Waving the Red Flag

     “Occasions do not make man weak, but they do show what he is. When we commit a fault, we must not attribute it to a physical cause, such as illness or the weather, but we must attribute it to our own lack of perfection.”                                                                                                                                                                                                               St. Therese of Lisieux

     The blame game started long ago in the Garden of Eden. Adam blamed it on Eve and Eve pointed to the serpent – maybe he blamed it on the weather! We have a difficult time recognizing, let alone, owning our faults and imperfections. There is no difficulty for us in seeing the faults of others. We could write a long list without much trouble. It is our own imperfections that we run and hide from, denying or pretending they don’t exist!

Our Rose Continues to Open

     “I am going to record what the Blessed Virgin told me in this year, 1962. I kept it inside for a long time without daring to write it down. It is a petition of the Blessed Virgin: ‘when you say the prayer that honors me, the Hail Mary, include this petition in the following manner: ‘Hail Mary full of grace. . . Pray for us sinners, spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”                                                                                                                       Conversation between Elizabeth Kindelmann and Our Blessed Mother


     Elizabeth received this request from Our Lady in the early part of 1962. She brought the request to the bishop on February 2, and his response to Elizabeth was, “Why the very old Hail Mary should be recited differently?” It is not recorded in her diary what Elizabeth’s response to the bishop was, but she obviously must have spoken to Jesus about her conversation with the bishop. Our Lord reassured Elizabeth by saying: “It is exclusively thanks to the efficacious pleas of the Most Holy Virgin that the Most Holy Trinity granted the effusion of the Flame of Love. By it, ask in the prayer with which you greet My Most Holy Mother: ‘Spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.’ So that, by its effect, humanity is converted.”

Happy Birthday Avia Joy!

     Avia Joy* is a year old! It was with fear and trepidation that I said yes to God when He proposed that she would be conceived and brought to life. Having had Papa’s frequent assurance that He would be with me to assist with Avia Joy, I stepped out in faith. He has been true to His word, although it took some time for me to believe it.

     While still pregnant with her, a decision was made to always have a reserve of nine posts. I wanted to be ahead of the game. I had also decided that I would publish three posts a week, never doubting that it could be accomplished. I would have my reserve. I could make it work!

The Flame of Love

   “I place this new instrument in your hands. Take this flame. You are the first to whom I entrust it. It is the Flame of Love of my Heart. First, light your own heart and then, pass it on to others. With this flame you will light all hearts in the world. The miracle will be this. This flame will become a fire, and with its shining light, this fire will blind Satan.” Our Blessed Mother to Elizabeth Kindelmann


     Elizabeth Kindelmann lived in Budapest, Hungary, under Communistic rule. She was a lifelong Catholic and a Third Order Carmelite.She had a difficult life from childhood, having been orphaned by the time she was five. Married at sixteen and widowed by the age of thirty two, she struggled tirelessly to support her family. Burdened by family cares, her relationship with God suffered.
Although she still attended Mass, it was with great effort. For three years Elizabeth experienced the dark night* and was tormented by the devil. On July 16, 1961, the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, after receiving the Sacrament of Penance, Elizabeth prostrated herself before a statue of the Blessed Virgin. Although she was not filled with peace, Elizabeth felt as if she had left her wounded soul at Carmel. The following day she begged and prayed, “Dear heavenly Mother, I do not want to be ever unfaithful to you. Do not abandon me, hold me tight. I do not trust myself. My steps are so unsteady.”

The Ingenuity of God

     My husband and I stared in disbelief as we surveyed the extensive damage the termites had done to our home! Just a few hours ago everything looked perfect.

     We were in the midst of a renovation, which included replacing our front door. Before the door could be installed, we had to remove the wallpaper from the walls. “What in the world is that?,” we asked in unison. There were vertical tracks on the drywall. Our contractor was somewhat suspicious and suggested we remove the drywall to examine the wood beneath. Much to our horror, the wood had been ravaged by termites, which meant not only replacing the two by fours, but the header and footer as well! My husband and I stood shaking our heads as we gazed upon the ruins. What began with excitement dissolved into disaster!

Open the Door

     “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn. 20 vs. 19-23).


     Filled with fear for their lives, the disciples hid, locked away. Most of them had been in hiding since the horrible events of Thursday evening had taken place, while others joined them later. Their Master had been betrayed, scourged and crucified. Most of them felt ashamed of the way they acted during Christ’s passion. They were confused, perplexed and heavy hearted.

From the Cross

     Anyone who sits by the bedside with a loved one, who is dying, would not find it difficult to recall the words that were spoken to them. Those words would be etched deeply within their memory and cherished as precious jewels. Each word, each sentence would be recorded and recalled as a gift.

     So too are the words of Christ that were uttered from the cross. They are recorded for us in Holy Scripture and are venerated by Christians throughout the world. They were spoken with great effort as Jesus suffocated on the cross. They should hold a great significance for us because they reveal the love, sacrifice and wisdom of God.

     Let us thoughtfully ponder them on this blessed day, Good Friday.