Yours Days are Numbered : Part II

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http://mattandginny.blogspot.com/
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Your Days are Numbered

A new book from a personal hero of mine, hopefully reminding each of us that tomorrow is promised to no one . . .but Christ's love is promised to everyone!

From publishers website :Since I was young, I have watched death come: for my grandparents; for a multitude of my church members; for my mother; for my brother; and then for me.

But I was not ready when I knew it was coming for me. I was scared to death the morning of the surgery to open me up to remove my left kidney, ureter, and scrape my bladder. I was not ready. I felt in an instant how much of my precious time on this Earth as a human being had been spent being distracted from the absolute and undeniable fact. I. Will. Die.

It was partly my fault – who wants to think about that? It was mostly the milieu in which I was born, lived, and moved through life: modern popular culture strives during our every waking moment to keep our consciousness from the fact of our mortality. We are distracted to death. Sure: it fills with near-pornographic glee the movies, television dramas, comedies, thrillers, gore fests with other peoples’ deaths, but never does it put death in first person singular.

So at 10:30 a.m. on the morning of April 24, 2008, I had my personal Garden of Gethsemane. I was alone (literally). I was mortally afraid. I was not ready or at peace with the fact that I was moving toward my death, and death was moving toward me.

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The surgery was successful, but in December of the same year, cystoscopy showed I had lesions in my bladder, and chemotherapy was prescribed. It was at moment that A Little Guide for Your Last Days began to be written. As much for me as for anyone else who might read it.

For any readers who are Christian, Little Guide is my express understanding of the grace of God in Jesus Christ to save us from both the penalty of sin and the fear and pain of death. Yes; it is Catholic in theology and understanding. That is where I find the most truth, the most hope, the most understanding of our human condition, and the most answers to our human plight.

I want A Little Guide for Your Last Days to be not only a memento mori – a reminder of your mortality – but a book of lessons for living your life more in keeping with the will of our self-donating, covenant-making, covenant-keeping God. And He is most clearly revealed in Jesus Christ: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Scarecrow of Capitol Hill

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maybe this is what we need to save us from our politicians attempts at saving us (O:

Retro Post: Pilgrim's Romantic Progress

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As I seem to have been talking up Dawn Eden's book a lot lately, I thought I'd re-post my earlier review to hopefully further inspire folks to go out and pick up a copy.

From March 2007

While on my flight to the OC this week, I finished Dawn Eden's inspiring semi-biographical relationship guide"The Thrill of the Chaste". Eden's own popular blog, The Dawn Patrol, was your wannabe massketeer's main inspiration for this here web-log.

In "The Thrill of the Chaste - Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On", Ms. Eden (a 30 something Jewish convert to Catholicism) takes on the destructive elements of the Sex and the City/Match.com speed-dating culture, mainly through her courage to reveal her own past as a willing player of today's "blink of an eye" dating game. Although written from a female perspective, it actually took me a while to finish, because I painfully saw a little too much of myself in it - as me thinks most of this generation also will (I mean, they'll see themselves, not me . . .everyone's an editor). I've already given out over a dozen copies, with my non-religious friends enjoying it even more than my church buddies.

Utilizing her own life, she lays out a hopeful GPS map for marriage minded women, revealing all the pitfalls, pit bulls, and boobie traps along the way (bad pun, I know). Quotes from Carole King to John Paul II, help keep the book as trendy as it is traditional, with a firm grasp on both.

While it is on the one hand a relationship guide, I tend to see it more as the story of the healing of a heart . . .or more to the point, the renewing of a heart.

It did leave this Bawlmer born bloggin' blogger with three small points, that I felt were not properly addressed:

1) The L Word - while she points out the Biblical/ Theology on the Body view that sex is part of the "one flesh union" of marriage, part of a forever commitment between a man and woman. Building on that premise, sex outside of marriage is actually, as Christopher West puts it, "telling lies with your body".

But another unintentional lie people often tell in relationships is the big "I Love You", words as Rev. James Dobson writes "should only be said after a decision on marriage has been made".Our hearts do tend to hear those words in forever terms, regardless of how easily we throw them about, so me thinks a good rule would be, the "L" word followed by ring one, and ring two followed by . . .well, you know (O:

2) Chasing the Chaste - I found out early on in my dating life, that if I wanted to have sex with a girl, to just keep my hands to myself (no, not like that), as within a few weeks the doubts and frustration about NOT being manhandled by me, would usually have the woman soon attacking this ex-long hair. I would get the same desired results, usually faster, with the positive benefit of appearing the gentleman . . .yes, diabolical I know, that's why I bring it up now.

Women repeat after me:

"He is not groping me, because he cherishes me",
repeat often.

Both the man and woman need to have a serious talk early on, where it is decided that there will be NO physical activity until they hear that "I do" (although I would suggest you make it out of the church parking lot). To be honest, I have even decided that if I, God willing, should ever date again, that even passionate kissing be ruled out. Hugs, hugs, and more hugs . . .I am all about the hugs (as my Shel Silverstein "Hug a War" tattoo boldly demonstrates).

