Shall I continue “blogging” about God’s Mercy?

After my last blog, I have been discerning if I should continue writing them at all. Again, there is so much that I have written so far, and I have pretty much exhausted all my experiences with God’s mercy as I understand it through the Holy Spirit; therefore, I have felt very strongly called to spend more time in heavy duty prayer… Each day, I am afraid to turn the TV on and hear how fast in the last 100 days, we have reversed so many things that I believe are better for all of us… I am trying very hard to grow in loving especially those who are testing my patience and who frankly give me fear… with so many changes, and all of this deserves more time in prayer… I even asked a good priest friend of mine to pray for me for this intention… I wanted clear signs from God… But sometimes, He takes His time… So for sure, He is working at sending signs, except one at the time! More on this subject at the end of this blog!

For example, last Sunday, I decided to go to 6:30 AM Mass. My son was out of town and he likes the 8 AM Mass. This particular day, I truly felt drawn to attend the earlier Mass. I had enough time after my Mass and before the 8 AM one to say my two Rosaries in church, one for family members and one for the many people I pray for. I normally would have exited through a side door, but I needed to use the bathroom. So I went to the back of the church and main entrance, and there it was, a group from a nearby retreat center’s gift shop was setting up this table with many things. Had I exited immediately after Mass via the side door and 45 minutes before, I would not have to use the bathroom and I would have missed this gift shop display completely. Hmm!

Among the books, there were 3 copies of a book titled, “Pope Benedict’s Divine Mercy Mandate.” I had heard comments about it during the Divine Mercy Feast celebration in Stockbridge, but had not idea that there was a book as well copyrighted 2009. I quickly grabbed one of the 3 copies since I knew I was there as one of the earliest customers to find this book. I came home and read most of it. It relates how at the close of the first World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Rome on April 6, 2008, Pope Benedict said, “I thank the organizers, especially the Vicariate of Rome, and to all participants I address my cordial greeting which now becomes a mandate: go forth and be witnesses of God’s mercy…” I daily read Zenit as it arrives via Internet, and I am sure I had read his words after this Congress… Yet, I was blinded as to being a command for me at the time! Ouch!

So, I have no idea if I have already fulfilled his mandate with 42 posts and several pages related to God’s mercy as published in the Internet in the last 6 months. I often remember kneeling at the feet of the Pope of Mercy, JP II on May 11, 2002, after the private Mass at his Chapel and now during a private audience. Since then, I have kept the rosary he gave me in my purse. I know I have his personal blessing and I often pray to him under the name of Papa Karolito (diminutive of Karol but in Spanish), and I believe he was another Joseph (second name). This little book with so many quotes from the last two Popes, reviews so many aspects of Divine Mercy from each of them. And one that moved me very much was to read the message for Divine Mercy Sunday of April 3, 2005, one that JP II could not personally deliver because he had just died a few hours before… He said, “How much the world needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy!”

I knew clearly that this book ended up in my hands as a sign… but I have no clear idea as yet, if I should continue writing on a topic that has been so well covered by many others… What else could I add? I finished the book on Divine Mercy on October 2004, one that I knew I had to write since 1985… With a brief review by my then local Bishop, I was given a hint that it was alright to publish (not an imprimatur), since he found not theological errors. Yet, 4 or 5 publishers were not interested to even read it because I was not a recognized name…I understand that they receive thousands of books per year asking to be published…  I even attended a seminar given by some Protestant brothers on how to become your own publisher… and it is easy to do with just $1,000… Granted that the problem is to find ways to advertise the product… which is done by the publishing companies and it costs much, and more if one does it as the sole publisher. Needless to say, the book still remains unpublished. Now, I have written almost a book again but in the Internet, and the question remains, “Is it time to quit?” Personally, I want to quit, but it sounds that it is out of convenience for me to do so…

So, I have come to realize that since my Lord did not send me clear signs about what to do (again He is mute and taking His time), and I am used to be guided via signs, He may have a plan to answer me at a later day, and so, I have to continue discerning. So, I will write my next blog in one month, on May 31, the Feast of the Visitation. This was an arrangement between Him and me before I checked the calendar!!!  As it turns out, it is a Sunday; therefore, the Feast of the Visitation is scratched and guess what? It is PENTECOST SUNDAY… Wow! And what if I repeat “wow” many more times… Huh! This is how I get sooo excited with the ways that this God guides us…!!!

This time, I will engage my Mother to beg her Son to answer me with clear signs and wonders, and I am sure she will get it done, especially because every May I give her so much attention being the month dedicated to her… ! Huh! Besides, look at her feasts on this month of May:

May 3 – Our Lady of Jasnagora….!!!

May 5 – Our Lady of Pompeii

May 8 – Our Lady of Luján – Patroness of Argentina

May 9 – Our Lady of the Miracles, Mauriac, France

May 10 – Our Lady of Grace – Our Lady of the Forgotten

May 13 – Our Lady of Fatima – Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

May 14 – Our Lady of Evangelization – Perú  – Our Lady Patroness of Bavaria, Munich, Germany

May 22 – Mary, Queen of Apostles

May 24 – Our Lady Help of Christians…

May 25 – Our Lady of Consolation, Carey, OH

May 31 – Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces – Visitation of Our Lady to Elizabeth.

Besides, on May 5, I will be chanting “thank you” because it was 1989 when in Houston TX and as narrated before, I was sent to read the Gideon’s Bible in a Marriott Hotel and found Joshua 3, and I understood that like Joshua and the Israelites, I would cross the Jordan River and not get wet… Then I understood that I would receive offers of a job for both my husband and I, and that I had to take them… and sure enough, the offers came the evening of the day of my arrival from TX and via phone…And because of the move to this other city in Ohio, my oldest son ended up his college education in a Jesuit U. He had quit this famous university in MI because of the huge amount of drugs around him… In itself, a major act of the merciful love of God for him and all of us…

This move permitted sons 3 and 4 to attend the same Jesuit hi school as their older brothers, and one was called to be a theologian via the connection of this high school with a trip abroad…Besides, this move placed us at only 4 hours from the Franciscan University of Steubenville where he wanted to study.  My husband was able to complete one more year with an HMO and receive full benefits for retirement, and I ended up entering a major professional persecution, as I was stopped and not able to become a professor of anesthesia at a distinguished university medical center in Ohio… All of these items got us many blessings for different reasons. This May 5^th will be the 20^th anniversary of this famous guidance received with signs and wonders from the Spirit of God… Wow again…

May 19, it will be my 32^nd anniversary of my renewal of my Baptism and Confirmation graces from the Holy Ghost via the so called “Baptism in the Holy Spirit”…. In fact, last Sunday, as part of these digging for more signs about writing more blogs or not, and as I was praying the two rosaries prior to finding the little book on mercy, my pastor was baptizing 3 children… Suddenly I realized of the immensity of what Baptism is for any of us… How many times had I stop to think about its significance for my spirit? Truly, never…!!!  I had understood it with my head, but this time I understood it with my soul… I had received a guest, the Holy Ghost (and as these children were receiving right and there in front of my eyes), in order to work wonders to guide me to the mansion that my Father has ready for me… I could have been born in a family where God was absent… or where the Catholic faith had not arrived as yet or may be never… Yet, I was taken to receive this gift… because He had placed me in the right home, with the right family who believed with great faith in His Eucharistic Presence and also a very Marian family… Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…

I left with a huge heart in the sense of my lack of thanksgiving for being at the right place at the right time to receive His own Spirit to live within me forever and ever until I go back to my Father… In this moment of awe and guilt for not having given enough thanksgiving, I found myself in front of this book of Pope Benedict… It was surreal! In fact, later that day, I found myself asking if I have to write this blog because it will give glory to the Holy Ghost… and to the Trinity as One God… as a form of thanksgiving for having made me an adopted child of God, saved by the Blood of the Lamb and guided by His own Spirit while in route to my mansion! But there is another point here: I do not have to do things (like writing blogs)… He does not like to put pressure. He wants me to choose to do it but for His glory…

And here is one more little guidance that I received this week… At times I tell Him that so much has been written about His mercy, that a little blog directed to some 70 people has probably exhausted its use in the sharing with them (you who read it) His mercy for me. Of course, this is seeing things with human eyes and not with God eyes… And sure enough, a page in the Bible was given to me and there it was… It was Luke 5: 4-7. The call of Simon the fisherman… “He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’ Simon said in reply, ‘Master we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command, I will lower the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Him”    

It was a direct message for me… Our first Pope was humble and had faith in this Man/God Whom he hardly knew… Yet, obedience to the command of Jesus to go into the deep (waters and a famous sentence that often our JP II referred to) exploded into a huge miracle, one so big, that made these men leave everything behind to follow Him. It became clear to me that many times I want to use human reasoning, and that my work is to seek His commands and follow them… What the Spirit does with these blogs is His business… But of course, I have to be sure He commands them to be written, and that I want to do it not only as simple obedient act, but one that seeks also God’s glory! What a difference! He is pursuing my further daily conversions…

If you would like to pray for me until Pentecost Sunday in order to be able to find God’s will in this matter of continuing these blogs or not, please do so, and also pray for me to grow into the mystery of my own yes that has to be given free of a “must do,” but instead out of love for a God who is so crazy about me… It is possible that I have not received other definite signs until I understand that I must have a pure heart willing, disposed to obey for His glory. My “yes” to His will, should not be one of resignation to what He wants, as I drag my life after this form of cold obedience. Every day, I must have a yes in my heart that wants to please Him above all else. He is probably waiting for my yes to be cleaned of my natural repugnance to be a servant in its most extensive meaning, as Our Lady was… Then, He will “sign” if I should continue blogging or not. And there is nothing like communal prayer, since after all, we belong to each other as kids of this one God. Thanks for any prayers said for these intentions.  

 ¿Debo seguir escribiendo estos “blogs” sobre la misericordia de Dios?

Después de publicar mi último “blog”, comencé el proceso de discernimiento de si debo continuar haciéndolo. He podido escribir mucho y prácticamente terminé compartiendo todas las experiencias con la misericordia de Dios y cómo yo la entiendo con ayuda del Espíritu Santo, y por lo tanto, me siento llamada a usar mi tiempo más en oración que otra cosa…. Cada día, me da miedo ver la TV y oír cómo en cortos 100 días hemos revertido tantas cosas que yo creo son de beneficio para todo el país. Estoy trabajando arduamente en crecer en amor por todos aquellos que me llenan de impaciencia y miedo  con tantos cambios, y los cuales requieren mucha oración… Hasta le pedí a un buen amigo sacerdote que orara por mí por esta intención…Quiero señales de Dios y claras. Pero a veces, Él se toma su tiempo…Pero de seguro que está mandando señales pero de una en una. Más al respecto en las palabras finales.

