Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 30
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On this last day of the Writing Challenge, some reflection upon the last 30 days is called for. Did I see what I hoped to see during this month of November, disappointingly No.

If you remember, I had hoped to chronicle the promised great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If it is going on right now, then it is nowhere to be found in my neighbourhood and region. In fact, compared with the beginning of November there have been more setbacks and closed doors.

Perhaps the only thing gained is a better understanding of how the prophetic words, if they are genuine, fit together. So here goes my interpretation:

Whatever is going to happen is going to be completely God initiated. The most we can do is to prepare our hearts as best we can, and continue to pray. One image used was divine fire coming down from heaven and igniting some chosen hearts and not others. Another image used was of wildfire angels bringing this transformation to individuals. Upon those for whom this happens, there will be given extraordinary purpose and anointing to accomplish that purpose, and they are likely to be young people, people who have been through trauma and times of great testing, people who are normally overlooked or ignored, and some that you'd expect to have been too worldly like socialites and members of bikie gangs.

Whatever is going to be initiated by God is going to go a long way towards denominational unity, but not without a fair bit of denominational chaos. Many of you have read the stories of how the Catholic charismatic renewal started. Think about how you would react if 20 people from diverse backgrounds walked into your church praising God like King David did, preaching, prophesying and healing people. Are you going to join them, and fall on your knees to pray for guidance in how to work with this movement or grace? Or are you going to find extraordinary new sympathy for the chief priests and elders who had to deal with the growing aftermath of the first Pentecost?

Another certainty is that it won't be taking place in a vacuum. Of the things that have happened this November the increasing secularisation of society, the public rejection of God's blueprints for happy human life, and increasingly public displays of hatred toward Christianity are quite notable. For God's people to withstand the pull to be liked and popular and safe - there has to be an increase in God's active power in the lives of believers. It is not too hard to see a separation taking place between those who actively believe in God and those who want freedom from anything to do with God – just read the comments on social media. Any middle ground between these two sides is rapidly diminishing, and everyone will have to confront the necessity to choose. Without the special graces from God no one would have the strength to endure martyrdom and persecution.

Something we have witnessed this November is the exposure and removal of corruption, especially in the entertainment industry and in politics. It stands to reason that you can't build new structures of grace to buttress a world-wide conversion to God unless you first dismantle the structures of sin and conspiracies of malice.

On the one hand we have people declaring breakthrough, and victory, and new authority and new ministries, increase and acceleration and an end-time harvest. Whether this is solely an evangelistic harvest of souls to active faith in Jesus or whether this is a harvest of all the sowing that has taken place in tears in the fields of family, parish, education and employment – or both, is unclear. I hope it is both.

What harvesting actually means in this context and how to do it, that's a mystery. All of my tentative steps to bring some God stuff into conversation have yielded nada on the scale of visible results. If the harvest is indeed great and ready, surely there would be big response to just about any effort. Maybe that's just epic fail on my part due to lack of courage to rock the boat by questioning the dubious moral situations many of my acquaintance are in.

On the other hand, there's a more recent theme in prophetic word that you won't get the goodies (breakthrough, harvest, abundance, rewards) unless you battle with the enemy to attain them. In effect, the promised goodies are the spoils of warfare.

What warfare actually means in this context, and how to do it, well that's another mystery. It could be the spiritual warfare of intercession, praying in union with others that God would bring down and destroy all the strongholds of the enemy. It could be the daily battle to believe that God cares and is preparing great and wonderful destinies when all you see around you are broken dreams, disappointments, and the aridity that comes when there are no answers to prayers and no obvious explanations for why it feels like God is ignoring you and that you have been completely abandoned. It could be deliverance ministry. It could be all of the above.

Over and over there have been other themes of surrender to God's will, of resting in Him and not striving, of seeking a deeper walk of intimacy with Him. In the light of the themes of divine fire they make some kind of sense. To be able to host the presence of God at a level like this will indeed require massive preparation of the heart.

Another recurring theme is, 'Are you ready?' This bit made more sense over the last 24 hours when reflecting on Mark 13:33-37 and the call to stay awake. Have you ever had a relative arrive home from overseas? You know they are coming, but due to customs and traffic delays, you have no idea exactly when. If you want the best bit of their homecoming and the freshest sharings of their adventures, you have to be there when they arrive. If you have dozed off and need to be awoken, you will have missed the best bit. If something happens and you only get to hear them retell their story for the 2nd, 3rd for 4th time, then you aren't going to get it all. With each retelling, it gets shorter and less enthusiastic. So in the same way, those who are ready when this great move of God happens are going to be light years ahead of the rest of us.

