Intuitive immorality of murder. Listen to your heart before killing another.

One would think that it will be intuitive to any sane person that killing an innocent human being is evil.  From the depths of the human heart comes the conviction that it is wrong to murder good people - no matter what race or creed.  It is only through some perverse idea that the slaughter of others become acceptable e.g.  Hitler demonized the Jews, Mohammed the non-Muslims, Mao and Stalin the Capitalists;  their poisonous ideas, agitprop, made their followers override that intuition i.e. killing good people is wrong.

Right now, it is up to the person to examine his heart to find the truth.

Because there is also another intuitive truth that is common to many in not all belief systems i.e. the punishment in Hell.  Murdering innocent people - specially men of God will not be rewarded but will be severely punished;  that is what comes naturally from the soul - that fountain of truth from God.  The Koran may promise 70 virgins but does that make sense - for murdering a good man?  It doesn't because it is a lie.

I dedicate this post to the followers of Islam to save their souls from eternal punishment.  Pray to the real God to enlighten you so that you will not be duped into killing innocent people, godly people even and consequently suffer the eternal torment.

Find the truth in the heart, mind and soul that the Creator has endowed upon you not in a book written by a man pretending to be from God.

If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/12/intuitive-morality-of-murder-listen-to.html



Remember the four Last Things: Death, than which nothing is more certain; Judgement, than which nothing is more strict; Hell, than which nothing is more horrible; and Heaven, than which nothing is more beautiful!"

John Hardon S.J.

Back from death experience. Met great grandad and miscarried sibling.

If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/11/back-from-death-experience-met-great.html



A four year old child dies, meets great grandfather and miscarried sibling who he didn't even know about.
H/T to CMR

I have 3 miscarried children.  This confirms my belief that they live and I shall meet them someday.  I try not to forget and listing them here will help as my memory fades with age.  My supposed second child died after my wife complained of pain.  Another was expelled while she was at the toilet.  I remember wanting to scoop the remains and baptise him.  The third was found dead during the sonogram.  I remember the doctor saying, "There's no heartbeat."  It took a few seconds before the reality hit me and when it did, I felt like collapsing on the floor.  This is not a popular topic in the US culture specially when many want to even deny the fact that unborn children are really people.  But this video makes the memory of my dead children bittersweet.  The loss in painful but the fact that I have 3 other children waiting for me in heaven makes it sweet.

Think of this and you'll live fully.

Saint Jerome by Van Cleve ( H/T Crescat)

(The ribbons are grandpa's.)

I can't get a skull from the unclaimed bodies at the morgue so,  I bought myself an urn.  I look at it every morning to remind myself that the cold box cannot hug my children.  It cannot say to them, "How proud you made me feel."  The box cannot put clothes in the washer to give my wife a hand or give her a little slap at the fanny to let her know how sexy she is to me.  The box cannot wash the poop from my toddler and tell her to use the potty nor can it protect the kids while they build a leaf pile at the front yard.  That box cannot push my seven year old girl at the swing or talk about the greatness of serving God in the priesthood or religious life.  That box cannot have a drink with a friend whose wife is divorcing him nor can it blog about the deceptions in Obamacare.  That box cannot go to a 7 am Mass and thank God for all His graces nor can it fast for past sins.  At death, life continues for it is changed and not ended.  But for me, I shall still grieve because I can no longer love the way I can while I had a body.

Oh yes, the title.  The saints used to say, "Think of death and you will never sin."  I say, "Think of death and you will live fully."

The Christian way to go - freely, obediently, lovingly and with Jesus.

You'll read more and more about dying on your terms or with dignity. It is a sales pitch to take your life yourself and some countries are making that legal. For those with no religious vision or spiritual life, this can be a rational decision. Rather than exhaust one's savings in a prolonged suffering, why no cut one's loses with suicide or assisted suicide?

For those blessed with the knowledge of God through faith, suffering is meaningful and a slow painful death becomes a fruitful sacrifice. This is one of the times when Christian have a leg up on everyone else. For one thing, it is much better to be purified in this world than it is to be later. Now, we have a choice to accept the pain with love and make it an offering for our wrong doing, to commute the sufferings of our loved ones, for the conversion of sinners and a host of other reasons. In the after life, we have to be purified and it won't be on our terms.

But purification is a must unless one is already perfect. Since God is perfect, one needs to be a pure as God to enter into union with Him. St. John of the Cross writes about this in his classic, The Dark Night of the Soul. And while God is with us, then there is no pain or anguish that is unbearable. Recall how the martyrs died while mauled and eaten by lions or burned at stakes.

That is why Christians do not disrespect God by killing themselves. Instead, they join the Son of God to suffer again on the Cross in their own way and surrender their lives when the time comes. It is the last act of love for God - to die in God's terms and in God's time. And when that happens, death has lost it's sting - as St. Paul writes.

I came under the knife and back again - with tips for you.

I was taken for a heart procedure last week and brought back a few lessons that may be helpful to you.