Por ejemplo, este pasado domingo, decidí ir a Misa de 6:30 AM. Mi hijo estaba fuera de la ciudad y a él le gusta la Misa de las 8 AM. Este domingo en particular, verdaderamente que me sentí llamada a ir a la Misa más temprana. Me quedó suficiente tiempo después de la Misa y antes de la de 8 AM, para rezar dos rosarios, uno por my familia, y el otro por las intenciones de muchísima gente. Normalmente hubiese salido de la iglesia por una puerta lateral, pero como necesitaba  usar el baño me dirigí a la parte de atrás de la iglesia y que es la entrada principal. He ahí que me encontré con un grupo de mujeres procedentes de una tienda de artículos religiosos de un centro para retiros cercano, instalando una mesa con muchas artículos religiosos. Si no me hubiese quedado 45 minutos más con el rezo de los rosarios, no hubiese necesitado el baño y hubiese salido por la puerta lateral, y así hubiera perdido encontrarme con este despliegue ambulante de artículos religiosos.  ¡Já!

Entre los libros, había 3 copias de un librito llamado, “El mandato de la Divina Misericordia del Papa Benedicto.” Yo había oído comentarios acerca de este tema durante la celebración de la Fiesta de la Divina Misericordia en Stockbridge, pero no tenía idea que hubiese un libro escrito y publicado en el 2009. Rápidamente compré una copia ya que me di cuenta que yo era una cliente de las más tempranas para obtener este libro. Vine a casa y me lo leí casi todo. Cuenta como en la clausura del primer Congreso Apostólico de Misericordia en Roma el pasado 6 de abril del 2008, el Papa Benedicto dijo, “Le doy gracias a los organizadores, especialmente al Vicariato de Roma, y a todos los participantes les mando este cordial saludo que ahora se convierte en un mandato: vayan y sean testigos de la misericordia de Dios…” Yo leo todos los días el periódico Zenit en el Internet y estoy segura que había leído estas palabras después de este Congreso… Sin embargo, ¡estaba ciega en cuanto a ser un mandato para mí en ese momento! ¡Auch!

Así que no tengo idea si he cumplido con este mandato con estos 43 relatos (blogs) y algunas páginas todas relacionadas con la misericordia de Dios, y que he publicado en el Internet en los últimos 6 meses. Muy  a menudo me acuerdo estar arrodillada a los pies del Papa de la Misericordia, Juan Pablo II, el 11 de mayo del 2002, después de haber asistido a una Misa en su Capilla y ahora durante una audiencia privada. Desde entonces,  mantengo el Rosario en mi cartera. Yo sé que tengo su bendición personal y a menudo me dirijo a él bajo el nombre de Papa Karolito y creo que él es otro José (como segundo nombre). Este pequeño libro tiene muchas citas de los dos Papas, y revisa muchos aspectos de la Divina Misericordia de acuerdo a ellos. Y una cita que me movió mucho fue leer el mensaje  para el Domingo de la Fiesta de la Divina Misericordia del 3 de abril del 2005, uno que JPII no pudo darlo personalmente por que había muerto hacía unas horas… Él dijo: “¡Cuánto necesita el mundo entender y aceptar la Divina Misericordia!”

Supe claramente que este libro terminó en mis manos como una señal… pero todavía no tengo una idea clara si debo continuar escribiendo sobre un tópico que ha sido cubierto por muchos otros… ¿Qué más podría yo añadir? Yo terminé un libro sobre la Misericordia de Dios en octubre del 2004, ¡uno que supe debía escribir desde 1985! Después de una breve revisión de este libro por mi obispo local de ese entonces, él me dio a entender que lo podía publicar (no un imprimátur) ya que no encontró errores teológicos. Sin embargo, contacté 4 o 5 editoriales y no quisieron ni leerlo porque no provenía de un nombre ya reconocido… Yo entiendo que son miles de libros que reciben con el fin de ver si pueden publicarlos. Hasta participé en un seminario para aprender cómo publicar libros por uno mismo… y es fácil con unos $1.000… Claro que el problema es cómo anunciar el libro… lo cual lo hace la compañía editorial que lo publica, pero que cuesta mucho dinero si uno lo hace personalmente. Es obvio que este libro permanece sin publicarse. Ahora he escrito casi otro libro pero en el Internet, y la pregunta continúa siendo, ¿Llegó el tiempo de parar tanta escritura sobre este tema? Personalmente yo quiero parar, pero me suena que sería por conveniencia de mi parte…

Así que he llegado a darme cuenta que si el Señor no me ha mandado señales claras acerca de qué hacer (de nuevo parece ser que está mudo y que se está tomando Su tiempo), y yo estoy acostumbrada a ser guiada con señales, Él tiene un plan de contestarme en algún tiempo, y entonces debe continuar discerniendo. Así que escribiré el próximo “blog” en un mes, el 31 de mayo, en la fiesta de la Visitación. Este acuerdo con Él lo hice antes de chequear el calendario… Pero resulta que el 31 de mayo es un domingo y por lo tanto la fiesta de la Visitación ha desaparecido por este año, pero además, miren lo que pasa… ESTE ES EL DOMINGO DE PENTECOSTÉS… ¡Guau!  ¿Y qué tal si repito “guau” muchas veces más? ¡Por esto es que me da tanto alborozo con las formas cómo Dios nos guía…!!

De esta vez voy a usar los servicios de mi Madre para que le pida a su Hijo que me mande señales y maravillas claras, y estoy segura que lo hará, especialmente porque cada mes de mayo yo le doy mucha atención ¡siendo el mes dedicado a ella…! Además, miren sus fiestas en este mes de mayo:

Mayo 3 – Nuestra Señora de Llasnagora…!!! (Polonia…)

Mayo 5 – Nuestra Señora de Pompeya  en España

Mayo 8 – Nuestra Señora de Luján, patrona de la Argentina

Mayo 9 – Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, Mauriac, Francia

Mayo 10 – Nuestra Señora de la Gracia – Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados

Mayo 13 – Nuestra Señora de Fátima – Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Sacramento

Mayo 14 – Nuestra Señora de la Evangelización – Perú.  – Nuestra Señora Patrona de Bavaria, Múnich, Alemania.

Mayo 22 – Nuestra Señora Reina de los Apóstoles

Mayo 24 – Nuestra Señora de María Auxiliadora

Mayo 25 – Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, Carey, OH

Mayo 31 – María, Mediadora de todas las Gracias – Visitación de Nuestra Señora a su prima Sta. Isabel

Además, el 5 de mayo estaré cantando himnos de gracias porque fue en 1989 cuando estando en una conferencia médica en Houston, Tejas, y como les había contado antes, fui mandada a leer la Biblia de Gedeón en un hotel Marriott, y encontré el capítulo 3 de Josué, y cómo Josué y el pueblo de Israel cruzaron el Río Jordán sin mojarse… Entonces entendí que recibiría ofertas de trabajo para mi esposo y para mí y que debía aceptarlos… Y así fue. En la noche de mi llegada a Indiana desde Tejas, las ofertas llegaron vía llamada telefónica… Y porque nos movilizamos a esta ciudad de Ohio, mi hijo mayor pudo terminar sus estudios universitarios en una universidad jesuita. Él había dejado sus estudios en una famosa universidad de Michigan porque estaba rodeado de mucha droga. Esto en sí, fue un acto misericordioso de Dios para él y para toda la familia.

Este cambio de domicilio también facilitó que los hijos 3 y 4 pudieran comenzar sus estudios secundarios en un colegio jesuita, y el mismo de sus hermanos mayores, y uno de ellos fue llamado a estudiar teología a través de una conexión de este colegio con un viaje al extranjero de sus estudiantes, aparte de que nos movilizó a sólo unas 4 horas de la Universidad Franciscana de Steubenville adonde él quiso entrar. Mi marido pudo re-incorporarse con un hospital HMO y completar 5 años de servicio y poder derivar beneficios totales de retiro de este HMO. Yo terminé recibiendo la segunda persecución profesional la cual no me dejó ser profesora de anestesia en una importante escuela de medicina de la misma ciudad.  Todos estos hechos nos trajeron muchas bendiciones por diferentes razones… Este próximo 5 de mayo marcará los 20 años de esta maravillosa guía recibida en Tejas del Espíritu de Dios. Guau de nuevo…

El 19 de mayo cumpliré 32 años de mi renovación de mis sacramentos de Bautismo y Confirmación, o renovación de las gracias del Espíritu Santo a través del llamado “Bautismo en el Espíritu Santo”… De hecho, este pasado domingo como parte de este discernir si debo seguir escribiendo estos blogs o si no, y cuando me encontraba rezando los dos rosarios después de la santa Misa (momentos antes de encontrarme con el librito escrito acerca del mandato del Papa Benedicto), mi pastor estaba bautizando a 3 niños… Súbitamente me di cuenta de la inmensidad de lo que el Bautismo es para cada uno de nosotros… ¿Cuántas veces he parado a contemplar su significado para mi propio espíritu? Francamente, ¡nunca…!!! Lo había entendido en mi cerebro, pero de esta vez lo entendí en mi alma… Había recibido un huésped, el Espíritu Santo  (y estos niños lo estaban recibiendo en ese momento en frente de mis ojos), para que Él pudiera trabajar maravillas y así guiarme a la mansión que mi Padre tiene lista para mí… Yo pude haber nacido en una familia donde Dios estaba ausente o donde la fe católica no hubiese llegado todavía o quizás nunca… Sin embargo, fui llevada a recibir este regalo… porque Él me había colocado en la casa correcta, con la familia correcta quien creía con gran fe en Su Presencia Eucarística, y también en una familia muy mariana. ¡Qué maravillosa es Su gracia, que dulce es su sonido…!

Salí con un corazón adolorido en el sentido de reconocer mi falta de acción de gracias por haber nacido en el lugar perfecto, en el tiempo perfecto para recibir Su propio Espíritu para siempre y hasta que regrese a mi Padre… En este momento de maravilla y a la vez de culpa por no haber dado suficientes gracias a Dios, me encontré con este libro del Papa Benedicto… ¡Fue un momento sobrenatural! Aún más, en la tarde de ese día, me encontré preguntándome a mí misma si debía continuar escribiendo estos blogs porque le dan gloria al Espíritu Santo… y a la Trinidad, un solo Dios… como una forma de acción de gracias por haberme hecho una hija adoptiva, salvada con la Sangre del Cordero de Dios y guiada por Su Espíritu mientras camino hacia la mansión que me espera para mi vida eterna…Pero aquí hay otro punto: yo no “tengo” que hacer cosas…(como es el escribir estos blogs)… A Él no le gusta poner presión… Él quiere que yo escoja hacerlo para Su gloria…

Y aquí hay otra pequeña guía que recibí esta semana… A veces yo le digo a mi Señor que tanto se ha escrito sobre Su misericordia, que un blog dirigido hacia unas 70 personas, probablemente ya ha cumplido su cometido de compartir con ellos (ustedes) Su misericordia para mí. Claro, esto es viéndolo con ojos humanos y no con los ojos de Dios… Y he aquí que fui mandada a una página de la Biblia y que terminó ser Lucas 5:4-7, 11. El llamado de Simón, el pescador: “Jesús le dijo a Simón, ‘Rema hacia dentro del lago y echa las redes para pescar.’ Simón respondió, ‘Maestro, estuvimos toda la noche intentando pescar, sin conseguir nada., pero sólo porque Tú lo pides, echaré las redes.’ Lo hicieron y capturaron una gran cantidad de peces. Como las redes se rompían, hicieron señas a sus compañeros de la otra barca para que vinieran a ayudarlos. Y después de arrimar las barcas a tierra, dejaron todo y lo siguieron.”