Which brings me to all my fears: that I will get bypassed and not included in the company of fiery ones; that those who sow will not get to reap; that I will never have the requisite praise, humility and gentleness and that whatever the criteria is that I'll never get there and never get there in time. There was a specific warning that those who have preached about and longed for these days could miss out completely due to a sense of entitlement. That rocked me to the core.

So if you have some spare time to pray for others, please pray for me and for my dearest ones.

The battle, if that is what it is, is fierce. If you have been accounted as useless and not worthwhile knowing and can't remember how long it's been since you felt God took an active interest in providing a heart-stopping encounter with His love, how can you find the audacity to believe that this situation can change dramatically for the better? Because knowing darned well without that kind of faith and trust it isn't going to happen, and that you haven't got it and it feels cruel that without any ray of light from above that you have somehow got to rise above all the hurts and wounds and get there. How is this a most loving gift and invitation from a tender-hearted God? I don’t know. But supposedly it is. You might quote, 'God only tests those that He loves', which is probably true, but not at all helpful if you are living off general promises made by Him to everyone and you have no personal, specific promise of your own from Him to cling to.

All we can do is thank Him that in the psalms and canticles there are sufficient examples of people complaining to Him and lamenting His seeming absence and disinterest in our troubles – because it means it is OK to add our own, and that they must be acceptable to Him somehow.
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Come Holy Spirit. Amen.

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 29

In praise and thanksgiving for sacraments, for without them we perish. God in His great mercy even honours our desire for the sacraments. The difference is a bit like gold and silver.
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The Church tells us that there are three ways we can receive baptism, by sacrament/water, by desire and by blood/martyrdom. This baptism by desire is how we can explain grace being active in catechumens and in the non-baptised. What is asking Jesus to become Lord and saviour of our lives if not the desire to live under His Kingship and as members of His family? This desire is a desire for baptism whether it is acknowledge overtly or not.

The ordinary way we receive God's personal forgiveness is through the sacrament of penance. But we know that God does not despise a good act of contrition. The former is much, much greater, but the latter is still powerful. Any good, humble act of contrition is a desire for the fullness of forgiveness found in the sacrament.

How often do we see God pour out the gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit upon those who hunger and thirst for them – even if they haven't been baptised or confirmed? By desire people such as these have received through desire a portion of the graces of sacramental confirmation – a down payment meant to draw them to the sacrament itself. The sacrament brings with it a fullness and completeness.

God blesses the desires of those who long to receive Him in Holy Communion. It's even got a special name – spiritual communion (as opposed to sacramental communion). Remember this, because it explains how our separated brethren can feel and experience so much during their Communion services. How fortunate we are that God blesses our desires for His holy sacraments! He wants by this to make our desires greater, and to lead us gently onwards to seek the complete fulfillment of those desires.

I won't go on with the other three sacraments – you have the general idea.

What I wanted to say was more along the lines of how incredibly good it is that God gives us a certainty in the sacraments. In these magnificent sacraments God always acts, always. His action is not dependent on the holiness or lack thereof of the priest. His action is not prevented by our ignorance nor by our non-mortal sins.

Each and every time we approach the sacraments, we are 100% sure of encountering Jesus even if we feel no emotional or intellectual response at all. Granted, we are more likely to experience that encounter if we approach the sacraments with more faith and trust.

So when the rest of the world rejects and ignores us, there is always Jesus waiting for us in the sacraments –  no ifs, buts or maybes, He is always there, and always active in our lives. Whenever life has more than its fair share of setbacks, Jesus is still there offering Himself under the appearances of bread and wine at every Mass- to prove His tangible and everlastingly eternal love for us. Often it is that alone which helps us get up off the ground and fight again through another day.

When we have failed, and return to seek His pardon, the holy sacrament of penance assures us that we are forgiven. Those precious words of absolution are so unequivocal. There is no doubt that we have been forgiven. Even if we return over 1000 times with the same failings, still our God will give us His mercy. He encourages our every step towards holiness.

So what can we take home from this?

That we can always ask God to unwrap for us deeper layers of the sacraments that we have already received

We can ask Him to release in us the gifts and charisms of those sacraments that we weren't completely ready to receive and use on the day we received those sacraments

That we can always do better in preparing to receive His holy sacraments, and in thanking Him afterwards.

That God desires that we deepen our hunger and desire for the sacraments, by reminding Him of those desires often during the day
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That God is not bound by human rules and regulations, and that His mercy often surpasses them.

