br />
And then in turn, when judgments came,<br />
And scared me back again,<br />
Thy quick soft breath was near to soothe<br />
And hallow every pain.<br />
<br />
Oh! who of all thy toils and cares<br />
Can tell the tale complete,<br />
To place me under Mary’s smile,<br />
And Peter’s royal feet!<br />
<br />
And thou wilt hang about my bed,<br />
When life is ebbing low;<br />
Of doubt, impatience, and of gloom,<br />
The jealous sleepless foe.<br />
<br />
Mine, when I stand before the Judge;<br />
And mine, if spared to stay<br />
Within the golden furnace, till<br />
My sin is burn’d away.<br />
<br />
And mine, O Brother of my soul,<br />
When my release shall come;<br />
Thy gentle arms shall lift me then,<br />
Thy wings shall waft me home.<br />
<br />
<i>(The Oratory, 1853).</i><br />
<br />
<br />M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-55073194913752260512019-02-09T10:50:00.000-08:002019-02-09T10:50:45.120-08:00St. Apollonia (check out the pincers!)<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnn7wQcd23sSB9NVI_40C87tqR4RgNbvjvY9j48hggDdE6DyKSBRhW0tzXS0m9LmR1HwRrBC-wjgz1sqAyErbJRCI4iBcFeHG1fJsB-dliSj8Rwlu5Q0QVh7B8j85Z4O2HLwteJ2B7g/s1600/Apollonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnn7wQcd23sSB9NVI_40C87tqR4RgNbvjvY9j48hggDdE6DyKSBRhW0tzXS0m9LmR1HwRrBC-wjgz1sqAyErbJRCI4iBcFeHG1fJsB-dliSj8Rwlu5Q0QVh7B8j85Z4O2HLwteJ2B7g/s320/Apollonia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creative Commons license CC BY 4.0 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>St. Apollonia</b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<b><br /></b>The Martyrology reads: "At Alexandria the holy virgin Apollonia—under the Emperor Decius (249-251) her teeth were beaten out; then the executioners built and lit a funeral pyre, and threatened to burn her alive unless she would repeat their blasphemies. After some reflection she suddenly tore herself loose from her tormentors and threw herself into the flames. The fire of the Holy Spirit that glowed within her was more intense than the burning pyre. Her executioners were astounded to see a weak woman willingly embracing death with such determination before they were ready to carry out their threats."</div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
The saint was already well on in years. An account of St. Apollonia's martyrdom was written by Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria (died 265), a contemporary. She is honored as the patroness against toothache.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
Apollonia, it might seem, committed suicide. Her act was used by the ancients as proof that it is permitted to escape dishonor or persecution through voluntary death. But the most authoritative moralists, including Saint Augustine, declare that even in such cases suicide is not permitted, and seek to justify Apollonia's heroic act by assuming that she acted according to a special mandate from God; without such a divine injunction no one is allowed to follow her example. The saints are not to be imitated on every point.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
— Excerpted from <i>The Church's Year of Grace</i>, Pius Parsch</blockquote>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Patron:</b> Dentists, tooth disease, toothache.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Symbols:</b> Deaconess holding a set of pincers which often holds a tooth; gilded tooth; pincers grabbing a tooth; pincers; tooth and a palm branch; tooth; woman wearing a golden tooth on a chain.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Things to Do:</b></div>
<ul style="font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<li style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 6px;">Pray to St. Apollonia for a courageous and holy death. The elderly especially may beseech her to strengthen their faith as they weaken and approach death.</li>
</ul>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-30479546676609927492019-01-31T10:10:00.000-08:002019-01-31T10:11:04.719-08:00St. John Bosco's Guardian Angel Advice<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm-8ZEHlihBp3mjBuvtQGw6lnl8Mr5SBRk4d7z5sYtdoJk9dYl8_82gyMZUOJ-20ewejf9zX2egjHmPrCmIqLR2flOZnVpKTa0CPYF8aeXToBsw_SHh5KLv26QMkLAh7xdLYvqnFGFg/s1600/Don_Bosco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm-8ZEHlihBp3mjBuvtQGw6lnl8Mr5SBRk4d7z5sYtdoJk9dYl8_82gyMZUOJ-20ewejf9zX2egjHmPrCmIqLR2flOZnVpKTa0CPYF8aeXToBsw_SHh5KLv26QMkLAh7xdLYvqnFGFg/s200/Don_Bosco.jpg" width="151" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.28px;">"Take courage and pray; your guardian angel will also pray for you, and your prayers will be answered. Pray to your guardian angel. Invoke his aid if you should find yourself in any serious danger of body or soul, and I assure you that he will help and protect you."</span></blockquote>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-65247606107580284862019-01-31T04:30:00.000-08:002019-01-31T08:58:08.996-08:00St. John Bosco and the Big Gray Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCeJ2aFNxbG2O-6Jxa6aUIXn1k_nGA63XSxQpOYg8yhqLWYuxQFTqjDjcXjRhNfjneMkqSm8R5WPhvBAyrxXVXaSxsEPFjzkN_FzjVyCZirfRQKoVSY6LhP3tH8BBkdEiqbg07eNjsw/s1600/bosco-and-grigio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCeJ2aFNxbG2O-6Jxa6aUIXn1k_nGA63XSxQpOYg8yhqLWYuxQFTqjDjcXjRhNfjneMkqSm8R5WPhvBAyrxXVXaSxsEPFjzkN_FzjVyCZirfRQKoVSY6LhP3tH8BBkdEiqbg07eNjsw/s1600/bosco-and-grigio.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On various occasions throughout his life, St. John Bosco found himself aided by a mysterious, yet gentle and loyal, large gray dog. The dog would appear unbidden when St. John was passing through dangerous neighborhoods, traveling on foot through the dark countryside, or, most famously, once when attacked by thugs. (The dog chased the thugs away after giving them a good scare with his not-so-little teeth.) St. John called his intermittent companion Il Grigio, Italian for "The Gray One."<br />
<br />
A mysteriously as he appeared, the dog would trot away after accomplishing his duty. Not once did St. John ever see the dog take food or water. And on at least one occasion, the dog somehow disappeared from a cottage in which all the doors and windows were shut.<br />
<br />
St. John had no doubt as to the origin of his furry friend: "It sounds ridiculous to call him an angel, yet he is no ordinary dog." Indeed, the saint firmly believed that had it not been for the big gray dog, his work would have been severely hindered, if not stopped altogether.<br />
<br />
John Bosco, of course, went on to institute and organize the Salesians, a religious order for men and women under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales. Il Grigio reportedly retained a fondness for the Salesians long after John Bosco left the world. Between 1893 and 1930, sisters of the Salesian order testified that they had received the gray dog's protection on at least three separate occasions.<br />
<br />
