Overcoming a Troubled Heart

April 30, 2021 Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Readings for Today Saint Pius V, Pope—Optional Memorial

Video Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” John 14:1 In John’s Gospel, Chapters 14–17 present us with what is referred to as Jesus’ “Last Supper Discourses,” or His “Final Discourses.” These are a series of sermons given by our Lord to the disciples the night He was arrested. These discourses are deep and filled with symbolic imagery. He speaks of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the vine and the branches, the world’s hatred, and these discourses conclude with Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. These discourses begin with today’s Gospel in which Jesus addresses the coming fear, or troubled hearts, that He knows His disciples will experience. Let’s begin by considering this first line spoken by Jesus above: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” This is a command. It’s a gentle command but a command nonetheless. Jesus knew that His disciples would soon see Him arrested, falsely accused, mocked, beaten and killed. He knew they would be overwhelmed by what they would soon experience, so He took this opportunity to gently and lovingly rebuke the fear that they would soon face. Fear can come from many different sources. Some fear is helpful to us, such as the fear present in a dangerous situation. In this case, that fear can heighten our awareness of the danger so that we proceed with caution. But the fear that Jesus was speaking of here was of a different kind. It was a fear that could lead to irrational decisions, confusion, and even despair. This was the kind of fear that our Lord wanted to gently rebuke. What is it that causes you to fear at times? Many people struggle with anxiety, worry, and fear for many different reasons. If this is something you struggle with, it’s important to allow Jesus’ words to resonate within your mind and heart. The best way to overcome fear is to rebuke it at its source. Hear Jesus say to you, “Do not let your heart be troubled.” Then listen to His second command: “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Faith in God is the cure for fear. When we have faith, we are under the control of the voice of God. It is God’s truth that directs us rather than the difficulty we are facing. Fear can lead to irrational thinking, and irrational thinking can lead us deeper and deeper into confusion. Faith pierces through the irrationality we are tempted with, and the truths that faith presents to us bring clarity and strength. Reflect, today, upon whatever it is that causes you the most anxiety, worry and fear in your life. Allow Jesus to speak to you, to call you to faith and to rebuke those troubles gently but firmly. When you have faith in God, you can endure all things. Jesus endured the Cross. The disciples eventually endured their crosses. God wants to strengthen you, too. Let Him speak to you so that you will overcome whatever is most troublesome to your heart. My loving Shepherd, You know all things. You know my heart and the difficulties I face in life. Give me the courage I need, dear Lord, to face every temptation to fear with confidence and trust in You. Bring clarity to my mind and peace to my troubled heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Are You Blessed?

April 29, 2021 Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Readings for Today Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

Video When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” John 13:16–17 During this, the Fourth Week of Easter, we return to the Last Supper and will spend a few weeks considering the discourse Jesus gave that Holy Thursday evening to His disciples. The question to ask yourself today is this: “Are you blessed?” Jesus says that you are blessed if you “understand” and “do” what He teaches His disciples. So what did He teach them? Jesus offers this prophetic action by which He took on the role of a slave by washing the disciples’ feet. His action was much louder than words, as the saying goes. The disciples were humbled by this act, and Peter, at first, refused it. There is little doubt that this humble act of service, by which Jesus lowered Himself before His disciples, made a strong impression upon them. The worldly view of greatness is much different than the one Jesus taught. Worldly greatness is a process of elevating yourself in the eyes of others, striving to let them know just how good you are. Worldly greatness is often driven by a fear of what others may think of you, and a desire to be honored by all. But Jesus wants to be clear that we will only be great if we serve. We must humble ourselves before others, holding them and their goodness up, honoring them and showing them the deepest love and respect. By washing their feet, Jesus completely abandoned the worldly view of greatness and called His disciples to do the same. Humility is difficult to understand at times. This is why Jesus said, “If you understand this…” He realized that the disciples, as well as all of us, will struggle with understanding the importance of humbling ourselves before others and serving them. But if you do understand humility, you will be “blessed” when you live it. You will not be blessed in the eyes of the world, but you will be truly blessed in the eyes of God. Humility is especially accomplished when we purify our desire for honor and prestige, when we overcome all fear of being mistreated, and when, in place of this desire and fear, we desire abundant blessings upon others, even before ourselves. This love and humility is the only way to this mysterious and profound depth of love. Reflect, today, upon this humble act of the Son of God, the Savior of the World, lowering Himself before His disciples, serving them as if He were a slave. Try to imagine yourself doing this for others. Think about various ways that you can more readily go out of your way to put others and their needs before your own. Seek to eliminate every selfish desire you struggle with and identify any fear that keeps you from humility. Understand this gift of humility and live it. Only then will you be truly blessed. My humble Lord, You set for us the perfect example of love when You chose to serve Your disciples with great humility. Help me to understand this beautiful virtue and to live it. Free me from all selfishness and fear so that I may love others as You have loved us all. Jesus, I trust in You.