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 28
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Let us pray for our political leaders. St Paul tells us in 1 Tim 2:1-3 that our top priority should be praying for kings and those in positions of high authority. Unless those who govern have God in their hearts, the lives of those they govern are going to be rather miserable. Knowing that the better the leader, the happier the people, helps us understand why Jesus as King of Kings, and the Kingdom of God He invites us into, are so important.

A quick look at the current local political scene reveals why the situation is so disturbing, and in need of prayer:

We have the citizenship crisis which has already caused by-elections and the introduction of new inexperienced members to parliament (particularly in the senate).

We have doubt about the short term and long term political stability of the current federal government.

We have a lot of vitriol in the media resulting from post-mortems of the Queensland state elections, as we wait for a final result to emerge.

We have the Victorian lower house poised to pass euthanasia legislation into law.

We have a federal government seemingly willing to pass same sex marriage legislation without ensuring safeguards of freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom to teach traditional marriage, and freedom to practice religion.

We have members of parliament who have said they will vote to pass same sex marriage legislation despite the plebiscite vote in their electorates being No.

So let's pray....

We pray for those politicians who did the right thing and resigned from parliament when they discovered they were dual citizens. For those not returning to political life may God guide them to where they can best serve the needs of the communities in which they live. For all those who are candidates in by-elections, may they be given the grace to truly listen to the people in their electorates and the courage to work for their highest good. May God grant that any unworthy candidates, due to corruption and significant moral failings, not win their elections.

We pray for those who have recently won parliamentary seats in elections, and those who will be chosen in the by-elections to come. May each one of them be given special graces of both moral and spiritual conversion.

We pray for those politicians who up until now have been too weak to stand up against the prevailing majority and to speak up for the truth, and who due to weakness have not defended human life from natural conception until natural death. May God grant them the grace to fear His opinion of them far more than they fear the opinion of their parliamentary colleagues and leaders. May God remove the blinders from their eyes, so that they can clearly see the truth and eternal consequences of each decision they make, and the requisite courage to act accordingly.

May God raise up a new breed of politician, a breed firmly convinced that the success of a government is measured by how well they have served the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.

May God raise up candidates for election and public office who are worthy of being voted in. May our election choices from this point onwards not be between bad and worse, but between great and excellent.

May all those who have been guilty of corruption in public office, or guilty of turning a blind eye to corruption in public office be each granted a true spirit of conversion, penance and reparation.

May those elected leaders who have betrayed electorates and colleagues and leaders for the sake of political and financial gain be given the grace to repent and to seek forgiveness and pardon from God and from all whom they have wronged.

May all of our political leaders be given the will to remove from parliaments all the processes that waste time and resources, and the grace to come together respectfully and bipartisanly to seek the very best solutions for the common good not only of those they were elected to serve but of all humanity as well.

We pray for those political representatives who see politics as a game of thrones and who only see value in short term sound-bite or photo-opportunity wins and not in getting things right for the long term. May God convert them amazingly, or remove them gently from office. O God, please raise up a new breed of politician who wants to enable long term good to be done and who is unconcerned who wins the credit.

We pray for the political king-makers and party whips, may they be given the gift of Samuel to discern who has the anointing of God upon them for leadership, and all the gifts needed to properly train and prepare them to govern with the wisdom of Solomon.

We pray that a new spirit of unity come upon our political parties, so that factional divisions may recede before the needs of the common good of the people they were elected to serve. May the days of political point scoring, as the priority above all else, be over.

Heavenly Father, please may we live to see political leaders whose one desire is to please You, to seek You and Your holy will, to do Your will, and to serve the people You have entrusted to them to the best of their ability. May that day of rejoicing be soon. Amen.
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St Thomas More, pray for us
Blessed Charles of Blois, pray for us
St Vladimir of Kiev, pray for us
St Stephen of Hungary, pray for us

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 27
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#TakeTheAdventChallenge

That's the idea that was my distraction at Christ the King Mass. A set of relatively simple social media challenges to do for each day of Advent; ones that open the heart to the good, the true, the beautiful and the noble and that aren't too preachy or too denominational.

If you find it works for you, take it and run with it and use the #TakeTheAdventChallenge hashtag.

December 3/Day 1: Jesus. He is the reason for the season. Post an image of Him that has meaning for you, and say why it touches your heart.

December 4/Day 2: Waiting. Advent is the season of holy waiting. Post an image of the kind of waiting you've done today (mailbox, phone, bus, train, taxi, oven, a crossed out calendar etc)

December 5/Day 3: Pray for peace. Write your own prayer or copy someone else's prayer for peace, and then share it.

December 6/Day 4: Hope. Find an image that speaks of hope to you (eg sunrise, bird in flight, a newborn baby, someone going through rehab therapy etc) and share it.

