Holy Wind

THE WIND BLOWS WHERE IT CAN BREATHE – HUB

(Stained glass image taken from an apse of the St Peter’s Basilica by Gian Lorenzo Bernini circa 1660, Wikipedia)

Last night I feel like I was given a treat. The Fox Movie Channel was showing GRAVITY back to back. Have you seen it? It’s the full length cinema staring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney that I had not seen. What a marvelous story!

What can such a film and our study of prayer have to do with that? Well, without giving away anything of the plot, let me just say, Science Specialist Dr. Ryan Stone, admitted she never was told how to pray, but when back, she whispered, Thank you!

PRAYING SINCERELY

According to theologian Rudolf Bultmann, “There are two ways to think about the Holy Spirit: ‘animistic’ and ‘dynamistic’. In animistic thinking, it is ‘an independent agent, a personal power which like a demon can fall upon a man and take possession of him, enabling him or compelling him to perform manifestations of power’ while in dynamistic thought it ‘appears as an impersonal force which fills a man or woman like a fluid’. Both kinds of thought appear in Jewish and Christian scripture, but animistic is more typical of the Old Testament whereas dynamistic is more common in the New Testament. The distinction coincides with the Holy Spirit as either a temporary or permanent gift. In the Old Testament and Jewish thought, it is primarily temporary with a specific situation or task in mind, whereas in the Christian concept the gift resides in man permanently.”(From ‘Jesus and the Word’, London, 1952)

Prayer then, is sincere Holy-Spirit conscience giving place and showing detracting or revealing thoughts that draw or repell awareness of His presence. We learn by practice. And eventually we catch on. Our space capsule is the Church.

OVERCOMING IMPOSSIBLE DEMANDS – Youth granted wisdom to be saved. (8-26-16)

Imagine, we are alone somewhere orbiting the earth, in the Russian Soyuz capsule, going 17,000 MPH, some 250 miles up. Having had only 2 weeks training with reentry, and are about to panic. A simple whisper about never learning prayer brought help.

(gravitymovie.wikipedia.com)

TEAM PRAYER – Social media church. (8-31-16)

The lost mission commander, George Clooney, appeared at the hatch, tapping to come in. He is allowed in with nonchalant instructions that comforted as well as motivated.  As if an angelic visitation, he is gone. The mystery enables the glorious climax.

‘ETERNAL REST‘ – Video. (9-19-16)

(scifi.stackexchange.com)

She swims to the shore, kisses the mud, says Thank you, and slowly stands up. Oh, the wonderful firmament of earth’s gravity! Having been even months without it, the mere effort of standing up is a struggle — we get this, but she prayed! (Thank You)

WORLDVIEW TWEEK – Our nation’s future depends on this. (10-2-16)

After the movie, the news media had to wow me with its stupid sexual allegations . . . and now our helpmate called a meeting about the family plans for Thanksgiving, which thankfully won’t include us. And that is a worldview tweek we are okay with.

CONTEMPLATING AMERICA – How to pray for America. (10-10-16)

Fall weather is stimulating. It’s quiet, it’s cool, and the stress from neighbors is relaxed (with leaves all over the bad looking grass, the yard is peaceful). Our focus is on spring cleaning — the fall weather is permitting us to so struggle gently here.

I have given the national news a break. Only our loving Father can be trusted. All our prayers prayed, we can now trust heaven to come down. All of the above titles represent the most recent posts from my other, older website. Prayer is the theme.

How can we ultimately discern the truth? Only Jesus said how. He, himself is Truth. And his word is true Covenant. Can we learn the truth? Yes, by dedicating ourself to him and his agency, the Church. The Church, having both Scriptures and tradition, is the believer’s authority. (Jn 14:6; Is 46:19; 65:16; Jn 5:39, 40)

Prayer then, is sincere Holy-Spirit conscience giving place and showing detracting or revealing thoughts that draw or repell awareness of God’s presence. We learn by practice. And eventually we catch on. Our space capsule is the Church . . . put yourself in Dr. Ryan Stone’s place. (This may be easier for some, if not all.)

But relate to God in even the most distant way . . . he is still right there for you. Just greet him. Your heart will catch his present closeness . . . stop denying him. Accept Him and seek his benefits for you: love, joy, peace is yours in him. Just believe, just trust. You can have his personal revelation even now.

Charles Bundschu

@wordlifejournal

(If you read this before I link the prayer-hub for your convenience, you can just go to this link: http://doingjourneytogether.wordpress.com/about  and scroll down to the last five articles.

[All copyright material is used with permission according to the fair use provision of US Copyright Law, that specifies, no product is stolen for profit, and due credit is given. Advertising notwithstanding. Author is not liable for claims of church teaching or text reference authority. Opinions are relative to personal status.]

 

CATHOLIC POLITICIAN HERESY: The right to abortion was invented – video

Our fall decor is something we enjoy, and harvest has begun!

I just heard Father Spitzer explain how Catholic politicians have learned to justify their voting pro-choice, and he presents his Seven Levels of Happiness as a cultural implosion. (theatlantic.com; crediblecatholic.com)

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Many of us new senior Catholics do not realize just how our fallen nature is gaining ground. We are losing the battle, and the stain of guilt upon the church is becoming a stench! Can you see this?

My having dropped out of attendance with Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church was made evident to me this morning when opening my desk drawer to find a stack of offering envelopes.

Then holding them, I noticed the date on the top, was showing today’s date. Oh Father, I prayed cringing in my heart, please forgive my not offering you something. Then my room was filled with grace.

I CAN NOW BETTER UNDERSTAND WOMENS’ CHOICE

The Atlantic Monthly article I just linked to “pro-choice” above, is from a New York City, Jewish ob-gyn doctor, Chavi Eve Karkowski, temporarily serving patients in Israel. (Facebook.com)(theatlantic.com)

This one reading has permanently changed my mind concerning pro-life issues. Read it and see if you don’t agree. All my prayers are now adjusted to consider how complex bearing children really is.

This is key: A woman’s right is to have the medical care she needs to deliver a healthy child. Period; however, all concerns, along with all medical advances, have not made Roe v. Wade necessary . . .

NOW FOR THE ETHICAL ISSUE: PHYSICIANS KNOW THE LAW

The abortion issue was made using legal finagling with a woman’s right to privacy, and the making of a district appellate finding to become a federal law. A mystery — like half our church is liberal.

Our voting is a critical issue in the United States. Understanding pro-life is a political issue for Conservatives. We want a conservative government: One Nation under God. Which means: agreement and unity—where does the Constitution say this?

The Constitution of the United States says federal elections are the choice of the people by electors. (usembasy.gov) This is fair and balanced—each state is represented according to its population.

SO CHURCH SOCIAL TEACHING CAN BE FORMED

WORD ON FIRE BIBLE is a commemorative offer from a favored ministry. They are selling like hot cakes: They translate from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. (wordonfire.org)

Bishop Robert Barron tells us, Eight Facts about Catholics and Politics, which contains the nature of Catholic Social Teaching. It apparently does not fit into one or another political party, but all. (pewresearch.org)

Why this is, is because “Catholic Social Teaching has to be inclusive. Principles of prudential judgment is somewhat understood with a forming of conscience for the (religious) political climate.” Said Bishop Barron. (crs.org video)

40% OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS ARE LATINO-DEMOCRAT

Once a Democrat, always a Democrat — we realize how democratic principles are more conservative than liberal — or is it vice versa? Think about this. It all depends upon what the people know is true. (theweek.com)

And grandfather was conformed to his ways. I am now a great grandfather and can understand how generations change through experience with society and enculturation — forming happens even though the advancing technology puts me in the grave.