Este fue un mensaje directo para mí… Nuestro primer Papa fue humilde y tuvo fe en este Hombre/Dios a quien casi ni conocía… Sin embargo, obediencia a los mandatos de Jesús de remar mar adentro (una frase famosa a la cual JPII se refería mucho) explotó en un gran milagro, tan grande que estos hombres lo dejaron todo para seguirlo. Me di cuenta que muchas veces yo quiero usar el raciocinio humano, y que al contrario, mi trabajo debe ser conocer sus mandatos y seguirlos… Lo que el Espíritu haga con estos blogs es Su prerrogativa. Pero claro, tengo que estar cierta que Él quiere que los escriba, y que yo lo deba hacer no solamente como un acto de simple obediencia, sino uno que busca también darle gloria a Dios. ¡Qué diferencia es pensarlo así! Lo que Él está buscando es mi conversión diaria…

Si pudieran orar por mí hasta la fiesta de Pentecostés para que yo pueda conocer la voluntad de Dios en esta materia de continuar escribiendo blogs o no, y también para que pueda crecer en el misterio de mi propio Sí que tiene que decirse libre de un sentir que es “lo que debo hacer”, pero al contrario para amar a un Dios Quien se vuelve loco por mí… Es muy posible que no haya recibido otras señales definitivas hasta que yo pudiera entender que debo tener un corazón puro, deseoso, dispuesto a obedecer pero para Su mayor gloria. Mi “Sí” a Su voluntad no debe ser un sí de resignación a lo que Él quiera, y a medida que arrastro mi vida con esta forma de obediencia muy fría. Al contrario, cada día mi corazón debe tener un sí que desea complacerlo sobre todas las cosas. Él probablemente ha estado esperando que mi sí sea limpiado de mi repugnancia natural a ser una esclava en el sentido más extenso de la palabra, como nuestra Madre lo  fue… Entonces, Él me mandará señales si debo continuar con estos blogs o si no. Y no hay como la oración comunitaria, ya que después de todo, nos pertenecemos unos a los otros como hijos de un solo Dios. Gracias por sus oraciones por estas intenciones.

 

 

 

 

The gift received on the Feast of Divine Mercy

One of the intentions for the Novena of Divine Mercy was one that was making my heart very heavy.  For years I have wondered why is it that God was sooo careful in sending to this side of the world the story of His mercy and all what it entails through the diary of St. Faustina, and yet, why is it that we seem to be re-arranging the chairs in the Titanic…while sinking in so many ways… and too many to even mention them. The devotion to His mercy providentially arrived in the U.S. shortly after 1940. I knew that in my home country, my grandmother knew about it in the mid forties. So, if we have prayed for His mercy all these years, isn’t something missing here? Why are we sinking sooo fast? That was the question I had for my Lord as I prayed the Novena for this 2009 Feast of Mercy. I simply wanted to understand what could I do differently? And notice that this was a personal question. I am not telling any of you to change anything you are doing, but I certainly have already…

On day No. 7 of the novena, something happened to help me raise my expectations of how alive He is in all our lives and certainly, that He would answer my request… This day of April 16, after 6:30 Mass, I stayed for one Rosary and to complete a Holy Hour, but strangely, I stayed in church adoring Him in front of the Tabernacle, and not going next door to a small room where He is exposed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (day time).I would say that I feel greater privacy during my Holy Hour when totally alone with Him. In fact, I even did get the clear idea of the particular supermarket I would visit, since there is a larger one of the same chain in route home from church. I also felt drawn to buy ground beef… for spaghetti sauce… It is strange to realize in hindsight that all of this was very important, because I was in route to serve a brother with His mercy… and all these details were essential for this encounter to happen.  

I did arrive by 8 AM to the grocery store and went straight to buy the ground beef from Laura’s, with no hormones or antibiotics. There was a man nearby who saw me picking up the meat packages and came to offer some coupons since he worked with this company.  He asked why I preferred this product. Of course I told him about my love for naturopathic medicine, organic food, etc., and the rest of the conversation led to the story of fluoride and memory loss, carrageenan and depression… He was very interested and asked me how to get the info in detail. I announced to him that I had it in my blog site but that it was a very religious site in case he was an atheist…

I mentioned to him that the blog is written by magon519 and that magon refers to some letters of my maiden name… Lo and behold, this may be 38-40 y/o man said that he had my same last name… He is the son of a Hispanic dad from New Mexico, and his mom is German. He was born and lived for 12 years in Bavaria…!!! He was Catholic and told me that he hardly goes to church but attends a particular one which happened to be my parish….!!!! And we were about 15 miles from this church… This particular day was the birthday of our Pope who is from the same area where he was born… A big bond was established as only God could have orchestrated, and after my “fervent” call for him to find Christ in a new way as His Lord and Savior, we said good bye and he exclaimed with a broad smile, “I will see you in Church.” Is he going to go? Who knows? Am I going to pray for him to come back to the Church with a new vision of why he should, because He is Risen and Alive? I am already doing it… And he will… I am asking for God’s mercy for this man with my big Rosary… Between our Mother and His mercy, he will get there and stay… Huh!

This is the kind of story that proves to me how important it is to tune up the Holy Spirit to guide us. I had a client to visit with the story of His mercy and I was guided even to buy the ground meat that I did not need right away, just to be there for this man to talk to me. Jesus was using me to call this sheep to His side… That is the Risen Christ who lives with us, soo busy…and soo merciful! This story not only meant a call of mercy to this man, but to me it was a merciful demonstration of how good He was in proving to me that He is ALIVE, RISEN AND MERCIFUL! Alleluia! There were too many coincidences to be just due to chance.

But if He is sooo alive and working soo hard, why is it that we are noticing the sinking of our Titanic? And I do not mean only the Christian Church in some models and controversies, but I mean all of us under this earth. Why?  I started to suspect that spreading the message of mercy is again, information, but not a way to direct us devotees to truly trust in Him. How many times have we repeated in the last 60 years that we must trust in Him? I believe that the present times need voices that could explain to the rest of us as to HOW they are trusting in Him as a “show and tell.” HOW they are head over heels about Jesus and how the joy of Easter’s early morning is showing in their lives!

A beautiful description of what means to trust in Jesus was delivered in EWTN by a priest from Poland in recent days, Fr. Simon Stefanowicz… “Trust” he said, “not only expresses the attitude of faith and hope but expresses a bond of love, a communion of life with Jesus. It implies participation with His life, death and resurrection.” (I started to understand what is that we are missing in our lives!) He added, “The message of Divine Mercy is to live a virtuous life and it is far from being an abstract idea. It is a concrete thing because it has been tried and properly tested over and over. If a person trusts in God, he loves what God wants and the greatest fulfillment comes from doing His will. In doing God’s will, trust reaches perfection.”

And of course, Jesus left us a big reminder in His Image, à “Jesus I trust in You.” In other words, it translates into an invitation to say these words but while trusting Him by doing His will… And what He wants the most, or His will in the highest order, is to love Him and our neighbor…” (So, every time we look at His Mercy Image, He is basically asking us if we are doing so!!!! Ouch)

Father continued, “And this process of trust and its fulfillment has three degrees: 1) All that pertains to obeying the commandments and regulations. 2) To be faithful to the inspiration from the Holy Spirit, properly discerned and recognizable as from God and not disguised in order to do things our way. 3) Abandonment to the will of God. It is a profound concept  à I do not love who I am. Who I am becomes a part of Who God is, and it is also what I am called to be. So, we are called to pray for enlightenment, understanding, guidance and discernment as St. Faustina did, and growth in this process is slow. We have to ask ourselves like she did, ‘What would Jesus do?’ every time she had to analyze a situation.” He finished with this phrase, “When you follow Jesus, the road may be bumpy. You may not know where you are headed or how you will get there, but be sure that upon arrival, you’ll be where you ought to be.”

I went to confession on Saturday and my main sin, I thought, was that in general I did not truly burn with love for my brothers and sisters… Yes, I love them, I pray for their salvation but not out of a deep love for them, since most of the time I love myself more than them, evident when I catch myself (my second confessed sin) thinking too much about all pros and cons in my life, which of course have to do with my likes and dislikes… It is always, Me, I and myself!!!

The Feast of Divine Mercy arrived and I started with the LIVE Mass of EWTN, 5 AM my time… I followed with Mass at 8 AM in my parish. I had finished my novena and still was asking for a shorter version of the explanation of HOW TO trust in Jesus by Fr. Stefanowicz.  And sure enough after Communion I received a very clear message and please remember my request: What must I do to ask for His mercy and truly be heard, in order to bring peace to the world and to correct my self-love and my lack of love for others as I love myself?  I heard very clearly, “As often as possible, ask for My mercy for yourself in order to love them (brothers and sisters); then, ask for mercy for them so that they can love Me.”

I came home from Church and spent 2.5 hours watching the LIVE Mass at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass. I heard extraordinary accounts of the spread of the Divine Mercy and again, I came short in understanding why if the message is so well spread to the millions, why is it that our country and the world are sinking…? Slowly but surely, as I participated in this LIVE Eucharistic Liturgy, I understood even more as follows:

1. There are two important demons in our lives (curiously, my Pastor used today April 20, when I am writing this blog, the same word, “demons” but in another context…) and these spiritual demons for us who have faith in Him are: fear and discouragement. Our flesh (ego), the world or/and Satan propose them and our humanity accepts them. But the worse of the two is discouragement.  In fact, I just heard a saying in the secular world, “Show me a successful man, and I can show you a man who never allowed himself to be discouraged.” It works as well for us, people of faith. And this is what I have been feeling (discouragement) when I contemplate the many strange things I see happening around us worldwide and with apocalyptic tones.

2. One thing became certain: we are here to love God and neighbor… and the rest of the commandments are easy to follow, once these two are at the top of our priority, as we beg for God’s mercy to have the gift to love others as if they were our children… So, to be able to draw His mercy for these times and for everyone in this world, we must (a) start trusting and it means obeying God’s will to the smallest letter, (b) which means to love Him and neighbor, (c) which presupposes our asking for the gift to love God and neighbor when we lack trust in His love and mercy…

But there is more… At 12 noon my time and 3 PM in the East coast, the hour of mercy, I was Live reciting the Chaplet during the Eucharistic Benediction in Massachusetts. Shortly after, I was led to a page in the Bible that turned to be Mark 9. Verses 18-19: the disciples could not cast out a demon from a young man. Jesus said, “O faithless generation. How long shall I bear you? Bring him to Me.” In Verses 22-24, the father of the young man said to Jesus, “If You can do anything, have compassion on us.” (Same as saying, have mercy on us). Jesus said to the father, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The father answered, “Lord I believe. Help my unbelief.” Later in verse 29, Jesus explains to His disciples that to cast out this demon, prayer and fasting were needed.

