Presidential Farce

I cannot get away from the 2008 Presidential-pre-primary run no matter where I go. Yes the 'pre' primary run. We are still months away from a primary caucus with any meaning yet we are blasted daily with poll results and the latest debate.

How can there be a meaningful debate when the stage has nearly a dozen debaters all attempting to belittle one anothers positions. And what are the positions? Well there are several hot button topics... ie. 1.Iraq War 2. healthcare 3. immigration reform/enforcement 4. energy 5. should Paris Hilton receive a Presidential pardon... Well you get the point.

Can we get every candidate to agree on one promise. If they are nominated and elected... that they will focus every week, of every month, of every year of their term on these priorities. And if they forget one week, then we can expect a resignation letter the very next day. Now let's hear everyone raise their right hand and promise...

Spinning al Zawiri's latest rant

This Iraq war is so full of propaganda and spin that we often must apply reason and logic to the various media and administration aqttempts at justifying their positions. so let us apply some reasoning and logic to the latest spin.

Over the weekend, Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda’s No. 2 man, released the latest in a series of bizarre videos... this time discussing his barely coherent “insights” on the war in Iraq. The video was quickly seized upon by partisans on both sides on the U.S. political divide, but one side seems wrong.

I should note from the outset that Zawahiri is a madman, whose opinions are not to be taken too seriously. But therein lies the rub...the White House believes Zawahri is credible and takes his public comments very seriously. The president, vice president, and top Whitehouse officials quote Zawahri with surprising regularity... especially when he talks about fighting U.S. troops in Iraq.

But if Zawahiri’s comments are important when they bolster White House talking points... then they’re equally important when they don’t.

In a new video posted today on the Internet, al Qaeda’s number two man, Ayman al Zawahiri, mocks the bill passed by Congress setting a timetable for the pullout of U.S. troops in Iraq.

“This bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in a historic trap,” Zawahiri says in answer to a question posed to him an interviewer.

Continuing in the same tone, Zawahiri says... “We ask Allah that they only get out of it after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, in order that we give the spillers of blood in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson.”

Conservatives seized upon this as proof of Democratic folly. Far-right blogs argued that the video is proof that al Qaeda prefers the Democrat withdrawal plan. Fox News’ Chris Wallace said Zawahiri “says the Democrats' troop pull-out bill is proof of a U.S. defeat.”

They seem to have this backwards. Zawahiri wants the U.S. to stay in Iraq so he can kill more American troops.

At a certain level, the entire exercise is misguided. I understand the temptation if we know what terrorists say they want, all we have to do is the opposite. It is, to put it mildly, a flawed approach. Our policy should be based on evidence and wise decision making, not a constant game-theory contest with Osama bin Laden.

But if we are going to take al Qaeda’s wishes into account, so that our actions counter their wishes, withdrawal appears to be the smartest course of action. Zawahiri’s sees Iraq as a “trap” for the United States...one in which he hopes we stay for a long time.

It’s not the first terrorist communique to make this argument.

A recent private letter between senior al Qaeda leaders declared their “most important” goal was “prolonging the war” in Iraq. The letter, confiscated in the fatal June attack on the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and translated by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, argues that pinning the United States into an open-ended commitment in Iraq will strengthen jihadists around the world.

On that score, al Qaeda apparently agrees with the administration’s famous National Intelligence Estimate, which concluded that the U.S. occupation of Iraq is a ” ’cause celebre’ for jihadists,” inspiring new terrorist enemies around the world.

If our strategy is going to be based on giving al Qaeda the opposite of what they want, then it’s time to go.

Science is not the basis of fundemental happiness

Week's Quote

"It’s incredible how long science has succeeded in keeping men’s minds off their fundamental unhappiness and its own very limited power to remedy their fundamental unhappiness. One marvel follows another — electric light, phonograph, motor car, telephone, radio, airplane, television. It’s a curious list, and very pathetic. The soul of man is crying for hope of purpose or meaning; and the scientist says, “Here is a telephone” or “Look, television!” — exactly as one tries to distract a baby crying for its mother by offering it sugar-sticks and making funny faces."

- Frank Sheed
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And so we go forward. We are cursed and blessed at the same time by the workings of our very own minds. Minds that tend to concentrate on physical comfort and gadgets while ignoring the yearnings that flow forth from our supernatural beginning. Just as a fish can swim off to sea as a fingerling man too has swam off into mortal existence. And like our sea dwelling friends we too have an unquenchable thrist to return to our source.

Televisions, pretty clothes, and fancy cars are a poor substitute for the glory of the Creator...God imortal.What we devise and manufacturer is doomed from it's conception to the scrap pile as we invent even more intricate or intriquing "things" to occupy our minds and concentrated attention. But what if we were to turn away from things of invention and occupy our time with seeking the perfection and beauty of the Lord in thought, action, or deed? What if we became through a life of devotion similar in nature to the one whose devotion brought us forth from dust and crowned us lords over this world?

Will we doom oursleves to a scrap pile of anquish as we reap in enternity what we sowed in this world? Will we turn away from excuses and pacifiers as a way of spending mortal time? The answers to these questions are assured as we all must leave this existance one day. If we were to only invest a few minutes a day to glorifying our creator...if we only change a percentage of our attention to the bedrock of our Lord's promises...if we only sit in quiet contemplation of the boundless love our creator has for us... His favored creation, then that bit of attention that denys "things" there grip on our reality will be loosened and we can assume our rightful glory the conquers all including death.

let us appreciate science for those inventions that make worship of our God easier to attain and look with a skeptical eye at those that are mere excuses for failing to attain our purpose has man. To love and glorify our Lord God above all those devices.

Science is not and never will be the basis for fundemental happiness.

Where have we been?

I think an update is in order.

Since the last post to this forum we have packed up and moved to Nevada. We have changed the forum template. And we have neglected to add any new musings to this site.

Politics is heating up daily in America on the national scene as the grand experiment with eight years of a Republican administration and six years of Republican congressional majority soured in the publics minds and hearts. Tonight a gaggle of Republican hopefuls held a debate at the Reagan Presidential library in California. Of the ten hopefuls on stage, Mitt Romney with his cleancut good looks and polished demeaner carried the night in this viewers opinion. The rest of the assembled clinged to their messages in an attempt to shine a little brighter than their fellow contestants. And true to tradition there were no minority or women cadidates in the mix. The Republican presidential game is one played by white males while the women folks stay in their assigned slots and while no minority has dared to breech this special club's walls. What a stark contrast to the recent Democrat debate where the leading contenders were a white woman and a black man. More on politics later.

Yodi and Sadie have settled into this small clan nicely over the past ten months. They have each carved out their domain and established their boundaries with yours truly often acting as judge or referee.

We have a garden growing at the new place along with an assortment of trees and grape vines. I'm sure all will be well with nature once I learn to keep my needlesome fingers out of the mix.

One final note on the debate: John McCain appears to be stiff and over managed by his aides. He gave a horrible performance as his handlers attempted to frame him as the forceful pre-ordained favorite. He has bet all his marbles on the notion that the Republicans can once again win on a platform based in fear and war. Did I mention the public rejected this platform last November and the very reason this debate tonight is at least six months early is because many want to usher out the Bush administration...along with his war... and have already turned their attention to 2008.

The Vatican Politics and Secular Politics----Like pees in a pod.

The same diplomat who helped secure the President's election in Florida is now the new hired hand involved in saving Jr's face in the middle east. Blunt assessment? I don't think so.

Just days ago President Bush was quoted as saying he would "stay the course" if the only ones who agree with him were Laura his wife and the family pooch. I wonder which one bolted for the door first?

What I have found these past three years of becoming more worldly in my reading and study is how remarkably similar church politics and American politics are. The officials have the impossible task of separating their own egos from the issues confronting their administration of duties. The main difference as I see it in eventual outcome is the church has the Holy Spirit to guide it and keep the compass pointed in the right direction... despite it's leaders failings. In politics however, from time to time, learned men must do for government what the elected leaders are incapable of. James Baker has proven to be such a man time after time. Yes...saving the face for the leaders while saving the bacon for the electorate.

And why would any sane person who has studied the world events these past five years or so not expect a "James Baker" to come to bat as the cleanup hitter. Too much is at stake to entrust the future of our nation...our world to one mans ego. Yes "one man" and a few parrots who sit on his shoulder egging him on.

James Baker will now find a way that makes "cut and run" work. It will be spiced up with just the right flavoring to go down the voters throats... while not stinking to horribly in the process. The timing will be just right so that it appears world events have ordained the change. And Iraq will probably be downsized whether the country can stand on it's own two feet or not. I have said all along it is ALL about politics.

