Called To The Dance

By Our True Love...





(h/t Inside Catholic)


"Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day"


Chorus:
Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love


5. Into the desert I was led,
Where I fasted without substance;
The Devil bade me make stones my bread,
To have me break my true love's dance. Chorus

6. The Jews on me they made great suit,
And with me made great variance,
Because they loved darkness rather than light,
To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

7. For thirty pence Judas me sold,
His covetousness for to advance:
Mark whom I kiss, the same do hold!
The same is he shall lead the dance. Chorus

8. Before Pilate the Jews me brought,
Where Barabbas had deliverance;
They scourged me and set me at nought,
Judged me to die to lead the dance. Chorus

9. Then on the cross hanged I was,
Where a spear my heart did glance;
There issued forth both water and blood,
To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

10. Then down to hell I took my way
For my true love's deliverance,
And rose again on the third day,
Up to my true love and the dance. Chorus

11. Then up to heaven I did ascend,
Where now I dwell in sure substance
On the right hand of God, that man
May come unto the general dance. Chorus

(full lyrics)

My children anticipate with bouncy exuberance, the joy of Easter Sunday, but I anticipate with peaceful resignation, knowing my True Love, and being enveloped in His embrace.

I love being Catholic, for the fullness of that embrace.

.

The Divine Mercy Novena

(EWTN)

The Divine Mercy Novena

Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said:

"These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy."

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."

The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are....read more

Good Friday

Cardinal Ruini 'Via Crucis' (April 2,2010)

...When the Apostle Philip asked Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father," he replied, "Have I been with you all this time, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:8-9). This evening, as we accompany Jesus in our hearts while he makes his way beneath the cross, let us not forget those words. Even as he carries the cross, even in his death on the cross, Jesus remains the Son, who is one with God the Father. When we look upon his face disfigured by beating, weariness and inner suffering, we see the face of the Father. Indeed, it is precisely in this moment that God's glory, his surpassing splendour, in some way becomes visible on the face of Jesus. In this poor, suffering man whom Pilate, in the hope of eliciting compassion, showed to the Jews with the words "Behold the man!" (Jn 19:5), we see revealed the true greatness of God, that mysterious grandeur beyond all our imagining....

.

Holy Thursday

" Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end."(John13:1)









Pope Benedict XVI Holy Thursday Homily (April 1, 2010)
(full text)

...We said that breaking the bread is an act of communion, an act of uniting through sharing. Thus, in the act itself, the intimate nature of the Eucharist is already indicated: it is agape, it is love made corporeal. In the word “agape”, the meanings of Eucharist and love intertwine. In Jesus’ act of breaking the bread, the love that is shared has attained its most radical form: Jesus allows himself to be broken as living bread. In the bread that is distributed, we recognize the mystery of the grain of wheat that dies, and so bears fruit. We recognize the new multiplication of the loaves, which derives from the dying of the grain of wheat and will continue until the end of the world. At the same time, we see that the Eucharist can never be just a liturgical action. It is complete only if the liturgical agape then becomes love in daily life. In Christian worship, the two things become one – experiencing the Lord’s love in the act of worship and fostering love for one’s neighbour. At this hour, we ask the Lord for the grace to learn to live the mystery of the Eucharist ever more deeply, in such a way that the transformation of the world can begin to take place...

"18 of 31"- Mexicans States Choose Life

California Catholic Daily :

Mexican pro-life leader praises majority of country’s states for adopting legal protection for unborn, calls on rest of states to follow suit

Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 29, 2010 (CNA) -- In a recent article for the newspaper, El Grafico, Mexican pro-life expert Carolina Beauregard applauded actions by 18 of the country's 31 states to establish legal protections for the unborn and encouraged the remaining 13 states to pass similar pro-life laws.

Beauregard, who advises several Mexican pro-life groups, wrote that the constitutional reforms protecting life in 18 Mexican states advanced with the overwhelming majority of political parties and strong support by the people. She added that support for the right to life is on the rise, despite efforts by some groups in opposition.

“Lawmakers are seeking to protect the lives of the unborn and the mother at the same time,” she explained, noting that in some states, women who undergo an abortion are sentenced to community service instead of a prison term.

Beauregard called on all organizations in Mexico to safeguard the right to life, underscoring that “we should reflect on the kind of society that we want -- one in which life is valued and defended above any circumstance.”

Ignatieff Still Hot For Abortion

An unfortunate circumstance of living in Cayman, is that there is so much Canadian news. Thus I am frequently subjected to hours and hours of CBC programming. Right now, the Leader of the Opposition is telling us how embarrassed he is that the Canadian government has decided not to fund abortion and contraception as part of 'maternal care'. This was decided by a vote in the House of Commons only last week. He is embarrassed because the US and the UK disagree. Ignatieff believes that people who wish to use contraception and abortion to avoid becoming mothers, should receive the funds designated for those who are or wish to be mothers. In his words, he doesn't wish anyone to be excluded. If you give him enough time, he may include those who wish they weren't women at all...

Michael Ignatieff is the personification of the PC disease that has infected the world. Its perpetrated by bully liberals, who do not allow that anyone else has a legitimate right to vote, decide, speak or act in anyway contrary to liberal dogma. The most obvious of this liberal dogma is the international push for the universal acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle as normal, and the universal access and funding of abortion. The EU, the UN and the US are the pushers. All nations hanging on to even the slightest shred of their Christian heritage, are those being pushed.

