"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"

"No good deed goes unpunished"... so the saying goes.

Last Friday afternoon the parish office received an anonymous phone call from a man who identified himself as a concerned grandfather. Apparently his grandson had burglarized a house and the grandfather, concerned to put his grandson on the straight and narrow, wanted his grandson to return the stolen merchandise. Of course he wanted to do this anonymously. Would we be so kind as to accept the merchandise and contact the family whose home was burglarized so that the stolen goods could be restored to the rightful owners. It seemed like a good idea at the time, so I agreed. After all the church is supposed to be the "refugium peccatorum". For you non-Latin scholars that means "refuge of siners."

On Sunday evening the victims of this crime appeared on my doorstep to claim their stolen goods. Somehow I had supposed they would be grateful to have their merchandise back and we'd all live happily ever after. You know "All's well that ends well." Unfortunately, that's not how things went down.

Apparently the family had been on a vacation cruise when the burglary took place. Their home had been trashed and a lot more had been stolen than the few items that had been dropped off at the church office. Understandably the family was quite upset, not only about having their home trashed and their personal property stolen, but with me for not having contacted the police. I tried to explain to them that we are a church; we try to help people who have gone astray, but they weren't having none of that. It was the anger talking, and I can't say I blame them.

These people suffered over $20,000 of damage to their home and lost property. I'd be pretty tee'd off too. Some of the damage was so senseless. For example, they twisted and broke the father's eye glasses, threw everything from the closets onto the floors, etc. Now that's just plain meanness.

Please pray for this family that God bring healing into their lives. They have suffered not only the loss of property, but have been injured emotionally, their privacy violated and their sense of security taken away. Their youngest child is too scared to even sleep at home tonight.

I hope the burglar who escaped with his anonymity reads this blog, although I seriously doubt that, and know how much pain and suffering he has brought to this family.

Once again, let's pray that God brings healing and comfort to their lives and that the insurance companies make good on all their financial losses.

I'll have to think long and hard before I allow myself to get involved in something like this in the future.

On this 28th day of December the Church celebrates the memory of the twenty or so male babies from Bethlehem whom King Herod put to death in an attempt to kill the Christ Child, whom the Magi or Wise Men called “the new born king of the Jews.” Thus the story of the Holy Innocents is intertwined with the story of the Magi who, following a star, came to Bethlehem to worship a new born king. Ironically, the journey of the Wise Men ended not at a royal palace, but at a stable with a child “wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.” From the Biblical record it is not possible to determine the day or year the Holy Innocents were slaughtered. What we do know is that they were murdered within two years following the arrival of the Magi who came to Herod asking about the new born king of the Jews.

Early Christians saw these innocent children as the first martyrs to bear witness to Jesus Christ. These innocents died not just for Christ but instead of Christ. Their memory has been celebrated in the Latin Church with an annual feast day from approximately 485 of the Christian era.

In some parishes they use this Feast of the Holy Innocents to remember the millions of innocents of our day who are slaughtered by abortion. It has become a day of prayer for the unborn. They might also picket or pray at abortion facilities. However, I came across a parish in Texas which has the following on their website:

“The Feast of the Holy Innocents is an opportunity for those of us who have lost infants, children or adult children through death to come together in prayer to celebrate the lives of the children we have lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, accident or illness. Anyone who wishes to pray with us is welcome. Father Don will lead us through the evening of prayer. Attendees are invited to bring a picture or memento.”

I thought this parish had a great idea and I’m thinking we might do something similar next year to mark the feast of the Holy Innocents. In the faces of our own children we can find the image of the babies of that dreadful slaughter of Bethlehem. How can we not remember our own lost children and fail to feel the anguish of the parents of the Holy Innocents or the pain of our own parishioners who have lost a child? So mark your calendars for December 28, 2007 and until then let us keep in prayer those who have lost a child.

The story of the Holy Innocents is intertwined with that of the Wise Men in Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 2:1-18):

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"

"Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."

"After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

"Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."

"Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according
to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been
spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE."