So, what am I doing now as I got a hint from this parable and mixed it with the message of this day after Communion? As often as I can during the day, I am praying this:

“Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner, so that I can love my brother and sister as myself and as You love them. Have mercy on them so that they can love You”

After this Sunday of Divine Mercy, I have concluded that His mercy must be alive in our hearts, and for this to happen, I must trust in Him to the point of obeying His commandments of Love without hesitation and the best I can, and following the Spirit’s guidance as preached by Fr. Stefanowicz, to do whatever He tells me… and the culture of LIFE will emerge without any problem in most hearts. It will be a piece of cake…

So for me, spreading the information about the mercy of God is but a little part of the message. Even this blog will have only a “CNN” effect (yes, it may move some but for just a while before their demons come back), because I am called to be mercy for others by the way I love… And my love with His crazy love for all of us will crack all stony hearts, just as He did while on earth 2,000 years back. He was clear to me: “Ask for my mercy so that you can love them… and then ask for mercy for them to love Me.” The second part is contingent to my loving them… Huh!  AND YES I CAN… I WILL TRY VERY HARD TO FOLLOW THIS great revelation that answered my question, “Why have our prayers for mercy not been heard to stop our sinking in inmorality, division, confusion, discouragement, fears, etc.?”

The times to pray in the vacuum of lives that are not following in action the Master, are over… The success of my repetition of prayers (Chaplet) depends of my heart seeking to love at all cost. And my ability to live such resurrected life is totally tied up with my constant asking Him to change me into loving others as I knock at His door with the fasting of my ego, and the embracing of my crosses as a sacrifice. I can then get rid off of all the demons of fear and discouragement and hatred, etc. Just my loving others in a superficial way is not acceptable anymore because through His mercy, I can truly burn with love for all people and they in turn will, through the power of the Holy Ghost, become lamps to others… It is ONLY from such podium that I can ask for my neighbor to fall in love with God, and when I ask for mercy for all of us, huge things will happen. But I should look resurrected, act as resurrected, and must burn my ego that wants sooo many things… all of which interfere with my ability to be a Christ to others and to the whole world… since for God, all things are possible. And I can act as “resurrected” because He is Risen and merciful and in charge!  I just have to ask and knock because His mercy endures forever. So help me God!

Corollary: For the rest of my life I will never say, “Jesus I trust in You” as a slogan. Whenever I say it, I will be “summoned” to love Him by doing His will without arguments, without objections, without looking at the pros and cons, with total certainty of this truth and no matter how much I hate what I am called to do. Then, at the end of my life when I exhale my last breath, I will be where I ought to be. Whenever I say “Jesus I trust in You,” I will know that the main course of His will is to grow in love for my brother and sister, and therefore, that same day I will look for options to do so, expecting that through His mercy lived this way in my life, they will also be where they ought to be at the end of their journeys!

This is mercy in ACTION, and if we cooperate with His program, we shall see the lamb lying next to the lion in peace. Then we could sing à  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me… OR remembering the poverello of Assisi, say with him, “Make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is hatred let me sow love; where there is injury, Your pardon Lord. Where there is doubt, faith in You. Master, help me not to seek to be consoled but to console; to be understood but to understand; to be loved but to love. Amen! His prayers describe Mercy in action at its best…

The next blog will come next Wednesday, just to give you time to read and digest this one that turned out to be long!

 El regalo que recibí en la Fiesta de la Divina Misericordia

Una de mis intenciones para la Novena de la Divina Misericordia se refería a algo que me estaba pesando mucho en mi corazón. Por años me he preguntado ¿si Dios fue tan cuidadoso en mandar a este lado del mundo la historia de Su misericordia y todo lo que significa a través del diario de Sta. Faustina, entonces, por qué es que estamos re-organizando las sillas en el transatlántico Titanic que sabemos se hundió, mientras nosotros estamos hundiéndonos en muchas formas, y son tantas que no hay manera de mencionarlas? La devoción a la Divina Misericordia providencialmente llegó a los E.U. poco después de 1940. Yo sabía que mi abuelita la conocía y que había llegado a mi país de origen a mediados de los años 40. Entonces, si hemos pedido Su misericordia por todos estos años, ¡parece que hay algo que no estamos entendiendo! ¿Por qué nos estamos hundiendo tan rápidamente? Esta fue la pregunta que le hice a mi Señor a medida que recé la Novena para la Fiesta de la Divina Misericordia del 2009. Yo simplemente quería entender ¿qué podría yo hacer diferente? Y fíjense que esta es una pregunta personal. Yo no le estoy diciendo a ustedes de que cambien lo que están haciendo, pero yo ciertamente ya lo hice…

En sétimo día de la novena, algo pasó que me ayudó a elevar mi expectación de cuán vivo Él está en nuestras vidas y por lo tanto, que Él respondería a mi pregunta… En este día de abril 16, fui a Misa de 6:30 AM y me quedé para rezar un rosario y para completar una Hora santa, pero extrañamente, me mantuve en la iglesia adorándolo frente al tabernáculo, y no pasé al cuartito aledaño adonde Él está expuesto los jueves, viernes y sábados durante el día. Yo diría que siento más privacidad durante la Hora Santa cuando me siento totalmente sola con Él. Y este día recibí claramente la idea de ir a un supermercado en particular, ya que hay otro y más grande de la misma cadena en ruta a mi casa. También me sentí llamada a comprar carne molida para hacer salsa para spaghetti… Se me hace extraño que en retrospectiva, todo esto era importante porque estaba en ruta a servir a un hermano con Su misericordia, y todos estos detalles eran esenciales para que este encuentro ocurriera.

Llegué a las 8 AM al supermercado y fui directamente a comprar la carne molida de la marca Laura’s, sin hormonas o antibióticos. Un hombre que estaba parado cercanamente,  me vio cogiendo los paquetes de carne molida y vino a ofrecerme cupones ya que él trabaja en esa compañía. Me preguntó por qué prefería ese producto. Claro, le conté de mi pasión por la medicina naturopática, alimentos orgánicos, etc., y el resto de la conversación continuó con fluoruro y pérdida de memoria, carrageenan y depresión… Se mostró muy interesado y me preguntó cómo obtener más detalles. Yo le indiqué que todo aparecía en mi sitio “blog” pero que era un sitio muy religioso en caso que él fuera ateo…

Le mencioné que el blog aparece escrito por magon519, y que magon se refiere a algunas de las letras de mi nombre completo de soltera… De pronto, este hombre de unos 38-40 años me dijo que él también tenía el mismo apellido… Él es el hijo de un papá hispano proveniente de Nuevo México, y su mamá es alemana. Él nació y vivió por 12 años en Bavaria…!!! Era católico y me dijo que poco va a la iglesia pero que cuando lo hace, va a una parroquia que resultó ser la mía…..!!!! Y estábamos a unas 15 millas de esta iglesia… Este día en particular era el cumpleaños de nuestro Papa quien también proviene de la misma área… Se estableció un vínculo grande entre nosotros como sólo Dios lo podía haber orquestrado, y después de mi ferviente llamado a tener un encuentro en una nueva forma con Cristo como su Señor y Salvador, nos dijimos adiós y él exclamó con una gran sonrisa, “La veo en la iglesia.” ¿Lo hará? ¡Quién sabe! ¿Oraré yo por él para que regrese a la Iglesia con una nueva visión del por qué lo hace, porque Él Resucitó y está Vivo? Ya lo estoy haciendo… Y él lo hará… Estoy pidiéndole a Dios por Su misericordia para este hombre con mi Rosario especial…. Entre nuestra Madre y Su misericordia, él volverá y que se quedará… ¡Ja!

Esta es la clase de historias que prueban cuán importante es estar pendiente de la guía de Espíritu Santo. Tenía un cliente que visitar y fui guiada a comprar la carne molida que no necesitaba con urgencia, sólo para que este hombre me hablara. Jesús me uso para llamar a su ovejita a Su lado… Este es el Cristo Resucitado Quien vive con nosotros y siempre ¡tan ocupado y misericordioso….! Esta historia no solo fue un llamado para este hombre, pero para mí fue una demostración misericordiosa de ¡cuán bueno Él es probándome que está VIVO, RESUCITADO Y que es MISERICORDIOSO! ¡Aleluya!

¿ Si Él está taaan vivo y trabaja taaan duro, entonces por qué estamos notando que nuestro Titanic se está hundiendo? Y yo no me estoy refiriendo solo  a nuestra Iglesia de Cristo con sus diferentes problemas y controversias, pero a todos nosotros en este mundo. ¿Por qué? Entonces comencé a sospechar que la diseminación del mensaje de la Divina Misericordia es de nuevo, información, pero no una forma para dirigirnos a todos nosotros los devotos en cómo confiar en Él. ¿Cuántas veces hemos repetido en los últimos 60 años que debemos confiar en Jesús?  Yo considero que los tiempos actuales necesitan voces que puedan explicar al resto de nosotros CÓMO ellos están confiando en Él como si fuera, “una demostración auto- explicatoria”. ¡O CÓMO ellos están perdidamente enamorados de Jesús y cómo la alegría del amanecer de la Resurrección, puede verse en sus vidas!

Recientemente, una descripción muy bonita sobre en qué consiste confiar en Jesús, fue presentada en EWTN por un sacerdote polaco, el Padre Simón Stefanowicz… “Confiar”, dijo él, “no sólo expresa una actitud de fe y esperanza pero también expresa un lazo de amor, una comunión de vida con Jesús. Implica participación con Su vida, muerte y resurrección.” (¡Yo comencé a entender qué es lo que nos está faltando en nuestras vidas!). El Padre añadió, “El mensaje de la Divina Misericordia significa vivir una vida virtuosa, y está muy lejos de ser una idea abstracta. Es algo concreto porque ha sido probado una y otra vez. Si una persona confía en Dios, él o ella ama lo que Dios quiere y su mayor satisfacción proviene de hacer Su voluntad. En hacer la voluntad de Dios, nuestra confianza llega a su perfección.”

Y claro, hasta Jesús nos dejó un gran recuerdo en Su Imagen, à “Jesús en Ti confío.” En otras palabras, esto se traduce en una invitación a decir estas palabras confiando verdaderamente en Él al hacer Su voluntad… Y lo que Él desea más, o lo que es Su voluntad en el orden más alto, es amarlo y amar a nuestro prójimo…” (Así que cada vez que miramos la Imagen de Su Misericordia, Él básicamente nos está preguntado si  estamos haciendo eso!!! Auch)

El Padre Simón continuo diciendo, “Y este proceso de confianza y su ejecución tiene tres grados: 1) Todo lo que compete a la obediencia de los mandamientos y regulaciones. 2) Ser fiel a las inspiraciones del Espíritu Santo, discernidas apropiadamente y reconocidas como provenientes de Dios y no disfrazadas para nosotros hacer lo que queremos. 3) Abandono a la voluntad de Dios. Esto es un concepto profundo. à Yo no amo lo que  yo soy. Lo que yo soy se convierte en parte de lo que Dios es, y es también lo que yo estoy llamado a ser. Así que estamos llamados a orar por iluminación, entendimiento, guía y discernimiento como Sta. Faustina hacía, y se crece en este proceso lentamente. Debemos preguntarnos y como ella lo hacía, ‘¿Qué es lo que Jesús haría’ cada vez que ella tenía que analizar una situación.”  Él terminó con esta frase: “Cuando se sigue a Jesús, el camino puede ser pedregoso.  Tú puede que no sepas adónde vas o cómo llegarás ahí, pero ten seguro que al arribar, estarás adonde debes estar.”