Bill raising age of consent must be passed soon

Fr. Shay Cullen

25 April 2021

 

It was only a few weeks ago when Annalisa (not her real name), 14 years old, was rescued by social workers and police and brought to the Preda home for abused children. We learned that Annalisa was from a broken home and only met her biological father when she was 12 and then only once. She has low education, and she was easily seduced into entering a sexual relationship with a 27-year-old man. She had been persuaded with gifts and promises of love by this older man, and her mother agreed. But the relationship did not work out.

 

Then in what appears to be a human trafficking crime, the mother gave Annalisa out again to another man, 26 years old, who became her live-in partner. Annalisa became dependent on him. After some time, her mother wanted to get her daughter back again since it is likely the man did not continue to pay her. When he refused, the mother went to the police.

 

Under the law at present, where the age of consent is shockingly low at 12, these men cannot be charged with child sexual abuse or rape even though Annalisa is only 14 and was 13 when it started. This is the lowest in all Asia if not the world.

 

It is a disgrace to the Philippines that prides itself on being a modern, civilized, child-friendly society with 32 laws protecting children and yet the age of consent has never changed.

 

This seriously low age of consent has been a very convenient way for the pedophile who can persuade mothers and children that he will be a loving, supportive “husband.” There being no threat of violence or hurt, fear or coercion in the relationship and the child said she gave her consent, then the sex act is lawful and the man no matter how old cannot be charged.

 

That abusive loophole in the law will now change. The new proposed law makes any sexual activity with a child 16 and younger statutory rape. The proposed new law, already approved on final reading by the Philippine Congress and awaiting approval of the Senate, will also remove marriage as an exception and will extinguish criminal liability in consensual, nonexploitative, and nonabusive sexual relations between two minors whose age difference is not more than 4 years.

 

The delay by senators to approve the proposed bill raising the low age of sexual consent is allowing more and more children like Annalisa to be sexually abused and raped by older men. They are easily brought under their power and influence and the parents also make money out of it.

 

Annalisa is safe now and is receiving healing, therapy, education and legal assistance. Her medico-legal examination shows severe lacerations. We are learning how she suffered in silence, afraid of her mother and afraid to run away and get help. It is possible that the prosecutor will charge the mother with trafficking of her daughter. The men can be charged with the crime of using a trafficked child. That anti-trafficking law was framed to meet this kind of situation.

 

When passed, legal history will be made to end this shameful sham of the existing law that in effect allows child sexual abuse. The Philippine Congress must pass this proposed important law without further delay. It is necessary, however, to include a provision on close-in-age exception to protect young people from being labeled as sex offenders for having consensual sex with their peers.

 

The pandemic has caused more children to be locked down at home and vulnerable to sexual abuse in the family. The lockdown has created an internet explosion and child pornography has proliferated in an unprecedented manner. The availability of low-cost smart phones has made child images of abuse easy to access even by children. One thing that can be done is for the government to pass a national law compelling the sellers of smart phones to turn on the built-in child porn blocking software that comes with the phone. A pass code can be given to adults who want to apply that blocking technique.