The opposite of life is death. Where societal advancements may seem to replace dependence upon rights to life, then death raises its ugly head. A culture of death is forming more and more in liberals.

ZONES OF PRIVACY CREATED THE ABORTION LAW

In a wonderful magazine article called Overruling Roe, in my copy of Columbia, written by the honorable Clarence Thomas, a Catholic, says with his clear dissent, and let me quote here: (issuu.com)

“Today a majority of the Court perpetuates its ill-founded abortion jurisprudence by enjoining a perfectly legitimate state law and doing so without jurisdiction . . . the plurality and the Chief Justice ultimately cast aside this jurisdictional barrier to conclude that Louisiana’s law is unconstitutional under our precedents. But those decisions created the right to abortion out of whole cloth, without a shred of support from the Constitution’s text . . . [Whole cloth is an idiom for fiction.]

“Our abortion precedents are grievously wrong and should be overruled. Because we have neither jurisdiction nor constitutional authority to declare Louisiana’s duly enacted law unconstitutional . . .”

“I respectfully dissent that the Constitution does not constrain the states’ ability to regulate or even prohibit abortion. This court created the right to abortion based on an amorphous, unwritten right to privacy, which is grounded in the “legal fiction” of substantive due process. As the origins of this jurisprudence readily demonstrate, the putative right to abortion is a creation that should be undone . . .

“The Court first conceived a free-floating constitutional right to privacy in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). In that case, the Court declared unconstitutional a state law prohibiting the use of contraceptives, finding that it violated a married couples “right to privacy”.

“The Court explained that this right could be found in the “penumbras” of five different Amendments of the Constitution — the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth. Rather than explain what free speech or the quartering of troops had to do with contraception, the Court simply declared that these rights had created “zones of privacy” with their “penumbras” which were “formed by emanations from those guarantees that help them give life and substance.” This reasoning is as mystifying as it is baseless . . .”

“ Just eight years later, the Court utilized its new found power in Roe v. Wade. There, the Court struck down a Texas law restricting abortion as a violation of a woman’s constitutional “right of privacy,” which it grounded in the “concept of personal liberty” purportedly protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

“The Court began its legal analysis by openly acknowledging that the Constitution’s text does not “mention any right of privacy.” The Court nevertheless concluded that it need not bother with our founding document’s text, because the Courts prior decisions — chief among them Griswold — had already divined such a right from Constitutional penumbras.

“Without any legal explanation, the Court simply concluded that this unwritten right to privacy was “broad enough to encompass a woman’s [abortion] decision.”

“Roe is grievously wrong for many reasons, but the most fundamental is that its core holding — that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to abort her unborn child — finds no support in the text of the Fourteenth Amendment . . .

“More importantly, we exceed our constitutional authority whenever we apply demonstrably erroneous precedent instead of relevant law’s text.”

Justice Clarence Thomas

“More importantly, we exceed our constitutional authority whenever we “apply demonstrably erroneous precedent instead of relevant law’s text.” Because we can neither reconcile Roe nor its progeny with the text of our Constitution, those decisions should be overruled.” (End-quote, Justice Clarence Thomas, Columbia Magazine, September, 2020)

NATIONAL ELECTION AND SUPREME COURT BALANCE

Let me try to complete my web-log with an appeal for truth. Truth is the light while untruth is darkness. Only truth can work while untruth fails. We can live with truth, and with untruth, we die.

As God is our judge, we face an uncertain future with only hope that everything will work out all right. Believing this, we have faith — more than hope — as God is merciful and gracious, his will wins.

My having recently been converted to Catholicism, is an intelligent change of direction. There is so much more to learn about our lives and our family. Please consider your own course-correction: Life.

LET’S AGREE IN PRAYER GOD’S WILL BE DONE!

Charles (Zeke) Bundschu

@Wordlifejournal

[disclaimer: Copyright Permission is granted for quoting text from Columbia Magazine, by the fair use provision of the US Copyright Law which allows for no profits, no losses, credits given, and support with accurate usage. (fairuse.stanford.edu)]

P.S. Please check out an article written on the Ten Commandments Mystery, here. (Dated 2-13-17)

CRISTOBAL TRAGEDY – The Mystery Crash

ACCIDENT CAUSED BY SEVERE RAIN AND HYDRO-PLANING

Credit: WAAY TV 31, photo looking north at head-on collision that closed northbound traffic. Also the safer 2014 Equinox that four survived. (See News)

Showing both cars, at Greenlawn Drive. (credit: (ksat.com)

Today we shared an adventure, Meridianville Alabama for lunch, and shop for another asparagus fern . . .

The southbound traffic was able to slowly proceed, as we were going home behind a large truck (so we could not see this view of congestion, but see us behind the truck?) Only two cars involved: An old Mercedes, and a newer Chevrolet Equinox were involved.

The rain was ferocious as remnants of the tropical storm Cristobal followed us over from where we live in NE Madison (City).

The collision happened when the woman driving the 2001 Mercedes M-class in the fast lane lost control as water on the street causes car tires to be lifted up where control is lost—sending the Mercedes M-class ML320 into the low median, then down and up into the air and descend directly into the path of on-coming Chevy Equinox … (WAAM!)

A Laura Trent, 32, of Huntsville, was instantly killed on impact, but her 3 Year old child survived, and taken to Huntsville Hospital. The 2-year old child, in the Equinox was more seriously injured and was flown to Birmingham University Hospital.

The 2001 Mercedes M-Class ML320 (Wikipedia.org)

The 2014 Chevy Equinox survived a head-on impact best safety rating.

The Equinox contained two adults and two children, and were all taken to Huntsville Hospital, then one child for a CareFlight. (A follow up report is forthcoming) Or not.

NEW DRIVERS’ LICENSE MEANS COMMUNITY IS BACK

So, as the moon is showing 3rd quarter at half declination, at eleven AM in the late morning, I am sitting on our comfy front porch readying to write, I am to head out to get Vivian her license.

Temporary license left, and old photo right—I am still growing!

Vivian was most appreciative of my help that we blessed ourselves with another takeout luncheon only from Ted’s Barbecue for a smoked chicken sandwich with two sides and pudding to go, yum.

For the past three mornings, I’ve awakened with sad thoughts concerning the fatal accident we saw Tuesday, not as witnesses, but as grossly affected observers . . . It’s not something taken lightly.

HOW CAN WE PROCESS THIS CIRCUMSTANTIAL FATALITY?

While driving today, Friday late-morning, I was amazed at the huge surge of traffic in and around West Huntsville Alabama. Tuesday’s fatal accident was like a set trap for someone to literally fall into.

It’s like one-in-a-million happenstance, but it happens! Think about this: Of all the trillions of drivers that drive, that trained by disciplined practice, and have good cars and trucks to drive daily.

It’s a huge responsibility, when we think about it. I even feel I need to pray . . . Waking up this morning was not dreaming, but with a thought to look at a link I made my 2 1/2 years old autobiography.

This was part of the Appendix, a link to a finalized conclusion which I’d never thoroughly researched, but would read later—you know. Well here popped the words, LUMENS FIDAE came to mind. (lumensfidae.com)

SO TODAY WE WAITED TWO HOURS TO LICENSE VIVIAN

(Funny how the name Vivian means full of life) We sat there apart as the seats are separated at least 6 feet apart, we had ten names ahead of us. What did I do? I read most of LUMENS FIDAE.

And what a wonderful encyclical! (Wikipedia.com) A good review from memory, is the description of how similar light is to the spirit world. For example, as opposed to darkness, of course.

