Category Archives: Agony and Difficulty

MARY, Undoer of Knots by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Agony and Difficulty, Anxiety and Worry, Blessed Virgin Mary, Church, Community, Cross to Bear, Demons, Discernment, Early Church Fathers, Healing, Holiness, Holy Spirit, How to be Catholic, Marriage, Miracles, Pope Francis, Prayer, Relationships, Scripture, Service, Spirituality, Tradition, Undoer of Knots

One of my favorite descriptions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is her title as MARY, UNDOER OF KNOTS. The sin of our first mother, Eve caused sin to enter in to the world and because of that, our lives are continually knotted up with difficulties. The YES of the Virgin Mary to become the Mother of the WORD, (JESUS) allowed God to offer us salvation from the sin caused by Eve. Nonetheless, sin still affects us and causes our lives to be knotted up with difficulties. When Jesus gave us His Mother to be our Mother too, this very act allowed Mary to help us undo the knots (or difficulties) in our own lives. The title of Mary, Undoer of Knots recognizes this, and I would like to delve deeper in to it.

Our previous Pope, Pope Francis helped to bring us a new awareness of Mary as Undoer of Knots. He had a great devotion to Mary, and to that title of her. However, the devotion itself goes back to the time of Saint Irenaeus (and probably before) in the 2nd century. St. Irenaeus wrote that “And so it happened that the knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience. What the Virgin Eve tied by unbelief, the Virgin Mary untied by faith.”. Just as Mary untied Eve’s disobedience, we can see how she unties ours.

Around the year 1700, a painting of Mary as Undoer of Knots was made to celebrate an event that occurred in 1615. A German nobleman, Wolfgang Langenmantel, and his wife, Sophie, were about to divorce when they turned to their parish priest, Fr. Jakob Rem for help. He had a great devotion to Mary. Wolfgang gave Father Rem the ribbon used for their wedding. It was quite yellowed and tangled with many knots. The priest held the marriage ribbon before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed that she would untie the knots of their marriage. Miraculously, the ribbon became untangled and also became brilliant white symbolizing that the marriage was healed, which it was. Years later, Wolfgang’s grandson, Father Hieronymus Langenmantel, commissioned Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner to paint this event. The artist painted Mary untying the ribbon with the help of angels while standing on a crescemt moon (the Immaculate Conception) and upon the head of a knotted serpent (representing the devil). The Holy Spirit is above the head of Mary as is a crown of 12 stars. This beautiful painting was hung in the church of St. Peter in Augsburg, Germany. Pope Francis saw this painting and brought many copies to South America, helping to spread the devotion. He also composed a special prayer for this devotion which says: “Holy Mary, full of God’s presence during the days of your life, you accepted with full humility the Father’s will, and the devil was never capable of tying you up with his confusion. Once with your Son you interceded for our difficulties, and full of kindness and patience, you gave us the example of how to untie the knots in our life. By remaining forever Our Mother, you put in order and make more clear the ties that link us to the Lord. Holy Mother, Mother of God and our Mother, to you who untie with a motherly heart the knots of our life, we pray to you to receive in your hands (the name of the person), and to free him/her of the knots and confusion with which our enemy attacks. Through your grace, your intercession and your example deliver us from all evil, Our Lady, and untie the knots that prevent us from being united with God, so that we, free from sin and error, may find Him in all things, may have our hearts placed in Him, and may serve Him always in our brothers and sisters. Amen.”

This devotion spread quite quickly through the church. It should be noted that when the Nuclear accident at Chernobyl happened, the people of the Ukraine, who already had a deep devotion to Mary, sought her intercession/ They did this under the title of Mary, Undoer of Knots. The first chapel dedicated to her, under this title, was built in 1989 in Styria, Austria. The painter, Franz Weiss, painted a new painting of Mary, Undoer of Knots using the theme of the Chernobyl accident. The devotion to Mary under this title continues to grow. You can see why the devotion has grown so much. We all have lives that are tangled with knots. We believe that our loving and caring mother, Mary, helps us to untangle these knots and lead us closer and closer to her son Jesus.

Brother Justinus Grebowicz, O.P. Of Augsburg Germany tells us “No matter how great the conflicts, no matter how tight the knots in our lives, no matter how deep the bite of the serpent, Mary is with us. She prays for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Mary, Undoer of knots, I come to thee carrying many joys and burdens with me.

Mary, Undoer of knots, who did not listen — the knots are many, they do not loosen.

Mary, Undoer of knots, how comforting it sounds: there is a hand, that unties the knots profound.

Mary, Undoer of knots, look at this ball! I cannot untie it – help me, holiest woman of all.

Mary, Undoer of knots, I am the knot – I am all confused: Beg for me by God!

Mary, Undoer of knots, you are already in the light, you know yourself what I still lack is in your sight.”

I end with a beautiful prayer that I found that does not list the author. It says:

Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the evil one himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot: (insert your prayer request here) I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all, You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me,the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution and with Christ the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, o safe refuge! Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for me. Amen.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.

SUFFERING: A Catholic Perspective by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Agony and Difficulty, Anxiety and Worry, Blessed Virgin Mary, Charity, Church, Cross to Bear, Crucifixion, Death and Dying, Divine Mercy, Early Church Fathers, Forgiveness, Holiness, Holy Spirit, How to be Catholic, Penance and Reconciliation, Prayer, Relationships, Religious Life, Saints, Scripture, Sin, Suffering

Most of us desire true happiness and true peace and true joy in our lives. It is only right to desire it.. I also think that God desires the same for us; afterall, we are His children. But truthfully, often life is filled with a great deal of suffering. Also, some people have more suffering than others and we can’t help but to wonder why. The Church tells us that suffering is a consequence of Original Sin. I think that the Catholic Church is one of the few, if not only, religious body to have significant answers as to why we suffer, and more importantly, how we deal with suffering.

The Catholic Faith teaches us that there are two main attitudes towards suffering. First of all it says that we must do all that we can to try to prevent and alleviate the suffering of others. We are called by Jesus to reach out to those who suffer by feeding the poor, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger (or those who feel alone), clothing the poor, caring for the sick and visiting those in prison (Matthew 25: 31-46). He also tells us to bring the Good News to those who haven’t heard it. The scriptures are filled with examples of Jesus taking away the suffering of others.

