Have you ever experienced something so traumatic that it changed the course of your life?  We were seven in total, four girls and three boys. My oldest brother was Robert. He was hard on us girls, and many times came across as disparaging. It took years for me to figure out that he was looking out for us and had stepped into the role of a father. Like a real father he was strict and always gave stern advice. Robert had great discernment and, as much as I did not want to hear his counsel, he was usually right. He hated that I joined MECHA, a radical, separatist Hispanic organization. I fought him on this and became so involved that I was elected president. In college the group advocated  indoctrination about what was owed to us and how we needed our rights to be heard. We were the Mexican version of the Black Panthers, and just as radical. My brother was right again because the organization spit me out like a hot pepper after dating outside our race.

Robert’s Illness

Robert was born with a gastric intestinal disorder; therefore, he suffered his entire life. He was over 6′ tall but rail thin; due to his illness he could never gain weight. Our mother would take him to a specialist at UCLA medical center for answers, but in Robert’s case no surgery could correct the ongoing affliction. My brother had episodes of his illness throughout his life, some lasting for weeks. Robert was a combine harvest operator and mechanic for a farming family in the Imperial Valley. When he was twenty-four years old, Robert was drafted into the service during the war in Vietnam.  He served in the army for two years, but because of a  knee injury he was released from his duties. Robert loved life and enjoyed every minute that was given to him in his short life.

Transcendental Era

Robert was a newlywed when he was diagnosed with cancer. He and his wife Alice were desperately seeking answers when they were introduced to a Maharaja. They followed the guru on television. They dug deeper and purchased a book to further instruct themselves in their new beliefs. This all started with a simple quest for healing. Both Robert and Alice believed that Robert could be healed naturally. Norma, our youngest sister, shared this belief and together they would study from some thick black Maharaja book. The three of them would sit yoga-style and meditate. Norma was just as enthralled in the new-found religion, because Robert was not only her older brother but her best friend.  Once she witnessed Robert levitate a foot off the ground. She said it was during meditation when her eyes were closed. When she opened them she made a sound of disbelief that broke the spell of the levitation. This was in 1981, my brother was a pot-smoking hippie, and this, peaceful, self-awareness type of religion was a great fit for him.

Our mother, on the other hand, wanted to take Robert to Mexico to try some experimental drugs for the cancer. We were all desperate to save Robert’s life. We were nominal Catholics who   were not steeped into our Catholic roots. None of us knew about prayer, or how to ask God for help. Our mother’s friend told her about a holy man named Vic who could help us. This stranger was the owner of a mattress store in San Bernardino. I took my mother to the first meeting at his store. This man was gentle and God-fearing, a born-again Christian who understood the Word of God. In our first encounter both my mother and I received Jesus into our hearts (this was the era of saying the sinner’s prayer). Vic became our mentor and would make special trips to our mom’s home for Bible studies. We wanted to introduce Vic to Robert, but he and Alice were convinced that the Maharaja was the only way to God. Before his cancer metastasized Robert went on a motorcycle ride, was thrown off and broke his neck. So, in addition to the cancer, he had to deal with the pain of his broken neck. He ended up in the hospital, and the most unusual apparatus (halo) was placed around his head to alleviate the pain of his broken neck. I cannot recall how many screws were drilled into his skull to hold the “halo” in place, but I knew it was extremely painful because it was equipped with weights to stabilize his neck.

Norma

With Vic’s help Norma was coming into the light. She was told by a Christian friend that if Robert did not have Jesus in his heart he would go to hell. Years ago abrasive and insensitive comments like these were commonplace.  No love or mercy was evident because that’s how people were taught. My sister took it upon herself to introduce Robert to the Christian God; Norma felt a sense of responsibility to share the “Good News” with Robert. She was a novice, a baby Christian shaking in her shoes when she arrived at the hospital. She was greeted by Alice, and the first thing she noticed was the Bible in Norma’s hands. The Bible has never been a discreet book and the title is usually in big bold gold letters on the cover. Alice did not want to have anything to do with this, so she told Robert. He asked Norma to bring the Bible to him. With the little strength he had left he threw the Bible across the room; then he asked Alice to bring their Maharaja book to him. But Norma did not give up; she and mom had a plan.

Vic

Vic was a an angel sent from heaven; he was the stranger that God sent to us to get us through this unmanageable stage of our lives. Robert was selling his RV, so Norma and mom came up with the idea for Vic to introduce himself by showing interest in the RV. The rest, as we say, is history. Vic, the angel that God commissioned, did his job and quietly disappeared. We were so grateful for his holy intervention and wanted to keep in touch with him,  but it was not to be.

