Author: djpasternak

It was a beautiful morning; cooler and clearer than the past week; Sunday morning, when as usual we prepare to attend church, for us, Mass. As often happens a pop up from the American Greatness site entitled A Token of a Managerial Age Bewails Trump’s Surge, a political commentary by conservative Roger Kimball. I would suggest you look this up.

But my focus here is on his mention of a speech by Pres. Reagan on March 8, 1983 known as the Evil Empire Speech. I skimmed Kimball’s article and googled the speech. Major concerns at that time are echoed by those of today: ten long years of abortion and government funding for the procedure, prayer taken away from the public schools, parental rights, etc. The speech can be found on the Voices of Democracy The US Oratory Project given at a National Association of Evangelicals gathering.

Since the speech is ten pages in the print out and includes a great deal of information my best method of conveying his message here, is by way of quotes: those he used to illustrate his message and some from Reagan himself. They will be in my next blog, coming soon. Perhaps written on a Sunday morning to come.

When Donald Trump ran for the Republican nomination, my husband and I cringed when he insulted, belittled, and disparaged his opponents. I was routing for Marco Rubio who was young, idealistic, and credible. But in spite of this Trump somehow trumped the field. I really doubt any President was ever more controversial, arrogant, or unpolitical.

We vowed not to vote for him but in the end I grew to ‘love’ him. It wasn’t really him but his enthusiastic American followers, the thousands of them who came to, it seemed, that many rallies. In his last week before the election I watched four rallies in my beloved Pennsylvania. They were my people; coal miners, construction workers, farmers, etc. They were supporting an America we knew and wanted back.

I am not sorry for my vote. It seemed we were on our way to being GREAT AGAIN! I just don’t know: Am I crazy. Is he ?

Why would or could anyone withstand the ridicule and outright campaign to destroy him? Could he possibly win again? I believe it is in God’s hands and He has used unlikely people to do His work. And work Trump did, for his four years in office digging us out of the swamp. A builder, a flawed human being but somehow lovable and capable..

Have you noticed at some point down the road a pound of coffee became 14 ounces, then 12 on down to now 10.5 ounces. I blinked thinking ice cream cartons got thinner, etc. etc. Last week I needed sugar but the usual 5 pound package was 4 pounds. I made lasagna for our grandchildren Thursday and realized the noodles were shorter by an inch. I also bought white sliced bread for the children and noticed the slices were a third smaller. The only thing that remains the same are the prices; although, don’t you know, prices are going up because of inflation.

Is anyone fooled by any of this? Every company is following suit. The price is the same for the 16 oz coffee and the now 10.5 oz coffee. My grandfather, a wise man, had a saying: If you do something long enough you get used to it, even hanging.

Something that never changes and that’s the ingenuity of dishonest people, as attested to by the following verse from the old testament.

When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the Sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, to make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger and to cheat with dishonest scales? Amos 8:5

I’m telling you, it’s hard to get used to shorter lasagna noodles. Well, maybe not. I haven’t checked the size of lasagna pans lately!

Unless souls are saved, nothing is saved; there can be no world peace unless there is soul peace. Peace of Soul by Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen (page 1 first sentence)

Sometimes I wonder what I will find scattered around the surfaces of my home: the desk. tables, etc. The other day I found a scrap of paper with quotes from a favorite book of mine, Peace of Soul by Fulton Sheen (only one of which was legible). On the other side of the 8 x 4 scrap was a poem I wrote one morning probably sitting on my side deck as the sun came up.

Come Lord Jesus; wake up my soul. Remove the weariness: inspire, challenge, instruct. In seeking, open the door to finding. The great gift given in reward for silence, sacrifice of time. That in quietness with you there is peace and love. No regret, but hope in all things for the good.

On the way home from visiting friends in Maryland we were thankful to stop for late lunch at a McDonald’s. The table or actually tables next to us were taken up by a family with about ten young children including a baby, and their young parents. Mommy was sitting in the center distributing food. Daddy was going back & forth with ketchup, straws, napkins etc.