(A summary of information from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Partners-Holiness-Guardian-Angels-ebook/dp/B004LGSBBO/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2" target="_blank">Partners in Holiness: Guardian Angels in the Lives of the Saints</a>)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc2Om8nSsbzrvkmyUwts1mU61dmiquVlwEfQJTNwGmtajdAztEFVMPx13kUHEuhDRasERyNTm2JphfCxZy3otoIFXysDJmfakgTbb4AAIL-Kb1tCmJdc3XjoftaymnENUTqO7_8fBxg/s1600/bosco+and+dog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc2Om8nSsbzrvkmyUwts1mU61dmiquVlwEfQJTNwGmtajdAztEFVMPx13kUHEuhDRasERyNTm2JphfCxZy3otoIFXysDJmfakgTbb4AAIL-Kb1tCmJdc3XjoftaymnENUTqO7_8fBxg/s200/bosco+and+dog2.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-31915935492669025032019-01-28T23:17:00.000-08:002019-01-28T13:25:37.634-08:00Aquinas on the Angels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ox5yBVyHzksSNouttrUzNAURRH9p_Okr_z9ywK3JHU8u4v46zWOynfVPL24Ut4LDZFMKe4T-h-yAOxVY7Up25U4mq4jFEWD8jQuehqSeHXHTanzR239SGmNxS0cHjWZFlBqLKkvwhg/s1600/St.+T+Aquinas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ox5yBVyHzksSNouttrUzNAURRH9p_Okr_z9ywK3JHU8u4v46zWOynfVPL24Ut4LDZFMKe4T-h-yAOxVY7Up25U4mq4jFEWD8jQuehqSeHXHTanzR239SGmNxS0cHjWZFlBqLKkvwhg/s200/St.+T+Aquinas.jpeg" width="143" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thomas Aquinas was known as, among other things, the "Angelic Doctor.” He wrote extensively about the nature and mission of the angels in his masterpiece, <i>The Summa Theologica</i>, devoting a substantial part of his massive tome to them.<br />
<br />
In keeping with the nature of this blog (i.e., easy to read and digest), I thought I'd post a "Top Ten List" of some of St. Thomas' points about the angels from the <i>Summa</i>.<br />
<br />
These tidbits aren't arranged in any particular order, nor do they purport in any way to adequately represent the whole of St. Thomas's teachings on the angels. Nonetheless, I think there's enough here for us mere mortals to ponder and appreciate for quite some time And if the spirit should move you to further scholarship, you can read the good Doctor's entire discussion of celestial beings at the <a href="http://www.ccel.org/a/aquinas/summa/FP.html#TOC03" target="_blank">Christian Classics Ethereal Library</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, here we go:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
1. The angels were created in heaven. And it is fitting that creatures of the most perfect nature should be created in the most noble place.<br />
<br />
2. Angels were created in grace, and by using this grace in their first act of charity (which is the friendship and love of God) they merited the beatific vision and heavenly beatitude.<br />
<br />
3. God gives the angels their knowledge of things when he brings them into existence . . .Each receives what is fitting and necessary for its status and the service it is to render, and therefore some angels know more than others. <br />
<br />
4. Angels manifest knowledge to one another, and to this extent they "speak" to one another. But the speech of angels is not a matter of sounds or of uttered words. The speech of angels is a direct communication of knowledge from spirit to spirit. <br />
<br />
5. The faithful angels are a greater multitude than the fallen angels. For sin is contrary to the natural order.<br />
<br />
6. Angels, good or bad, can do wonderful things, but only such as lie within the power of angelic nature, and a miracle surpasses the powers of all created natures.<br />
<br />
7. Superior rules inferior; hence angels rule the bodily world. St. Gregory says that in this visible world nothing occurs without the agency of invisible creatures.<br />
<br />
8. God sends angels to minister to his purposes among bodily creatures . . . Angels sent in the external ministry are those whose names indicate some kind of administrative or executive office. These are, in descending rank, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels.<br />
<br />
9. Each human being, without exception, has a guardian angel . . . In heaven a man will have an angel companion to reign with him, but not a guardian; no guardian is needed when the guarded journey has been successfully completed. In hell, each man will have a fallen angel to punish him.<br />
<br />
10. An angel can illume the thought and mind of man by strengthening the power of vision, and by bringing within his reach some truth which the angel himself contemplates.<br />
<br />
<br />
(The above translation and wording is courtesy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Summa-Paul-J-Glenn/dp/0895550814/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327042577&sr=1-1" target="_blank">A Tour of the Summa</a> by Msgr. Paul J. Glenn, Tan Books and Publishers.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiA50fcHy7CHQRG6Y0BAcE2hUAOAdMeDZtK2-xN0Pr0az_OjldB8NUUGRQgBtV2gDpMuj4_-CZLyp7QdrhjpFzsUQTsdW0gtE7lcNTWDVt33PSyytUr3hrbsQEft4nooYvnM-lXtCmw/s1600/Tour+of+Summa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiA50fcHy7CHQRG6Y0BAcE2hUAOAdMeDZtK2-xN0Pr0az_OjldB8NUUGRQgBtV2gDpMuj4_-CZLyp7QdrhjpFzsUQTsdW0gtE7lcNTWDVt33PSyytUr3hrbsQEft4nooYvnM-lXtCmw/s200/Tour+of+Summa.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-52295080903948500012019-01-24T13:53:00.003-08:002019-01-24T13:53:48.700-08:00Feast of St. Francis de Sales<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubY4n8P0IaXZbwO4VnMqjSlI3lhdWWayWX544qrxBV9GfnbekRcSk5JhBqFlL7HiYeSg0PtrsQmrijs_Bp_adFagCMGYWMzqIeXQyLQYg7Gu7buWxIEjoYffnPJywxpuRvI_8aUxGNA/s1600/frances_de_sales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubY4n8P0IaXZbwO4VnMqjSlI3lhdWWayWX544qrxBV9GfnbekRcSk5JhBqFlL7HiYeSg0PtrsQmrijs_Bp_adFagCMGYWMzqIeXQyLQYg7Gu7buWxIEjoYffnPJywxpuRvI_8aUxGNA/s200/frances_de_sales.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." St Francis de Sales</span></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-62371196766705344272019-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:002019-01-22T09:16:02.556-08:00Behold Our God<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpno9CtMzFgRWZ0y1yI5M-K-ql3smZR8PUx4oIdD-jwt8e1CZi0IT7qX58u5ow4xgwyzg0MJeZpD_XGvfgCFc1Pkg0QLwRwwP6XH3-auRNcCo7WMzXOti1XJ3FB9z17ErFUXYpdFzjg/s1600/Tremble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpno9CtMzFgRWZ0y1yI5M-K-ql3smZR8PUx4oIdD-jwt8e1CZi0IT7qX58u5ow4xgwyzg0MJeZpD_XGvfgCFc1Pkg0QLwRwwP6XH3-auRNcCo7WMzXOti1XJ3FB9z17ErFUXYpdFzjg/s400/Tremble.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-66246300902660831762018-12-01T14:19:00.000-08:002019-01-22T09:20:18.227-08:00Mother Teresa's Express Novena<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUMwvOjjv1xQiOkLxnCz8een0cQc-VUXVBqp68OdWdlJGrXiRH1JprgORaxkOCUsCZVtTKV0DnHXEKEGoHkof_GXRXi3D9pnTuIjlg1iyrvYCQtzFccaVbIGMMdB9G1VlRahhzVqTrA/s1600/Mother-Teresa-41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUMwvOjjv1xQiOkLxnCz8een0cQc-VUXVBqp68OdWdlJGrXiRH1JprgORaxkOCUsCZVtTKV0DnHXEKEGoHkof_GXRXi3D9pnTuIjlg1iyrvYCQtzFccaVbIGMMdB9G1VlRahhzVqTrA/s320/Mother-Teresa-41.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Mother Teresa was known for many things, not the least of which was her intense devotion to Mary. Rarely was she seen without a rosary woven around her fingers, Miraculous Medals at the ready to pass out to friends and strangers, and a prayer on her lips in praise or petition. Many times this prayer was the Memorare, one of Mother Teresa’s favorite invocations to the Blessed Virgin. A popular story about Mother Teresa is how, when faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, she immediately turned to Mary for help by praying an “express novena” of nine Memorares. And then a tenth in thanksgiving for favors received, such was her faith and trust.<br />
<br />
Did it work? Well, those who worked with Mother Teresa were constantly in awe of how she seemed to always get what she wanted one way or another. Whether it was by appearing in person at the residence of a rich benefactor, influencing a powerful leader with carefully chosen words, or storming heaven with her prayers, Mother Teresa didn’t take no for an answer.<br />
<br />
