Many of us are familiar with the Book of Job. Job was highly favored of God; his life exemplified a hallowed commitment to God. He was tested to the point of death, but Job had a secret weapon: he knew the God he served. Though through his testing he wanted to die and cursed the day of his birth, he never blasphemed God. Satan was well aware of all of Job’s blessings and wanted an opportunity to bring Job down to prove that without his blessings Job would curse God. The Devil needed God’s permission to torment Job. Because God truly knew the heart of His servant, He allowed Satan to afflict him
Job had three friends; Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. When Job’s friends heard of his terrible, unfortunate plight, they came to his side. These men were from the region of Edom, an area renowned for its wise men.
Job 2:12-13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
12 But when, at a distance, they lifted up their eyes and did not recognize him, they began to weep aloud; they tore their cloaks and threw dust into the air over their heads. 13 Then they sat down upon the ground with him seven days and seven nights, but none of them spoke a word to him; for they saw how great was his suffering.
The best medicine for supporting someone who is in deep emotional pain is to be there for them in person. All of Job’s friends knew that he had lost everything, including all of his children. An act of love is listening and supporting in prayer when it is needed most. For seven days and seven nights, Job’s friends did not open their mouths.
The number seven has a great spiritual significance; it is used in the Bible about 600 times. Seven is the number of perfection and completeness; God completed the earth in seven days. This is the reason we rest on the seventh day and honor God by attending church.
Job’s story takes many wild twists and turns; his own wife blasphemed God and tells Job to, “Curse God and die.”
Job 2:9-10 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
9 Then his wife said to him, “Are you still holding to your innocence? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as foolish women do. We accept good things from God; should we not accept evil?” Through all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
These are truly the words of someone sold out to God. We should all be so blessed to have Job’s reverent attitude in the midst of our greatest trials.
Blessed Mother Mary
Life was never easy for the Mother of God. During her pregnancy Joseph, her husband, had to take her and flee to Egypt. The Lord picked Joseph to be Jesus’ foster father because God knew that Joseph would protect the Holy Family. Mary always allowed her Son to take His rightful role in life, because she understood who He was. Mary was the elect of God from her Mother’s womb. She is the mother of us all.
For many years I portrayed the Blessed Mother on Good Friday on the Via Dolorosa (“the way of suffering”) in Jerusalem. Nothing can be more painful than a mother seeing her child suffer and being unable to help. A mother’s pain can only be described as not being able to breathe because of a crushed heart. Mary, meeting her Son Jesus at the Fourth Station of the Cross, and knowing that she could do nothing to save Him from His Crucifixion felt the pain of deepest wound a mother can experience. Her entire life was that of a loving, nurturing mother, but now she must see her only Son as he is beaten to the point of death. This particular Station of the Cross is symbolic of the suffering a mother goes through with her own children. The bond of a mother and child is powerful, and the agony that a mother feels for her child is the absolute description of love. I had never acted in my life, but each time I met Jesus at the Fourth Station of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa my heart swelled with pain and the re-enactment brings tears of sorrowful emotions that I can not control.
Imagine seeing your son go through such agony! Mary was there when the Roman soldiers pounded the nails into His feet and hands. She was there when they pierced His side. Our sorrowful Mother Mary was at the foot of the Cross; she never abandoned Jesus. From His birth to the Cross, she suffered His every pain. That is the true heart of a mother. The Romans were savages when it came to Jesus’ Crucifixion. The Jewish law permitted only 39 lashes because it believed that the 40th lash would kill the man before his crucifixion. To both the Jews and the Romans this was a morbid celebration; they hated Jesus and felt that He was a great threat. What the Romans did to our Lord still brings me to my knees.
AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)Via Dolorosa on Good Friday stock photo
Me portraying the Blessed Mother Jerusalem, Via Dolorosa 2019
The Crucifix
One of my favorite churches to visit in the Holy Land is the Church of Flagellation. This small chapel is located in the Muslim Quarters in the Old City of Jerusalem. As you gaze up to the dome, the crown of thorns is embedded into the design of the mosaic golden dome. I love to sit there and pray.
Catholics have a special devotion to the Passion of Christ because we need to be reminded of the pain that He endured for us. We feel the fullness of what Jesus did for us; we are connected with Jesus through His suffering. How else can we truly comprehend His agony?
My Prayer:
Dear Lord, we ask for the prayers of Your Blessed Mother Mary to intercede on behalf of all mothers going through trials with their children. These mothers cry out to You, Lord, for the physical and emotional crosses that their children must bear. Look down on them with great mercy, and deliver them from the snares of the Devil. Just as Your beautiful Mother met You at the foot of the Cross, meet these families who have heavy crosses to bear. Lighten their loads, and help them carry their crosses with Your beautiful, nail-scarred hands. Amen.