It wasn’t what you would call chaos but lively. In other words full of life. It made me think of our recent travels. A young man throwing a ball to his dog in the hallway of our motel. Dogs barking at night from somewhere in the motel. Huge dogs coming to lunch with their owners.

Seeing that family in Mickey Dee’s made me think. We hadn’t seen any children in the lovely hotels but many young couples with dogs. Nothing wrong with pets. In fact they are great and provide much happiness for people. But somehow in seeing that family, I saw hope; confidence that these parents had to bring many children into the world believing each of them would bring something the world needed. That something is love.

Even before Roe V Wade existed, there was talk that abortions would become legal in our country, I felt strongly against that happening. After the Supreme Court decision in 1973 I became active in the pro-life cause: attending the March for Life, supporting pro-life groups assisting moms, writing letters to local newspapers.

When discussing the issue with someone supporting abortion rights she said something that truly bothered my conscience. She asked, “Have you ever even offered to take a woman into your home and care for her during an unplanned pregnancy”. My answer was no.

Years later I met someone who sought to keep her baby but the father was strongly opposed and threatened her. She was seeking a safe place where he could not reach her. There was help right across the street that sheltered women from abusive situations but she seemed to think they would not help her. The people she was speaking with gave her names of a pro-life organization that took in women trying to keep their babies till term but she said because of the threat her boyfriend posed they would not take her in. Her parents would not help her.

It seemed she had no where to turn and with some trepidation I offered her my name and phone number and she took it. I felt unsure and a bit afraid by her situation, but also moved to extend an invitation for shelter. She never called me and I hope she found a way to have her baby. In a way the person who asked me that questioned, struck a nerve in my heart.

I only wish today the up-side-down politicians who say they want healthcare for the moms through abortion would really understand in their hearts in several states it is legal to abort a baby up to and including nine months and this is really not health care but brutal slaying of a child. And the child from conception is a person not part of a mother’s body.

Yet in this up-side-down world, lies seem to have covered up the truth and made it seem supporting abortion the righteous path; whereas, it is truly the path that leads to destruction as it did with the Romans, Incas etc. I will quote once more (as I have several times in the past), from Mother Teresa: We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, killings, of wars, and of hatred… If a Mother can kill her own child, what is left for us but to kill each other.

Prophetic words!

I read somewhere that not believing in God is insanity. I googled to find where and by whom it was said but failed to find the answer. It is evident that there is an ongoing effort to remove our Creator from the culture, whereas, freedom to perform satanic rituals is being defended. We are familiar with the efforts of Madalyn Murray O’Hair for her efforts, including removal of the Lord’s Prayer and Bible reading in public schools. She went on with her fight against religion for the rest of her life advocating to remove In God we trust from our currency, tax exceptions for churches, etc, etc.

Interesting one of her sons became a Baptist and wrote a book in opposition to his mother’s atheism. She truly believed there was no God and in that way Madalyn was more honest than what we are witnessing today in our leaders. So tell me now: are we not plummeted with the insane?? It does appear daunting yet we are still Americans and our founders were successful in founding a country, One nation, under God! Take heart and believe for with faith, hope and love all things are possible. That’s what my time of prayer on a recent beautiful spring day revealed to me.

O glorious morning bliss, do shield me from a world of woe. Reflection of the light that leads me forth with grace given to my wounded soul. Remain amid the dark and dreary days to strengthen, guide and give an everlasting joy. No matter should men pierce and slay the peacefulness You share. Forget me not, O Lord, and bring to bear, the totality of love beyond compare. O lead me in thy ways, O Lamb, as everlasting light shall never dim.

Take the time to get all your ducks in a row. Pray!

After 9/11/2001 most of us here in the USA realized our vulnerability. Perhaps years of peace at home contributed to a general complacency that we were removed from attack by outside forces; lulling us into a kind of la la land where all was secure and our own pursuits were focus enough. Thousands perished as we watched the TV; just three planes destroyed what we assumed was indestructible. We were actually ‘sitting ducks’.

Like the Israelites of old we turned back to our Creator and nationwide church pews were filled, our country’s flag flew in place of seasonal decorative ones with turkeys and summer flowers, etc. In my own experience I remember an abundance Old Glory wherever I went, our country parish reached near capacity, religious prayer services were broadcast from Madison Square Garden.

