Somalia Human Tragedy and the Overpopulation Hoax

I was reading the NBC NEWS World Blog on the human tragedy unfolding in Somalia and I encountered some postings that pinned the reason for this catastrophe on overpopulation. One of these actually declared that: “Every born baby is a new tragedy”.  I reacted with the posting below:

No, people! Every child is a blessing from God not a tragedy! The western overpopulation ideology has been proven to be a big hoax. It has resulted in: populations that are top heavy with old and ageing folks who require constant care that is supplied mostly by immigrant work force; social security and other social safety nets that are in the throes of death because the young work force is too lean to finance them as their grand fathers did for their fathers; countries like China whose population policies with its attendant infanticide of girl babies force them to cross borders to look for wives; women who repudiate their "special genius" to nurture life", and have to be "bribed" in some countries to bear children; a disposable mentality vis a vis life that spurns murderous crimes, abortions and the so called mercy killing; etc, etc. The reason people are starving and dying in Somalia is not because there are too many children, but because those of us who live a life of plenty have failed to heed the biblical injunction "not to avert our eyes" from our brothers' suffering. On a macro geopolitical level, the reason we have been slow to react to Somalia’s tragedy could also be, as Christiane Amanpour said regarding Rwanda, because "they are small, black and have no oil!"

Hi, guys. Thanks to those of you who sent me feedbacks on my last mail.   This Sunday was the feast of Corpus Christi - the solemn celebration of the institution of the Real Presence of our Lord's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Eucharist. The scriptural passages cited below, which were read on this day, and which I am sure will fill you with joy as you read them, capture  the essence of this miracle and mystery.   1. Deutoronomy 8: 2-3, 14-16 2. 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17 3. John 6: 51-58   The manna and quail in the desert and later the bread of presence in the tabernacle were mere foreshadowing of the Lord's promise to feed his people with his Body and Blood. Remember that God commanded the Israelites to gather no more than enough manna for one day. This was because He wanted them to depend entirely on his divine providence and come to him daily to be fed. We too must approach the Lord's table daily if possible because it is the most potent remedy for our frailties, and  an inexhaustible source of strenght for our journey to heaven. Even the most mind blowing technology and medical cure invented by man pales in comparison with this life giving and sustaining force.   In many countries Christians today process through the streets and roads of cities and towns carrying the Blessed Eucharist in a public display of their faith. It is as if Jesus is passing by through the alleyways of Palestine and we are part of the crowd that presses very close to hear Him. Some of us like the ten leppers are covered with the uncleanliness of sin and so we cry out: "Lord, if you will you have the power to make me whole!" Others still, are blinded by the things of this world and like the blind man of Jericho, we each cry out at the top of our voices: " Lord, that I may see!". And He heals us all and brings us out from the darkness into the light because there is mighty power in His Body and Blood!

Hi, guys. Thanks to those of you who sent me feedbacks on my last mail.   This Sunday was the feast of Corpus Christi - the solemn celebration of the institution of the Real Presence of our Lord's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Eucharist. The scriptural passages cited below, which were read on this day, and which I am sure will fill you with joy as you read them, capture  the essence of this miracle and mystery.   1. Deutoronomy 8: 2-3, 14-16 2. 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17 3. John 6: 51-58   The manna and quail in the desert and later the bread of presence in the tabernacle were mere foreshadowing of the Lord's promise to feed his people with his Body and Blood. Remember that God commanded the Israelites to gather no more than enough manna for one day. This was because He wanted them to depend entirely on his divine providence and come to him daily to be fed. We too must approach the Lord's table daily if possible because it is the most potent remedy for our frailties, and  an inexhaustible source of strenght for our journey to heaven. Even the most mind blowing technology and medical cure invented by man pales in comparison with this life giving and sustaining force.   In many countries Christians today process through the streets and roads of cities and towns carrying the Blessed Eucharist in a public display of their faith. It is as if Jesus is passing by through the alleyways of Palestine and we are part of the crowd that presses very close to hear Him. Some of us like the ten leppers are covered with the uncleanliness of sin and so we cry out: "Lord, if you will you have the power to make me whole!" Others still, are blinded by the things of this world and like the blind man of Jericho, we each cry out at the top of our voices: " Lord, that I may see!". And He heals us all and brings us out from the darkness into the light because there is mighty power in His Body and Blood!