December 7/Day 5: Christmas past. Locate an image from a Christmas past, post it and say something about why you chose it.

December 8/Day 6: Mary, Mother of Jesus. Without her 'Yes' to God there would be no Christmas. Find an image of Mary that appeals to you and share it – together with why it appeals to you.

December 9/Day 7: Christmas ornament. Take a photo of your favourite and share it. (wreath, tinsel, heirloom ornament, Christmas stocking, decoration that goes on the top of the Christmas tree etc) Mention why you like it so much.

December 10/Day 8: St John the Baptist. He's the one God sent as herald for His Son Jesus. Your choice, you can either quote some of his words from the Bible or find an image of him to share – or both.

December 11/Day 9: Community service. Research either the Reconciliation times of a church near you, or details about a community celebration of Christmas carols, -and post those details.

December 12/Day 10: Pray for the sick, especially for those who will be in hospital over Christmas or who through illness will be prevented from being with loved ones. Write your own prayer or copy someone else's prayer for the sick, and then share it.

December 13/Day 11: Light. Find an image of something that gives off light which is meaningful to you, and share it and why it gives you a bit of a lift (eg candle, chandelier, street light, Christmas lights, campfire, lighthouse beacon etc)

December 14/Day 12: Bible verse. For many people this is the day when it all seems too much and too impossible to get everything done by Christmas. If you have a bible verse that keeps you going in tough times, share it. If not, share an inspirational quotation that has helped you in the past.

December 15/Day 13: Christmas carol. Which one has the most meaning for you? Share a verse of text from it or find an audio or YouTube rendition of it and post that. Mention why it is special for you.

December 16/Day 14: Pray for the grieving, especially for those whose grief is fresh and who are acutely feeling the loss of the deceased person from the Christmas feast. Write your own prayer or copy someone else's prayer for those who grieve, and then share it.

December 17/Day 15: Who is your favourite nativity character (or object) who is not part of the Holy Family (eg angel, shepherd, magi, star, donkey, ox, Herod, the cave, the manger etc) and Why? Do a post about that.

December 18/Day 16: Community Service. Research the Christmas Mass times or Christmas Service times of a church near you, - and post those details.

December 19/Day 17: Joy. Share an image of something that brings joy to your heart (a bunch of flowers, a child's smile, a child contentedly asleep, the sound of loved ones laughing, watching waves at the beach etc)

December 20/Day 18: Christmas card. Share the front cover of a Christmas card you have received that you really like, (or a gif or e-card image if you prefer).

December 21/Day 19: Star. Who has been a star, a guiding light in your life, who has helped you find the better path? Take a moment to honour him/her.

December 22/Day 20: Pray for travellers, especially for their safety. Write your own prayer or copy someone else's prayer for travellers, and then share it.
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December 23/Day 21: Loved One. Recall a loved one with whom you shared a happy Christmas in past years, and who has entered eternity. Share a photo or a memory of them that resonates with you and which honours them.
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December 24/Day 22: Take your own photo, or post an image you like of a nativity scene, and add some kind of positive Christmas message (Joyous Noel, Happy Christmas etc).

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 26
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Trudging, trudging, trudging, slowly onward we go. This one is an ode to all those who are still in waiting mode.

For the last six months there have been so many promises of breakthrough, increase, acceleration, provision, unforgettable encounters with God, new missions, new authority, abundant harvest, end time revival and astounding joy.

That's a long time waiting if that's all that's been keeping you going and faithful is the hope of seeing these promises fulfilled.

I certainly hope these good things are happening somewhere. I've heard of one big breakthrough, and a few smaller ones, (already recorded in an earlier blog-post) but by and large in my area there's no change and not even a shadow of a change for the better. In fact, in the short term there's a cloud or three on the horizon of worse.

Last night I got excited by an idea, which I thought had great promise. Having run it up the flagpole to see if anyone else wanted to work with me on making it happen, the last time I checked all was silence. On my own it has no chance, with a core group of others it might get just enough momentum to do some real good. If all else fails, I will blog about it tomorrow night in the hope that others can pick up the idea and the vision and run with it.

So let us celebrate the unsung heroes who are trudging:

To all of those going through long and difficult paths in hope of being able to adopt a child, no matter the outcome your generous and persevering hearts do us proud.

To all those going through long, painful and unpredictable court cases seeking justice, your faithfulness and patience do us proud.

To all of those caring for a relative with dementia or with a long term degenerative disease, we salute your sacrifices with grateful hearts, because you show us what true, enduring and tender love really is.