It seemed a country founded on faith and fortitude had returned. I often think if the terrorists had attacked soon after 911, although tragic, we may have preserved ‘a nation of the people, for the people and by the people’. All that we cherish is indeed under attack today. Our enemy dwells among us and I often feel like a ‘sitting duck’. Ironically it increased my desire to seek otherworldly help. Sitting on my deck amid the glories of springtime, I prayed and wrote a poem I’ll share with you in my next post.

Pentecost is one of my favorite Holy Days. It is called the ‘birthday of the Church’. But the origins of Pentecost dates back to Moses and the giving of Torah (the first five books of the Bible) on Mt. Sinai. It was and is now celebrated fifty days after Passover by those of the Jewish faith at the time of the early harvest in Israel (May/June). As Passover coincides with Holy Week for Christians, Pentecost comes fifty days after Passover and also after Easter. Without Pentecost we would not have the Christian Church.

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus comes walking on the Sea of Galilee and says “Do not be afraid…” to His fearful disciples. After Jesus death and even after His resurrection and appearances to them, the apostles huddled in fear in the Upper Room. At Pentecost He sent the Holy Spirit that came as tongues of fire and those cowards in the Upper Room were baptized and received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, one of which was fortitude.

“The gift of fortitude is bestowed upon us by God through the Holy Spirit at our confirmation; the moral virtue of fortitude is ‘acquired by human effort’ according the the Catechism of the Catholic church.”

In his Summa Theologica St. Thomas Aquinas says; In strictest interpretation of its meaning, the virtue of fortitude is bravely facing the danger of death. A man capable of meeting with fortitude this greatest of dangers is not daunted by lesser perils.

We are facing constant reinforcement of fear from the onset of the covid panic: fear of people giving us the virus, fear of nuclear war from our enemies, fear of inflation, fear of going to church, fear of speaking our views on abortion, masks, vaccines, BLM, gender confusion, fear of the “dark winter’ and the great reset.

Another of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is Fear of God, Holy fear in which we see ourselves as finite beings who were graciously given the greatest gift, eternal life. We need to constantly ask ourselves: “Whom shall I fear?” The Apostles went on to spread the Gospel in spite of the danger of death and the Church exists after more than 2000 years in spite of everything.

To be continued…

Ahead of Him stood a rocky hill. Three tall wooden posts set into the ground awaited the arrival of Yeshua and the other men to be crucified that afternoon. The two criminals were already near the site of the upright beams. Yeshua was struggling at the bottom of the hill. We saw Him collapse and fall a third time. How could He possibly ascend the slope to Golgotha?

The guards had no compassion for Him. One of them pulled Him to His feet. Simon of Cyrene assumed His position under the beam. Together they came to the summit. The others were already being nailed to their crossbeams. Several Roman soldiers took hold of Yeshua and stripped Him of His garments. Wounds inflicted from the flogging and crowning of thorns left no sound spot on Him.

“They are the cruelest of all Roman soldiers, chosen for their lack of sympathy and absence of conscience,” Columba said, suddenly appearing at my side. “They find pleasure in their grim job of crucifixion and are even despised by the other soldiers.”

“I am thankful for your presence, my friend,” I said.

The sound of the hammer and groans of Yeshua did not disturb most of the Jews who watched. Nicodemus and Joseph stood by themselves away from the rest.

“See, His mother is with John. He is the only one present of the twelve Apostles,” a woman next to us said. The woman was one of those Yeshua stopped to talk with on the way to this wretched place.

His mother leaned on John and her body shook with sobbing. Again I thought of my mother. She could not have borne seeing this, although she may have stood it better than my father. There were a number of women who stayed observing Yeshua even now. They understood His mother’s pain better than any of us.

The executioners raised His body attached to the crossbeam by nails through His hands and wrists. They lifted the beam with Yeshua, securing it to the vertical piece. With His feet placed to one side, they nailed them together onto the upright beam. I felt the pain in my own limbs and my head ached.