33 Years Old

Robert was 33 years old when the Lord took him home. As a family we all took turns to be with him at the hospital so that he would not die alone. I did not want to have anything whatsoever to do with being there when he died. I planned my shifts to make sure that I was not going to be there. The doctor had announced that Robert would not make it through the night. I told my sisters that I would watch all the kids so they could be with Robert. My sister Jo, who was pregnant, stayed with me. Morning came and, much to my chagrin, Robert made it through the night. It was our shift, so Jo and I went to the hospital. I was nervous and sick to my stomach; never in my life had I been placed in such an agonizing position. It did not take long for our brother to breathe his last. Though I was terrified to witness any death, especially his, it was meant for me to be there. This was the most beautiful experience: as he flatlined, followed by a long beep, I noticed a peaceful, beautiful look on my brother’s face;  I saw the color of his body changing from grey to a muted yellow. He was home.

Robert’s Influence

Part of who I have become as a Christian is through this experience. The Lord never let go of me and, as I meandered from one Christian church to another, God has always been with me. I will never forget when mother and I visited Robert right before he succumbed to the illness. He held up two fingers and said, “This is me and Jesus.  If you don’t have Him, your life is…” He mumbled several phrases but we both understood what he meant by his gestures. Robert suffered beautifully, and was the instrument for bringing us back to God.

My Prayer: Thank you for our beautiful brother Robert. Because of his suffering we all came to understand our calling. Lord, continue to use us to draw closer to You. Lord, always reveal truth so that we can clearly see what You have in store for our lives. Never allow us to compromise or make decisions without praying. Amen.

Psalm 34:2 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

We got through Holy Week unscathed. We are all in great health and waiting for this coronavirus to be lifted. There was no news from Israel, nothing from the Via Dolorosa either. After our fish dinner on Good Friday Mike and I watched The Passion of the Christ. What a beautiful reminder of how much He loves us! I caught part of a radio broadcast with Monica Miller, the author of  The Theology Of The Passion of  Christ. I found it interesting that the character who played the part of Satan appeared to be asexual. Monica Miller stated in her interview that Satan’s sexuality was “blurred.” This gave me a deeper understanding of the inherent evil in society’s current confusion about human sexuality.  Mel Gibson did a beautiful depiction of this historical event, he but also paid the price for bringing this project to fruition. Satan hates this movie.

When I first traveled to the Holy Land it was mostly a spiritual sight-seeing trip, but  as the years passed it became a refueling of my spirituality. I can not wait to get back and revisit my favorite churches. I’d grown accustomed to the smells and sounds of the Holy Land. The entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher always makes my heart beat at a faster rate.

The Holy Land

I first portrayed the Blessed Mother on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem in April 2007. I cannot recall how many times I have visited Israel, but it could exceed 20 years. And even if I could visit it today, the Holy Land, like the rest of the world, is now on lockdown.

My first trip to Israel was in the mid-90’s. This was one of the longest trips I have ever taken. Twenty-one days in total and covering most of the holy sites, was the adventure of a lifetime. After spending fourteen days in the Holy Land we traveled to Italy.

Preparing for any trip is costly, especially when you don’t have a real job. I had to depend on Mike and, as usual, he came through by paying for the trip and all the hotel accommodations. That left me with all the other expenses. I had two part-time jobs; one paid around $60 a month “yes, I said a month!” But the Lord blessed me for keeping that job for 12 years.  I worked as a Bible study teacher in the public schools; it was an honorable job that helped me pay my way to the Holy Land each year. I was also a private tutor, which paid much better. Through the travels I always brought back souvenirs for the students and shared rich stories with them about visiting where Jesus once walked. To many of these students, this was the only place that they were being catechized. Some students  were attending church on a regular basis,  but for others the small traveling chapel was their only church. I prayed that God would used me in a powerful way to open their minds to lead them in the right direction. I had the students once a week for one hour. To them I was Miss Lynda, but, to me they were small stepping stones, drawing me closer to God. Believe it or not, the money from these jobs was always put aside for my Holy Land trips. I was also blessed to have several dear friends who faithfully contributed to my missionary work in Israel. As this became my ministry, the Lord always provided the means.