Iraq has become the Republican parties lodestone. Pulling it's collective members heads below water while sucking the vital energy from its core body. And now with the midterm elections upon them, as I predicted months ago the Iraq war would be a deciding factor this November. Granted, I was unaware of the triple wammy that would send three more shells thundering below the waterline of the rapidly sinking Republican ship. Intelligence reports, a book, and now a scandal. I had expected the Iraq situation itself to be the single deciding factor. And I still believe it would have been.

G.W. Bush is arrogant and stubborn to a fault. We have North Korea calling his bluff yesterday and joining the world's nuclear weapons club. We have Iran about to do the same. We have Syria and Iran launching defacto attacks against our ally Israel. And our President refuses to talk with any of them until they play marbles "his" way. Well Mr. President...there are more than just one marble games going on.

It doesn't make any difference to him what our own Generals, world leaders, or two thirds of the American people feel. It is George's way or the highway. Well it sounds like Laura and the pooch have finally done what none of the rest of the world has been able to. Get him to privately admit he was wrong and pursue another strategy. After all...it is not too late. And....who would ever be so gullible to suggest that this "Baker" plan has not been endorsed by Jr. before an artilce like this hit the news stands?

Yes we still have the Islamist's raging their unholy war against mankind. And yes we have a broken country we still need to fix. But most of all we need a leadership that has a workable solution on the secular front where ego's don't determine the outcome. Or at least not too much of it. The war agaist evil will be won one heart at a time, as satan never had a chance to begin with. Will there be spiritual casualties? Most certainly.

I say give GW back his "face" Let him save it and his dignity. We all have faults at least as equal to his. We are all human. Until after the November elections, we should be comforted by this articles release. The Vatican does the exact same thing. They release an article months before it's fruit will be apparent to all the faithful. The Holy spirit turns the keel much like James Baker and crew are currently doing. And the world goes on. And that my friends is my take on the matter.

We should all pray for our President. He has plenty on his plate and a job that still needs done.

Thank you Mr. Baker. And now it is time for Yodi and Sadies morning walk. And for me to ponder another day's events.

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Monday, October 9, 2006

Baker hints new Iraq war plan is needed
Bush loyalist also suggests talks with Iran, Syria

By DAVID E. SANGER
THE NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON -- James Baker, the Republican co-chairman of a bipartisan panel reassessing Iraq strategy for President Bush, said Sunday that he expected the panel would depart from Bush's repeated calls to "stay the course," and he strongly suggested that the White House enter direct talks with countries it has so far kept at arm's length, including Iran and Syria.

"I believe in talking to your enemies," he said in an interview on ABC's "This Week," noting that he made 15 trips to Damascus, Syria, while serving Bush's father as secretary of state.

"It's got to be hard-nosed; it's got to be determined," Baker said. "You don't give away anything, but in my view, it's not appeasement to talk to your enemies."

Bush had refused to deal with Iran until last spring, when he declared that the United States would join negotiations with the country if it suspended enriching nuclear fuel. Iran has so far refused. Contacts with both Syria and North Korea have also been limited.

But Baker's "Iraq Study Group," created in March, with the encouragement of some members of Congress, to come up with new ideas on Iraq strategy, already has talked with some representatives of Iran and Syria about Iraq's future, he said.

His comments Sunday offered the first glimmer of what other members of his study group, in interviews over the past two weeks, have described as an effort to find a politically face-saving way for Bush to slowly extract the United States from the war.

"I think it's fair to say our commission believes that there are alternatives between the stated alternatives, the ones that are out there in the political debate, of 'stay the course' and 'cut and run,' " Baker said.

He rejected a rapid withdrawal from Iraq, saying that that would only invite Iran, Syria and "even our friends in the gulf" to fill the power vacuum.

He also dismissed, as largely unworkable, a proposal by Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, the ranking Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, to decentralize Iraq and give the country's three major sectarian groups, the Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis, their own regions, distributing oil revenue to all. Baker said he had concluded "there's no way to draw lines" among those three groups in Iraq's major cities, where members of all of Iraq's ethnic groups are intermingled. According to White House officials and commission members, Baker has been talking with Bush and his national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, on a regular basis. Those colleagues say he is unlikely to issue suggestions the president has not tacitly approved in advance.

"He's a very loyal Republican, and you won't see him go against Bush," said one colleague of Baker's, who asked not to be identified because the study group is keeping a low profile before it formally issues any recommendations. "But he feels that the yearning for some responsible way out which would not damage American interests is palpable, and the frustration level is exceedingly high."

At 76, Baker still enjoys a reputation as one of Washington's craftiest bureaucratic operators and as a trusted adviser of the Bush family, which has enlisted his help for some of its deepest crises, including Bush's effort to win the vote recount in Florida after the 2000 presidential election. Baker served as White House chief of staff, as well as secretary of state, under President George H.W. Bush.

Andrew Card, Bush's former chief of staff, acknowledged recently that he twice had suggested that Baker would be a good replacement for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Bush rejected that advice, and some associates of Baker say they do not believe he is interested in taking the job at his age, which could put him in the position of having to implement the recommendations his study group makes, expected to come after the November elections.

Those proposals, which he has said must be both bipartisan and unanimous, could very well give Bush some political latitude, should he decide to adopt strategies that he had once rejected, such as setting deadlines for a phased withdrawal of American forces.

Given his extraordinary loyalty to the Bush family -- Baker was present Saturday at the formal christening of a new aircraft carrier named for the first President Bush -- it was notable Sunday that Baker also joined the growing number of Republicans who are trying to create some space between themselves and the White House.

Sunday, on "This Week," Baker was shown a video clip of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner of Virginia, who said last week that Iraq was "drifting sideways" and who urged consideration of a "change of course" if the Iraqi government cannot restore order in two or three months. The American ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, has offered a similar warning to the current Iraqi government.

Asked if he agreed with that timetable, Baker said: "Yes, absolutely. And we're taking a look at other alternatives."

Baker has in the past been critical of how the Bush administration conducted post-invasion operations, and he has not backed away from statements he made in his 1995 memoir, in which he described opposing the ouster of Saddam Hussein after the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

In the book, he said he feared that might lead to an Iraq civil war.

"BUMFIGHTS" .....a unholy departure from civilized behavior

Last night while Yodi, Sadie, and myself were comfortably layed out on the couch watching 60 Minutes, along with the bob woodward report I was interested in viewing was a stark reminder of an event that occured in Florida in which young teenagers and men beat some homeless men in acts of randem violence. Today I decided to do some research on this matter. It appears the acts were copycat in a sense that a hideous film depicting this as sport has been marketed and watched by many of our nations youth. Does this surprise you?

With growing fervor... government officials, merchants and the media have broadcast a message of intolerance that labels homeless people as unwanted outcasts. When the pillars of society vilify homeless people as a subhuman minority synonymous with urban blight, and when city officials pass laws aimed at banishing people living on the street, an extremely dangerous message is sent out that this is one hated minority that it is safe to attack.

The close connection between a society that disparages homeless people as less than human, and acts of violence and hate crimes against street people, was displayed for all to see on the streets of downtown Los Angeles in mid-August.

On August 16, 2005, two young men who told police officers that they had just watched the "Bumfights" video, went on a rampage on the streets of Los Angeles and savagely beat two sleeping homeless people with baseball bats. Ernest Adams, an elderly homeless man who was well liked and widely respected even by business owners and a U.S. appellate court judge who knew him well, was hospitalized in critical condition with severe head wounds.

The Los Angeles Times reported that William Orantes and Justin Brumfield, who were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, told police they had watched the "Bumfights" DVD and were inspired to do some "bum bashing" of their own.

The National Coalition for the Homeless [NCH] has been campaigning against the "Bumfights" DVDs for more than three years, and has warned that retailers who sell the shocking video are inciting acts of violence against homeless people. Currently--- there are at least six different DVDs being sold which show homeless people being savagely assaulted, demeaned, and injured.

Los Angeles Police Chief Willam Bratton said, "This was a vicious, cowardly crime that even veteran officers such as myself find hard to believe."

The general public is largely unaware of the extent of this growing wave of brutal crimes and murders committed against homeless people across the country. The National Coalition for the Homeless has carefully documented 156 murders and 386 violent acts committed against homeless people in the period from 1999-2004.

One of the most disturbing aspects of these hate crimes is that none of them -- no matter how shocking or cruel -- have ever sparked the kind of high-level public awareness and outrage that hate crimes against other minorities have evoked. Homeless people are often attacked in dark alleys or desolate areas -- and this alarming rise in hate crimes remains hidden in that same darkness.

But, for homeless people, the reality of these savage assaults and murders is not hidden in darkness at all. It is a well-known danger of living on the streets. The Los Angeles Times reported that the mid-August beatings of Ernest Adams and Gerald Henry have spread fear and alarm in the homeless community there.

Our society has done something even worse than allow countless human beings to live in horrible conditions of neglect and poverty on city streets. It also has forced them to live a life of real and constant danger... exposed and vulnerable to the threat of deadly assaults and deliberate hate crimes, 24 hours a day.

