Abbey-Roads2

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Raymond Arroyo will be at a St. Paul religious goods store Saturday afternoon, arriving from the airport around 2:30PM - he’ll be whisked in and out, so get there early to meet him.  It is an impromptu special event for the Store arranged by a friend of the Company.  There should be a good crowd.  It’s an opportunity to meet the man Mother Angelica let into her life and permitted to give an account of her life in religion, as well as document her fidelity to the extraordinary vocation God gave her.

Mr. Arroyo is an impressive fellow.  He will be there to meet anyone who wants to talk from approximately 2:30 to 4:00 PM.

(Do not ask him to do Mother Angelica impressions or even mention Pee Wee Herman.) 

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“Cosmo, you’re gonna die!”  - The mother from ‘Moonstruck’.

Kat has an interesting meme sort of thing going on at her blog “Crescat” concerning things she would like to do before she dies…she’s just a couple of years younger than I am - 32 years old she says - so I thought I’d post what I would like to do here instead of leaving a comment at her place.

Places I would like to visit before I die:

• Rue de Bac, Paris, the shrine of the Miraculous Medal apparitions.
• Guadalupe, but I’d have to go back in time before they built that hideous new basilica.
• Back to Italy, to visit all of the saints I missed on my other trips.
• Great Britain, to mourn the reformation.
• The Holy Land - hopefully to die there.

Things I would like to accomplish before I die:

• Figure out what is really wrong with me - I mean, why have I never been normal?  (Not that I ever really wanted to be.)
• Call my sister and little brother.
• Become a celebrity artist, writer and named a National Treasure in my lifetime and become a regular on Oprah and Letterman.  (I’m kidding Don Marco.)

Seriously, back on topic:

• Become holy- to do something beautiful for God - to live a life of perfect love and enter into transforming union before I die - of course, that is a grace - no one can ‘do it’ themselves. (Really!  It is what I hope for though!  Even if it is seconds before death.)
• Then, to die of love…another grace.
• Finally, to bring countless souls, my loved ones, and many, many, many, little ones to Heaven with me - especially all of those I have offended.

Well, that’s my to-do-list.  By the way, my obituary picture will be a picture of me in my 20’s…I can’t let people see me looking like this! 

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Lectio

“Father, it is for you that shame covers my face, that I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons.  I burn with zeal for your house and taunts against you fall on me.”  -Psalm 68:8-10

Meditatio

Veronica emerged from the crowd, taking her veil, moistened in water to cool you somewhat; gently she blots your Holy Face, careful not to irritate your wounds.  She absorbs as much of the dust, spittle, and blood she is able to, even catching your tears.  She has not yet finished when she is roughly pulled away by the guards, yet your look of love penetrates her soul…deep calling to deep in the roar of the crowd.  Who could ever imagine that a creature could have mercy upon God?  Yet that is what this woman did.

Oratio

Show us your Face O Lord and we shall be saved…it is your Face I seek, hide not your Face.  Let me see anew your Holy Face in the distressing disquise of the poor, the lame, the afflicted, and the despised.  Let me meet you in them, love you in them, serve you in them, have mercy upon them - even those who despise and reject me, or oppose my efforts.  And grant that I may fix my eyes upon your Holy Face, resplendent in Your Most Blessed Sacrament of Love - throughout my life, unceasingly, until I come to contemplate for all eternity your glorious Face in Heaven.

Contemplatio

“Here he is…gazing through the windows…peering through the lattices…” - Songs 2, 9.  He - looking at me, I - looking at Him.

We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, for by thy holy cross thou hast redeemed the world.

Most compassionate Heart of Mary, Mother of Sorrows, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

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So here is what I really look like - I didn’t want people to know I wear glasses…I know - I’m vain!  (I’ve even thought of that Lasik eye surgery thing.)

(Cathy and Ray - I have blocked you from comments!  I just posted this for Don Marco and Mr. Smith, they seemed to be curious as to my true identity, as was Rhapsody and Lee.)

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Husbands - I hope you love your wives who blog, and listen to them, they have a lot to say - I think they are wonderful and you are lucky to have them.

Oh - and Eric S. - I hope your wife listens to you as well - it has got to be a fun marriage!  (Are you mixing vicodin and beer?  It is a wonderful cocktail - so I’ve been told…you are really not supposed to do that however.)

Just thought I’d post about the joys of marriage…along with a more discreet way to link to some of my favorite blogs! 

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Lectio

“As they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon the Cyrenean who was coming in from the fields.  They put a cross beam on Simon’s shoulder for him to carry along behind Jesus.  A great crowd of people followed him…” - Luke 23:26

Meditatio

It is believed by some that our Sorrowful Mother obtained this grace that someone should help you carry the cross, since you were beaten so severely, you were close to death.  The man you permitted to share in your suffering was completely unaware that he would be chosen.  In fact he was forced into labor…he neither volunteered nor desired to share in your ignominy…he may even have protested and rebelled.  Perhaps the sight of our Mother’s pleading eyes, supplied the grace for him to accept such an honor?