 

There are also the internet service providers (ISPs) that as yet do not control the flow of child pornography through their servers, despite efforts of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to make these ISPs obey the law, Republic Act 9775, to install blocking software. As far as I know, they have not done it since the law was passed in 2009. The telecommunication corporations PLDT/Smart and Globe Telecom were in discussions with Microsoft about the blocking software called DNAPhoto and DNAVideo. They have that software but give no information if the ISPs use it. So, we can take that as a No, the ISPs don’t have the blocking software. If they have it, they simply refuse to install the blocking software.

 

Parents can be truly shocked and bewildered at changes in the personality and behavior of their children when they become secretive, remote and uncommunicative. They might think their children are into drugs. The teenagers are likely going through a trauma after viewing pornography on their cellphones. They are affected and cannot see their parents as they did before. The relationship will change forever and they can rightly blame the erring ISPs for allowing the proliferation of pornography. Everywhere, this is at present a disturbing crisis for families, a tragedy for children and a challenge for parents.

 

www.preda.org

The Oneness of God

April 28, 2021 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Readings for Today Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr—Optional Memorial Saint Louis Grignon de Montfort, Priest—Optional Memorial

Video Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.” John 12:44–45 Note that Jesus’ words in the above quoted passage start by stating that “Jesus cried out…” This intentional addition by the Gospel writer adds emphasis to this statement. Jesus didn’t just “say” these words, He “cried out.” For that reason, we should be extra attentive to these words and allow them to speak to us all the more. This Gospel passage takes place during the week prior to Jesus’ Passion. He entered Jerusalem triumphantly and, then, throughout the week, spoke to various groups of people while the Pharisees plotted against Him. The emotions were tense, and Jesus spoke with greater and greater vigor and clarity. He spoke about His pending death, the unbelief of many, and His oneness with the Father in Heaven. At one point during the week, as Jesus was speaking of His oneness with the Father, the voice of the Father spoke audibly for all to hear. Jesus had just said, “Father, glorify your name.” And then the Father spoke, saying, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” Some thought it was thunder and others thought it was an angel. But it was the Father in Heaven. This context is useful when reflecting upon today’s Gospel. Jesus passionately wants us to know that if we have faith in Him, then we also have faith in the Father, because the Father and He are one. Of course, this teaching on the oneness of God is nothing new to us today—we should all be very familiar with the teaching on the Most Holy Trinity. But in many ways, this teaching on the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be seen as new and pondered anew every day. Imagine Jesus speaking to you, personally, and with great vigor, about His unity with the Father. Consider carefully how deeply He desires that you understand this divine mystery of Their oneness. Allow yourself to sense how much Jesus wants you to understand Who He is in relation to His Father. Prayerfully understanding the Trinity teaches us much, not only about Who God is but about who we are. We are called to share in the oneness of God by becoming united with Them through love. The early Church Fathers often spoke of our calling to be “divinized,” that is, to share in the divine life of God. And though this is a mystery beyond complete comprehension, it’s a mystery that Jesus deeply desires us to prayerfully ponder. Reflect, today, upon the passion in the heart of Jesus to reveal to you Who He is in relation to the Father. Be open to a deeper understanding of this divine truth. And as you open yourself to this revelation, allow God to also reveal to you His desire to draw you into Their holy life of unity. This is your calling. This is the reason Jesus came to earth. He came to draw us into the very life of God. Believe it with much passion and conviction. My passionate Lord, You spoke long ago about Your oneness with the Father in Heaven. You speak again, today, to me, about this glorious truth. Draw me in, dear Lord, not only to the great mystery of Your oneness with the Father but also to the mystery of Your calling to me to share in Your life. I accept this invitation and pray that I become more fully one with You, the Father and the Holy Spirit. Most Holy Trinity, I trust in You.