Before the procedure, I was asked if I had a living will or end of life directive.  I didn't and my wife doesn't know if I want to fight on or have the plug yanked in case I'll turn into a vegetable.  So I'll have that discussion with her and put my decision in writing.  Better still, I might have the word, "Resuscitate!" tatooed across my chest to ally all doubts.  With today's culture of death, people are a little too anxious to pull the plug and harvest your organs.

Then I was asked my religion and so was the person next to me.  That cracked me up because my neighbor identified herself as a cafeteria Catholic.

After the interrogation, I was wheeled into the operating room where my groin was shaved.  The female nurse put a skimpy face towel over my pride and joy to give me some assurance of privacy.  At that point, I pretended to be unconscious,  wouldn't you?  But the doctor kept asking questions so, everyone knew I was conscious.  After a couple of hours the doctor said it was alright.  There won't be any need for intervention.  I still pretended to be unconscious.  The nurse asked why I was so mellow.  With my groin half shaved and a catheter travelling through my artery, do I have a better choice?

I ended back to the station for monitoring.  I heard that I wasn't given any anesthesia.  I guess if they don't hear you wail, scream or groan then you won't get any.  If your turn comes, remember P-E-R-C-O-C-E-T.  But ask your doctor first.

While laying strapped with tubes, I felt so helpless.  I had to call a nurse to help me pee.  Then there were moments of solitude.  I did remember to call on an old friend, my Lord Jesus.  I felt him near but not to take me home - not yet.  I sensed a certain disappointment from him about my meaness with Obama and his Catholic supporters.  He seems to say that his way of patience and love will be more effective in the end.  It will be a challenge for me because I hate these Judases with a white heat passion - specially because they facilitate the murder of the weakest and most defenseless: the unborn and the old.

I did have a consolation and that is I tried to follow God's will most of the time if not always.  I thought of the good that I did when I joined a religious order and taught kids about God.  And my best decision ever was to leave the order because of my doubts about keeping celibacy.  I had a little treasure stashed up in heaven because the Lord saved me and helped me save with an act of love here and there.  How I wish those acts of love were a lot more.  And it is not hard to do.  One needs to forget oneself and forgive others.

But I lived and will see my doctor next week.  He'll probably tell me to cut down on the red meat.  And I'll obey.  I'm just in my 50's and I have 4 young children plus 1 on the way.  Perhaps I can have some more years to my life with life in those years.  It's up to God's plan and my cooperation.

More than diet and exercise, I will try to love even my enemies.  I will still expose their deceitfulness and wrong doing but I shall pray for their conversion and not wish them to burn in hell.  I will let go of my resentments and grudges and fight for God and God alone.  I will forgive and let go.  It will be hard but nothing is impossible with God.

Music video: Jeannie's Afraid Of The Dark (+ Christian reflections)

Do you have kids who's afraid of the dark?  Here's an interesting take on why that may be so.  The eternal flame reminds me of the many times the Lord Jesus compared Himself to Light.  See below.

If the video fails, click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY8O5ErJpng


"John presents man as either belonging to one of two things: the darkness or the light. There is no in between. The darkness is associated with death, while the light is associated with life. This theme is developed throughout the Gospel. In 1:4-9, John portrays Jesus as being the light of men and demonstrates that the darkness does not understand the light. John the Baptist came to bear witness of the light in order that men would believe through him. In the third chapter (19-21) Jesus states that the light has come into the world, but men have loved the darkness instead of the light because their works were evil. Evildoers hate the light and are afraid to go into the light lest their works be exposed. On the other hand, the ones who practice the truth come into the light so that it can be seen that their works were done through God. In 5:35 there is reference to John the Baptist as being a lamp that gives forth light. Jesus is also referred to as the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5) whereas the devil is called the "prince of this world" (12:31; 14:30; 16:11). In 12:35-36 Jesus tells the crowd that it is necessary to walk in the light because the person that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. He also tells the crowd to believe in the Light in order to become sons of the light. Lastly in 12:46, he states that he has come as light into the world so that those who believe in him will not remain in darkness." from http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/intros/john.cfm

Video: Death is not Dying by Rachel Barkey

Click on link Death is not Dying from Rachel Barkey on Vimeo.

After four and a half years of vigilantly fighting breast cancer, the 37 year old wife and mother of two was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

But for Rachel the essence of life is found in her relationship with God through Jesus. And that's why Rachel is convinced that death is not dying.

On March 4, 2009, what started out as a small talk to a women's group at her church grew into an event attended by 600 women from around Vancouver, giving Rachel an opportunity to share about her hope in the midst of terminal cancer.

Rachel’s honest and thought-provoking talk touched women of all ages and left a hunger for discovering more about Rachel’s journey and the faith that has so deeply affected her life.

Should abortion supporters be denied a Catholic burial?

Should abortion supporters be denied a Catholic burial? Yes. Jjust as canon law excludes law makers who support abortion from Holy Communion during life, then it follows that these people are still subject to excommunication during death.