"Let Us Ask God To Help Us Do Our Part So That The Dignity Of Children May Be Respected"

These words come from Pope Benedict XVI during his homily at midnight Mass. Read on....

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

"We have just heard in the Gospel the message given by the angels to the shepherds during that Holy Night, a message which the Church now proclaims to us: 'To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger' (Lk 2:11-12).

"Nothing miraculous, nothing extraordinary, nothing magnificent is given to the shepherds as a sign. All they will see is a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, one who, like all children, needs a mother’s care; a child born in a stable, who therefore lies not in a cradle but in a manger. God ’s sign is the baby in need of help and in poverty. Only in their hearts will the shepherds be able to see that this baby fulfils the promise of the prophet Isaiah, which we heard in the first reading: 'For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder' (Is 9:5). Exactly the same sign has been given to us. We too are invited by the angel of God, through the message of the Gospel, to set out in our hearts to see the child lying in the manger.

"God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the baby. God’s sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendour. He comes as a baby – defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into his feelings, his thoughts and his will – we learn to live with him and to practice with him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love. God made himself small so that we could understand him, welcome him, and love him.

"The Fathers of the Church, in their Greek translation of the Old Testament, found a passage from the prophet Isaiah that Paul also quotes in order to show how God’s new ways had already been foretold in the Old Testament. There we read: 'God made his Word short, he abbreviated it' (Is 10:23; Rom 9:28). The Fathers interpreted this in two ways. The Son himself is the Word, the Logos; the eternal Word became small – small enough to fit into a manger. He became a child, so that the Word could be grasped by us. In this way God teaches us to love the little ones. In this way he teaches us to love the weak. In this way he teaches us respect for children. The child of Bethlehem directs our gaze towards all children who suffer and are abused in the world, the born and the unborn. Towards children who are placed as soldiers in a violent world; towards children who have to beg; towards children who suffer deprivation and hunger; towards children who are unloved. In all of these it is the Child of Bethlehem who is crying out to us; it is the God who has become small who appeals to us. Let us pray this night that the brightness of God’s love may enfold all these children. Let us ask God to help us do our part so that the dignity of children may be respected. May they all experience the light of love, which mankind needs so much more than the material necessities of life."

For the full text of the Pope's homily go to www.whispersintheloggica.blogspot.com

O Little Town of Bethlehem

"For unto you is born this day

in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord;" (Luke 2,11)

Bethlehem, which means “House of Bread”, is located about 6 miles southwest of Jerusalem in the hill country of Judea on the way to Hebron.

Bethlehem plays a significant part in the Old Testament, in the history of the Israelites, both before they entered Egypt and slavery, and after the Exodus. It appears in the Old Testament as Ephrat, where Rachel the beloved matriarch of the Jewish People, the favorite wife of Jacob, died during childbirth. The Tomb of Rachel, is a pilgrimage place for Jews. Among other Biblical mentions and Holy Sites in Bethlehem: Rachel's tomb, Naomi and Ruth, Samuel anoints King David and the well from which David's warriors brought him waters. In the bible it is called "Bethlehem of Judah" (belonging to the tribe of Judah), to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem, which was in the North in the territory of the Zebulon.

David, the youngest son of a Bethlehem-farmer (a shepherd) is chosen and anointed by the Prophet Samuel on behalf of the Lord as a king. (First Samuel 17:12). According to Matthew 2 and Luke 2, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and Matthew interpreted this as the fulfillment of Micah's prophecy. In effect it became a sort of official rightful place of the family line of David.

Christian tradition, perhaps as early as the second century AD, identified a cave as the site of Jesus' birth. About 338 AD Constantine, the Roman emperor and his mother, Helena, built a church over the grotto and in 527 Justinian the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire resettled in Bethlehem, his reign was one of great prosperity and expansion of churches.

Bethlehem was a city of importance to the Crusaders, who conquered it in the year 1100. Over years of wars between the Crusaders and the Muslims the city was destroyed, and then subsequently rebuilt. The Turks destroyed the city in 1244, but the church somehow escaped, Bethlehem was rebuilt once again.