Celebrating Black History gives us clearer insight into the legacy left by many great African American men and women. We need this more than ever. I wanted to hear about Christian Black men who are positive role models, but they were overlooked by the news media’s coverage.
Lemuel Haynes is a wonderful example for teaching us how to operate in grace. Lemuel was born to a white mother and black father in 1753. As an infant he was abandoned by both parents and was taken into the household of Deacon David Rose of Granville, Massachusetts. There he served as an indentured servant until his 21st birthday. Because Lemuel had an appetite for the Word of God, he studied Scripture and wrote sermons.
Lemuel Haynes
Patriot and Preacher
Lemuel Haynes was a patriot who enlisted with the local farmer’s militia, the Minutemen. He was among the first of three African American men assigned to Ethan Allen’s famous Green Mountain Boys.
He was the first Black preacher to ever preach at an all-white church. Lemuel Haynes was anointed to preach, and was chosen in this time of great divide. After his involvement in the American Revolutionary War, Lemuel continued with his training in theology; he also studied Latin and Greek. He used the pulpit to denounce slavery; he referred to it as sin. He never held back from speaking the words that the Lord put in his mouth to speak. I can imagine the impact he had on some of the white congregation; they were either in shock or perhaps felt great conviction. Lemuel’s sermons stressed interracial fellowship, liberty, natural rights and justice. His prolific writings made him the first African American to be internationally published. He was the first Black man to receive an honorary Master of Arts degree from Middlebury College. Do you think that the public schools are going to teach the life and history of this great Black man? No! Lemuel Haynes would not be considered a role model today because his life’s journey was led by God.
Dr. Ben Carson
Dr. Ben Carson was eight-years-old when his parents divorced. He and his brother were raised by their mother, who encouraged her two young sons to become better students by giving them reading and writing assignments in addition to their regular school assignments. Ben Carson earned a scholarship to Yale University an earned a bachelor’s degree in 1973 in psychology. He went on to receive a medical degree from the University of Michigan. His accolades and contributions to the medical field are many, including director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins. He was one of the youngest doctors in the United States to earn this title. In 1987 the then thirty-five-year old neurosurgeon received international acclaimed for separating two German twins born joined at the head.
Along with his wife Candy, they have collaborated on writing several books: America the Beautiful in 2014: Rediscovering What Makes This Nation Great and , A More Perfect Union in 2015.
Ben Carson served as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for President Trump. Dr. Carson is a conservative who has expressed his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. He has stated his belief that homosexuality is a choice. You will not hear about him during Black History Month either.
Black Lives Matter
This nefarious organization has perverted everything educational and beneficial about Black History Month. They have hijacked the observance in public schools by inserting false narratives to indoctrinate our students about how racist our country has become. They have carefully woven their beliefs on transgender identity to make them sound reasonable and creditable. These are the new powerful leaders who will set the standard for Social Studies in American Public Schools.
Black Lives Matter, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi
The New Black Leaders
Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi are all trained Marxists. The media would never describe them this way; they would rather omit that word to make them appear anti-racist. All three of these women praise JoAnne Chesimard, who is now known as Assata Shakur. She is a fugitive convicted of first degree murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout on the New Jersey turnpike in 1973. She escaped prison and has been given asylum in communist Cuba. Shakur has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list since 2013.
The following is part of their agenda:
We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead. … We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence. …
We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered.
So many organizations have given credence to the propaganda about how effective Black Lives Matter has become. They either join with them or get canceled for not believing as they do.
America’s history of slavery is real, and the impact it has on Blacks is profound and continues today. If you are not Black you can never completely understand their plight. Not until Alex Haley’s Roots did the atrocity of slavery become real to me. We need to fix racial discord in America, but it must be done with love, not hate. History will never change, but revealing the truth can help us understand why we are so divided. Black Lives Matter manifestos are not the answer. The real solution must come from within each of us. We cannot allow the mindset of Black Lives Matter to bulldoze our minds into believing a false ideology that is not true. We can’t continue with anger because of all the support BLM is receiving. Whether we agree with them or not, they have, and continue to received funding from major corporations to keep them going. Their interpretation of reality is hitting the classrooms the hardest. This troubles me because I cannot ignore the propaganda that our grandchildren will receive. I pray that one day soon their agenda will be exposed and truth and justice will prevail. Both Lemuel Haynes and Ben Carson overcame and excelled because of their belief in God. We cannot move forward without God. In the meantime I have made it my mission in life to accept all human beings as children of God.
My Prayer:
Dear Lord, help us to become more aware of why You are allowing us to go through this division in our country. Give us all a heart to love, and teach us to accept all races as one. You are the Father of us all, You love us all the same. Touch the hearts of the BLM leaders and remove hatred and anger from all of us. Allow us to see the hurting hearts of men so that we can walk in Your direction. Amen.