When I first heard about the express novena (also known as the “emergency novena”), I was intrigued enough to search the Web for stories about it. What I found was remarkable, and I urge you, dear readers, to do the same. There are countless testimonies out there that speak of the power of this devotion. And I am happy to say that I now count myself as a member of that camp. About a year ago I faced a personal crisis that led me to Mother Teresa’s emergency novena. I prayed it in my car on a cold February morning with as much fervor as I could muster given my depressed state of mind. Long story short, my crisis passed and my cloud lifted. While skeptics could claim it would have with or without the novena, I have no doubt our Mother in Heaven was looking out for me. Twice more this year I have had to turn to the novena for help. And twice more Mary has come to my aid. If anyone asks me if Mother Teresa’s express novena works, I will unequivocally say yes.<br />
<br />
The Memorare is a beautiful prayer usually accredited to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, but its origins are actually unknown. The first manuscript of the Memorare appeared in 1489 as part of a longer prayer. It was popularized in the 17th century by a French cleric, Fr. Claude Bernard (perhaps the similarity in names is why it’s associated with St. Bernard), who taught it as part of his ministry to hospitals and prisons.<br />
<br />
Regardless of who wrote it or where it came from, the Memorare is a treasure of our Catholic faith and should be taught to every child as early as possible. With child-like confidence let us return to it in our time of need.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Memorare Express Novena</b></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
State your intention and recite the Memorare nine times.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.</i></blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUm66BRFtNCcEi-VgYA1XpkIy8QqDYzY4zmThvFPsouyl1PI8h4r7SirRUOEjQUudR3_rp7kkQ2mKJ5Cr-mXeVb97A2KrCTxlIoHRGu_Td0XvYtWSPFRRRp02GOcv5a-y2nBPH_a289Q/s1600/our-lady-of-grace-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUm66BRFtNCcEi-VgYA1XpkIy8QqDYzY4zmThvFPsouyl1PI8h4r7SirRUOEjQUudR3_rp7kkQ2mKJ5Cr-mXeVb97A2KrCTxlIoHRGu_Td0XvYtWSPFRRRp02GOcv5a-y2nBPH_a289Q/s320/our-lady-of-grace-01.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-61115398245655391402018-08-19T13:35:00.001-07:002019-01-21T13:20:26.647-08:00Bishop Robert Morlino on the sexual abuse crisis in the Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>UPDATE:</b></span> <i>Bishop Morlino is no longer with us, having died the evening of November 24, 2018, after suffering a "cardiac event."</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
R.I.P.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-------------------------------------------------------</div>
<br />
In light of the devastating crisis facing the Church right now, I would like to post this letter from the Most Rev. Robert Morlino, Bishop of Madison. Please pray for Bishop Morlino, that God will keep him safe and strong in the faith, as no doubt he will be attacked for stating so bluntly what has needed to said for a long time. Please also pray for all of our bishops, that they will be given the courage and strength to similarly protect their flocks from the satanic evil that has invaded the Church.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="bish morlino" height="149" src="https://www.remnantnewspaper.com/web/images/bish_morlino.JPG" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<h1 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cuprum, sans-serif; font-size: 31.2px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 30px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Bishop Robert C. Morlino's letter to the faithful on the ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the Church</span></b></h1>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">August 18, 2018</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Dear brothers and sisters in Christ of the Diocese of Madison,</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The past weeks have brought a great deal of scandal, justified anger, and a call for answers and action by many faithful Catholics here in the U.S. and overseas, directed at the Church hierarchy regarding sexual sins by bishops, priests, and even cardinals. Still more anger is rightly directed at those who have been complicit in keeping some of these serious sins from coming to light.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For my part — and I know I am not alone — I am tired of this. I am tired of people being hurt, gravely hurt! I am tired of the obfuscation of truth. I am tired of sin. And, as one who has tried — despite my many imperfections — to lay down my life for Christ and His Church, I am tired of the regular violation of sacred duties by those entrusted with immense responsibility from the Lord for the care of His people.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The stories being brought into light and displayed in gruesome detail with regard to some priests, religious, and now even those in places of highest leadership, are sickening. Hearing even one of these stories is, quite literally, enough to make someone sick. But my own sickness at the stories is quickly put into perspective when I recall the fact that many individuals have lived through them for years. For them, these are not stories, they are indeed realities. To them I turn and say, again, I am sorry for what you have suffered and what you continue to suffer in your mind and in your heart.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If you have not already done so, I beg you to reach out, as hard as that may be, and seek help to begin to heal. Also, if you’ve been hurt by a priest of our diocese, I encourage you to come forward, to make a report to law enforcement and to our Victim’s Assistance Coordinator, so that we might begin, with you as an individual, to try and set things right to the greatest extent possible.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There is nothing about these stories that is okay. These actions, committed by more than a few, can only be classified as evil, evil that cries out for justice and sin that must be cast out from our Church.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Faced with stories of the depravity of sinners within the Church, I have been tempted to despair. And why? The reality of sin — even sin in the Church — is nothing new. We are a Church made of sinners, but we are sinners called to sanctity. So what is new? What is new is the seeming acceptance of sin by some in the Church, and the apparent efforts to cover over sin by them and others. Unless and until we take seriously our call to sanctity, we, as an institution and as individuals, will continue to suffer the “wages of sin.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For too long we have diminished the reality of sin — we have refused to call a sin a sin — and we have excused sin in the name of a mistaken notion of mercy. In our efforts to be open to the world we have become all too willing to abandon the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In order to avoid causing offense we offer to ourselves and to others niceties and human consolation.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Why do we do this? Is it out of an earnest desire to display a misguided sense of being “pastoral?” Have we covered over the truth out of fear? Are we afraid of being disliked by people in this world? Or are we afraid of being called hypocrites because we are not striving tirelessly for holiness in our own lives?