Me fui a confesar el sábado y mi pecado principal, creo yo, fue que en general yo no ardo en amor por mis hermanos y hermanas. Sí, yo los quiero y oro por su salvación, pero no debido a un amor profundo por ellos, ya que la mayoría del tiempo yo me amo a mí misma más que a ellos, evidente cuando me doy cuenta (my segundo pecado confesado) que estoy pensando demasiado en los pro y los contra de mi vida, que claro tienen que ver con lo que quiero o me disgusta… Es siempre, yo, lo mío y yo misma.

La fiesta de la Divina Misericordia llegó y comencé a ver en Vivo la Misa de EWTN, a las 5 AM en mi hora local… Seguí con Misa de 8 AM en mi parroquia. Había terminado mi novena y todavía estaba preguntando por una versión  más corta de la explicación del Padre Stefanowicz de qué significa confiar enJjesús. Y claro que sí, después de la Comunión, recibí un mensaje muy claro y por favor recuerde que mi pedido era: ¿Qué debo hacer para pedir Su misericordia y verdaderamente ser oída, de manera de traer paz al mundo y para corregir my auto-amor y mi falta de amor por mis hermanos como yo me amo a mí misma? Yo oí claramente lo siguiente, “Con mucha frecuencia, pida Mi misericordia para usted misma de manera que pueda amarlos (hermanos y hermanas); luego, pida misericordia por ellos para que puedan amarme.”

Vine a casa y pasé 2.5 horas mirando en Vivo la Misa del Santuario de la Divina Misericordia en Stockbridge, Mass. Oí de nuevo historias extraordinarias referentes a la diseminación del mensaje de la Divina Misericordia, y de nuevo me encontré sin entender de ¿por qué si este mensaje está tan bien difundido a millones de gentes, nuestro país y el mundo entero parecen estar hundiéndose…? Poco a poco, cuando participaba en esta liturgia Eucarística, yo entendí más cosas como aparece abajo:

1. En nuestras vidas hay dos demonios muy importantes (curiosamente, hoy abril 20 cuando escribía este blog, mi pastor usó la misma palabra – demonios, pero en otro contexto) y estos demonios espirituales para nosotros que tenemos fe son: miedo y desaliento. Nuestra carne (ego), el mundo y Satanás los proponen y nuestra humanidad los acepta. Pero el peor de los dos es el desaliento. Aun más, acabo de oír una decir en el mundo seglar que dice: “Muéstrame un hombre exitoso, y te puedo mostrar un hombre que jamás se permitió el desaliento.” Y también trabaja bien para nosotros, gente de fe. Y esto es lo que he venido sintiendo (desaliento) cuando contemplo las muchas cosas extrañas que veo están pasando en todo el mundo y con tonos apocalípticos.

2. Una cosa me quedó muy clara: estamos aquí para amar a Dios y a nuestro prójimo…y el resto de los mandamientos son fáciles de seguir, una vez que estos dos están primero que todo, y a medida que le pedimos a Dios Su misericordia para amar a otros como si fueran nuestros propios niños… Así que para poder extraer Su Misericordia para estos tiempos y para todo el mundo, debemos comenzar (a) a confiar y esto significa obedecer la voluntad de Dios hasta la letra más pequeña, (b) lo cual significa amarlo a Él y a nuestro prójimo, (c) lo que presupone que debemos de pedir por este don de amar a Dios y a nuestro vecino cuando carecemos del don de confiar en Su amor y misericordia.

Pero hay más… At las doce del día y las 3 PM en el este de los E.U., la hora de la misericordia, estaba rezando la coronilla en vivo durante la Bendición Eucarística en Massachusetts. Poco después, fui guiada a leer una página de la biblia que terminó siendo Marcos 9. Versículos 18-19: los discípulos no pudieron sacar un demonio de un joven y el padre se lo trajo a Jesús, quien contesto, “¡Generación incrédula! ¿Hasta cuándo tendré que soportarlos? Tráiganmelo.” En los versículos 22-24, el padre del joven le dijo a Jesús: “Si puedes hacer algo, ten compasión de nosotros.” (Lo mismo que decir, ten misericordia de nosotros). Jesús le contestó, ¿Qué es eso que si puedes? Todo es posible para el que tiene fe.” El padre contestó: “¡Creo pero ayúdame a tener más fe.” Más tarde en el verso 29, Jesús les explica a sus discípulos que este demonio sólo puede ser expulsado con oración y ayuno.

Bueno, ¿y qué es lo estoy haciendo ahora después de recibir un señal con esta parábola y de mezclarla con la enseñanza recibida después de la Comunión? A menudo durante el día, estoy orando en esta forma:

“Jesús, ten misericordia de mí, una pecadora, de manera que pueda amar a mi hermano y hermana como a mí misma o como Tú los amas, y ten misericordia de ellos para que puedan amarte.”

Después de esta última  Fiesta de la Divina Misericordia, he  concluido que Su misericordia debe estar viva en nuestros corazones, y que para que esto suceda, debemos confiar en Él al punto de obedecer Sus mandamientos de Amor sin titubeos, sin vacilación y en la forma mejor que podamos, y siguiendo la guía del Espíritu Santo como lo predicó el Padre Stefanowicz, de manera de hacer todo lo que Él nos diga… y la cultura de la VIDA surgirá sin ningún problema en la mayoría de los corazones. Será muy fácil…

Así que para mí, el diseminar la información sobre la misericordia de Dios es sólo una pequeña parte del mensaje. Aun este “blog” tendría un efecto como “CNN” (sí, podrá mover algunos corazones por un tiempo, pero hasta cuando los “demonios del miedo y del desaliento retornen) porque yo me siento llamada a ser misericordiosa con los demás por la forma como los amo… Y mi amor y Su amor por todos romperá los corazones duros, así como Él lo hizo hace 2,000 años. Él me fue claro: “Pídeme misericordia para que puedas amarlos.. y luego pide misericordia por ellos para que puedan amarme.” La segunda parte es contingente a mi amor por ellos… ¡Ja! Y SÍ SE PUEDE… TRATARÉ ARDUAMENTE DE SEGUIR esta gran revelación que respondió a mi pregunta: “¿Por qué nuestras súplicas por Su misericordia no han sido escuchadas para parar este hundirnos en inmoralidad,  división, confusión, desaliento, miedos, etc.?

El tiempo de orar en el vacío de vidas que no están siguiendo al Maestro, ha terminado… El éxito de mi repetición de oraciones (Coronilla) depende de mi corazón que se mantenga tratando de amar a todo costo. Y mi habilidad para poder vivir esta vida de resurrección, está totalmente vinculada a mi constante pedirle que me cambie para amar a mis hermanos, a medida que toco Su puerta con la negación de mi ego, y abrazando mis cruces como un sacrificio. Entonces es cuando podernos deshacernos de nuestros demonios internos de miedo y desaliento y odio, etc. Mi amor superficial por mi prójimo no es aceptable más porque a través de Su misericordia, puedo verdaderamente arder con amor por todos, y ellos a su vez, a través del poder del Espíritu Santo, se pueden convertir en lámparas para otros… Es sólo desde este podio que puedo pedir que mi vecino se enamore de Dios,y cuando yo pida por misericordia por todos nosotros, grandes cosas pueden pasar. Pero debo lucir resucitada, actuar resucitada, debo quemar mi ego que desea tantas cosas… todas las cuales interfieren con mi habilidad de ser un Cristo para otros y para el mundo entero… ya que para Dios, todas las cosas son posibles.  Y puedo actuar como “resucitada” porque Él ha resucitado y es misericordioso y está encargado de todo! Sólo tengo que pedir, tocar ya que su misericordia es eterna. ¡Que así sea!

Corolario: Por el resto de mi vida, nunca podré decir “Jesús en Ti confío” como un mote. Cuando lo diga, sabré que estoy llamada a amarlo haciendo Su voluntad sin argumentos, objeciones, sin mirar el pro y el contra, con toda certeza de esta verdad y no importa cuánto odie lo que se llame a hacer. Al final de mi vida cuando exhale mi último respiro, estaré adonde debo estar. Cuando diga, “Jesús en Ti confío,” yo sabré que el tema principal de Su voluntad es mi crecer en amor por mis hermanos y hermanas, y por lo tanto, ese mismo día buscaré opciones para hacerlo, esperando que a través de su misericordia vivida en esta forma, ¡ellos también se encuentren donde deben estar al final de su paso por esta tierra!

Esto es misericordia en ACCIÓN, y si cooperamos con este programa, veremos al cordero acostado a la par del león y en paz. Entonces podremos cantar à Que haya paz en la tierra y que comience conmigo… O recordando al poverello de Asís, diremos con él: “Hazme un instrumento de Tu paz; donde haya odio, déjame sembrar amor; donde haya injuria, tu perdón Señor; donde haya duda, fe en Ti. Maestro, ayúdame a nunca buscar ser consolado sino consolar, ser entendido sino entender, ser amado sino amar. Amén. Estas oraciones describen de lo mejor la misericordia en acción.

El próximo “blog” saldrá este próximo miércoles, sólo para darles tiempo a leer y digerir este último que resultó ser muy largo.

 

 

 

 

Shall we build a Throne of God’s Mercy in Cyberspace?

 (The translation in Spanish will appear on April 16, in a “page” titled: “Misericordia en el Ciberespacio.”  à La traducción en español aparecerá  el 16 de abril en una “página” en el lado derecho, titulada “Misericordia en el Ciberespacio”)

In early March, I found a magazine in the back of my church where people leave some publications once they have read them. It interested me because de cover said, “Benedict on Vatican II”, and there was a picture of our Pope where he looked much younger. By the way, tomorrow, April 16, he will be 82 years old. You may like to pray for him. The magazine was dated Feb. 2, 2009. Some 2 weeks later, I felt summoned to read other articles in the same magazine, and voila, I found one titled, “The Virtual Church – Give us this day our daily blog…”  by Deacon Greg Kandra.

He is a deacon from Brooklyn, NY, ordained in May 2007. He wrote, “With my head still swimming from the incense and my ears still ringing with the Litany of Saints, I clicked on my computer and, in an act of either madness or inspiration, did something that would mysteriously and permanently change my life. I started a blog. For the less Web-savvy, a blog is a kind of online journal for posting ideas, opinions, news, videos, songs – almost anything. I am hardly a pioneer. Blogs have been around for a decade or so, and one of the most engaging Catholic sites is maintained by Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley.” This Deacon’s blog grew by leaps and bounds. Friend bloggers advised him to show lots of links. Readers left encouraging comments that he traced (with a special technology) to be coming from Rome, Manila, London, and South Africa. You may visit  his blog site at www.deacbench.blogspot.com. 

Through his blog site, which I visited for the first time just this past Holy Week, I found a large amount of links to other Catholic blog sites, from daily prayers of the Breviary to the Bostonian Cardinal monthly blog, showing pictures and news about recent events. A true “virtual Church!”  And to think that I was born in a tiny country within a humble beginning, and now I was part of this brand new Catholic virtual Church… Hmm… After checking many sites linked by this original web site mentioned, I came to the conclusion that I truly do not see the need of being part of posting a blog if it is for just information purposes. There are enough of them which do so. I will continue “blogging” although very open to hear the Holy Spirit regarding the format and/or discontinuation altogether.

