Social media is inundated with “Pray for Ukraine” as if it were just a popular trend. But this war is real, and it is a war of good versus evil. Russia is an atheistic nation because it is ruled by an atheist. Ukraine, on the other hand, is 85% Christian. The majority of the Christians in Ukraine are Eastern Orthodox. In 1054 The Great Schism separated  the Western Church from the Eastern Church. The Eastern Orthodox separation was due to both political and religious reasons.

I always remember when visiting the Holy Land, and especially the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, how diverse religious groups are in control of different sections of the church. We always visited during Holy Week when the promp and circumstance is at its highest. When the Turkish guards lead the way for the procession of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, they  make an entrance that commands attention. The sound of the pounding staffs shakes the earth around you, and the pageantry from all the commotion is beautiful to experience. The Franciscans follow in their plain brown habits, making a humble entrance through the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. As of today the Western Church (Roman Catholic) and the Eastern Orthodox have yet to overcome their differences. I respect both, but remain in my Roman Catholic roots.

The Divide

Our country is greatly divided. Our divide stems from a political stand off with each group digging in their heels on what they believe to be true. I am on the side of the Word of God and all that it represents. It’s no surprise to the rest of the world that we are perceived as fools. Our president has appointed Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary of Health, but she is part of the division. In the United States, we expect these types of appointments, with the push to cover the U.S. with a cloud of dissension by accepting whatever the Left throws our way. The rest of the world is wondering why we have become so weak. We are the leaders of the Free World, but to the world, we seemed to have dropped our guard. The United States once stood for freedom and unity, but our petty civil war is causing world leaders to second guess our strengths. It is apparent that we need to pull up our bootstraps and take up our swords, for this spiritual battle is ongoing. What do I mean by this statement? Many Americans are not going to cave into the demands of our current government. We are a united front; Protestants, Catholics and Muslims alike are in one accord when It comes to our freedom. When I gave the example of Rachel Levine, it was to express the true fact that our president wanted to be the first to appoint a transgender and nothing more; it had nothing to do with her experience. Our country is compelled to accept these appointments, but the rest of the world is not desensitized to these forced ideologies.

With weakness comes the attacks, and Putin is no dummy, he sees all our internal conundrums and took advantage in attacking Ukraine. This new war is for Putin to annihilate all Christian beliefs. Putin may have all the power to take over this land, but it is God Who will see it through to the end. The people of Ukraine are fighting for their freedom and to protect their religious beliefs. God will be on their side.

We Pray

Prayer changes the path of the evildoers. As we see what is playing out before us with this unnecessary war, we can effectively change the direction of this war. God hears all of our prayers, and millions are praying for this war to cease.

 

1 Corinthians 10:13  New American Bible (Revised Edition)

This verse clearly states that God will give you as much as you can take.  So why do people choose euthanasia? We all have an assigned time to be born and a time to die. When we take that role away from the Creator, we are destined to be held accountable for our own actions. I can only speak for myself but, if you are truly serving God, you would understand the big picture of life. It’s not complicated  because we are to be witnesses to the rest of the world as to how we manage difficult situations like facing death. You can either give up, or give it to God.

Ann

I have known this lady for several years, but due to COVID we both got busy with life. Ann always attended the same 6:15 a.m. Mass as me and we became friends. Once our church opened up for regular indoor services, the 6:15 a.m. Mass was no longer available. I knew that Ann was going to another parish, attending daily Mass and going to Adoration. I had no idea what my friend was about to encounter. In November she developed sepsis and, due to the severity of her condition, both of her legs were amputated. By the time I reached out to her, she was already at a rehab center learning to get in and out of the wheelchair and moving toward prosthesis. Ann wants the freedom to attend daily Mass once again.

