My "Stations" in life

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While anyone who knows me might likely agree that I am a bit of a sap, my definition of the word "Love" has changed a lot since my younger days of puppy love. Still the ever hopeless romantic, I know that romance is not the end, but only a means to show your beloved how much they are loved.

Now that I have been blessed beyond words in my new engagement, pondering on how to love as Christ would have me, has never seemed so immediate, so real.

Thankfully, God's timing is always perfect, and "our" (have to get used to the blessing of no more "mine") engagement started during the Lenten season, with my parish's regular Friday night "Stations of the Cross" only a few days later. As my love and I walked the stations in honor of our first Love, I wept as I knew that this was true marriage prep for any man, with the full knowledge that if I am truly to love this wonderful woman (and any small persons our Lord would bless us with) than this way of the cross, this ultimate act of love and sacrifice, must be how I am to live.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church
and gave Himself up for her"
Ephesians 5:25

The Stations are not only our way of knowing and/or experiencing our Lord more deeply, but they are so obviously a true and perfect Love lesson (especially for us guys). You can take all your silly romance novels and chic flicks (the ones yer Mass'keteer admits to kinda liking, and possibly tearing up to on occasion), and replace them with the Sorrowful mysteries or Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" as guides on how to love.

It is easy for writers to pen tales of those early months of a relationship, yet almost every "romantic" story ends with the marriage, or the "I love you" . . . .yet this is when real love not only begins, but is also when it starts it's testing. I have to admit, that one of the most true to Christian love stories I have seen in recent years, was the movie "50 First Dates", and the truly sacrificial way that Adam Sandler's Henry loved Drew Barrymore's "Lucy"(you'll have to watch, I don't spoil endings). Yes, it is also a true Adam Sandler movie, with all the silly locker room humor you expect, but for those with "eyes to see", there is a story of love . . .God's way.

It teaches, in it's own way, that love is not what I can get, but what can I give. If I truly desire to see my beloved in heaven, than I must be willing to take the nails in my hand. If I honestly wish her to know she is loved, I must be willing to wear the crown of thorns in her name. If I completely am to be worthy of this beautiful bride, I must be willing to be made ugly before men. If I really wish for her an abundant life, I must be ready and willing to give up my own life.

I knew I was ready to "pop the question", when I said yes to the above, and with God's grace, hope to continue all the days He lends me breathe.

Anyhow, rambling on as I do, I will just end with two things. First that any of my married, or hoping to be married, brothers out there, would just meditate on "perfect love" before a crucifix (the perfect symbol true love) for a few minutes each day, or at least once a week.

Second, that you could pray for this silly man, who desires nothing more than to lay down his own desires, and his life, for the amazing person (and hopefully lil' persons) God has entrusted him with.

Thanks and God bless, mike
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Elmo - Goo Goo Dolls

for all of you who know of my other, not so hidden, "talents" (O:

Don't Judge a Book by the Eye Liner

A recent trip to Phoenix allowed me to visit Alice Cooper's Cooperstown, and it even afforded me an opening to share my faith with my hosts who were unaware of Alice's strong faith. Me thinks it also may have helped to break down the silly stereotypes people have about us wacky followers of the Lover of all.

I once used "No More Mr. Nice Guy" as a metaphor for the misconception of the "shiny happy Mr. Rodgers" Christ, and how the real rebel Jesus would be treated in many churches today. . . .heh, when yer workin' with kids, you use anything you can (O:

Also, check out this awesome CNN interview with Vince Furier (aka Alice), and visit the Solid Rock website.
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Good News or just Good Advice?

Is not the popular idea of Christianity simply this, that
Jesus Christ was a great moral teacher and that, if only we
took his advice, we might be able to establish a better social
order and avoid another war? Now, mind you, that is quite
true; but it tells you much less than the whole truth about
Christianity, and it has no practical importance at all. It is
quite true that, if we took Christ's advice, we should soon be
living in a happier world. You need not even go as far as
Christ. If we did all that... Confucius told us, we should get
on a great deal better than we do. And so what?... If
Christianity only means one more bit of good advice, then
Christianity is of no importance. There has been no lack of
good advice for the last four thousand years. A bit more makes
no difference.

C. S. Lewis - Mere Christianity

After the last tear falls

Not the best version of this wonderful tune, but with a week of mother's going home to heaven, friend's going under the knife, and aging parents forgetting their children's names, it it good to remember that before, during, and after the last tear that falls there is God's love!

Andrew Peterson - After the Last Tear Falls

After the last tear falls
After the last secret's told
After the last bullet tears through flesh and bone
After the last child starves
And the last girl walks the boulevard
After the last year that's just too hard

There is love
Love, love, love
There is love
Love, love, love
There is love

After the last disgrace
After the last lie to save some face
After the last brutal jab from a poison tongue
After the last dirty politician
After the last meal down at the mission
After the last lonely night in prison

There is love
Love, love, love
There is love
Love, love, love
There is love

And in the end, the end is
Oceans and oceans
Of love and love again
We'll see how the tears that have fallen
Were caught in the palms
Of the Giver of love and the Lover of all
And we'll look back on these tears as old tales

'Cause after the last plan fails
After the last siren wails
After the last young husband sails off to join the war
After the last "this marriage is over"
After the last young girl's innocence is stolen
After the last years of silence that won't let a heart open

There is love
Love, love, love
There is love

And in the end, the end is
Oceans and oceans
Of love and love again
We'll see how the tears that have fallen
Were caught in the palms
Of the Giver of love and the Lover of all
And we'll look back on these tears as old tales

'Cause after the last tear falls
There is love
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Derek Webb - Somewhere North

Derek's coming to the DC area Feb 13th, with his talented bride Sandra McCracken.

