Great Moments Catch Us Unaware....

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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Great Moments Catch Us Unaware....

Message for 12/25/07 - Christmas (ABC)

Today we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, the son of God, the Son of Mary. The gathering of family and sharing of bountiful meals is part of that celebration. The giving and receiving gifts is also rooted in this age old tradition. We give thanks to God for his beloved Son and for the feeling of love and peace in our hearts. This is a time for reconciliation with members of family and friends. It certainly is a time for all of the above. For me, the feeling of love and peace in our hearts is what really contributes to the joy of the Christmas season. It reminds me of a taxi driver's night in a busy metropolitan city:

"Twenty years ago, he drove a cab for a living and recounted: When I arrived at 2:30 A.M., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. 

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. 

“Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated". "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. 

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice." I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 

"What route would you like me to take?" I asked.  For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. 

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now." We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. 

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing," I said. "You have to make a living," she answered. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.  

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? 

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-- beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one. People may not remember exactly 'what you did, or what you said,' ~ but ~ they will always remember ~ 'how you made them feel.'

May your Christmas be filled with loving, peaceful, grateful, joyful feelings!  Fr. Joe Lutz

Link to MORE INSPIRATIONAL TEXTS 

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Lament for New Orleans (or some other devastated place)

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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Lament for New Orleans (or some other devastated place)

Adapted from Jeremiah’s “Lamentation over Jerusalem” (NIV)

See suggestions at the end for praying this lament today.

1:1  How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! 

How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! 

2  Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks.

The roads to New Orleans mourn, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. 

All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, 

her maidens grieve, and she is in bitter anguish.

4 The French Quarter mourns, for no one comes to her appointed feasts. 

All her gateways are desolate, 

All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Louisiana. 

Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; 

in weakness they have fled before the pursuer.

7  In the days of her affliction and wandering 

She remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. 

When her people fell into the hands of her enemy the sea, there was no one to help her. 

Her enemy looked at her and laughed at her destruction.

12 "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. 

Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, 

that the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?

Listen, all you peoples; look upon my suffering.

My young men and maidens have gone into exile.

19  "I called to my allies – my protectors - but they betrayed me. 

My priests and my elders perished in the city 

while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.

20  "See, O LORD, how distressed I am!

2:1  How the Lord has covered the city with the cloud of his anger ! 

He has hurled down her splendor from heaven to earth;

5  The Lord is like an enemy; he has swallowed New Orleans up. 

He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. 

He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for the Daughter of Louisiana.

7  The Lord has rejected his saints and abandoned his sanctuary. 

He has handed over to the waters the walls of her palaces; 

they have raised a shout in the house of the LORD

as on the day of an appointed feast.

8  The LORD determined to tear down the wall around the Daughter of Zion. 

He … did not withhold his hand from destroying. 

He made ramparts and walls lament; together they wasted away.

9  Her gates have sunk into the ground; 

their bars he has broken and destroyed. 

    Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, 

the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the LORD.

11  My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, 

my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, 

because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

12  They say to their mothers, "Where is bread and wine?" 

as they faint like wounded men in the streets of the city, 

as their lives ebb away in their mothers' arms.

13  What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, O City of Music? 

To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, New Orleans? 

Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?

18  The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. 

O walled city, let your tears flow like a river day and night; 

give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest.

19  Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; 

pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. 

      Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, 

who faint from hunger at the head of every street.

20  "Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have you ever treated like this?

3:17  I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.

21  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

22  Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, 

for his compassions never fail.

23  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

24  I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

25  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

26  it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

-- there may yet be hope.

40  Let us examine our ways and test them, 

and let us return to the LORD.

54  The waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off.

55  I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit.

56  You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears to my cry for relief."

57  You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear."

4:4  Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; 

the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.

6  The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, 

which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.

5:1  Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us; 

look, and see our disgrace.

14  The elders are gone from the city gate; 

the young men have stopped their music.

15  Joy is gone from our hearts; 

our dancing has turned to mourning.

16  The crown has fallen from our head. 

Woe to us, for we have sinned!

18  for New Orleans lies desolate, 

with jackals prowling over it.

19  You, O LORD, reign forever; 

your throne endures from generation to generation.

21  Restore us to yourself, O LORD, 

that we may return; renew our days as of old

Suggestions for prayerful lament:

Scriptures of Lament are helpful to teach us sympathy, humility

 and repentance, to give us perspective … and ultimately hope. 