The second attitude toward suffering relates to our own suffering and how we are called to handle it. As much as the scriptures are filled with how Jesus alleviates the suffering of others, it is also filled with how He Himself has suffered. Jesus was often mistreated, humiliated, and given terrible physical suffering. If Jesus endured suffering, why should we think that we won’t? This article is based upon dealing with the sufferings that may befall us.

All of the suffering that we endure must also consider the suffering that Jesus endured. It is in His suffering, that we can make sense of our own suffering. As a matter of fact, the Church invites us to unite our suffering to the suffering of Jesus, and in doing so see how we participate in making a change to this world and to ourselves. The suffering of Jesus on the cross, can show us how to endure our own suffering and turn it towards the redemption of the world. Jesus was the redeemer and source of all redemption, but we can join our suffering to His to continue His redemption for all peoples. St. Paul even goes so far as to say that, “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the Church”. (Corinthians 1:24) It should be noted that St. Paul suffered greatly, He was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked and came close to dying several times. He also had is own “thorn in the flesh”. We do not know what that was, but we do know that he cried out to God several times to remove it due to the pain it caused him.

St. Paul tells us that God allows us to endure suffering and causes us to benefit from that suffering. He says in Romans 5: 3-1 that suffering produces endurance which builds character which leads us in to HOPE. This combination of enduring suffering while embracing hope helps us realize that our source of strength is God Himself. It helps us to acknowledge our total dependance upon God. Paul goes on to tell us that his suffering has him “boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses” and to see that in his own weaknesses, the strength of God shines forth. In Galations St. Paul says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… Let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus”. The “marks of Jesus” were probably scars from all his own beatings but some wonder if St. Paul was the first to receive the stigmata.

St. Paul wasn’t the only one who talked about suffering. St. James tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1: 2-4). St, Peter says, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear this name”.(1Peter 4:16). He again adds, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will and continue to do good, entrust their souls to a faithful Creator” (1Peter 4:19). St. Peter also tells us, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, and strengthen you” (1 Peter 5:10). St. Timothy says, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). St. John, in his Gospel has Jesus saying, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. There is no doubt that suffering is a part of the Christian life in this world.

Many of the early Christians suffered greatly, some to the point of dying for the faith.. Those that did die for the faith, the martys, have always been seen by the Church to be special people to God. Many of the Saints suffered and I thought that it would be good to include some quotes from them.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity says, “For my heart is always with Him, day and night it thinks unceasingly of its heavenly and divine Friend, to whom it wants to prove its affection. Also within it arises this desire: not to die, but to suffer long, to suffer for God, to give Him its life while praying for poor sinners.”

St, Ignatius of Loyola adds, “If God sends you many sufferings, it is a sign that He has great plans for you and certainly wants to make you a saint.”

St. John of the Cross tells us, “The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.”

St. Faustina, who gave us the devotion to the Divine Mercy says, “In order to purify a soul, Jesus uses whatever instruments he likes. My soul underwent a complete abandonment on the part of creatures; often my best intentions were misinterpreted by the sisters, a type of suffering which is most painful; but God allows it, and we must accept it because in this way we become more like Jesus.”

St. Madeline (Sophie Barat) says, “As iron is fashioned by fire and on the anvil, so in the fire of suffering and under the weight of trials, our souls receive that form which our Lord desires them to have.”

St. Ignatius of Loyola again adds, “ If God gives you an abundant harvest of trials, it is a sign of great holiness which He desires you to attain. Do you want to become a great saint? Ask God to send you many sufferings. The flame of Divine Love never rises higher than when fed with the wood of the Cross, which the infinite charity of the Savior used to finish His sacrifice. All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus Christ. That is, hard and painful things endured for Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ.”

St, Theresa of Avila tells us, “Suffering is a great favor. Remember that everything soon comes to an end . . . and take courage. Think of how our gain is eternal.”

St. Faustina again says, “Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Saviour; in suffering love becomes crystallised; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.”

St. Therese of Lisieux told her novices, “I always want to see you behaving like a brave soldier who does not complain about his own suffering but takes his comrades’ wounds seriously and treats his own as nothing but scratches.”

St. Francis de Sales tells us, “All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly.”

Even Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, suffered. The prophet Simeon foretold Mary’s Suffering when he said to her, “a sword will pierce through your own soul” (Luke 2:35).

The list of quotes could go on and on.

It is so important for us to see that suffering, as much as we don’t necessarily desire it, can cause many good things to happen.

1 – It joins us to the redemptive suffering of Jesus when offered up to Him.

2 – It is a means for us to grow spiritually.

3 – It can allow us to bring about a greater good.

4 – It can reveal God’s presence to us.

5 – It can help us gain courage and endurance.

6 – It helps us appreciate the suffering that Jesus did for us.

7 – It can help us to have greater love and compassion for others.

Our Catholic faith tells us that Suffering is a Consequence of Original Sin. It isn’t something that God gives us. HOWEVER, God can use it to better us and to bring us closer to Him. All that we have to do is let Him.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, An amazing 2000 year old Saint – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Agony and Difficulty, Apologetics, Church, Community, Consecration, Cross to Bear, Death and Dying, Early Church Fathers, Eucharist, Evangelism, Heresy, Holiness, Holy Orders, Preaching, Priesthood, Sacraments, Saints, Scripture, Service, Spirituality, Suffering, Trust, Unity, Vocation, ,

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of this Martyr on October 17 of every year. He was the third Bishop of Antioch (70AD) and was ordained by St. Peter. He and Polycarp, were both taught by St. John, the Gospel writer. A Church tradition tells us that Ignatius was the child that Jesus, in Mathew 18: 3-4 chose to place on His lap and teach the disciples about humility. There is no doubt that Ignatius, who was martyred in 107, was around from the very beginnings of the Church. There are seven extant letters of his that tell us a lot about early Church life. These letters were written while he was under arrest and on his way to Rome to be killed.

Ignatius, as Bishop of Antioch, was arrested for failing to worship the Roman Emperor as God. When Ignatius ruled the Christians in Antioch, the Roman Emperor Domition declared himself a god and took on the title, “Lord and God”. Ignatius stood up against this, as an example to his fellow Christians. Domition was murdered in 96, and his successor Nerva reigned only briefly, but was soon followed by the Emperor Trajan. Trajan again pushed that all in the Empire see him as God. Everyone was required to follow the State religion and if they failed to do so, they were to be killed. Of course, Ignatius would not follow the State religion and was sentenced to death, at Rome. Those seven extant letters of his were written on his journey to Rome.