In the context of faith, what his Holiness wrote is everything that God might utter into his anointed ear. His objective was to fulfill prayerful thoughts, to his immediate “College of Bishops”.

CONCLUDING, A LESSON TO LEARN FROM THIS ACCIDENT

The teaching given by the Lord Jesus, is just coming to mind: When a wall fell on some people who were all killed, someone asked him, What have you to tell us about their deaths?

And Jesus said, Repent (change your mind toward God, turn around) or you shall also perish! (Luke 13:3 biblegateway.com)

Is that a heartless answer to the question we all ask concerning such circumstantial events? No. It is however, a true word confirmed by stark reality— same question in Tuesday’s accident.

“Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed,
the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant
down to the thousandth generation
toward those who love him and keep his commandments,
but who repays with destruction a person who hates him;
he does not dally with such a one,
but makes them personally pay for it.
You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments . . .” (Deuteronomy 7:7-12

THE BOTTOM LINE

[When it comes down to it, what will convince you that there is an infinite God? That he is our Creator who cares for you, who has the ability to show himself to you in people and able to favor you with life and the knowledge of salvation—that you grow in love for him and his plan for yourself and your family—what will it take?]

Can we say one way or another about the fate of Laura Kent? Because there is no information available about her; (I did send an email to the station manager asking for details) but think about it!

There is no way to assume about her eternal status. We must trust God with all the details involving her and her circumstances . . .

Father in heaven, thank you for your comforting words from Pope Francis in his seven-year-old encyclical showing some light upon faith—our great need to live and move and have our being—in you and your deliverance to save each of us from death, dying and hell.

We lift up the person who was reported killed on our local 231-431 highway last Tuesday. Her name we cannot confirm as yet, but wish to respect her privacy, you know her, we give her soul to you. We pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

All for now, friends.

Charles Bundschu III

@wordlifejournal

First Saturday in Lent

MY PRAYER STATION IS FOR YOU

Today, Saturday, our RCIA class goes to the diocese’s Holy Spirit Catholic Church of all the churches, so I am feeling blessed to go with my sponsors. I wanted to post last Tuesday’s event of Fat Tuesday, and wrote something about Ash Wednesday and St. Valentine’s Day, but I tapped the upper left “x” and it deleted. [That really upset me, but that’s what happens when self-hosting my own blog–so I bit the bullet.] So sorry! (Please forgive me)

I am learning to take responsibility for my actions with respect for the privilege of still having a blog to write. This is keeping my mind active, and my heart listening to my conscience’s God-channel. Prayer is key. Above is my prayer station. I am also blessed with such a comfortable bedroom-office. . .(but this is not supposed to be about me). Mother Mary is in here too:

OUR ELECTION IS MADE SURE

Can I not have a powerfully growing ministry of prayer since becoming Catholic? Since I am losing my transportation—my astuteness has slipped and I agree with spouse that I am not a safe driver. Church online, and prayer time discipline of two hours and 24 minutes (tithing of 24 hours) has been working and enables me to do multiple duties around the house (thanking God continually).

I have been hearing from God to write my autobiography. This may develop into a novel with characters and their dialogue. Similar to last Christmas’ blog post, I changed all the names of our small family to resemble bible characters. That was successful enough to get a positive response from our main family sponsor.

I just heard that it can have my favorite song attached: even to be the title:

“God rest you merry gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay;

Remember Christ our Savior

Was born on Christmas Day;

To save us all from Satan’s power,

As we have gone astray;

O-oh tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfortand joy,

O-oh tidings of comfort and joy.”

TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY?

No, we can’t use that song title (as it is copyrighted), so, the words can be made Jewish with the character names taken from public domain. Is this good to you? It can work for me—we’ll just play it by ear. Hopefully the storyline of my life won’t conflict or take away from actual scripture, since the point of writing this is to use my events as an illustration for readers to be motivated to check in the bible how actually does the truth parallel my life.

CREATEES CAN RELATE TO THE CREATOR

My story must parallel human history: What came first? That’s not hard, but how we got here, may be of interest to family readers. [Even if my book manuscript can be published cheaply, and it can help one family member be moved toward their redemption, my life will have been worth living…legacy worth telling.

A simple character with common features we can relate to, and his or her holy name, (ever notice how many people are named after saints?). I can do that, even with my new patron saint, Anselm of Canterbury.

So, this article will be the last for a while, as I am hearing I can have fifty days to write such an original (novel) autobiography. We can do it, with your prayers and God’s help.

KEEPING ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN,

Oh, bye the bye, that first Saturday of Lent, my sponsor did remarkably introduce me to our bishop, a very personable leader in our diocese. I was led to share with him how I was baptized some 55 years ago. That made an impression because I was not able to find any documentation of it.

So, following the election service, where each of us were anointed by him, we walked by him seated with our pastor, Bishop Robert Baker pulled me gently aside to remark how I might require a provisional baptism. The pastor agreed, and we all agreed. Anyway, I was told not to worry, it will happen.(That was February 17.)

It happened as a pleasant surprise to me that on my birthday, March 28, during the vigil practice, I was called to stand and have my baptism before the class and all their families—it was as public as could be. Everyone applauded and accepted the provisional baptism. [My full communion certificate indicated the correct original date of Mother’s Day 1962.]

The week before, I was quick to be in line for my first confession. I was quickly absolved of all 105 sins I listed according to a website called, guide to good confession (nationalcatholicregister.com)

I felt really good for having prepared to mention the most guilt-laden sins first, and in 10-minutes, 55-years of sins were gone. PTL!

We praise Almighty God for his merciful lovingkindness. He has blessed us with his everlasting grace! I have obeyed God leading me to his true family…as well as the recalling my catholic family heritage, for every one who will follow me. (Thank You!)

Charles Anselm Bundschu

@wordlifejournal

[Song words from c.1760, are used with permission according to US Copyright Law, Fair-use provision, and WikipediaCommons, nothing stolen, nothing profited, and credits given.]

Holy Pit Stop – video

Catholicism Series, Episode 6, The Mystical Body of Christ is available here for your viewing pleasure. May your Easter anticipation remember how you were brought up into this world. We remember Good Friday as an extended nap-time, and mom telling stories of Jesus dying on a cross. Whatever that meant, we didn’t know. But when dad came home from his job, we asked him if he had a good Friday. (wordonfire.com)

. . . Today, we are well into Lent, and because I am being ushered into the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, every day for forty days we read, hear, watch more about the wonderful love of God and his plans for everyone to be there with his only Son on the Cross of Calvary.

NOT BEING TOO PUSHY

I just have to share with you how I was pushed into this direction. We moved here in Madison in North Alabama to be closer to our favorite grandchildren, and as we raised their parents to be baptized in and educated in the associated church school.

I was divorced and newly separated from military service with almost fifteen years, when my new employer recommended going to a local singles group in a non-denominal Christian fellowship. There, we met. She had three children, worked as cashier in a local international ministry, and was looking for a helpmate.

I felt I was qualified. And so I prayed about marrying into her small family. She was a pretty woman, and my attraction to her brought me to God every day for two weeks. I remember God answering me. He said clearly YES! But only as I was to be helping her. That made sense and I proposed before anyone else in the small social circle we had met. She did have a few other good-looking young men-friends lined up. I did not delay, and in two month’s time, God’s grace brought us together legally: Married in the “Overcoming Faith Fellowship” church. Only the assistant pastor officiated, and his wife as witness — but it was a valid marriage. [I learned this early in my quest to join the Catholic Church locally.]