The NCH has documented that these acts of violence have occurred in 140 U.S. cities in 39 states. News of these assaults may be little known by the general public; but nearly every person living on the streets, in every one of those 140 cities where homeless people have been attacked, knows full well that they, too, could be brutally assaulted as they sleep, alone and unprotected.

In an effort to explain why he was involved in this activity, one of the culprits who was caught after beating to death one unfortunate fella labeled the activity..."entertainment".

May "GOD" have mercy on his soul.

Laboring In the fields of the Lord

Yodi and I decided it was time for a new entry in our blog. Sadie...the new junior partner is still cutting her reporting teeth so it will be awhile before we enjoin her opinion on these pages. Sadie is a blogger "apprentice", laboring away in the background while her "journeyman" partners take full advantage of any ideas or musing she whispers in the background. Speaking of "labor"...today is the eve of Labor Day her in the good old USA.

"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, expend even more effort and purpose of prosperity, and well-being of our country......

For those of us who have put the lunch pail aside in favor of retirement and a new focus on life, a question comes to mind. Should we end the quest for social achievments at the moment the well worn pail of our previous productive life is relegated to the top shelf in the closet? Or are we freed up to expend even more effort towards social issues?

The "retired" should rightfully be proud of all they acomplished during the time of their life where goals were concentrated on the job or career. One hopes that they left the work force having given the fair measure of toil..and a bit more. The majority do and I feel the holiday rests on their backs for all to enjoy.

But lets not forget the social achievments experienced by this genrations workers. The men and women who were the scout leaders, community volunteers, who made up the civic clubs and organizations. Or volunteered at the hospice or worked the food bank. Who ran the grass roots political campaigns, ushered the church services, assisted at Mass, coached the pop warner leagues, went door to door for the March of dimes......etc.

Labor day is for remembering this unselfish labor born of the heart not of the pocket book as well.

Yodi, Sadie, and I thank you all for the contributions of your work life. The young just starting and the old who have finished. May our gracious Lord bless you for all your deeds.

Marriage...It's origin and Purpose

Where did marriage originate? How is it that marriage is part of the human experience? Did it just develop over a process of time? Did someone at some point say, “You know, this would be a good idea to do things this way.” How did marriage come into existence?

Well... according to some, marriage is considered to be nothing more than a social institution, based on an outdated value system that is out used, or out lived its usefulness, and should be replaced by something more relevant to today’s values. That’s the opinion of some people. Marriage is just a social phenomenon, and it’s no longer serving a purpose. So we ought to replace it with something else.

According to others... marriage needs to be redefined to include other than the male/female relationship. Same sex unions are the vogue among the social and academic elite today.

According to the Bible, marriage originated with "GOD". Marriage exists because "GOD" is the one who planned it. "GOD" is the one who ordained it. "GOD" is the one who actually brought it into being. And therefore marriage must be understood, in light of what the Bible teaches on the subject.

We have the introduction of marriage into human life recorded for us in Genesis 2:18-24. Right at the beginning of human history marriage is instituted. Let me read the account to you... “And the Lord "GOD" said... "It is not good that man should be alone." Remember... "GOD" created man first. And so man was there with the rest of creation, the animal world, and the plant world. But as of yet the woman has not been created. So "GOD" beholding man, says... "It is not good that man should be alone. I will make him a helper like him. Out of the ground the Lord "GOD" formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord "GOD" caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and He closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib, which the Lord "GOD" had taken from man, He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said... "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

And now here’s marriage, verse--- 24, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

So we find that marriage was instituted by "GOD". It originated with "GOD". Because marriage originated with "GOD".... marriage is therefore sacred. Marriage is special. Marriage is something inviolable. It’s something that is not to be tampered with. It’s "GOD'S" creation.

Jesus affirmed the sanctity of marriage by performing His first miracle at a wedding feast, and in doing so embarking upon His Messianic mission. What an interesting place for Jesus to perform His first miracle and to manifest Himself as the Son of "GOD"... at a wedding. And I believe that it was for the purpose of affirming the sanctity of marriage that Jesus did perform His first miracle at a wedding. So really what He was doing as the Messiah as the Son of "GOD"--- He was putting His stamp of approval upon the marriage relationship.

Because marriage is sacred it is not to be replaced with something more culturally relevant. It is not to be redefined to suit the fancy of a supposed sexually liberated society. It’s not to be messed around with. Because if you do mess around with it you’re messing around with something that "GOD" established, and you’re going to create problems in society.

That is exactly what we see happening all around us today because man has tampered with marriage. It is not to be tampered with. Rather it’s to be held in the highest esteem, and entered into with the deepest of commitments. It is to be held in the highest esteem.

Now, of course the world is going to do what it’s going to do.

The world has rejected the revelation of "GOD" through the Scriptures and rejected the revelation of "GOD" through Jesus Christ. And so the world is in rebellion to "GOD" and matters are going to go from bad to worse.

My task in this post is to seek to persuade people to come out of that rebellious system into a right relationship with "GOD". It is important for "GOD'S" people to understand the orign, sancity, permanency, and purpose of marriage.... because in the church of Jesus Christ we have as much confusion and seeming disregard for marriage as that which exists outside the church. And various statistics show differing kinds of conclusions. But it is safe to say that the rate of divorce, for example, among Christians is not a whole lot different than the rate of divorce among those who are not Christian. And throughout the church of Jesus of Christ today there is a disregard for the sanctity and the permanency of marriage.

Jesus affirmed the sanctity. He also spoke clearly about the permanence of marriage. In Matthew 19:3-6, He said... "The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning “made them male and female," and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore," listen--- "what "GOD" has joined together, let not man separate."

According to Jesus, marriage is to be permanent. And this is the clear teaching of the Bible. But yet in the church we have really compromised when it comes to the commitment to marriage. And we see it not merely on the level of those who sit in the pews, but we see it also among those who occupy many of the non-Catholic pulpits. Many pulpits are occupied by men who have obviously not taken seriously "GOD'S" Word concerning marriage. They’ve been divorced and remarried.

Marriage is something to be held in the highest esteem, because it originated with "GOD", it was held sacred by the Lord Jesus Christ. And by "GOD" back in the Old Testament, and by "GOD"-- the Son-- in the New Testament. It is declared to be permanent.

What is the purpose of marriage? What did God have in mind when He created the woman to be the helper of man? And what is the primary purpose of marriage?

I think clearly that the primary purpose that "GOD" had in mind when He ordained the relationship between husband and wife, the relationship that we call marriage was-- companionship.

That was the first and the primary purpose of the marriage relationship. Remember as "GOD" looked at Adam He said the loneliness of man is not good. So I’m going to make him a helper who is like him. I’m going to make him a companion. I’m going to make him someone that he can have fellowship with, someone that he can commune with, relate to, enjoy life with. The first and primary purpose of marriage is companionship.

Now companionship would apply to three different areas.... spiritual companionship, mental and emotional companionship, and physical companionship. And so "GOD" created the woman to be the companion of the man and to be able to commune with him in the spiritual realm, the mental realm, and emotional realm, and in the physical realm as well.

At the top of that list there would be spiritual companionship.

"GOD" brought about the marriage relationship so that we could have a close intimate spiritual relationship with another person. So that we could share closely, deeply and intimately the things of "GOD" with someone very, very closely. "GOD" desires that we have deep, intimate, close, spiritual communion with one another as husbands and wives, that we minister to one another on the spiritual level, that we communicate the things of "GOD" to one another, and that we enjoy together a relationship with the Lord. Men and women need spiritual companionship.

And then secondly, that we would have mental and emotional companionship as well. That we would be able to enjoy one another’s company, that we would be able to enjoy one another’s conversation, that we’d be able to share the things of life together, that we’d be able to converse, and reason, and talk together... but also be able to feel things, experience things together. This is something that "GOD" had in mind when He saw Adam. He looked at Adam and He said, "It’s not good that the man is alone." He needs someone that he can connect with. He needs someone that he can speak to, and reason with, and enjoy life with, and laugh with.

Then there is that aspect of physical companionship. "GOD" created us male and female to enjoy a physical relationship with one another as well. I think as we look at Scripture this is the first and the primary reason why "GOD" brought about the marriage relationship.

Now among Roman Catholics, and as a result of the teaching of Roman Catholicism, the primary purpose according to Roman Catholicism is not companionship but procreation. The primary purpose of marriage according to Roman Catholic doctrine is to reproduce the race. Let me quote to you from Catholic doctrine. It states.... "The marriage contract that is made by two persons of the opposite sex, by which each acquires the exclusive and irrevocable right over their bodies until the death of one of the parties, for the procreation and education of children. While this last is the primary end of marriage, there are secondary purposes." This is what it states... "The primary end of marriage is that of procreation and education of children." ... "To employ the sexual function for self-gratification is to pervert the function."