Learning the Language of God

April 27, 2021 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Readings for Today

Video Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.”  John 10:24–25 Why is it that these people did not know that Jesus was the Christ? They wanted Jesus to speak “plainly” to them, but Jesus surprises them by saying that He already answered their question but they “do not believe.” This Gospel passage continues the beautiful teaching about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. It’s interesting that these people want Jesus to speak plainly about whether or not He is the Christ, but instead, Jesus speaks plainly about the fact that they do not believe in Him because they are not listening. They have missed what He has said and are left in confusion. One thing this tells us is that God speaks to us in His own way, not necessarily in the way we would like Him to speak. He speaks a mystical, profound, gentle and hidden language. He reveals His deepest mysteries only to those who have come to learn His language. But to those who do not understand God’s language, confusion sets in. If you ever find yourself confused in life, or confused about the plan God has for you, then perhaps it’s time to examine how carefully you listen to the way God speaks. We could beg God, day and night, to “speak plainly” to us, but He will only speak in the way He has always spoken. And what is that language? On the deepest level, it’s the language of infused prayer. Prayer, of course, is different than only saying prayers. Prayer is ultimately a relationship of love with God. It’s a communication on the deepest level. Prayer is an act of God within our soul by which God invites us to believe in Him, to follow Him, and to love Him. This invitation is continually offered to us, but too often we fail to hear it because we fail to truly pray. Much of John’s Gospel, including Chapter Ten from which we are reading today, speaks in a mystical way. It’s not possible to simply read it like a novel and comprehend all that Jesus says with one read. Jesus’ teaching must be heard in your soul, prayerfully, pondered, and heard. This approach will open the ears of your heart to the certitude of the voice of God. Reflect, today, upon the mysterious ways in which God communicates to you. If you do not understand how He speaks, then that is a good starting point. Spend time with this Gospel, prayerfully pondering it. Meditate upon Jesus’ words, listening for His voice. Learn His language through silent prayer and allow His holy words to draw you to Himself. My mysterious and hidden Lord, You speak to me day and night and continually reveal Your love to me. Help me to learn to listen to You so that I may grow deep in faith and may truly become Your follower in every way. Jesus, I trust in You.

Recognizing the Voice of God

April 26, 2021 Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter Readings for Today

Video But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. John 10:2–4 Do you recognize the voice of the Shepherd? Does He lead you each and every day, guiding you into His holy will? How attentive are you to what He speaks each day? These are some of the most important questions to ponder. Recognizing God’s voice is something that many people struggle with. There are often many competing “voices” that speak to us each and every day. From the latest news in the headlines, to the opinions of friends and family, to the temptations all around us within the secular world, to our own self-drawn opinions, these “voices” or “ideas” that fill our minds can be hard to sort through. What is from God? And what is from other sources? Recognizing the voice of God is indeed possible. First of all, there are many general truths that God has already spoken to us. For example, everything contained in the Holy Scriptures are the voice of God. His Word is alive. And when we read the Scriptures, we become more and more familiar with God’s voice. God also speaks to us through gentle inspirations that result in His peace. For example, when considering a certain decision you may need to make, if you present that decision to our Lord prayerfully and then remain open to whatever He wants of you, oftentimes His answer comes in the form of a deep and certain peace of heart. Learning to recognize the voice of God in your daily life is accomplished by building an interior habit of listening, recognizing, responding, listening some more, recognizing and responding, etc. The more you hear the voice of God, the more you will recognize His voice in the most subtle of ways, and the more you come to hear the subtleties of His voice, the more you will be able to follow. In the end, this is only accomplished by an ongoing habit of deep and sustaining prayer. Without that, it will be very difficult to recognize the voice of the Shepherd when you need Him the most. Reflect, today, upon how attentive you are to God in prayer. What does your daily prayer look like? Do you spend time each day, listening to the gentle and beautiful voice of our Lord? Do you seek to form a habit by which His voice becomes clearer and clearer? If not, if you do struggle in recognizing His voice, then make the decision to establish a deeper habit of daily prayer so that it is the voice of our loving Lord Who leads you every day. Jesus, my Good Shepherd, You speak to me each and every day. You are constantly revealing to me Your most holy will for my life. Help me to always recognize Your gentle voice so that I can be led by You through the challenges of life. May my life of prayer become so deep and sustaining that Your voice always echoes within my heart and soul. Jesus, I trust in You.