HOLY TEACHING:

But, and get this, the universal (catholic) church cannot accept marriage as divorced to a divorced person. Oh no. I was a doubly sinful, adulterous person! What could I do now? Good news! The Catholic Church teaches how God loves sinners. They have a process for us sinners, by filing a claim to the religious tribunal who exist to officially determine the validity of each marriage.

So Entering RCIA, I spoke with the deacon responsible for this and was given assurance that as my marriages appear to both be religiously valid, meaning not legally annulled, there is still another way to proceed: See the priest, confess my sin, and do penance with contrition , and be absolved of such serious sin. Whatever that meant, I felt eagerly willing to do it. (Thank you God!)

THE FAVOR OF CATHOLICISM

Meanwhile, back to finishing this; I am convinced the Catholic Church (Universal) will lead the world into the last great revival. Everywhere I look, I see the huge movements of people! The people are in mass—greater than rock concerts—much like the million people reached in Africa by Daniel Kolenda and Reinhard Bonnke, Christ for All Nations! (ministrywatch.com)

IF TRUTH BE TOLD

I have a confession to make here, dear reader-follower [or follower-reader]. My hope, this Sunday morning, after attending the Second Sunday of Lent, thankfully, is that my motive for writing anything is coming back and slapping me in the face!

I am not a scholar, and never said so—nor ever let it be said that I am. I learned to write in the military when attending the 23 week US Army Officer Candidate School. They gave a class on the “Disposition Form“; and I learned how to write direct instruction and “Five Paragraph Orders”. [There, that wasn’t so long ago that I couldn’t remember it. (1972)] And, why should I blog this? (You may ask)

ENTERING THE SCRUTINY PHASE

Oh-ho! No, not that! The Church wants me to scrutinize my whole Christian life in order to enter the “Full Communion” of Catholicism. . .as pastor mentioned this morning — to eliminate sin in my life.

. . . It’s like when Billy Graham gets to the Pearly Gates, will they open automatically, or will he have to know the password to digitally enter and open it? (Is this a joke?)

OF COURSE DR GRAHAM IS ENTITLED

But that’s different than self scrutinies that I need to learn and learn quickly. [My whole Christian life has revolved around famous televangelists and their ministries.]

My sins should be all bagged up and ready to drop off my shoulders, when I enter the confessional, but that’s not like Jonathon Edwards has told either. Some more thought has to be given to this, so hear about this — to even tell me I’m wrong:

According to catechism, the Ten Commandments are divided into 2-parts. The first three are are combined into: Love God with all your heart mind soul and strength. While the last seven is condensed into: Love neighbors as yourself.

So, I need to confess only all transgressions that apply, right?

. . . Wrong!

Our RCIA director gave us a 4×5 card that tells us what to say and how to say it. Simple, right? The key is imagine facing the Lord himself, with him already knowing my faults — even most grievous faults. [Oh, I am not looking forward to doing this!]

Alright, even three major sins. Just like the card shows three blank lines. It’s a start. That’s somewhat comforting. Right? [LOL, using two lines just for the two most absolute worst things, I’ve ever done. Good]

SPANKABLE SIN IN SAN ANSELMO*

Here is one sin I admitted to my father that he never spanked me for doing . . . dropping the atom bomb. Playing with a catholic neighbor, we decided to bomb our block. We constructed the bomb by putting heavy rocks in a three gallon bucket, and decided to load it up into the bomb-bay.

Since I determined I was the pilot, I picked a large tree and asked the bombardier to hand it up to me when I climbed up into the first branches, and he said Okay.

I climbed up, he handed me the heavy bomb, I lifted it carefully as high as I could and hung it on the first limb I saw . . .

Before I could climb higher, I told the bombardier to climb higher, but without assuring him it was safe to do so. So he started to climb when the branch broke, the bucket fell, and hit my playmate square on the head — just as I yelled,

BOMBS AWAY!

I never heard such a loud cry for mommy before. My catholic friend fell down with a bloody head, screamed bloody murder, got up running for his house. It was then I knew I was in trouble, deep trouble.

That actually happened when I was about eight. I may have been innocent, and I fully expected a very hard spanking, but instead, I was punished more reasonably by being taken to our neighbors house, and to say I was sorry, and be assured of his survival. I wished I got a spanking. That’s easier.

Well, thanks for reading about my serious sin that may sound funny, but I have always regretted doing such a wicked thing to another, especially a friend. I don’t remember ever playing with him again.

THE WORLD’S RAT-RACE IS EXHAUSTING

You get the idea anyway. I have to tell you more about confession next time.

May your prayers be answered before you ask them.

Charles Bundschu III

@wordlifejournal

Prayer for Freedom

*Where I grew up. There are at least two people I know here, that are from there. And I always believed I couldn’t get here from there. But now I’m hearing I can’t get there from here. (Go to book link here.)

A Christmas Gathering by Frank

OUR INCARNATE FAMILY CHRISTMAS

[Christmas with family this year was left up to the weather. We’ve been keeping in touch with Our Father in heaven; my RCIA class sponsor assured me that my mass attendance obligation, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, was more grace-filled than the announcements. I kept saying it will snow, and wife said, sunshine is her sign to go travel across the state. . .in the flesh.]

Well, I attended early mass ONLINE both days, and it was sunny to begin with, so our hopes were up. BUT! A funny thing happened on the night before Christmas. I was awakened to learn the younger grandchildren, Amos and Lavonah, were coming over to spend the night. That was alright with us, like–how God can we be so favored?–although not planned, their visit was a joy for us. I slept undisturbed, Salome, my wife, chose to sleep a few hours on the love seat.

The teens, college and high school age, had a spat with their mother, Martha, who was ex-wife of their deceased dad, John, our son, and took the advice of their aunt Ruth, and grandma, my wife, Salome, to let their mom, Martha, play Santa-elf by herself at a safe distance. So, they both drove their own cars over and filled up our driveway. A plot for a Christmas family-gathering was beginning to thicken. While I slept, the (sugar plum) kids rushed in (my dreams).

While I slept, to help resolve their differences and remaining neutral, my wife Salome, their grandma, wisely gave them both space in the back room to settle their differences without getting involved, as their mom, Martha, still has legal rights over them, but seemed to have made threats and upset them both. They had just come off of a Mediterranean cruise together, and needed a break from each other, or relief from being cooped up for a week on a ship. (That happens to the best of us.)

TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED

So, after a big breakfast, off we went, in the sunshine, to share the long ride in the granddaughter, Lavonah’s new car across the state. We could not have planned for a better time together. It became a nice break for all of us. It was good to bring both sets of grandchildren together. We rubbed elbows, ate a very practical meal, and got home before dark! A real accomplishment…with gifts! (A big pair of thanks for all the planning of son and daughters for all the grandkids and us!)

The spirit of our family showed its ugly head again when everyone was served and seated, someone said to the host, James, Are we going to pray? And various snide comments came up like what? And No, we are informal here! And, God is good, bless our food. If only we did acknowledge the specialness of the event. I woke up this morning thinking about that, there was grace, even with us unregenerate souls.

HINDSIGHT IS TWENTY TWENTY

After returning home before dark, two memories really stand out. The game of sharing gifts was fun, easy and rewarding. All nine of us were positioned around the living room coffee table taking turns throwing a single die to turn up numbers one through six where we were told to choose a gift, pass it left or right, keep, and so on. Everyone got several gifts and no one knew what gifts they got till all the gifts were taken–finally distributed. [Good gifts like coffee cups, nonstick fry pan, hot chocolate, etc.]

