An interview with Fr Gabriele Amorth, Diocesan Exorcist of Rome.
Satanic Alarm
STEFANO M. PACI
"Catholic hierarchy should say a fervent mea culpa. For, it is also their fault if devil worship and esoteric practices are becoming more widespread"
Fr Gabrielle Amorth
Diocesan Exorcist of Rome (1996)
You are in a unique position to form a general opinion of the whole question and you have direct-experience. Is it true that more people today are "associating" with the Devil?
GABRIELE AMORTH: Unfortunately, it is. In these past ten years of exorcisms I have witnessed a progressive increase in the number of people coming to me. Of course, more information circulates today. In the past, a lot of people who might have needed the help of an exorcist wouldn't have known how to go about finding one and may not even have known that they exist. But I think this increase is owing to an explosion proper of maleficence and evil and this is the Devil's work.
What are the causes?
AMORTH: More and more people are practising spiritism or joining Satanic sects. It's like a fashion, almost. Sometimes they just join without thinking about what they might come up against. Then they find themselves facing the consequences in terror. For the Devil is not an impersonal entity. This is not just a name psychoanalysts use for the abstract ills that exist in society. He is a real person and, as Saint Peter says in his first letter, 'like a roaring lion he is on the prowl for someone to devour'. Unfortunately, a poor form of theology has also spread this abstract concept of the Devil within the Catholic Church. Yet this is the exact opposite of Gospel teaching, of the Magisterium and of the feelings of the Christian people. Many bishops don't believe that he exists either. So if more and more people are recurring to esoteric practices and joining Satanic sects it is also because the Church has stopped teaching the proper doctrine about the Devil taught to us by Scripture and transmitted to us by Tradition. So I would say that Catholic hierarchy is also greatly responsible for the spread of this phenomenon.
Who else is to blame?
AMORTH: The press which has paid the worst kind of service by amplifying the phenomenon and nearly always failing to publish proper information. By so doing they are proclaiming and propagating evil. And so today we are seeing vast numbers of people turn to witches, card-readers and Satanic sects and the consequences are alarming even public authorities.
What are the evils and maleficence you mentioned earlier?
AMORTH: There are two types: demonic infestation and demonic possession. Infestation is provoked by a demon 'outside' the person and every now and then it assails the person causing physical and mental disturbances totally immune to medical treatment. Possession, which is very rare, happens 'inside' the person who is penetrated by a demon which sometimes acts using the person's own faculties. I would stress that cases of authentic demonic possession are very rare and cannot be compared with the cases of people in need of psychiatric help, which are 999 out of a thousand. The majority of cases I treat are cases of demonic infestation.
What is the cause of either of these conditions?
AMORTH: There are four causes. Firstly, seances and membership of Satanic sects. These practices, which expose people to maleficence and evils and even possession, are booming today, playing into the Devil's hands. Today, people no longer go to seances conducted by mediums who enter into a trance and claim to conjure up the dead - the truth is that if someone does intervene it is the Devil because the dead are in Paradise, Hell or Purgatory. They put questions to a 'spirit' and received the answers by placing a glass in a circle made of letters of the alphabet, or else they leave a tape recorder on in an empty room to record messages. Some thoughtless priests have been known to suggest this particular practice to parents who have lost children so that they can enter into contact with them. In short, seances are 'played' as if they were a game. According to one reliable survey, 36 per cent of schoolchildren have held seances of this type.
What else is behind the phenomenon?
AMORTH: The second cause is that some forms of grave sins are being persistently committed and so they become more rooted. The third cause is Evil itself. 'Evil' is a general word meaning something bad done to another person through the Devil. The victim is innocent but God allows it because he respects man's freedom. Just as someone might pay to have another person killed, people go to witches in association with Satan to have something evil done against another person. Evil can be done in various ways - the evil eye, curses or by Macumba or Voodoo rites. These rites, in my experience, are the hardest to combat. But if the person to whom the evil is done lives in the grace of God, if he is 'armed' by a normal life of prayer and communion with the Lord, the evil rarely sticks or else it sticks in a weaker form. The fourth cause is an assault by the Devil himself which, in defiance of human explanation, makes a person a victim of maleficent evil. And God allows this. In the Bible and history of the Church there are many such cases - Job, Saint Angela da Foligno, the Cure of Ars. More recent cases include the Blessed John Calabria and Saint John Bosco who was tormented with the Devil's afflictions for two years. Saint Paul, too, tells us that he was tormented by a messenger of Satan. It clearly transpires from his Letters that he was suffering from a physical ill of maleficent origin and it stayed with him until he died. He writes: 'So that I should not get above myself, I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to batter me'.
What is an exorcism?
AMORTH: It is a 'sacramental'. Canon 1166 of the Code of Canon Law defines sacramentals as sacred signs by which, in imitation of the sacraments, come the principally spiritual effects obtained by the supplication of the Church. Whereas the sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ and are the same gestures as Jesus Christ performed, the sacramentals are proposed by the Church. The Church instituted the sacramental of exorcism to make the power, conferred by Christ to all believers, more effective. In fact, every believer or community can offer prayers of deliverance following the example of Christ's teaching reported in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Mark: 'Whoever believes,.. in my name will cast out devils.' But only bishops and priests - never the laity - who have received an express license from a bishop may perform an exorcism. This is established by Canon 1167 of the Code stating that exorcisms must be performed in strict observance of the rites and formulas approved by the Church.
Was this rite also reformed after the Second Vatican Council?
AMORTH: You must be joking. It is the only text of all the texts due to be published after the last Council that has still to come out, even though 30 years have passed since Vatican II closed. The book of exorcisms currently in use is still the Roman Rite version dated 1614. This is another sign of the remarkable disinterest within the Catholic Church towards the Devil's concrete actions. In contrast to the Orthodox Church and to many Protestant confessions, the Catholic Church has almost abandoned the use of exorcisms, retaining this practice to be a throwback to the 'dark ages.' Catholic hierarchy must say a fervent mea culpa for it is also their fault if esoteric practices and Satanic sects are more widespread. All too often, the Church has been guilty of omission in its teaching on the Devil and in providing remedies for the faithful under attack by him. The Congregation of Divine Worship once formed an ad hoc commission to draft the new rite for exorcisms. But the temporary rite they recently drafted reflects a total lack of preparation on the part of the commission's members. They were liturgists who had never performed or seen exorcisms and who hadn't the slightest idea how they took place. We protested and the new rite has now been shelved [see 2002 POSTSCRIPT below - Ed.]. It's better for us to keep to the Roman Rite of over three centuries ago.
Has the Italian Episcopal Conference improved matters by appointing exorcists to the various dioceses, as the press often reports?
AMORTH: When they intervene in this field, bishops often say the wrong things. This is seriously counter-productive. It all depends on the awareness and goodwill of local bishops. Some bishops realize that they have more need today of exorcists on hand in their dioceses and so they appoint them. This is also a reflection of growing express demand from faithful with the increase in witches, card-readers, Satanic sects and spiritists. Some bishops are excessive. Tarcisio Carboni, Bishop of Macerata, was killed in a car accident recently on his way to the Italian Church convention in Palermo. He had just appointed 22 exorcists all in one go. Other dioceses have none at all, their bishops refusing to appoint any.
Acknowledgements to 30 Days
POSTSCRIPT
February 2002
Blunting the Sword of Exorcism
AS Harry Potter trivialises the occult on the outside, Father Gabriele Amorth, Founder and Honorary President of the International Association of Exorcists, complains of Vatican efforts to stymie the power of exorcists on the inside. In a recent interview published in the Italian monthly 30 Days [No. 6, 2001], he spoke out about the new rite of exorcism being developed by the Congregation of Divine Worship:
"All of us exorcists in trying out the prayers of the new ad interim Rite have proved that they are totally ineffective. But then again, the rite of baptism of children came off worse too. It was totally re-worked so that exorcism against Satan has been all but eliminated... Their intention was to arm us with a blunt sword. Some effective prayers were cancelled, prayers with 12 centuries of history. New ineffective prayers were written in."
His only lifeline, he explained, was that permission can still be obtained to use the traditional rite. He further bitterly complained that 150 trained and canonically appointed exorcists were "barred from taking part in a public Papal Audience in Saint Peter's Square. (This) says much of how the exorcists of the Church are obstructed in their ministry, how much they are frowned upon by so many of the ecclesiastical authorities."
