We pulled up to my childhood home in the middle of the night, the Wisconsin green shrouded in darkness. I immediately sensed all the summers of my childhood in the dim stillness as the screen door squeaked shut behind us. Whispering, I led five of my desert-dwelling children upstairs to the bedrooms, each step groaning with a familiar creak in the century-old bungalow.
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A young man suffering from a debilitating brain disorder has filed a lawsuit against a Canadian hospital for being unwilling to give him the medical care he needs and instead pressuring him into assisted suicide.
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The Food and Drug Administration has issued a
warning about cesium chloride (CsCl), a mineral salt that is sometimes administered to cancer patients by mouth or by injection at the hands of naturopaths and other alternative practitioners in spite of the fact that there is no evidence of its safety or efficacy in the treatment of cancer.
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August 13
"The tongue is a 'restless evil, full of deadly poison.'"
-James 3:8
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Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
A recent survey has found that a majority of religiously unaffiliated Americans say they left organized religion because they question a lot of religious teachings. This is hardly news to most Catholic parents, but the poll gives some surprising clues about what can be done to stem the tide of children leaving the Church.
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August 12
"In the long run, is there any other way of handing on the Gospel than by transmitting to another person one's personal experience of faith?"
-Evangelii Nuntiandi 46
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August 11
"Of Courtesy, it is much less
than courage of heart or holiness
Yet in my walks it seems to me
That the grace of God is Courtesy."
-Hilaire Belloc
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A leading authority on sexual addition has written a hard-hitting article about the devastating impact a man’s use of pornography can have on his wife and how it can be the most emotionally painful thing a woman ever experiences.
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August 10
"[We] declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light."
-1 Peter 2:9
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August 9
“Create a clean heart in me, O God.”
Imagine for a moment that your heart is like a chalkboard filled with writing. It’s covered in words and smudges. What do the words say? Now, erase those words; spray a cleaner on it and wipe away the smudge. And all of a sudden, it’s spotless. Oh, how I wish I could purify my heart that easily! But, I can’t. I cannot erase painful memories and the fears of letting others see the real me; I can’t wipe clean the scars that have toughened over the years; and I can’t break the chains that sometimes suffocate the life out of me.
But, God can. He can renew my heart in an instant (although we don’t normally see purification happen that fast in our human idea of time.). God has to work on us— He strips away layers like an onion, and every layer beneath has its own work to be done.
I remember recently when my spiritual director told me that God had to do some work on me, and that it’s going to hurt. But He always uses the most gentle means possible. And it’s true. The last few months are a testament to His gentleness and charity. He has really purified my heart in ways I couldn’t imagine, although He has asked some things of me that really hurt. Surrendering can be really painful. But, I know it’s necessary. I know that heart He holds so dearly in His hands has needed some work; and I know when He’s done with this big phase of operation, it’ll be ready to experience all life and love have to offer it. And I can’t wait for that day.
Is it time for you to let God do some pruning? Tell Him you’re scared, but know that He won’t do anything unnecessary, and He will give you what you need to endure it.
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