The other spontaneous enjoyable treat was our daughter Ruth, between Salome and me, who led the kids, Amos in right seat, and Lavonah driving, in songs they had learned from their dad, that was fun to sing together. Salome said she watched Amos sing out in abandon with joy. The songs came from the Irish rock band U2 lyrics. It appeared they enjoyed it and even healing was felt. Thank God.

OUR TAKE-AWAY ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS

Today, after morning prayer, bible reading and online mass, I was ready to go exchange the Brazos boots I had asked for to replace my old Carhardtt Boots, They cramped my bigger foot at the top of big toe joint. (They were shown in a former blog.) So today, we went directly to the only store that apparently carries them, and found the next size available. one pair left thank you God!

That store, only three miles away is where our oldest grandson, Joseph, works. His aunt, Ruth, our daughter, promised to get them for my Christmas gift. She was willing to pay big bucks for boots for me. But I was shown, as I looked through several local stores, there are more practical boots that are manufactured with quality materials to wear just as long and look just as good. . .

I turned down her offer initially. Then I measured my feet to learn the ball-park size of my left foot which is smaller than my right foot. [Daughter tells me everyone’s feet are each different sizes.] I found the cheapest good looking boot, took its picture, sent it with the size.

This was simple enough, for daughter Ruth to shop on line, make the purchase, and bring to the party at her brother, James’s house. But the only store that carried that boot was where nephew, Joseph is employed. So, she sent him the money to buy the boots and bring them to the party, which he did. (God’s grace is shown here.)

So at the party I received them exactly as I had ordered them. Glory to God! And I put them on even to wear them while eating dinner. After dinner, and departure, my right foot was screaming! I had forgotten how much bigger the right foot is. And I remembered the Red Wing Store philosophy. They always recommend the next size larger with an insert. (That’s key!)

THIS BLOG IS WRITTEN ON A NEW IPAD UPGRADE

We were also blessed with new hardware and software. By the grace of God and the daughter Ruth’s ability to do this for me, you can view some improvements that only God and his grace in real relatives can provide. Called iPad Wi-Fi, it is lighter, slightly smaller, but twice as smart (from the old iOS-9 to the new iOS-11.) Praise God for family favor!

Let me sum this up by saying how planning for special holiday feasts, religious or otherwise, is too much for us elders. Let grace be surprising. Actually, because of past planning failures, we were willing to not have any family Christmas at all. Yet, alas, our lives can still be open to share our hearts honestly with God’s help to support a small gathering worth celebrating.

The miracle of Christmas is the marvelous birth of Jesus Christ. It’s mystery is what enables all of us to live, love, and laugh together with faith-believing in God, hope for a purpose pleasing to God, and love for and of God to others through a godly family. Such wonders are real, but are sometimes only found through trials and troubles. . .Enough for now.

May the Lord richly bless everyone.

Frank Ketoret (Charles’ boss)

Email: insencefrank@yahoo.com Twitter: @wordlifejournal Facebook: BundschuIIICharles

[DISCLAIMER: “This blog post is based upon actual events, the names have been borrowed because only the bible can relate them. For all others, the events are purely fictitious. Any similarity to any person living or dead is merely coincidental.”]

The Thrill of Holy Thanksgiving

Afternoon tea in the fall sunshine on the porch produces steam (iPhone photo)

This morning, I was wakened by a dream because it was so exciting that my soul was jumping up and down. The basic elements were, I was with creative, musical friends, we were rehearsing a performance, and the Holy Spirit fell on us. It was the kind of excitement I haven’t felt since the film theme, I am a man of constant sorrows. (YouTube.com)

My dream was unusual as I was caught up in the Spirit. It was exciting, good clean fun. It woke me at 3 AM. I used the (water closet) and laid in bed for two hours trying to understand my dream. Like, It’s hard to explain, unless you can relate to the movie that came out of the story written in 1913, and published in 1928. A popular folk song that the south proudly claims some spiritual, bible-belt glory for.(Wikipedia.org)

The day is different because we went to wife’s doctor, and I thought about that even before getting up. It took an hour to see his assistant and get a good enough blood count to come back again in six months. Even that was worth celebrating.

We had lunch at a popular bakery-cafeteria and marveled over the pretty holiday decor throughout the room. I had time to check my email and Facebook wall. The new iPhone is a vast improvement over the last one (even 6 times better). (This is written with it) . . .

SORROW FOR PASTOR IN ZIMBABUE

A simple request for prayer from whom I pray for daily, said they are safe and that their nation is suffering revolts and a military coup. I did not hesitate to share some words of encouragement that he always acknowledges thankfully.

Today is also meeting for church new member initiation called (RCIA). I remembered to call my assistant sponsor, and he said he’s up to it. I am so very pleased with all the positive change that Catholicism has made. My own challenges are to deal with clearing up all past sin which incidently, the Protestant church has no apostolic solution for. I’m looking forward to experiencing that! [My sponsors {both} called unable to give me a ride.]

ANOTHER MOVIE BLESSED ME INSTEAD

It was like a bad dream that I was unable to make RCIA class last night. My heart spoke that I was to get ready and have bookbag and jacket ready to leave. As I waited, I emailed the class coordinator to excuse me from missing class; and standing there in the front room, porch light on, hoping to have a ride show up miraculously . . . turned on the TV . . .

DEJAVU!

This is my personal blogpost that I am privileged to take time to record my unusual life-events, even to share their meaning for all others who may or may not know me personally. But what I hear to share, I need to share. (As long as I get chores done, the wife is free to do her hobby while I do mine.)

THE WORD DEJA VU MEANS “AGAIN VIEW” IN FRENCH

The movie that was playing that I found to watch, was an old favorite! You know, the kind that stops everything, and makes you watch religiously — even without popcorn and candy — For such a movie I will fast anyway! Have you seen this?

I was very disappointed not to go to class, but to get to see the entire film was a gift from God. Instantly my disappointment vanished as I checked how long it played, and realized my prayer time would not conflict — I had already prayed the rosary in the afternoon. (And Mother assured me that it counted). Grace!

The plot has a twist that I can never quite figure out. But the story works! Even if the heroic protagonist dies in the end and comes back to life miraculously; I find myself willing to accept what I was taught in writing fiction–even the partial resolution of the conflict is OK. And even the song, Be happy, everything’s goin-ah be all right, helps viewers return to reality. (Godinallthings.com)

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE EVENTS

Obviously, the writers of this movie really stretched the viewer’s imaginations. The details of the circumstances were put together in such a way as to be believable, and that’s all that matters. It was sad to see how the destruction of some 500 souls was shown, but that added to the gravity to the real event, and made the movie great—can we even imagine all the planning and work it took to put such a terror-attack scene together? Wow! (And, double-wow!)

CATECHISM OF MYSTERY IN REALITY

235 “This paragraph expounds briefly (I) how the mystery of the Blessed Trinity was revealed, (II) how the Church has articulated the doctrine of the faith regarding this mystery, and (III) how, by the divine missions of the Son and the Holy Spirit, God the Father fulfills the “plan of his loving goodness” of creation, redemption and sanctification.”

236 “The Fathers of the Church distinguish between theology (theologia) and economy (oikonomia). “Theology” refers to the mystery of God’s inmost life within the Blessed Trinity and “economy” to all the works by which God reveals himself and communicates his life. Through the oikonomia the theologia is revealed to us; but conversely, the theologia illuminates the whole oikonomia. God’s works reveal who he is in himself; the mystery of his inmost being enlightens our understanding of all his works. So it is, analogously, among human persons. A person discloses himself in his actions, and the better we know a person, the better we understand his actions.” (Vatican.va)

The teaching published as the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us mystery is written into all the miraculous events of the Gospel. However, this does not make church tradition any less real or untrue. This is why such context is made by faith.

