Veterans Day

 

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 the guns fell, generally, silent. Today we honor all who have served and serve today in our military. May God bless them.

O LORD God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers of our country; Support them in the day of battle, and in the time of peace keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Respect,

LSP

Prayer & Transfiguration

 

When Christ goes up the holy mountain with Peter, James and John he goes to pray and this, prayer, is quite literally a matter of life and death, of union with God or not. Here's Benedict XVI via Catholic Exchange:

Thus, for the three apostles, going up the mountain meant being involved in the prayer of Jesus, who frequently withdrew in prayer, especially at dawn and after sunset, and sometimes all night. However, this was the only time, on the mountain, that he chose to reveal to his friends the inner light that filled him when he prayed: his face, we read in the gospel, shone and his clothes were radiant with the splendor of the divine Person of the incarnate Word (see Luke 9:29).

 

Radiant with the splendor of the incarnate Word. Beautiful, and this:

Dear brothers and sisters, prayer is not an accessory or “optional,” but a question of life or death. In fact, only those who pray—in other words, who entrust themselves to God with filial love—can enter eternal life, which is God himself.

 

A terrifying warning but also a remarkable, unfathomable promise of transfiguring glory. So listen up, you heathen, and get in the business of climbing that mountain.

Oremus,

LSP

Mother's Day Prayer

Now that everyone's recovered from the uplifting effects of Maxine Waters street art, here's a prayer for Mother's Day:

Mary, on this day when we honor all mothers, we turn to you. We thank the Lord whom you serve for the great gift of motherhood. Never has it been known that anyone who sought your intercession was left unaided by grace.

Dear Mother, thank you for your "Yes" to the invitation of the angel which brought heaven to earth and changed human history. You opened yourself to God's word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. 

Dear mother, intercede for all of our mothers. Ask your Divine Son to give them the grace of surrendered love so that they could join with you in giving their own "Fiat." May they find daily strength to say yes to the call to the sacrificial love - the very heart of the vocation of motherhood. May their love and witness be a source of great inspiration for all of us called to follow your Son. 

On this Mothers day, Mother of the Word Incarnate, pray for us who have recourse to you.

God bless,

LSP

Man at Prayer?

Tiger Valley

Or just another shooter? Perhaps both, who knows, but one thing's for certain - I want to go to the Tiger Valley ranges outside of Waco for a shoot (thanks for the tip Tom).

This week's out though because I'm on staff at the St. Michael Conference (SMC) for young people, I enjoy it a lot and get to teach a class called "Beginning to Pray." The students are pretty keen; one youngster chimed in nervously this morning:

"Father, I have a question. Is it O.K. to pray when you're hunting?" I was pleased and a little surprised because I'd never been asked before, so I asked him what for. "Deer, sir," came the reply. I said it was definitely right to pray for a good shot because God wouldn't want a maimed animal to suffer needlessly. And as for hunting per se - why not pray for a good hunt if you're going to eat what you kill, and/or the action's beneficial to the countryside?

Not the deepest of arguments, perhaps, but it set the kid's mind at rest. I wish him the best of luck when he next goes out with his family to hunt deer. In the meanwhile, I still have a comittment to help with the hogs on my parishioner's land. More on that after SMC...

Archangel Michael - Defende Nos.

LSP

Dog Wars

The thing about country life after the city is that its peaceful; you can see the stars at night, the air's cleaner, there aren't so many cars, you can hear the birds sing and - the dogs bark. A lot, loudly, all the time, in my neighbour's back yard from around 6 a.m. when their pit bull brains are woken up by the Rooster, until around midnight when they're so exhausted by barking that they crash out.

It's an issue here and God fearing folk are taking deperate measures - as you can see, some have opted for poison, which is tempting. Others suggest sniping with .22, also tempting but risky - who wants to end up in gaol for performing a public service? Others again feel that a  Taser might do the trick. Well it probably would but I don't have one.

Whatever, it drove me out into the fields where I managed to stay on the horse, so that was good and even better - MCP has made a song which you might like to watch/hear. Its about the honesty of Great Britain's politicians http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImmQO3YOaw

These it seems have sunk into a trough of eighteenth century style jobbery, corruption and malfeasance; just throw in piracy on the high seas and the illusion's near complete. Oh, we have that too! So what's missing? "Talent" says my supernaturalist friend and Church Warden, Alan Delgarde.

Maybe, but ah, the dogs are silent. At last. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

LSP