Month: March 2022

Look to the Lord

Pray as You Go

Psalms 123: 1-2 “ Unto you I lift up mine eyes O Thou that dwells in the Heavens. Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of their mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that He have mercy upon us.”

As we watch the news and hear about atrocities happening around the world, it is difficult to understand why these horrific occurrences come about. We cry out to the Lord to grant us His Divine Mercy and forgive us our sins. That is the greatest act of Love the Lord can bestow upon us! The Lord wants only our Love and our Grace! Turn your eyes upon Jesus in the light of His Glory and Grace.

Lent is a time to examine your relationship with God. Is there a space in your life that God needs to fill? Move away from indifference to allow God to fill the spaces in your life that need fulfillment. Keep these feelings in your heart and turn these feelings into transformation. Pray as you go!

GLORIOUS SPRINGTIME

THE KIND OF WEATHER THAT JUST MAKES YOU FEEL SO HAPPY

It was 80 degrees with clear skies today in New Orleans and you just wanted to be outdoors to enjoy the gorgeous weather. There was a nice breeze so you did not feel hot or sticky as you would in summertime. God could not have created a more perfect day! Poems, stories, and songs try to capture the grandeur of what God has created in this kind of day.

The best part about this type of day is that families gathered for picnics and barbeques along the lakefront. They broke bread together, the adults talked, and the children played. There was music and laughter as everyone was enjoying the beautiful weather. They were so happy to be able to do this after being quarantined for so long and having to wear masks for so long. It was such a joy to gather together freely without having to be masked and enjoy each others company once again.

People were also out in full force in the parks and along the bayous. There were cyclers, joggers, and paddle boaters. Young and old were partaking in all sorts of outdoor activities. It was difficult not to keep the sunroof closed on a day like today! I for one cannot thank God enough for this glorious, energizing weather!

ACTION STEPS:

  1. Plant a devotional garden to the Blessed Mother: first place a statue of the Blessed Mother in your garden, then plant flowers that grow in your area that glorify the Blessed Mother, such as roses, rosemary, marigolds, sweet alyssum, lily of the valley, impatiens, petunias, foxglove, bleeding hearts, hyacinth. Place a garden bench or swing where you can meditate and say your rosary.
  2. Pray the rosary daily!
  3. Keep a Prayer Journal and journal your gratitude to God for all of His blessings in your life as well as your special intentions.

SENSELESS VIOLENCE

CARJACKINGS ARE OUT OF CONTROL IN

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

On March 21, 2022, New Orleanians were shocked and horrified to hear about the murder as the result of a carjacking of 73 year old Linda Frickey. Frickey had just put her things in her car after work and was prepared to return home when 4 teens ran up to her car with intent to carjack her. The 17 year old male of the group pulled Frickey from the driver’s seat, assaulted her, jumped into the car, and sped off into traffic. Frickey was caught up in the vehicle’s seat belt and was drug by the vehicle as it sped off. The force was so great, it tore off one of Frickey’s arms before her body broke loose from the seat belt as the four teens continued to travel at a top speed. Frickey went into shock and bled to death as she was waiting for the EMS vehicle to arrive. Concerned citizens were horrified at the site and rushed to her aid but there was nothing they could do to save her. However, it was because of those witnesses and their videos as well as nearby crime cameras the teens were quickly caught by the New Orleans Police Department. It is because there was so much outrage that the New Orleans District Attorney was quick to respond and will prosecute the teens to the fullest extent of the law. The four girls in the vehicle were fifteen years old but none of them at any time tried to stop the male driver out of concern for the elderly woman they were dragging along the street and the screams they could hear from her agony as she was being drug along the way. There was no compassion shown for that grandmother who was one month away from retirement or the family that has been left behind without her.