The letters tell us about how important it was to have unity in the Church and to obey the local Bishop. They also showed his deep love for the Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Christ and how the Eucharist was so important in remaining in unity. Ignatius called the Eucharist, the “Medicine of Immortality”. The letters also have the first surviving written words describing the Church as Catholic. Ignatius’ teachings are very rich but can be summoned up in the word UNITY. He taught that Christian Unity was a command of Jesus (John 17:26) and that Unity was obtained by remaining true to the faith (no heresy), obedience to the clergy and bishops, AND Eucharistic worship. Ignatius said, “Make it a point, then, to participate in one Eucharist. For the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ is one, and one is the cup that yields unity in his blood”. Ignatius laments that “those who hold heretical opinions about the grace of Jesus Christ … refuse to acknowledge that the Eucharist is the flesh of our savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins and which the Father by his goodness raised up” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6.2).

Ignatius welcomed his upcoming martyrdom and told his fellow Christians in his letter to Rome, “All the pleasures of the world, and all the kingdoms of this earth, shall profit me nothing, It is better for me to die in behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the ends of the earth.” He continued, “Now I begin to be a disciple, Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: only let me attain to Jesus Christ.” He quite clearly did not want the Roman Christians to try to keep him from martydom. As he witnessed to Jesus for the last time in Flavian’s Amphitheater (the Roman Colliseun) where he was to be torn to shreds by lions, he said, “I am the wheat of the Lord, and I am being ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, so that I may prove to be pure bread”. Even in his death, Ignatius is remembering the Eucharist. He was a true man of faith and we celebrate him, now 2000 years after his death. Here are a few of his quotes:

“Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your heart.”

“We recognize a tree by its fruit, and we ought to be able to recognize a Christian by his action.”


“My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece.”

“It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but actually to be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name”.

“The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.”

He describes the Eucharist as, “the medicine of immortality, the antidote we take in order not to die but to live forever in Jesus Christ”

He tells the Christians at Smyna that they “are established in an unshakable faith, having been nailed, as it were, to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ in both body and spirit, and firmly established in love by the blood of Christ”

We pray that Saint Ignatius will help us to live out the UNITY that Jesus prayed for, help us to remain faithful to the Bishops and the Church, and see the Eucharist as the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.

The Death, and Impact of a Christian Evangelist, Charlie Kirk – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Agony and Difficulty, Apologetics, Blessed Virgin Mary, Charlie Kirk, Church, Communication, Conversion, Converts, Crucifixion, Death and Dying, Evangelism, Family, Forgiveness, Godly Patriotism, How to be Catholic, Marriage, Prayer, Preaching, Pro-Life, Rosary, Spirituality, Women, , , , ,

First of all, this is not a political article, it is simply about the death of a great American Christian evangelist and his impact on so many. His assassination on September 10, 2025 brought widespread sadness to so many people. I watched his memorial service on September 21 and was shocked at two things. First of all, it was a huge service with over 100,000 people attending, including the President and most of his Cabinet. Secondly, it seemed more like an Evangelical praise and worship meeting, than a funeral service. Also, I have never seen so many government officials give testimony to their faith in Jesus. I think that the reason for this was that even though Charlie Kirk was known as a Conservative political activist, I believe that his deepest convictions lay in his Christian faith and his desire to spread the Good News. He himself, when asked what he would like to be remembered for, or what his legacy was, said, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith”. When asked of his goal of teaching conservatism to people, he said, “You have to try to point them toward ultimate purposes and toward getting back to the church, getting back to faith, getting married, having children. That is the type of conservatism that I represent, and I’m trying to paint a picture of virtue, of lifting people up, not just staying angry.” That is the role of a Christian Evangelist.

The slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk was “a modern-day St. Paul,” New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said in a Sept. 19 appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “He was a missionary, he’s an evangelist, he’s a hero,” he said. “He’s one, I think, who knew what Jesus meant when he said, ‘The truth will set you free.’”

The Cardinal was not familiar with Kirk before his shooting, but when he heard about it, and the tremendous outpouring of grief about it he said, “I thought, ‘I’ve got to learn about this guy,’ and the more I learned about him, I thought, ‘this guy’s a modern-day St. Paul,’” “Now I understand he was pretty blunt and he was pretty direct. He didn’t try to avoid any controversy, he didn’t even try to avoid confrontation,” he said. “The difference is the way, the mode, the style that he did it — always with respect (for his opponents) and not only was that a gracious, kind of virtuous thing to do, it’s effective. … I thought this guy can teach us something.” I agree so much with the good Cardinal. The Cardinal went on saying Kirk “wasn’t afraid to talk about the Lord. He wasn’t even afraid to say the name of Jesus,” Cardinal Dolan said, adding, “I heard Billy Graham once say, ‘I will never publicly speak without saying the name of Jesus because that name has power and it echoes through the universe.’ And apparently, that’s what Charlie did.” Dolan said he had spent the previous evening with about 200 students at the New York University Catholic Center and “this is what they talked about.” He said he is seeing a return to religion among young people, who, he thinks, are feeling there’s “something missing … a void,” despite their jobs and success. There’s a “kind of a revival” of “a sense of value and truth and conviction” among young people, he said, “almost an elevation of the role of faith back into the public square where our founders intended it to be from the beginning.” “This overwhelming sense of appreciation for Charlie and the great solidarity that we’re sensing is itself an answer to prayers and is itself a sign of the Resurrection,” he said. “I would reckon,” the cardinal added, “that some people are saying, ‘Well, you’re saying too many nice things about him (Kirk).’ I don’t know him that well, but I am sure if he was a convinced disciple of Jesus Christ, he knew his sins. Jesus knew them.” He praised Kirk’s debate style — respecting those who disagreed with him and those he disagreed with. The focus of healthy debate, the cardinal said, must be “issues not individuals, principles not just politics, principles not people. The weakest of all arguments, you know, is ad hominem, when you begin to attack the person.”

I agree with our good Cardinal. Whether you agreed with Charlie Kirk on his political beliefs, or not, there is no doubt that he led many young people to Jesus and back to their church. I have now watched several of his video appearances and have been amazed at how much he talked about Jesus and his faith. He has done several interviews and has impressed so many people, both religious and not, with his faith.

