Waves of Homesickness

I have been pondering today on the phenomenon known as "homesickness".  Now, I am an adaptable person, who has lived in many, many different places, able to put down roots quickly, like a good soldier.

Rarely do I pine for the past, as I am also a person who lives very much in the present. But, once in a while, something will trigger a memory which causes a bit of sadness and longing, however ephemeral. For example, hearing a robin singing in the morning in France last week, for two days or so, made me think of England and her robins.

But, when I hear the song of the blackbird, I experience homesickness. The song of the blackbird always reminds me of my first spring in England at Wills Hall in Stoke Bishop, the "candle trees" blooming on the green, and the blackbirds singing in the full branches.

A happy spring, full of promise for a new life, surrounding me working on a doctoral thesis in which I was engrossed, feeling and being healthy and attractive, grateful to be alive and young in Bristol.....this all comes back in the song of the blackbird.

What also comes to the mind, the heart, and the soul are those very early mornings holding a new baby, I, ecstatic to be a "mummy", listening to the birds outside my window in Sussex. Again, the singing of the blackbird reminds me of walks in the countryside around Sherborne, along the lanes winding up to the Old Castle, and the smell of cut grass in the fields.

The blackbird's song also brings back a memory of a walk in Bayswater on a rainy day, in the late afternoon, when I was feeling cold and out of sorts, until the bird brought me back to joy.

The song of the blackbird reminds me of seeing my son after long, long months of separation in Devon at Buckfast, walking up the Downs in the hot sun with him ahead of me, and I looking at the miracle of a boy turned into a man.

In Sussex, again, waiting for a train to take me to the airport, yet another trip out of the country, hearing the bird reassured me that Britain would be here when I got back...which I did not.

For me, the song of the blackbird is a song of love, love of place, of the countryside, of a young boy-child holding my hand as we looked for flowers in the hedgerows, and talking ever so quietly, falling into silence together at the wonder of God's nature.

If this is homesickness, then I "have it" today.

News

http://www.bruderhof.com/en/news/2015/january/faith-and-works

Catholic Patterns

Some people think issues with States in Europe which involve movements of people have to do with governments ruling against immigration.

But, this is not so. Immigration is not the issue. Religion is the issue.

Every person I know, from different countries, nations, with permissions to live and to work in the EU, even Europeans themselves, who have had or are having problems of movement, have one thing in common.

They are ALL conservative, as in real, Catholics. And, they are all working in some way for the Church.

Patterns are emerging.

Crunch Time

Last year, I told people we had 18 months to get settled into pods and communities.

It is now less than six months.

I see the changes here in Europe, which is why God allowed me to be here, and to strengthen me as well.

One cannot be stupid or blind about how vulnerable Christianity is in Europe.

A person from France told me to visit the churches in Rome as soon as possible, which I cannot do.

This is because he believes many will be shut and sold. Someone in Malta expressed the same view there.

Crunch time.

Trusting in Divine Providence

Some people think that trusting in Divine Providence automatically means that God will bless them with prosperity and peace. This is the false message of the so-called "prosperity Gospel" which is heresy.

To trust in Divine Providence basically means not pretending that one is God. One gives ones' entire life over to God and lets Him direct this life. This abandonment to Divine Providence does not guarantee a life of ease, although one may have great peace in the midst of troubles.

Many things must be attributed to Divine Providence, such as serious illnesses, like cancer, or loss of job, status, even home.

To stand back from the evil of the moment and say, "Jesus, I trust in Thee" is the ultimate act of love. If we trust God, we know we are loving God. Those who play God, neither love or trust Him.

The lives of the saints reveals little ease and comfort. In fact, an examination of the lives of the saints points us always in the direction of deep suffering.

One may ask why allows suffering. The answers vary. But, the main reason suffering is allowed has to do with the fact that God see individuals' free wills as sacred.

He also used suffering for our purification, and for intercessory prayer. It can also be for reparation of one's own sins and the sins of others.

However, in my opinion, the main reason for suffering is that one is invited to share in the Passion of Christ.

When one loves Christ, one wants to be with Him always, even at the foot of, or bearing the Cross.

Trusting simply means using the gift of faith given in baptism.

Hard? Yes, Impossible? No.

BBS.

Today's Mass Readings

Two major themes in the Bible come out of today's readings.

One is that obedience is required by God. Someone mentioned to me days ago that the great sin of the Church in France is disobedience. This could be said for other nations as well.

The second is that Christ was clearly showing all that He is God by forgiving sins and healing. Only God distributes true justice and mercy.

Human justice and human mercy must reflect God's law and natural law.

Please Forgive

..uneven blogging. I am just getting over a sharp, short but virulent flu and am still very, very fatigued.

I am assuming it was flu, but could have been virulent food poisoning.

