Watching the O’Reilly Factor…..

•February 5, 2010 • Leave a Comment

And I saw that Planned Parenthood is hiring former NFL and other former athletes to speak out in favor of pro-choice for an ad because of the Pro-Life ad during the Super Bowl.

Wake up American! Abortion is wrong, period end of story and no athlete is going to convince people otherwise. Over 50% of Americans believe Abortion is wrong.

Also how can people attack a Mother Teresa stamp because she is religious and a Catholic? Sad world….

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

•January 31, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Luke 15:11-32 – And [Jesus] said, “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”(RSV)

A New Pro-life Documentary

•January 25, 2010 • Leave a Comment

January 22, 2010

•January 22, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Sadly, today is the 37 anniversary of the legalization of Abortion, the killing of unborn children in their mothers wombs. Reflecting on this tragic event I can’t but feel sad for our nation… The loss of the love of God in many peoples hearts is just appalling. Abortion= a loss of the love of God in a person’s heart. There is not way around that. God is the giver and lover of life. He formed us out of the dust and he knows each and every one of us from our mothers womb.

 Sin is the greatest cause of abortion. For sin distorts people form the reality of God’s love and plan for life. Sin has led us away from God’s plan for sexuality. Sexuality, a God-given beautiful thing, has been highjacked by the “sexual revolution”. This tells us that sex if for anyone to enjoy, at any time, with anyone. Left out in this so-called revolution is God’s plan for sexuality, namely theses things;  The one flesh union between a man and woman . The sacramentality of Marriage, expressed in the unitive love of husband and wife. And lastly the procreation (sex is designed to make more of us). Replacing these wonderful things are the attitude of its my body I will do what I want, sex is for fun and when I choose for reproduction and why wait till marriage (or why can’t a man and a man get married). These things are the complete opposite of what God wants for us. He wants us to enjoy our sexuality as He created it, not as we sinful creatures conceive of it.

Abortion is the direct result of these sinful and prideful actions on our account. Who is the victim of our own self-gratification? Innocent unborn children are one of the victims, the others are the mother and father of the unborn. We don’t hear much about this but the fact is that most people regret their abortion. Even the famous Roe in Roe v. Wade is now a pro-life activist.

The genocide needs to stop! organizations like Priests for Life need our help. We need to educate our young people to create a culture of life and end the culture of death! For if we continue to kill the unborn the further and further in sin our nation, our culture will descend, leading not to life but to death.

May the light of Christ show through to all leaders of the pro-life movement. May Christ convert those who support or fund abortion. May the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, the queen of all earthly mothers, intercede for those Mothers who are contemplating abortion. May God forgive those who have completed or preformed abortions and may the souls of the innocent be given eternal rest in the light and love of the Triune God. Amen.

http://www.priestsforlife.org

Choose life!

•January 22, 2010 • Leave a Comment

It is late on Thursday night here in San Diego. I am just a little melancholy because of the sad anniversary that is tomorrow. How can any civilized society slaughter its most innocent citizens? I plan on reflecting more on this sad event tomorrow. If you can please attend Church and pray to end abortion.

Isn’t it funny that every one who is pro-choice is already born? Their parents choose life. I thank God my parents choose life because it is the right thing to do. All babies are a gift from God, not something to get rid of because it is an inconvence.

Edgar Allen Poe

•January 20, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Today is the 201st birthday of one of my favorite American Authors- Edgar Allen Poe. What I am about to say may seem odd, since Poe is considered by some as one of the darkest poets in American literature, but I find some comfort and warmth in the works of Edgar Allen Poe.

Poe, at least in my humble opinion, is trying to deal with the frailty of human life and cope with tragedy and suffering. He writes from his soul and I find his honesty to be very refreshing. I find warmth in his works  because it is in the universal frailty of man and our coping with extreme tragedy that ultimately we find comfort in the Triune God!

While Poe may or may not agree with me, his works bring this our for me. For someday the Raven will quote for me and every man, “nevermore”. This life is but a short while, while God is eternal, remembering this will lead us to spend our life in peace and repentance.

Happy Birthday Edgar Allen Poe!

Back From Vacation!

•January 12, 2010 • Leave a Comment

After a short vacation to Puerto Rico I am back. Expect some more posts and a few pictures of Puerto Rico to come shortly! Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

Christ is Born!