Asked: "You are locked in daily battle with the Devil. What do you see as Satan's greatest success?" the highly respected cleric replied:
"The fact that he has managed to convince people that he does not exist. He has almost managed it, even within the Church. We have a clergy and an Episcopate who no longer believe in the Devil, in exorcism, in the exceptional evil the Devil can instill, or even the power that Jesus bestowed to cast out demons."
Commenting on the above exclusion of the 150 exorcists, he added:
"The smoke of Satan gets in everywhere, everywhere. Perhaps we were kept out of the Papal audience because they were afraid that all those exorcists might have cast out the legions of demons that have installed themselves in the Vatican."
"You're joking aren't you?" returned the startled interviewer, to which Father Amorth replied:
"It might sound like it, but I don't think that it is a joke. I have no doubt whatever the Devil is tempting the upper levels of the Church, above all, just as he tempts every upper level."
* * * * *
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
2851. Evil is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God. The devil (dia-bolos) is the one who 'throws himself across' God's plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ.
1673. When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms (Mark 1: 25) and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcising. In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called 'a major exorcism', can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.
2116. All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to 'unveil' the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honour, respect and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
2117. All practices of magic or sorcery by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magic practices: the Church for her part warns the faithful against it.
From the June/July 1996 feature in Christian Order Magazine, found here:
http://www.christianorder.com/features/features_1996/features_june-july96_2.html
"Perhaps this is one of the secrets of life-- to know 'Glory' when we see it..." --Charlotte M. Mason
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
On the role of families in the Spiritual Struggle
"The history of mankind, the history of salvation, passes by way of the family. The family is placed at the center of the great struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all that is opposed to love.
To the family is entrusted the task of striving, first and foremost, to unleash the forces of good, the source of which is found in Christ the Redeemer of man. Every family unit needs to make these forces their own so that, to use a phrase spoken on the occasion of the Millennium of Christianity in Poland, the family will be 'strong with the strength of God'."
-Pope John Paul II
To the family is entrusted the task of striving, first and foremost, to unleash the forces of good, the source of which is found in Christ the Redeemer of man. Every family unit needs to make these forces their own so that, to use a phrase spoken on the occasion of the Millennium of Christianity in Poland, the family will be 'strong with the strength of God'."
-Pope John Paul II
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A cloth diapering primer
A dear friend who is expecting her first wrote and asked me to give her some idea of the usability of Cloth Diapers, especially for babies with sensitive skin (my little whitey kids definitely have sensitive skin! Haha.)
I am a HUGE supporter of cloth diapering. Not being particularly interested in the environmental reasons for CDing (although I think it's a nice added benefit that they are environmentally responsible) I look at them as a really beneficial for parents and children, particularly because they force us to "give" of ourselves just a little bit more, which is a healthy by-product of parenting that-- if taken the right way-- will grow parents into better people. Among other things, kids who are CDed tend to be potty trained earlier (YAY!) and tend to be changed more (YAY!) than non-Cloth diapered kids.
Let's look at the cost first. Cloth diapers are expensive, that's for sure. But I can tell you that we once did the math and determined that we would save around $3000 per kid if we exclusively cloth diapered. Amazing! That's like, a whole vacation. Of course, in our family that $3000 turned into about $2000 because we part time cloth diaper, part time disposable diaper. But even so.... we were able to get the kids some clothes, participate in events we normally couldn't have, etc. So yay!
Secondly, let's look at their practicality. In our house, we designate one area of a closet the Diaper closet. We finish laundering them and stack them: shells, liners, wipes, and extra inserts. I keep a box of pre-stuffed diapers for daytime use on the first shelf and keep refilling it. That way if I'm in a hurry, I don't have to do any work, they are just ready to go. When I finish laundering them, I just make a quick pile and I'm ready to go. The older kids actually do the piling for me! It's not as quick and easy as disposable diapering, I'll be honest. But it's a good kind of work- and it helps the kids learn to participate in the household chores etc. And it really isn't THAT much more work. For us, the amount of money we save makes it worth it.
I used cloth wipes for a while too, but it turns out that in our house, wet paper wipes are easier. Of course, that's because I didn't have enough money to buy a LOT of wipes, and I found that I was using too many. If I had the cash to get the cloth wipes, I would do that too and it was easy enough. You just need a lot of them.
You can even make your own wipe lotion:
1/4 c. baby wash
1/4 c. baby oil
1/4 c. baby lotion
Two c. hot tap water
in an airtight container or spray bottle.
OK, onto styles and types. There are literally dozens of styles of CDs available out there, so I'm not going to waste my time writing about ones that don't work for us. We found that AIOs and Pocket diapers were the most useful, and now almost exclusively use Pocket Diapers. This is a diaper that has an external "shell" and an insert that fits into a pocket. You can stuff them extra for naps and if you choose to use them for nighttime.
They look something like this:
Of all the brands that exist out there, I can't say that one is definitely better than the other. They mostly look the same and seem to do the same types of things. We use a brand called bumgenius because they are the most popular, thus we are able to find them discounted etc. But we also have a variety of other types we use, some of which were homemade and others of which store bought. We also like a brand called Happy Heineez. And one which I can no longer find called Jamtotz.
We recommend getting a one size diaper as opposed to fitted diapers because kids grow so fast that the expense just doesn't make sense. I have a closet full of one size diapers, some of which I inherited and others of which I bought. They have gone through at least three kids and are holding up GREAT! They may not be as "shiny and new" looking as they once were, but they certainly look clean and function well. The only thing I've had to replace has been the inserts that had already been through three + babies. Not a big deal!
How we do it:
When it's time to diaper a kid, we stuff an insert (or two, if it's naptime or we're going for a long drive :P) into the pocket and snap it on.
A note on sizing: One sizes usually work on kids 3 months and older. Before then, the kids tend to be too small for them to be not BULKY, although I HAVE successfully diapered a newborn in cloth diaps using small size diapers and thinner inserts. Needless to say, if you want to CD the easy, minimal-thinking-and-spending way, just plan on using disposables til the kid hits 3 mos. Fold up the used diaper and stick it in a diaper pail or diaper bag. At the end of the day or two, unfold them all, spray them down (I do this in the sink using the nozzle, but you can do it in toilet using an awesome attachment that connects to your toilet tank that you can buy from cottonbabies.com)
We wash them in hot water with detergent that is made for sensitive skin first, then again in cold water. Then you can hang them out to dry (that's best for absorbency) or run them through your dryer on medium/low heat. That's it!
Because my kids have sensitive skin, we don't use regular detergent and we don't use fabric softener. After about four/five months of daily use, they start to smell-- not BAD-- but not totally "fresh." So you run them through with a bit of baking soda and they are good as new.
In order to protect their sensitive skin, I also change them frequently (never letting three hours go by without a change) and make sure they are getting lots of "air time." :P
I don't use diaper cream because it can affect the absorbency of the diapers. But I haven't needed to unless I forgot to change someone for a while. :P
ACTUAL washing instructions usually look something like this:
When you first get your diapers,you should wash the diapers before wearing.Wash both the diapers and insert after each use.When wet,separate insert and cover and store in a dry diaper pail.Do not soak.If soiled,simply knock solids into toilet.Small solids stuck to the inner layer will dissolve in the wash.Use a mini-shower toilet attachment to rinse off soiled diapers over the toilet (optional).First, run a cold rinse or soak cycle with no detergent.Second,run a hot cycle with detergent lower than 40C.Do not use bleach.Third,if your hot wash is not automatically followed by a cold rinse,run a cold rinse cycle.This step only necessary with a particularly dirty load.Tumble dry the diapers in dryer on low or hang to dry.Never dry on high heat.
Now, at night, it has been my personal experience that the diapers leak. No matter what I do, despite all the info out there that cloths don't leak. Because I didn't have enough money to buy wool soakers (which are a type of wool pants you can make or buy to put over the kid that wicks the wetness away from them and absorbs it so that the bed doesn't wet either) I decided long ago to disposable diap at night. And that works GREAT for our family. It also helps to make sure I don't give fluids right at bedtime, of course.
A long time ago, a dear friend sent me a box of her used diapers to try. I was hooked from then on, and can say that it gets kind of addicting-- wierdly enough those of us who cloth diaper become so into cloth diapering that we get kind of crazy about it. I even use cloth menstrual pads when I'm actually menstruating (haha-- I have been pregnant or nursing for the better part of the last five years. :P) I recommend asking someone if they have a couple cloth diapers you can borrow to try it out. If you like it, go for it! If not, you didn't lose a thing. YES, they seem really expensive, but I have to tell you--- disposables are insanely expensive, and all you do is throw them away. I have successfully used the same cloth diapers for ALL my kids. Because I have irish triplets, my kids are in diapers at the same time, so they just borrow each other's. It's awesome that I don't have to worry about making sure I am using the right sizes... for moms with more than one kid in diapers this is a godsend!