Laying Down Your Life

April 25, 2021 Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year B)—Good Shepherd Sunday Readings for Today

Video Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.” John 10:11 Traditionally, this Fourth Sunday of Easter is called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” This is because the readings for this Sunday from all three liturgical years come from the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel in which Jesus teaches clearly and repeatedly about His role of being the Good Shepherd. What does it mean to be a shepherd? More specifically, how is it that Jesus most perfectly acts as the Good Shepherd of us all? The image of Jesus being a shepherd is an endearing image. Many artists have shown Jesus as a gentle and kind man holding a sheep in His arms or on His shoulders. In part, it is this holy image that we put before our mind’s eye to ponder today. This is an inviting image and one that helps us to turn to our Lord, as a child would turn to a parent in need. But though this gentle and endearing image of Jesus as a shepherd is quite inviting, there are other aspects of His role as Shepherd that should also be considered. The Gospel quoted above gives us the heart of Jesus' definition of the most important quality of a good shepherd. He is one who “lays down his life for the sheep.” He is one who is willing to suffer, out of love, for those entrusted to his care. He is one who chooses the life of the sheep over his own life. At the heart of this teaching is sacrifice. A shepherd is sacrificial. And being sacrificial is the truest and most accurate definition of love. Though Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” Who gave His life for us all, we must also daily strive to imitate His sacrificial love for others. We must be Christ, the Good Shepherd, to others every day. And the way we do this is by looking for ways to lay our lives down for others, putting them first, overcoming every selfish tendency, and serving them with our lives. Love is not only experiencing endearing and heartwarming moments with others; first and foremost, love is about being sacrificial. Reflect, today, upon these two images of Jesus the Good Shepherd. First, ponder the tender and gentle Lord Who welcomes you and cares for you in a holy, compassionate, and endearing way. But then turn your eyes to the Crucifixion. Our Good Shepherd did, indeed, give His life for us all. His shepherding love led Him to suffer greatly and to lay His life down so that we could be saved. Jesus was not afraid to die for us, because His love was perfect. We are the ones who matter to Him, and He was willing to do anything necessary to love us, including sacrificing His life out of love. Ponder this most holy and pure sacrificial love and strive to more fully offer this same love to all those whom you are called to love. Jesus our Good Shepherd, I thank You profoundly for loving me to the point of sacrificing Your life on the Cross. You love me not only with the utmost tenderness and compassion but also in a sacrificial and selfless way. As I receive Your divine love, dear Lord, help me to also imitate Your love and to sacrifice my life for others. Jesus, my Good Shepherd, I trust in You.

A “Hard” and Deep Mystery

April 24, 2021 Saturday of the Third Week of Easter Readings for Today Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr—Optional Memorial

Video As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” John 6:66–67 Today’s Gospel concludes the beautiful and profound sermon on the Bread of Life (see John 6:22–71). When you read this sermon from beginning to end, it is noticeable that Jesus moves from more general statements about the Bread of Life that are easier to accept to more specific statements that are challenging. He concludes His teaching just prior to today’s Gospel by saying very directly, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” After Jesus said this, many who had been listening to Him left Him and no longer followed Him. There are generally three common attitudes people have toward the Most Holy Eucharist. One attitude is that of profound faith. Another is that of indifference. And a third is what we find in today’s Gospel: disbelief. Those who walked away from Jesus in today’s Gospel did so because they said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” What a great statement and question to ponder. It is true, in a certain way, that the teaching of Jesus on the Most Holy Eucharist is a hard saying. “Hard,” however, is not bad. It’s hard in the sense that belief in the Eucharist is only possible through a faith that comes from a deep interior revelation from God. In the case of those who walked away from Jesus, they heard His teaching, but their hearts were closed to the gift of faith. They remained stuck on a purely intellectual level, and, thus, the idea of eating the Flesh and Blood of the Son of God was more than they could comprehend. So who could accept such a statement? Only those who listen to our Lord as He speaks to them interiorly. It is only that interior conviction that comes from God that can be proof of the truthfulness of the Holy Eucharist. Do you believe that when you consume that which appears to be only “bread and wine,” you are actually consuming Christ Himself? Do you understand this teaching of our Lord on the Bread of Life? It is a hard saying and a difficult teaching, which is why it must be taken very seriously. For those who do not flat out reject this teaching, there is also the temptation to be somewhat indifferent to the teaching. It can easily be misunderstood to be just symbolism in the way our Lord talks. But the symbolism is much more than just symbolism. It’s a profound, challenging, and life-changing teaching of how we share in the divine and eternal life our Lord wishes to bestow upon us. Reflect, today, upon how deeply you believe this hard saying of Jesus. The fact that it is a “hard” saying should make you seriously examine your own faith or lack thereof. What Jesus teaches is life-changing. It’s life-giving. And when clearly understood, you will be challenged to either believe with your whole heart or turn away in disbelief. Allow yourself to believe in the Most Holy Eucharist with your whole heart and you will find that you are believing one of the most profound Mysteries of Faith. My glorious Lord, Your teaching on the Most Holy Eucharist is beyond human comprehension. It is a mystery so deep that we will never fully understand this precious gift. Open my eyes, dear Lord, and speak to my mind so that I may listen to Your words and respond with the deepest faith. Jesus, I trust in You.