•December 26, 2009 • 1 Comment

Glorify Him!!!

Merry Christmas!

The Pre-Nativity Feast

•December 21, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Glory to Jesus Christ!

 It is that time of year once again, school is winding down, finals almost over and my last research paper is due. So I have been busy, and of course adding work on top of it all it has been a busy month. Yet in the midst of all of this it is also that over commercialized time of year known in America as Christmas. To me, the word Christmas, in the United States has very little to do with the actually Christian feast that we are celebrating on December 25. So I prefer the term Nativity, since it is separated from this over commercialization. Now, I will be the first to admit that I love some of the classic American holiday traditions; Christmas lights and tress and of course gift giving. Still this is part of “Christmas” and has little to do with the Nativity of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, the real reason for the season.

In the Roman Catholic Church Advent is coming to a close and for us in the Byzantine Catholic Church we have entered into the Forefeast of the Nativity. For us Catholics of the Byzantine Rite we love to celebrate our great Holydays with Forefeasts and post-feasts. These periods can last form one day to a few days, to even a few weeks after Pascha. So it is in this vain that I wanted to post today.

 At work today I had the chance to pray in Front of the Blessed Sacrament in the Roman-rite Church of the Immaculate Conception here at USD (the school I work for). I found myself saying for memory some of the traditional Byzantine Prayers but it was the spontaneous prayer afterwards that I wanted to share. I’m will try to do my best to remember it completely. I hope others can use this pray to help them in this pre-Nativity feast.

 Lord as we begin the forefeast of the Nativity help me (us) to remember the Incarnation of the Word of God. Helps us to remember that Jesus came into the world and took the form of a simple Child, completely becoming God and Man, the Theanthropos, help us to be child like in love for you. Keep us on the narrow path to Salvation, when we fall bring us back, for you our humanities only hope  and only through you can we be given eternal life. Incarnate Word of God, oh Jesus Christ, let us celebrate your Nativity with prayers and thanksgiving. Forgive me (us) my offenses and protect my vocation to the priesthood and my future marriage  (insert on prayers).  Let me (us) show the light of your Incarnation to all those who I (we) meet, and also let me see you light in them. Christ if Born, Glorify Him! Amen. By Nelson Chase

Wishing everyone a happy and Blessed Forefeast of the Nativity in the flesh of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us approach the Winter Pascha in peace and forgiveness.

 Prepare, O Bethlehem, for Eden has been opened to all!
Adorn yourself, O Ephratha, for the tree of life blossoms forth from the Virgin in the cave!
Her womb is a spiritual paradise planted with the Divine Fruit:
If we eat of it, we shall live forever and not die like Adam.
Christ comes to restore the image which He made in the beginning! From OCA.org

Saint John of the Cross

•December 15, 2009 • Leave a Comment

The 14th of December is the Feast of our Holy Father John of the Cross. Saint John of the Cross is a saint of the Carmelite order (O.C.D) and one of the great doctors of the Universal Church. Currently I’m reading his work Dark Night of the Soul.  Saint John wrote poems that are deep and spiritually powerful. May he intercede for us before the throne of heaven.

On a darkened night,
Anxious, by love inflamed,
– O happy chance! –
Unnoticed, I took flight,
My house at last at peace and quiet.

Safe, disguised by the night,
By the secret ladder I took flight,
– O happy chance! –
Cloaked by darkness, I scaled the height,
My house at last at peace and quiet.

On that blessed night,
In secret, and seen by none,
None in sight,
I saw with no other guide or light,
But the one burning in my heart bright.

This guide, this light,
Brighter than the midday sun,
Led me to the waiting One
I knew so well — my delight!
To a place with none in sight.

O night! O guide!
O night more loving than the dawn!
O night that joined
The lover with the Beloved;
Transformed, the lover into the Beloved drawn!

Upon my flowered breast,
For him alone kept fair,
There he slept
There I caressed,
There the cedars gave us air.

I drank the turret’s cool air
Spreading playfully his hair.
And his hand, so serene,
Cut my throat. Drained
Of senses, I dropped unaware.

Lost to myself and yet remaining,
Inclined so only the Beloved I spy.
All has ceased, all rests,
Even my cares, even I;
Lost among the lilies, there I die.

http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/J/JohnoftheCro/DarkNight.htm