One more note- on daycare situations. Most non-mom people really don't like using cloth diapers. So if you are going to use them, make sure you get at least SOME pocket diapers and prestuff them for the person, so that the experience is somewhat similar to disposable diapering for them. usually if you show them, they will get onboard.
Get an additional small waterproof diaper laundering bag so you can stick dirty diapers in your diaper bag without stinking the thing up.
With my girls... this was great. BUT my son is a notorious "wet pooper" (he rarely makes solid poops) so when I'm on the go with him I use disposables because I don't have the ability to rinse his diapers off and I can't just dump the poop in the toilet.
If your child is the same way, you may find that you use disposables more than cloth for that reason.
That's it! If you're a new mom and reading this, the idea of poop types might be overwhelming and turn you off of cloth diapering, but I will say this: You're a mom. You're going to get poop on your hands. Heck, some days you will actually be telling your kids not to touch or -- gasp-- even EAT poop. So get used to it now. It's not going to happen all the time, but when it does, it's going to be fine. And if you cloth diaper, you will find that you don't have to deal with stinky diapers hanging around your trash can and that it's so much fun that diapering will be less of a drudgery and more of a game. So try it-- even if you think you probably won't like it.
It's good for baby, it's good for the environment, it's good for your finances, it's good for your parenting. What have you got to lose?
If you have any questions at all, feel free to comment.
I am a HUGE supporter of cloth diapering. Not being particularly interested in the environmental reasons for CDing (although I think it's a nice added benefit that they are environmentally responsible) I look at them as a really beneficial for parents and children, particularly because they force us to "give" of ourselves just a little bit more, which is a healthy by-product of parenting that-- if taken the right way-- will grow parents into better people. Among other things, kids who are CDed tend to be potty trained earlier (YAY!) and tend to be changed more (YAY!) than non-Cloth diapered kids.
Let's look at the cost first. Cloth diapers are expensive, that's for sure. But I can tell you that we once did the math and determined that we would save around $3000 per kid if we exclusively cloth diapered. Amazing! That's like, a whole vacation. Of course, in our family that $3000 turned into about $2000 because we part time cloth diaper, part time disposable diaper. But even so.... we were able to get the kids some clothes, participate in events we normally couldn't have, etc. So yay!
Secondly, let's look at their practicality. In our house, we designate one area of a closet the Diaper closet. We finish laundering them and stack them: shells, liners, wipes, and extra inserts. I keep a box of pre-stuffed diapers for daytime use on the first shelf and keep refilling it. That way if I'm in a hurry, I don't have to do any work, they are just ready to go. When I finish laundering them, I just make a quick pile and I'm ready to go. The older kids actually do the piling for me! It's not as quick and easy as disposable diapering, I'll be honest. But it's a good kind of work- and it helps the kids learn to participate in the household chores etc. And it really isn't THAT much more work. For us, the amount of money we save makes it worth it.
I used cloth wipes for a while too, but it turns out that in our house, wet paper wipes are easier. Of course, that's because I didn't have enough money to buy a LOT of wipes, and I found that I was using too many. If I had the cash to get the cloth wipes, I would do that too and it was easy enough. You just need a lot of them.
You can even make your own wipe lotion:
1/4 c. baby wash
1/4 c. baby oil
1/4 c. baby lotion
Two c. hot tap water
in an airtight container or spray bottle.
OK, onto styles and types. There are literally dozens of styles of CDs available out there, so I'm not going to waste my time writing about ones that don't work for us. We found that AIOs and Pocket diapers were the most useful, and now almost exclusively use Pocket Diapers. This is a diaper that has an external "shell" and an insert that fits into a pocket. You can stuff them extra for naps and if you choose to use them for nighttime.
They look something like this:
Of all the brands that exist out there, I can't say that one is definitely better than the other. They mostly look the same and seem to do the same types of things. We use a brand called bumgenius because they are the most popular, thus we are able to find them discounted etc. But we also have a variety of other types we use, some of which were homemade and others of which store bought. We also like a brand called Happy Heineez. And one which I can no longer find called Jamtotz.
We recommend getting a one size diaper as opposed to fitted diapers because kids grow so fast that the expense just doesn't make sense. I have a closet full of one size diapers, some of which I inherited and others of which I bought. They have gone through at least three kids and are holding up GREAT! They may not be as "shiny and new" looking as they once were, but they certainly look clean and function well. The only thing I've had to replace has been the inserts that had already been through three + babies. Not a big deal!
How we do it:
When it's time to diaper a kid, we stuff an insert (or two, if it's naptime or we're going for a long drive :P) into the pocket and snap it on.
A note on sizing: One sizes usually work on kids 3 months and older. Before then, the kids tend to be too small for them to be not BULKY, although I HAVE successfully diapered a newborn in cloth diaps using small size diapers and thinner inserts. Needless to say, if you want to CD the easy, minimal-thinking-and-spending way, just plan on using disposables til the kid hits 3 mos. Fold up the used diaper and stick it in a diaper pail or diaper bag. At the end of the day or two, unfold them all, spray them down (I do this in the sink using the nozzle, but you can do it in toilet using an awesome attachment that connects to your toilet tank that you can buy from cottonbabies.com)
We wash them in hot water with detergent that is made for sensitive skin first, then again in cold water. Then you can hang them out to dry (that's best for absorbency) or run them through your dryer on medium/low heat. That's it!
Because my kids have sensitive skin, we don't use regular detergent and we don't use fabric softener. After about four/five months of daily use, they start to smell-- not BAD-- but not totally "fresh." So you run them through with a bit of baking soda and they are good as new.
In order to protect their sensitive skin, I also change them frequently (never letting three hours go by without a change) and make sure they are getting lots of "air time." :P
I don't use diaper cream because it can affect the absorbency of the diapers. But I haven't needed to unless I forgot to change someone for a while. :P
ACTUAL washing instructions usually look something like this:
When you first get your diapers,you should wash the diapers before wearing.Wash both the diapers and insert after each use.When wet,separate insert and cover and store in a dry diaper pail.Do not soak.If soiled,simply knock solids into toilet.Small solids stuck to the inner layer will dissolve in the wash.Use a mini-shower toilet attachment to rinse off soiled diapers over the toilet (optional).First, run a cold rinse or soak cycle with no detergent.Second,run a hot cycle with detergent lower than 40C.Do not use bleach.Third,if your hot wash is not automatically followed by a cold rinse,run a cold rinse cycle.This step only necessary with a particularly dirty load.Tumble dry the diapers in dryer on low or hang to dry.Never dry on high heat.
Now, at night, it has been my personal experience that the diapers leak. No matter what I do, despite all the info out there that cloths don't leak. Because I didn't have enough money to buy wool soakers (which are a type of wool pants you can make or buy to put over the kid that wicks the wetness away from them and absorbs it so that the bed doesn't wet either) I decided long ago to disposable diap at night. And that works GREAT for our family. It also helps to make sure I don't give fluids right at bedtime, of course.
A long time ago, a dear friend sent me a box of her used diapers to try. I was hooked from then on, and can say that it gets kind of addicting-- wierdly enough those of us who cloth diaper become so into cloth diapering that we get kind of crazy about it. I even use cloth menstrual pads when I'm actually menstruating (haha-- I have been pregnant or nursing for the better part of the last five years. :P) I recommend asking someone if they have a couple cloth diapers you can borrow to try it out. If you like it, go for it! If not, you didn't lose a thing. YES, they seem really expensive, but I have to tell you--- disposables are insanely expensive, and all you do is throw them away. I have successfully used the same cloth diapers for ALL my kids. Because I have irish triplets, my kids are in diapers at the same time, so they just borrow each other's. It's awesome that I don't have to worry about making sure I am using the right sizes... for moms with more than one kid in diapers this is a godsend!
One more note- on daycare situations. Most non-mom people really don't like using cloth diapers. So if you are going to use them, make sure you get at least SOME pocket diapers and prestuff them for the person, so that the experience is somewhat similar to disposable diapering for them. usually if you show them, they will get onboard.
Get an additional small waterproof diaper laundering bag so you can stick dirty diapers in your diaper bag without stinking the thing up.
With my girls... this was great. BUT my son is a notorious "wet pooper" (he rarely makes solid poops) so when I'm on the go with him I use disposables because I don't have the ability to rinse his diapers off and I can't just dump the poop in the toilet.