We are entering into our holiest season in the Catholic liturgical calendar. Lent is a time to prepare us for the glorious Resurrection of our Lord. On Ash Wednesday, I got up a little earlier to prepare for Mass. I carefully picked out a coordinating sweater and scarf because this day is sacred for me. Listening to the homily of Father Nan was especially rich food for my soul. Our priest spoke on how we are to prepare inwardly. He said, “The essence of Lent is a movement from the external life to the eternal space to make room for God.” These words stayed with me because they spoke of how God works in our soul. As I helped with the distribution of the Eucharist, I was fighting back tears of overwhelming joy. I thought of all the people who attended the service, souls searching for a fresh start in their spiritual journey. In my heart I want nothing more than to please God. In the natural this is a testing. The journey to draw from the waters of the deep wells can only be accomplished through our own faithfulness.
The Scenic Route
Whenever I’m driving with my daughter Sonja, she always takes the scenic route. I get a little irritated with this because I’m a freeway girl. Not Sonja – she takes her time getting to and from where she is going. “Mom, don’t you just love this house?” My reply is always the same, “No! why do you always take so long to get us home?” “Do you see that front porch? That’s exactly what I want for my house,” she adds. Though Sonja is my daughter, she will find her way to God in this manner. We are different in our walk because God created us this way. I cannot force my strong beliefs on her because she will drive in another direction. Our Son Mikos, on the other hand, is always questioning the doctrines of the Catholic Church. He is serving God under the Protestant umbrella. He is faithful and is the spiritual leader of his family. Both Mikos and Sonja are saturated in prayer, and I know that they pray as well. Their spiritual journey is their own, and I come alongside of them, gently nudging them through prayer.
The Detours
I cannot tell you how many unnecessary detours I have made in my journey or how I’ve felt a loss by my sinful behavior. Or the psychological warfare and games the Enemy plays with my head, causing me to feel spiritually inadequate. I can only refuel my spiritual perception through prayer and the Eucharist. Lent is a period of reflection; I look in the mirror and see not my face, but myself with ashes over my head, dressed in sack cloth. This is a time we resolve to practice humility, self-examination, and repentance. We are to be as John the Baptist to the world: his life’s journey was to lead others to Christ; he lived and died for the Gospel; he was the epitome of truth. From his mother’s womb, John the Baptist was obedient to his call.
Luke 1:44 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
The Mountain Roads
Years ago I attended a retreat in Lake Arrowhead. I was driving a large Chevy Suburban and was not prepared for the challenge this mountain drive was going to be. In my inexperience, I drove with extreme caution and reduced my speed. I had no idea how many vehicles I was holding up behind me. Finally I turned into an area to allow others to safely pass. I counted 12 vehicles! Like prayer, going up the mountain to meet God comes with consequences. By being overly careful, I was unknowingly holding others back by controlling the flow of traffic on the road. We can’t do this because of our lack of experience. Not even God will force you to reach the top of the mountain. Our Lord will equip us for the journey, but it is through our free will that we accomplish these life journeys.
Prayer
“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” -St. Therese of Lisieux
During Lent three things are required of us: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Prayer does not always come naturally; speaking for myself, it took several years of discipline to develop prayer as an everyday part of my life. I am constantly praying throughout the day, especially when negative thoughts creep into my mind. I usually pray a Hail Mary; this helps me go into deeper prayer. When I’m upset, it takes a lot more than a Hail Mary to get me back to the right spiritual direction. Many times I will open the Bible and ask God to give me a Word. The Enemy attacks me because I am an intercessor, so I must always be aware of how the Devil works. If someone calls me for prayer, I am obligated before the Lord to comply. Reading Sacred Scripture helps us draw closer to God, and that is what we should always be doing.
Fasting
Years ago, when our children were in their teens, I could fast for many days. Nowadays I’m happy with fasting one day. Fasting is self-control; we master this by preparation. You can also fast from social media, from watching your favorite television programs, or by giving up one or two meals a day. God recognizes our efforts and honors our sacrifices.
Almsgiving
When I was the head of a ministry feeding the homeless once a month, almsgiving was a routine part of my life. COVID-19 has changed all that. We serve by sharing God’s gifts with others; we give of our time and talents. As part of almsgiving, our Bible study group will pray the Rosary in front of Planned Parenthood during Lent.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, help us through these 40 days of Lent. Open our hearts and minds to draw closer to You. Speak to us through Sacred Scripture, and guide us on this Lenten journey. Train us to set aside special time for deeper prayer, and encourage us to give of ourselves to Your service. Help us out of any situation that would lead us astray, and make us more and more like You, Jesus. Amen.