Kathy

Kathy is another lady about my age who attends daily Mass. About a month ago I noticed that she was wearing an unusual hair covering, so I started to pray for her. On Friday after Mass, I approached Kathy and told her I was praying for her. She shared with me that she was suffering from ovarian cancer and had to go through one more round of chemotherapy before her surgery. Her optimistic demeanor was written all over her smile. Kathy is the one person who is always filled with the joy of the Lord.  She exudes instant forgiveness in her everyday mannerisms, and everyone who knows her loves her. She is in total dependence on the Lord for her healing, and she is in my daily prayers.

Carol

Carol was a powerful woman in God. She was my dear friend and helped me interpret difficult dreams. Her cancer was slow and excruciatingly painful; she had an aggressive type of metastatic breast cancer that spread to several places in her body. Carol never, ever gave up the fight; instead she offered up her suffering for others. She died a beautiful, peaceful death.

Jamie

A year-and-a-half ago, Jamie contacted me via Facebook. She was a distant relative of ours.  Other than what she shared on her social media, I knew very little about her. She was highly regarded as a mover and shaker in the public schools. Educating and mentoring students was a gift that she graciously shared with others. She was suffering from pancreatic cancer and, as her health was declining, she continued to post thought-provoking information about life. None of her posts mentioned God. I do not want to be misunderstood about Jamie because I am not her judge; only God is. She kept her communication open to us and we were planning a trip to visit her right before Christmas, but with her health concerns it was not possible. She spent the holidays in the hospital, attempting to manage her pain. Last week she posted what were to be her last public words. She stated that she could no longer fight, thanking her family, friends, colleagues and students. This alarming post was troubling because it left me with so many questions. When we reached out to her she texted back that she had decided to take end-of-life drugs on Wednesday of the same week. I quickly made phone calls to several prayer warriors,  and we started praying for her. I prayed that she would experience the presence of our Lord. I prayed that He would take her home naturally, and I prayed that she would be at peace.

Why did she take this extreme measure? Pancreatic cancer is known as the cancer that causes the highest degree of pain. Pain invades your cognitive thinking and can control your emotions. It seems that Jamie was desperate and gave in to her pain. We serve a merciful God Who knows the hearts of all mankind. To those who cannot bear the crosses God gives us, they, for whatever reason, take control of their personal situations. As Catholics we are taught that end-of-life drugs are forbidden because they are used to assist in euthanasia.

I took the time to read many of Jamie’s responses on Facebook. She was loved and made a huge impact on her colleagues and students. Mays she rest in eternal peace.

Euthanasia

We do not know the hour of our death. That is why we trust God with all of our trials. My friend Ann accepted her fate. She said that while she was in the hospital praying, she did not complain to God; instead she prayed, “I surrender my life to you.” She experienced an inward locution speaking to her and saying, “I gave you the mountain, now climb it.” Ann did not ask for this horrendous trial, but she is withstanding it with the grace of God.

Dear Lord, I pray for an end to euthanasia and for those who are gravely suffering from incurable diseases. Lord, give them the full knowledge of what they will experience in Your Kingdom. I pray for Ann to adjust to her new life and that she would soon be able to return to daily Mass. I lift up Kathy, Lord. Please heal these precious women. Lastly I lift up Jamie. She was Your daughter and her life had worth. I pray that her family will honor her with a beautiful service. Amen.

Several years ago I wrote about my first heartbreak. It happened when I was in third grade and the boy who I loved was about to profess his true love for me or so I thought. I had a special Valentine card set aside for him; the words were simple, but the meaning for an eight-year-old was deep. My heart was ready for this next level of puppy love. When I look back to this chapter of my life, this little boy was nothing to write home about. Joe was a little on the portly side and his front teeth were piled on top of another. So, I can’t explain what really attracted me to him. I, on the other hand, was a sweet, shy little girl with huge brown eyes.