1. Pray this prayer in solidarity with the people of New Orleans

Weep with those who weep.  This is intercession.

2. Pray for the cities of the world that are wracked by poverty, crime and suffering; 
        for refugees whose homes and villages have been wiped out

3. Pray this prayer for our city - and our physical and moral vulnerability.

Jesus said, “Do you think they were more guilty than others?

        I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”  Luke13:4-5

4. Pray this prayer for the church, the city of God and consider how swamped and                          paralyzed we are by affluence and self-interest

            how no one comes to our appointed feasts

                how secularism has engulfed us.

David Knight, September 6, 2005

Link to MORE INSPIRATIONAL TEXTS 

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Modest Dress at Mass What I Wish I Had Known by Karen Lynn Ford - August 27, 2005

 In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity (Jeremiah 31:31-34) every person can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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21.  Modest Dress at Mass What I Wish I Had Known by Karen Lynn Ford - August 27, 2005

CHURCH ETIQUETTE SERIES

Respect, Reverence, and Charity in Church

What I Wish I Had Known

Unfortunately, she also believed much of what she saw and learned in the real world.  She thought that to get attention she needed to dress to impress provocatively.  To look good, or what she thought was good then, and to get a tan on her northern Ohio body in April, she entered the children's fantasy-land in short shorts and a bikini bathing suit top.  Thank God for the good sense of the Disney World employee who promptly told this young woman that she needed to wear a real shirt because Disney is a family park.  She had a t-shirt and put it on, and felt pretty foolish.

            That young woman, now 34-year-old me, grew up to regret the way she used to dress.  As a mother of three with a fourth on the way, I now realize that modesty is not just beneficial to the girl or woman wearing the clothes.  It benefits everyone who looks at her.

            As a cradle Catholic, I experienced a deepening of my faith early in my marriage.  I learned a lot that I wish I'd known, or listened to, while I was growing up.  One of the most important things I have learned is that as a woman, it is my responsibility to protect myself as well as anyone who looks at me from the near occasion of sin.  Many women or girls will say that it's not their fault if a young man looks at her lustfully when she's exposing twice as much flesh as she's covering.  St. Maria Goretti, on whose feast day my husband and I celebrate our anniversary, disagreed.  When her childhood friend turned lustful and sought to violate her, she chose to die rather than lead Alessandro into sexual sin.

A Detraction and Distraction

The clothing styles available to our young women and teens today aren't exactly helping us to dress modestly.  Even many of the maternity styles are exposing much more chest and midriff than when I was pregnant with my first child.  So some might justify what women are wearing these days by saying there aren't any modest styles available in the department stores.  Indeed, it takes a lot longer to shop for modest clothing, but there are some modest styles out there.

Obviously, I am not impressed with today’s styles, but where I find them most inappropriate and offensive is inside of church.  When I was growing up, we didn't wear jeans or shorts to Mass.  We certainly didn't wear micro-mini skirts and cropped shirts.  It's one thing to see bare-bellied girls walking about the mall or the park.  But week after week I go to Mass and see as much flesh as I would expect to see at the beach, and this is on a 55-degree drizzly day in New England!

I watched as three young girls sang beautifully in the youth choir last weekend.  Unfortunately, they probably don't realize that the way they dressed actually detracted from rather than enhanced their natural beauty.  They looked like Vegas showgirls as they circled a microphone shaking their barely-covered bottoms, three pews away from my eight-year-old son's gaze.  The choir is a focal point of our children’s Mass.  The music is up-beat and truly an occasion to praise God.  Unfortunately, the view is distracting, not reverent.  My grandmother once told me that in the 1950s and'60s, pastors publicly chastised women who wore shorts on church property when they came to pick their children up from Catholic school.  They were in the parking lot, mind you, not the sanctuary.

Stop Being So Mousy about It!

Today, a majority of priests seem to be so afraid to say anything that might offend anyone that people come to church in clothes more suited for mowing the lawn or a day at the beach than to receiving our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.  If Disney World can give a young woman

a warning about her immodest dress, why won't our church set some parameters for acceptable dress in the church?  One shrine I have been to does have posted guidelines and makes robes available for Mass-goers who show up in shorts or inappropriate clothing.  But this is the exception, not the rule.

Does our Lord care how we are attired?

Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.  A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."'

Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.  The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.  The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.  Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.'  The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.