R.C. Bishop Robert Barron said, “I first met Charlie Kirk about four years ago when I was in Phoenix for a speaking engagement. He reached out and invited me to breakfast. I was deeply impressed by him that day. He was a man of great intelligence, considerable charm, and real goodness of heart I reconnected with him just last year, after I saw him debate twenty-five young people who were, to put it mildly, hostile to his views. I texted him that I was so struck by how he kept his cool and his charitable attitude in the face of some pretty obnoxious opposition. I then asked him to appear as a guest on my interview program, “Bishop Barron Presents,” and he eagerly accepted my invitation. He was scheduled to come to Rochester, Minnesota in about ten days. The last contact we had was two nights ago. After I appeared on one of the evening news shows to talk about the Religious Liberty Commission, he texted me and told me how much he appreciated what I said and then added, “I’m excited to join you on your show soon. God bless you.” That last sentence shows what was most important to Charlie. He was indeed a great debater and also one of the best advocates in our country for civil discourse, but he was, first and last, a passionate Christian. In fact, when we had that breakfast in Phoenix, we didn’t talk much about politics. We talked about theology, in which he had a deep interest, and about Christ. I know I’m joining millions of people around the world in praying that he rests now in the peace of the Lord. The assassination of Charlie Kirk kept him from going on Bishop Barron’s show. I would have loved to see that.

Another Catholic, Alex Jones who is the co-founder of the Prayer app, HALLOW, said that Kirk had contacted him recently and told him that he used HALLOW as a prayer app. Jones said that Kirk “was so kind to me; a brother in Christ.” Jones said that in the week following Charlie Kirk’s death, the HALLOW app saw a 95 percent increase in new users.

Charlie Kirk worked with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Author and speaker, who said, “I am devastated by the tragic murder of my friend Charlie Kirk. Charlie was not only a fearless voice for America but also a tireless advocate for Israel’s safety and security. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, as activists committed to strengthening the bond between these two great allies. I’ve been looking back through our many text messages, especially from the days of the first Trump administration, when I strongly encouraged him to ensure that Turning Point USA and young American conservatives fully grasped the threats against Israel. Charlie responded as a devout Christian with passion and conviction, emerging as one of Israel’s leading defenders in the United States. His courage, friendship, and unwavering voice will be deeply missed. America is becoming a sewer of anti-American hatred and anti-Israel violence. Those fomenting that hatred against Jews and their steadfast allies like Charlie Kirk have blood on their hands tonight. May his memory be a blessing.

When Charlie Kirk met with Bill Maher, who was raised in a Catholic/Jewish household and has declared himself an atheist or at least a skeptic, Kirk told Maher, “”The greatest minds of history have been mesmerized by the Scriptures — Isaac Newton, Thomas Aquinas. Isaac Newton wrote more about biblical prophecy than even physics. And so there’s something about the Scriptures that are intellectual, that does push your limits. And that’s what I think is so beautiful about our faith is it can be accessible to everyone, but also infinitely nourishing in exploration.” He went on to say, “In China and, of course, in the Soviet Union, there was an anti-Christian movement. Very hardcore. …What book do you think is best for humanity to live by? I say the Bible. … The entire arc of the Bible is a story of love and a need for humanity’s redemption. …The Bible has wisdom in ways you might not ever imagine. …Humanity will seek to find a book, they’ll seek to find a code to live by.” After Charlie Kirk’s death, Bill Mayer said, “Charlie Kirk and I certainly didn’t agree on much politically, but he sat here, he’s a human being, he’s not a monster,” Maher said. “And I liked him.”

There is no doubt that Charlie, and his evangelical love of God and preaching touched many people. He definitely is responsible for drawing many young people back to Jesus and back to Church. Charlie himself, knew what growth in faith was all about. He was initially brought up by his parents in the Presbyterian Church. They later became Evangelicals and Charlie was definitely an Evangelical Christian. He did, however marry a woman, Erika, who was brought up by Roman Catholic parents and who attended Catholic school. It would appear that she and Charlie shared a deep faith commitment to each other and that a little of each other’s faith rubbed out on each. There are some insiders who say that Erika attends Catholic mass often and there are pictures of Charlie and her and the family at mass. There are pictures of them at mass at St. Bernadette parish in Scottsdale, AZ and at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Charlie told others that the pastor at St. Bernadette’s was a good friend of his.

Edgar Lujano, of Catholic Answers, tells us that a little more than a week before his murder, Kirk attended a pro-life prayer breakfast in Visalia, California, which is in the Diocese of Fresno. The local bishop was among those in attendance and had a brief, private moment with Kirk. It was there that Kirk told the bishop about his Catholic wife and children and how he attended Mass with them. He punctuated this conversation with “I love my Catholic pastor.” As they were parting to attend the more public portion of the prayer breakfast, Kirk mentioned speculation regarding his contemplating entering the Catholic Church, saying: “I’m this close.”

There are some friends who say that Charlie would even pray the rosary on occasion. In one of his video shows he said, “But let me first say, I think we as Protestants and Evangelicals under-venerate Mary. She was very important. She was a vessel for our Lord and Savior.” “I think that we, as Evangelicals and Protestants, we’ve overcorrected. We don’t talk about Mary enough. We don’t venerate her enough. Mary was clearly important to early Christians. There’s something there. In fact, I believe one of the ways that we fix toxic feminism in America is that Mary is the solution.” “Have more young ladies be pious, be reverent, be full of faith, slow to anger, slow to words at times. Mary is a phenomenal example, and I think a counter to so much of the toxicity of feminism in the modern era.”

In an interview with Russell Brand in 2024, Charlie said, “I mean, I’m nothing without Jesus. I’m a sinner. I fall incredibly short of the glory of God. We all do. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade, and it’s the most important decision I’ve ever made, and everything I do incorporates Jesus Christ.” On September 6, 2025, four days before his murder, Charlie said, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.”

Pastor Rob McCoy, Co-chair of Turning Point Faith said, “Charlie did not die. Instead, he has begun to truly live. His life was secured eternally by His Savior Jesus Christ. This truth allowed Charlie to face every threat with courage because he didn’t fear death.” I do believe that Charlie is in a better place now. But what about those he left behind. He has a beautiful wife, Erika and two children. Erika is a strong woman, and strong in her faith, and has taken up the role of CEO of Turning Point, Charlie’s organization. She brought me to tears when at Charlie’s memorial service she publically said, “My husband Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life.” She then mentioned how Jesus, while on the cross, forgave those who were killing him and said that they don’t know what they do. She then said, “That young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did and it is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer, we know from the Gospel is LOVE, and always love, love for our enemies, and those who persecute us.”. It seems that Erika is certainly a great choice to continue what Charlie had started. She has shown the world what true forgiveness as a Christian is all about. It is also interesting to know that membership in Turning Point, as well as attendance at the events they have held since the death of Charlie has grown tremendously.