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Perhaps these are the reasons, but perhaps it is more or less complex than this. In the end, the excuses do not matter. We must be done with sin. It must be rooted out and again considered unacceptable. Love sinners? Yes. Accept true repentance? Yes. But do not say sin is okay. And do not pretend that grave violations of office and of trust come without grave, lasting consequences.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For the Church, the crisis we face is not limited to the McCarrick affair, or the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, or anything else that may come. The deeper crisis that must be addressed is the license for sin to have a home in individuals at every level of the Church. There is a certain comfort level with sin that has come to pervade our teaching, our preaching, our decision making, and our very way of living.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If you’ll permit me, what the Church needs now is more hatred! As I have said previously, St. Thomas Aquinas said that hatred of wickedness actually belongs to the virtue of charity. As the Book of Proverbs says “My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness (Prov. 8:7).” It is an act of love to hate sin and to call others to turn away from sin.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There must be no room left, no refuge for sin — either within our own lives, or within the lives of our communities. To be a refuge for sinners (which we should be), the Church must be a place where sinners can turn to be reconciled. In this I speak of all sin. But to be clear, in the specific situations at hand, we are talking about deviant sexual — almost exclusively homosexual — acts by clerics. We’re also talking about homosexual propositions and abuses against seminarians and young priests by powerful priests, bishops, and cardinals. We are talking about acts and actions which are not only in violation of the sacred promises made by some, in short, sacrilege, but also are in violation of the natural moral law for all. To call it anything else would be deceitful and would only ignore the problem further.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There has been a great deal of effort to keep separate acts which fall under the category of now-culturally-acceptable acts of homosexuality from the publically-deplorable acts of pedophilia. That is to say, until recently the problems of the Church have been painted purely as problems of pedophilia — this despite clear evidence to the contrary. It is time to be honest that the problems are both and they are more. To fall into the trap of parsing problems according to what society might find acceptable or unacceptable is ignoring the fact that the Church has never held ANY of it to be acceptable — neither the abuse of children, nor any use of one’s sexuality outside of the marital relationship, nor the sin of sodomy, nor the entering of clerics into intimate sexual relationships at all, nor the abuse and coercion by those with authority.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In this last regard, special mention should be made of the most notorious and highest in ranking case, that being the allegations of former-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s (oft-rumored, now very public) sexual sins, predation, and abuse of power. The well-documented details of this case are disgraceful and seriously scandalous, as is any covering up of such appalling actions by other Church leaders who knew about it based on solid evidence.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">While recent credible accusations of child sexual abuse by Archbishop McCarrick have brought a whole slew of issues to light, long-ignored was the issue of abuse of his power for the sake of homosexual gratification.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It is time to admit that there is a homosexual subculture within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church that is wreaking great devastation in the vineyard of the Lord. The Church’s teaching is clear that the homosexual inclination is not in itself sinful, but it is intrinsically disordered in a way that renders any man stably afflicted by it unfit to be a priest. And the decision to act upon this disordered inclination is a sin so grave that it cries out to heaven for vengeance, especially when it involves preying upon the young or the vulnerable. Such wickedness should be hated with a perfect hatred. Christian charity itself demands that we should hate wickedness just as we love goodness. But while hating the sin, we must never hate the sinner, who is called to conversion, penance, and renewed communion with Christ and His Church, through His inexhaustible mercy.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">At the same time, however, the love and mercy which we are called to have even for the worst of sinners does not exclude holding them accountable for their actions through a punishment proportionate to the gravity of their offense. In fact, a just punishment is an important work of love and mercy, because, while it serves primarily as retribution for the offense committed, it also offers the guilty party an opportunity to make expiation for his sin in this life (if he willingly accepts his punishment), thus sparing him worse punishment in the life to come. Motivated, therefore, by love and concern for souls, I stand with those calling for justice to be done upon the guilty.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The sins and crimes of McCarrick, and of far too many others in the Church, bring suspicion and mistrust upon many good and virtuous priests, bishops, and cardinals, and suspicion and mistrust upon many great and respectable seminaries and so many holy and faithful seminarians. The result of the first instance of mistrust harms the Church and the very good work we do in Christ’s name. It causes others to sin in their thoughts, words, and deeds — which is the very definition of scandal. And the second mistrust harms the future of the Church, since our future priests are at stake.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I said that I was tempted to despair in light of all of this. However, that temptation quickly passed, thanks be to God. No matter how large the problem, we know that we are called to go forward in faith, to rely upon God’s promises to us, and to work hard to make every bit of difference we can, within our spheres of influence.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I have recently had the opportunity to talk directly with our seminarians about these very pressing matters, and I have begun to, and will continue to, talk with the priests of the diocese, as well as the faithful, in person and through my weekly column and homilies, making things as clear as I can, from my perspective. Here now, I offer a few thoughts to those of my diocese:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In the first place, we must continue to build upon the good work which we have accomplished in protecting the youth and vulnerable of our diocese. This is a work on which we can never rest in our vigilance, nor our efforts to improve. We must continue in our work of education for all and hold to the effective policies that have been implemented, requiring psychological exams for all candidates for ministry, as well as across-the-board background checks for anyone working with children or vulnerable individuals.