            But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.  He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?'  But he was reduced to silence.  Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'

Many are invited, but few are chosen." (Mt 22:1-7)

We are invited to the Eucharistic banquet every day, most especially Sundays.  We do a grave disservice to our young people by not teaching them that though you should not judge by appearances, people do.  Going to church in skimpy clothes shows disrespect for the people around you and for Jesus Christ, our Lord.

© Copyright 2005 Catholic Exchange

Karen Lynn Ford and her husband Michael have been married for nine years. They live in Western Massachusetts and there they attend Holy Name Catholic Church.  Karen and Michael are the parents of an 8, 6, and 4 year old, who recently welcomed their youngest sibling on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption. Karen is a Content Editor for Catholic Exchange.  👈

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity (Jeremiah 31:31-34) every person can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Dinner with a Sinner – What one priest learned from a troubled mother.

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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Dinner with a Sinner – What one priest learned from a troubled mother. 

By Fr. Pat McNulty, MHA Word Among Us, September 2004

        Then just before the doors hissed shut, she ran back to me, kissed me on the cheek, and said in a loud voice, “Thanks, Fr. McNulty. I may be back again tonight.” Because I used to say the 7:15 Mass at the cathedral just across the street, I knew many of the people who had just gotten off the bus on their way to that Mass! I don’t remember what I did after the lady kissed me there in public, but years later someone who saw it all said that I just shook my head and walked away. I was probably thinking something like, “Lord, it couldn’t have turned out worse if I had planned it myself!” And if the look on the face of the priest going into the chancery office next to the bus stop was any indication, I feared that my new downtown ministry was going to die before it even got off the ground. 

An Open Door. 

        This was one of the first times in my life as a priest when I was in a public situation which people could easily have interpreted in a very scandalous way. (Some did, as I learned a few years later.) As I climbed back up the stairs to my apartment, what was in my heart was shame at being seen with that particular woman, under those particular circumstances, without being given the chance to explain.  Living on the second story of the abandoned building across from the chancery office and the cathedral had been my own crazy idea. Though it was not met with the instant approval of my bishop, he had permitted me to try it out. It was to be an “open-door ministry.” I posted a sign, which was visible from the bus stop: “Roman Catholic priest available for coffee and chatting.” 

        The woman getting on the bus had come to see me often. She was a troubled woman who was well-known for her promiscuity. This time she had come late at night to get away from an abusive situation. She had come in tears and fear, and with a badly bruised face. Because it was so late and I had no car, I slept in an empty room at the back of the building and let her and the baby sleep in my one-room apartment. That morning she was taking the bus to her mother’s and then to work. In her own childlike fashion, her action at the bus stop had been a nervous but heartfelt, “Thank you.” 

The Gift Everybody Needs. 

        I was too embarrassed and proud to see it then. But now, every time I hear the words from the prophet Hosea on the lips of Jesus—“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”—I thank God for these words and for her. For this young woman was probably the first person who forced me to face my arrogance about eating with sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:11, 13; Hosea 6:6). Until that morning, it had been easy for me to admit that I was “a sinner.” But it was a very philosophical thing—much like saying, “I am a human being” or “I am a person.” And even though I was secretly humble enough to know that I really was a sinner, in public I mostly gave the impression that it was “them” and “us”—those who really sin and the rest of us who are only sinners in that generic, rather nonculpable sense.  

        That morning I discovered, much to my chagrin, which group I would have been in if I had been present when the Pharisees reproached Jesus for the company he was keeping (Matthew 9:11). And I saw why I had never really understood what Jesus meant when he said, “What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.” Oh, as a Christian and a priest, I always kind of knew—in that same philosophical sense—what the words signified. But I wonder if I would ever have grasped his real meaning if I had not learned to sit down with “sinners and tax collectors” over and over for many years until I finally really got it: I am a sinner. And like all sinners, what I need is mercy, not sacrifice. Sinner to Sinner. 

        If we Christians really believed that, we would be much more compassionate and risky with the message of the gospel and not so concerned about our precious public image. We would not be so embarrassed to be seen in public with well-known sinners. And we would not feel the need to explain this to anyone, because our own sins would have taught us our own deep need for mercy. I remember when President Jimmy Carter’s sister, Ruth Carter Stapleton, and her husband invited the publisher of a notorious pornographic magazine for a private dinner at their home. 