To those of you who battle despair and discouragement every day because opportunities for paid employment that fits your gifts and talents are so few and far between, thank you for battling on and for your witness of perseverance.

To all those who carry the searing pain of infertility, and who refuse to take God out of the equation and seek laboratory intervention contrary to His ways, we salute your courage, your trust and your steadfastness.

To all those carrying the memories of trauma and violence, for whom every day is a struggle to comprehend that kindness and goodness is possible, and who struggle every day to forgive, you are heroes and heroines of greatest valour, and we salute you.

To all those who work so hard, and such long hours, for minimum rewards, you who cook, and clean, and sew, and mow, and drive, and package, and do manual labour, you are the indispensable ones, with deep gratitude we salute your patient endurance.

To all those in aged care facilities, surrounded by monotony and in constant discomfort, who face life with cheerfulness and acceptance, we applaud you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your witness of holiness.

To the single mums who chose life for your baby rather than abortion, and who consequently face so many struggles every day, we salute you and honour your sacrificial love and dedication.

To those who have a loved one in prison, and who endure all the hardships, loneliness and humiliations that go with it and who never give up on them, we salute your loving fidelity and we honour you.

To those whom chronic ill health has robbed even the faintest hope of finding spousal love, and whose loving hearts overflow to those few family and friends who can see past the externals to the hearts of true gold that you have, we salute your compassion and empathy towards us and your patience in suffering.
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Your situations may never change, that may not be God's plan. Should those big miracles happen, our shouts of thanksgiving will mingle with yours. But when the time comes the praise and honour and glory given by Him to you in paradise will be worth it. That is a promise you can truly count on.

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 25
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Anniversaries, it has certainly been a year of them! Some people go to great lengths to celebrate an anniversary, while others let them slip by without fanfare. Why are they important?

The primary reason is 'to remember the marvels the Lord has done'; a refrain that occurs multiple times in the bible. Once we do that, thanksgiving often follows naturally. Anniversaries also help younger generations connect to events that they did not personally witness, and give them context that is helpful in interpreting the present. As a source of unity, anniversaries are formidable. To take part in an anniversary people will travel long distances joyfully, and look forward to re-connecting with people they haven't seen in ages. Many times an anniversary celebration also brings healing and restoration to fragile and damaged relationships. For an anniversary people will often dig back into the past and find photographs and letters and souvenirs and share them, adding new layers of nuance and understanding to the original event.

Real examples will help.

Recently we've been going through a series of centenary celebrations of World War 1 events. Old battlefields have been rediscovered, new monuments have been erected, photographs long hidden in attic suitcases have come to light and are now touring the globe. Long accepted narratives are being corrected as new information comes to light from journals, and archaeological research. Deeper levels of reconciliation and mutual respect are emerging between sides who faced each other on the battlefield. But all these good things wouldn't be happening without those in the community who keep the stories alive and who prevail upon governments to help with the planning and funding of the celebrations.

Anniversaries of high school graduation are unique. Curiosity is often the main draw card – wanting to know what happened to so and so. But as an opportunity to make peace with the past, and to forgive and be forgiven for hurtful school yard episodes, and to have a good laugh over anecdotes from that era, they are brilliant.

Wedding anniversaries are a major time for thanksgiving and celebration for spouses and their children and grandchildren. They are an opportunity to reconnect with extended family and to re-tell stories that wouldn't get re-told without that catalyst.

Parish anniversaries of start date or church building date are opportunities to remember and honour the parish pioneers and all of those whose holy lives have had a part to play in handing on the faith to the youngest generations. From remembering heroes like these we are inspired to live worthily in their footsteps – and to not take their sacrifices of time, talent and finances for granted. With the increased number of social events to make the anniversary, parish values are shared and strengthened, as are the relationships between members past and present.

Pope Francis said, 'Come and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal with me in Rome this Pentecost' and tens of thousands responded from over 120 countries and many faith traditions. There was celebration; there were stories of God's action in our world passed onto the younger generations; there was; there was a major impetus to greater unity and mutual co-operation, there was time to ponder where grace had been stewarded well and where it had been stewarded poorly. This gathering together to give thanks also transformed many of the weary back into warriors again, and the exchanges of ideas and stories lit new vision and hope in the hearts of many.

The centenary of the apparitions of the Mother of Jesus at Fatima have been a reminder that God really does know what is going on in our world, and that He has plans to fix things if only we would co-operate and do as He asks (prayer, rosary, penance in reparation for sin, sacrifices in intercession for conversions, Eucharistic adoration). Many of the post Vatican II generations got to hear these stories of grace for the first time, and to go on pilgrimage to see where it all happened. Only God knows just how worse our world would have been today but for that simple prayer recommended by Mary, 'O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, bring all souls to heaven especially those most in need of Your mercy. Amen.'