If your child is the same way, you may find that you use disposables more than cloth for that reason.
That's it! If you're a new mom and reading this, the idea of poop types might be overwhelming and turn you off of cloth diapering, but I will say this: You're a mom. You're going to get poop on your hands. Heck, some days you will actually be telling your kids not to touch or -- gasp-- even EAT poop. So get used to it now. It's not going to happen all the time, but when it does, it's going to be fine. And if you cloth diaper, you will find that you don't have to deal with stinky diapers hanging around your trash can and that it's so much fun that diapering will be less of a drudgery and more of a game. So try it-- even if you think you probably won't like it.
It's good for baby, it's good for the environment, it's good for your finances, it's good for your parenting. What have you got to lose?
If you have any questions at all, feel free to comment.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Litany of St Mary Magdalene
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Saint Mary Magdalene, Pray for us.
Sister of Martha and Lazarus, Pray for us.
Who didst enter the Pharisee's house to anoint the feet of Jesus, Pray for us.
Who didst wash His feet with thy tears, Pray for us.
Who didst dry them with thy hair, Pray for us.
Who didst cover them with kisses, Pray for us.
Who wast vindicated by Jesus before the proud Pharisee, Pray for us.
Who from Jesus received the pardon of thy sins, Pray for us.
Who before darkness was restored to light, Pray for us.
Mirror of penance, Disciple of Our Lord, Pray for us.
Wounded with the love of Christ, Pray for us.
Most dear to the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us.
Constant woman, Pray for us.
Last at the Cross of Jesus, first at His tomb, Pray for us.
Thou who wast the first to see Jesus risen, Pray for us.
Whose forehead was sanctified by the touch of thy risen Master, Pray for us. Apostle of apostles, Pray for us.
Who didst choose the "better part," Pray for us.
Who lived for many years in solitude being miraculously fed, Pray for us.
Who wast visited by angels seven times a day, Pray for us.
Sweet advocate of sinners, Pray for us.
Spouse of the King of Glory, Pray for us.
V. Saint Mary Magdalene, earnestly intercede for us with thy Divine Master
R. That we may share thy happiness in heaven.
Let us pray.
May the glorious merits of blessed Mary Magdalene, we beseech Thee, O Lord, make our offerings acceptable to Thee: for Thine only-begotten Son vouchsafed graciously to accept the humble service she rendered. Who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Ghost, God for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
May the prayers of blessed Mary Magdalene help us, O Lord : for it was in answer to them that Thou didst call her brother Lazarus, four days after death, back from the grave to life. Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, Unity in Trinity, world without end.
R. Amen.
Prayer Source: Kyrie Eleison — Two Hundred Litanies by Benjamin Francis Musser O.F.M., The Magnificat Press, 1944
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Saint Mary Magdalene, Pray for us.
Sister of Martha and Lazarus, Pray for us.
Who didst enter the Pharisee's house to anoint the feet of Jesus, Pray for us.
Who didst wash His feet with thy tears, Pray for us.
Who didst dry them with thy hair, Pray for us.
Who didst cover them with kisses, Pray for us.
Who wast vindicated by Jesus before the proud Pharisee, Pray for us.
Who from Jesus received the pardon of thy sins, Pray for us.
Who before darkness was restored to light, Pray for us.
Mirror of penance, Disciple of Our Lord, Pray for us.
Wounded with the love of Christ, Pray for us.
Most dear to the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us.
Constant woman, Pray for us.
Last at the Cross of Jesus, first at His tomb, Pray for us.
Thou who wast the first to see Jesus risen, Pray for us.
Whose forehead was sanctified by the touch of thy risen Master, Pray for us. Apostle of apostles, Pray for us.
Who didst choose the "better part," Pray for us.
Who lived for many years in solitude being miraculously fed, Pray for us.
Who wast visited by angels seven times a day, Pray for us.
Sweet advocate of sinners, Pray for us.
Spouse of the King of Glory, Pray for us.
V. Saint Mary Magdalene, earnestly intercede for us with thy Divine Master
R. That we may share thy happiness in heaven.
Let us pray.
May the glorious merits of blessed Mary Magdalene, we beseech Thee, O Lord, make our offerings acceptable to Thee: for Thine only-begotten Son vouchsafed graciously to accept the humble service she rendered. Who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Ghost, God for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
May the prayers of blessed Mary Magdalene help us, O Lord : for it was in answer to them that Thou didst call her brother Lazarus, four days after death, back from the grave to life. Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, Unity in Trinity, world without end.
R. Amen.
Prayer Source: Kyrie Eleison — Two Hundred Litanies by Benjamin Francis Musser O.F.M., The Magnificat Press, 1944
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Confirmation
On July 21, 2006, Benedict XVI appealed to a convent of cloistered nuns to pray for the conversion of terrorists. According to Sister Maria, one of the 10 Carmelites of the community, the Holy Father said, "Pray also for the terrorists, as they do not know that not only do they harm their neighbor, but above all they harm themselves". Concerned about what was happening in the Holy Land, Benedict XVI added: "Now we experience a worsening of the conflict in Lebanon, but also in many other parts of the world there are people suffering because of hunger and violence. Contemplative life, rich in charity opens heaven to humanity, which so needs it, as today in the world it is as if God did not exist. And where God is not, there is violence and terrorism".[2]
On September 20, 2007, Pope Benedict voiced the hope on Thursday that Christians and Muslims can avoid violence and intolerance by exploring their common religious values and respecting their differences. "To avoid any form of intolerance from developing and to prevent violence, we must encourage sincere dialogue based on ever truer mutual knowledge," the Pope told visiting bishops from Benin, West Africa, on Thursday. "Such dialogue requires us to train competent people to help know and understand the religious values we have in common and to faithfully respect our differences," he said.[3]
- From WIkipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Islam
On September 20, 2007, Pope Benedict voiced the hope on Thursday that Christians and Muslims can avoid violence and intolerance by exploring their common religious values and respecting their differences. "To avoid any form of intolerance from developing and to prevent violence, we must encourage sincere dialogue based on ever truer mutual knowledge," the Pope told visiting bishops from Benin, West Africa, on Thursday. "Such dialogue requires us to train competent people to help know and understand the religious values we have in common and to faithfully respect our differences," he said.[3]
- From WIkipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Islam
Thought for Thursday
Strive to preserve your heart in peace and let no event of this world disturb it. Reflect that all must come to an end. Keep spiritually tranquil in a loving attentiveness to God and when it is necessary to speak, let it be with the same calm and peace. Let Christ crucified be enough for you, and with Him suffer and rest.
St. John of the Cross
St. John of the Cross
Monday, May 24, 2010
Taking these things, and hiding them in our hearts.
My husband has been doing a lot of thinking about the Great Schism. (for protestants unfamiliar with the term, it means the Big Moment when the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church split)
This schism is a deep wound in Christianity, and as such a serious topic, but it seems no one really has the answers. At the end of the day, it is easy to see both sides of the issue and to wonder what to do and how to help. It's easy to understand why my husband laments over it. But I told him today, the only thing I know to say about it is: "Yes, you are right. It's a terrible tragedy. All I know is that 'Mary took all these things and kept them in her heart.'"
As a member of Our Lady's Order of Carmel, I am experiencing firsthand what it is like to be under the protection of her mantle. He is uncovering disturbing effects of moments in Church History that are potentially cataclysmic in their resulting discord. But all I can do is what I am doing... to contemplate the Truth present in the Face of God, and love Him and love my neighbor. To pray.
Meanwhile, my devotion to Fatima has revived in me so many emotions and spiritual "lessons" I've learned over my years as a Christian- even my years as a Mary-loathing protestant.
They seem to circle me as I meditate on the message of Fatima, but among other things, it's as if Our Lady, through Fatima, has set fire to those areas which God has always built that were particular to the ministry He wanted me to delve into... spiritual particularities that no one around me have ever really shared (except, of course, my husband.)
Among other things, she has revived my commitment to spiritual warfare, and through her I have come to understand that Satan's plan is far more simple-- and disturbing-- than we had could have imagined. She has taught me to recognize the Enemy in my physical world. She has taught me to hold fast to the sacraments, to her Son, and in particular to His presence in the Eucharist. She has taught me to love and to trust God. She has reminded me that I have a special calling as a woman, and revived in me my strong desire to pray, to live a hidden life, to sacrifice and to headcover in accordance with scripture and dress modestly, not of this world.