Thank you Charlie for your faith and the way you shared it, especially with young people. “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen”, “May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen”.

The Church is Alive with Young People; two new Saints, Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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There is something very special happening to the Church today. I am seeing more and more young people coming to mass and attending spiritual gatherings. The Church invited youth and young adults to celebrate the Jubilee of Young People for 2025 in Rome in late July and early August. To the surprise of many, 500,000 participated during the week and over 1 million attended the final mass with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. It was certainly a sight to see. The young people and the Pope reflected so much joy and holiness. They showed that the Church was truly alive and also quite relevant to young people.

This weekend the Church will be canonizing two young men; Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis. Pier was only 24 when he died and Carlo was only 15. Both of them were young men who loved Jesus and His Church and who served as an example to others of what the Christian Life was all about. They also enjoyed the fullness of life as so many young people do. I fully believe that these two Saints (soon to be) will continue to serve the world by being examples to young people about how to enjoy youth as well as how to be a good Christian. I would like to take a brief look at both of their lives. Pier lived in the beginning of the 1900’s and Carlo lived in the beginning of the 2000’s. Pier is known as the “Man of the Beatitudes” and Carlo is know as the “First Millenial Saint”. May they continue to inspire us all, especially the young men and women in today’s world.

CARLO ACUTIS was born on May 3, 1991 in London England. Shortly after his birth, his family moved back to Italy and lived a life like so many others do. Carlo’s parents worked, and Carlo attended school. Carlo had several pets, played soccer, loved movies, went snow skiing and loved to play video games. Ever since he was little, Carlo had a devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist. His mother tells how he could not pass a church without going inside to say hello to Jesus in the tabernacle. Carlo’s parents had stopped going to Church and because of the devotion that Carlo had, they started attending again. Finally, after much anticipation, Carlo received first communion in 1998. Carlo just naturally seemed to know the significance of the Eucharist. To Carlo, that was his fuel for living. Carlo attended mass, and went to Adoration to continually be refueled. His Eucharistic zeal was contagious. Although Carlo did many of the other normal things youth do, like school, homework, sports practices, social events, games, music, the internet and absolutely loving to eat gelato, he stood out from the crowd by managing his time towards the Eucharist and helping others. He once talked about his friends by saying, “They’ll stand in line for hours to go to a concert, but won’t stay even a minute before the tabernacle.” He couldn’t understand this.

In the early 2000’s the Internet was becoming quite available and Carlo dove right in. He learned coding and how to build websites and saw the Internet as a new tool to draw attention to the Church and the Eucharist. He developed websites for his parish and school. He even helped to develop the Vatican website. He began to become known as a technology protege around the world because of his work in the Vatican. He used the Internet to find out more and more about Eucharistic miracles He decided that he wanted to create a website just for that (and you can still use it today). He talked his parents in to taking him around to many sites of the Eucharistic miracles and took pictures and copious notes. He even walked to many and gathered information from 17 countries and made up 142 panels for helping others see the miracles.

In the fall of 2006, this faith filled young man started feeling ill. His parents took him to the doctor with flu-like symptoms. Testing came back showing that he had advanced stages of Leukemia. Despite this bad diagnosis, Carlo kept up his spirit and kept Christ as his top priority, offering up his sickness for the Pope and the Church and for his direct entry in to heaven. Carlo suffered gently and always thanked the people around him and kept a positive spirit. Fr. Sandro Villa, the hospital chaplain tells of the last time Carlo received the Eucharist. He says, “I was amazed by the composure and devotion with which, albeit with difficulty, he received the two sacraments. He seemed to have been waiting for them and felt the need for them.” He continued by saying, “I discovered that he was in love with the real presence of Jesus in the eucharist.” Carlo also said earlier to his mom, “I am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting a minute on those things that do not please God.” Carlo died on October 12, 2006 at 15 years old.

Rejoice when you see a Statue of a teenage Saint, dressed in blue jeans and sneakers. Check out his website at https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/liste/list.html

PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI was born in 1901 in Turin, Italy and died in 1924. Saint John Paul II declared him a patron of World Youth Days and named him the “Man of the Beatitudes”. John Paul II also said he “was a young man filled with a joy that swept everything along with it, a joy that overcame the difficulties in his life”. Pier was known for his regular worship and adoration, as well as his service to the poor and the marginalized. He was a great advocate for Social justice and religious liberty. He was an avid mountain climber and saw many parallels between that and Catholic Life. On the back of a picture taken during his final climb, he wrote, “Verso L’Alto” which means “to the heights”.

Like Carlo Acutis, Frassati was enamored by the Eucharist. He once said to young people, “Prayer is the noble supplication which we lift up to the throne of God. It is the most efficient means to obtain from God the graces which we need, and especially the strength of persevering in these times, in which the hatred of the sons of the devil is breaking out violently against the sheep who are faithful to the fold. In recommending heartfelt prayer to you, I am including all the practices of piety, first of all the most Holy Eucharist. And remembering that apostle of the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Father Pius X of venerable memory, I urge you with all the strength of my soul to approach the Eucharistic Table as often as possible. Feed on this Bread of the Angels from which you will draw the strength to fight inner struggles, the struggles against passions and against all adversities, because Jesus Christ has promised to those who feed themselves with the most Holy Eucharist, eternal life and the necessary graces to obtain it. “And when you become totally consumed by this Eucharistic Fire, then you will be able to thank with greater awareness the Lord God who has called you to be part of his flock and you will enjoy that peace which those who are happy, according to the world, have never tasted. Because true happiness, young people, does not consist in the pleasures of the world and in earthly things, but in peace of conscience which we can have only if we are pure in heart and in mind.”

Frassati love to minister to the poor. He spent much of his time doing so. He was known to use his bus fare to give to the poor, and then run home to his parents to be home in time for meals. He not only gave his money to the poor, he also gave of his time. Besides receiving the Eucharist daily, he meditated on St. Paul’s “Hymn of Charity” (I Corinthians 13), and put that in to action. He loved mountain climbing and outings to the mountains. He invited friends to these as well as to his apostolic work, He brought his friends to Mass, to the reading of Scripture, and to praying the rosary. He also did worldly things like going to the theater, to the opera, and to museums. He was a young man who really enjoyed life.