Will get back to you all later. In the meantime, read this sad article about my hometown where I grew up. Notice how many of these places are in the Midwest.

http://qctimes.com/news/local/davenport-takes-pride-in-being-listed-among-queerest-cities/article_2e78f6ae-cc79-5cfb-ac71-ca4e25d65251.html

Comparisons

Over coffee with bright young men, I learned that those under 35 are making comparisons with 2015 and the world right before WWII. Some see that the efforts to try and ameliorate those who believe in the violent destruction of the West and Catholicism are like those efforts which tried to appease Hitler by the England and others.

Here is a good article on this subject.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/the-road-to-world-war-ii-how-appeasement-failed-to-stop-hitler-a-646481.html

The fact that Millennials are making these connections and comparisons here in Ireland, in France, and in Malta no longer surprises me. Note that this theme came up in three countries with three different sets of young men.

These young people can see that appeasement of evil just does not and never did work.

So, what should be the attitude of the Catholic?

I had a person in Malta tell me that they did not like the phrase "Church Militant".

But, we are that, and we cannot forget that. To realize that we are in a spiritual battle is merely the beginning. Raissa in her diary noted that she was living in crazy, terrible times. It is no accident but a God-incident that I ended the series on her notes not only in France, but at the beginning of 2015. Europe in 2015 does seem like Europe in 1938.

We are in those exact times now and this is not merely my own opinion.

Ireland in 2015

I am in Dublin for two weeks and then I am returning to America. A priest and a cabbie told me yesterday that they are convinced Europe is already under one world government de facto, if not de jure. Cabbies in Ireland are so cool. They are like mini-political experts and a joy to listen to regarding world events.

We talked about how most older people are "asleep" about what is really happening and that some people are in denial, although they see clearly what is going on. They want to pretend that life will go on just the same.

Most people are either refusing to face the loss of their state sovereignty or are in out and out denial.

Many people cannot see the gross manipulation of the media, even after the events in France last week. It is hard to find true reporting. The anti-Semitism, talked about truthfully in France for days on the television, apparently was not here or in England.

The priest and I talked about the events in France, and he noted that the cartoonists were hateful towards all religions. Being French and truly Catholic, he had followed critically the far left ideals of those who died, and noted that at least one published cartoon pornography. In fact, according to this French priest, the day of the shootings, the cover was to be a blasphemy against Our Lady, Mary. I shall not share the details.

The Pope's words yesterday on limits to freedom of speech must be considered, and respect for Truth is necessary. But, we do not need to treat all philosophies of life, or even "religions" the same, in my opinion. There is only one true religion and many man-made ones. Open discussion on these points must happen. Must. We cannot give up on Christ's command to evangelize all peoples. This is a command, not a suggestion.

We cannot cover up the Truth and we cannot refrain from open discussion about the Truth and other faith systems. We cannot stop talking rationally about real religion.

Sadly, some young people think that the Church is so corrupt that Holy Mother Church is behind one world government as well. This is a viewpoint I met in Ireland. How sad.

Where there are lies, lies proliferate.

And some Irish people tell me they do not want same-sex marriage but it will be pushed through. They tell me that they do not want many things which have been pushed through this government.

Americans, does this sound familiar? Are you waking up?

I am concerned about the young people who have no real Faith and yet understand the signs of the times. They, too, are influenced by false teachers of all sorts, as these good young people lack true Faith.

Pray for the Millennials here. Too many see what is going on but lack the means to cope either because they have never been Catholics, or because they have fallen away.

Single People Abroad

Talking with several men and women of various ages, I have discovered that certain governments of Europe are suspicious of single men and women traveling alone. I would have never thought of this.

A friend of mine told me that the days of traveling over Europe on one's own may be over.

Why?

Good question. Now I know several singles and even some married people who have been either turned away at borders, or encountered difficulties even with proper papers.

What is going on? The consolidation of power.....and individuals do and will suffer.

No Culture of Trust

We no longer living in a culture of trust. We live now in a culture of bureaucracy and man-made laws.

The lack of a moral framework, the lack of a shared Christian mind-set based on the Ten Commandments and the love of the Trinity is a void which has been filled up by paranoia and suspicion. Satan is a person who likes to divide and conquer and he has succeeded in destroying the links of relationship between Europe and America. It is as if the children and grandchildren of Europe have been orphaned by the breaking of the bonds of Catholicism.

Evil thinks evil of others. Goodness thinks goodness of others. A person who is a Christian can trust another person who puts God first and not idols first. Idolatry of legalism is not a new problem, but people are chasing after a false sense of security by supporting laws which actually undermine personal rights and freedoms.

Think about these points with regard to America. We are being separated from our roots and then our identity will be not only destroyed, but remolded into something monstrous--insanity, which happens when people forget they have souls.

We are headed very quickly for a world which will try and destroy the souls of each individual.