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Here again, I state, as we have done consistently, if you have knowledge of any sort of criminal abuse of children by someone in the Church, contact law enforcement. If you need help in contacting law enforcement contact our Victim’s Assistance Coordinator and she will help connect you with the best resources. If you are an adult victim of sexual abuse from childhood, we still encourage you to reach out to law enforcement first, but even if you don’t want to, please still reach out to us.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>To our seminarians: </b>If you are unchastely propositioned, abused, or threatened (no matter by whom), or if you directly witness unchaste behavior, report it to me and to the seminary rector. I will address it swiftly and vigorously. I will not stand for this in my diocese or anywhere I send men for formation. I trust that the seminaries I choose, very discriminately, to help form our men will not ignore this type of scandalous behavior, and I will continue to verify that expectation.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>To our priests:</b> Most simply, live out the promises you made on your ordination day. You are called to serve Christ’s people, beginning with praying daily the Liturgy of the Hours. This is to keep you very close to God. In addition, you promised to obey and be loyal to your bishop. In obedience, strive to live out your priesthood as a holy priest, a hard working priest, and a pure and happy priest — as Christ Himself is calling you to do. And by extension, live a chaste and celibate life so that you can completely give your life to Christ, the Church, and the people whom he has called you to serve. God will give you the graces to do so. Ask Him for the help you need daily and throughout every day. And if you are unchastely propositioned, abused, or threatened (no matter by whom), or if you directly witness unchaste behavior, report it to me. I will not stand for this in my diocese any more than in our seminaries.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>To the faithful of the diocese:</b> If you are the victim of abuse of any kind by a priest, bishop, cardinal, or any employee of the Church, bring it forward. It will be addressed quickly and justly. If you have directly witnessed sexual advances or any type of abuse, bring it forward as well. Such actions are sinful and scandalous and we cannot allow anyone to use their position or power to abuse another person. Again, in addition to injuring individuals, these actions injure the very Body of Christ, His Church.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Furthermore, I add my name to those calling for real and sustained reform in the episcopate, priesthood, our parishes, schools, universities, and seminaries that would root out and hold accountable any would-be sexual predator or accomplice;</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I will hold the priests of the diocese to their promise to live a chaste and celibate life of service to you and your parish, and evidence of failure in this regard will be justly addressed;</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I will likewise hold every man studying for the priesthood for our diocese accountable to living a chaste and celibate life as part of his formation for the priesthood. Failure to do so will lead to dismissal from diocesan sponsorship;</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I will continue to require (with our men and our funds) that all seminaries to which we send men to study be vigilant that seminarians are protected from sexual predators and provide an atmosphere conducive to their holistic formation as holy priests, in the image of Christ;</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I ask all the faithful of the diocese to assist in keeping us accountable to civil authorities, the faithful in the pews, and to God Almighty, not only to protect children and the youth from sexual predators in the Church, but our seminarians, university students, and all the faithful as well. I promise to put any victim and their sufferings before that of the personal and professional reputation of a priest, or any Church employee, guilty of abuse;</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I ask everyone reading this to pray. Pray earnestly for the Church and all her ministers. Pray for our seminarians. And pray for yourselves and your families. We must all work daily on our own personal holiness and hold ourselves accountable first and, in turn, hold our brothers and sisters accountable as well, and</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Finally, I ask you all to join me and the entire clergy of the Diocese of Madison in making public and private acts of reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for all the sins of sexual depravity committed by members of the clergy and episcopacy. I will be offering a public Mass of reparation on Friday, September 14, the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross, at Holy Name Heights and I ask all pastors to do the same in their own parishes. In addition, I ask that all priests, clergy, religious, and diocesan employees join me in observing the upcoming Autumn Ember Days (Sep. 19, 21, and 22) as days of fasting and abstinence in reparation for the sins and outrages committed by members of the clergy and episcopacy and I invite all the faithful to do the same. Some sins, like some demons, can only be driven out by prayer and fasting.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This letter and these statements and promises are not intended to be an exhaustive list of what we can and need to do in the Church to begin to heal from, and stave off, this deep illness in the Church, but rather the next steps I believe we can take locally.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">More than anything else, we as a Church must cease our acceptance of sin and evil. We must cast out sin from our own lives and run toward holiness. We must refuse to be silent in the face of sin and evil in our families and communities and we must demand from our pastors — myself included — that they themselves are striving day in and day out for holiness. We must do this always with loving respect for individuals but with a clear understanding that true love can never exist without truth.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Again, right now there is a lot of justified anger and passion coming from many holy and faithful lay people and clerics across the country, calling for real reform and “house cleaning” of this type of depravity. I stand with them. I don’t know yet how this will play out nationally or internationally. But I do know this, and I make this my last point and last promise, for the Diocese of Madison:<b><i> “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”</i></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Faithfully yours in the Lord,</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Most Rev. Robert C. Morlino</b><b><br /><b>Bishop of Madison</b></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<i>This text first appeared in the <a href="http://www.madisoncatholicherald.org/bishopsletters/7730-letter-scandal.html" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #105d7a; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Madison Catholic Herald</a>.</i></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-33306032703430043622018-06-29T16:30:00.000-07:002019-01-22T09:17:58.425-08:00Evil Unleashed and Ouija Board Nightmares<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSJNHVZ" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwumRJvgtDlrbDoBu0DiJrP26Lb4hAD9Nv1XgIGjN7PC_0ktrIxmseIsN9sCI9k8qhSjjcybTp063w8xinwjHWeuDlLl4EnscSbL351y-jhfk5SWyVi2y1wBMBzZ574JojXcpeCHS6w/s320/cover_interior.