Just before receiving his university degree, Pier Giorgio contracted poliomyelitis. Doctors later speculated he caught it from the sick whom he tended. After six days of terrible suffering Pier Giorgio died at the age of 24 on July 4, 1925. Even on his death bed, he wrote notes to help people that he had cared for. For his funeral, the streets of the city were filled with mourners. His family did not know them. They were the poor and the needy whom he had cared for. They, in turn, were surprised to find out that the Pier Giorgio was the heir of the influential Frassati family. He loved the poor, loved Jesus, loved Mary, loved the Eucharist, loved Adoration, loved the scriptures and loved the rosary. May he inspire us all, especially the young.

The First GLORIOUS Mystery – THE RESURRECTION – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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The First GLORIOUS Mystery: The RESURRECTION – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about the resurrection of Jesus. They vary in different details, and order, but essentially tell us the profound truth that Jesus rose from the dead after being crucified and buried. This is essential to our faith. This is the heart of our faith. This is the heart of the good news. The resurrection of Jesus shows us that that death no longer has a hold on the world, or on us. This is so essential to our faith that EVERY Sunday we celebrate it by going to mass where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus and we follow His command in John chapter 6, verse 54 to “eat my body and drink my blood”. The Eucharist that we receive is the resurrected-glorious, body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. It is so important to do this that the Church has made it an obligation to attend mass EVERY Sunday (or Saturday evening in anticipation). Sunday, as the day of Jesus’ Resurrection was so important to the early Church that, even though they were good Jews, they started to move the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday to recognize the Resurrection. We should reflect on this central facet of our faith even more than just once a week. Reciting the Rosary and the Glorious Mystery helps us to do this.

The gospel accounts tell us that after Jesus died on the cross (clearly shown by the gospels and eyewitness accounts), he was taken down and laid in a tomb. On the third day, the women went to visit His tomb and He was gone. They were greeted by angels and by the resurrected Jesus himself and given instructions to tell the GOOD NEWS of His resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus is further shown by His glorified presence to the apostles and disciples for a forty day period before His Ascension to Heaven. One of my favorite stories from the Gospel during this period is the story of how Jesus appeared to His disciples in His glorified body in the Upper Room. Thomas was not there and when the disciples told Thomas of seeing the resurrected Jesus, he told them that he could not believe this unless he, himself, put his fingers in to the nail holes and his hand in to the pierced side of Jesus. Shortly after, the disciples were again gathered and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus again appeared in His resurrected, glorious body and looked to Thomas and told him to place his fingers in His nail holes and His pierced side. Thomas responded with, “my Lord, and my God”. I think that it is interesting that Thomas, forever known as DOUBTING Thomas because of his initial doubt, gave one of the greatest expressions of belief and faith found in the gospels. This gives us all hope. In Mark 9:24 the father of a boy possessed by a demon said to Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” This is a cry we too can utter at times, especially in difficult moments.

Another resurrection story that I love is the walk to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35). In this narrative, we have two of Jesus’ disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus (7 mile walk). As they walk, they are discussing the death of Jesus and how the women found an empty tomb. It appears that they didn’t fully understand that this meant that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. The resurrected Jesus then appeared to them and walked along with them, but they did not recognize Him. As they walked, He explained to them all of the Scriptures that talked about the Messiah and His death and resurrection. When they came to an Inn, they stopped for some rest and food. It was here that Jesus took bread and broke it and at that time they recognized Him in the “breaking of the bread”. After that, He disappeared and they immediately walked back to Jerusalem to tell the others that they had seen the resurrected Jesus. This is definitely an eucharistic moment. As a matter of fact, the whole story reminds us of the two parts of the mass that we celebrate, (and the final dismissal where we are given our mission). His explaining the scriptures reminds us of the Liturgy of the Word, and His breaking of the bread reminds us of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We too are called, each time we attend mass, to recognize Jesus in both Word and Eucharist. At the end of mass we are told to GO FORTH and share the gospel message with others, just as the disciples on the walk to Emmaus did. This is our mission.

I cannot stress enough that the Resurrection of Jesus is the important event that allowed the Good News to spread. It is essential to our faith. Even St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:14) says, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith”. It is so important for us to celebrate His Resurrection and remember this always. The First Glorious Mystery of the Rosary helps us to do this.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – How often do I think about how Jesus ROSE from the dead?

2 – Do I offer Him thanks and praise for dying and rising for me?

3 – Do I attend mass at least on Sunday (or Saturday evening) every week?

4 – Do I listen closely to all the readings in the “Liturgy of the Word”?

5 – Do I pay close attention to the Homily and think about it afterwards?

6 – Do I recognize that the Eucharist is the risen, glorified, body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus?

7 – When I have moments of unbelief, do I ask God to help my unbelief?

8 – When a friend or family member loses a loved one, do I offer HOPE and FAITH and LOVE?

9 – Do I ponder the Mystery of the Resurrection in my prayer life and in the rosary?

10 – Do I follow the mission given to me to share the GOOD NEWS with others?

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

All four Gospels tell us about the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus. Matthew and Mark have very similar accounts and Luke adds “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do” as well as the story of the repentant thief to whom Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” John adds the story of Jesus giving His mother to John (and all of us) and her being given John (and us) as her children. John also adds the lines, “I thirst” and “It is finished”. These two remarks indicated that the Passover observance (The Last Supper) is finally done. When Jesus is given the sour wine, it marks the fourth cup of the Passover, the final cup. I would highly recommend reading Dr. Scott Hahn’s book, THE FOURTH CUP – Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross.

Jesus’ death on the cross is at the very heart of our Christian beliefs. We Catholics remember it every time we celebrate mass. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” Quite simply, Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrificial offering, which fulfilled scriptural prophecies and was done in atonement for our sins. The Fifth Mystery is truly one that we should meditate on frequently and celebrate often. Remembering the death of Jesus, on the cross is central to our Catholic belief and something that we should often ponder, especially by attending mass.

I once saw a medical presentation of what the human body has to go through when it is being crucified. Suffice it to say that Jesus suffered so much for us. He persevered through it all even offering forgiveness to those who were persecuting Him. He also thought enough to make sure that His mother, Mary was taken care of and that she would be linked to us as our mother too. Jesus was driven by His mission to set all of us free. He knew that His death (and Resurrection) was needed to allow all of us, as God’s children, to be given the gift of immortal life with Him and the Father.

