I was never that little girl who dreamed about a fairytale wedding. Mike and I got married by a pastor we met on the night of our nuptials. I was nineteen and Mike was twenty-one. We did not elope because Mike asked my mother for my hand in marriage. She did not agree because we had only been dating for six months, and she wanted me to have a church wedding. Mike and I did not listen to my mother’s wise counsel. I did feel a sense of guilt for the impulsive decision, but we were young and in love.

The Special Rosary

This year Mike and I will be celebrating our 50th “golden” wedding anniversary. Mike had always supported all of my missionary trips but rarely accompanied me on the trips. One year, after our missionary work in Israel, we had an extended visit to Italy. For the first time Mike joined us in Turin. Fr. Pat, a priest from Ohio, served as our chaplain. The highlight of the trip was when we arrived in Rome. Joanne, our group leader, had arranged for us to renew our wedding vows at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. This was a wonderful surprise for both of us. As Father was performing the ceremony, a man interrupted the service. The stranger spoke in Spanish, explaining that he had to give me a gift. Fr. Pat told him, “Sir, we are in the middle of a wedding ceremony, can you please wait.” The man nodded his head, “yes.” Father continued with the service when the stranger again interrupted. “Please, I need to give them a gift (he was looking at me).” Father Pat, being a gracious man, allowed the stranger to present me with a rosary. This was no ordinary rosary. This is what I can recall of the Spaniard’s conversation: He asked me, “Do you know anything about Garabandal?” I had recently read about the apparition of the Blessed Mother in Garabandal, so I answered “Yes.” He went on to explain that he made the rosary with his own hands and that it had a piece of Conchita Gonzalez’ (one of the visionaries) prayer book that was kissed by the Blessed Mother. He added that God told him to give the rosary to me. There were a group of about 20 on this missionary trip, so when the others found out about the gift, they came running to the man to ask him for more rosaries. The man only had that one rosary, and it was meant for me. By this time Mike did not understand what was happening and thought this was staged as part of the marriage surprise. Mike thought that the stranger was in some way part of the ministry. It took some time, but we were all able to convince Mike that we were all just as surprised by this special wedding gift.

The Revelation

As far as I was concerned Mike and I were married by the Catholic Church that day with Fr. Pat officiating our vows in Rome. Well, only years later did I discover the truth. Our friend Fr. Leonard was visiting us when I mentioned  renewing our wedding vows. Fr. Leonard asked me, “Do you have the official certificate from the church?” I asked, “What do you mean? From Rome?” He said, “Yes.” I knew that I had no legal proof, so I asked him what that meant. He said, “Well, that means that you are not married by the Church and you and Mike have not entered into the Sacrament of Marriage through the Catholic Church.” I was disheartened with this announcement and knew this needed to be fixed. Since we were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, Fr. Leonard suggested that we get married at St. Norbert, celebrating our wedding and blessing our 50th anniversary.

To get the ball rolling I had to request our Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation records, but this was March 2020, the genesis of COVID. The only thing that Mike recalled was that his sacraments were performed in either Los Angeles or San Bernardino.  With the church offices closed, all correspondence was via email. After three months the Diocese of San Bernardino provided the records. My information was much easier because all three of my sacraments were recorded at the same church in Brawley, California.

Announcing The Wedding

I shared with our family about our upcoming wedding, but the only member of the family who showed any excitement was our grandson Jacob; he was delighted that he was asked to be the ring bearer. Getting Sonja (our daughter) and Jenny (our daughter-in-law) on board was not an easy task. Asking our son Mikos to walk me down the aisle was also a bit of a challenge. Mikos is not giving me away; he’s just walking me down the aisle because I don’t want to fall! Our best friends, Larry and Helen, are standing in as best man and matron of honor.

The Wedding Dress

I am a first time-bride, so I had no idea where to get an appropriate wedding dress. I made several appointments with bridal shops. This was a horrible experience; first, because I’m an older bride and second, I did not want anything to do with a traditional wedding dress. Basically I was a bridezilla at the first shop. The following day I went to  Merry Me Bridal, the same place where we purchased Sonja’s wedding dress. The first dress the saleslady came out with was a long, beaded strapless dress with a plunging neckline! I wanted to scream, “Oh Hell No!” But I held my tongue. I finally told her what I wanted: “I don’t want to show my arms, my back, my bosom, and I want the dress to be ankle length.” With that said, it eliminated all  the wedding dresses. The only things left were mother-of-the bride dresses. Right when I was about to give up, I found an unusual, pleated forest green dress. I tried it on and I liked it, but the color was not going to work. As it turned out the dress could be made in a dusty blue which I call silver. I said “yes” to the silver dress.

The Planning

Before we could make the appointment with our pastor, Fr. Moneypenny, we had to have all of our paperwork in order. Our wedding anniversary is January 25th, but that falls on a Tuesday this year. We are getting married on 1/22/22! That was a great sign for us.