We've also commemorated the 500th anniversary of the protestant reformation in various ways. For some it has been an impetus to dig deeper into the history of what happened, and why it happened. For others it has been a time to commit (or recommit) to working towards full Christian unity. Reflecting upon the positives and negatives to come out of the Reformation has been good for us. The times it has inspired of mutual forgiveness and healing of memories have been much needed.

Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
Vive le anniversaire!!
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Thank You God for all you have done through these anniversaries, for all You are doing through them, and for all You are going to do through them. Amen.

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 24
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There is only a week and a bit left before the liturgical year ends, and Advent begins once more. November, plus or minus a few days here and there, is the traditional time to think about the four last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell.

For all of us, these things are closer than what they were last November. The readings from the lectionary are full of reminders about the big 4 and of wisdom about them.

Are you ready? Like the wise virgins waiting for the bridegroom to come.
Have you used your gifts and talents to the full? The King will want to see some evidence.
Will you persevere? Can you pray, and wait, and not lose heart?

When people have faith in the God Whose actions are recorded in the bible, death isn't much of an issue. From the stories of those who have had near death experiences, death itself is easy, although the pains and difficulties that get you to that point are normally no picnic.

What really matters is judgment. That is the scary thing. To walk through your whole life under the loving gaze of God, and to see where you responded to Him and where you turned away, to see what you did that pleased Him, and what you did that deserves some kind of punishment. To know that whatever verdict God gives is going to be totally just and deserved; that is truly scary. To know deeply that if the verdict is positive, then credit goes to His Mercy; and if the verdict is negative then we chose it ourselves through actions which rejected His Mercy.

Remembering 1 Cor 3:15 about how all our works will be tested, as though through fire, makes us consider how seriously we have treated God in our lives. Have we seen Him as worthy of our mediocre and left overs (straw, wood) or have we seen Him as worthy of our very best (gold, precious stones)? Likewise the words addressed to the church in Sardis (Rev 3:2), 'Is there anything in the way you live that God could possibly call perfect?' make us think furiously.

This is why we pray for our sick and dying, seeking to obtain mercy for them so that when they reach judgment there are no barriers of sin between them and God. This is why regular recourse to the sacrament of penance is such a good idea.

At funerals we often hear people say, 'How good it is that …… is no longer suffering.' Only if they were totally free from sin and from the punishments due for sin would that be the case. Too few of us die in that degree of holiness. For most the welcome option of purgatory is where they would be, and if so, their sufferings would have increased many times over. For those who rejected God's mercy even in extremis, enduring the sufferings of hell for eternity are now their lot. Yes, our loved deceased's bodies may now look like they are in peace, but only God knows how they fared at judgment and what they are going through on the other side of eternity. The most loving response to such a crazy saying at funerals, is to double our prayers for the deceased.

We all hope and pray that with God's grace and in His mercy, that we will attain to the eternal joys of heaven. He tells us Himself that no impure thing can enter into heaven.

One of God's mercies is that He often gives increasing layers of pain and suffering to the elderly, precisely that through their patient acceptance of these difficulties that they may expiate some of the punishments due to their sins and thereby have a swifter journey from the gates of death to the gates of paradise. It is why those who seek to cut off a person's life before his/her natural end perpetrate a grave injustice. Unnaturally shortening that time of pain-filled grace has negative consequences for pain levels post judgment.

Even though God is so loving and merciful, He is also just. If you are always singing about how you did it 'my way' and spending more time at the football or at the club than offering God some thanks at church and doing things 'His way' – is there anything in your life for which He can reward you? Human popularity an entry card to heaven it does not make.
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We don't know the day, not the hour, at which God will call us through death to judgment. When that time comes, may we be watchful and ready, and best prepared through active response to His works of grace in us. May He grant us a merciful judgment and as swift a time though purification as possible. Amen.

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 23

Time for thanksgiving: It is an American tradition that we don't have here, but all Thursdays have Eucharistic overtones remembering the Last Supper, and Eucharist means thanksgiving.

Normally we are reasonably good at thanking God for the stuff that we like in our lives, so I might pick up the 'Prison to Praise' challenge and have a go at thanksgiving for all the stuff that we wish wasn't there.

Thank You God for the traffic snarls on the roads that help us learn patience, and during which while we wait we sometimes use for prayer.

Thank You God for the people who hold views diametrically opposed to ours, they help us examine situations from another perspective and help us make better decisions.