A “Holy Fear”

April 23, 2021
Friday of the Third Week of Easter
Readings for Today

Saint George, Martyr—Optional Memorial

Saint Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr—Optional Memorial

Video

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. John 6:53–55

On a philosophical level, it’s useful to consider various things that appear to be “competing forces.” Good appears to be the opposite of evil. Light the opposite of dark. Heat the opposite of cold. And life the opposite of death. But are they truly opposites in the sense of being competing forces? When considered carefully, it is clear that good and evil, light and dark, heat and cold, and life and death are not actually “competing forces;” rather, evil is simply the absence of good, darkness the absence of light, cold the absence of heat, and death the loss of life. And though this philosophical distinction may not seem that interesting to some, and confusing to others, it is a helpful truth to ponder in light of today’s Gospel.

Today’s Gospel tells us that failure to “eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood” results in death. Death is the loss of life, and the Eucharist is the source of life. Jesus says that if you fail to eat His Flesh and drink His Blood, “you do not have life within you.”

This bold teaching of Jesus should cause us to stop and examine our approach to the Most Holy Eucharist. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that going to Mass and receiving Communion is something we do as a “favor” to our Lord. But in truth, it’s God’s most profound favor to us, because the Eucharist is the gateway to eternal life. And without it, we have no life within us. Our spirits die because we lose the presence of God.

Looking at the negative effect of not receiving the Most Holy Eucharist can be very useful. Sometimes we need to consider the consequences of our actions as a way of motivating us to greater fidelity. For that reason, considering the fact that failure to eat the Flesh of the Son of God results in death should be very motivating. It should fill us with a holy fear of the loss of the life-giving presence of God within us. This “holy fear” is a true gift from God and is, in fact, one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Reflect, today, upon your interior attitude toward the Most Holy Eucharist. Do you see your participation in the Holy Mass more as a favor you offer to our Lord? Or do you see it as it is: the life-giving source of eternal life? Reflect upon how important this precious gift truly is and recommit yourself to a faithful and devout participation in this most holy Gift.

My Eucharistic Lord, Your Flesh and Blood are truly the source of eternal life for all who receive You in faith. I thank You, dear Lord, for this most precious Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist, and I pray that I will be filled with a deep hunger and thirst for You always. Jesus, I trust in You.

Restore Our Earth so We Can Live

Shay Cullen

19 April 2021

 

There is great hope and enthusiasm among the youth for the restoration of the earth celebrating Earth Day on 22 April. They see the environmental destruction in all aspects of our lives- the air we breathe, the forest destruction, the polluted oceans, the climate change that is upon us and the pandemic- all a result of human neglect, greed and power play for riches and dominance of the Earth. This young generation wants it to change and are doing much to bring it about by advocating political change to the Green Platform for a healthy planet.

  

They are planning thousands of action events around the globe to demand that we change our lifestyles, habits, ways of living and working. They are dedicated to change the destructive industry, corrupt political systems and bad environmental conditions due to the changing climate that is harming them and the Earth.