        The compassion she expressed eventually led to this man’s conversion. His subsequent loss of faith and return to the pornography industry seem to have been the result of an attempt on his life which left him permanently disabled and addicted to pain medication. But the fact remains that Jesus’ message of mercy was planted in his heart by a Christian woman who was not afraid to be seen in the company of sinners and tax collectors. And I pray that one day before he dies, he will turn to Jesus again.  If we are afraid to be seen with sinners, then how will they ever know Jesus? But even more important, how will we ever believe that we are really sinners, too?  When was the last time you had dinner with a sinner? Besides yourself, that is? 

 

Fr. Pat McNulty was a priest of Madonna House Apostolate, in Combermere, Ontario. He died peacefully surrounded by his loving community members December 17th, 2015.

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If you like this story, get more great articles and subscribe to The Word Among Us at: http://www.wau.org

Link to MORE INSPIRATIONAL TEXTS 

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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“The Passion” by Mel Gibson

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

----------------------------------------------------------------

“The Passion” by Mel Gibson

December 6th, 2003

A Great Review of Mel Gibson's highly controversial film which may or may not be eventually released for viewing.

        Keith A Fournier is a constitutional lawyer and graduate of the John Paul II Institute of the Lateran University, Franciscan University and the University of Pittsburgh. He holds degrees in Philosophy, theology and law. He has been a champion of religious liberty and appeared as co-counsel in major cases at the United States Supreme Court. He is the author of seven books and, along with his law practice, serves as the president of both the "Your Catholic Voice Foundation" and "Common Good". 

I really did not know what to expect. I was thrilled to have been invited to a private viewing of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion," but I had also read all the cautious articles and spin.  I grew up in a Jewish town and owe much of my own faith journey to the influence. I have a life long, deeply held aversion to anything that might even indirectly encourage any form of anti-Semitic thought, language or actions. I arrived at the private viewing for "The Passion", held in Washington D.C. and greeted some familiar faces. The environment was typically Washingtonian, with people greeting you with a smile but seeming to look beyond you, having an agenda beyond the words.  

The film was very briefly introduced, without fanfare, and then the room darkened. From the gripping opening scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the very human and tender portrayal of the earthly ministry of Jesus, through the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the way of the cross, the encounter with the thieves, the surrender on the Cross, until the final scene in the empty tomb, this was not simply a movie; it was an encounter, unlike anything I have ever experienced.  In addition to being a masterpiece of film-making and an artistic triumph, "The Passion" evoked more deep reflection, sorrow and emotional reaction within me than anything since my wedding, my ordination or the birth of my children. Frankly, I will never be the same. When the film concluded, this "invitation only" gathering of "movers and shakers" in Washington, D.C. were shaking indeed, but this time from sobbing. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the place. The crowd that had been glad-handing before the film was now eerily silent. No one could speak because words were woefully inadequate. We had experienced a kind of art that is a rarity in life, the kind that makes heaven touch earth. 

One scene in the film has now been forever etched in my mind. A brutalized, wounded Jesus was soon to fall again under the weight of the cross. His mother had made her way along the Via Della Rosa. As she ran to him, she flashed back to a memory of Jesus as a child, falling in the dirt road outside of their home. Just as she reached to protect him from the fall, she was now reaching to touch his wounded adult face. Jesus looked at her with intensely probing and passionately loving eyes (and at all of us through the screen) and said "Behold I make all things new." These are words taken from the last Book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelations. Suddenly, the purpose of the pain was so clear and the wounds, that earlier in the film had been so difficult to see in His face, His back, indeed all over His body, became intensely beautiful. They had been borne voluntarily for love. 

At the end of the film, after we had all had a chance to recover, a question and answer period ensued. The unanimous praise for the film, from a rather diverse crowd, was as astounding as the compliments were effusive. The questions included the one question that seems to follow this film, even though it has not yet even been released. "Why is this film considered by some to be "anti-Semitic?" Frankly, having now experienced (you do not "view" this film) "the Passion" it is a question that is impossible to answer. A law professor whom I admire sat in front of me. He raised his hand and responded, "After watching this film, I do not understand how anyone can insinuate that it even remotely presents that the Jews killed Jesus. It doesn't." He continued "It made me realize that my sins killed Jesus" I agree.  There is not a scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in this powerful film. If there were, I would be among the first to decry it. It faithfully tells the Gospel story in a dramatically beautiful, sensitive and profoundly engaging way. Those who are alleging otherwise have either not seen the film or have another agenda behind their protestations. 