Thank You God for the times we feel our frailty and our mortality, they give us a desire for the lasting joys of heaven.

Thank You God for the times the plans for our day went awry, they remind us that the majority of things are beyond our control and that we should deepen our trust in You.

Thank You God for the times unkind words have been said to us or about us, they give us opportunities to learn how to forgive.

Thank You God for all of our unanswered prayers, both the ones that will never be answered and the ones that have yet to be answered, they teach us that You know what is best for our long term benefit and that You know the perfect time to deliver it. So often that's the only way our faith and trust grows.

Thank You God for the times we experience sickness and the inability to do the things that were once easy for us. You often use those times to wean us away from things that are bad for us and give us a palette for far more wholesome things.

Thank You God for the times we experience loss and grief. If You knew of a better way to help us let go of the things we cling to so that You could give us something far better, You would use it.

Thank You God for the toughest times in our lives, because so often they teach us compassion and empathy and become sources of support and blessing for others.

Thank You God for the people who annoy us the most and who we would love to exclude for the sake of peace and harmony, they are Your invitations to grow in love, patience and forgiveness.

Thank You God for the times we have felt betrayed and humiliated, otherwise we'd never understand how bad these parts of the sufferings of Jesus actually were.

Thank You God for the regrets and opportunities we have missed in our lives, they spur us on to do better and to be better next time.
Thank You God for the times of testing and trial that You send us, because You want us to be victorious so that You can reward us.

Thank You God for the times that our finances get stretched so thin that we begin to believe and receive Your providence for us.

Thank You God for our times of thirst and hunger, often it is the only way You can get us to start appreciating how wonderful the simple things in life really are.

Thank You God for our times of fatigue and helplessness, often they teach us where our true friends can be found and help us change from being individualistic to becoming community minded.
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For these, and for all the many other things we frequently fail to thank You for, we are truly grateful. Please help us to grow into true gratitude. Amen.

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 22
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The lights are going off.

In the past weeks and months I've read a lot of articles on line, and many of the comments attached to them. For the faint-hearted, it is not. There are levels of barely restrained anger and malice that I haven't seen before.

In the midst of all that madness of competing 'rights' and no concern for the associated responsibilities I came across a reminder of an interview that took place a few years ago. At the time there had been an ugly schoolyard massacre in the USA, and people were asking 'Where was God?', 'Why did He allow this to happen?' The answer was along these lines: that if you remove prayer from the schools, if you remove the teaching of the 10 Commandments and the life lessons from the Bible from the schools, in effect expelling God from such schools, then there's nothing to stop these atrocities and even worse ones from happening again. God has gentlemanly manners, He helps when He is invited to and doesn't force Himself on anyone. When He is rejected, His ability to help becomes severely limited because He respects our free will so much.

The sad thing is that this scenario seems to be playing out across the societies we live in.

The very people who want to trample over the rights of another to conscientiously object to doing something they consider morally wrong, only have this freedom of speech because in times past people of good will steeped in the truth that humanity was made in the image and likeness of God (and thus giving each human life true dignity) fought for this freedom for everyone. In a totalitarian regime freedom of speech is one of the first things that goes.

As we have expelled God from more and more areas of our lives, the lights that once kept out the darkness are going off.

We have forgotten that the formal definition of hell is the utter absence of God, and of all the truth, beauty and goodness that is His.

It seems we are going to be seeing more of that on earth.

In the novel  'An Echo of Things to Come' by James Islington there is this description of a dark realm:

'There was a screeching cacophony until it could be borne no longer; there was an empty, swirling silence that left a desolate panic bubbling uncontrollably inside of him. There was searing pain and icy wretchedness. There was misery and anguish and bottomless loss. There was no relief….What you saw was a moment, a memory from a man, one that came at the cost of his sanity….I don't know how to describe it…Nobody does. The best I have heard it explained is that it is an absence. It is what it would be if there was no joy, no life, no light, no hope. If everything, - everything, - that made this world a comfort to us was stripped away, completely and utterly.'