Here are the Church laws that are on point:
A funeral Mass can be celebrated for most Catholics, but there are some specific cases in which canon law requires the denial of a funeral Mass. Canons 1184-1185 say:
"Canon 1184 §1. Unless they gave some signs of repentance before death, the following must be deprived of ecclesiastical funerals:1/ notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics;2/ those who chose the cremation of their bodies for reasons contrary to Christian faith;3/ other manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful.
"§2. If any doubt occurs, the local ordinary is to be consulted, and his judgment must be followed.
"Canon 1185. Any funeral Mass must also be denied a person who is excluded from ecclesiastical funerals."
In fact, these strictures are rarely applied. In part, this is because many sinners do show signs of repentance before death.
Likewise, the canons are open to some interpretation. In No. 1184 §1 notorious would mean publicly known. Therefore someone who had abandoned the faith and joined some other group would be denied a funeral; someone who harbored private doubts or disagreements would not.
Cases of those who choose cremation for reasons contrary to the faith are extremely rare and are hard to prove (see the follow-up in our column of Nov. 29, 2005).
The most delicate cases are those in No. 1184 §1.3. Many canonists say that for denial of a funeral the person must be both widely known to be living in a state of grave sin and that holding a Church funeral would cause scandal.
About a year ago in Italy the Church denied an ecclesiastical funeral for a nationally known campaigner for euthanasia who requested and obtained the removal of his life-support system. In this case the request for a funeral for someone who was only nominally Catholic was in itself a publicity stunt for the organization behind the campaign. Likewise, someone subject to excommunication or interdict (for example, a Catholic abortionist) would be denied a funeral.
Given the severity of the requirements for denial of an ecclesiastical funeral, people in irregular marriages and suicides should not usually be denied a funeral. In such cases denial of the funeral is more likely than not to be counterproductive and cause unnecessary misunderstanding and bitterness. The Church intercedes for the soul and leaves final judgment to God.
Analogous to the funeral Mass are anniversary Masses which are somewhat in between an intention and a funeral Mass. Although, strictly speaking, these would not fall under the prohibitions mentioned in Canon 1184, such Masses should not be given publicity if the person had been denied a funeral.
With respect to non-Catholic Christians the local bishop may permit a funeral in some cases as specified in the Ecumenical Directory 120: "In the prudent judgment of the local Ordinary, the funeral rites of the Catholic Church may be granted to members of a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial Community, unless it is evidently contrary to their will and provided that their own minister is unavailable, and that the general provisions of Canon Law do not forbid it (see Can. 1183,3)."
Regarding the first and third cases presented by our reader, we can also refer to Canon 1183:
"Canon 1183 §1. When it concerns funerals, catechumens must be counted among the Christian faithful.
"§2. The local ordinary can permit children whom the parents intended to baptize but who died before baptism to be given ecclesiastical funerals."
This would apply both to the person who had intended to receive baptism but was prevented by death as well as to the person whose baptism was uncertain but was active in the Church.
In the first case the funeral liturgy may be celebrated as usual, only omitting language referring directly to the sacrament. The same would apply to the second case, but omission of mentioning the sacrament should be done only if the fact that the person had never been baptized could be established with some degree of certainty.
The foundation for this is the doctrine of baptism of desire in which the Church believes that a soul who explicitly desired the sacrament will receive all the graces of baptism at the moment of death, except for the sacramental character. This last is not given because it is directly orientated toward the exercise of worship during the course of life.

Source http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-26626

Ghosts caught on tape

I saw those from TV last week and recalled a couple of experiences that my mom narrated. Bottom line, these confirm that there’s life after death and that can shift a lot of paradigms.

First, the videos. Those were from a TV series about ghosts. They’ve taped one on the security camera as she hovered over her car in an impound lot. Her attire was what she had worn when she had an accident the day before. There’s another who answers questions by writing on a Polaroid film. When someone thought of a question then takes a picture, as soon as the film develops, the answer is appears written over the picture. The list goes on about appearances, misty clouds etc...

What follows are my mom's experiences that she shared with me while she lived.

The first was when I was an infant and an aunt who was fond of me passed away. That night, my mom had awaken to see her. Upon recognizing her, my mom asked, “Didn’t you pass away already?” My aunt replied, “I did, but it happened too quickly so, I asked permission to come.” Then my aunt asked about me. My mom was scared so she started praying the Rosary. After praying the “Hail Mary” part, my aunt responded with the “Holy Mary” part.

I forgot the rest of that story but not the second incident because I was part it.

I was 12 when we rushed my brother to the hospital. He went into convulsions as we dropped them off the emergency room entrance. After parking, my dad and I went in and tracked my mom’s loud cries only to find her holding my brother so close that I thought he died. But he didn’t. After his release, mom told me what happened. Just as the doctors had started working on my brother, my mom saw a deceased aunt walking down the hall towards them as though to pick up my brother. At that point, she grabbed my brother and held him tight. And that is why she was doing that when I saw her.

So for those of us who are nearing death, there’s no need to be sad; because, we’ll be living forever. And if anyone is skeptical, I can visit them if the Lord allows it. Just ask. And if you dismiss me as an imaginary phenomenon, then I can touch you with my cold fingers and whisper something in your ear. Deal?

(Oh death, where is your sting?)