Such a heartwarming scene as our oldest, Ruth, cuts her dad's hair... while her youngest, almost 2 year old David, looks on with adoring eyes at his grandpa in the background their amazing cottonwood tree! 
Davey notices a skin flap on grandpa's eyelid and tries to pull it off.... even with this imperfection...Davey continues to love his grandpaToday the Gospel is about the woman of sin, who washes the feet of Jesus with her tears and wipes them with her hair... Jesus says to the Pharisees about the situation..."When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not annoint my head with oil, but she annointed my feet with ointment. So, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." Luke 7:36-8:3
David lovingly approves of his grandpa no matter what...
David lovingly approves of his grandpa no matter what..."When we witness a public example of forgiveness in the face of an evil deed we are deeply touched by such nobility of heart. Such was the case when the Pope visited his would- be murderer in prison to extend to him his personal forgiveness. These acts show us why God asks us to forgive, for even the onlookers are ennobled by the deed, to say nothing of the participators, for how can we scream for revenge when the injured party lovingly forgives? Forgiveness breaks the cycle of evil , but also the power of evil... neutralizing its effects..." Francis Hogan - an Irish lay missionary
I had to write the above and run off to church with the family... but as I left I thought of the priest crisis - is not far from the thoughts of all of us that love the church with no holding back... How do you come to grips with this horror? I thought that this forgiveness idea could be huge here... Yes, we cannot justify that these men took their trust and used it to lure young impressionable children to do what they wished... I just read an editorial in the Catholic Digest about a woman that was being brought back into the Church by her 10 year old daughter... after this woman had suffered abuse as a young child at the hands of a family friend/priest... She must know that this was a single individual and not the entire Church! She must come to a place of forgiveness to be able to go forward with her life! To forgive difuses the damage that is done as you go over and over it in your mind and heart and the anger and hurt grows bigger and more out of control! Especially in a situation involving our faith... there should be supernatural healing and help to overcome the horrible damage that this person with huge failings that happened to be a priest also! It is so hard to really get around and knowing that the Church mismanaged many of the situations hasn't helped either I know! Let us pray for healing and better ways to deal with it... I have no doubt that this is high on the list of things that our wonderful Church is working on now! How I would love to read an article by someone, who has worked through this personal injury using forgiveness and healing through the Church and it's sacraments! If any of you know of such a thing... I would love to know about it! It reminds me of the story of ST Maria Goretti!
Recently there was a one man play put on here about the life of the man that had tried to rape a young farmgirl - Maria Goretti. He had made advances towards her and she had not allowed it saying that it was a sin, and then he got enraged and killed her! Sitting in prison this angry and disturbed young man - had a vision of Maria coming to him and forgiving him and he had a huge conversion in his life and for the first time ever embraced Christ! He later was there to speak in her behalf along with her family when she was made a saint! After the powerfully moving performance... the actor came out to speak to the packed audience of surrounding religious ed classes... the new high school auditorium was full! The kids had silently watched this very hard but deeply important story and really listened to this young man come out and share further about the importance of this story... This was one of our kids favorites when we would share the lives of the saints together! "Read Maria Goretti!"they would yell out! So hard but such a message of purity!
One thing that he said suddenly struck me most unexpectedly! He made a comment to all those that had been sexually abused and raped - not to blame themselves or to have guilt because it had happened! Suddenly it struck me personally very hard to realize that I had been raped! I was on second date and I said no and fought until he put his hand around my throat! Then I quit fighting... All of a sudden I thought; "She did not give in... she was killed to protect her purity!" The thought had never crossed my mind that I should have been willing to die to protect my purity! As soon as I could get out of the vehicle... I did, becuase I felt that my life was in danger and to see the scratches on my face and the red mark on my throat... but it never crossed my mind to die to keep myself pure! I could personally see why he would make that comment, but in actually making that comment was what shed light on this thought that I had never allowed to be a part of this hard thing in my past! How does it all fit? I am forgiven and I have forgiven him many times, and the Lord did not want me to die at that point! I am to be on this earth as a young woman that was raped yet lived to forgive and go forward... much like those involved in the priest abuse... Lord, help us to understand and go forward... St Maria Goretti help us to know your love and forgiveness - even from heaven you came to forgive and change the life of this distrubed and troubled young man! Jesus we trust in You!