She has reminded me that through that I have a particular ministry to women that are otherwise unreachable by any Christian standard- in particular women who are rooted in the culture of the Land for which Wayne and I yearn: the Holy Land. She has revived in me a love of the mediterranean and middle eastern culture I grew up around and the ability to-- through memories, cooking, language and cultural knowledge-- be able to reach out and connect with women who have absolutely no reason to connect with Christ in me otherwise. She has revived my journalistic intregue with the "heart" of the world-- Jerusalem.
Through Fatima, I have come to appreciate my own call to Carmel, to understand the redemptive power of suffering, to love contemplative prayer, to see why my husband and I share both a zeal for missions, a zeal for a strong, monastic, spiritual family, and a total distaste for "the things of this world." She has helped me to see the glory of our seemingly perpetual poverty and to uncover blessings where I thought curses might have lain. Above all, she has taught me WHY she is referred to as the "Terror of Demons." Through Fatima, she has demonstrated a complete dismantling of each distinct earthly demonic system set up in order to destroy the Church. Each "enemy" is named and we are told how to destroy it-- through penance, suffering, offering, prayer.
Fatima makes me pray more and more, in particular it gives me such a deep understanding of the need for my scapular and my rosary.
And still, I hesitate to write this all because I know that my protestant readers may be scandalized.
My intention is not to scandalize you, dear readers. It is to honor my Mother in Heaven, the blessed virgin who leads me to a deeper, more profound, more intimate relationship with her Son, Jesus Christ. Through Her and with her I contemplate His Glory daily in the Holy Rosary, and because of it my soul sees so much more than it has ever seen before. Fatima is truly the key, but it is only the beginning. Would that the world would understand how little time we have left to worry about Lost, or American Idol, or tax breaks, or Senators, or pedicures, or mortgages, or education. The time we have is so short.
As I, at the leading of my husband, began to cover my head full time again this week, I recognized that it was no accident that at last months' Carmel I had been given the gift of listening to one of Fatima's experts, Fr Andrew Apostoli, discussing at great lengths the very issues which have been totally occupying my prayer these days.... freemasonry, communism, and Islam, and "Heaven's peace plan" through Our Lady, and how devotion to the Eucharist could teach us to participate. This set in motion my great love of Islamic people and my great hatred of the Islamic religion, an irony that- believe me- does not escape me. God gave me plenty of spiritual food to meditate on with regards to my desire to love the Muslim people, to live as they do in total abandonment to God, to leave behind those things of this world which are such devastating products of our western ignorance of the Soul. While Freemasonry and Communism give me the total heeby jeebies and always have, they are not areas in which I "know" much. These are the realms of my husband, who has been both and who, as such would understand the mentality and know how to pray, which walls to break down and which walls to build up in his evangelism. Me? I know Islam. I love everything about muslim culture. And because of that great love I am able to connect in ways that he (my husband) can not.
After a third and final "push" from God to begin to pray for God's peace on the Muslim people (and believe me, here in the south, and in a military town, you need a SERIOUS shove to even TOUCH "the muslim issue" because there is a LOT of anger and distrust from both sides around here) via "coincidental" encounters, I told God, today... Yes, God. I will pray. And I will be open to whatever it is that you want me to do.
The first thing that connected for me was that my husband asked me to dress, essentially, like a muslim: to cover my head and dress TRULY modestly, not wasting time on such vanities as big makeup sessions and hair curling episodes. This totally caught me off guard, but it was something that spoke to my heart. Before I met him, that was something God had already begun in me. This was later confirmed by two "coincidental" encounters with covered muslim women who warmed up to me immediately BECAUSE I was "different."
It occurred to me that unlike Christians (most Christians, anyways) Muslims were willing to be truly distinct from society-- to dress COMPLETELY differently, to stop whatever they were doing and pray regularly, to abstain from "fun" and "harmless" activities the rest of us weren't willing to abstain from all for a false God! Shame on us that we would not do the same for the One True God, for the love of the Holy Trinity!!
The second thing that was impressed upon me was to pull out my Azan Clock and to begin to pray in reparation for the sins committed against Christ's Church by Islam. Muslims pray at virtually identical times during the day as monks and nuns who pray liturgy of the hours, so I felt compelled to, when the muslim "call to prayer" began ringing through my phone, get up and pray, no matter how inconvenient and unpleasant getting up in the night to pray might be. I sometimes do that anyways, so it made sense. No sooner had I decided to do that than I came across this article. I share it with you so that you, like me, might come to see that I am not totally crazy-- but rather that I am, indeed, hearing from God with regards to the choices my family makes. But I also share it because if you are like me, and you care about people, it will make you weep. Just weep!!! God's love for the world-- even those who hate him--- is AMAZING.
I thank God for Our Lady, through whom His grace is distributed so well. I don't know how I ever lived without her!
OUR LADY AND ISLAM: HEAVEN’S PEACE PLAN
Fr Ladis J. Cizik, Blue Army National Executive Director
Islam
Islam is an Arabic word that can be defined as "to make peace." Islam is the religion founded by Mohammed, which considers the Koran as its holy book. In addition, Islam accepts the New Testament of the Christians and the Old Testament of the Jews as Divinely inspired works. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims (also: Moors, Turks, and Moslems) and, just as Jews and Christians, believe in only one God. Yet, over the centuries, Muslims have engaged in tremendous wars with Christians and Jews. It would seem that there is little hope for peace. However, Heaven's Peace Plan, involving Our Lady, is evidenced at Fatima, Portugal as well as other places around the world.
Fatima
The Moors once occupied Portugal. The village of Fatima was given the Islamic name of the well-loved Princess of the nearby Castle of Ourem. She died at an early age after marrying the Count of Ourem and converting to Catholicism. Baptized with the Christian name of Oureana, she was named at birth "Fatima," like many other Moslem girls, in honor of the daughter of Mohammed. Of his daughter, Fatima, the founder of Islam, Mohammed, said: "She has the highest place in heaven after the Virgin Mary."
It is a fact that Moslems from various nations, especially from the Middle East, make so many pilgrimages to Our Lady of Fatima's Shrine in Portugal that Portuguese officials have expressed concern. The combination of an Islamic name and Islamic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great attraction to Moslems. God is writing straight with crooked lines, as we will see. Fatima is a part of Heaven's Peace Plan. It is hope for the world.
The Koran
In the Koran, the holy name of the Blessed Virgin Mary is mentioned no less than thirty times. No other woman's name is even mentioned, not even that of Mohammed's daughter, Fatima. Among men, only Abraham, Moses, and Noah are mentioned more times than Our Lady. In the Koran, Our Blessed Mother is described as "Virgin, ever Virgin." The Islamic belief in the virginity of Mary puts to shame the heretical beliefs of those who call themselves Christian, while denying the perpetual virginity of Mary. Make no mistake about it, there is a very special relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Moslems!
The Holy Land
The Holy Land has been a real battleground between the Islamic peoples and Christianity over the centuries. Evidence of this are the numerous churches and basilicas that have been built by the Church, destroyed by, the Moslems, rebuilt by Catholic Crusaders, leveled again by the followers of Islam, and so on over the course of history. However, there is one remarkable exception: the Basilica of Saint Anne in Jerusalem.
The Crusaders built this church and named it in honor of the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Crypt of St. Anne's Basilica, a statue of the Infant Mary is venerated on what is believed to be the exact spot where Our Lady was born. Their great reverence for Our Lady precluded the Moslems from destroying her birthplace. The foundation for Heaven's Peace Plan at Fatima, Portugal, can be found in the Land of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Spain
As the Moslems swept through Spain in the 8th century, a great religious treasure was buried for safe-keeping in the earth, high in the Estremadura Mountains. It was a much venerated statue of Our Lady holding the Divine Child Jesus that was a gift of Pope Gregory the Great to Bishop Leander of Seville. After the overthrow of Moorish occupation, the image was uncovered in the year 1326, subsequent to a vision of Our Lady to a humble shepherd by the name of Gil. Our Lady's very special statue was enshrined in a nearby Franciscan Monastery next to the "Wolf River."
The Moslems, during their Spanish occupation, had actually named the river. The Islamic term for Wolf River is "Guadalupe" (Guada = River; Lupe = Wolf). Hence, the famous Catholic image in Spain has been known, since the 14th century, by the Islamic name of "Our Lady of Guadalupe."
Mexico
In the fullness of time, we can be sure that Almighty God knew that the Islamic religion would pose a serious threat to Christianity. God also knew that the Spanish missionaries would face grave resistance in the "new world" from the mighty Aztec Indians. The Aztecs worshipped an evil stone "serpent god" that demanded human sacrifice. It was extremely difficult to win souls for Christ from these bloodthirsty savages. However, with God all things are possible. Our Lady appeared to a humble Aztec Indian convert by the name of Juan Diego in 1531. When asked her name by Juan Diego, at the request of the local bishop, Our Lady's response, in the Aztec language, included the words "te coatlaxopeuh" (pronounced: "te quatlasupe") and meant "one who crushes the head of the stone serpent."