The point I believe, is to effectively tell the true claims of Jesus Christ within his contextual history. The timing, events, and persons involved really help. He was described to confirm such claims. And we are faced with accepting or rejecting them by faith alone. He said, Believe Me. So we believe. [Present tense of an action verb in English; but in Greek it becomes the passed or perfect tense, that means continuous action.] (Wikipedia.org)

The reason I value the Catechism of the Catholic Church is that it is so highly documented over all the years. Only the Vatican library can excel the documentation of the Bible itself. Oh, the Bible record is documented, but original sources are non existent in some places. [In other words, we have to trust a scribe copyist version as close enough to original.]

CONCLUSION

This post may have begun with a lot of exciting hype, but it has led us into a reality of mysterious circumstances. I was disappointed that I was kept from going to RCIA class, but now having just heard from our class coordinator, we can enter Thanksgiving week forgiven and forgiving. (I was not disappointed to see the movie!)

I am truly thankful for all parties who are supporting me to become Catholic Christian. The challenge is to learn the truth. My dad used to say, You cannot know another man’s poverty until you let him walk in your shoes. [Or, “You feel sorry having no shoes until you meet a man with no feet.”] Well, this applies to my situation: My poverty is depending on the church to get me in the family — knowing I can depend on volunteer, faithful sponsors who are well and have dependable, safe transportation. [I asked, and I received].

May the grace of God fill your heart with love this holiday season!

Charles Bundschu III

@wordlifejournal

[Note: Permission to share quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church was granted 1-3-2017 by D. Giuseppe Costa as director seqreteria of LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA]

HOW TO STOP HOME-GROWN TERRORISM

ONLY THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH CAN DEFEAT RADICAL ISLAM

The Captive Daughter of Zion, from Pinterest.com by Robert Lentz, OFM, “Mother Mary pray for us.”

[Editor note: Writer is an independent opinion source not authorized by church or state.]

From Trinity Stores crew, I found this wonderful iconic design to express this week’s inspiration. I had an unusual song break into my conscience as I was getting out of bed yesterday. I looked it up and found the lyrics. “Blow the trumpet of Zion, Zion; sound the alarm on the holy mountain. . .” You know the tune, right? It’s powerful enough to get us going!

“SOUND THE ALARM!”

Isaiah 52:1-2 NIV, by Andrea Howey, (Pinterest.com)

An image of Mary, as Pope Francis says in homily, The beautiful image of Mary by Esteban Murillo, is for the “solemnity of our holy Mother of God.”(Wikipedia)

A MELODY IS DROPPED INTO MY CONSCIENCE AGAIN

We went out in the rain for a Friday tour through the Historic District around downtown. Springtime is so pronounced that life practically hit us in the face with it’s beauty. We had just bought our lunch, and heading for the park on California, when I heard the faint melody in my heart (conscience). I looked it up as a lyric of Karen Carpenter, and it was first.

Let me see, it was Monday morning, getting out of bed, that I heard the Israeli melody for Sound the Alarm. And today, a melodious theme song. This doesn’t happen all the time. And, it happens the same way that I hear from God. What is happening here? My prayers for Holy Spirit fellowship are being answered. . .or there is an important message here!

MEANWHILE, BACK TO THE CAPTIVITY OF ZION’S DAUGHTER

My search for appearances of our Holy Mother Mary found a total of 295 sightings reported, and only twelve of which are approved. The latest was in May 2008, for of 17th and 18th century apparitions. (CatholicOnline) The list goes on — The Mary app shows fourteen by date, from Guadalupe, Mexaco in 1531, to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina in 1981.

“Mary’s whole task is to lead people closer to Jesus. The more we get to know her and have a fervent devotion to her, the better she can lead us to her Son. For this reason, the Second Vatican Council states, ‘Everyone should have a genuine devotion to [Mary] and entrust his life to her motherly care.'”

 (See the The Mary app)

The bottom line here, is the Blessed Virgin appearance to the Jewish people in the Nazi concentration camps, to the Nazi captors, and to all persons present at several locations, at several times. (See dates, places and times) Banneux, Belgium; there were so many unapproved appearances, that we might hear what the artist says about his painting design.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

“For centuries Christians have called Mary the Ark of the Covenant. As they used other Jewish titles for her, seldom have they accepted the fact that she was a Jew. If Mary had lived in Nazi Germany, Mary would have been thrown into a concentration camp with other members of her race. 

“Jewish Mary is the archetype of the Christian church, a church that stood by silently while her people were being exterminated. This icon is an act of repentance for Christian indifference, then and now. 

“We shudder at what the Nazis did, but 1,000 years of forced conversions and violent persecutions by Christians paved the way for the Nazi Holocaust. When the exterminations began, most Christian leaders followed the example of Pius XII and kept silent, fearing that Hitler might attack Christian institutions if they spoke out.”

DO SILENT PROTESTS WORK?

“While their leaders kept silent, a handful of Christians did risk their lives to help Jews. One of these was a Russian nun in Paris, named Maria Skobtsova. ‘If we were Christians we would all wear the Star,’ she said. ‘If the Germans come looking for Jews, I’ll show them an icon of the Mother of God!’ She said.

“In this icon Mary wears a large yellow Star of David with the word “Jew” on her left shoulder. The Nuremberg Laws forced all Jews in Nazi territories to wear this badge. Jesus is wearing a prayer shawl over his Byzantine garments and is holding the Torah. The Hebrew inscription at the bottom of the icon reads: Captive Daughter of Zion, and is taken from Isaiah 52:2.”

JUDEO-CHRISTIAN ANTI-SEMITISM

“Anti-semitism is again growing in “Christian” countries, because it is easier to look for a scapegoat than it is to work for justice. The Madonna and Child stand before us as a challenge. We must never again stand by in silence. Never again can we claim not to know.” Said Fr Robert Lentz OFM.

HAS AMERICA LOST ITS LEADERSHIP PLACE AMONG CHRISTIAN NATIONS?

Can citizens of the free world arm themselves with God’s armor, willing to die for Christ in the Holy Spirit of The Son of God, and stand up to all false religions, especially redical Islam, then a few more of us become saints while our nation begins to see to declare full-scale war — and deny juris prudence to enemy combatants. . .Sending them to an early grave!

As a praying Christian, I may be hearing from God about what to write weekly, interceding for hundreds of church leaders, and reminding all my family and friends that the last days are here, but no one will listen. If we can’t go back in time, at least we can take a lesson of history with us. 

“Wake up!” Isaiah the prophet calls with God’s voice. We have got to wake up!

Does any of this make sense to you? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that the enemy has a somewhat successful word-of-mouth ad campaign — the Enemy has control of all rebellious persons. Rebellion to the Truth means acceptance of the Enemy’s lies. The ideology of evil is against the ideology of good. Satan is Islam’s god, called Allah.

How do we wage a holy war with Islam? We already are. Here is the Catholic Church’s plan. Start at ground zero. Call a meeting of all Islam’s leaders. Explain there is a new rule in our “free country“, that if you want to live here , you must abide by our laws. The choice is clear, go back to school, learn principles of being an American. America is not Islam!

If Muslims cannot choose to become American citizens and let their evil Islamic practices of false peace go, then they must be exported to their own homeland. It can’t be made any clearer. The seeds of radical Islam exist in the nest of holy Muslim  hearts. They teach their children to believe the lies of Muhammed, and to hate America. This is common worldwide.

NO ONE CAN BE FORCED TO BELIEVE THIS, BUT EVIL MUST BE DESTROYED!

