Monday, May 8, 2000

THE EMPTY CHAIR

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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THE EMPTY CHAIR

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed the old fellow had been informed of his visit.. "I guess you were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you?" said the father. The minister told him his name and then remarked, "I see the empty chair; I figured you knew I was going to show up." "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man.

"Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head."

"I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me,

'Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I'll be with you always.' Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.'

So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he die in peace?" he asked.

"Yes, when I left the house about two o' clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."

If you find this to be good news, please feel free to share it widely.
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards.

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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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The Christmas Envelope

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The Christmas Envelope

Today we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, the Son of God, and 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 being reconciled with 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 the story about the Christmas Envelope:

"It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it. Overspending -- the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended, and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them, taking every weight class. As each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, I wish just one of them could have won; he said. They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them. Mike loved kids, all kids, and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.

On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition -- one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.

You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us."

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For the measure with which you measure will in turn be measured out to you (Luke 6:38)." May your Christmas be filled with loving, peaceful, grateful and joyful feelings!

Fr. Joe

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The Christmas Candy Cane - La Canne de Noël

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The Christmas Candy Cane

Candy sticks were given to pacify children during the long Christmas pageant. In 1670 the Köln Cathedral Choirmaster bent the sticks to resemble a shepherd’s staff or turned upside down, “J” for Jesus. Hard candy reminds us that Christ is the rock of ages, the keystone of his Church.

The white candy represents the purity of Christ.

A red stripe reminds us of the blood Christ shed for the sins of the world.

The three thinner stripes give witness to the Blessed Trinity and also to the stripes Jesus received on our behalf when the Roman soldiers whipped Him.

The peppermint flavour is similar to hyssop, used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice, reminding us of Jesus’ purity and the sacrifice He made of his life for us.

Jesus is the pure Lamb of God, who came as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

La Canne de Noël

On donnait des bâtons de bonbon blanc pour pacifier les petits enfants durant la longue pièce de Noël. En 1670 le maître de chapelle à la cathédrale de Köln la plia pour en faire une crosse de berger, ce qui fait penser à un « J » pour Jésus. Le bonbon dur nous rappelle que Jésus est le roc de Dieu, la pierre angulaire de son Église.

Le bonbon blanc représente la pureté du Christ.

Une rayure rouge rappelle le sang que le Christ a versé pour les péchés du monde.

Les trois rayures étroites témoignent de la Sainte Trinité et aussi des rayures qu’Il a reçues en notre nom quand les soldats romains l’ont flagellé.

La saveur de menthe poivrée est semblable à l’hysope, utilisée dans l’Ancien Testament pour la purification et pour les sacrifices nous rappelant la pureté de Jésus et le sacrifice qu’Il a fait de sa vie pour nous.

Jésus est l’Agneau pur de Dieu, venu comme un sacrifice pour les péchés du monde.

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The Homeless Man at Christmas

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The Homeless Man at Christmas

It was a cold winter's day that Sunday near Christmas. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked to the church.

As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet with holes all over them, his toes stuck out.

I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all gathered for fellowship for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man laying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me.

A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to the church opened. In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head down.

People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit. He took off his hat and coat. My heart sank. There stood our preacher... he was the "homeless man." No one said a word. The preacher took his Bible and laid it on the stand.

"Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today." Then he started singing the words to this song. "If I can help somebody as I pass along... If I can cheer somebody with a word or song... If I can show somebody that he's traveling wrong... Then my living shall not be in vain."

Justice --- When you get what you deserve….

Mercy --- When you don't get what you deserve….

Grace --- When you get what you don't deserve….

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The Four Candles

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The Four Candles

The Four Candles burned slowly. Their ambiance was so soft yet you could plainly hear them speak. The first candle said, "I am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit." Then Peace's flame slowly diminishes and goes out completely.

The second candle says, "I am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable." Then Faith's flame slowly diminishes and goes out completely.

Sadly, the third candle spoke, "I am Love and I haven't the strength to stay lit any longer." "People put me aside and don't understand my importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them." And waiting no longer, Love goes out completely.

Suddenly . . . a child enters the room and sees the three candles no longer burning. The child begins to cry, "Why are you not burning? You are supposed to stay lit until the end."

Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the little boy, "Don't be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn, we can re-light the other candles."

With shining eyes the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the other three candles.

Never let the Flame of Hope go out of your life. With Hope, no matter how bad things look and are, Peace, Faith and Love can Shine Brightly in our lives. More clearly than all the others, Hope turns our spirit away from preoccupation with ourselves to look up towards our Creator God, the Most Holy Trinity, who are forever and ever unchanging and reliable.

Cling to Hope, turn to God, and don't let these candles go out in your life!

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THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PARADOXES

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THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PARADOXES

THIS IS GREAT! No wonder immigrants struggle with the English language.

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France .

Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?

One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick' ?

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this ..

There's a two-letter word that has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?

Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends.

And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.

We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has real special meaning.

People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary.

In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.

It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.

When the sun comes out we say it is clearingUP.

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.
When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP,

for now my time is UP,

so........it is time to shut UP!

Now it's UP to you what you do with this text.

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THE EMPTY BIRDCAGE

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THE EMPTY BIRDCAGE

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak. "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. In the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply. "What are you gonna do with them?" I asked. "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?" "Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?” “Huh? Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing -- they ain't even pretty!" "How much?" the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?" The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. “Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!" "How much?" He asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price. The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

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If you have never received Jesus Christ personally, He invites you to do so now. If you are unsure that you will spend eternity with Him in Heaven, it is vital that you pray the prayer that follows. Tomorrow may be too late. This is not an exaggeration - if anyone had told the victims of "911" the day before that, "tomorrow when you go to work an airplane is going to crash into the building, and you will die," they probably would not only not have believed it, but been convinced that person was crazy. we are living in perilous times.

if you re sure of heaven, but your assurance is based on your goodness, you are deceived. our assurance of eternal life is not based on our goodness, or our good works. church attendance, being a faithful spouse, a good parent, hard worker, a good provider, volunteer work, etc..., are all admirable, but will not get you into heaven. if that were possible, then Jesus suffered on the cross needlessly. if we could get to heaven on our own (or if there was any other way, there would have been no reason for Him to die such a humiliating, excruciating death.).

"for by grace are you saved through faith and not by your own efforts; it is the gift of God. It is not achieved by works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

(From "Triumph Over Terrorism" by Esther King, 2004, pages 119-122)

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Father Gilles' Archive Pages

Monday, May 8, 2000

THE EMPTY CHAIR

THE EMPTY CHAIR

The Christmas Envelope

The Christmas Candy Cane - La Canne de Noël

The Homeless Man at Christmas

The Four Candles

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PARADOXES

THE EMPTY BIRDCAGE

Seminar / Workshop on God - "Introduction to Prayer" - Marriage Preparation Course "From This Day Forward" - Saturday, April 13th, 2024 at St. Thomas à Becket Parish - Marriage is a great adventure for LIFE! Workshop Seminar 07.6

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