 The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Located a few steps from the entrance of the church is the Stone of Unction. This is where the body of Christ was placed after the Crucifixion. I’d rush to claim a spot to place the petitions and pray for those who requested prayer. The only manner of praying at this site is on your knees.  From there I’d walk upstairs to Calvary and, if the line was not too long, pilgrims can touch the spot where Jesus was crucified. Climbing back down the stairs, we made our way to the tomb of Jesus. Sometimes it was open and the lines were tolerable; at other times it was almost impossible to get through. On the back side of the tomb is another small cumbersome area, shrouded with deep reddish-black velvet drapes. There is room for one person to kneel and pray for a few seconds before being ushered out by the Greek Orthodox priest. I could spend an entire day at this church, finding little nooks to pray. It is by far one of the most enriching churches in the world. During Holy Week  the crowds were impossible to get through. Many of the pilgrims do not realize that the church opens as early as 6:00 a.m. My friend Pat and I once visited the church that early. It was magnificent to have the church almost to ourselves, so we prayed and left the petitions at the Tomb of Jesus.

Union with God

Since we in Southern California are on the same latitude as Israel, our weather is similar. The winds kicked up at night in Jerusalem and make a different type of howling sound, a lot more blustery, bringing in fine dirt through the old windows of the hotel where we stayed. My allergies are always on high alert in the Holy Land because of this. The Muslim call to prayer is always heard throughout the city; it’s a loud-sounding reminder to let us know that we are in Jerusalem. We share the Holy Land with Jews and Muslims. The Jews in the Holy Land are gracious in allowing us to share their holy sites. If you follow the rules of the guardians of  these holy sites, there is always peace. During Passover, if you visit the Western Wall, no one is allowed to take photographs. Sometimes when tourists take pictures, kind Jewish women ask you to stop. I love the Western Wall/Wailing Wall; this is the only original wall that was around in the time of Christ. As Christians we feel the special anointing of God, and we share with the Jews in experiencing a spiritual joy.

Staying At Home

While this pandemic keeps us hostage, we do our best to stay safe. My schedule is in disarray. I go to bed later than usual and get up around 8:30 a.m. instead of my normal 5:30 a.m. It seems to me that even when I go to bed later than usual, my sleep is disturbed with unrest. Nothing in our lives is normal. I’ve reached another level of understanding and am no longer so consumed with getting the virus. I just want this to be over. We’re still hunkering down, but it’s different and becoming less of a threat. Mike cooks every night; I can’t believe that I have my own private chef. Our meals are truly crafted with rich flavors and seasoned with love.

My Prayer:

Dear Lord, How much longer? Tell us what we need to do to change the direction of this virus. Please give us a sign that this will soon be over. You are a merciful God, and we are all Your suffering children. Help us to come out of this whole and with a better understanding that only You can change the world. What can we do but pray, and faithfully wait for Your healing? Amen.

Prayer

Did you know that the most searched word on Google is “prayer?” Yes, finally people are getting on their knees and asking for help. Did you also know that there is a St. Corona, and that she is the patron saint for pandemics?  Corona means crown in Latin and, according to the Center for Disease Control, the virus was given this name because of the crown-shaped spikes on its surface. How can you not see that God is allowing this?  He is in total control.

For over 18 years I have been teaching a Bible study in my home. We have become a core group of women who have grown together and know how to battle. Every night for the past two weeks we pray via FaceTime. We are doing our part for our families and friends and even strangers are added to our list. Together we are making a difference in our community, along with millions of others doing the same: praying.  We pray the Rosary with intention; we offer each decade for the  special needs of others. I also continue to include my grandchildren every day at 3 o’clock in the Divine Mercy Chaplet. They all know the response, “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and the whole world.” May they forever keep this prayer in their hearts.

Bible Facts

The following are Bible Facts from Brandon Gailee, a marketing firm:

• The Bible is not included in the bestsellers list because it would always be on top;
• 168,000 Bibles are sold or given to others on a daily basis in the United States;
• 20 million Bibles are sold annually in the United States;
• The percentage of Americans who own at least one Bible, whether it was given to them or; purchased, is 92%. Two-thirds of the owners, regardless of religious affiliation, say the Bible holds the meaning of life;
• The average American Christian owns nine Bibles and wants to purchase more. (I own over a dozen)
  

  