To Juan Diego and his fellow Aztecs, this revelation had great meaning, coupled with the miraculous image of Our Lady standing on top of a "crescent," the symbol of this evil serpent god. A tidal wave of conversions to Catholicism ensued. However, Bishop Zumarraga, who was from Spain, made what was no doubt a "heavenly mistake" that one day may lead to the mass conversion of Moslems. To the Bishop's Spanish ears, Our Lady's Aztec name of "Te Quatlasupe" sounded just like the name of the revered Madonna from Spain with the Islamic name, "Guadalupe." Hence, the bishop named the Mexican Madonna "Our Lady of Guadalupe." It is interesting that the "crescent" is also the symbol for Islam and that America's Shrine to Our Lady has an Islamic name.
Battle of Lepanto
On October 7, 1571, a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces primarily from Spain, Venice, and Genoa under the command of Don Juan of Austria. It was the last battle at sea between "oared" ships, which featured the most powerful navy in the world, a Moslem force with between 12,000 to 15,000 Christian slaves as rowers. The patchwork team of Catholic ships was powered by the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Knowing that the Christian forces were at a distinct material disadvantage, the holy pontiff, St. Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory. We know today that the victory was decisive, prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe, and evidenced the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away at the Vatican, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and exclaimed with supernatural radiance: "The Christian fleet is victorious!" and shed tears of thanksgiving to God.
What you may not know is that one of three admirals commanding the Catholic forces at Lepanto was Andrea Doria. He carried a small copy of Mexico's Our Lady of Guadalupe into battle. This image is now enshrined in the Church of San Stefano in Aveto, Italy. Not many know that at the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, one can view a huge warship lantern that was captured from the Moslems in the Battle of Lepanto. In Rome, look up to the ceiling of S. Maria in Aracoeli and behold decorations in gold taken from the Turkish galleys. In the Doges' Palace in Venice, Italy, one can witness a giant Islamic flag that is now a trophy from a vanquished Turkish ship from the Victory. At Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome, close to the tomb of the great St. Pope Pius V, one was once able to view yet another Islamic flag from the Battle, until 1965, when it was returned to Istanbul in an intended friendly token of concord.
The Rosary
At Lepanto, the Victory over the Moslems was won by the faithful praying the Rosary. Even though they had superior numbers, the Turks really were overmatched. Blessed Padre Pio, the Spiritual Father of the Blue Army, said: "The Rosary is the weapon," and how right he was!
The Battle of Lepanto was at first celebrated liturgically as "Our Lady of Victory." Later, the feast of October 7th was renamed "Our Lady of the Rosary" and extended throughout the Universal Church by Pope Clement XI in 1716 (who canonized Pope Pius V in 1712).
And with that we are back to Fatima, Portugal where Our Lady, when asked her name, said: "I am the Lady of the Rosary." At Fatima, Our Lady taught us to pray the Rosary every day. Heaven presented its peace plan at Fatima and truly gave us hope for the world. Conversions were promised at Fatima: the conversion of sinners; the conversion of Russia; and what also appears to be the conversion of Islam. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!
Taken from:
Soul Magazine
© 2001 The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, U.S.A., Inc.
September - October 2001, page 6
For subscription information:
The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, U.S.A., Inc.
PO Box 976
Washington, NJ 07882-0976
Website: http://www.bluearmy.com
E-mail: service@bluearmy.com
or Phone Toll Free: 866-513-1917
Provided Courtesy of:
Eternal Word Television Network
5817 Old Leeds Road
Irondale, AL 35210
www.ewtn.com
This schism is a deep wound in Christianity, and as such a serious topic, but it seems no one really has the answers. At the end of the day, it is easy to see both sides of the issue and to wonder what to do and how to help. It's easy to understand why my husband laments over it. But I told him today, the only thing I know to say about it is: "Yes, you are right. It's a terrible tragedy. All I know is that 'Mary took all these things and kept them in her heart.'"
As a member of Our Lady's Order of Carmel, I am experiencing firsthand what it is like to be under the protection of her mantle. He is uncovering disturbing effects of moments in Church History that are potentially cataclysmic in their resulting discord. But all I can do is what I am doing... to contemplate the Truth present in the Face of God, and love Him and love my neighbor. To pray.
Meanwhile, my devotion to Fatima has revived in me so many emotions and spiritual "lessons" I've learned over my years as a Christian- even my years as a Mary-loathing protestant.
They seem to circle me as I meditate on the message of Fatima, but among other things, it's as if Our Lady, through Fatima, has set fire to those areas which God has always built that were particular to the ministry He wanted me to delve into... spiritual particularities that no one around me have ever really shared (except, of course, my husband.)
Among other things, she has revived my commitment to spiritual warfare, and through her I have come to understand that Satan's plan is far more simple-- and disturbing-- than we had could have imagined. She has taught me to recognize the Enemy in my physical world. She has taught me to hold fast to the sacraments, to her Son, and in particular to His presence in the Eucharist. She has taught me to love and to trust God. She has reminded me that I have a special calling as a woman, and revived in me my strong desire to pray, to live a hidden life, to sacrifice and to headcover in accordance with scripture and dress modestly, not of this world.
She has reminded me that through that I have a particular ministry to women that are otherwise unreachable by any Christian standard- in particular women who are rooted in the culture of the Land for which Wayne and I yearn: the Holy Land. She has revived in me a love of the mediterranean and middle eastern culture I grew up around and the ability to-- through memories, cooking, language and cultural knowledge-- be able to reach out and connect with women who have absolutely no reason to connect with Christ in me otherwise. She has revived my journalistic intregue with the "heart" of the world-- Jerusalem.
Through Fatima, I have come to appreciate my own call to Carmel, to understand the redemptive power of suffering, to love contemplative prayer, to see why my husband and I share both a zeal for missions, a zeal for a strong, monastic, spiritual family, and a total distaste for "the things of this world." She has helped me to see the glory of our seemingly perpetual poverty and to uncover blessings where I thought curses might have lain. Above all, she has taught me WHY she is referred to as the "Terror of Demons." Through Fatima, she has demonstrated a complete dismantling of each distinct earthly demonic system set up in order to destroy the Church. Each "enemy" is named and we are told how to destroy it-- through penance, suffering, offering, prayer.
Fatima makes me pray more and more, in particular it gives me such a deep understanding of the need for my scapular and my rosary.
And still, I hesitate to write this all because I know that my protestant readers may be scandalized.
My intention is not to scandalize you, dear readers. It is to honor my Mother in Heaven, the blessed virgin who leads me to a deeper, more profound, more intimate relationship with her Son, Jesus Christ. Through Her and with her I contemplate His Glory daily in the Holy Rosary, and because of it my soul sees so much more than it has ever seen before. Fatima is truly the key, but it is only the beginning. Would that the world would understand how little time we have left to worry about Lost, or American Idol, or tax breaks, or Senators, or pedicures, or mortgages, or education. The time we have is so short.
As I, at the leading of my husband, began to cover my head full time again this week, I recognized that it was no accident that at last months' Carmel I had been given the gift of listening to one of Fatima's experts, Fr Andrew Apostoli, discussing at great lengths the very issues which have been totally occupying my prayer these days.... freemasonry, communism, and Islam, and "Heaven's peace plan" through Our Lady, and how devotion to the Eucharist could teach us to participate. This set in motion my great love of Islamic people and my great hatred of the Islamic religion, an irony that- believe me- does not escape me. God gave me plenty of spiritual food to meditate on with regards to my desire to love the Muslim people, to live as they do in total abandonment to God, to leave behind those things of this world which are such devastating products of our western ignorance of the Soul. While Freemasonry and Communism give me the total heeby jeebies and always have, they are not areas in which I "know" much. These are the realms of my husband, who has been both and who, as such would understand the mentality and know how to pray, which walls to break down and which walls to build up in his evangelism. Me? I know Islam. I love everything about muslim culture. And because of that great love I am able to connect in ways that he (my husband) can not.
After a third and final "push" from God to begin to pray for God's peace on the Muslim people (and believe me, here in the south, and in a military town, you need a SERIOUS shove to even TOUCH "the muslim issue" because there is a LOT of anger and distrust from both sides around here) via "coincidental" encounters, I told God, today... Yes, God. I will pray. And I will be open to whatever it is that you want me to do.