Soon after that I had to get the church music coordinated with the music director of the parish. I wanted to walk out to the Beatles song “All you need is love” but that is a big “no, no” for our diocese; no secular music. I wanted our granddaughter Maddie to sing our song “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis, but that, too, was shot down. Our music will be beautiful because I know that the presence of God will be in the midst.

The flowers, photographer, DJ, church are all paid for, and as the day approaches I’m getting excited to see family and friends and to share this blessed event with them. Fr. Leonard Mary from EWTN will be officiating at our wedding and Fr. Moneypenny will concelebrate.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray that Your Holy Hands will be in every detail of this wedding. Bless our union, bless our families and our guests. Lord, keep all illnesses away from us; protect us from that dreaded COVID.  And may we glorify You as we become one in Your Holy Sacrament of Marriage. Lord, I pray for all marriages, especially those who are contemplating divorce. Please heal their relationships. Amen.

Well, we made it through another COVID year. We’re all still confused as hell about this malignant pandemic. The division in families has made for interesting polarization during the holidays, but we survived that as well. What we have learned about this COVID  is that it has superseded the discussions about the common cold or flu.  So I quietly sit on the fence, waiting for some sensible resolution. There are many like myself who want nothing more than to comply and do what is right but, the mass confusion is the factor that keeps us in our fighting corners. I have long grown tired of all the paid ads our government is spending on putting the word out about the vaccines. Yes, I get it! But no one can force an American citizen to accept vaccines they do not trust. I’ve started to wear a mask in church again and when I go shopping; I continue wiping down the shopping carts and washing my hands more than ever. I still have not figured out if I am doing this out of fear or out of compliance.  I know that there are many who  are overly cautious because of real underlying health issues, I empathize because I understand that their intentions are just.  But it’s the radical, political side that throws us all off balance. They have the ear of the ever delusional media pounding fear that can be heard around the world. Real facts are distorted to make room for half-truths. I know about 20 persons who are COVID-positive, but out of these only one has been hospitalized.

“But by the same token I am against forcing people to be vaccinated,” Musk said. “You know, I think this is just not something we should do in America. I think we should encourage people to be vaccinated, strongly try to convince them to be vaccinated, but not force them to be vaccinated, or for example, for them to get vaccinated or get fired.” Elon Musk

I agree with the above statements of Elon Musk.

We who choose not to get the jab will suffer the consequences. I did. This was my choice because I do not want to relive the outcome of what was caused by the flu shot. After two and a half years, I still suffer from this autoimmune disorder.

Children and COVID

One subject that is being distorted by the news media is the misrepresentation of the facts about children and COVID. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, The number of COVID cases for children Is extremely high and increasing; but the article also states that severe illness due to COVID is uncommon among children.

Included in this report are these facts:

• Among states reporting, children ranged from 1.8%-4.1% of their total cumulated hospitalizations, and 0.1%-1.8% of all their child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization
• Among states reporting, children were 0.00%-0.27% of all COVID-19 deaths, and 5 states reported zero child deaths
• ​In states reporting, 0.00%-0.03% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in death

The real purpose of  these highly exaggerated news reports is to put the fear of COVID in parents so that they will run to get their kids vaccinated. I pray that we get the correct information to better equip us to fight COVID.

The Salvation Army

A couple of years ago when Target decided not to allow the Salvation Army’s Red kettles outside their stores, it really upset me. The Salvation Army’s Red Kettles are a staple around Christmas time, and I have always supported their efforts by donating. Sadly, due to a few executives catching the “Woke” fever, their revenue suffered a great impact. These “woke-crazed’ executives thought that it would be a great idea to add “Let’s Talk About Racism” to their global agenda. These new guidelines were written to white privileged members of the Salvation Army, stating that  white Christians should repent and offer a sincere apology to African-Americans. Why would an organization that depends on the donations of good-hearted people jump on the Critical Race Theory wagon? As bad as I felt, I stopped giving them donations. The irony is that by the narrow-minded decisions of a few weak executives, many organization stopped donating. I learned about this behavior in a business management class in college; it’s called  “Group Think.”

Group Think

It’s almost as if all these Critical Race Theory believers have fallen into this “Group Think.”  Group think is a phenomenon where people comply because they are frequently under the leadership of someone who is unwilling to accept alternative ideas. They cannot receive or listen to others because they reject any opposing information that does not support what they already believe. Whether they are liberal or conservative, they have the same mindset, no plan “B.”   The practice of this thinking is dangerous because it does not allow for individual creativity. These decisions are the result of irrational or dysfunctional thinking.  The Salvation Army and all other organizations are examples that have complied with “Woke” and their unrealistic spreading of these socialist beliefs. Group Think encompasses both the right and left.

Having The Mind of Christ

As Christians we use this term as a guide to live by the Word of God. I get angry, I pray, and that produces peace. I dismantled my soap box because no one wants to hear what we as Christian stand for. An example of this is how Christian are being mischaracterized  because of our positions on controversial issues that are fully accepted by the world.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, in this year of Our  Lord 2022 bring healing from this pandemic. I pray for all who have been affected by this illness.  Please heal them! To those who are in the valley of decision, appear to them in a dream and manifest Your real existence to them. Allow those who question Your existence to experience Your Holiness. Father, I continue to pray for all those who crowd my prayer list for healing of body, mind and soul. Amen!