But this is not biblical teaching. These are ascetic ideas that were brought over into Christianity early in church history that were based on wrong ideas about the body itself. There were heresies at the time that the Scriptures were written that taught that the body was inherently evil. The ascetic communities developed around the idea that the body was inherently evil. Therefore, you had to deprive yourself of every conceivable pleasure in order to become spiritual. And that crept into the church in the early centuries. So in the thinking of Roman Catholicism, [which has greatly influenced the world], the primary purpose of marriage is that of procreation. But according to the Bible, the primary purpose of marriage is companionship. The secondary purpose of marriage is procreation. Now pro-creation is obviously important. If we hadn’t done that, or if somebody hadn’t done that we wouldn’t be here.... would we? And if we don’t do that then there won’t be any world after we’re here. But it’s not the primary purpose. It’s the secondary purpose.

The joining of two lives in communion spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically....that’s the primary thing "GOD" had in mind when He created marriage. But then of course, as an outcome of that... procreation comes. So the second purpose of marriage is producing families and building societies. And so "GOD" said to Adam and Eve... "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." And so that is a purpose of marriage. Of course there are marriages where that is not a possibility because of some biological issue. But there have been many occasions when "GOD" has intervened in people’s lives and touched them miraculously, and enabled them to bear children-- and other occasions where they haven’t been able to do it physically, but they can adopt and so forth. Therefore... that’s part of "GOD'S" purpose to bring new life into the world, to create a family unit, and to build society from that.

Biblically... a society is based upon individual families.

Boy-- today in our culture there is a major war against the family. It really is a major war against "GOD" and His declaration of how things are supposed to be. In all of this that we see happening today, the redefining of the family, the redefining of marriage, all of this... although it looks in a sense just like a sociological trend--"Oh this is just something that happens in societies as time goes on"--it’s rooted in an absolute rebellion to "GOD" Himself.

And although we only get the tip of the iceberg when we’re listening to the news, or reading the newspaper, or different articles... and we see the arguments for and against different kinds of family arrangements and things... when you get right down behind it and see what’s really going on... it’s just an absolute war against "GOD" and what the Bible teaches. And that’s most definitly istrue when it comes to the redefinition of marriage. It is also true when it comes to the redefinition of family. It is also true when it comes to the redefinition of the roles of the men and the women. Society is attempting to re-define the nature and role of mankind.

I was talking to somebody recently. And they were telling me that when they were attending the UA, they decided to take a course on feminism. And as they were sitting in the classroom, what really amazed them was all the Marxist material that they had to study as they were studying the subject of feminism. Feminism is rooted in Marxism. Marxism is pure atheism. It’s an attack against "GOD".

The attack against the family, the attack against society, the attack against marriage--- all of these things are basically an assault against "GOD" Himself... and His declared order of things. And so as Roman Catholics....as Christians...we have got to be careful. We’ve got to hold firm to what the Scriptures say.

The third purpose for marriage is to display to the world the relationship between "GOD" and His people. "GOD" has an interesting purpose in marriage of displaying to the world the kind of relationship that He does share with His people... or that He would like to share with His people. Just as Israel was to be a light to the world, and to demonstrate to the world the virtues of following the true "GOD"-- so "GOD" wants to use the marriage of His servants to demonstrate to people out in the world the virtues of doing things His way.

It’s interesting that as you look at the Old Testament.... frequently "GOD" describes His relationship to Israel as that of husband and wife. Israel is the wife of the Lord. The Lord is the husband of Israel. And "GOD" was seeking to provoke, through Israel, the nations, the surrounding nations to jealousy, so that they might say... “We want to know that "GOD". We want to have that kind of relationship with "GOD"." Israel, of course, failed miserably. Israel became an adulterous wife, and forsook the Lord. Is that the outcome we want for America---???

Under the New Covenant, on an individual level... Jesus Christ wants to take marriage and use it to demonstrate to people "outside".... the beauty of "GOD'S" plan. He wants to demonstrate to people the love that He has for His church-- that they can participate in and enjoy by their marriage. Paul said in Ephesians, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother . . . " “This is a great mystery,” he said, “but I speak concerning Christ and the church."

There’s something mysterious and mystical-- it is that "GOD wants to communicate through marriage... He wants to communicate His love for His people. When a person outside of the body of Christ looks at marriage... "GOD" wants them to see through the husband the kind of love He has for His people-- and through the wife the kind of respect that His people have for Him, and that beautiful relationship that exists between them. That’s what "GOD" wants to show.

The three purposes of marriage, "companionship", "pro-creation", and then "GOD" wanting to display to the world His love for His people through the marriage. Designed and created in the beginning--by "GOD">

What do you think about those apples...Yodi? Yes, I know...time to go check on the orchard.

We're all packed up and ready to go.....

Yodi will be coming along this time as we both go off on an extended retreat. We will be sharing a small sparse room in a cottage that has six such rooms. I don't know how excited he will be once we get there and he finds that nobody has time to entertain him like at home...but he behaves quite well and I see no problem with the arrangement. The orchard seems to be better than a few days ago. the leafs are once again turning green...[most of threm anyway]. And it appears we have the water settings that were needed. I'm lucky that I have a neighbor out there doesn't mind "tree sitting"

Coming back home from the last retreat was a mini shock to my system. As I began to interact with other folks in person and on the internet, I felt out of focus for a few days. And I found myself listening more and speaking less. Of course my big mouth can't stay restrained for long as it loves eating shoe leather from the many times my foot gets stuck in it... shoes and all. it is best I leave now before I eat more sole than the soul can stand.

Another thing that was hard to reset was my daily schedule. Here at home I'm not very disciplined. Sometimes the neighbors wonder if I'm gone and simply left the lights on all night for security, when in fact I was up reading or studying all night long. At retreat everything is controled from 4AM until lights out at 9PM. I will say I prefer the disciplined approach over my own chaos as it forces me to concentrate on the work at hand. I look forward to tommorow.

This will be my last post until i return. I will probably have alot to say and comment on upon my return. Yodi and I say goodbye for now and you will all be in our prayers.

Blessings to you all.

Rashes, skin flaps, and weird toenails

We need to be more careful when we begin a serious self examination. We just might find stuff we never intended to find. And...as my sweet niece might say "that's gross"!

This morning while drying off from a shower, and as I was wiping my underarms, I noticed a rather strange looking rash where their wasn't one the last time I looked. It didn't itch or appear inflamed. It just stared back at me from behind some rather floppy looking skin flaps. I called my healthcare provider and talked to a duty nurse. She said that it might be from the low humidity but not to worry. Somebody their told me the same thing about those skin flaps a few years ago. I had never heard of such a thing until I hit 60...then all hell broke loose as more and more moles and other aberations begin to take over my body.

It doesn't seem that long ago that the hair left my head and migrated to my ears, eyebrows, and nostrils. Another niece reminded me quite bluntly of those configurations. I like that word and I think I will re-name my body to it. It better defines what I have become...a "gross configuration".

Every now and then I pull out the old musty scrapbooks from college and seminary days. Smiling back at me is a robust young man with tanned skin standing tall and upright with a muscular physique honed from the summer jobs of manual labor. I even blush at times at just how handsome of a dude I once was.

Have skin flaps, excessive moles, weird hair and dumpy bodies always been a trait of men over 60? I don't remember dad ever bringing it up. Of course with modesty present in those days--one was never afforded the opportunity to examine a parent as they were always dressed from head to toe in starched apparel. Starch!!! Now that is subject matter for another post.

The reason I bring this up late this afternoon is because I happened to get a shot at my toenails later today when the light was just right and my bi-focals were at the optimun distance. The sight shook me to the core. What were once ordinary smooth looking and well trimmed protective coverings for my dainty toes are now...!@#$%^&*(... YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ! And I wish I didn't.

Quit laughing Yodi. This isn't funny.

"Depart from me for I am a sinner, O Lord"

Unlike the people of today-- the people of our Lord's time were tired of false religions and hungered for the truth.

Our times are different today... in that people are tired of true religion and hunger and thirst for lies! This explains the speed with which neo-paganism has taken root and spread throughout the entire Western world. I have watched folks in person and on internet forums transform from searching questioning seekers of Christ to sinful, heretical, blasphemers-- seekers of hell.

The day has truly come of which St. Paul spoke in his epistle to St.Timothy... "But know this, that in the last days dangerous times will come. Men will be lovers of self, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, criminal, heartless, faithless, slanderers, incontinent, merciless, unkind, treacherous, stubborn, puffed up with pride, loving pleasure more than "GOD", having a semblance indeed of piety, but disowning its power. [2 Tim.3:1-5]

We all might take heed of this advice by curbing our curiosity and doing just what St.Paul says-- "Avoid these"... that is, having nothing to do with such individuals or groups of individuals. Stay away from them and stay away from their unwarranted and ambitious attempts to be teachers in the Church of which they are no longer members.