Also during Holy Week 2009, I also became aware of other related issues but before I tell you, here is another important story related to this new understanding experienced above. It so happened that a friend of mine from the city I moved from, some 9 months ago, had ordered a Mass to be offered for me as an Easter gift. I got up at 4 AM on this past Monday of Holy Week to be present in spirit during its celebration at 7 AM EST. And lo and behold, most likely as a fruit of this Mass, I was illumined about two other things, and I will share a third story, which proved to me how alive He is… walking besides us.

1. By Good Friday I wondered that when it comes to creating a web site on Mercy and not just a blog site in order to become A THRONE OF HIS MERCY IN THE INTERNET, if St. Faustina’s Diary were posted some day in the Web by the people who own the copyright, it may be all what is necessary to create this cyberspace Throne of His Mercy. In the other hand, what I feel inspired or called to create is:

1) A web-site made of witnesses of all Christian Denominations with changed lives that can show how the mercy of God worked in their lives!

2) Where we can reveal an army of souls actively attempting to live a life of “faith without fear” or TRUST in God’s mercy plus all its fruits.

3) A web site for the Holy Spirit to talk through many souls about the mercy of God, and where teens talk to teens, Priests to Priests, elders to elders, like a “live” conversation a la Skype style, but VIA Internet with “dynamic links”  with people talking about their experience of mercy.

4) However, I also realized that it is an enterprise that needs a group of people, old, young, with or without Holy Orders, that can use God given talents to create and keep up other links as needed for this THRONE of mercy.

5) Of course, it could have some general information about Divine Mercy and what the Bible and the Saints have said about it or how they experienced it.

6) However, it should be a site that calls us to live His resurrection that we are celebrating right now! I should exude ideas as to how to seek such resurrection in the normal routine of daily life, and how tangible it is to get there by the sheer power of His having paid the cost of our resurrection when Blood and Water gushed forth from His side to become a fountain of mercy for us!!!

7) It should be a site that call us like the one heard by Lazarus, so that we can get enthused enough to want to cooperate in order to leave our empty tombs full of fears, doubts, golden calves, confusion, lack of love and forgiveness.

8 ) A place where we recount our ways of self-denial. Where we can share the different ways we are embracing our crosses and our struggles in doing so, and how the mercy of God, miraculously intervened for us to suddenly embrace “X” cross, with renewed hope in the graces these crosses bring.

9) A place where we can be a Simon of Cyrene to each other, helping each other to carry any cross that is too heavy and when we find ourselves discouraged.

10) A place where the major work is to share our lives as to how we become better and better disciples in the ways He suggested.

11) A place where we can air our victories and defeats and how Satan have tried to dissuade us of picking up our crosses and running with them. Said in other words, a place where we narrate our battles and how we used our spiritual weapons to win those wars against the evil one.

12) A place where we have a “virtual” Catholic Congregation dedicated not only to find deeper meaning of the mercy of God for us, but one where we encourage each other in this road of becoming the best disciples in His terms; where we share our experiences and as brothers and sisters of the family of God can do, sitting at the feet of the Throne of Mercy in Cyberspace, as source of the graces to live this togetherness.

13) But at the same time, a place where we learn to catch ourselves in our great ventures of self-satisfaction and self-empowerment, which is the “in” idea nowadays, that we must find ourselves by empowering ourselves and the opposite idea to the teachings of the Crucified. ….!!!! Ouch!

14) Where we can become used to live lives with the Jesus’ prayer in our lips (Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on  me a sinner), as a constant incense that reaches the heavens so that He can have permission to mold us in becoming holy as our Father is holy, and all for His glory, because we have grown in self-denial, and using the sacrifice of our tightly embraced crosses, as the fire to activate our son-ship/daughter-ship that  He earned for us through the Blood of the Lamb.

15)  A place where we do not tell only stories of great success, but stories of our trying and backsliding, of our struggles but  seeing success coming little by little.

16) A place where we can share not just information, but our transformation in Christ Jesus.

17) A place where we find hope when discouraged; faith when in doubt; love when hatred and lack of forgiveness are drowning us.

Could it be possible to create such website? It seems that this plan has to be directed by God Himself. I then wondered if this Mass on Monday of Holy Week did create in me a miracle of understanding and wisdom on how to create a Web-Throne of Mercy for many to come and get enchanted with what He can do… Yet, I could not do it by myself. So, the big truth continues to be that He has to intervene for this website to become a reality, or simply, let the idea die for now, and someone else, can later pick it up from there. That is the 64,000 dollar question! However, with your prayer and mine, I am sure He will tell us. The God Whom I know is full of surprises!

2. And here comes a story of hope that for God nothing is impossible and that His mercy is always all over us, no matter whom He uses, and I also attribute this experience to your prayers and this Mass offered for me. This is a story that also led me to believe how interesting it would be if we should share our personal encounters with God… through His Mercy. My present pastor had suggested for us retired people, to attend the 2 PM Good Friday Service. The 12 noon he wanted to be less crowded for those who used their lunch hour to attend. At 1 PM they had scheduled the Way of the Cross. So, those of the first group that could stay, would do so, and the second group could come to pray it as well, before the 2 PM service. I knew that parking would be the major problem and it sure was. I arrived at 12:40 PM but I entered the church until 12: 55. They were starting to adore the Cross and a few people started leaving. So, I decided to go forward to adore the cross during this first service and occupy one of the front seats left free.

Yet, all through these minutes, I was in anguish… I was missing Him…He was not there à His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Every Holy Week I go crazy with this scenario. But in my prior church, which I attended for 7 years, I knew where He was hidden (school library adjacent to this huge modern rectangle shaped structure and main church) and I would go and say hello, at times just through a window because the library would be locked, but it would calm my anxiety. This time, I could not do that. Tears kept coming out as if I were in a funeral. When my mother, father, grandmother and husband died, I never shed a tear. Since I always believe that death is gain, and therefore, I also want to go “home” soon, I was actually happy when they died. But not this day… He was gone and I finally was able to feel somewhat what Mary Magdalene felt when she found the empty tomb… I had felt before her need of going to tell others that He was risen, but this time I shared with her the sadness of not finding Him.

After the adoration of the Cross, we said the Our Father and they started distributing Communion… I could have jumped for joy!… There He was again… After Holy Communion, I felt His Presence LIKE I NEVER HAD BEFORE EVER… I thought of this Mass said for me and realized that it had to be another fruit… I had found Him risen and told Him, “I could not live without You. Period. And please never get lost from my life, ever!” I also understood that this new thing of my crying when He is absent… it’s a way to call me to new resurrections, precisely to be changed enough to interest others to do the same! I stayed for the 1:15 PM Way of the Cross but moved to the left side where I normally sit in order to be in front of the Tabernacle…Yet, it was empty… open and empty. By now, He had been taken back to the sacristy somewhere. I could have stayed for the second service but since I already had received Him and the pain of the separation was still there, a very deep pain, I left and somewhat fascinated with this profund love I have for Him. These are the times when I get confused because I do not see others so attached to Him, and I start thinking that may be, may be, I am totally crazy!

I am finishing this blog after Easter and before the Feast of Divine Mercy with the good news that in this Lent of 2009, He decided to be even more present to me than at any other time, and therefore that He is alive, truly alive… It kind of reminded me when I was 6 years old, of my call to be close to Him because there was like a magnet calling me to be near His Eucharistic Presence. 

3. Another revelation of His Presence: this past Monday after Easter I went to 12 Noon Mass and had arrived early to say my Rosaries. However, I only had time for one. I was going to stay for the second one, but there was this burning inside me to leave.  I was not sure if I would stop to get some cash at an ATM machine in a 7 Eleven store of the many in route, because the cash needed was not urgent. And I did end up in one of them. As I approached the store, I saw two “albino” looking men, one about 50+ and the other about 30+ and they looked homeless. By the time I entered, they were ordering a pack of cigarettes and the cashier was saying, “It is $7.69”. They did not have enough money to pay. They asked for the cheapest brand. Suddenly, I FOUND MYSELF saying, “I will pay for it.” I did. And again, I found myself giving them $20.00 for lunch.

I want to be sure that I am sharing with you all of this because I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SO CALLED CHARITY. Instead, I was totally engulfed by the most powerful love for these two men, just as if they were the most beautiful 6 month old babies. Also I immediately and clearly understood that this event had been planned by God. Not for these men per se… Yes, they were surprised and thanked me many times but they will forget about it… But for sure, this was for me: I was able to taste how much God loves us… I loved these two raggedy strangers with a passion that had nothing to do with me… It was His love through me… and all in order for me to taste this His so crazy love for all of us… Of course, He is risen and He wanted to show me how busy He is… taking care of the least of our brothers. As I left the store, they were sitting in a nearby bus stop. I went to buy some food to a nearby restaurant and shortly after I passed again in front of this bus stop booth, and there they were, one dressed with a light blue operating room scrub uniform. Their hair was sooo white, they were so thin and tall that I wondered, “Are they Angels sent to me to meet me at a very particular moment, so that I could recognize Christ in them, but disguised as homeless people? Anyway, I am a member of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum (The Work of the Holy Angels), and my baptismal name says that I am “of the Angels), but I will never know if they were truly Angels…

Again, I still have no idea what will happen regarding the creation of a future web site on Divine Mercy. My son is extremely busy right now to put together the beginnings of it. I will wait for further instructions from the Holy Spirit. Please pray for this intention on this Feast of Divine Mercy on this Sunday. He loves to surprise us and as we all know, He is a miracle maker…

“Even if through Easter, Christ has destroyed the root of evil, He still wants the assistance of men and women in every time and place who help Him to affirm His victory using His own weapons: the weapons of justice and truth, mercy, forgiveness and love. Let us ask the Lord, Who has given us the grace of Baptism, for the gift always to be sources of pure, fresh water, bubbling up from the fountain of His truth and His love!”

Pope Benedict XVI, Easter message, April 12, 2009.

 

 

 

Notes:

1) I have placed the Rosary intertwined with the Chaplet of Mercy that I pray daily, offering the 50 Hail Mary’s for different groups of people, in the “pages” section titled, “Rosary” (Only in English). I am sharing with you my general intentions and I erased my personal ones. So, there are many empty Hail Mary’s that you could fill out with your family and friend’s names and whatever other intentions, this if you feel called to follow this format. I have used it for at a least 3 years and I have obtained so many miracles for so many people….The whole Rosary/Chaplet is for each person as well, but in different Hail Mary’s, I write the name of the person (s) or group, and this way I do not forget to pray for people, for the world, for the Church, etc. asking for God’s mercy for all of them!

2) Since this blog turned out to be long, the next one will be posted a week from now, on Wednesday or so.

3) For those wanting to better understand the concept of cyberspace:

 A metaphor for describing the non-physical terrain created by computer systems. Online systems, for example, create a cyberspace within which people can communicate with one another (via e-mail), do research, or simply window shop. Like physical space, cyberspace contains objects (files, mail messages, graphics, etc.) and different modes of transportation and delivery. Unlike real space, though, exploring cyberspace does not require any physical movement other than pressing keys on a keyboard or moving a mouse.  