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I've written in the past about the rise of interest in the occult and the correlative rise in exorcism requests. Author John Harker goes into this in more detail in his new book,<i> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSJNHVZ" target="_blank">Evil Unleashed: True Tales of Spells Gone to Hell and Other Occult Disasters</a></i>. The ugly, horrifying consequences of participating in the occult are showcased in twelve fascinating chapters, with plenty of interesting and thought-provoking bits of advice sprinkled throughout from experts in the paranormal field. (Some Catholic, some not, but all worth considering.) John is an acquaintance of mine, and I’m happy to help him out by giving his book a plug here. If you know of anyone who’s in danger of getting entangled in the occult, or if you’re in the mood for a spooky-good read yourself, pick up a copy and share. The more you know about the enemy, the more you can arm yourself against it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Added June 29, 2018:</b><br />
<br />
John has also written extensively about the Ouija board, which Catholic demonologist Ed Warren once called "a notorious passkey to terror" and which is responsible for a large percentage of exorcism cases, according to American exorcist Fr. Thomas Euteneurer. To learn more, check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VJ79TC8" target="_blank">Ouija Board Nightmares</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLW4YCK" target="_blank">Ouija Board Nightmares 2</a>, John's latest.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIrY95BWPQLMQGzqJVPi7ksGUPK5oGAgY3zk6fb2dFVCrwy-adjW6RZyaAapb9szs__YUz19YoOAZ0n3c_VXaep6sjDA9t5cCsi1zfYOADC0vmyru1stohAv_wU9j4XGqX6gD6bPjLQ/s1600/twosome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="286" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIrY95BWPQLMQGzqJVPi7ksGUPK5oGAgY3zk6fb2dFVCrwy-adjW6RZyaAapb9szs__YUz19YoOAZ0n3c_VXaep6sjDA9t5cCsi1zfYOADC0vmyru1stohAv_wU9j4XGqX6gD6bPjLQ/s200/twosome.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-37393855574665132182017-10-14T10:57:00.000-07:002019-05-08T10:29:58.033-07:00Announcement: Partners in Holiness is Now an Audiobook!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUSBvXaiOnaAwFXB1Dhx-vXfOvEoHwpvtcWVTF61M59qFHwr54Aog3fND53aG4xqqUtSnXjvU_qyZBPVbeuuyU_0U1sM3b3GIhN5U-lJwWexzxFxaGxHk0WPbhDvU8FrW5i3GAsN6aQ/s1600/audio_cover_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUSBvXaiOnaAwFXB1Dhx-vXfOvEoHwpvtcWVTF61M59qFHwr54Aog3fND53aG4xqqUtSnXjvU_qyZBPVbeuuyU_0U1sM3b3GIhN5U-lJwWexzxFxaGxHk0WPbhDvU8FrW5i3GAsN6aQ/s200/audio_cover_blog.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm pleased to announce that <i>Partners in Holiness: Guardian Angels in the Lives of the Saints</i> is now available as an audiobook. Featuring the inimitable vocal talent of June Entwisle, these timeless tales of angels and saints are sure to delight fans of all ages. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Get you copy now at <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Spirituality/Partners-in-Holiness-Audiobook/B076CS1K55/" target="_blank">Audible</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Partners-Holiness-Guardian-Angels-Saints/dp/B076CV4628/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or iTunes. </div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-75700347275667936862017-09-28T22:08:00.000-07:002017-10-02T14:12:28.168-07:00Padre Pio: Go to St. Michael!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHdxExG45jGxO2piN-942nsoSkGstrHLeP0WpLkRUFb7tRqNm53JEKAFDBcb5VPaVPVlNi0WqZZxTohITKsOXalHv1ZD1hABzWOS0_86OdsTOCBQzelwHqSlmvVKSl-MbThf2etRkRA/s1600/Pio_and_Michael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="524" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHdxExG45jGxO2piN-942nsoSkGstrHLeP0WpLkRUFb7tRqNm53JEKAFDBcb5VPaVPVlNi0WqZZxTohITKsOXalHv1ZD1hABzWOS0_86OdsTOCBQzelwHqSlmvVKSl-MbThf2etRkRA/s400/Pio_and_Michael.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
St. Michael is always ready to defend us against evil. The demons of hell are no match for the great Archangel whose Hebrew name translates to the rhetorical question, “Who is like God?” St. Padre Pio, whose own devotion to the holy angels is legendary, knew this better than anyone.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
One day after Padre Pio finished hearing confessions at the church in San Giovanni Rotondo, a distressed mother brought her daughter before him and begged for his help. The mother believed her daughter was possessed by a demon, and given the girl’s frantic thrashings and unearthly shrieks, it appeared to be the case. Several large men had to hold the girl back as she howled pitifully in front of the saintly priest. <br />
<br />
“Stop! Enough!” commanded Padre Pio, at which point the girl collapsed on the floor and lay still as if sleeping. Padre Pio then instructed the men, one of whom was a doctor, to bring the little girl to St. Michael at the shrine of Monte Sant'Angelo, about nine miles away. <br />
<br />
The shrine is housed inside a large cave, which had once been the site of a pagan temple in pre-Christian times. It is believed that St. Michael himself made four visible visits to the site beginning in the year 490. On the third visit, Saint Michael appeared to the local bishop and stated that he consecrated the shrine himself, since his request years earlier had not been granted. The site, declared Michael, would henceforth be a place where prayers would be answered. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_ULXZDa9iCsm5dcPsKZS2Vlon_vhOzK1NidEbVhp21g-hkh_Ft5VFQPU_vA7hF5NnBK60y1KavnEO5L1Oh5RYZde4bG3gxdcyR5FCMdTQBxaZkevahVW4rVM-9b9vUj5pgssUUSAqg/s1600/monte-sant-Angelo-pilgrimage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="1039" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_ULXZDa9iCsm5dcPsKZS2Vlon_vhOzK1NidEbVhp21g-hkh_Ft5VFQPU_vA7hF5NnBK60y1KavnEO5L1Oh5RYZde4bG3gxdcyR5FCMdTQBxaZkevahVW4rVM-9b9vUj5pgssUUSAqg/s400/monte-sant-Angelo-pilgrimage1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The group accompanying the afflicted girl were desperately hoping their prayers would be heard. Having arrived at the shrine, the girl woke up and began thrashing and howling once again. With a mighty effort, the adults holding on to her brought her close enough where a monk was able to touch her hand to the altar. Immediately the girl dropped to the ground. <br />
<br />
A few minutes later the girl woke up and asked her mother, “Could you buy me an ice cream?” With relief and joy, the group returned to San Giovanni Rotondo to thank Padre Pio for his wise instruction to go to the altar of St. Michael. In the blunt manner for which he was famous, Padre Pio drew the mother aside and cautioned her: “Say to your husband not to curse anymore, or else the demon will return.”<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
-----------</div>
<br />
Demons are difficult to get rid of, sort of like lice and cockroaches. But they can never harm us if we live by virtue and make frequent use of the sacraments. <br />
<br />
<br />