This is not a "Christian" film, in the sense that it will appeal only to those who identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a deeply human, beautiful story that will deeply touch all men and women. It is a profound work of art. Yes, its producer is a Catholic Christian and thankfully has remained faithful to the Gospel text; if that is no longer acceptable behavior than we are all in trouble. History demands that we remain faithful to the story and Christians have a right to tell it. After all, we believe that it is the greatest story ever told and that its message is for all men and women. The greatest right is the right to hear the truth. 

We would all be well advised to remember that the Gospel narratives to which "The Passion" is so faithful were written by Jewish men who followed a Jewish Rabbi whose life and teaching have forever changed the history of the world. The problem is not the message but those who have distorted it and used it for hate rather than love. The solution is not to censor the message, but rather to promote the kind of gift of love that is Mel Gibson's filmmaking masterpiece, "The Passion". It should be seen by as many people as possible. I intend to do everything I can to make sure that is the case. I am passionate about "the Passion." 

You will be as well. Don't miss it. And, I would like to add these thoughts. This film is going to receive more scrutiny and be the focus of more public debate than any film EVER. The argument that this film is anti-Semitic will be played 1000's of times a day in every household across America...across the world. To me...a most crucial "discovery" of this man's "experience" is the reality that "my sins killed Jesus." The full weight of this truth is enormous! What an opportunity for millions and millions of people to "discover" this through the film. So.... I encourage you to think carefully about how you're going to respond to the "debate" because there will be one. It's a great opportunity to witness about what it means to be a Christian.... and nowhere is it appropriate or biblical to point a finger at the Jewish race. To do so is to stand squarely in His face and say...."You died for nothing!" 

Please pass this along to your Christian friends and family....to those that will truly understand the message....so that they can be prepared to respond in such a way that bears a positive witness to Jesus' death and resurrection. 

https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/passion.html

Link to MORE INSPIRATIONAL TEXTS 

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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SCREAMING FLESH - by Jayme-Dawn Kryskow - October 2003

In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity (Jeremiah 31:31-34) every person can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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 👉 22.  SCREAMING FLESH - by Jayme-Dawn Kryskow - October 2003 

“Let all flesh be silent at the presence of the Lord; for He has risen out of His holy habitation.”  Zechariah 2:13

As women, are we aware of the ways our bodies speak or even scream as we encounter men?  Do we want our bodies to scream at men or praise God?  

The issue of modesty has always been a struggle far me.  “Clothes are just clothes and men should control their eyes, self control is a virtue, DUH!” is what I thought.  The over indulgent attitude of our society, that our lives and our bodies are our own, has had a great impact on me.  We all live in our own bubble and as long as we are not being harmed we must not be doing anything wrong.  It is crazy how many of us hove been deceived.

When I had entered high school, I become acutely aware of the power of the female body.  The power present was not just the idle reality of what the female body looks like, there is also a great power in the way that the body moves and is dressed.  I took advantage of this power at times and was amazed at the response, the ability to turn a guy’s head was exciting and fun and all I had to do was walk by them. Ironically, I often got mad at guys when I felt like they were treating me like "a piece of meat", not realizing that I was putting myself an the meat shelf, 

Then, my sister spoke....

My sister had gone through a very powerful conversion and this had a big impact on her role as a big sister.  I remember one of the first thugs she ever taught me was about modesty.  She explained that as women, we are responsible for the men around us.  If we wear clothing that causes a man to sin in his thoughts, we as women are held responsible.  Yes they are also responsible for what they choose to look at and think.  Our responsibility is in not teasing them with a sinful pleasure.  The clothes that we wear may even affect the destination of the men around us for eternity.  In other words, if a man is going to hell because of lustful thoughts nurtured by an immodestly dressed woman, we will have to face the consequence of placing the temptation before them.

This was my first lesson on modesty.  My immediate reaction to this news was a sense of excitement and power.  Wow!  We truly hold much power in our hands and we are the only ones who can really help protect men from the monster of lust.  

The robotic words “WE MU57 PROTECT" went through my head; we are their “body guards”.

But, honestly, the issue of modesty still annoys me.  Why do I have to worry about men, why don’t they just deal with their lack of control?  It is a selfish annoyance, selfish because I have to sacrifice my comfort and fashion faves.  

Modesty is obviously an issue for men but now I see it as an issue for myself as a woman.  If I am to expect a man to have self control with his eyes and his thoughts, then I too must have self-control with my thoughts and actions.  Did you catch that?  Women have to watch their thoughts too, but for different reasons, I’ll explain later. 