As I once said before, a protestant friend of mine told me that he did not like to see the corpus of Jesus on a cross, because Jesus had resurrected from the dead. I reminded him that the very ACT of Jesus dying on the cross is what gave us our salvation. He suffered and died for us. We can never forget what He did for us. St. Paul tells us that he preaches Christ crucified. We as Catholics, fully knowing that Jesus rose from the dead, also preach the crucifixion of Jesus. We must never forget that Jesus suffered terribly on a cross, for our salvation.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – How often do I think about the suffering of Jesus on the Cross?

2 – Do I have some form of penance that I do on Friday to remember that Jesus died for me?

3 – Have I learned to persevere in those things that I know I should do?

4 – Am I good at forgiving people who hurt me?

5 – Do I see the Blessed Virgin Mary as my mother?

6 – Do I try to strenthen my relationship with Mary and Jesus and the Church?

7 – Do I truly believe that Jesus offers us the gift of eternal life with Him?

8 – Do I proudly display the Crucifix on my person and in my home?

9 – Do I tell others that Jesus died for all of us and offers us eternal life?

10 – Do I attend mass at least every Sunday (or Saturday evening)?

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary – THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about Jesus carrying the cross. The Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us that Simon of Cyrene was chosen to help Jesus carry the cross. John does not mention Simon. Mark alone tells us that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. This detail would make us think that the early Church knew who Alexander and Rufus were, and indeed later scripture does mention Rufus. Simon was from northern Africa in what is today Libya. You can’t help but to consider that his being selected, out of the blue, made a total change in his life. This experience must have made him become a follower of Jesus. Undoubtedly he brought his children in to the WAY too.

John, in his Gospel, tells us that Jesus carried His own cross, but the witness of the Synoptic writers can’t help us but to consider that Jesus had reached the point of pure exhaustion when carrying His cross and could not do it by himself. The Roman soldiers wanted to do what they were ordered to do; to Crucify Jesus. They knew that He needed help to get to Golgotha and thus they ordered Simon of Cyrene to help Him. One can only imagine what Jesus suffered in this ordeal. Remember that he had been beaten and whipped and thus in great pain. Now He had to carry a heavy large beam that was to be His cross, His instrument of torture. Along with the physical pain, He had to endure the mockery of the crowds. He had to also see His Mother Mary, and his disciples and friends, watching Him suffer so much. It must have been such a long and hard road for Him to travel to Golgotha.

I can’t help but to wonder if His friends and disciples remembered how Jesus had earlier told them how they had to pick up their own cross to follow Him. All of them would be used to seeing the crucifixions that were too often used by the Romans to show their power. They knew that a crucifixion was a very painful sacrifice that led to death. Now they had to watch their own leader, their Jesus, walk to His own crucifixion. Did they think that the same thing might happen to them? Did they know that following Jesus would mean that they had to endure hardship, suffering and perhaps even death? Did they have any idea that this terrible sacrifice and suffering would lead to eternal life?

Jesus himself, in His humanity, must have wondered this too. Did the human side of Jesus know that someday His followers would see the cross as the instrument of their salvation? Did he, and His followers know that they would sign themselves with the cross? Did they know that they would have the cross mounted on their walls of their homes and made in to jewelry to wear around their necks? Soon St. Paul would, be saying, “I PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED, a stumbling block to many but THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD”. To this day, on Good Friday, when we recognize the day when Jesus was crucified, we kiss the cross and say, Behold the Wood of the Cross, on Which was Hung Our Salvation. Truly, this instrument of torture has become the instrument of our salvation.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – Have I really considered how much Jesus suffered for me?

2 – Have I thanked Him for all that He has done for me?

3 – Do I have my own personal cross in my life?

4 – Have I been able to unite my own suffering with the suffering of Jesus?

5 – Do I truly believe that my own cross will lead me to something quite beneficial?

6 – Have I ever been like Simon of Cyrene and helped someone carry their own cross?

7 – Have I ever suffered because of my love of Jesus or for preaching His Good News?

8 – Do I have the cross placed in several prominent places in my home?

9 – Am I ever ashamed to wear a cross?

10 – Do I honor the cross not only on Good Friday, but on every Friday?

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The Third Sorrowful Mystery – THE CROWNING OF THORNS by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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Matthew, Mark and John all tell us of the Crowning of Thorns. They describe how Jesus was put in to a purple cloak (symbolizing Kingship) and had a crown of thorns placed upon His head. They also placed a staff (or reed) in His right hand and knelt before Him saying, “All Hail, King of the Jews” To continue their mockery, the spat upon Him and hit Him upon the head with the staff. They then took off His purple cloak.

None of us want to be mocked, and if we have, we know how difficult it is on us.. Here is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, being mocked by the soldiers. How emotionally difficult that must have been for Jesus. People can be so cruel and the Roman soldiers were known for their cruelty. The mocking must have been so intense. There was also serious physical pain. The pain from the Crown of Thorns pushing in to Jesus, as well as the pain from being hit by the staff must have been terrible.

When I went on a pilgrimage tour of Israel, I vividly remember how our bus driver stopped the bus and the tour guide ran out to bring back a branch of thorn bush that grows there. He said this is what was woven in to a crown and placed upon Jesus head. He passed it around the bus and I was shocked to see how long, hard and sharp the thorns were. He also said that the Roman soldiers did much more than just “place” the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head, the forced it down in to the skin to cause a great deal of pain. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for Jesus. The absolute pain that He endured for us!

It is so very important that we take time, as often as we can, to remember all that Jesus suffered for us. Many of our hymns reflect this. One of my favorites is “See the Destined Day Arise “ originally written by Venantius Fortunatus in 569. Here is one verse:

Who but Christ had dared to drain, steeped in gall, the cup of pain,
And with tender body bear thorns, and nails, and piercing spear?
Slain for us, the water flowed, mingled from your side with blood;
Sign to all attesting eyes of the finished sacrifice.

The sacrifice of Jesus on Good Friday was indeed a sacrifice of great physical and emotional pain. He did it all for us!

Questions to Ponder:

1 – Do I try to always make Jesus my King, and follow Him?

2 – Do I meditate on, and appreciate all the He did for me?

3 – How did I feel when I was mocked?