The words of St.Paul are quite strong when he refers to the kind of success these false teachers have and upon whom... "For such are they who make their way into houses and captivate silly women who are sin-laden and led away by various lusts: ever learning yet never attaining knowledge of the truth. [Ibid. 3,6-7].

It is significant that after Peter experienced the miraculous catch of fish, and had fallen down at Jesus' knees saying... "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord,"... that our Lord did not depart. Ponder that for a moment.

Because on the contrary-- our Lord said to him... "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." And Peter later became the first Pope. Even after denying our Lord out of human frailty and fear of the Jews, our Lord did not depart from Peter.

Our Lord will not depart from anyone because of human frailty unless that person first departs from our Lord.We must quit on him before he turns his back. This is the reason why our Lord said that there is not sin that is so great that it cannot be forgiven except one.. The sin against the Holy Spirt.

There are people who seemingly boast that they are "great sinners" and consequently dare not come to church or dare not approach the Sacrament of Penance which is appropriately a means of reconciliation with "God". Some of us are shocked at such bold statements. For we know the true consequences at hand.

Lately I have wondered just how government officials will ever be able to approach the Sacrament of Penance and reconcile themselves with "GOD"... when they would be required to make restitution for all that they have done? I know it is possible and I have no business questioning the power that the Lord's grace has...but!

Do you think a Roosevelt, a Kennedy, a Johnson, a Clinton, or any of the Bushes could ever make restitution for their sins of murder, greed and pride?

These leaders and former leaders-- and many others are even now reaping the just rewards of their evil deeds. Just this past week, I was witness to President Bush tell bold face lies regarding our immigration problem...and later read where some believed this trash without a second thought. We had President Clinton who was caught up in mortal sin, soberly defending himself by claiming there was a word 'definition" problem. Sin is sin Mr. President. I wonder if he understands that there is no seperating out his actions in public service from those in private.

And as an evil world builds monuments to such public scoundrels, the flames of hell fail to purify their souls. During their lifetimes, all those who have been responsible for the constant misery of mankind basked in opulent power and wealth. Their successors today are guilty of the same mistake. For... to every man will divine justice be eventually be rendered.

More than the miraculous catch of fishes-- our attention should be turned to the mind and heart of Christ who does not crush the weak, but gives strength to them because of their humility. If Peter would not have said "Depart from me for I am a sinner, O Lord," the Lord would most certainly have departed from him!

Great nations crumble not because they are more sinful than others, but because in their pride they fail to see themselves as they really are. They fail to repent of their evils and errors by falling at the knees of Christ and saying... Depart from me for I am a sinner, O Lord."

The public robbers and scoundrels of the world who build mansions and monuments to themselves fall far short of their insatiable greed and ambition because they can never admit their guilt. Our Lord came to save sinners. He redeemed all men, but He can only save those who say to Him-- forgive me for I have sinned.

It is tiring to continually remind folks of the path to salvation. Very tiring. Some are more witty or cleaver in their arguments and will gather others to their side as they mock and challenge boastfully the denial of Christ, Christianity, morals, sin.... On my knees in prayer, I ask of the Lord..."Why are my messages ignored". "Why can't they see the logic and truth spoken in love"? "Why the constant rejection by many"?

I never received a direct answer to these prayers...just some insight after days of quiet and contemplative prayer. The wheat is being seperated out. Those individuals and leaders have been offered the cup of truth and already have decided. Not every soul will be saved. Now-- that is blunt and hard to accept for this old warrior priest. But it is the truth. Hell is a limitless pit and still has capacity for those who turn from the Holy Spirit. Free will does offer salvation and it also offers death. Some we must accept as making the choice for death and turn our attention to those yet undecided.

When at retreat it becomes clear after a few days of rest in prayer. We are but mortal who walk this earth as humans. Satan doesn't require rest as we do. His unholy battery never run low...and as we rest he continues on harvesting the souls who mock while we were awake and at work for the Lord. Yes...the bitter pill that needs swallowed by me and others who fight for mans soul is this...they must reach a point after hearing the gospel where they in free will take up the sword on behalf of their own soul. They must recognize their sin and become like Peter as he cried out...

"Depart from me for I am a sinner, O Lord". This is the beginning of salvation!

OK Yodi, that is off my chest. Let us depart for bed and a good nights rest.

Bless you all.

To Whom Do We Belong ?

Do you think you belong to anyone?

My parents were raised in the Pacific Northwest in the 1910s and '20s. If you were of Irish ancestry, you were Catholic and belonged to that group. If you were English ancestry you were most likely protestant. And the groups didn't mix! This kind of belonging can feel comforting, but has important limitations.

By virtue of our baptism, we belong to "GOD". If we were baptized as infants, we may need to go through an experience of conversion as adults to experience this belonging to "GOD". This has happened to a few folks I know and the change that takes place in a person who comes out of the darkness of inactivity to full fellowship and communion is like witnessing an orchard of fruit trees locked in the death grip of winter suddenly spring to radiant life with branches covered with verdant leaves and blossoms in full bloom. [I can't get orchards out of my mind.]

Paul says in [Romans 14:7-9] "None of us lives as our own master and none of us dies as our own master. While we live, we are responsible to the Lord, and when we die, we die as his servants." We belong to "GOD". "Both in life and in death we are the Lord's."

And this is a good thing. But why is it good?

A few weeks ago and prior to my retreat, I had coffee one evening with my friend whom I shall call Tom [not his real name]. He is a very cheerful, energetic, intelligent fellow who sometimes gets very excited about things. On this particular night he became animated, then angry about a situation involving other people we both know. He carried on for some time in this angry way. When I arrived at my house, I realized that I was feeling angry too. This seemed strange because Tom wasn't angry at me. But I had somehow picked up the feelings of his anger and internalized them. Yodi shivered in his little bed when I entered the room. He too picked up on these angry emotions.

This happens quite frequently among people, and I have learned how to cope with these feelings. I prayed and asked the Lord to remove these feelings and fill me with his Spirit and his peace. And the Lord did so. This is part of the Good News. I encourage you to try it. I feel things inside myself that harm me and I do my part to try to let go of it... and I invite the Lord to fill me with his Spirit of peace. This is the central dynamic of forgiveness about which is found in both Sirach 27:30 - 28:7-- and the Gospel-- Matthew 18:21-25.

Now suppose that Tom in fact had been angry with me for some reason. My approach would have been the same-- I would have felt the hurt and humiliation inside myself, including, perhaps the responsibility for his anger-- [if in fact I was in the wrong]. I would have offered to take responsibility for what I had done-- if he [Tom] would pour his spirit of friendship into me to give me peace. If we had done this, he would have forgiven me, and we could continue our friendship in peace. This isn't easy, but it is powerful. Not only would Tom pour his spirit of friendship into me-- but the Lord would bless our interaction with his Spirit of peace. A doubly whammy!!

In fact we humans are not able to forgive so completely and thoroughly as to bring complete healing and reconciliation. We must rely on "GOD'S" participation in reconciliation and be reconciled to "GOD". Psalm 103 reminds us that "The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion. He pardons all our iniquities, he heals all our ills. He redeems our lives from destruction, he crowns us with kindness and compassion."

We can enter into this spirit of reconciliation and receive forgiveness and healing from "GOD" because of what Jesus did for us in his passion, death, and resurrection... he broke the power of sin and death. That is why Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. As his body was broken and his blood poured out, the Father reached into the depth of the sin heaped upon him and pulled him into new life. The Father broke the hold of sin and death on all human beings. One consequence of the Father's action is that no matter what we may have done to one another that is hurtful or wrong, our taking action to offer forgiveness releases the tremendous power of "GOD'S" love to bless the two offering and receiving forgiveness. The same thing happens when we ask "GOD" for forgiveness. We release his power of love and healing.

Because this release of love and healing is so central to Jesus' passion, death and resurrection-- he wanted to make sure the disciples understood that his passion and death weren't ends in themselves... far from it ... but were acts that would release "GOD'S" healing and love. At the last supper, trying to find words and symbols of this action, he took bread as the most obvious and concrete metaphor-- and tried to help them see that the imminent breaking of his body could be signified by breaking bread. Then when supper was ended, he took the cup he gave it to his disciples and said that the wine that has been poured into this cup is the obvious and concrete metaphor for his blood that would soon be spilt. At the moment his body was broken and his blood poured out, [He said], the forgiving and healing power of "GOD'S" love would be made real and manifest for all.

This is of course what we celebrate in our Eucharist, [Holy communion]. As the bread is broken and the wine poured out, Christ-- who is truly present in this bread and this wine on this altar-- releases upon us who are present to consume it-- his powerful love that forgives and heals and grants peace.

