Disney on this blog???????

I usually stay away from Disney related stuff because of the issues and principles in which they have taken a stand for, but here are some thoughts on something I remember hearing from the
movie “The Lion King”.
The scene involved Timon and Pumbaa who were trying to philosophize to the young and disenchanted Simba. Timon said something like “when the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world!”

Being not a faithful Christian back then, I liked that line…but now I see how bad philosophies and principles are fed to the younger generations through music and movies.

Thank goodness God didn’t take that attitude with us, with our world, especially as our society tries to push Him out of the picture. Thank goodness that God hasn’t turned his back on us!!!
The only time God turned His back on us was when He offered it up to us to be whipped, beaten and bruised for our sins, for our salvation.

We must be diligent in our battle with Satan as he works through the media, through selfishness and pride; through music, movies and television. Through our world leaders and the idols of our children in the entertainment and sports industries.

The words of St Paul hold as true today as they were in his day;
“For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” -- Ephesians 6; 12

Paul goes on to tell how to put on the armor of God which consists of truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, prayer, perseverance and the sword of the Spirit to give us the courage to preach and live the gospel that is our calling as Christians.
And in verse 20 he says that he is “an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak (the Gospel) as I must.”

“An ambassador in chains” should make us realize the importance of standing up for what is right and doing all we can to share the Truth with all people, especially those whom influence and make the laws in our country, in our world.

We may feel “chained” in this world. We may feel that God has turned His back on the world. We may feel that we should turn our back on God; but take heed, God does not turn his back on us, but He will allow us, in our free will, to turn our back on Him....for eternity....and He doesn't want that, neither should you.

Selfishness

From the book "With us today---on the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist" by Father John Hardon;

Of ourselves, we are naturally self-centered, self-occupied, self-interested and self-opinionated. We are all naturally self-concerned, self-indulgent, self-satisfying, self-admiring and self-attentive. In a word, we are all profoundly and deeply self-willed.
There is one idolatry to which every human being is constantly prone, and that is the worship of oneself.

These lines spoke to me personally. I have noticed this about myself, and after reading these words, I realized how serious of a problem I have.
Now not to wriggle off the hook myself, but, I do believe that this is one of the major problems with the world today. It goes hand in hand with relativism. A double whammy of sin and a large part of what is wrong with
today's society.

It seems we can all have a personal agenda.
It carries itself into the realms of our personal and family life. Into our business and work life; and has we have seen countless times, into political life for those to whom it applies.
We have just seen it by our country's current administration.
While some of them my truly care about getting health care for all Americans, I believe, especially concerning our President, that there is a hidden agenda there. A costly one for all Americans particularly
the unborn and their mothers and fathers.
The elderly, those whom use health care the most will also be tragically affected by this rash decision as well as our future generations.

Jesus had and still has an agenda. That is to rid us of our selfishness. That is what Lent is about, to focus on the Cross and not on ourselves.
Obama and his cronies have an agenda for Lent. That is why they voted on this, they made people work on the Sabbath, to promote their evil agenda.

I certainly will continue in my quest to rid myself of the selfishness in my life, I just pray that the leaders of our country will do the same.

Suffering

It seems like everyone around me, family, friends, coworkers, friends of friends...everyone, has been sick, suffering or in mourning some sort of way. It has been ongoing like never before.
I guess that happens as you get older and as you get to know more people.

We all wish we had the words to say to truly comfort our loved ones, but in most cases all we can do is cheer them up or pray them into good health....not that either of these are bad; these are good things in which we should try to do.

I have just read something from St John Vianney that takes suffering to a new level.
Maybe we can draw something out of this to bring our consolations to a higher power.

CHAPTER 18 : Catechism on Suffering
Whether we will or not, we must suffer. There are some who suffer like the good thief, and others like the bad thief. They both suffered equally. But one knew how to make his sufferings meritorious, he accepted them in the spirit of reparation, and turning towards Jesus crucified, he received from His mouth these beautiful words: "This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. " The other, on the contrary, cried out, uttered imprecations and blasphemies, and expired in the most frightful despair. There are two ways of suffering - to suffer with love, and to suffer without love. The saints suffered everything with joy, patience, and perseverance, because they loved. As for us, we suffer with anger, vexation, and weariness, because we do not love. If we loved God, we should love crosses, we should wish for them, we should take pleasure in them. . . . We should be happy to be able to suffer for the love of Him who lovingly suffered for us. Of what do we complain? Alas! the poor infidels, who have not the happiness of knowing God and His infinite loveliness, have the same crosses that we have; but they have not the same consolations. You say it is hard? No, it is easy, it is consoling, it is sweet; it is happiness. Only we must love while we suffer, and suffer while we love.

On the Way of the Cross, you see, my children, only the first step is painful. Our greatest cross is the fear of crosses. . . . We have not the courage to carry our cross, and we are very much mistaken; for, whatever we do, the cross holds us tight - we cannot escape from it. What, then, have we to lose? Why not love our crosses and make use of them to take us to Heaven? But, on the contrary, most men turn their backs upon crosses, and fly before them. The more they run, the more the cross pursues them, the more it strikes and crushes them with burdens. . . . If you were wise, you would go to meet it like St. Andrew, who said, when he saw the cross prepared for him and raised up into the air, "Hail O good cross! O admirable cross! O desirable cross! receive me into thine arms, withdraw me from among men, and restore me to my Master, who redeemed me through thee. "