Plus, we have this guy on our side:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_DFwU-N_qPBSMHYuM-H-5KTV1z9gCDk3dltjD93Em8syXt7o-a-Ij4a86moACPBuUGWqaxygOLpbtf-UioFfbpWmTFVuylYlgClZExygTrg0ImQrwlwTQfSUyCIcKwRtPl2zsL8gsA/s1600/Cathedral_St_Michaels_Victory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="297" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_DFwU-N_qPBSMHYuM-H-5KTV1z9gCDk3dltjD93Em8syXt7o-a-Ij4a86moACPBuUGWqaxygOLpbtf-UioFfbpWmTFVuylYlgClZExygTrg0ImQrwlwTQfSUyCIcKwRtPl2zsL8gsA/s400/Cathedral_St_Michaels_Victory.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em style="background-color: white; color: #0e0202; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">O glorious prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day. Amen</span></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-89617884181407380922017-09-01T09:27:00.000-07:002017-09-29T07:17:18.149-07:00Be Happy - Choose Joy<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPkEX2DgU8atIOIjdZ7gzHEeaLUWqZz-lgWUJP7UnDUtCqq8ZBJ_q7dwRzi84hTTq32idFwy-kBlhGFblbD9gwt_9K3qCbf3lP5nufuX1vZP2TOh7vDK_nyd6pfTHXp-1afED2xWMRg/s1600/joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="500" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPkEX2DgU8atIOIjdZ7gzHEeaLUWqZz-lgWUJP7UnDUtCqq8ZBJ_q7dwRzi84hTTq32idFwy-kBlhGFblbD9gwt_9K3qCbf3lP5nufuX1vZP2TOh7vDK_nyd6pfTHXp-1afED2xWMRg/s320/joy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
With the news channels reporting non-stop tragedies, scandals, and woes of one type or another, it’s easy to allow ourselves to become disgruntled and despondent. But we have to fight against that urge. Not only is it a form of spiritual suicide to wallow in such feelings, but it is exactly what our enemy wants.<br />
<br />
Catholic blogger and author Michael H. Brown posted this message recently on his website <a href="http://www.spiritdaily.com/" target="_blank">Spirit Daily</a>. It bears repeating:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For Satan is a supreme liar, and will whisper into your ears discouragement, disparagement, false notion, umbrage, anger, false memory, exaggeration. He can also make you hear something other than what a person is saying. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
As far as anxiety, that’s a form of fear. The devil makes you dread for the future, for your job, for your health, and for your family; and especially he wants you to fear him. He wants you afraid because his minions are parasites; they use fear to energize and materialize their disembodied existence; they revel in and feed off anxiety, anger, and fear.</blockquote>
<br />
This doesn't mean we have to go around with smiles pasted on our faces at all times. I know this would be hard for me, given my personality.<br />
<br />
But we can at least be mindful that choosing gloom and doom isn’t what God wants for us. We have a choice. We can choose to walk out from under the black cloud and into His light. We can choose to be what we are called to be: joyful children of God.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-80076757129923884432016-11-13T16:38:00.000-08:002016-11-13T16:38:55.132-08:00The Rise of the Exorcists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRt6x-exXC_XpD-0Hi_nnXuCLKFQxThK3pcefQAc6vztz3v_N348pXR2TYsRedkUgLp-WuyHLskJa_00orINKjxVLhTnTinhVgO5cWJfES70QKUKJ3cbX7WNWGnC2LLeEv-C4hdqIvzQ/s1600/Francisco_Goya_exorcism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRt6x-exXC_XpD-0Hi_nnXuCLKFQxThK3pcefQAc6vztz3v_N348pXR2TYsRedkUgLp-WuyHLskJa_00orINKjxVLhTnTinhVgO5cWJfES70QKUKJ3cbX7WNWGnC2LLeEv-C4hdqIvzQ/s320/Francisco_Goya_exorcism.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
There has been a lot of talk in news circles lately about the astonishing <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/26/leading-us-exorcists-explain-huge-increase-in-demand-for-the-rit/" target="_blank">rise in the number of exorcism requests</a> around the globe. In Italy alone last year, there were 500,000 such requests. While the pleas for help cross all belief systems, it is, of course, the Catholic Church that is in the forefront of the melee. After all, when you think exorcist, you think Catholic priest, not Presbyterian minister. Thankfully, more priests are being appointed to this special ministry, in large part to Pope John Paul II’s 2003 exhortation to bishops to make it so. In the United States, the number of official Church-approved exorcists has risen from 12 to 50 in the last 20 years.<br />
<br />
Father Gary Thomas of the Diocese of San Jose, and Father Vincent Lambert of the Diocese of Indianapolis, <a href="http://www.thechristianreview.com/battling-the-demonic-an-interview-with-americas-exorcists/" target="_blank">are two such priests who have answered the call of their bishops</a>. Many exorcists like to stay anonymous even within their own parishes, but Fathers Thomas and Lambert are known for their accessibility and their willingness to talk about what many people don’t want to hear: that personified evil is a real thing. Satan and his demons are active in our world and they’re making many people’s lives miserable. Full-blown possession still remains a fairly rare occurrence, but the incidence of demonic attachment, infestation, and oppression is staggering.<br />
<br />
Why the uptick? Father Lambert believes that the increase in demonic activity is not merely because the Devil has “upped his game,” but also because more people are willing to play his game today through activities that are opening up doorways to evil in their lives. These activities include things like drugs and pornography, falling away from traditional faiths, and persisting in a life of sin.<br />
<br />
And then there is the occult. Whether it’s labeled New Age studies, metaphysics, or the dark arts, interest and participation in these activities is booming. When asked in an interview if the occult is satanic, Fr. Thomas answered:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Not in and of itself, but it’s opening a doorway. It’s tampering in the spirit world, and you do not know who’s going to show up. So when someone gets into Wicca, black magic or white magic, psychics, séances, Tarot cards, spells, or all that other idolatrous stuff, they don’t know what’s going to happen. They’re tapping into a realm they know nothing about, most of the time.”</blockquote>
In the light of all these warnings, statistics, and stories of evil spirits running amok, you might wonder how safe you are from satanic influences. Fr. Thomas leaves us with this hopeful message: “If you have a strong faith life, a strong prayer life, and a strong sacramental life, then you have nothing to worry about.”<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-61804940049239146242016-10-15T06:00:00.000-07:002019-01-19T16:58:25.530-08:00The Ouija Board: Just Say No<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMt3muhzmHV7NqsJ4bsg6t7SZ9IZ3HDNtZnvvLpCjmI0ZA1vdsNpandGGxe9pU9DZ2Atp-JaORVw_NmFViXrbIEkLAlH6KsuLlLaWSUYwe8oscOCcKBY4Z3zpWFPtchhgzh2TjNWSvA/s1600/no_ouija.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMt3muhzmHV7NqsJ4bsg6t7SZ9IZ3HDNtZnvvLpCjmI0ZA1vdsNpandGGxe9pU9DZ2Atp-JaORVw_NmFViXrbIEkLAlH6KsuLlLaWSUYwe8oscOCcKBY4Z3zpWFPtchhgzh2TjNWSvA/s1600/no_ouija.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It seems that every October Hollywood releases at least one new horror movie, capitalizing, of course, on the spirit of Halloween, which in this country has gotten way out of control. (But that's another blog post.) Two years ago the movie <i>Ouija</i> made quite a splash at the box office, so much so that this year a prequel to that movie is coming out, <i>Ouija: Origin of Evil</i>. While interest in the movie itself isn’t necessarily of great concern (I happen to love horror movies myself), it’s the real-life obsession in the movie’s subject matter that is unsettling: the Ouija board.<br />
<br />