Hi, guys. Thanks to those of you who sent me feedbacks on my last mail.   This Sunday was the feast of Corpus Christi - the solemn celebration of the institution of the Real Presence of our Lord's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Eucharist. The scriptural passages cited below, which were read on this day, and which I am sure will fill you with joy as you read them, capture  the essence of this miracle and mystery.   1. Deutoronomy 8: 2-3, 14-16 2. 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17 3. John 6: 51-58   The manna and quail in the desert and later the bread of presence in the tabernacle were mere foreshadowing of the Lord's promise to feed his people with his Body and Blood. Remember that God commanded the Israelites to gather no more than enough manna for one day. This was because He wanted them to depend entirely on his divine providence and come to him daily to be fed. We too must approach the Lord's table daily if possible because it is the most potent remedy for our frailties, and  an inexhaustible source of strenght for our journey to heaven. Even the most mind blowing technology and medical cure invented by man pales in comparison with this life giving and sustaining force.   In many countries Christians today process through the streets and roads of cities and towns carrying the Blessed Eucharist in a public display of their faith. It is as if Jesus is passing by through the alleyways of Palestine and we are part of the crowd that presses very close to hear Him. Some of us like the ten leppers are covered with the uncleanliness of sin and so we cry out: "Lord, if you will you have the power to make me whole!" Others still, are blinded by the things of this world and like the blind man of Jericho, we each cry out at the top of our voices: " Lord, that I may see!". And He heals us all and brings us out from the darkness into the light because there is mighty power in His Body and Blood!

What Happened to Our Sunday Best?

 WHAT HAPPENENED TO OUR “SUNDAY BEST”?

A person's finest clothing was traditionally reserved specifically for going to Church on Sundays, hence the origin of the expression “Sunday best”. What’s happened to our Sunday best? The most gorgeous outfits in our wardrobes show up at proms, graduations, job interviews, and of course at the Easter Sunday Church service, but are mostly missing in action at Church for the rest of the year!  

 While our best clothes wait for what we consider the next big event, or until the next Easter Sunday rolls by, many of us come to Church in what can be best described as “stay at home clothes”.  Is the Risen Christ whom we praise and worship on Easter Sunday while gorgeously decked out, not the same Lord and Master we encounter at other Sunday Masses? If the Lord Jesus were visibly standing in the place of the Priest at Mass, would we not go to meet him in what we consider the best and most appropriate attire? The reality is that He does stand there in all His majesty and deserves no less than our Sunday best!

Some members of a College Lacrosse champion team went to see President George Bush in flip flops and got a lot of flak for it. But how many times have we gone to see the Lord of history, the Maker of the universe in flips flops? Summer is around the corner and the hot and humid weather is often an alibi to dress in itsy bitsy outfits to Church.  But would we, our spouse, our daughter or son dress in flip flops, short shorts, halters, skimpy dresses and skirts to attend a job interview even in the muggiest summer heat?

Parents, especially mothers, have a big responsibility for entrenching modesty in dress in their children, especially when it comes to their daughters. They do this first and foremost by example. What moral leverage could a mother deploy when teaching her daughter to dress properly for Church while she is not! Indeed experience shows that daughters at younger ages imitate their mothers’ mannerisms and outlook on life. I was once at a seminar where young girls were given a talk about modesty in dress. One of the young girls got up, all fired up emotionally and looked all mothers present straight  in the face and asked: “Why do you dress us in these things, was this how your mothers dressed you up?” There was utter silence as many mothers squirmed in their seats!

The lesson in modesty must start from the earliest age, because by the time young girls become teenagers it is too late. Modesty is the mother of chastity. If we want our children to be able to swim against the prevailing powerful current of immorality and sexual permissiveness in our society, we must imbue them with modesty and respect for the sacred.

 So, come on, let’s bring out our Sunday best and go out to meet the Lord!

THE BEATITUDES

 

In an age when so many things lead to personal debasement and degradation, the Beatitudes are an invitation to an upright and worthy life (Orlandis, The Eight Beatitudes). On the other hand, trying AT ALL COSTS to throw off the weight of pain and tribulation, as though they were absolute evils, or to seek human success as an end in itself, are ways that God cannot bless, and which do not lead to happiness (Fernandez, In Conversation with God).
 
"Blessed means happy, fortunate, and each in one [of the Beatitudes] Jesus begins by promising happiness and pointing out the way of achieving it. Why should Jesus start by speaking of happiness? Because there is in all men [and women] an irresistible longing to be happy: its achievement is the end that all their actions propose to them; but they often seek happiness where it is not to be found, where they will only find wretchedness" (Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of Interior Life).
 
The ways of the Beatitudes: poverty, meekness, mercy, purity, and humility, lead to God and are the only ways to eternal happiness in Heaven and also to happiness in this present life. They form the acme of the well-being of a soul who tries to live his or her life in a very intimate relationship with God, and in total abandonment to His will. "Far from God we can only gather Dead Sea fruit, bitter in one way or another, and end up like the prodigal son, far from his Father's house, 'eating the husks and feeding the swine'" (Fernandez).
 
May God bless you and teach you how to remain resilient on the ways of the Beatitudes. Amen!