The term was coined by author William Gibson in his sci-fi novel Neuromancer (1984).

 

 

Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Therefore, “Yes we can”

This will be a short blog because we have much to meditate in these next 4 days so sacred for us. Look at these facts that worry me and probably many of you:

1. I contacted the U.S. House of Representatives for my city, regarding FOCA or the Freedom of Choice Act, which will protect a woman’s right to choose the birth of her child or not. I received an answer from my Representative and it turned out to be a woman. She wrote, “This gives women the choice to terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability, or to terminate a pregnancy after viability when necessary to protect the life of a mother.” She made sure to say that it is important for our government to protect individual liberties… As a doctor I was never able to differentiate between the individual liberty of a mom or a baby. ¡But right now, life does not seem to be valued if one does not have enough growth to make it outside of the womb!

But this is only one little part of the immense number of changes that we are seeing in our country, changes that a friend of mine feels he never thought he would ever see! One that truly scares me, it is forcing health care providers and hospitals to participate in procedures with moral or religious objection. In this case, the above idea about how important it is for the government to protect individual liberties, seems not to apply. Ouch and ouch and ouch… What a confusion we have… It is dividing us, it is discouraging us, and it is giving us much fear… It all sounds demonic. I thank God that I am retired! Otherwise, without hesitation, I would have to return to practice to my place of origin . I also thank God that my physician son is a nephrologist, and not an obstetrician or anesthesiologist. God is sooo good!

2. In the other hand we have our own, our voices within our Church starting the “blame game”. Someone wrote that the “greatest road block to ending abortion is found in diocesan offices.” Triple ouch here too! Yes, there may be some “offices” that are not extremely active in promoting life and that even obstruct those Catholics who do (I know of such cases), but blaming others is not the answer for anything, ever! If I were to blame someone, I would say that the greatest block we have is ourselves, because we do not believe in our own power of prayer… to a God Who resides on this earth!

3. However, MY greatest concern that I have right now is that all of us who truly believe in the “right to life”, we seem to be asleep or confused or faithless. If this Sunday we are going to celebrate ONE MORE TIME, the fact that Jesus after being dead for 3 days, rose from the dead, and that He is at the right hand of the Father pleading for us, why is it that since the 1970’s (Roe v Wade) we cannot get it straight in our heads that YES WE CAN change what we need to change because He can do it for us? Why cannot we believe it?

Are we truly organizing ourselves, and I mean personally?  Are we starting to live seriously a life of  conversion by doing’s God’s will without protestation as we embrace with gusto the good and bad  (crosses) in our lives, and trying to love our neighbor without hesitation and no matter what? And under these two conditions, are we taking time aside, every day, some 15 minutes, and beg God for mercy for this country? Why haven’t we done it?  Do I need a Bishop or Priest or a prayer group or a retreat master to tell me what I know I have to do because the Bible says so? Of course not. I do not know about you, but I am running the best I can, because YES I CAN change the world in whatever little or big ways He wants to do it.

And I want to do it because He loves me sooo much, that the least I can do is to work hard at “doing whatever He tells me…” In my opinion, these words of Our Lady are the most important MESSAGE over any other message from any of her apparitions. But I also want to do it because I know it works big time! I even get overwhelmed with so many miracles that I see when I enter in this style of life: prayer united to doing His will in everything without fighting Him (except sometimes for a few minutes due to my humanity), and loving my neighbor even when I want to die of repugnance, BUT EVERYTHING DONE FOR HIS GLORY, or coming from a heart that recognizes Him as King of my soul. YES I CAN, AND I CAN ASSURE OF THAT…

Personally, and I felt this way for several years, and I could not go through another Lent, year after year, if by Easter I am not feeling resurrected, at least in my unequivocal certainty that He is in a every Tabernacle waiting to feed me with His power and strength, with His miracles, with His love and Mercy, just like my own mother did when I was a baby;  and that His Holy Spirit lives within me as the Guest of my soul,  just to remind me of this Truth, and to guarantee that I know when to move to the left or to the right, for this Truth to be lived in my life…

I wish you the most blessed Easter for 2009, but also I want to use this opportunity to challenge you that by 2010, you can say without hesitation, “YES I CAN change this country with my brothers and sisters because He is risen; indeed, He is risen, and I know He is because many things have changed for the better, including some signs of conversion of those who want to protect human liberties according to their own classification of the human race.” In my opinion, it is about time to realize that we belong to each other and that we are responsible for each other, and that Satan has done all of this tempting of our brothers and sisters with crazy ideologies and reasoning, and we allowed him to do it. Enough is enough! The best campaign against what it is happening is our own ongoing transfiguration into His likeness, a work that He does but that we have to allow Him to do, by the way we obey His commandments, by the way we follow Jesus after denial of ourselves while seriously embracing our crosses.

Note: I have added a few other details to the story of the man whose finger grew a tip on its own, like what kind of white powder he had to apply for 10 days and who ordered it and in what city. This is in the page titled Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

The next blog will be written by next Wednesday, prior to Divine Mercy Sunday!!!! I am going to start the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday for this our U.S.A. Will you join me? The novena prayers can be found in the Internet via Google.

¡Cristo Resucitó! ¡Aleluya!  Por lo tanto, “sí se puede”

Este será un “blog” corto porque tenemos mucho que meditar en los próximos 4 días que son tan sagrados para nosotros. Pongan atención a estos puntos que me preocupan a mí y probablemente a muchos de ustedes, aunque no vivan en los Estados Unidos.

1. Yo contacté al miembro para mi ciudad de la Casa de Representantes del Congreso de Estados Unidos, con referencia a FOCA, o la propuesta de ley para obtener la “libertad de escoger”, la cual protegerá el derecho de toda mujer a escoger el nacimiento o muerte de su bebé en su vientre. Resultó ser una mujer también. Ella me contestó lo siguiente en defensa de FOCA: “Esta ley le da a las mujeres el derecho de terminar una preñez antes de la viabilidad del feto, o de terminarla después que el feto es viable, cuando sea necesario para proteger la vida de la madre.” Ella se aseguró en escribir que es importante para nuestro gobierno el proteger las libertades individuales… Como médico que soy, yo nunca pude diferenciar entre la libertad individual de la mamá y del bebé. ¡Pero ahora, la vida parece no tener valor si uno no tiene el suficiente desarrollo para sobrevivir fuera del vientre!

¡Pero esto es sólo una pequeña parte del inmenso número de cambios que estamos viendo en este país, cambios que un amigo mío siente que él nunca se imaginó que los vería! Un cambio que verdaderamente me asusta , es el de forzar a los proveedores de servicios de salud y a los hospitales a participar en procedimientos con objeción moral o religiosa. En este caso, la idea de cuán importante es para el gobierno federal proteger las libertades individuales, parece que no se aplica. Auch, auch y auch.. ¡Cuánta confusión que tenemos!… y que está dividiéndonos, descorazonándonos, y dándonos mucho miedo… Todo esto suena demónico. Le doy muchas gracias a Dios de que estoy retirada. De otra forma, tendría que volver a mi país de origen a trabajar. También le doy gracias a Dios que mi hijo médico es un nefrólogo, y no un obstetra o anestesiólogo.

2. Por otro lado tenemos a los nuestros, voces dentro de la Iglesia comenzando con el juego de echarle la culpa a otros. Alguien escribió que “el mayor obstáculo para terminar con el aborto se encuentra en las oficinas diocesanas”. ¡Aquí yo exclamo un auch triple! Sí, puede haber algunas “oficinas” que no son extremadamente activas en promover el derecho a la vida, y hasta obstaculizan aquellos católicos que lo hacen, pero culpar a otros no es una respuesta para nada, y ¡nunca lo será! Si yo fuera a culpar a alguien, yo diría que el mayor obstáculo somos nosotros mismos, ¡porque no creemos en el poder que tenemos en nuestra propia oración… a un Dios Quien reside en esta tierra!

3. Sin embargo, MI mayor preocupación es que  todos nosotros los que creemos en el “derecho a la vida”, parece que estamos dormidos, confundidos y sin fe. Si este domingo vamos a celebrar UNA VEZ MÁS, el  hecho de que Jesús después de estar muerto por 3 días, resucitó y que se encuentra a la derecha de Su Padre, intercediendo por nosotros, ¿por qué es que desde los años 1970 (caso de Roe contra Wade), nosotros no podemos entender en nuestras cabezas que SÍ PODEMOS cambiar lo que necesitemos porque Él lo puede hacer por nosotros? ¿Por qué?

¿Estamos organizándonos personalmente? ¿Estamos comenzando a vivir seriamente una vida de conversión, haciendo la voluntad de Dios sin protestar y a medida que abrazamos con gusto lo bueno o malo (cruces) en nuestras vidas, y tratando de amar a nuestro prójimo sin titubear y no importa cuán duro sea? Y bajo estas dos condiciones, ¿estamos dedicando cada día, unos 15 minutos para pedirle a Dios por su misericordia para este país? ¿Por qué no lo hemos hecho? ¿Necesito yo de un Obispo o Sacerdote o grupo de oración o de un predicador en un retiro para que me diga lo que tengo que hacer cuando la biblia ya lo indica? ¡Claro que no! Yo no sé si ustedes lo hacen, pero yo estoy corriendo lo mejor que puedo, porque YO SÍ PUEDO cambiar el mundo en formas pequeñas o grandes, de acuerdo a lo que Él quiera.

Y lo quiero hacer porque Dios me ama tanto, que sería lo mínimo que puedo darle y es “hacer lo que Él me indica”… En mi opinión, estas palabras de la Virgen María constituyen el mensaje más importante, sobre todo otro mensaje de cualquiera de sus apariciones.  Pero también lo quiero hacer porque sé que trabaja. Hasta estoy cansada de recibir milagros cuando yo entro en esta forma de vida: oración aunada a hacer Su voluntad en todo sin protestar (excepto a veces por unos cuantos minutos debido a mi humanidad) y a tratar de amar a mi prójimo aunque me quiera morir de asco, pero todo para su gloria, o sea de un corazón que lo reconoce como el Rey de mi alma. SÍ SE PUEDE Y SE LOS ASEGURO.

Personalmente, y esto lo he sentido por muchos años, yo no podría pasar por otra cuaresma, año tras año, si para la Pascua de Resurrección yo no pueda sentirme también resucitada, al menos con la certeza inequívoca de que Él está esperándome en cada Tabernáculo para darme de comer con Su poder y fuerza, con Sus milagros, con Su amor y misericordia, exactamente como mi propia madre lo hizo cuando era una bebé; y de que Su Santo Espíritu vive dentro de mí como un huésped de mi alma, sólo para recordarme de esta Verdad, y para garantizarme cuándo debo doblar a la izquierda o derecha, para poder vivir esta Verdad en mi vida…

Les deseo muchas bendiciones para la Pascua de Resurrección del 2009, y aprovecho para hacerles un reto para el 2010, y que entonces puedan decir sin miedo, “YO SÍ PUEDO cambiar a este país junto a mis hermanos y hermanas porque Él resucitó; en verdad, Él lo hizo, y lo sé porque muchas cosas han cambiado para lo mejor, incluyendo algunas señales de conversión de aquellos que desean proteger las libertades humanas pero de acuerdo a su propia clasificación de la raza humana.” En mi opinión, ya llegó el tiempo de darnos cuenta que pertenecemos unos a los otros y de que somos responsables unos por los otros, y también, que Satanás ha tentado a nuestros hermanos y hermanas con ideologías y razonamientos locos, y que nosotros se lo hemos permitido. ¡Llego el tiempo de cambiar! La mejor campaña contra lo que está pasando, es nuestra constante transfiguración en Su semejanza, un trabajo que Él hace pero que nosotros debemos permitirle hacer por la forma cómo seguimos Sus mandamientos, cómo seguimos a Jesús, cómo nos negamos a sí mismos y abrazamos nuestras cruces.