We recognize this reality immediately before communion when we say, "Lord, I am unworthy to receive you,..." In other words, "Lord, I have all sorts of hurts, worries, fears, resentments and the like inside me-- and they prevent me from giving and receiving love more fully to you and those who are around me." "...but only say the word, and I shall be healed." "I shall be healed because the power of your love is present here in our midst as the bread is broken and the wine poured out." This healing isn't abstract and theoretical. It is real healing of present hurts, fears and anxieties as well as healing of memories of hurts, fears, and anxieties.

It is our participation in this action that makes real and concrete our belonging to Christ. We began to belong to him in our baptism or adult conversion. We show our belonging to him ever more fully as we participate in this action of love.

So-- let's all open ourselves in a new and fuller way to this forgiving and healing love as we continue to receive Christ. This is the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that made Yodi stop shivering and start wagging his tale!

So Yodi...this is reason #72 ...[whoops] that belongs in another post and another topic.

Bless you all.

Election Primaries May Be Our Only Hope

I have been rather busy on this little blog the past few days--but only because I have some ideas and statements that have purculated during the time I was away.

One serious notion that I have grappled with is politics and how it relates to solving real human issues. And I'm afraid that what is currently in store for the forseeable future is more gridlock and less real problem solving. And that is not what we expect or deserve when we send folks to our state and federal legislatures.

On May 17th, the Washington Post released yet another poll that indicated Americans are fed up with the Republicans and in every category feel that the Democrats would do a better job...from immigration reform...to handling the Iraq war...to the economy...and I suppose to kissing little babies on the campaign trail. But-----it was not that long ago that Americans were fed up with the Democrats and their policies of inaction and corruption...not to mention adultry by our President.

It seems to me then that the problems has to do with those who are incumbants and have been in office too long more so than a particular party. Not only do they seem to be the source of our troubles due to their special interest lobby perks, but they also poison the minds and will of the junior members. Yes...soon after we send a fresh face to office, they too begin spewing forth with the same rhetoric as the old timers.

My solution. Well it mirrors one of the items mentioned in the above mentioned poll. 55% of Americans say they intend to shop around for a new face come this election cycle. I would go one step further. Throw them all out and start afresh. It seems whether you are liberal, conservative, or somewhere between that you too are not getting what you want and need...truthful and sincere representation.

So after careful consideration and counsel with Yodi this morning over bagels and sausage, we have determined that we will endorse only newcomers. And we will mail them the reason and expectations we have in lieu of our support. In other words put them on notice that if elected they will do our will not special interests or the will of the part oldtimers.

If you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or minority party member...now is the time to change focus. Instead of voting in the incumbant or by party line and then keeping your fingers crossed that they will truly represent your concerns, [until they stick the screws to you once again], why not start with an entire new crop. Plant a new state legislature and federal Congress. And make sure you nurture them through support and inspiration, [alot better than I did the new orchard].

We need to stay on top of our new crop so that it doesn't rot like the current one. Vote for "real" change. Throw all the current bums out...and primary time is how we do it. If an incumbant runs, [which is probably a given], then vote for who is running against them in the primary. If nobody is challenging them...then do what you can to enlist a capable volunteer. The point is we need a complete house cleaning. And the same can be said during the 2008 cycle...but let's first get through this one. Maybe then we will get what we deserve pay for...we certainly deserve better than we have.

My blessings and prayers to you all.

Farmer Mike----Tree Murderer

Well I did it this time! Call the sheriff and have him haul me off to the pokey.

A couple of months ago I thought it would be dandy if I did a little farming...or orcharding is a better description. My brother had aquired a piece of land with a barn and old farmhouse on it out in the country near Benson, Arizona. He decided to plant some fruit trees...14 to be exact, and four grape bushes/vines. He invited me along and I helped best as I could as the tree and bush holes were dug. I was in charge of contacting the University of Arizona ag-cooperative to establish exactly what materials were needed and how exactly to plant this orchard. And I did.

As my brother and a helper dug the holes, I made sure the holes were the right depth and diameter. The right mulch and top soil for the trees and bushes were added. Mounds were built around the trees to keep the water irrigation isolated and each tree and bush were gently planted per specification.

Irrigation lines were hooked up to a brand new water system which had a super duper timer that controled watering area, time, day, and how many times each day. Water lines were run to four zones and individual lines and nozzles installed for each tree and bush. We set the time and days and water duration so that the soil and orchard were getting what they needed.

Sounds good so far doesn't it.

We finished up over a period of several days. My brother handed the operation over to me...since it was my big mouth that volunteered to be farmer Mike. Well I live about 70 miles from this new orchard. We talked to the neighbor and he agreed to call me if anything was wrong with the farmhouse, barn, etc. So with full confidence-- off my brother goes leaving the baby trees and bushes with me.

I diligently traveled out there and tended the trees and bushes as if they were my own children---complete with prayers and blessings. I applied the extra mulch stuff after 30 days as instructed which in itself about wore me out as I am somewhat limited in what I can do. But I felt being farmer Mike would be good for my body, mind, and spirit.

Now we come to the ugly part. Gulp!

I left town for a two day retreat that lasted for a month. During that time the temperature rose---and then rose even higher. The result was that my once perfect irrigation schedule was no longer capable of applying the water needed. Low humidity and high temperature means rapid evaporation.I learned this orchard fact just today.

I decided this afternoon to ride out and check the orchard. What were once thriving little trees and bushes were now brown and wilted. The once moist ground and mulch was all cracked and dry. I'm afraid one of the peach trees and a plum tree have gone on to tree heaven. The others will be in intensive care for some time. The neighbor dropped by and told me he and his wife had been gone fishing in Mexico for three weeks and by coincidence was going to call me tonight and tell me the orchard was in trouble.

I turned the irrigation system on manuel and the neighbor will turn it off once everything is soaked pretty good.

I'm trying to figure out how to break it to Yodi that I will probably be serving hard time making little rocks out of big rocks on a chain gang for the next 20 years. I have a call into my brother and when he contacts me I will break the news. The once excited dreams we shared off apple pies, grape jelly, fresh peaches, necterines, etc. are in in the process of becoming a nighmare at this time.

Please pray for the remaining orchard. I must go now. The sheriff will soon be here and Yodi needs fed prior to me breaking the news to him.

Regarding Prayer

With, what seems-- increasing frequency I come across lay people who are daily praying The Liturgy of the Hours. That is required for priests and members of religious communities. The "daily office"-- as it is called, varies according to the traditions of some religious orders and in most communities is prayed in common or, as it is said, in choir. It is an encouraging thing that lay people-- and especially younger lay people, are taking up this spiritual discipline. And even more encouraging when they are able to pray the office with others, as in the family. I count it among the great blessings of my life that-- in my order we pray at least Evening Prayer together every day. Now granted I am not currently living within the community...but i do know when "Evening Prayer" is said and so make it a daily habit to join my brothers from afar.

Survey research regularly turns up the finding that Catholic clergy pray much more than Protestant clergy-- and sometimes folks wonder why that should be the case. The answer is not hard to find... The daily office is required.

It is estimated that about two thirds of the priests in our country keep to this requirement-- and one does feel sorry for the estimated one third who don’t. Because not only are they are failing in their obligation but-- most important, they are denying themselves and the Church a disciplined life of prayer.

At the core of the office are the psalms. An older priest once told me he had stopped saying the office many years ago because he couldn’t stomach the imprecatory psalms-- sometimes called the violent psalms or psalms of animosity. That is obviously among the failures of his theological formation. The saints had no hesitation in asking the Lord to smite the evildoers hip and thigh–always in the hope of their repentance, of course-- unless they have by their own free will precluded that possibility.

More commonly, one hears that the praying of the office has become routine-- as in rote. This is usually from people who are affectively greedy, rummaging through what Yeats called the "rag and bone shop of the heart" to see how their praying is affecting their own sensibilities. Prayer is liturgy, meaning the work of the people of "GOD". One does one’s duty when it is not pleasurable in the hope that it will happen-- as it does at times happen-- that one's duty becomes one's delight.

The disciples' request, "Teach us to pray," is our prayer until we draw our last breath. And always there is the wise counsel of saints beyond numbering... Pray as you can, not as you can't. None of us prays or believes or loves as we wish we could. Pray, believe, love as you can, not as you can't. And-- by "GOD'S" grace, we can more and more.

A few years ago the English edition of "Magnificat" was launched and it has caught on in a big way. It is a handsome little book sent monthly to subscribers and contains a simplified version of the daily office. There are now more than 200 thousand subscribers, and there should be 2 million. It can be carried conveniently in pocket or purse and provides a framework for a disciplined prayer life, keeping in mind that an undisciplined prayer life is almost no prayer life at all.