Holy Name of Jesus

“Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary”
St. Bernardine of Siena
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One Semester of Spanish - Love Song

Couldn't resist (O:

Entertaining Angels

Last Night I had a nice meal with some wonderful friends, in the Georgetown part of DC. Scattered around the various tables were other groups of friends or family (or that wonderful mixture of both), many dressed to the nines in what I'm sure may have been newly acquired Christmas gifts. Wine and good cheer was a flowing, and it really was so nice to be in a room filled with so many folks having a genuinely lovely time . . . and then there was me.

I am actually kinda glad for my less than perfect evening, because it stemmed from a that holy nudge reminding me again that being able to afford such a night was a true gift.

On my way to the restaurant that night, me still rather excited to show off my new three piece suit and Ben Sherman polka dot tie, I drove by my brother Bob as he was laying out his blanket near the side door of my parish where he sleeps. I looked at my car's fancy outside temperature gauge to see a "31", and as it was only about 6 pm, I knew my adopted sibling had a long night ahead of him.

Everything became rather surreal after that, as all the fancy clothes, food, and decorations suddenly seemed like some kind of cruel mocking graffiti, with me still holding the spray can in my warm hands. I so deeply wanted to leave the warmth of that charming bistro, to go drink coffee and chat with Bob.

I prayed for Bob and my (our) other homeless siblings, in the full knowledge that truly by the grace of God, I walk a different path.

As I walked by him today after mass, I can not explain the utter embarrassment I felt. What do I do, give away everything, and live in a shelter with the poor? Do I spend more time helping out, or do I go back to school to get a degree in social work so as to have a greater impact?

Whatever I do, or I pray I hope we all do, I know that it is "our Father's work" we are to be about.

Dusting off Mary

This is that rare and wonderful time of year when my Protestant brethren have to put aside their unconscious Cathli-phobia, and acknowledge the woman who's "Yes" was instrumental in our salvation, and who continues to pray for us daily, that we might reflect that affirmative in all we do, as she points us always to her Son.

"Mary is the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of all of us even though it was Christ alone who reposed on her knees . . . If he is ours, we ought to be in his situation; there where he is, we ought also to be and all that he has ought to be ours, and his mother is also our mother"
Martin Luther

I must admit that as an ex-Evangelical, I still find mind self forgetting our Lady, yet still remember the image of our Blessed Mother praying over my earthly mom's hospital bed that night years ago when I prayed my first Rosary. No, it was not a vision, but just a nice comforting thought, that our Lord's mother would care so much for her adopted daughter to pray over her, and be with her when I could not.

As I have written before, one of the greatest gifts I have ever recieved was that on that day our Creator took my mom out of that prison of Alzheimer's, to be at Peace with Him, He did not leave me alone, for He gave me His own mother in return, and I know she prays for me daily.

I am so blessed to know that I have a loving Father in heaven, a brother servant in Christ, and a prayerful mother in Mary. My prayer for this Christmas is that more might unwrap this dust covered package, given to them on the first Christmas.

Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

a Smile and a Tear

A friend sent me a Christmas card with a photo of this adorable blessing of God, and I couldn't stop smiling at this precious face. Sadly, I was then brought to my knees in tears, as I thought of all the other precious faces that the abortion industry is snuffing out this very day (average 4,000 babies a day in the U.S. alone), while we sit and do little to nothing, all in the name of selfish choice and easy sex.

I can't help but think if we had huge posters of this beautiful baby on signs in front of the abortion mills, with words underneath "You would throw this away!", we might change a few minds, save a few lives, and rescue a few souls.

God bless my friends for their "yes" to helping God give us "all" the blessing of this child.
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Behind Every Great Man

"Two thousand years of failure have not taught some
reformers that you can't stop sin by declaring it illegal. Two
thousand years have not taught them that you can't save a
man's soul by force--you can only lose your own in the
attempt. Drunkenness and gambling and secularism and lechery--
various hopeful churchmen have earnestly tried to outlaw them
all; and what is the result? A drunken nation, a gambling
nation, a secularist nation, an adulterous nation. And, often,
a ruined Church."
Joy Davidman (1915-1960)

Mr.& Mrs. C.S. Lewis

O.K.,maybe not

"Why yes, I am from Baltimore, why do you ask?"

D'art's Holiday Shopping Reminder

.A thought, as we all ponder spending plastic $$$$$$ on things

our loved ones probably don't want or need.
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Rest in His Peace

CASEY CALVERT 1981-2007


Casey Calvert, the 25-year-old guitarist for Dayton-based Christian emo band Hawthorne Heights, whose body was discovered on HH's tour bus in D.C. on the second night of the band's tour. Posting on their official website, they stated:

"Today is probably the worst day ever. It's with our deepest regrets that we have to write this. Casey Calvert passed away in his sleep last night. We found out this afternoon before soundcheck. We've spent the entire day trying to come to grips with this and figure out as much as possible. At this time we're not sure what exactly happened. Just last night he was joking around with everyone before he went to bed. We can say with absolute certainty that he was not doing anything illegal. Please, out of respect to Casey and his family, don't contribute or succumb to any gossip you may hear. We don't want his memory to be tainted in the least. Casey was our best friend. He was quirky and awesome and there will truly be no others like him! His loss is unexplainable. As soon as we know more we will let you know.

To Write Love On Her Arms is a cause that Casey was very passionate about. Starting today, they will honor him with a specially designed t-shirt. Its hard enough when you lose someone you love, but when that person is the primary bread winner in the house, it makes things even tougher and adds even more stress to an already bad time for those left behind. 100% of the proceeds from this shirt will go to help support Casey's wife, Ashley. Please show your support for Casey and his family. We also ask that you please take your time to learn what TWLOHA is all about; Casey would have wanted it that way! Thank you! Hawthorne Heights"