We are a nation whose foundation was based on One Sovereign God. America is suffering because we have lost sight of what this represents. Our nation was built on trusting God, yet some fight for what is ungodly and immoral. Hollywood will one day answer for their wayward ways, and how they have led many astray. We are to be united, but when Christians are subjected to lies and immoral acts, we pray. We are not in the front lines for the world to see because we are at the foot of the Cross, praying for God to intervene for those who are on the road to perdition. Do these famous or, to me, infamous people not see what is going on right before their eyes? Their hateful Tweets continue to poison the Internet. Any hateful statement made toward another human being is a personal attack against God because we are all his children. I have my personal opinions, but I would never insult anyone publicly; I share with good friends and pray for those people. God always shows me the errors of my way. We are just visitors and soon we will all meet our Maker. We will all be judged for every word that passes through our mouths. To those haters in Hollywood, you need to leave the judging to God, because you will be judged harshly for what you have spread. Words once written can never be erased, but you can still repent because we serve a merciful God. The mean-spirited media will continue to lose revenue for reporting half-truths. To God, a half-truth is still a lie. Let us all pray for this to finally end so we can get our lives back to some type of normality.

Matthew 12:36 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

³⁶I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak.

Jesus and the Pharisees

Do you remember the story in the
Gospel of  Mark Chapter 12? The Pharisees and Herodians tried to trapped Jesus in his speech with who to the pay census tax. Jesus’ reply was poetic:

Mark 12:16-17 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

¹⁶ They brought one to him and he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to him, “Caesar’s.” ¹⁷ So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him.

All of our American currency has the inscription “In God We Trust.” So we pay to God what belongs to God’s in this country! You can’t miss the inscription, it’s in the middle of every bill!

Back to Normal

I miss driving my car. I want to go to the grocery store and hand pick the fruits and vegetables, I want to go to Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack, I want my old life back. But mostly what I want is to be with my family and attend daily Mass.

Lucas and Jacob

Three times a week it was my responsibility to pick up my grandsons from school. We had our routine down to a science. Drive to get a snack or lunch, then to their home, where the pets were eagerly waiting to pounce all over us. The boys would pretend to do their homework while I took a quick catnap. As much as I tried to rest, either their dog or cat was all over me. Paco, the dog, would always know exactly where I was going to land on the couch, and would inadvertently jump in the exact spot I was going to rest my head. From there we would drive to my house.  I complained on a daily basis, so when Sonja arrived to pick up her tribe, I would rush them through dinner and almost kick them in the butt as they were leaving. Oh how I regret doing this!

Maddie and Wil

The call would always come from our son Mikos. “Hey mom, Jenny and I have been invited to Vegas. It’s a plus-one business trip, I was wondering if you could watch the kids?” My reply was always the same, “Of course!” But when I hung up the phone, I’d tell Mike not to make any plans because I was going to need help. These kids are on several teams, and only God can really figure out their schedules. Wil sometimes had basketball games as late as 9:00 pm, and Maddie had soccer games as far  Timbuktu. Aside from that, their dog Rosie is high-maintenance, God forbid she stay outside for five minutes. Oh, and she needs to be walked regularly. She’s a sweet golden retriever but she lives on our couch or on our laps. My other grandkids seem to feel left out when Maddie and Wil are over, so they plan a sleepover. All this creates an even bigger mess. Mike excuses himself early and goes to bed,  leaving me to fend for myself. With all the complaining that spews from my mouth, I wish we were having a sleepover tonight. Oh, and please bring both dogs! I will feed my grandchildren all the candy I can get ahold of and put up with the crazy sugar rushes and fights, and the dogs’ wrestling matches. The dogs’ jumping from the recliner to the couch and landing on my lap would be fine as well.

Mike

I married a tall, silent guy. Mike is an introvert. He knows when to speak because he processes what he is going to say before he opens his mouth. Mike works from home; by that I mean he is taking care of business. On weekends Mike has not stopped doing things around the house. He has painted the living room and downstairs bathroom, and is now prepping one of the upstairs bathrooms. We are out of paint but that didn’t hinder his plans; he ordered more online. Over the weekend he took on the task of trimming the hedge growing on the brick wall. I liked when he traveled — more time for me to relax. If I felt like it, I’d make my bed; I never put my clothes away either. Now I have to not only make the bed but the entire house has to be cleaned. I can put up with this routine, but the war movies are too much for me. Mike always gets to select what we watch on TV. If I make a suggestion, it’s always, “We’ll watch it for 15 minutes, and if neither of us likes it, we’ll stop and find something else.” Even with this I have to pray,”Please God, anything but Gladiator, Braveheart or Diners, Dive-in and Dives!”

My Prayer: Dear God, we are all at Your disposal. We need Your comfort and direction more than ever. Heal Your land Lord, and make us whole again. We wait for Your Hand to move upon this situation. Protect us and our loved ones. Amen.