Even if one is not the biggest fan of Stephen Harper, even if one thinks he's barely right of left in a lot of areas, and perhaps not at all socially conservative, no freedom loving, individualistic, intelligent , Canadian patriot can in good conscience support the Liberals or their latest stooge - it is tantamount to selling out to World Government. As in 'We don't know what's best for us, let's give our rights over to smarter people, like those suave Europeans, or that handsome intellectual from Harvard'.

I commend the Harper government for this - reflecting the spirit of freedom and common sense that built Canada, and presenting an independently sound and good vision of world health . We don't need to be more American or British or European. We need to be more Canadian. Common sense, hard working people who care about their families and aren't falsely attached to every fleeting self-destructive philosophical fad emanating from Europe or America.

Free Speechers - Canadian Senate

Senator Finley :

“The great Alan Borovoy, who was the head of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association for more than forty years, calls freedom of speech a “strategic freedom”. “Because it is the freedom upon which all of our other freedoms are built. “For example, how could we exercise our democratic right to hold elections, without free speech? “How could we have a fair trial, without free speech? “And what would be the point of freedom of assembly, if we couldn’t talk freely at a public meeting? “It is the most important freedom. Indeed, if you had all of your other rights taken away, you could still win them back with freedom of speech.

“Benjamin Franklin once said that “Without Freedom of thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of speech” “Freedom of speech is embedded in Parliament’s DNA. The word Parliament itself comes from the French word, parler – to speak.

“And as Parliamentarians, we guard our freedom jealously. No Member of Parliament or the Senate may be sued for anything he says in here. Our freedom of speech is absolute. “And yet just last week, only a few miles from here, censorship reared its ugly head....

Senator Duffy:

“I rise to join my colleague, Senator Finley, in support of an inquiry into the state of freedom of speech in Canada. “I share Senator Finley’s love of freedom and his concern about the growing phenomena of censorship. “I approach the subject from the perspective of someone who, as a journalist for more than forty years, has used freedom of speech every day of my life, and has seen its essential role in keeping our democracy healthy. “And that’s my first observation: freedom of speech is much bigger than just politics.

“It’s about our right as free men and women to express ourselves in any way we choose – not just politically, but socially, musically, artistically and through every other human endeavour.

“Our freedom of expression is inextricably linked to our right to think for ourselves, to choose our place in the world, to talk back to the world, and even to fight against the world. “If you doubt that, ask any high school rock band why they do what they do! “So while it’s often political speech that grabs the news headlines – we should never forget that millions of Canadians put freedom of speech into action every day, from film-makers to authors, to stand-up comedians, to advertising agencies to PTA meetings and Rotary Clubs. “Free speech is a thread of personal liberty that is woven into every part of Canadian society...

Hopefully this is just the beginning.

M.O.P. Concert - Grand Cayman

Here are some photographs of the Missionaries of the Poor fund-raising concert at our parish this past weekend. Fr. Richard Ho Lung, founder of the M.O.P., and five singers from their musical troupe sang Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon, raising over $7000 for Haiti relief and the M.O.P.'s new project in Kingston.







(photos by Diana Brodowska)

Day 40 - 40 Days For Life

Every '40 Days For Life ' campaign, I try to post their meditations here each of the 40 days. Today is the final day of another successful, life affirming campaign. Babies lives were saved through the prayerful presence of people who care.

I am asking those who have been following this blog, or are here by chance today, to do what you can to help this spiritual and practical battle against abortion.

Today , on Palm Sunday, I ask you to take up the Cross and put yourself out for the poor struggling women in Jamaica. International forces (the EU,US and UN) have been relentlessly pressuring Jamaica to legalize abortion. The temptation, is the money offered to ease the economic woes in Jamaica. In other words, the west is asking Jamaica to sell its soul for a small purse. Sound familiar?

Fr. Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor are neck deep in the battle to protect Jamaica's mothers and babies. His brothers, who already operate numerous centres for the poor in Jamaica and around the world, are opening 'Holy Innocents' - a centre that will protect and serve 200 women and 200 babies. The MOP offer all their services for free, and are dependent upon the generosity of folks like us...those who wish to share in the carrying of Christ's Cross .

Fr. Ho Lung has a musical gift, and though he doesn't read music, has been able to find talent around him to perform his music for audiences .His shows give the audience the opportunity to meet Fr. Ho Lung, hear his Gospel message in the musical productions, and to become aware of the work the MOP does around the world. This week Fr. Ho Lung was in Cayman with his 'Five Tenors'. Our family was privileged to attend Friday night's show, and we plan on returning this afternoon for his last show. Fr. Ho Lung also celebrated at every Mass today. Hopefully many will take up the Cross, and help the MOP in whichever way they can. Check out the MOP website, and see what you are able to do.

I can also recommend the retreats that Fr. Ho Lung offers several times a year. They are Ignatian in method (though shorter, of course) and silent. Before and after there are opportunities to visit and work at the various MOP centres in Kingston. The humility and simplicity of the brothers at work and prayer is very moving.

God Bless the Missionaries of the Poor and their friends and good works everywhere.



40 Days For Life