The basic prayers for Catholics, but not only for Catholics, are in the "Handbook of Prayers". It contains all the standards, in both English and Latin, and is put out by the Opus Dei folk at Scepter Publishers. Unfortunately, their website requires that you wade through mountains of other literature in order to get to this gem. It might be faster to write Scepter Publishers at P.O. Box 211, 8W 38th St. Suite 802, New York, N.Y. 10018.

It really is the case that there is nothing more important that we do in the course of a day than that we pray. At Mass, in the daily office, with the rosary, we pray--for the Church, for the world, for our friends, for our enemies, for the poor, the persecuted, for the unborn babies and their mothers. There is no end of needed prayer in the lacrimae rerum that veils this vale of tears. Then too-- we pray for ourselves, and, most importantly, we pray to the glory of "God". Recently, health issues seems to have goobled up much of my prayer time [as evidenced by the previous post on this site].

A student at Gonzaga once told me that his life had been a shambles, to the point of being terrified by serious thoughts of suicide. He dragged himself back to Mass. A friend loaned him her copy of "Magnificat". He started to pray. "I wish I could say everything has changed," he said. "But everything is changing" Exactly. Pray as you can-- not as you can’t. And discover that you can, more and more.

It is interesting to observe the affect my prayer and contemplative life has on little Yodi. He climbs up on the couch or jumps into my lap if I happen to be sitting in my old stuffed chair, whenever i talk to the Lord. Do dogs recognize the power of prayer? Or---do they sense the presence of "GOD" in a way similar to how they hear sounds we can't. I know Yodi is a very observant and aware little fellow. And---I do believe he has come to love the Lord as much as I. Two peas in a pod i guess.

So friends...you are more than welcome to join Yodi and myself in prayer tonight. And please locate a copy of "Handbook of Prayers". Also....I highly recommend "Magnificat". Both of these fit and feel as good as my new "Breachers" shirt. Enough advertising for tonight. Blessings to you all...form Yodi and me.

For Melody, Anthony, and all who suffer illness.

Recently my younger brother Anthony suffered his fourth major heart attack and doctors installed yet another shunt in a life saving measure. He is nine years my junior-- and only 55. As I returned from a month long retreat, I found out that my friend Jack and his family are dealing with the health crisis of his grandaughter Melody who is but eight years old. Jack has also been dealing with the illness of his only surviving sibling.

Within our families, friends, and aquantnances, there are those who bear the cross of illness. Some have been given a terminal diagnosis, they only have a short time to live. Some have been diagnosed with an illness which will slowly debilitate them, and eventually end their lives. Some are suffering the effects of old age. Some are children, teens, or young adults---all suffering a medical problem and in need of the Lord’s healing. Whatever the illness, ALL should be reminded that "GOD" the Father knows them-- He has counted every hair on their head. He knows their diagnosis, He knows their fears, He knows the concerns of their loved ones.

"GOD" is almighty and omnipotent, and He stands ready to heal whoever comes to Him and asks. Do not be afraid to ask Him to heal. He repeats throughout the Gospels "let it be done for you according to your faith" [St.Mathew 8:13].

Be courageous and be brave, and believe that "GOD" will heal them. It is possible!

"GOD" continues to heal men, women and children just as He did in the day when Jesus walked upon the earth. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us:

"The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord. But even the most intense prayers do not always obtain the healing of all illnesses. Thus St. Paul must learn from the Lord that "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness," and that the sufferings to be endured can mean that "in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church" [no. 1508].

Illness, when not cured, can be turned into a spiritual benefit, not only for the one who is suffering the illness, but for the whole Body of Christ-- [the Church]-- of which the ill person is a member. In a paradoxical way, suffering can acquire a new and different meaning.

In the world that we live in, suffering is seen as the ultimate evil. Yet-- our Holy Father reminded us: "Seeking new and effective ways to alleviate suffering is a valid quest, but suffering nevertheless remains a fundamental fact of human life. In a way it is as deep as man himself and touches upon his very existence [cf. Salvifici Doloris, 3]... In order to discover the fundamental and definitive meaning of suffering-- "we must look to the revelation of divine love, the ultimate source of the meaning of everything that exists" [Salvifici Doloris, 13]. The answer to the question of the meaning of suffering has been "given by God to man in the Cross of Jesus Christ" [ibid., 13]. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, takes on new meaning; it becomes a sharing in the saving work of Jesus Christ [cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1512]" [Message for Tenth World Day of the Sick, 2].

Whatever the suffering-- small or great-- we can unite it with the suffering of Jesus on the cross and it can thus become part of the redemptive work of Christ-- the Redeemer of the World.

Our Holy Father continued: "Do this in memory of me," besides referring to the breaking of bread, [this] also alludes to the body given and poured out by Christ for us [St.Luke 22:19-20], in other words, to the gift of self for others" [Message for Tenth World Day of the Sick, 2/11/02].

If it is in your heart to do so, pray that "GOD" will heal you or your loved one. Storm heaven with your prayers, fasting and penances, asking the Giver of All Good Gifts for healing. His power is as present today as it was when Jesus Christ walked the earth. We must believe that, and have firm faith.

Yet if it is not "GOD'S" will to heal, then we can follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer and offer our lives in union with the suffering of Jesus on the cross and help "complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is the church…" [Col 1:24] as St. Paul wrote of his own suffering.

None of us choose to be sick or to suffer. It is a cross which is given to us. There are many stages to accepting that cross. As we move through them at our own pace, we can ask the Lord to help us and unite our sufferings with those of Jesus. Together, as the People of "GOD", we journey toward our homeland where every tear will be wiped away and there will be no more mourning, no more tears, no more suffering-- only life in all its fullness forever!

Tonight I have much to be thankful for. So do you. Throughout illness and good health our Father never forsakes us and his love transcends time immortal. We must face both good times and not so good of times with equal humility and grace. My prayers go out for those among us who are ill--and those in need of assurance. We are all in this stream of eternal life together and we must all share ones sorrows and smiles as equal partners in this great adventure of mortal existance.

Yodi and I sit quietly here in contemplation and wonder as to what will be on the plate tommorow--served up by our one true friend-- "GOD". It is always a surprise--and never more than we can handle.

John 20:1-9 --He has risen !

Today is the Sunday of all Sundays, the great celebration of the resurrection of Jesus! On this day, we join with the disciples as they race to the tomb and discover it empty. We don’t have to linger on the outside with our doubts and fears. We can accompany the beloved disciple who went into the tomb and “saw and believed” [John 20:8]. Then, with Mary Magdalene, we can embrace Jesus as our risen Lord.

During Lent, we searched our hearts to find the stones that block us from the resurrection life. Now Jesus has rolled back these stones so that we can enter into a life of freedom and hope and joy. Let this be a day of celebration! Jesus has triumphed over every obstacle. He has obtained everything we need. We can rest in his arms, knowing that we are secure.

Let’s stay close to Jesus in the joy of the resurrection. Though world events may be cause for serious concern, though the “unpredictables” of daily life may challenge our patience and trust, Jesus is with us. He wants the joy and stone-moving power of this day to be available to us always. In faith, we can pursue the lifetime goal of continual resurrections over everything that keeps us from recognizing our privileged position as "beloved disciple."

Now is the time to raise your head and “set your minds on things that are above-- not on things that are on earth.” Why? Because "you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" [Colossians 3:2-4]. Just as John looked inside the empty tomb and believed-- we believe that the same Jesus who died and was thought to be gone forever is now alive. Our faith in his resurrection means we can put our trust in his entire life. All his words are true. All his promises-- and all our hopes and dreams--will be fulfilled. As the light of the resurrection dawns with increasing brilliance, let your Easter alleluia burst forth!

"What a beautiful life you have given me, Lord Jesus! Let me sing of the glorious hope that comes from your resurrection. With each day-- but especially today-- make my joy a gift to you, a grateful acknowledgment of the love you have for me."

Yodi and I wish you all a most joyous Easter. Lift up your voices and hearts in praise of the Lord--who has conquered death so that we might live--forever and forever. Amen

United States Senate vs American Citizens

I have watched through several national elcetion cycles the Republican party gains which has resulted in them controling not only both houses of Congress but the white House as well. It never occured to me that this same majority would be so arrogant once they gained the upper hand.

Two days ago I watched the Republican controled judiciary committee which is chaired by Senator Arlen Spector completely ignore the will of the vast majority of Americans and pass an immigration reform measure that "spit" on the rule of law and granted amnesty to millions of law breakers who are living illegally in our country.

There were a couple of voices calling forth from the wilderness on the Repulican side, but the chairman rushed this piece of hubris out of his committee as if he was in complete lockstep with the will of President Vincente Fox of Mexico--not John Q citizen.

National polling data could not be more emphatic-- and has been so for decades. The American people do not want this type of legislation!

