I was interested this week to listen to an interview with Catholic Priest Father Thomas Eutenuer who lives in Guatemala. His interview was on the subject of exorcisms-not a subject I knw anything about but I found it disturbing. Catholic Answeers is a daily podcast of 55 minutes on all sorts of Catholic style themes. He has said how because there is a secularisation of society, driven largely by the people controlling the media, that man, as a spiritual being sees no hope and a darkness.This is because they have been driven by a grab all and live for now mentality . Youth=good Age and experience=boring, not in the club. In order to be successful you have to be young, ruthless, smart, avaoid children unless you can afford lots of childcare, have an active lovelife with someone who adores you, all the time. All the better if you can be a celebrity or famour person for something.
Problem is, life is only like that for some. Life seems unfair, some people have it all, others suffer.The problem is the storms of life affect us all. When we realise we are not the lucky one we look to other things to give our lives meaning-esrecially ways of seeing into the future-surely things will get better, won't they? Surely we will have everything? And then the big let down, you are rejected. Someone does not want you any more and the pain is too great to bear.This is a very good image of the Crucifixion. we are crucified and broken by these things.
Others are so bitter, they literally dice with the Devil to give lives some excitement and some can even, if they open themselves up to this be possessed by demons. If you are in a state of grace, you believe in the faith of your baptism, you try and help others, go to confession and Mass and live unselfishly these demons can't take you over. Yet this is a real situation and Father thought it was a symptom of these young men who rampage around American colleges killing people indiscriminately, including themselves. Then there was Dunblane, another tragic outcome.It starts slowly and gradually builds up.
The news today, that another victim of Bridgend , the eighteenth victim a 22 year old woman who was found hanging in a carden by three young children is a grave cause for comcerm. This was in a place only 200 yards from where Liam Clarke, who was the fifth victim was found.This was on the Cefn Glas Estate. Three boys who found her pushed her legs up until she was cut down, but can you believe the trauma?She briefly regained consciousness by died yesterday. She came from Cardiff.with some people the love they feel is so intense that to be rejected makes them feel humiliated, sad and suicidal.
Jesus said two people built houses . ONe on sand and one dug out foundations dragged stones in one by one and placed them on top of each other. His house took longer because it was made of stone and firmly built. Both of them experienced terrible storms and one house was swept away and another stood firm, battered but standing, and able to repair the damage. Nothing left of the other. Building a strong and firm foundation for your life is important- p[utting off sexual encounters until you have done your exams, dreamed your dreams, gone travelling and unable to maintain long term relationships. More important for Christians is to build a strong spiritual awareness. Every single hair on your head is loved by God, God loved you from the time you were conceived and knew you in the womb-and there even some are not safe. However as you grow up the love and support and interest of parents is important as is the involvement of a good family life and home. Married people know life is not a bed of roses all the time and sometime you could really go made with your husband or wife, but you try because you see the vulnerability of the other person. If, for some reason you are rejected and lived you have strength and the virtues of faith, hope and love to see you through. You know your parents love you, your children love you and depend on you, you know that the sun will shine again in a while, you just have to wait with hope, strengthened by faith and brothers and sisters in the Church. I met my husband quite suddenly at an unhappy time in my life. He just walked into my life and bye bye everyone else. He would give me has last penny and is generous and loving -even though there are hunks on tv-there is no one better for me, as he is the real macoy! Many married people feel like this-and we are never given publicity because it is no9t how the media like tp portray society. I have a wonderful son (problem free-helpful and loving)though enjoying all those teenage things and really there are many like us-just never given opublicity.
People don;t think any more. They don't think-Who did this poll? Who answered the questions? What were the questions? Did these questions given them the answers they wanted? They buy into it all. The slefishness of 'doing your own thing and never mind anyone else. Playing music so loud it disturbs others and not caring, even when people need to sleep.
Father euteneuer says cases of daemonic possession are rare but start with small things ouja boards and such things until the person is unable to withstand the pressures. People doing drugs is another case in point, completely taken over during a trance others by occult interests. There has been a worldwide rise in daemonic possessions. The Vatican are training many more priests to cope with this, because the world of the demons and the devil is real and not to be trifled with. It feeds on spiritual beings deprived of the age old protections that there were, so that when death is faced, there is nothing else to turn to not faith not hope and no charity. The world of the internet is full of kooks and people who say they are possessed by the devil, perhaps some of them are. There are all sorts of people playing with young people's minds at a time when they should be care free and having fun. I hope people do watch where their children go on the internet-do a cookie search and you will find out. But take evil seriously, it is out there, and building your spiritual and your bodily life on strong foundations, the teaching and promises of Christ, of God and the Spirit of Comfort and Truth is protection. St Paul uses all these military themes-Breatplate of righteousness, the sword of truth because he knows that each and every day we do into spiritual combat with the Devil-a little temptation a little more ....and more....and then problems.
To equip your children to deal with this battle is every Christian parent's duty and the best way to do that is to build on a firm foundatiuon. No lying, no cheating, no stealing, no murder of any human being, honouring those who gave birth to you,not being jealous, not putting other things in place of God,excessive gambling, alcohol drugs etc. Lay down the rules and explaid-it's not cool to be a fool. compulsion to anything can be excessive and that is where trouble starts. In the mean time the spiritually barren generation need reevangelising, they need telling that people do care about them and the endless void they seem to see.....is actually full of angels longing for their retaurn to the real home-which is Love. Jesus has done all the brokenness. He has done the agony. Now he stands there with open arms, because our lives only actually have meaning in relation to whom we love and those who love us. Nothing negative can prevail against real searing divine love seen in our family and good friends.
No pictures today because I am away from my own computer and haveing to do this in haste.So sad to learn of another tragedy.
Gerry and Kate in Bruussels
Gerry and Kate McCann are speaking in Brussels about the Amber Alert scheme which they would like to have implemented in other countries.There was a nice picture of Kate in front of the Sun. I hope the police are not working on who might have had a personal grudge against the Mccann's as there seems to be some sort of interest in the 'Tapas 9' the friends who were with them. Let us hopd they find the little girl soon. While there is no body or definate proof, many people believe there is some interesting motivation behind this abduction and perhaps the reconstruction might give some new idea which will lead to her release.We should, in any case pray for her, and all missing children. Don't gotget the 'Light a candle link 'elsewhere on the LHS of the blog.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment