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With the new "health" care bill passing, I found a quote that fits the situation pretty well. Here it is, "The lie is sacred and deception will be our principal weapon." See bottom for the quotemaker.

Remember, in the book of Isaias (5:20), he says, "Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness."

We've been lied to in a huge way, and now we all will have to pay the price.

By the way, the author of the quote is Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Go figure.

Hesitation

We've heard it said, "He who hesitates is lost", but I have a quote that goes even farther.

"On the plains of hesitation lie the blackened bones of countless millions who, at the dawn of victory, lay down to rest, and in resting died."
Adlai E. Stevenson

This could apply to any of us who give up, when in fact we might have won.

Health Care

This Sunday's reading from Hebrews (9, 11-15), reminds us of the true universal care which we need in our lives.
"Brethren: When Christ appeared as High Priest of the good things to come, He entered once for all through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by virtue of blood of goats and calves, but by virtue of His own Blood, into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. for if the blood of goats and bull and the sprinkled ashes of a heifer sanctify the unclean unto the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the Blood of Christ, Who through the Holy Spirit offered Himself unblemished unto god, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
We need the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Eucharist to heal us more than ever.

In closing, here are my thoughts on the health care bill. They are summed up by Maxine, who is probably from the Showbox greeting cards. This is how I feel, too!

"Let me get this straight....we're trying to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke. What the h..l could possibly go wrong?"

Irish eyes

Today, Irish eyes must have been smiling on us, because it was beautiful outside. I raked some yards, and I will pay for this tomorrow I'm sure. Haven't used those muscles for quite a while. And, as a bonus, we didn't get gassed by whoever.
I mean, have you ever noticed trails of planes in the sky that don't dissipate, usually in straight lines, sometimes in a grid, and how you have sinus problems in a couple of days. If you think I'm kidding, just google "chem trails", and see what comes up. You'd be surprised!
I am going to ask St. Patrick's help to deliver the snakes out who are running the country and Church. Maybe he can help us.
Prayer does work, and God is still on the throne!

Dreary

Another dreary day in this 'World Class city" of Lansing. Hopefully, things will be brighter in the near future. I still would some more snow so that I can use my tuned-up snow removal equipment. March is such a dismal month. But it is brighter for longer periods of time.

Easter is coming soon, and we can look forward to another year, God willing, to forge ahead trying to live like we are supposed to.

"Pick and choose catholics"

People like Nancy Pelosi drive me nuts. Those who call themselves "Catholic". They are Catholic in name only. They think they can pick and choose whatever beliefs they feel important in their miserable lives. She thinks she is a good Catholic, but in reality, she and those like her are lukewarm at best, to be spit out by God at their inquest. I'm trying not to judge others, but it is so hard sometimes. I do prayer for their conversion before their death. We're not to wish for someone to "go to hell", because it is a real place, and God wants everybody to be saved. Just think how many others call themselves Catholic, with not regard to what being a Catholic entails. Either accept the whole ball of wax, or go somewhere else. Don't poison the next generation with your pantload of ideas.

Those like her mention that God gave them the freedom of will. This is true. This also means that we have the option to do evil. We're supposed to fight that option. We're supposed to learn about God and His Church, and pass this on to the next generation.

This freedom of choice (which all of us have, not just women), means whether to do what God expects of us or not. We should strive to do the right things in this life, because we will be asked and judged about them in the next.

I leave you with a prayer for others from the Liturgy of St. Cyril

O Lord God, merciful and holy and all-powerful, Who art the source of all peace and tranquility, of charity and gentleness, an ever-pure and good Father and Lord to all lovers of peace, grant that we, full of hope and humility, standing firm in faith, may, not only in love of Thee, but in love of our neighbor, welcome all and each with that loyalty which is the fulfilling of Thy law. Grant that, in our spirit of tranquility and peace, we may be true children of Thine. So shall we become worthy of the blessings which Thy Holy and Only-begotten Son has promised.

Do You Think?

"You are deceived if you think that a Christian can live without persecution. he suffers the greatest who lives under none. Nothing is more to be feared than too long a peace. A storm put a man upon his guard, and obliges him to exert his utmost efforts to escape shipwreck." St. Jerome

Do any of us actually think we suffer too much. Nothing we can endure is even remotely close to what Christ chose to do for us. And, there is always someone who is worse off than us. We need to focus more on what Christ did, and less on ourselves. You'd be amazed how you feel afterwards.

I will end with a prayer for others from the Coptic Liturgy. (for after Communion)

Be mindful. O Lord, of all those who have asked us to remember them in the prayers and petitions we now make in Thy sight, O Lord our God, especially at this time of the Holy Sacrifice. Be mindful of those whose memory is always with us, and those who are especially in our thoughts at this moment and in our present prayer. Bring them the grace of a strong and lasting defense against all that may harm them.