* * *

Now, on a different note, I want to explain my purpose.  With this essay I wish to accomplish a minimum of three things.  The first thing I want to do is give you a list of things to watch out for.  Next, I will try to explain the brain waves of the men around us as explained to me from them.  (I have been in contact with about 20 men ages 18 to 26 an this topic.)  Finally, I will share the importance of the brain waves of the woman by explaining… well… me. 

Here we go….

* * *

THE LIST OF “BEWARE”

 tight anything   watch for tight chest areas or butt areas 

 low cut shirts   watch that when leaning over that no secrets are told 

 short anything

· Shirts---guys have problems with the stomach area, even if only 1cm shows, it can be trouble (“When you can see the way that a girl’s stomach muscles are moving, don’t ask why, but for some reason this is a turn on for most guys.”) 

· shorts  -as a general rule, no shorter than 3 hand widths above the knee when sitting 

 low rise pants  -watch that between your pants and shirt, skin doesn’t show.  Especially watch your lower back, this area tends to be another problem area especially when there is a funky tattoo. 

 hide the underwear   underwear covers private area hence underwear will turn a guy’s thoughts to the south… got it?  (And a huge majority of guys thinks it is just plain gross to see a thong.) 

 skirts with super high slits-  watch for slits that reveal the upper thigh… upper thigh is close to other stuff just north of it… got it again? 

 hide the bra straps    just like underwear, the guy's mind turns to what is being covered up, especially  watch out for clear, red, black straps. 

-avoid straps on bags that cut between the breast   these drew undue focus to the chest. 

 pants with writing an the butt   guys will naturally read what is there and be tempted to continue to look.  (Watch the sayings on the shirts and pants… any potentially sexual innuendos are not good.)  skimpy bathing suits DUH!

* * *

THE MAN'S MIND

“Sometimes even in Christian circles [modesty] is a problem
because some girls simply don’t get it.  I guess they just
don't understand that guys are visually oriented.”

The body has been molded in a certain way in order to give glory to God.  One form of glory is a baby. Yup, God likes babies and therefore wants us to make them.  In order for Him to be sure we make these wonderful babies, God made our bodies attractive and sometimes just plain Hot!  Beautiful bodies means men and women will want to come together and... POOF! make babies.  The crazy thing we forget about is that our bodies are sending out silent messages about babies.  One guy explained it like this: “The problem lies in the fact that many women ‘broadcast’ sexual ready¬ness unintentionally through posture, clothing, interactions etc. while not actually wanting a sexual response.”  The way we dress influences a guy’s thoughts by stimulating the desire to …umm, make babies.

It is important to remember that babies are meant to come from a marriage relationship.  So, modesty is especially important when around those we are not able to make babies with.

The problem we as women must deal with is that men get their engines warmed up by getting the eyes warmed up.  See, unlike women who get their engines turned on quickly by physical touch, guys 'get going’ when they see something 'good'.  Some guys get turned on more easily than others and have a harder time controlling how fast their engine will go VROOM.

I was fortunate to have some guys explain what is so difficult about women’s clothing.  One guy said: “Underwear lines or short skirts draw a guy’s imagination to things that they are not supposed to see” and by “draw[ing]” a guy’s imagination, the guy faces the difficulty of controlling the direction his imagination is wanting to go.  So when we tease a guy by showing him a hint of something they are not supposed to see, the natural response for them is to start using their imaginations to show them the rest.  They change from using their physical eyes to using their mind’s eye to enjoy the secret treasures that only marriage is supposed to give.

So in others words, the man's eye is a dangerous body part.  It is what guys have to deal with most as they pursue holiness.  It is a huge stumbling block that has caused many a man to fall.

Another guy said, “If I see a woman with [a] …plunging neckline, for example, the automatic reaction is to make an object of her sexuality.”  There are many shirts that are cut to reveal just a bit of cleavage (the line between the breasts), this is dangerous because the guy will tend to look for possible sneak a peaks.  This is a natural reaction that women's fashion takes advantage of.  Not good.

…hey, check this out...

“The lamp of the body is the eye.  It follows that if your eye is clear, your whole body will be filled with light.  But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkness.  If then, the light inside you is darkened, what darkness that will be!”  Matthew 6:22 23

What we as humans look at will affect who we are on the inside.  If we use our eyes purely, we will be pure.  And if we choose for guys to only see purity in us, so too will they be led towards purity.

