Posted on 03/23/2005 7:40:28 PM PST by murphE
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Reflections for Monday in Holy Week: His Agony in the Garden
Reflections for Tuesday in Holy Week: The Scourging at the Pillar
Reflections for Wednesday in Holy Week: The Crowning of Thorns
Reading the first few paragraphs I'm struck by how the Passion is being played out in our world during Holy Week. The government Pontius Pilates washing their hands of the blood of an innocent Terri Schindler, the bloodthirsty crowds(some on FR who claim to be Christians) demanding her death, and the bystanders who try to comfort her with a towel or a drink to ease her suffering.
This isn't good murph. It isn't good at all.
Thank you, these are beautiful.
Agree with you all the way. What is happening to Terri, I'm afraid is just a foretaste of persecutions and deaths that are to come.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
I agree with you too. And if they think the hurricane season was bad last year in Florida...
**And if they think the hurricane season was bad last year in Florida...**
LOL!
There's a couple unpopular things I'm wondering, though.
How many situations go unnoticed because they aren't picked up by the media, and consequently, how many souls go un-prayed for. As much limelight as the case may deserve, how many predicaments are people in all around the globe from minute to minute which have as much intrinsic urgency as this?
My hope is slightly different than others, perhaps. Looking to the fact that she doesn't seem likely to get out of this alive, I'm hoping that she has the grace to suffer well. I'm hoping that that suffering, in turn, in union with Christ's, would be effecacious for other souls. I'm hoping that with whatever awareness she has in her, that she lay down herself for her others and for their salvation.
It's a very different war than the casual observers witness, really. The real war will always be for the salvation of souls, and the real sufferings are always ordered to that end, in immitation of Christ. As heinous a crime as what she is being forced to endure, that crime could be quite lucrative if she is well disposed towards the grace to suffer well.
Maybe we should pray for that... that she knowingly and willingly suffers well and perseveres.
After all, most everyone flees from the Cross, but, at the same time, the Cross is necessary, and if they ultimately are to follow Christ, the Cross will revisit them before the end. Each one who will be successful, who will triumph, will not avoid it, ultimately. St. John didn't have a Cross like others because he'd handled his in advance, standing with Christ to the end. The other apostles who fled... they all got their Cross in the end, which was a Mercy forced upon them.
No one who makes it can avoid it though, ultimately.
I pray she suffers well, and that souls are converted as a result. In the ultimate economy, she'll corner the market.
Funny you should mention that. Recently I've added an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be to my nightly prayers for the intention of "the soul on earth who needs it most" and then I do the same thing for "the soul in purgatory who needs it most".
If you did nothing else in life, you'd be successful.
I am reading the Yves Dupont book 'Catholic Prophecy'. Everything is falling into place. I was a little afraid last night but today I am mostly sad.
St. Columba (6th century). "Hearken, hearken to what will happen in the latter days of the world! There will be great wars; unjust laws will be enacted; the Church will be despoiled of her property; people will read and write a great deal; but charity and humility will be laughed to scorn, and the common people will believe in false ideas."
St. Methodius. "A day will come when the enemies of Christ will boast of having conquered the whole world. They will say: 'Christians cannot escape now!' But a Great King will arise to fight the enemies of God. He will defeat them, and peace will be given to the world, and the Church will be freed from her anxieties."
I've only scanned the book so far. I can't find many references to the US except that we will send troops to save Europe and the Pope will flee overseas.
Terri has suffered so much already. I don't know why some souls undergo severe trials while others are spared. I found myself praying God would take away her pain and take her quickly if she had to die.
I don't know if that is right to do or not.
If I am having a bad day I will offer my sufferings towards the most needy soul in purgatory. It helps give some purpose to what I can't understand.
I'm sorry that you are having a bad day. = (
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