   

We all must work to change our lives and restore our Earth because everyone should have an equal opportunity to survive and have healthy life of dignity and equality. Those greater ideals are far away but we can restore the Earth in small ways in the place where we live. Like recycling plastic and waste products, never waste food, plant organic vegetables and plant trees.  

 

The most vital and important need is to have a healthy, clean, pollution-free, smog-free atmospheres and clean air to breath. The air we breathe affects our lives, our blood, our brains and body and our ability for clear thinking. It is one of the most important environmental goals we must reach. Our health and that of the world’s children depend on it.

 

We humans are very unintelligent since we are poisoning ourselves. We are allowing national and multi-national industry to make billions of profits by producing electricity from dirty dangerous oil and coal-fired power plants. The  politicians and mighty moguls of industry tell us it is for our own good if we want our electric fans, air conditioners, heaters, lights and factories to run. How dull can we be, we with the big brains, if we allow this when there are clear sustainable alternatives? The youth that are rallying this Earth Day know it and demand change.

 

The politicians are generally corrupt and in cahoots and enjoy conspiracies with the tough tycoons of big business run by the oligarchs of industry. We have to have political action and vote for politicians with green environmental credentials. To restore the Earth is not just cleaning up the plastic waste and planting more trees, all great and important, but we have to change the politicians and they will change the source of producing electricity on which the world runs.

 

This basic intelligent thinking, planning and positive action is all possible and it is part of the new wave sweeping the globe with the young generation. It means we and the tycoons have to confess environmental sins, individually, nationally and globally and repent and do penance by changing our bad environmental habits.

 

We can and must change to good clean ways of living so as to undo the damage caused by the past generations and the present one. We must change and replace the destructive energy-producing ways to restore the Earth. The people must demand the politicians and industry to convert more quickly to renewable sources of energy and phase out fossil fuels, oil, gas, coal and nuclear plants.  We need to join the youth today in demanding these changes by their marches, activities and protests and positive actions this Earth Day, now on its 51st anniversary. The building of more wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal plants, wave and tide power and environmentally-safe hydropower is the goal.

 

Converting to electric-run vehicles sourced from renewable energy production is the way of the future. However, less flying, more walking and cycling and using trains are the best ways to travel to restore the earth. The burning of oil and coal is the most dangerous of all. They produce the most CO2 in the atmosphere, producing greenhouse gases causing climate change because of global warming and they are polluting the air we breathe. The Covid-19 pandemic stopped travel and restored a clean environment to many cities especially in China.

 

The coal industry is the worst of all for damaging the Earth. According to a report in N. Sönnichsen, Feb 2, 2021, “China has the highest installed capacity of coal power plants in the world. . . with a capacity of 1,042.9 gigawatts……the United States, which ranked second. China\"s carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion reached 7.2 billion metric tons in 2019 - roughly 70 percent of the country\"s total emissions.

 

For a great nation to be truly great, admired, respected and emulated, China with its success in greatly alleviating poverty in fifty years and massive construction and production capacity of consumer products, has to have moral values and respect for human rights and respect for the Earth and quickly phase out their oppressive cruel polices of island-grabbing, human rights abuses and their coal plants. Then, China will lead the world.   

 

The most devastating result of a poisoned atmosphere from air pollution is felt everyday with the millions suffering breathing problems and with these underlying weakness, millions are dying, even hundreds of babies in Brazil, from Covid-19. Make no mistake about it. This pandemic is upon us like a dark cloud because of our lack of care of the natural world and protection of the earth’s wildlife and habitat of animals and birds. The unleashing of the various vicious viruses in recent years transferring from exotic and rare birds and animals when eaten, like bats or Panolin  has brought devastation and suffering and death to so many.

 

The positive planned action of youth worldwide on Earth Day to restore the Earth is inspiring. It begins with a global youth climate summit led by Earth Uprising, in collaboration with My Future, My Voice, OneMillionOfUs and hundreds of youth climate activists. We admire them. They are the hope for a clean, restored Earth.

 

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