3) Confession needs to be made - Yes, Miss Eden needs to confess to her priest that she has in fact been eating Ciabatta roles on the NY Subway, which is completely verboten, and a subject she blatantly, almost proudly, proclaims in her fine book. Get thee to a nunnery, Dawn Eden, get thee now!

Anyhow, I strongly recommend this beautiful book to anyone who feels marriage is there vocation, for both men and women, Christian or Jew, virgin or not-so virgin.

God made you special, and He loves you very much!

The Real Change

It wasn't until I looked at what little money I had left from my pay check after taxes, that I finally understood that The President's idea of "change" is what little he allows us to keep.
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Notso Cutie

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Oh no, that wacky Catholic church went and chastised a priest in Florida for betraying his vows, dishonoring his God, and showing lack of respect for the woman he is "dating" (heh, at least she's divorced). When will these silly old celibate men in Rome realize that honor and duty are quite passe', that chastity and sacrifice are fine for the saints but not us post moderns, and that integrity comes after a man's "need". Did the poor trials of our dear St. Bill Clinton teach them nothing?

Our wayward priest is hoping the Episcopal church won't worry about such silly things as honesty or forthrightness, or be weighted down with such petty things like if a guy lies about and hides a relationship he might do similar things with the next chica that catches his eye, or borrow a bit from the church funds so he can be stylin' at the club on Saturday nite.

Of course, now that he's a Protestant, if this new church wises up too, than he can just church hop until the second coming.

Back to those wacky papists who I hear even ordain married ex-Anglican priests, who share the Church's out dated sense of propriety. Yes, they'll receive a married Episcopal priest into their flock, if he converts out of a call of conscience, but not let their own religious make out on the beach with a babe or two
. . . . out dated, I tell ya,!


*On a more serious note,
I hope yer all praying for all involved,
and realize that you, and most definitely I,
have all done similarly stupid things,
and are loved nonetheless!
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Dumb and Dumber still

After Gay marriage then

next maybe we'll have services for folks to be baptized Atheist

and don't our cats and doggies deserve last rites or holy orders?

hey, and we can have confession
where we instead mention everyone elses' sins.

ugh, ya gotta wonder if our twitter brains
can get any dumber in these mega-churches of tolerance?
or to paraphrase James Carville "It's the Sacrament, stupid!"
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What's the Highest Price ever paid to Build a Church?

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"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock,
among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,
to shepherd the Church of God
which He purchased with His own blood."
Acts 20:28
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Dating rule #1 : Quiz'em on da Catechism

To save my fellow single brothers in the faith from the devout salesmanship of the over 40 "all my friends are married, guess I should too" pseudo Catholic single woman out there, I found this lil' quiz Do You Know Your Baltimore Catechism?

I only scored a 90%, so me thinks this outta help weed out the cradle Catholics who sadly will say anything - be anything - to get themselves to the altar; and thus allow you to focus on finding that rare true Catholic woman who only wants to help you get to heaven.

. . . .(whatta ya mean I'm cynical?)
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Charity of the Beloved

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"The humanity of Christ is like the grape
because it was crushed in the winepress of the cross
so that his blood flowed forth over all the earth….
How great is the charity of the beloved !
How great the love of the bridegroom for his spouse, the Church!”
St. Anthony of Padua

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If only Thomas Kincade had read this

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"If you want to make a Christian work,

then be Christian,

and simply try to make a beautiful work,

into which your heart will pass;

do not try to "make it Christian."

Jacques Maritain - Art and Scholasticism

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Christian art is defined by the one in whom it exists and by the spirit from which it issues: one says "Christian art" or the "art of a Christian," as one says the "art of the bee" or the "art of man." It is the art of redeemed humanity. It is planted in the Christian soul, by the side of the running waters, under the sky of the theological virtues, amidst the breezes of the seven gifts of the Spirit. It is natural that it should bear Christian fruit.

read more here

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Reign or shine

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As I walked home after receiving our Lord in the Eucharist, I was again reminded of how wonderful a blessing it is to be able to attend daily mass. Early thoughts had me worrying I might be caught in the rain, or possibly have to drive (I like the 2O minute walk in the AM).

Yes, I was about to receive the God of all creation into my body, the very one who had willingly offered up His body for me to beat, spit on, and eventually kill - and I was worrying I might get caught in a drizzle - Lord forgive me!

If I really, truly understood - if WE really, understood - Who it is that I/we are receiving, shouldn't we be willing to crawl on broken glass to get to Him?, and any and every chance we can? Not that our wonderful Father would want us to be hurt in any way, but like with Abraham with his son, me thinks He does want us to have that meek and willing heart.

As a spiritual director recently asked me, am I focusing on the "Urgent" or the "Important"? What is more important than time with the one we will spend all eternity with?

But I have a meeting

But I have a conference call

But I have to study

But I have a hangover

As Father Larry Richards often says
"the mass cost Jesus his life, and it must cost us ours"

This morning it just cost me some hair gel.

Thankful for, and with, Fr. Larry Richards

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

."It would be easier for the world
to exist without the sun

than without
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass."

Padre Pio

Amen!

But I really do (O:

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Lest these cloudy days get thee down,
I humbly suggest you get thee down!