May we always protect the purity and innocence of youth! May we take heart by the saints that have gone before us and forgiven the most monstrous of sins and harm done to them by others! There are so many wonderful stories of forgiveness and love in the Bible, of the lives of the saints and within our own lives! Walk with us as we try to live our lives with and in you! Jesus we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia! Bless-bless, Barb
I had to write the above and run off to church with the family... but as I left I thought of the priest crisis - is not far from the thoughts of all of us that love the church with no holding back... How do you come to grips with this horror? I thought that this forgiveness idea could be huge here... Yes, we cannot justify that these men took their trust and used it to lure young impressionable children to do what they wished... I just read an editorial in the Catholic Digest about a woman that was being brought back into the Church by her 10 year old daughter... after this woman had suffered abuse as a young child at the hands of a family friend/priest... She must know that this was a single individual and not the entire Church! She must come to a place of forgiveness to be able to go forward with her life! To forgive difuses the damage that is done as you go over and over it in your mind and heart and the anger and hurt grows bigger and more out of control! Especially in a situation involving our faith... there should be supernatural healing and help to overcome the horrible damage that this person with huge failings that happened to be a priest also! It is so hard to really get around and knowing that the Church mismanaged many of the situations hasn't helped either I know! Let us pray for healing and better ways to deal with it... I have no doubt that this is high on the list of things that our wonderful Church is working on now! How I would love to read an article by someone, who has worked through this personal injury using forgiveness and healing through the Church and it's sacraments! If any of you know of such a thing... I would love to know about it! It reminds me of the story of ST Maria Goretti!
Recently there was a one man play put on here about the life of the man that had tried to rape a young farmgirl - Maria Goretti. He had made advances towards her and she had not allowed it saying that it was a sin, and then he got enraged and killed her! Sitting in prison this angry and disturbed young man - had a vision of Maria coming to him and forgiving him and he had a huge conversion in his life and for the first time ever embraced Christ! He later was there to speak in her behalf along with her family when she was made a saint! After the powerfully moving performance... the actor came out to speak to the packed audience of surrounding religious ed classes... the new high school auditorium was full! The kids had silently watched this very hard but deeply important story and really listened to this young man come out and share further about the importance of this story... This was one of our kids favorites when we would share the lives of the saints together! "Read Maria Goretti!"they would yell out! So hard but such a message of purity!
One thing that he said suddenly struck me most unexpectedly! He made a comment to all those that had been sexually abused and raped - not to blame themselves or to have guilt because it had happened! Suddenly it struck me personally very hard to realize that I had been raped! I was on second date and I said no and fought until he put his hand around my throat! Then I quit fighting... All of a sudden I thought; "She did not give in... she was killed to protect her purity!" The thought had never crossed my mind that I should have been willing to die to protect my purity! As soon as I could get out of the vehicle... I did, becuase I felt that my life was in danger and to see the scratches on my face and the red mark on my throat... but it never crossed my mind to die to keep myself pure! I could personally see why he would make that comment, but in actually making that comment was what shed light on this thought that I had never allowed to be a part of this hard thing in my past! How does it all fit? I am forgiven and I have forgiven him many times, and the Lord did not want me to die at that point! I am to be on this earth as a young woman that was raped yet lived to forgive and go forward... much like those involved in the priest abuse... Lord, help us to understand and go forward... St Maria Goretti help us to know your love and forgiveness - even from heaven you came to forgive and change the life of this distrubed and troubled young man! Jesus we trust in You!
May we always protect the purity and innocence of youth! May we take heart by the saints that have gone before us and forgiven the most monstrous of sins and harm done to them by others! There are so many wonderful stories of forgiveness and love in the Bible, of the lives of the saints and within our own lives! Walk with us as we try to live our lives with and in you! Jesus we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia! Bless-bless, Barb
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