My First Valentine’s Day Memory 

This card exchange was about to reach a crescendo with my heart racing to open the card Joe had given me. My card for him read, “Will you be my Valentine?” but in my mind it read, “Will you one day marry me?” Joe was oblivious to my infatuation and his love for me was not reciprocated. I wanted to open Joe’s card privately so that I could take in the emotions slowly; I wanted this euphoria to last because I was high on love. When I opened his card it showed a cute kitten holding a heart that read “You are sweet.” Well that much was true, but I was still in shock about the rejection my heart felt that day . My best friend Anita, on the other hand, was gloating because in her tiny, baby-like hand was the card that really belonged to me. Joe gave Anita the “Will you be my Valentine” card! The bus ride home was the longest, most agonizing trip ever. I wanted to tell Anita to shut up and to quit smiling, I had no recourse at eight because my heart had no shield and it was broken. I never told a soul about this little trauma. What good would it do? Besides my best friend was the cause. Since this incident no one has ever broken my heart. I, on the other hand, have been the cause of a few broken hearts.

Side note: I recently looked up my old nemesis Anita on Facebook and stocked her for a few minutes; she is a retired nurse and still lives in the vicinity of our hometown Brawley. I looked up Joe as well but, due to his common last name, I lost interest after the first page of Joe’s.

The Engagement Party

On Saturday we attended our godson’s engagement party. When Larry and Helen asked us to be godparents at Marcus’ baptism, we were elated. Marcus is the youngest of their five children. We have been part of Marcus’ life from his birth, through every birthday party, high school graduation, college graduation and now we’re awaiting his wedding.

Marcus was the boy who had all the latest and greatest of toys. On his fourth birthday I decided to write a book about him. The title of the book was “The Boy Who Had Too Many Toys.” The book was a real-life situation because Marcus donated hundreds of his toys to children in Mexico. Though Marcus led a privileged life, he was always taught to remain spiritually humble. To us, he is a normal young man who impresses others because of his gentle spirit; this is something that he learned from his parents. Marcus’ family is the core of his being and this bond has kept him grounded to reality. For Marcus, family is first. Mike and I are not only his godparents, we are connected spiritually. Marcus knows that he can come to me for prayer, and he trusts that I will indeed intercede on his behalf.

Marcus and Gianna

In 2014 Marcus and Gianna met while they were still in high school. I have seen this relationship evolve and have grown to love Gianna. At first I thought it was a high school romance that would fade away, but I now understand that their union was God-ordained and has stood the test of time. We live in a time of chaos, where hook-ups are the norm. The youth of today go through so many partners, the they leave part of their souls with the last person they had an intimate relationship with. This is not the case with Marcus and Gianna, so to witness this type of relationship is refreshing.

Gianna won the hearts of Larry and Helen long ago. Gianna has the gift of servanthood and that encompasses love. Whatever this precious girl does, it’s as if she is doing it as unto the Lord. I saw a great growth in her last year as Helen was suffering through a horrible bout with COVID. Gianna, Marcus and Sarah (Helen’s daughter-in-law) were Helen’s saving grace.

Like Marcus, Gianna’s family plays a major role; her mother has done an excellent job of raising her. Gianna’s grandmother has been a great support in molding her into being the loving young lady she has become. Gianna has several of aunts and uncles who are always watching over her as well. She and Marcus will always be surrounded by family who will support them in great love.

As we were leaving the engagement party, Gianna sweetly announced that Mike and I were also her godparents. We can’t wait to celebrate their upcoming nuptials. It will be a blessed event.

The Real St. Valentine

St. Valentine of Rome is the patron saint of love, young people, and happy marriages.  St. Valentine was put in prison by the Emperor Claudius for marrying couples and professing his faith in Jesus. While he was in prison he healed a jailer’s daughter of blindness, and, on the day of his execution, he left the girl a card signed “Your Valentine.” This is the reason we exchange Valentine’s Day cards.

Anything having to do with love always stems to Christianity. We celebrate the Feast Day of St. Valentine on the 14th of February. My “Valentine” Mike  of 50 years has already filled our house with the scent of a dozen red roses.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray for all marriages, that You would bless them with love. Jesus, help the youth of today to respect themselves and to remain pure. Teach them to love You first so that they, in turn, will grow to love themselves. Lord, bring the youth to serve You as never before. Amen.