Tens of millions of these “games” have been sold since their inception in the late 1800s. Modernized by Parker Brothers in the 1960s (and now sold under the Hasbro label), the board has been marketed as a harmless toy and party game. In fact, in 2008 Toys R Us even began selling a special pink edition just for little girls. How cute! Maybe the demons will wear tutus and ribbons when they come to the sleepover! (The board has since been removed from the store, but a glow-in-the-dark one is still available.)<br />
<br />
Make no mistake: the Ouija board is not a toy. It’s not a game. It’s not harmless.<br />
<br />
Fr. Thomas Euteneurer, exorcist and author of <i>Exorcism and the Church Militant</i>, is on record as saying that as many as ninety percent of the possession cases he encounters began with a Ouija board.<br />
<br />
The late Catholic demonologist Ed Warren once called the Ouija board a “notorious passkey to terror.”<br />
<br />
And the late Jesuit author Malachi Martin, who wrote extensively about demonic possession, once explained that the individual does not even have to intentionally engage the demonic. Simply dabbling in the occult, he believed, whether it was playing with a Ouija board or attending a séance or practicing transcendental meditation, the enneagram, etc., can dispose a person to possession because he has made himself an "aspiring vacuum" to whatever happens along.<br />
<br />
Something “happened along” one night many, many years ago in my own life, when a young female relative who was babysitting me thought it would be fun to show me her Ouija board. She was going to try to contact a long-dead family member known only to me as “Aunt Karen.” She started moving the pointer around the board until the word “H E R E” was spelled out. My babysitter was visibly shaken, I remember that, but whether or not she was faking, I don’t know. Nothing else dramatic happened right then. But later that night after I had gone to bed, I remember waking up and seeing a very scary-looking woman coming in my room through my window. She was smiling at me maniacally and I just knew–I could feel–that her intent toward me was evil. I screamed for my parents and the vision vanished. Maybe it was just a bad dream. Nevertheless, I never saw that Ouija board again.<br />
<br />
The relative of whom I spoke I loved dearly. When she was around 30 years old, she disappeared under mysterious circumstances and has never been heard from again. She battled many demons during the short period of her life that I knew her, the addictive, destructive kinds that are on the natural plane. I’m sure, however, that her unfortunate interest in the occult only made things worse. I hope and pray I see her again one day.<br />
<br />
The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it clear how we are to approach the occult:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
2116: All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.</blockquote>
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf offers this no-nonsense advice: “Avoid, avoid, avoid things that might open you up to oppression by the Enemy, such as Tarot cards and Ouija boards and other things that might be taken to be ‘games’. If you have those things destroy them NOW, not later.”<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * * * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
Need more proof that the Ouija board is a channel for evil? These two books have plenty of stories from people in all walks of life who have dabbled with the boards and have regretted it. There are good quotes from Catholic professionals in the books as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VJ79TC8" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xuKs-r2FgZX42fauNvhJK-8v5hMfrweIliH3mfXhcyNoWf__kDQW_eFXyjaHzulqSrycgNO6pY9_RQguqgby7MsX1kQiWEPX6PAIIP-Ocd3rIQL7zHhnzeQ2_F_meL9kgb7wC8IprQ/s1600/51Q-Y5aFADL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" title="Ouija Board Nightmares" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VJ79TC8" target="_blank">Ouija Board Nightmares</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLW4YCK" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yIT4VEeDij0Rel0AMb9JgewGi4r859HdJvtPzH9V0H51CWhjxJzOWGFRZC7u7QFb4vTn2v2CdVorSZdj8EUNWfPFCGMqbis4RuGhyphenhyphenGo8oTYNu4dEStzSphhHEAE2q8G0XY6hyphenhyphenzVeCQ/s200/twitter.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLW4YCK" target="_blank">Ouija Board Nightmares 2</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXcdcQ3D-0_1rPtJGjPmGYeIOD693YUP-Q62VPj2K9Sd3D6MeTf9Oqd2501d80KGVOrCjLEYmxfWvKQqlplbV6l0qmdTG7QWPdRz6w0FDYGP_38mabh4Tt_gZC4jHBp3_n8SQAmJayg/s1600/st.+michale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXcdcQ3D-0_1rPtJGjPmGYeIOD693YUP-Q62VPj2K9Sd3D6MeTf9Oqd2501d80KGVOrCjLEYmxfWvKQqlplbV6l0qmdTG7QWPdRz6w0FDYGP_38mabh4Tt_gZC4jHBp3_n8SQAmJayg/s1600/st.+michale.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by the power of God, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
thrust into hell Satan,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and all the evil spirits,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
who prowl about the world </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.</div>
</div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-39870875855552780982016-03-05T09:33:00.002-08:002016-03-05T09:34:59.844-08:00Gentle Advice from St. Francis de Sales<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyl2f9eQcnc4kObNDS29O86vhyphenhyphenTutbqVYb3VvEe4qjPMVqFKyUEDNrcjIHIzV7wLi0pqesTL_XL-lOX-2HsQhfNoB2FVzf_VhG785S96uxVt6IH0AytOsCwUrDNV_tNY355PrpYhZfw/s1600/st-fds-bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyl2f9eQcnc4kObNDS29O86vhyphenhyphenTutbqVYb3VvEe4qjPMVqFKyUEDNrcjIHIzV7wLi0pqesTL_XL-lOX-2HsQhfNoB2FVzf_VhG785S96uxVt6IH0AytOsCwUrDNV_tNY355PrpYhZfw/s200/st-fds-bw.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><i>"Never be hurried in anything. Do all things calmly and in a spirit of repose. Do not lose your inward peace, even if everything seems to be going wrong. What is anything in life compared to peace of soul?"</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><i>-St. Francis de Sales</i></span></div>
M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5380664553755915490.post-8549690520861070492016-02-09T23:01:00.000-08:002016-02-09T23:01:32.282-08:00Lenten Book SaleNow and for the next 40 days, my angels and saints ebooks will be on sale for 0.99 cents each.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LGSBBO" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6nbuxtX5sq9GSgywSuNsBp5IZBVpzB6So4IvxB7rXTk6wLkJdQWzspLxP7LDUkDtEYXoKW4R_fI-cq9IaVhxjjYgJMwV8N_Lwwzhsn2z3GaDRLKUlC0ZGv2kX0z8DoJqllxBAzngkA/s200/lent_sale.jpg" title="Partners in Holiness: Guardian Angels in the Lives of the Saints" width="131" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FD4N7S" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDr5Omu6gNEkcnILl4wCYzFvQcRpt3GvNtragX4ukEfjRiYFtNY5vjlAKA7HUEB1xXbzpJxIQJggVzgs6wzfVTK_bLecrCuUEyH4uNhFcsVlMjF9dizj34a-G5DHECsSWOpQqh0Cp4nw/s200/lent_sale2.jpg" title="The Medal from Heaven and Other Saints Stories for Kids" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OLZYWP4" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnSpYZmPKy-XoeXIViZiYDUx0HajWlHgzUHc5l-YOd3Nbn8TKiCBekasHPtnLR-fBLgJRz9Cot_8qyeTNCTc-FzMa5oD3TaKpWjTw9GrQIVpaY88EFsFOQxg0_NxABF8-hGnhpAMh3w/s200/lent_sale3.jpg" title="Angels and Saints and the Rest of Us" width="128" /></a></div>
<br />
These pictures link to Amazon, but the books are also available at most other online book retailers.<br />
<br />
Wishing you all a blessed and holy Lent!M.B. Rytherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04527631385554775482noreply@blogger.com0