Once upon a time the media sought for truth and balance and excellence. Now the media seeks for click-bait and sensationalism, and editors fact check so rarely and permit copying so often that fake news has become the norm. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time social media postings were from real individuals. Now you don’t know whether the postings originated from a foreign government think tank designed to provoke disunity. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time protecting the innocence of children was a sacred duty. Now when they barely reached the age of reason they are bombarded with the complexities of human sexuality and gender fluidity. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time people wished each other a Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays, they sang Christmas carols about a baby in a manger and put on annual Christmas nativity plays. Now our shopping centres and day care centres won't put up nativity scenes in case they offend someone. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time when people spoke about marriage they spoke of husband and wife. Now it is almost an act of subversion to celebrate the anniversary of a married heterosexual couple, or to speak of Mother's Day and Father's Day. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time the medical profession were revered and trusted because they vowed to always do no harm and always seek to save life. Now governments are charging them with the responsibility to help kill the vulnerable and the sick. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time if a person was elected to government office they were expected to have some loyalty to the party that assisted them. Now you take your seat as the party member one day and declare you are an independent the day after. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time churches and religious statues and Christian leaders were respected. Now it is increasingly okay to let acts of vandalism of religious property go unpunished and to insult the representatives of God. A light has gone off.

Once upon a time a person was innocent until proven guilty by a judge or jury. Now it is trial by media, with the implicit verdict of guilty until proven innocent, and the impossible difficulty of finding unbiased jurors. A light has gone off.

How many lights have to go off?
How deep does the darkness have to get before our hearts cry out for the light?
How full of horrors does the darkness have to become before we humbly go in search of the source of light?
How bad does it have to get before we plead for God to return to our lives, and to our communities?
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O God of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, forgive us, help us, rescue us, save us. Amen.

Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 21
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It is almost safe to start reading again (rant-wise). Today I'm going to write about the damage that un-replied to emails cause. Yes, I'm guilty of this at times, too.

I'm going to take actual cases, but disguise the locations and suspects.

Case 1: You send an email with a proposal (or invitation) for an event with Christian unity as the aim. The majority of the emails are met with silence. A few say they have prior commitments. A different few just say 'No' and give no reason. Some of the emails bounce because the faith communities they were sent to haven't updated their website contact details in ages.

Damage: It is going to be a long time before the proposal/invitation sender tries again. How demoralising to think that the desire for Christian unity is so feeble! Even discounting for denominational prejudice and concerns about email attachments and going straight to junk folders, it is still demoralising.

Case 2: You send an email with ideas for a different way of running a regular prayer meeting. Silence. Several weeks later you send a follow-up reminder saying that this desire to try something a bit different is still strong. Silence.

Damage: Ignoring someone isn't going to make them go away. If you don't want to put a response in print, you pick up the phone or set up a face to face meeting. Of all the options silence damages the trust relationship the most. No's, No because's, Yes's, Maybe's, Let me pray about that's, at least acknowledge that the message has been heard and let the petitioner know where they stand. Anything but silence at least invites further conversation or negotiation.

Case 3: You send an email to someone you wish to keep in contact with, and include a genuine question that you really want the answer to and which has the potential to open up greater dialogue – which maybe will lead to being able to ask the burning question you have. You get a short response, but the question has been ignored.

Damage: It is hard to escape the conclusion that the person doesn't really want to keep in contact, or has been told not to. At the very least, your email didn't get read properly, and you read properly the emails of the people you care about.

Case 4: You have a burning idea, and you'd like to find out whether someone else shares that idea or whether maybe God has been putting a similar burden on their hearts. Not wanting to prejudice anything, because you want to hear straight from them before sharing your own stuff, you send a message expressing a desire to catch up over coffee and chat about what they've seen God doing recently. The response is either a No, or silence.

Damage: Without this first step of discernment, nothing can happen. God might be leading them a totally different way, and that's OK, as long as you get to find out. You pray for them and hope that everything works out for them. Maybe there's someone else who has the same burden. But if God has been stirring in their lives and you don’t connect, then all those maybes and possibilities become never-evers. And if you follow up at decent intervals with the same connection request, and it gets either continued silence or knocked back, all of those dreams and ideas die. Stepping out of the comfort zone and trying to do the same with someone else is going to be that much harder too.

Case 5: You have had an ongoing exchange of ideas and then the other person says, 'I'm going to shelve this'.

Damage: If the other person doesn't want to push through the areas of conflict and spend the time necessary to listen, dialogue and find resolution, then you are in no man's land. You know that if the other person considered you worthwhile enough, that they'd commit to working through things and not leaving them unresolved. No one likes to feel that kind of pain.

And the hardest part? That these good, God-loving and God-fearing people treat their brothers and sisters in Christ like this -.so much for loving each other.

We have to do better.

If we took Luke 6:30 seriously, 'Give to everyone who asks', we'd acknowledge that asking anything is difficult for most of us, and that it takes real courage to do so. Most of the time we do not know the full story behind the asking, nor the true need behind the asking. We'll only discover it if we take the first step to respond.

So please reply to emails, always, in ways that keep the communication channels open.
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If you do, who knows what amazingly good things God might initiate through them.