It is the mystery of cooperation with suffering presented here.  First that you O Lord,accomplishing the supreme act of love through your passion and death, won for us eternal salvation.  Second, by this sharing of your cross with Simon, you invite us to accept our own cross in union with your sufferings.  None of us asked to be born, none of us desired the sufferings imposed upon us in life, all of us seek to avoid suffering in all of its forms, yet as Frankl said “To suffer is to be human”.  We cannot avoid suffering, even though we rebel, rejecting you and the science of the cross.  Our resistance does nothing to eliminate suffering…we may assuage it, yet it remains a part of life.  (Frankl also observed; “Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete.”)

Simon eventually accepted the cross, out of extreme compassion for you…somehow, he understood, by faith alone, that he was sharing in something wonderful, and you O Lord, filled with gratitude, consoled him, in a manner hidden from the senses…charity, compassion and mercy - on a natural level, these things bring their own reward, yet offered supernaturally, the reward is beyond comprehension to  the intellect and the senses.

Oratio

O Jesus, unless we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow you, we cannot enter into eternal life.  Help us to become as little children, to not only come to you, but to follow you as Simon, in order to learn of you who are meek and humble of heart.  Help us to accept the sufferings of life, even when we cannot understand them, trusting in your merciful love.  Share with us O Lord, nay, infuse into our hearts the virtue of charity and a selflessness that moves us to compassion, to help those who struggle beneath the burdens and sorrows of life.

Contemplatio

“Let us go to him outside the camp, bearing the insult which he bore.  For here we have no lasting city; we are seeking one which is to come.”  - Hebrews 13:13-14

We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, for by thy holy cross thou hast redeemed the world.

Most sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, comforter of the afflicted, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

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The martyrdom of St. Peter of Verona.

He was butchered with an axe and began writing the Creed in his blood on the ground as he lay dying.  I was so deeply impressed, I had to take him as my Confirmation patron, hence the name Peter, which I hyphenated with my Baptismal name, James-Peter.  So I am really Terrance James-Peter Christian.  Isn’t that cool?

Sr. Vivian, my teacher in 7th grade, hated me.  She knew my mother was a divorced, remarried Catholic and my father was Lutheran, that we were poor, and at the time my dad a nerdowell sort of guy.  Vivian was a very unhappy nun.  Although, she had a pet, Philip was his name, and when it came time for us to stand up and relate the biographies of our Confirmation patrons, Philip was just ahead of me with his presentation.

He chose Peter the Apostle (boring!) because he was first Pope and Philip wanted to be a priest - like I wanted to be a priest too Sister.  (I’m sure he became something else, like a mortician or something.)  Viv was absolutely delighted with his story however, clapping her hands.  Then, narrowing her beady little eyes, tightening her lips, she looked sternly at me and announced, “Well class, Mr. Nelson has chosen the same saint Philip has, so we don’t have to listen to him.  Let’s move on.”  And we moved on to hear someone else.  I just stood there open mouthed, convinced she thought I copied Philip.

Yeah, so that is pretty much why I blog nowadays.

(And Cathy wonders why I tend to be misanthropic.)

Looking down to the ground, I say a lttle prayer for Sister, “I hope you’re happy down there.” 

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I never saw the movie ”Emily Rose” but I’m familiar with the story - especially the 3 AM “demonic witching hour” thing.  According to legend, Judas betrayed Our Lord at 3 AM, hence it has become an hour, or time of night the devil is most active, and much evil is committed.  The Virgin also stated as much in her apparitions in Rwanda.

I know when I was out and about in my night-clubbing days, 3 AM was about the time many wicked things took place.  In the Trappists, I always made certain I was in choir by 3 AM to pray in reparation for the sins committed in that hour.  (Vigils were at 3:30 AM, if I remember correctly.)

I mention all of this because I was awakened suddenly last night at 3 AM.  I was deeply distressed - I did’nt recall the Emily Rose thing until now, instead I thought of the Virgin of Rwanda.  Blessing myself with holy water and holding my rosary, I prayed in reparation for the sins being comitted at that hour, and for the conversion of sinners.  The sense of evil vanished, and I was able to go back to sleep.

What prayers did I use?  The Divine Mercy prayers for 3 PM honoring the Passion of Christ, as well as prayers to the Holy Virgin.  There is also an excellent exorcism prayer to the Holy Face I often use:

“Arise O Lord and let your enemies be scattered, and let those that hate you flee from before your Holy Face!”

Has anyone else experienced similar things during the night?  Please share them in the comments section. 

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