When finally the Crusaders were driven from Palestine in 1291, the Moslem rulers used the holy places for political and financial ends. Although Bethlehem was still nominally endowed, collection of revenue from the land was impossible. In 1332 Pope John XXII wrote to Edward III of England, to David II of Scotland and to Simon of Meopham, Archbishop of Canterbury, asking them to help the bishop of Bethlehem to regain his interest and so enable him to return to Bethlehem and carry out repairs. It seems little was done. Decay and destruction proceeded over the years as a result of fighting between the local Christian and Muslim residents.

The Population of Bethlehem today is made up of Christians and Moslems. Among the Christians: Catholics of Latin, Syrian, Malachite, Armenian and Maronite rites and Orthodox of Greek, Syrian and Armenian denominations. Protestants are also present in the Judean town.

As a result of the Six-Day War, Bethlehem came under Israeli rule.

In December 1995, the town of Bethlehem reverted to Palestinian control. Israelis still have access to Rachel's tomb, on the northern outskirts of the city. Unfortunately, occasional outbreaks of violence continue to occur between Palestinian demonstrators from Bethlehem and Israeli troops stationed outside the city's limits.

"Then they moved on from Bethel.

While they were still some distance from Ephrath,

Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty.

And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth,

the midwife said to her,

"Don't be afraid, for you have another son.

As she breathed her last --for she was dying --

she named her son Ben-oni.

But his father named him Benjamin.

So Rachel died and was buried

on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar,

and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb"

(Gen. 35,16-19).

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee,

out of the city of Nazareth,

into Judaea, unto the city of David,

which is called Bethlehem

(because he was of the house and lineage of David)"

(Luke 2,4)

"For unto you is born this day

in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the lord."

(Luke 2,11)

Source: holylandnetwork.com

God Can Fill Only That Which Is Empty!

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie...
The hopes and fears of all the years,
Are met in thee tonight.

“...You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:1-4a)

Bethlehem-Ephrathah was the family home of the Ephra clan, a small sub-clan of the tribe of Judah. It’s principle claim to fame was the fact that it was the birthplace of King David. Bethlehem was small, insignificant.... a mere rest stop for camel caravans. Bethlehem was “nowheresville.” The “Entering Bethlehem” and the “Leaving Bethlehem” signs were on the same post.

Bethlehem’s insignificance...its smallness, however are the very qualities that make Bethlehem useful to God. Because it was “nowheresville”.... because it was empty, the prophet Micah saw that Bethlehem was the perfect place for God to fill.

Because God can only fill that which is empty.

Michah prophesizes:

“...You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.”

This same idea of God filling emptiness is found in the Gospel of this Fourth Sunday of Advent, where two women are presented to us: Elizabeth and Mary. Both women, now with child, had been empty: Elizabeth because she was sterile, and Mary because she was a virgin.

God fills their emptiness. He fills them with life, because God can only fill that which is empty.

Luke's Gospel tells us:

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant
[which now filled her womb] lept for joy,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you [Mary] among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.””

Advent Season, which will soon come to an end, is a time to touch our emptiness:
---Are we mourning the loss of a loved one? The loss of a job? Perhaps a lost opportunity?
---Are we grieving about what might have been, what should have been or what could have been?

Don't be afraid... touch your emptiness. Remember, God can fill only that which is empty!

Secondly, the Advent Season is the time to “empty your fullness”. That’s right. You have to “empty your fullness.” God can’t fill you with his grace and his love, with his peace and his joy, if you’re already full of “other stuff.”

So what are you full of? Don’t know? Ask your spouse...ask your friends. If they won’t tell you, ask your enemies.
---Are you full of yourself?
---Full of distractions? (shopping, working, partying, football,....)

Whatever it is your full of, you need to get rid of it. Because God can only fill that which is empty.

The inns of Bethlehem were filled when Joseph and Mary came knocking. Jesus couldn’t enter in because they were full. But a cave for animals was empty, so Jesus filled it with his presence.

Let us empty ourselves during these last remaining hours of Advent and make room for Jesus to enter us and fill us with his joy...his peace... his fullness...