Nota: El próximo “blog” aparecerá para eso del próximo miércoles, anterior al domingo de la ¡Fiesta de la Divina Misericordia!!! Voy a comenzar a rezar la novena de la Divina Misericordia este Viernes Santo para bien de los Estados Unidos. ¿Me acompañan? Las oraciones de esta novena se pueden encontrar en el Internet vía Google, y se hace un “click” para obtenerla traducida al español…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embryonic stem cell research is dead! + Fruits of my Lent

 (Note: The Spanish translation will appear on Monday. La traducción de este blog aparecerá este Lunes Santo en la sección de “pages” o páginas con el título de “Células estaminales embriónicas”)

I would like to mention a few fruits that have become evident in this my Lent of 2009, and as I kept working hard at mixing prayer with full acceptance of my crosses. But before I do that, let me give you some news about the latest scientific developments regarding embryonic stem cell research and that I bumped into by the grace of God, just 4 days ago. The topic of using these cells from embryos, babies at its earlier state of development, is DEAD… However, the media is not reporting any of it… and the measure of lifting all that our previous U.S. President had put in place to avoid the use of many of these lines of frozen embryos, which happened this past March 9^th through the new administration, is also obsolete…!!!

I have placed what I just learned from a very reputable doctor well known in the U.S., in a separate page on the right side of this blog, titled, “Embryonic stem cells”. I do it this way for any of you to get to it in an easier manner, and to spare some of my friends who read this blog and whom I already contacted with this info via E-mail. It is a miracle that I suspect may have to be through the intercession of a man, Servant of God JP II, who suffered from Parkinson’s, because in just one year (2008) they advanced on how to cure Parkinson’s that could have instead taken 10 years  to do so… and this cure will be plausible in at most 9 years from now… Praise God! But the other big point and most dear to our Servant of God, would be to spare the lives of these embryos… and not to make them in the Petri dish to be used as spare parts… And this report came precisely via a very famous program seen in many parts of the world on March 31, 2009… almost on the anniversary of his death! Wow!

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FRUITS of this Lent from mixing prayer and embracing my crosses as best as I could during these special 40 days of 2009:

1. I am finding out that every time that I am concerned about some item, whether seen in TV or at Church, something that needs fixing, I switch immediately to pray for mercy for the person (s) who is(are) involved. Before, I would stay pondering in the scandal I had just received. Now, without much thinking, I am reminded that my reason to be present to this event is to pray for the people in it…

2. I am finding that I am loving people who offend me with their sins like I never did before. In fact, this love shows as that of a mom for her children, as merciful love… I do not work at it. It is just grace given to me… I have also arrived to the complete surety that all prayer done for others must come from a loving heart, and if one does not love the person we are praying for, we must ask for this grace, and we get the answer quite soon. It is happening to me often…

3. I noticed that in the XVI C., the Lord sent us two prophets to put together for us exactly this sandwich of prayer and the cross fully embraced, in order to grow in the spiritual life as never before. Two giants and now Doctors of the Church were born in Spain almost at the same time: St. Teresa of Avila who suffered immensely while fighting to renew her Carmelite Order, and writing for us the stages of union with God through PRAYER. And St. John of the Cross, who explained the cross as no one before him… His cross was huge as well, suffering persecution and being incarcerated by his own. And he grew in intimacy with God via the cross… It is interesting that he wrote most of his acclaimed book while in jail…

4. So, now I am quite comfortably at saying that prayer with love and embracing of our crosses as the sacrifice for others, is the fastest way to convert the entire world… Nothing different of what Jesus did for us and that we are about to refocus in this coming Holy Week. So, embracing our crosses is one of the keys (besides loving the ones we pray for). But as with asking for love for others, we have to ask for the grace to embrace our crosses…

The miracle has been that by God’s grace, just one week ago, I ended up with a notebook I started in the 90’s and which I found in one of the boxes in this garage, precisely focused on asking God for the grace to embrace our crosses. I will share these prayers with you, which I composed based on the writings of St. Louis Marie de Montfort, who promulgated the need to become “Friends of the Cross.” If you feel called to it, pray them and sit to see the results… on how you can evangelize many united to prayer… and as you get transfigured yourself. I suspect that all of this done in those years, a prayer that as I always tell my Lord, will be present to Him even if I do not repeat it, but that the fact that I wrote it and signed it… means it is present always in front of His Throne of Mercy, this brought with prayer, the salvation of my spouse in such a miraculous way at the time of his death. He went from non believing and actually being offended by the things of God, into acceptance of his death with joy, very little pain from his advanced cancer, and reverting to be a Catholic as if nothing had happened… So, becoming a “friend of the Cross” is spiritual money… Here is the prayer:

January 1992:

1. Father, take away my fear to take up the cross that leads to Your Kingdom!

2. Make me understand that in the cross of every day, there is:

1) Salvation. 2) Eternal life. 3) Protection. 4) Heavenly sweetness. 5) Strength of mind. 6) Spiritual joy. 7) Supreme virtue of faith, hope and love. 8 ) Perfect holiness. 9) Heaven on earth. 10) The source to enkindle the fire of divine love in our heart by detaching from creatures. 11) The abundant source of every delight and consolation; it brings joy, peace and grace to our souls. 12) It is conduit for the salvation of my neighbor.

3. Dad, make me believe and understand the paradox of the Cross!  àThat to die in and with Him, in order to live with Him, to join Him in Glory, I must join Him in suffering, through daily dying to myself.

4. Make me understand the wisdom of bearing the cross: that if I bear my cross willingly, it will carry me and lead me to my desire goal, where suffering will end.

5. Make me believe and remember that if I fling aside one cross, I will certainly find another and, perhaps a heavier one!

6. Lord, show me Your Truth: that the more I get weakened by affliction, the more my spirit is strengthened by inner grace, by divine comfort, and that eventually, I will receive the great reward of embracing warmly those things from which I naturally recoil, and that being comforted by trials and afflictions, there will be a point where I will not want to be without the crosses themselves.

7. Dad, my nature is not to bear the cross, to love the cross, to discipline myself, to avoid seeking praise, to suffer insults willingly, to think humbly of myself, to appear humble to others, to endure adversity and loss, and not to seek prosperity as my first goal. Make me understand, then, that by not avoiding my crosses, by enduring them patiently, by drinking lovingly of Your chalice of the bitter cup, my nature will change, and suffering will become a great consolation instead; and that by enduring pain and sorrow to please You, and my beloved Jesus, I will experience paradise on earth. Show me how You have enclosed in the cross such an abundance of grace, life and happiness, that only those who enjoy its special favors know about them. (From God Alone, Chapter 22)

8. Father, teach me that one must be humble, little, self disciplined, spiritual and despised by the world, in order to learn the mystery of the Cross! “Father”, said Your son, “I thank You for having hidden these things from the wise and prudent of the world, and revealed them to the little ones.” And I ask You therefore, to always remind me that I must be a little one to have the revelation of Your mysteries, most especially the mystery of the Cross!

9. Remind me always that however excellent is the gift of faith by which I please You my God, and draw near to You and overcome my enemies, the Cross is even a greatest gift.

10. Remind me Father, that I am a living temple of Your Holy Spirit, and like a living stone, I am destined to be set by You out of love, into a building of the heavenly Jerusalem. And so, I must expect to be shaped, cut and chiseled under the hammer of the Cross; that I must respect the chisel that is carving me and the hand that is shaping me into that building.

11. My Lord, my Lord, as I resolve to become a saint, I thank You for I having found the pearl of great prize, a treasure,  my cross, fashioned by Your own hands with great exactness: its length, breadth, thickness and depth, according to the prescriptions of the Cross of Calvary that You carved for Your Son Jesus.

The thickness of my cross if made up of:

1) Loss of possession: jobs, money, professional success according to the world standards.

2) Humiliations

3) Contempt

4) Illnesses

5) Spiritual trials

The length of my cross consists of:

1) Slander, persecutions

2) Suffering the temptation of fleeing the cross, as the twelve did.

3) Desolation because of it.

The breadth of my cross is made up of:

Harsh and bitter circumstances brought about by family, relatives, friends, servants and enemies.

The depth of my cross is made up of:

1) Hidden trials like negative memories that lie buried in my mind

2) Inability to find comfort in other people, spiritual partners who would like to run the race towards You with me, accepting to discuss my crosses, and holding my hands; however, when the going gets bitter and over powering for me, they fail me with their presence and love.

12. Therefore, my Father, thank you for the exactness of my cross: its size is perfect as You are perfect; this gift is your Love, as You are love Yourself.

13. And Father, my last request: give me the grace to boast about my cross, my rather little cross compared with other’s. I willingly accept it and willingly choose to embrace it, not drag it…

14. I love You  my God, Three in One; grace me with the power and the wisdom and love to dedicate my body, mind and spirit to the exclusive embrace of all my crosses with joy, with a “yes” larger than my own cross, and a “yes” that will resound in heaven as a love song to You. But I need perfect strength from You to attend to this work.

15. As I write this prayer, I see Mr. William Jefferson Clinton become President Clinton. He calls for renewal, responsibility, union and sacrifice. But I call for Your passion, Your passion to love me through Your Son’s Passion, and this will control little by little my transfiguration into whom You predestined me to be for all eternity, even before I was knitted in my mother Sarah’s womb.

Dad, when tears fall down my face because of my cross hurts too much and I am unable to embrace it tightly, do not worry about me. I understand the road. I want to climb the stairs of Your freedom. Just hold me tight, very tight, as You have been doing for so many years before when I have walked over turbulent waters. It is that tightness of Presence and Love which holds me the best, and make me feel the safest. Do not forget to hold me tight, Daddy, very tight. And please remind me often that every time I tend to flee the cross, I am like St. Peter to whom Jesus said, “Get away from Me, Satan.”Remind me that in these instances, I am seeing my life with my human eyes, and not through God’s eyes.

My beloved Jesus, love me with Your Presence, with Your eyes of compassion and mercy; with the patience and the intimacy of the lover as You have shown me.

Holy Spirit of my Father and of My beloved Jesus, take over my all: my true and false self and my body. May You and my spirit be one in wisdom, love, compassion, mercy, understanding and knowledge for everybody in this world.

I want, Holy Spirit, to become a friend of the Cross, and as a friend, I want to grow in this relationship and intimacy; for it is the Cross, the royal path to You, which will finally subdue  my false self and its idols, which are dust, the cloud between You and me. I love you Holy Trinity. I love You. Amen.