Pray for enforcable peace! The world’s system is corrupt, and always will be. The god of the world must yield to our Creator. Human beings are not gods, but can wisely choose to align with our God, yet only according to His plan. Believe the Gospel, and be baptized in your local Catholic Church. Having done this, by faith, you can put on the full armor of God, and join the family for freedom from fear of evil terrorism.

May the LORD bless and keep you,

Charles Bundschu

@wordlifejournal (Tweet me!)

[Editor disclaimer: Use of copyright material is permitted under fair use provision of the US Copyright Law with no profit or loss, full credits given, and free gratis publishing.]

Grafting Church

Available symbols on my desk that tell my story

 

CAN THE CHURCH TODAY FOCUS UPON ITS WARRIOR KING?

A wonderful opportunity is presenting itself for this issue: The Tomtato plant which is framed over my desk is figuratively jumping up and down crying out to write about it, so I acknowledge to honor our Tomtato. . . This post has also gotten some good direction to explore further the continuing vision about the future of our Christian family — grafting two plants.

The above illustration was taken in spring as the sun was brighter, and the pet rock was so eager to be immortalized. A faithful paperweight to be sure, but it also reminds me of our function to love. It was a gift given to a small grandson because he said he wanted it. Represented a family relationship, the rock was worth telling about our love for children. 

My story today involves three points; the bullet, the pointer, and the shadow. All three can be found in the Grafting of the tomato plant with the potato plant. And of course this is a very humble representation of our Church today. But God is revealing all this to me to show us how He is alive and in complete control of human, current events. 

THE BULLET

Bullets are proud symbols, but this one is humble aluminum made to contain electronic storage, as you can see the screw top line and the small hole in the bottom. The size of storage is two whole gigabytes, and it contains the long outline of the complete explanation of the Jewish Feasts. It was given me for attending the church interest group. It has some history.

The calibre of such a bullet size is about that of a 30-06 shell in length, but enlarged in diameter (there is no weapon for this size bullet). The function here is to point. To direct our eye down range from the bright stagelight that shows some unity with a direction. It appears to to be leaning back while it is mysteriously pointing down to the target center. 

THE POINTER

This symbolic bullet-pointer is placed to cast a shadow upon the target center, if only to draw our eye to the rock paperweight that is bringing a message. The one-word message is what I originally thought made the photo meaningful, but now, the means of this objective carries more weight. The contrast of light and shadow is less noticed by design.

The environment of full daylight and dark shadow speaks of something else that our lives require more time and investment. A child knows nothing of light nor darkness, but accepts their existance and learns to follow its direction. We are hunting for a greater significance for the sunlight, the bullet, and the rock paperweight. We find it in the shadow. 

THE SHADOW

The bullet focuses our attention by directing its shadow into the center of a target-like letter of a word written on a granite stone. Without the shadow, without the sunlight, we might just miss the bullet’s function altogether. The bullet is made for killing, and for defense from killers — a weapon. The shadow its existence casts is a passive but assertive function.

Like the steeple of the local church that peacefully points to the heavens, our bullet points to the very message of our church. The message of power beyond our weapons . . . love transcends every evil darkness. Evil darkness is able only to speak to all men who choose to walk in darkness, but ‘All the power of darkness is unable to blow out a single candle’.

Now to the grafting of the tomato and potato plants. The Pomato Tomatoes  grow above ground in full sunlight, while the potatos grow below the surface of the ground in total absence of light or in shadow. They are easily grafted together at the ground level and both feed each other of necessary nutrients. I Googled it because of our print of a potted Tomtato plant. 

OUR CHURCH IS ALSO CAPABLE OF GRAFTING TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

The future of church unity is detailed in a document called Vatican II. You may read about it here or go directly to the document itself which is openly posted online. Reading it is not difficult because it is documented like you’d think a church constitution should read. (taken from Grace Communion International, https://www.gci.org/history/vatican)

“On October 11, 1962, twenty-four hundred Roman Catholic bishops marched phalanx-style in rows of six through St. Peter’s Square. Behind them strode the College of Cardinals, followed by Pope John XXIII, seated in a massive chair and carried by attendants. The entourage went into the splendid basilica, and the prelates took their seats. Across the aisle sat observers from other Christian faiths, invited by the Pope to attend the proceedings. The Second Vatican Council — the 21st ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church — was about to begin.(link shows all churches)

“Vatican II was the largest council gathering in the church’s history. The Council held 178 meetings in four successive years, adjourning Dec. 8, 1965. It produced 16 official documents. Several focused on ecumenism and unity with non-Catholic Christians. Pope John XXIII died in 1963, after the first session. The newly elected Pope Paul VI continued Vatican II with the same goals John had proclaimed.”

The above cgi article reads into the following areas of objection that seem to be common reasons nondenominational fellowships deny communion with Catholicism. If you agree with these objections, you are certainly not alone. But these points describe a wall between the Christian institutions and the Universal Church. The grafting process begins here.

CHURCH GRAFTING MEANS RESOLVING DISAGREEMENT TO UNDERSTAND COMMON TRUTH

“Papal authority and infallibility.

“Means of grace and role of the church’s sacraments.

“Relationship between Scripture and Roman Catholic tradition.

“Purgatory and devotions to the saints.

“Devotion to the Virgin Mary, her immaculate conception and bodily assumption.

“The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

“Identity of the Church as perceived by Catholic dogma.”

THE ANSWER IS FOUND IN THESE PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH ONENESS: 

I. THE CHURCH IS ONE “The sacred mystery of the Church’s unity” (Catechism Part One, Profession of faith, section 2, chapter 3, article 9, paragraph 3)  [www.Vatican.va]

813 The Church is one because of her source: “the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.”259 

The Church is one because of her founder: for “the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, . . . restoring the unity of all in one people and one body.”260 

The Church is one because of her “soul”: “It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church’s unity.”261 

Unity is of the essence of the Church:

CHURCH UNITY IS NOT OPPOSED TO DIVERSITY

“What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her “Church.”262

“814 From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God’s gifts and the diversity of those who receive them. Within the unity of the People of God, a multiplicity of peoples and cultures is gathered together. Among the Church’s members, there are different gifts, offices, conditions, and ways of life. 

“Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions.”263 

The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church’s unity. Yet sin and the burden of its consequences constantly threaten the gift of unity. And so the Apostle has to exhort Christians to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”264 

CHARITY BINDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY

815 “What are these bonds of unity? Above all, charity “binds everything together in perfect harmony.”265 But the unity of the pilgrim Church is also assured by visible bonds of communion:

• profession of one faith received from the Apostles;
• common celebration of divine worship, especially of the sacraments;
• apostolic succession through the sacrament of Holy Orders, maintaining the fraternal concord of God’s family.266

816 “The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter’s pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it. . . . This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him.”267

THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL’S DECREE ON ECUMENISM EXPLAINS

“For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God.”268.

Let me conclude here and now with these summary thoughts. . .

Let’s say the bullet is our heart, the sunlight is God’s grace, and the shadow is the Holy Spirit focused upon the message of the Rock. The Rock then, has to be both Peter and the foundation of the church.(Mt. 16:18, 1Cor. 3:11, Eph. 2:20, 1Pe. 2:5,6; Rev. 21:14) [“Five different metaphors for the foundation of the church.” Bishop Robert H. Brom]

The process of grafting two plants (or churches) together successfully, requires they are the same size in diameter. . .meaning, although their environment differs, the teachings, the nutrients, the sustenance are understood as easily appling to both organisms. In other words, when the conditions of the process are fulfilled, the desired result will happen.