“You, Bethlehem-Ephratha, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God.... his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.” (Micah 5:1-4a)

Bethlehem was nowhere....was empty before Christ filled it. You and I are nothing.... empty until Christ fills us.

May the Christ fill you this Christmas!

Papa Ron's Letter to OLOR Missionaries to Nicaragua

December 19, 2006


Dear Missionaries:

Yes, I call you missionaries! You have answered the call to proclaim Christ’s redeeming love to the orphaned and the poor of Nicaragua.

Please know how proud I am of you for your generous spirit and for all the hard work that has gone into making this mission trip possible. More importantly, please know how proud Jesus and his blessed mother, Mary, must be of you. You have taken up your cross and are following Jesus, and although going to the dumps of Nicaragua is not quite being nailed to a cross, it will be a tremendous sacrifice you make in Jesus’ name!

Jesus told his disciples that what they did to the least of their brethren they did to him. So remember to look for the face of Jesus in everyone whom you will serve at the mission, especially the orphaned children of Mustard Seed. These children are especially beloved by God, so let them feel his love through you.

More importantly, however, that seeing the face of Jesus in the poor of Nicaragua, let the poor and the orphaned see the face of Jesus in you. Let them see in you how they are beloved by God.

Yes, I call you missionaries! “MISSI ESTIS” which from the Latin means “YOU HAVE BEEN SENT”. In the name of all the parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary YOU HAVE BEEN SENT to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world!

I know that you will make us all proud.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Ronald B. Aubin, (a.k.a. “Papa Ron”)
Pastor

"Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me"

AsiaNews.It reports that hindu extremists attacked a church and school run by the Claretians in Bangalore, India and that the local bishop who went to visit them was attacked as well while Police officers present just looked on.

Check it out at http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8039&size=A

Being a Catholic in India is not easy. When Jesus says "take up your cross and follow me," the Christians of India know first hand that keeping this command of the Lord requires total commitment on their part.

New UN Convention on Withdrawal of Food and Fluids from the Disabled

John Henry Westen at LifeSiteNews.com reports that "The newly approved United Nations "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" which was adopted by the General Assembly Wednesday forbids nations which sign on to it from denying "food and fluids" to disabled persons."

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is quoted as saying that "To cause death by dehydration by denying food and fluids to a person based on their disability or cognitive ability, such as Terri Schiavo, is to kill them by euthanasia."

Check it out at: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/dec/06121505.html

Pledge of Allegiance

JOHN MCCAIN'S REMARKS ABOUT THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE!!!

In light of the recent appeals court ruling in California, with respect to the Pledge of Allegiance, the following recollection from Senator John McCain is very appropriate:

"The Pledge of Allegiance" - by Senator John McCain

As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.

One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.

As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event. One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours.

Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could. The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could.

After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to Pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.

So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America

and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation under God, indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all."

First Corinthians 12 (Revisited)

Several parishioners sent me the following rewriting of I Corinthians 13. I thought you might all enjoy:

FIRST CORINTHIANS 13, CHRISTMAS VERSION

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,

Strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,

But do not show love to my family,

I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,

Baking dozens of Christmas cookies,

Preparing gourmet meals

And arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,

But do not show love to my family,

I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen,

Carol in the nursing home

And give all that I have to charity,

But do not show love to my family,

It profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels

And crocheted snowflakes,

Attend a myriad of holiday parties

And sing in the choir's cantata,

But do not focus on Christ,

I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home

that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way,

but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return,

but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust...

But giving the gift of love will endure

Administrative Permit Approvied

We received the following e-mail from R.J. Bunbury Construction:

"Good News. The administration permit has been approved. It is now at the permit clerk to have the fees added up and with any luck we may be able to get it by the end of this week. If not, we should have it by the following week."

Can I hear a collective "Yea!"

Scattered Thoughts From Papa Ron

Welcome to Scattered Thoughts From Papa Ron. I'm sitting in my office with Mark Plaskett whose helping me to set up this blog. This is all new territory for me but I'm hoping to use this as means of keeping in touch with the parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary. I'm not the most computer literate person so this is going to be an adventure.