* * *

THE WOMAN'S MIND

As I started the research on this topic of modesty, I very early came to realize that modesty is more than the way we dress.  True modesty is an attitude, a way of life.  It is included in every moment of our day, and affects the choices we make.

Every choice we make can be guided by one question.  As Christians do we want others to see us, or do we want them to see Jesus.  If we are serious about our faith, we will answer the latter.  It is our role as Christ bearers to let Jesus shine and Jesus IS ultimate modesty.

When I am getting ready in the morning is when I struggle the most with modesty.  As I said before, modesty is an attitude.  Many times when I get dressed I get caught with wanting to look, not nice but GOOOOD.  I want to dress feminine and my mind likes to think feminine is sexy.  NOPE IT’S NOT! Feminine is an aspect of God but sexy is an aspect of lust.

The sources of my morning struggle are due to the fact that I used to take dance lessons.  In these classes, I learned the details of moving the body: how to roll the hips, strut with attitude, be sassy and sexy, and how to try and captivate the audience.  With these lessons we also had costumes that accented our movements.  These lessons overflowed into my daily life.  I see how clothes add to certain feminine movements, which ultimately aim to please the male eye.  How low rise pants accent the movements of the hips, low rise shirts show off the abs which are the intersection of the chest and lower abdomen, how slits allow the legs to be sexy, etc.

So when I get ready in the morning and am choosing my clothes, I try and observe my attitude.  If I notice I change my walk to more of a strut, I fix the outfit; if my outfit make me feel sexy.... I fix it.

But, don't get me wrong, we don't have to remove style from our wardrobe but rather remove the excess skin.  Style is a good thing because it shows that we care about our bodies, which are the temples of the Holy Spirit.  We are walking tabernacles and should be sure that we are dressed appropriately to hold Jesus.  As spoken by a guy, “There is nothing wrong with a woman wearing clothes that displays the shape of her body if the intention and context are correct…. To cover it completely would be to deny [the body’s] worth.”  Guys appreciate when girls take care of their appearance and allow their clothes to express their self-image.  Check out these various comments:

 “[Immodesty] leads men’s minds to wander and not focus an what’s really important, the person behind the clothes, instead they're worried about the body behind the clothes.”

 “[Immodest clothing] makes them look unsophisticated and it cheapens them by making them look rather easy for guys.”

“There is a big difference between who men check out and who they date.”

So from the guys themselves, they say that immodest clothing is in general a turn off (except for the few who are generally twisted). Don't we as women want guys to truly cherish us? If so we must present ourselves by cherishing ourselves. The female body is one of the greatest gifts from God and therefore must be treated and dealt with in the most gentle and loving of ways.

So, with the words of our most Holy Church herself I shall conclude:

Purity requires modesty, an integral part of temperance.  Modesty protects the intimate center of the person.  It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden.  It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness.  It guides how one looks at others and behaves toward them in conformity with the dignity of persons and their solidarity. ….Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love.  It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships…. Modesty is decency.  It inspires one’s choice of clothing.  It keeps silence or reserve where there is evidence of risk of unhealthy curiosity.  It is discreet. Catechism of the Catholic Church: 2521-2522

The following is the email I sent out:

Hi Guys,

I need your help.  I was driving to work a few months ago and found myself having a mini-crisis.  I was not sure whether what I was wearing was modest or not…. I still question it…. Anyways.  So my request is this: Will you type up a list/summary of things that you would like girls not to wear because you find them immodest.  And also, would you mind explaining why you find it immodest.  See, most girls, especially myself, do not understand what the big deal is with clothes.  We don’t understand how you guys struggle with what you see.  I know that guys are visual and your eyes lead you into temptation easily…. But we don’t get it.  Could you help explain what you go through?  Now, my goal for this information is to compile an essay that girls (and guys) could read in order to understand the issue of modesty in a more real way.  I will keep your responses confidential.  The only possibility is that I may quote you but the quote will remain anonymous.  When the essay is done I will be sure to get you the final results (especially if you choose to respond), as well as share it with all those who want to learn more.  Please email me your responses and I will do the rest.  Thank-you so much for your help and if you have any questions, feel free to write me.  

Yours in His Strength, Jayme-Dawn.    👈

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Amyv6OjUkKMfjwHbTztcL4hB3752?e=qGI8NZ

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In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity (Jeremiah 31:31-34) every person can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so may you be pleased to find here a variety of helps to the life of faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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