The first thing that connected for me was that my husband asked me to dress, essentially, like a muslim: to cover my head and dress TRULY modestly, not wasting time on such vanities as big makeup sessions and hair curling episodes. This totally caught me off guard, but it was something that spoke to my heart. Before I met him, that was something God had already begun in me. This was later confirmed by two "coincidental" encounters with covered muslim women who warmed up to me immediately BECAUSE I was "different."
It occurred to me that unlike Christians (most Christians, anyways) Muslims were willing to be truly distinct from society-- to dress COMPLETELY differently, to stop whatever they were doing and pray regularly, to abstain from "fun" and "harmless" activities the rest of us weren't willing to abstain from all for a false God! Shame on us that we would not do the same for the One True God, for the love of the Holy Trinity!!
The second thing that was impressed upon me was to pull out my Azan Clock and to begin to pray in reparation for the sins committed against Christ's Church by Islam. Muslims pray at virtually identical times during the day as monks and nuns who pray liturgy of the hours, so I felt compelled to, when the muslim "call to prayer" began ringing through my phone, get up and pray, no matter how inconvenient and unpleasant getting up in the night to pray might be. I sometimes do that anyways, so it made sense. No sooner had I decided to do that than I came across this article. I share it with you so that you, like me, might come to see that I am not totally crazy-- but rather that I am, indeed, hearing from God with regards to the choices my family makes. But I also share it because if you are like me, and you care about people, it will make you weep. Just weep!!! God's love for the world-- even those who hate him--- is AMAZING.
I thank God for Our Lady, through whom His grace is distributed so well. I don't know how I ever lived without her!
OUR LADY AND ISLAM: HEAVEN’S PEACE PLAN
Fr Ladis J. Cizik, Blue Army National Executive Director
Islam
Islam is an Arabic word that can be defined as "to make peace." Islam is the religion founded by Mohammed, which considers the Koran as its holy book. In addition, Islam accepts the New Testament of the Christians and the Old Testament of the Jews as Divinely inspired works. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims (also: Moors, Turks, and Moslems) and, just as Jews and Christians, believe in only one God. Yet, over the centuries, Muslims have engaged in tremendous wars with Christians and Jews. It would seem that there is little hope for peace. However, Heaven's Peace Plan, involving Our Lady, is evidenced at Fatima, Portugal as well as other places around the world.
Fatima
The Moors once occupied Portugal. The village of Fatima was given the Islamic name of the well-loved Princess of the nearby Castle of Ourem. She died at an early age after marrying the Count of Ourem and converting to Catholicism. Baptized with the Christian name of Oureana, she was named at birth "Fatima," like many other Moslem girls, in honor of the daughter of Mohammed. Of his daughter, Fatima, the founder of Islam, Mohammed, said: "She has the highest place in heaven after the Virgin Mary."
It is a fact that Moslems from various nations, especially from the Middle East, make so many pilgrimages to Our Lady of Fatima's Shrine in Portugal that Portuguese officials have expressed concern. The combination of an Islamic name and Islamic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great attraction to Moslems. God is writing straight with crooked lines, as we will see. Fatima is a part of Heaven's Peace Plan. It is hope for the world.
The Koran
In the Koran, the holy name of the Blessed Virgin Mary is mentioned no less than thirty times. No other woman's name is even mentioned, not even that of Mohammed's daughter, Fatima. Among men, only Abraham, Moses, and Noah are mentioned more times than Our Lady. In the Koran, Our Blessed Mother is described as "Virgin, ever Virgin." The Islamic belief in the virginity of Mary puts to shame the heretical beliefs of those who call themselves Christian, while denying the perpetual virginity of Mary. Make no mistake about it, there is a very special relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Moslems!
The Holy Land
The Holy Land has been a real battleground between the Islamic peoples and Christianity over the centuries. Evidence of this are the numerous churches and basilicas that have been built by the Church, destroyed by, the Moslems, rebuilt by Catholic Crusaders, leveled again by the followers of Islam, and so on over the course of history. However, there is one remarkable exception: the Basilica of Saint Anne in Jerusalem.
The Crusaders built this church and named it in honor of the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Crypt of St. Anne's Basilica, a statue of the Infant Mary is venerated on what is believed to be the exact spot where Our Lady was born. Their great reverence for Our Lady precluded the Moslems from destroying her birthplace. The foundation for Heaven's Peace Plan at Fatima, Portugal, can be found in the Land of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Spain
As the Moslems swept through Spain in the 8th century, a great religious treasure was buried for safe-keeping in the earth, high in the Estremadura Mountains. It was a much venerated statue of Our Lady holding the Divine Child Jesus that was a gift of Pope Gregory the Great to Bishop Leander of Seville. After the overthrow of Moorish occupation, the image was uncovered in the year 1326, subsequent to a vision of Our Lady to a humble shepherd by the name of Gil. Our Lady's very special statue was enshrined in a nearby Franciscan Monastery next to the "Wolf River."
The Moslems, during their Spanish occupation, had actually named the river. The Islamic term for Wolf River is "Guadalupe" (Guada = River; Lupe = Wolf). Hence, the famous Catholic image in Spain has been known, since the 14th century, by the Islamic name of "Our Lady of Guadalupe."
Mexico
In the fullness of time, we can be sure that Almighty God knew that the Islamic religion would pose a serious threat to Christianity. God also knew that the Spanish missionaries would face grave resistance in the "new world" from the mighty Aztec Indians. The Aztecs worshipped an evil stone "serpent god" that demanded human sacrifice. It was extremely difficult to win souls for Christ from these bloodthirsty savages. However, with God all things are possible. Our Lady appeared to a humble Aztec Indian convert by the name of Juan Diego in 1531. When asked her name by Juan Diego, at the request of the local bishop, Our Lady's response, in the Aztec language, included the words "te coatlaxopeuh" (pronounced: "te quatlasupe") and meant "one who crushes the head of the stone serpent."
To Juan Diego and his fellow Aztecs, this revelation had great meaning, coupled with the miraculous image of Our Lady standing on top of a "crescent," the symbol of this evil serpent god. A tidal wave of conversions to Catholicism ensued. However, Bishop Zumarraga, who was from Spain, made what was no doubt a "heavenly mistake" that one day may lead to the mass conversion of Moslems. To the Bishop's Spanish ears, Our Lady's Aztec name of "Te Quatlasupe" sounded just like the name of the revered Madonna from Spain with the Islamic name, "Guadalupe." Hence, the bishop named the Mexican Madonna "Our Lady of Guadalupe." It is interesting that the "crescent" is also the symbol for Islam and that America's Shrine to Our Lady has an Islamic name.
Battle of Lepanto
On October 7, 1571, a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces primarily from Spain, Venice, and Genoa under the command of Don Juan of Austria. It was the last battle at sea between "oared" ships, which featured the most powerful navy in the world, a Moslem force with between 12,000 to 15,000 Christian slaves as rowers. The patchwork team of Catholic ships was powered by the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Knowing that the Christian forces were at a distinct material disadvantage, the holy pontiff, St. Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory. We know today that the victory was decisive, prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe, and evidenced the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away at the Vatican, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and exclaimed with supernatural radiance: "The Christian fleet is victorious!" and shed tears of thanksgiving to God.
What you may not know is that one of three admirals commanding the Catholic forces at Lepanto was Andrea Doria. He carried a small copy of Mexico's Our Lady of Guadalupe into battle. This image is now enshrined in the Church of San Stefano in Aveto, Italy. Not many know that at the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, one can view a huge warship lantern that was captured from the Moslems in the Battle of Lepanto. In Rome, look up to the ceiling of S. Maria in Aracoeli and behold decorations in gold taken from the Turkish galleys. In the Doges' Palace in Venice, Italy, one can witness a giant Islamic flag that is now a trophy from a vanquished Turkish ship from the Victory. At Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome, close to the tomb of the great St. Pope Pius V, one was once able to view yet another Islamic flag from the Battle, until 1965, when it was returned to Istanbul in an intended friendly token of concord.
The Rosary
At Lepanto, the Victory over the Moslems was won by the faithful praying the Rosary. Even though they had superior numbers, the Turks really were overmatched. Blessed Padre Pio, the Spiritual Father of the Blue Army, said: "The Rosary is the weapon," and how right he was!
The Battle of Lepanto was at first celebrated liturgically as "Our Lady of Victory." Later, the feast of October 7th was renamed "Our Lady of the Rosary" and extended throughout the Universal Church by Pope Clement XI in 1716 (who canonized Pope Pius V in 1712).