Happy New Year!

Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest from Austria wrote the lyrics to Silent Night. The choir director of St. Nicholas Church in  Oberndorf, Austria, Franz Xaver Gruber composed the melody. Silent Night was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 at St. Nicholas Church.

This past Sunday we celebrated the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

The Holy Family

The divine providence of God was in perfect order when He picked this family. Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel heralding the great news of her Immaculate Conception. Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, but when he discovered  that she was with child (by the Holy Spirit) Joseph had second thoughts. It was not until an angel appeared to him in a dream that he understood the importance of his role as the holy foster father of Jesus. He was called to protect his family from all harm. St. Joseph is mentioned in the Bible, but he was never quoted in the Word of God. He was the silent example of holiness. He listened to the messages sent from God through holy angels and departed to Egypt to save the Christ Child from the hands of King Herod.

It was through Joseph’s obedience that Jesus’ life was spared from the hands of the evil King Herod. That’s what holy fathers do; they protect their children from all harm. Joseph serves as a role model on how to be a great father. The idea that he was a foster father to the Son of God gives us an insight as to how deep the Lord wants fathers to exemplify Joseph’s fatherhood. Not only did he raise Jesus as his own, he handed down his trade of a carpenter to his Son. It is a misconception that Jesus had brothers and sisters because in the times of the New Testament close relatives were referred to as brothers and sisters. Mary was set aside to carry the Christ Child in her womb; this was her main purpose in life, and Jesus was her only begotten son.

St. Anne and St. Joachim 

Mary was born to St. Anne and St. Joachim. St. Joachim was a wealthy man who benevolently gave to the work of God. He gave  one-third to the Temple, one-third  to the poor, and kept one-third for St. Anne and himself. They were judged harshly by their Jewish community because they were elderly and they could not bear children. They both fasted and prayed for a child. St. Joachim went to the desert and prayed for 40 days and 40 nights, while his wife fasted and prayed at the Temple. An angel appeared to St. Anne first to announce that she would bear a child. St. Joachim experienced an angel apparition around the same time telling him to go back home to his wife because she was with child. When Mary was three-years-old she was consecrated to the Temple.

Jesus’ Grandparents

As parents, St. Anne and St. Joachim made the ultimate sacrifice of consecrating Mary to the Temple. They understood that Mary was a special gift from God. Their role as grandparents was to pray for the future of the Mother of God, their daughter Mary. St. Anne must have known that Mary would become the most famous woman in the world. Mothers have a God-given intuition for their children.

Mike and I have four grandchildren. Each one is different, and we have learned that we cannot treat them the same. We love them the same but our involvement as grandparents is to be available to help at any time. I will drop everything when it comes to the needs of our grandchildren. I want to teach our grandchildren to love the Lord and to be an example of serving God. All grandchildren are special because we as grandparents have a great opportunity to witness what we have experienced in life. We have grown from all of our past hurts and pains and can offer great wisdom. The many times that I have served as the taxi for our grandkids, I always have the radio on a religious station. None of them seem to mind.

Our grandchildren help us with technology; what seems impossible for me  comes so easy for them. I do not like to cook or bake, but now that has become a tradition with our grandkids. I don’t mind the mess because the time spent in the kitchen is worth all the labor of cleaning up. So as grandparents we are working at coming alongside their parents, making sure that we are part of raising good, honest citizens who will honor their parents and love God.

 We Pray As A Family

Last year we lost a dear friend. This was not COVID-related but it was an unexpected departure. The sad irony is that our friend had recently lost his oldest son as well. Our friend left behind his younger son who is suffering the lost of his beloved father and brother. My heart aches for this precious young man because he was so close to his father and brother. I have been praying for this young man for months, but when he stopped returning my text messages, I realized that he had gone deep into the mournful pain of loss. We all grieve differently, but his pain is too much for him to bear alone, and the holidays are a harsh reminder of this great void in his life. We miss our friend so much, but I cannot imagine the pain his son is going through. All that is left is prayer because we trust that God will pull him out of this deep grief.

Psalm 147:3-5   New American Bible (Revised Edition)

³ Healing the brokenhearted,
    and binding up their wounds.
⁴ He numbers the stars,
    and gives to all of them their names.
⁵ Great is our Lord, vast in power,
    with wisdom beyond measure.

 

My Prayer

Dear Lord, we know that the Christmas season brings so much pain to those who are alone, who are suffering from illness, or are not on speaking terms with close family members. Lord, we ask that You send Your Holy Spirit to comfort them and to help them to understand that there is nothing impossible for You. You heal the broken hearted, and restore the faith in those who looks to You for help. I pray for our friend’s son, Lord.  You know his pain and every tear that he has shed for his family. Lord, comfort his broken heart and give him peace. Amen.

Romans 8:18   New American Bible (Revised Edition)

¹⁸ I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.