The Gallup Poll [March 27] finds 80 percent of the public wants the federal government to get tougher on illegal immigration. A Quinnipiac University Poll [March 3] finds 62 percent oppose making it easier for illegals to become citizens [72 percent in that poll don't even want illegals to be permitted to have driver's licenses]. A Time Magazine recent poll [Jan. 24-26] found 75 percent favor "major penalties" on employers of illegals-- 70 percent believe illegals increase the likelihood of terrorism and 57 percent would use military force at the Mexican-American border.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll [March 10-13] found 59 percent opposing a guest--worker proposal, and 71 percent would more likely vote for a congressional candidate who would tighten immigration controls. And-- an IQ Research poll [March 10] found 92 percent saying that securing the U.S. border should be a top priority of the White House and Congress.

Yet-- according to a National Journal survey of Congress-- 73 percent of Republican and 77 percent of Democratic congressmen and senators say they would support guest-worker legislation ! Is this a complete disconnect from the will of the American people or what?

The senators should remember that they are American senators, not Roman proconsuls. Nor-- is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee some latter-day Praetor Maximus.

During these past few days, we have all witnessed the "in your face" boldness of 100's of thousands of protestors waving Mexico flags and daring our elected officials to do anything about their brazen disregard for our rule of law and borders. It appears however that the senate judiciary committee got their protest message loud and clear. Who exactly are these senators representing?

What sense does it make to rob other countries of their hard working citizens and import these uneducated workers into our economy legally or illegally?

And as far as the the Senate's and the president's guest-worker proposals, The Washington Post's Robert Samuelson writes:

"Gosh, they're all bad ideas ... We'd be importing poverty. This isn't because these immigrants aren't hardworking, many are. Nor is it because they don't assimilate, many do. But they generally don't go home, assimilation is slow and the ranks of the poor are constantly replenished ... [It] is a conscious policy of creating poverty in the United States while relieving it in Mexico ... The most lunatic notion is that admitting more poor Latino workers would ease the labor market strains of retiring baby boomers ? Far from softening the social problems of an aging society, more poor immigrants might aggravate them by pitting older retirees against younger Hispanics for limited government benefits ... [Moreover], [i]t's a myth that the U.S. economy 'needs' more poor immigrants."

Since President Bush has been touting his guest worker program, millions of additional illegals have crashed our borders. Guest workers and the talked about proposals = amnesty and citizenship to anybody with an ounce of intelligence who has followed the mantra's message. Maybe the Republican led government has seen the writing on the wall and figured that they might as well push full speed ahead with this new world order of slave labor and amnesty because their days in the leadership position will probably end come November. But that idea doesn't make sense either. The Democrats have always been the ones chasing the poor immigrant community for additional voters.

Tom Tancredo in the congress seems to be one leader who has heard and understands the message Americans have been sending via comments and polls. He proposed plans that are called racist and unworkable by his fellow congressional members. He simply wants to send the law breakers home and stop others from breaking our laws. Now granted this could take some time since the President and his predecessors on a lessor degree have allowed over 11 million illegals into our country. Think of the traffic jam that would entail sending them all home at once!

Unfortunately---the dignity and humanity involved here is going unrecognized by many of the illegal immigrant supporters. How would you like to be forced to leave this country--the home of your ancestors and go elsewhere to live and work. Leave your family and culture behind because this same home countries leaders refuse to provide you and your family a decent opportunity at basic survival...the ability to earn and support your loved ones. That is exactly what is happening in Mexico and other Latin american countries. What ever happened to NAFTA and its plan to improve Mexico's standard of living?

Yodi and I have been scratching our heads for months over this issue. We live in a country whose leadership has dropped the ball on this issue and so many others. All we can do is pray and cross our fingers that our own elected representatives get the wax out of their ears and listen to the voters--not their own elitist egos.

Come on Yodi....we have a few more e-mails to send out to even more congressional representatives. Since Congressman Kolbe, Senator's Kyle and Mccain won't return any phone messages, answer our repeated letters and e-mails. Maybe we can talk Rep. Tancredo into moving to Tucson. At least his office responded to our e-mail.

Definition of a "leftist"

I have noticed that in the heat of debate the label "leftist" gets thrown around all too often by those that lean toward the Republican way of thinking. Whatever that is? I will cover "rightest" in another post.

I decided to google the term to see what the internet definition was, and here is what came up:

A broad range of political ideology that is denouncing the of economic and social inequality in the present order of society and advocating the adoption of vigorous public policies to reduce or eliminate these inequalities in opposition of the political agenda of the rightist. Common political paths include socialism , communism , social democracy, welfare statism, contemporary American liberalism and anarchy.

The second half of the definition seems to indicate that a leftist is a socialist or communist which is quite different from the other major party--"Democrat". I suppose some "leftists' would be included in a party that is more socially liberal, but certainly not the majority of that party. There already exists minor Communist and Socialist political parties just as there exists Libertarian and Green.

I wonder what the term social democracy means? Or the term American liberalism. This is quite confusing isn't it. My inclination is to think of a lefty as being somebody who wants to throw out the democratic principals of my country and replace them with a Soviet Union, Chinese, or Cuban way of doing things.

It is odd that somebody might toss this label around so freely at those who appose Republican ideals. There seems to be as much liberlism and welfare statism in Republican circles as in Democrat circles. The only difference seems to be who is on the receiving end of the government programs and what ideas are being liberalized.

It is clear from the definition of leftist that they would be on the very fringe of any major American political party and for that matter the fringe of our society in general. I don't believe Communism or Socialism would work any better in America than it has elsewhere. The pure principals of the idea that we are all our brothers keepers and that we should share with those who are less fortunate requires a moral maturity that is not present to a large degree here or elsewhere. I pray hard for the day this does become common nature, but realize that this battle must be won from within--one soul at a time.

My experience with talking with those who say they are socialist or communist leaning either directly or by the tone of their comments-- and what I see from their personal actions leads me to believe that they are less than honest. I would say that "leftists" are some of the most self centered, greedy people I have ever met. Their tithe envelopes and lack of actual social work speaks loader than their words.

Beware of somebody who wants everybody to pitch in for the common good. He or she are usually the one leaning against the shade tree taking a nap while the rest of us are doing their share of the chores. Sharing to them is a onesided arrangement.

I think Yodi might be a pure socialist by nature. Jesus was too. I work hard trying to overcome my own limitations in this arena. But by definition I would never accuse Yodi or Jesus as being "leftist".

Maybe we need a truth in labeling rule when we have discussions or debates.

Now I wonder what the term "rightist" or rightwing means?

The self examination at Lent--No ! this one does not require you to bend over.

OK friends, it has been a year since we last visited Lent. Tommorow we get to wake up early and begin our fast for Ash Wednesday. And that doesn't mean you can sneak into the refrigerator late tonight while the rest of the family sleeps and finish off the meatloaf and apple pie. Just like Lent--fasting is a privilidge and honor. It hinges on the "intent" we have to serve and sacrifice. We prepare at this time of year for the Easter celebration, and are reminded of the Lord who "gave" all so that we may "receive" all. With that in mind we in earnest use this time to purify our vessel in its entirety--mind-spirit-body.

Taking inventory and examining our conscience is vital in this process.

Over the past year you probably visited personal physician and dentist. They checked your body functions, blood chemistry, and gave you a thorough going over from inside and out. Tonight we are going to continue that effort with an even more important examination.

Let's first examine our "Love of "GOD"".

Have I loved "GOD" above all else, or have I allowed other things--money, popularity, image, success--to motivate me and have primary place in my heart?

Are there areas in my life that I am holding back from "GOD"? Secret parts I don’t want to expose to his light and his love?

Have I been faithful in my commitment to prayer and reading Scripture, to nourish my relationship with "GOD"?

Have I been faithful in honoring the Lord on the Sabbath?

Have I shown disrespect for "GOD'S" name by misusing it in anger or frustration? By hesitating to mention "GOD" in appropriate situations? Have I avoided revealing my faith in certain situations?

Secondly let's examine our-- "Love of Neighbor".

Is there anyone of whom I need to ask forgiveness? Is there anyone I need to forgive?

Have I yielded to anger and spoken hurtful or damaging words? Am I praying for those I consider "enemies"?

Do I strive for mercy and compassion, or do I hold others to an unreasonably high standard?

Do I envy others' lives or material possessions? Have I taken what is not rightfully mine?

Have I cheated or lied? Have I sought to protect my reputation at the expense of others?

Do I gossip? Have I failed to keep a secret that should have been confidential?

Have I engaged in sexual immorality? Have I tried to control my thoughts or given in to fantasies or lust? Have I treated others as objects and not persons valued by "GOD"?

Do I love the poor and do what I can to help, even if it means sacrifice on my part?

That concludes this post. I need the remainder of the evening to complete my own examination. And Yodi is guarding the kitchen entry against any late night sleep walking that might venture in that direction. Gulp!