Finally, our viewpoint reverses. We are the Rock with the brand of love upon us, and are looking into the grace (sunlight) of God. God is revealing the one common denominator among all our fractured or dysfunctional bodies. The bullet. Remember how it represents our weapon for killing. . . and the grace of God is featuring it. But our weapons aren’t carnal.

If all Christian Churches have our enemy in common, and the enemy is undefeated because we are not united against him, we will then acknowledge that our common enemy is keeping us in strife and unable to realize the reality of church unity. The defeat of our enemy is revealed in the dark side of the bullet. We can all agree to be obediently grafted together, and,

THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST US!

Blessings of the second Advent,

Charles

@wordlifejournal

Crosswalking

SOMETHING BELIEVERS SOMETIMES COMMIT TO DO

Yesterday, I was invited to begin a discussion on the website I had to join in order to comment about another blog. It’s called Disqus.com, have you heard of it? So, anyway, I quickly rethought my original comment, which, honestly, was not that good. But since it was a newly posted article that featured the photo of the newly launched US Navy Destroyer Ship and video, my opinion about it, as a classified government issue, and, well, I guess I helped stimulate some activity.

Here is the crosswalk I found to post with disqus.com. Located in Hawaii in two locations, someone thought a crosswalk modification might create some interest. But for only eight short paint stripes, the ‘ALOHA’ crosswalk cost their community $4,000 to fix. (kron2.com)

The reason that ‘crosswalks’ came up, was how during our errand-running, we drove through a newly popular business section of our city [Providence] that has had some crosswalks newly installed which we drove over making bumpity-bumpity sounds and made an impression in my conscience. And the theme of my Disqus.com post was appropriate.

ANOTHER IMAGE OF CROSSWALKING

from Christianitymalaysia.com

MALAYSIA’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE CHRISTIAN

“Christian suffering has to do with the cross you and I take and heave on our backs. As John White states,

“It is a suffering because of a deliberate choice. The kind of cross to which Christ refers in Luke 9:23 is not a cross of rheumatism or of the petty annoyances in life. It is the badge of a true follower of Jesus. It may take any form, sickness, loneliness, persecution or even death.”

 (John White, Magnificent Obsession, rev. ed (Downers Grove, Ill:Inter Varsity Press, 1990), 75.

I cannot actually find an example of “deliberate choice suffering” just mentioned . . . except possibly one. When St. Paul told of his thorn in the flesh, which he wanted to be healed of, and asked three times for relief. You remember that. (2 Cor. 12:7-9) God told him, no. “No, my grace is sufficient for you, your strength is made perfect in weakness.” . . . Which helps my faith to understand, somewhat.

So I have had to go deeper. (Even while the Presidential debates are broadcasting, listen to this!)

OUR PARTICIPATION IN CHRIST’S SACRIFICE

“The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the one mediator between God and man. (1Tim.2:5) But because of his incarnate divine person, he has in some way united himself to every man, ‘the possibility of being made partners in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery.’ is offered to all men ” (GS 22 5 cf 2: ref. to Gaudium et spec > [Second Vatican Council paragraph])

“He called his disciples to take up their cross and follow him.” (Mt.16:24)

“For Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example so that we should follow in his steps.” (1 Pe.2:21) 

In fact, Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice, those who were to be his first beneficiaries. (Mk. 10:39; Jn. 21:15-19; Col.1:24)

“This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering.” (Lk. 2:35). 

[“Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” – St. Rose of Lima, vita mirabilis (“A Wonderful Life”), Louvain 1668]

CARRYING THE CROSS – OIL ON CANVAS

The Crucifixion by Fra Angelico (Guido di Pietro) Metropolitan Museum of Art

JESUS ACTUALLY DIED NAILED TO A ROMAN CROSS

Listening to a sermon or homily taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells that Jesus died by crucifiction. And his cross-carrying walk happened after a beating that exceeded the maximum stripes. Can we even imagine the severity of pain his skin cried out to him? Then add the pain of muscles lifting to exhaustion!

But, being the Son of God he was, he had to know the depths of suffering he was still willing and able to endure — if only to please his Father in heaven. After all, he had only one life to give, but only his singular, sinless life could pay the huge price needed to redeem all mankind from original sin. [This plan could only be devised by Father and Son.]

ALL MANKIND IS REDEEMED FROM THE ORIGINAL SIN INHERITED FROM ADAM AND EVE 

The wonderful news of this truth is glorious! And history confirms it. But if someone hears and believes this, he still must come into the Church to receive the effected cleansing. The sacrement of baptism is what cleanses a soul from original sin. Did you know this? Hope of being saved is here. Joining the Body of Christ bears entrance to holiness.

The point of crosswalking is simple. Look both ways, up and down, before you decide to cross the street to enter the church. Everyone needs faith to do this, but not understanding the eternal benefits, that are true, and for everyone, might just keep some from desiring to enter. The enemy is smarter than we think, HE can close someone’s mind here.

I learned something about the crucifixion today. I was requested to drive Miss Daisy to a craft store across county lines while the clouds darkened and a wonderful series of cooling showers came all around us. At the store, I walked right to the book display. And there was a new book that caught my eye. The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn. I asked to have it.

“How much?” She asked. 

“Twenty dollars.” I said, having looked at the back jacket. 

Then she turned to the front cover, after admitting “we’ll just have to get it then.” 

And then, we both looked at the discount price, which was fifty percent. (That to my mind is a gift of grace!) 

Now let me share what I found what Rabbi Jonathan Cahn said in his book about the crucifixion:

“If the death of the Messiah was ordained by God, an event of the highest holiness, why did it happen through such unholy means?” I asked the teacher. (page 77, The Priests of the Offering)

“The key people who delivered Messiah to his death were the high priests, Sanhedrin, sons of Aaron. They were the regular officials who made offerings of sacrifices, while Yeshua (Jesus) was the Lamb of God, as prophecy tells us. So they killed him because they were anointed to kill God’s Lamb, and he was anointed to die by their authority.”

“So they killed him because they were priests, and he was the sacrifice?” I asked.

“Not because they knew what they were doing, but nevertheless, because they were the ones ordained to do so.” Teacher said.

“But they were evil,” I said, “And their motives and actions were corrupt.”

“And yet through their actions came deliverance,” his teacher said. “The world is filled with evil, with the imperfect and the wrong. But causes all these things, the wrong, the imperfect, and the evil, to work together for the good, the holy, and the perfect. . .in this world and in your life. . .

“The tears, the crises, the heartbreaks, the evil, and all the wrong, will in the end, become the priests of the offering, to fulfill the sacred purposes and blessings God has ordained for your life.” (The Good Friday Sacrifice Mysteries, Charismahouse.com, Lake Mary, Florida, 2016. Used under fair-use provision of the US Copyright laws as permitted.)

IS THERE ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THIS WORLD WORKING FOR EVIL?

Such revelation of the mystery of how and why our Savior willingly carried his cross to die is understanding my faith can benefit for having. I can even apply this to our national Presidential election even two to three weeks away. The enemy gets me down to think horrible thoughts about a humanist-liberal, atheist woman, cousin Hillary, becoming President.

Having some more understanding about Jesus Christ’s work on the cross that he gloriously finished for us, it seems to me we can find comfort that he humbly knew what he was doing, and by God’s grace he did it! And by God’s grace we receive it! Satan has someplace in our homes, our schools, and our courts. We recommit to carrying the cross he gives us to carry.

My cross is now praying to learn more comforting, mystery-revelations to share with your suffering hearts. 

Charles Bundschu

@wordlifejournal