4 – When I was mocked, was I able to peaceably receive it without lashing out?

5 – Have I made sacrifices to help others?

6 – When I have been in pain, either physically or emotionally, have I joined it to Jesus’ pain?

7 – When I have been in pain, either physically or emotionally, have I offered it for others?

8 – Have I confessed for any times that I mocked others and caused them pain?

9 – In my own sufferings, do I see God at work in and through me?

10 – Take a moment to meditate on the words of St. Maximillian Kolbe: “For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more”.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery – THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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All three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) as well as John’s gospel tell of how Jesus was tortured in one way or another before being crucified, Matthew and Mark and John mention that Jesus was scourged, or flogged. Luke says that He was punished. The mention of the pillar is not in scripture, however, it was common Roman practice to strip a man before crucifixion and to tie him to a pillar and then to whip him. Also, Church tradition not only tells us that he was tied to a pillar, but the Church is in possession of the pillar that Jesus was whipped on. The Roman’s were very good at inflicting pain, and there is no doubt that Jesus suffered greatly here, even to pealing off of his back skin. The scourging was done with a flagrum, which is a leather whip with three or more leather tails that had plumbatae (small metal balls or sheep bones) attached to the end of each tail. These not only inflicted great pain, but also would rip open the skin. Jesus suffered greatly from this scourging.

When the Romans tortured Jesus, they did so in front of the public on the very streets that Jesus walked, teached and healed people. Mel Gibson, in his movie about the PASSION of Jesus, delivers the scourging scene that makes even the most hardened of hearts, cringe from the pain that Jesus suffered. There is no doubt that the pain that Jesus felt during this scourging was immense. On top of that immense physical pain, I can just imagine the emotional pain that Jesus felt. Here were the people that Jesus was dying for, now mocking him. Here were His children, whom He loved so much, giving Him terrible pain. He must have seen his own mother, Mary as well as His disciples gathered around watching Him be scourged. How difficult, emotionally, that must have been on Jesus.

Jesus knew that He was on the way to be crucified and how painful that was going to be. Now He had to suffer the agonizing pain of being scourged. We cannot forget that as painful as the actual crucifixion was, there was so much pain leading up to it. When we think about how Jesus was BOTH, human and divine, we have to realize that THE WORD, the second person of the Holy Trinity bore suffering for us. He suffered so that we could be saved and to show us the oceans of Mercy that He has for us. The Church is so right in asking us to do something special, every Friday (the day of the week that Jesus died) to help us remember His great love for us and the suffering that He endured for us. Before Vatican II we were asked to give up meat on Fridays, every Friday all year long. Vatican II took that obligation away, except for during Lent, BUT asked us to do something on our own to remember Friday as the day that Jesus suffered and died.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – Do I really appreciate all that Jesus did for me to give me His Salvation?

2 – When I have suffered either physically or emotionally, have I asked to unite it to Jesus’ suffering?

3 – Have I attended Stations of the Cross, during Lent?

4 – Do I thank God for all that He has done for me?

5 – Do I do something special every Friday to remember that Jesus suffered and died for me?

6 – Have I thought about the humanity of Jesus, as well as His Divinity?

7 – Do I do anything to help those who suffer throughout the world?

8 – Is there anything that I do that causes people to suffer?

9 – Do I attend mass regularly so as to be able to re-live what Jesus has done for me?

10 – Do I make use of the many resources the Church has, so as to learn more about Jesus?

The First Sorrowful Mystery – THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Agony and Difficulty, Anxiety and Worry, Community, Death and Dying, Forgiveness, Penance and Reconciliation, Prayer, Relationships, Rosary, Scripture, Sin, Spirituality, Trust, , ,

The agony in the garden is found in all three synoptic gospels (Matt 26: 36-46, Mark 14: 32-42 and Luke 22: 39-46 as well as John 18: 1-12). The gospels tell us that Jesus, and His disciples, went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus asked his disciples to sit while He took Peter and James and John with Him to go pray. The gospels also tell us that as He prayed, he became quite distressed and told Peter and James and John to wait and watch as He got up to move and go pray by Himself for a while. We are then told that Jesus fell to the ground and asked the Lord to take this cup away from Him, if possible, but also said that God’s will was to be done. After some prayer, He went back to His disciples, Peter and James and John and found them to be asleep.

Jesus seems to be quite disappointed in their falling asleep and asked Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch, and pray that you may not enter in to temptation; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, Jesus went off to pray by himself. He came back to find the three sleeping again and He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come; The Son of man is betrayed in to the hands of sinners. Rise and let us be going, see, my betrayer is at hand.” At that time Judas came, and sealed his deal with a kiss.

How difficult it must have been for Jesus to know what would be happening to Him the next day. He knew of the horrors of crucifixion and knew that He would have to endure those horrors. Also, how difficult it must have been for Him to see that His closest disciples could not even stay awake to watch with Him and to offer Him comfort. He also had to experience one of His own twelve, Judas, betray Him with a kiss. It was such a difficult night for Jesus. It was pure agony for Him.

When we hear Jesus’ words to Peter, (The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak), we can’t help to think of the many times in our lives that we experienced the same thing. How often were we weak and committed sin? To know that Jesus endured the agony that He did, for our own sins, weighs hard upon us. Jesus, who was so filled with LOVE, had to endure so much SUFFERING and BETRAYAL because of US. Also, to know that He asked the Father to remove this cup from Him, if possible, but desiring to do God’s will, gives us a great example of our prayer for facing hard times. There is nothing wrong with asking to avoid a difficulty, but also to trust that God’s plan is so much better than ours. The agony that Jesus suffered in Gethsemane was so intense, that the scriptures tell us that He actually sweat out drops of blood. Jesus endured all this pain and suffering and agony for us.

Questions to ponder:

1 – Do I truly understand how much Jesus suffered for all of us?

2 – Am I sincerely sorrowful for my sins?

3 – Do I attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) regularly?

4 – Am I truly sorry for the ways that I personally have made Jesus disappointed in me?

5 – Do I truly pray for God’s will to be done, no matter what?

6 – Do I do everything I can to make the spirit stronger to deal with my weak flesh?

7 – When I do endure suffering and agony, do I unite it to Jesus’s suffering and agony?

8 – Am I thankful to God for sending me the friends who do “watch” with me?

9 – Am I a good friend who spends time with my friends in their hours of need?

10 – Do I do whatever I can to overcome my “weak flesh” and sin no more?