And with that we are back to Fatima, Portugal where Our Lady, when asked her name, said: "I am the Lady of the Rosary." At Fatima, Our Lady taught us to pray the Rosary every day. Heaven presented its peace plan at Fatima and truly gave us hope for the world. Conversions were promised at Fatima: the conversion of sinners; the conversion of Russia; and what also appears to be the conversion of Islam. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!
Taken from:
Soul Magazine
© 2001 The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, U.S.A., Inc.
September - October 2001, page 6
For subscription information:
The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, U.S.A., Inc.
PO Box 976
Washington, NJ 07882-0976
Website: http://www.bluearmy.com
E-mail: service@bluearmy.com
or Phone Toll Free: 866-513-1917
Provided Courtesy of:
Eternal Word Television Network
5817 Old Leeds Road
Irondale, AL 35210
www.ewtn.com
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Catechism of my 4 yr old
And I quote:
"Jesus wants to live in our hearts, but the bad guy from Indiana Jones wants our hearts so we have to say 'no, sit behind me' and Jesus will overcome the Devil. On Easter Jesus dies on the cross for our sins and then they put him in the tomb for three days and his body disappeared to heaven where we will live but then he appears to His disciples and then it's a feast day. I love feast days and our father told me about them, my father who is a priest named Father Michael because he is the angel of the
ark who is Mary. But I also have a Father who is in heaven who is God and one who is my daddy. But my daddy's body doesn't disappear. So after the feast day he goes up to heaven so he can send us the Holy Spirit, and that's a feast day when we call it pentacost when we make pennies and pants."
Even better--
Later that night, as we prayed:
"Mommy, God says 'No Buts.'"
You can't make this stuff up.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iTouch, forgive any mistakes :p
"Jesus wants to live in our hearts, but the bad guy from Indiana Jones wants our hearts so we have to say 'no, sit behind me' and Jesus will overcome the Devil. On Easter Jesus dies on the cross for our sins and then they put him in the tomb for three days and his body disappeared to heaven where we will live but then he appears to His disciples and then it's a feast day. I love feast days and our father told me about them, my father who is a priest named Father Michael because he is the angel of the
ark who is Mary. But I also have a Father who is in heaven who is God and one who is my daddy. But my daddy's body doesn't disappear. So after the feast day he goes up to heaven so he can send us the Holy Spirit, and that's a feast day when we call it pentacost when we make pennies and pants."
Even better--
Later that night, as we prayed:
"Mommy, God says 'No Buts.'"
You can't make this stuff up.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iTouch, forgive any mistakes :p
Saturday, May 8, 2010
A holy funeral renews our life and hope
I attended the funeral of a saint today, Deacon Vincente Colon, and grace permeated the rest of my day. I know it flowed from the blessed event of his coming home.
O My God, how blind the world is in its fear of death! Death is a happy event.
- Blessed Miriam of Jesus Crucified
As a truly holy man, Deacon Colon left only holiness in his wake...those who knew him, met him even for a moment understood that he had found peace in the Lord. That peace was what glazed every event of my day--- and although the day was "ordinary" in every sense, it became extraordinary illuminated by the light of God's love and peace.
It was quite humbling to note that I do not often affect others with that same sense of peace. Lord, teach me to know thy ways!
And it was quite humbling to note that at the same moment another funeral was going on-- one for a man who was by every possible worldly standard a "good" and kind man. One who was interesting, funny, quick-witted and intelligent-- who wanted to make the world better and not worse, who wanted to ---and did--- leave his mark. This man was a secular, humanist atheist. And to really stop and compare the lives of these two men who were being buried in the earth this day, I had to acknowledge that the difference a life in the Holy Spirit can give two otherwise very similar men is like literal night and literal day. While I have wept with tears of sadness at the death of the latter, who died too young, too soon, and with too much "before him," so many more possibilities and things he could have done with his life, I instead wept with tears of joy at the funeral of Deacon Colon, who died too LATE, who was given us as a gift for just a little bit longer, to show us that he was ready and we could be too.
In the death of the latter, there was a sadness that cannot be described. In the death of the first, a hope, and a joy-- and a glory. May my death one day bring joy to those around me, a certainty of God's goodness.
Today, I opened my day with the prayer of St Patrick and a meditation on the life of the Blessed Mother, of whom Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, a Carmelite nun, had said:
"In the heaven of her soul, the praise of glory has already begun her works of eternity."
Would that we would all be like Mary.
O My God, how blind the world is in its fear of death! Death is a happy event.
- Blessed Miriam of Jesus Crucified
As a truly holy man, Deacon Colon left only holiness in his wake...those who knew him, met him even for a moment understood that he had found peace in the Lord. That peace was what glazed every event of my day--- and although the day was "ordinary" in every sense, it became extraordinary illuminated by the light of God's love and peace.
It was quite humbling to note that I do not often affect others with that same sense of peace. Lord, teach me to know thy ways!
And it was quite humbling to note that at the same moment another funeral was going on-- one for a man who was by every possible worldly standard a "good" and kind man. One who was interesting, funny, quick-witted and intelligent-- who wanted to make the world better and not worse, who wanted to ---and did--- leave his mark. This man was a secular, humanist atheist. And to really stop and compare the lives of these two men who were being buried in the earth this day, I had to acknowledge that the difference a life in the Holy Spirit can give two otherwise very similar men is like literal night and literal day. While I have wept with tears of sadness at the death of the latter, who died too young, too soon, and with too much "before him," so many more possibilities and things he could have done with his life, I instead wept with tears of joy at the funeral of Deacon Colon, who died too LATE, who was given us as a gift for just a little bit longer, to show us that he was ready and we could be too.
In the death of the latter, there was a sadness that cannot be described. In the death of the first, a hope, and a joy-- and a glory. May my death one day bring joy to those around me, a certainty of God's goodness.
Today, I opened my day with the prayer of St Patrick and a meditation on the life of the Blessed Mother, of whom Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, a Carmelite nun, had said:
"In the heaven of her soul, the praise of glory has already begun her works of eternity."
Would that we would all be like Mary.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Have no fear, mamma's here.
"Listen, and let it penetrate your heart, my dear little child; do not be troubled or weighted down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?" - The Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego, 1500 A.D.
*note for my protestant readers: this does not mean that she does anything of these things of her own accord-- Mary, we believe, was "Full of Grace,"- as the Angel of God greeted her upon the annunciation of the Birth of Christ, and thus by God's grace is empowered to be His Mother and Our Mother.(as He gave her to us from the Cross.)
Her "Shadow and protection" is the protection Christ offers us because He loves her.
*note for my protestant readers: this does not mean that she does anything of these things of her own accord-- Mary, we believe, was "Full of Grace,"- as the Angel of God greeted her upon the annunciation of the Birth of Christ, and thus by God's grace is empowered to be His Mother and Our Mother.(as He gave her to us from the Cross.)
Her "Shadow and protection" is the protection Christ offers us because He loves her.
Monday, May 3, 2010
A Heavenly moment
As I was leaving the kids' nursery tonight Jardi asked me to tuck her in for the zillionth time and I told her, "Nope. We've already said goodnight and now I am leaving. I'm not in charge anymore so you'll have to figure out how to put yourself to sleep like a big girl."
Her eyes got as round as saucers and then she laughed. "Noooo, mommy, she said. You ARE in charge of me still because you are a grownup and Im just a kid. You DO know how to help me calm down. You know how to do everything!"
Then she kissed me goodnight and snuggled under her covers. I left the room in wonder and awe with tears in my eyes.
Would that I might have such total confidence in my own Heavenly Parent.
Jardi has always been my Mary bean. How appropriate, then, that I might find in her an example of the amount of trust I can put in the Mother Jesus gave me to train me up in following Him!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iTouch, forgive any mistakes :p
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Carmelite meditations on Mary
For the Month of May, traditionally dedicated to Mary, I will be blogging some of the Marian themes I use for mental prayer from the great Carmelite teachers.
What follows, then, is the first:
"This is exactly how we should imitate Mary: eliminate from our life everything that is the fruit of our egoism, self love, or pride, and do only the things that are inspired by grace , under the impulse of the Holy Spirit."
- Fr Gabriel of Mary Magdalen
What follows, then, is the first:
"This is exactly how we should imitate Mary: eliminate from our life everything that is the fruit of our egoism, self love, or pride, and do only the things that are inspired by grace , under the impulse of the Holy Spirit."
- Fr Gabriel of Mary Magdalen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