This is the most recent horror story of its kind. It’s most unfortunate that there have been far too many other stories related to gun violence or carjackings resulting in death in New Orleans! New Orleanians were outraged to learn that with New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams had allowed far too many felony cases, many of which were violent crimes slip through the cracks. From 2019 – 2022, homicides have increased by 93%, shootings have increased by 220%, carjackings have increased by 450%, and robberies have increased by 74%. As reported by Fox 8, DA Jason Williams addressed the increase in “701 Releases” by his office in a press conference in February 2022. “701 Releases” refers to an article in Louisiana State Criminal Court that gives defendants the right to a speedy trial. It sets a time limit on how long the district attorney must file charges. In most cases, if the DA fails to bring charges, the defendant is released from jail after two months behind bars. If the defendant is already out on bond, in most cases, they are released from their bond obligations after 150 days. The number of “701 Releases” was staggering in 2021 allowing violent offenders to go free to commit more violent crimes as repeat offenders. The 17 year old male in the Frickey carjacking was arrested as an adult in a carjacking as a 15 year old by the prior District Attorney Leon Cannizarro, however, he was released along with the other offenders when DA Jason Williams came into office to repeat the same offense.

My prayers go out to all of the victims of violent crimes, their loved ones, and the citizens of the City of New Orleans who are also victims of these crimes. I pray for the criminals that they find peace in their lives. I pray for the first responders and the criminal justice system that they make the correct decisions for the good of the whole society. I pray for families, that they can foster love and support for each family member demonstrating that love from conception to the grave.

ACTION STEPS:

  1. PRAY THE ROSARY FOR PEACE: http://www.marian.org
  2. PRAY THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET FOR PEACE: www.thedivinemercy.org

WHERE DO YOUR LOYALTIES LIE?

IN A WORLD WHERE MONEY IS A DEMIGOD, DO YOU WORSHIP AT THAT ALTAR?

In Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 Jesus shows us that money is a worldly power, a law unto itself that acts in the material world but with a spiritual orientation. Power is never neutral and is often personal as reflected in the Bible. Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 tells us, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is an ancient terminology for material wealth.

We are bombarded with images of a lifestyle that is unattainable for the majority of individuals unless they go into extreme debt or go into a life of crime to obtain the latest thing an influencer or advertisement is peddling. The hottest must have thing around or you’re just not up to speed with the rest of your crowd! If you think long and hard about what is happening here, people are not really thinking for themselves anymore and they are more afraid to stray from the crowd as an individual. When something is nonsensical, like a pet rock, why buy it? Yet millions of them sold! That’s a small example of following the crowd but it leads into falling away from your faith, sex addiction, gambling, alcohol abuse, and illegal drug consumption to name a few more examples that are plaguing our society today.

When your loyalties lie with money and you become a slave to the almighty dollar, then you will do anything for a dollar. Your conscience will allow you to do things that you could not ordinarily imagine, including committing murder, because you believe that a human life is not as important as the money attached to it at that time. That is why violent crime in the United States has gotten way out of control. The perpetrators value the all mighty dollar higher than human life and are willing to spill blood in the streets because someone else has something they want and think they have the right to take from someone else, even if it means taking a human life to obtain the object of desire. Hollywood glorifies violence and living by the sword all to make insane amounts of money. Music and dance exemplifies thug life all to make insane amounts of money. Athletes are worshiped as heroes and paid insane amounts of money. Drugs flow freely in our streets and in our schools in epidemic proportions. Yet we think we cannot make effective changes against the evils I this world!

We make change in this world with a positive force when we pray together and follow Christ’s teachings. When we use money as a tool and use it as a force for good we can make positive effective changes in the world. When we vote leaders into office who stand strong on crime, will get mental health initiatives passed to help those with mental health issues instead of incarcerating them, and stop putting our economic power behind negative influences, we will begin to see positive influences grow in our society. We have to work together as a cohesive force for GOOD THROUGH FOLLOWING CHRIST!

ACTION STEPS:

  1. Use a Prayer or Mass Journal to record how God has blessed you and how you have worshipped at God’s altar. As you record your prayer requests and your blessings, you will begin to see how God has answered your prayers throughout your life as you read and reflect over your journals.
  2. Become an Ambassador at Dynamic Catholic: http://www.dynamiccatholic.com
  3. Pray the rosary daily.