Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Gerard Serafin's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, April 13th, 2003
5:04 pm	Decided to let this Live Journal rest in peace. I will focus on my own webpage and Blog - enough to keep me as busy as I wish to be. God bless all who have visited this LJ and say a prayer for me as I remember you too in my intercessions. A blessed Easter/Pascha to all! Home Page: http://praiseofglory.com Blog: http://blogforlovers.blogspot.com "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 10th, 2003
7:05 pm	AVE CRUX SPES UNICA! When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the cross of Christ my God: all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. - Isaac Watts, 1707 This hymn (Charles Wesley reportedly said he would have given up all his own hymns to have written this one) has been a significant part of this year's Lenten discipline for me - I have sung it often in the two most beautiful melodies used traditionally (thankfully no one but ONION hears me!). If there is such a thing as "inspiration" it seems to me this hymn is "inspired" and that it goes to the very heart of things. Ave Crux spes unica! (Comment on this)
Monday, April 7th, 2003
10:17 am	From the Word of the LORD for today Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 8, 1-11 But early in the morning Jesus arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." Saint Augustine's incomparable commentary on this jewel of gospels: Relicta sunt duo: miseria et misericordia. "And there remained but two: Misery and Mercy." (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 29th, 2003
10:21 am	From the Word of the LORD for today Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18, 9-14 He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity - greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Two went up into the Temple to pray. Two went to pray ? O rather say One went to brag, th' other to pray. One stands up close, and treads on high, Where th' other dares not lend his eye. One nearer to God's altar trod, The other to the altar's God. - Richard Crashaw (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 25th, 2003
4:08 pm	The Annunciation of the LORD Salvation to all that will is nigh, That All, which always is all everywhere, Which cannot sin, and yet all sins must bear, Which cannot die, yet cannot choose but die, Lo, faithful Virgin, yields himself to lie In prison, in thy womb; and though he there Can take no sin, nor thou give, yet he will wear Taken from thence, flesh, which death’s force may try. Ere by the spheres time was created, thou Wast in his mind, who is thy Son, and Brother, Whom thou conceiv’st, conceiv’d; yea thou art now Thy Maker’s maker, and thy Father’s mother, Thou hast light in dark; and shutst in little room, Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb. - John Donne (Comment on this)
Sunday, March 23rd, 2003
10:13 am	The Lion of Judah Today's gospel (Roman Rite) begins with this scene: "Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, 'Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace'." This powerful scene reminds me of the words of Dorothy Sayers: "We have declawed the Lion of Judah and turned Him into a fitting household pet for blue-haired ladies and pale-faced curates." Christ Pantocrator: The LORD "For I know your works: and you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were either hot or cold. But because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Rev 3:15-16) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 19th, 2003
5:31 pm	Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary Saint Joseph emerged over the centuries as one of the most popular of saints, since he was so intimately linked with the Lord Jesus himself as his foster father and the husband of Mary, his Mother. Some like Teresa of Avila fostered an intense devotion to Saint Joseph. He was dearly loved by Dorothy Day, who put her financial needs in his care (and she always got enough!). As a child I was taught by the Sisters of Saint Joseph (Brentwood, Long Island) and Saint Joseph's Feast was a day we had no school (following quickly the other free day for Saint Patrick's). We sang lovely hymns that I still sing to myself (and I miss hymns like this with its tender devotion and expressions of emotion and speaking to the saints as if they really were our friends): Dear guardian of Mary, fond guide of her child; Life's ways are full weary, the desert is wild; Bleak sands are all round us, no home can we see; Sweet spouse of our Lady, we lean upon thee. For thou to the pilgrim art father and guide, And Jesus and Mary felt safe at thy side. Ah, blessed Saint Joseph! how safe should I be, Sweet spouse of our Lady, if thou wert with me! O blessed Saint Joseph! how great was thy worth; The one chosen shadow of God upon earth; The father of Jesus - ah! then, wilt thou be, Sweet spouse of our Lady, a father to me? Joseph is the just man, the silent one, the sturdy "rock" of the Holy Family. He is, too, the patron of the Universal Church. A blessed Feast of Saint Joseph to all. A blessed Name Day to all the Josephs among us! And isn't it on Saint Joseph's Day that the swallows return to Capistrano - at the beautiful Mission of San Juan Capistrano? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 18th, 2003
10:14 am	Hope Springs Eternal Ah, yes, the hope of Spring comes - as it always has since I can remember (and, of course, for thousands and thousands of generations before me). My door is open, I hear the chirping and song of the birds, I smell the fresh air and it just feels good. And new and not without some element of surprise (despite seeing it every year). What a brilliant pattern the Creator engraved in creation! (And how marvelously it is deepened and given its meaning and fulfilled in the Paschal Mystery of the LORD). It is Lent still and it is a time for purification and for repentance and for fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. But nice to have the promise already begin to break through like the bulbs in the garden now. May God give to each of us, regardless of our situation within or without, the hope that springs eternal through the Holy Spirit. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 16th, 2003
7:09 pm	Thanks be to God! Two years ago today, very sick, I went to the Emergency Room of Saint Agnes Hospital - and did not come home until August 14th, 2001. Five long, shaky, touch and go, months. How sick I was, how weakened, how close to death! Several months after many setbacks and serious surgeries, a doctor came and said "you're finally out of the woods" (I didn't know than just how deep in the woods I really was). And rehabilitation and recovery began and still continue today. I am filled with gratitude that God has seen fit to extend my life and that my life is good again. Filled with gratitude that I am what one of my doctors called "a save." There have been set-backs, but mostly I feel quite good, and my condition, while I am still and will be "disabled", is stable and I have no pain, thankfully (being a wimp when pain is involved). There have been a few wrenches thrown into the works these past years - only one serious and (almost) devastating. But there have been numerous blessings and suprising unfoldings as well. To think I have lived for yet another Lent (I need its repentance!) and another Spring (I need its hope!). How I look forward to just sitting outside with my beloved ONION for yet another season. How grateful I am for the prayers and support of so many wonderful people! How grateful I am to God for the mercies that are never exhausted, never spent, but new each morning. O my God: thank you, thank you, thank you. (Comment on this)
Friday, March 14th, 2003
6:38 pm	Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam (Ps 51:1) Have mercy on me, God, according to thy great mercy. (The opening plate of Georges Rouault's great Christological masterpiece in 58 plates). (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 12th, 2003
5:48 pm	Lenten Prayer My crucified Jesus, I confess You to be the true Son of God and my Savior. I adore and thank You for the death You did suffer for me. My dear Redeemer, if I have [until now] done nothing but offend You, I am now sorry for it above all things, and I desire nothing but to love You. You have promised to hear those who pray to You; by the merits of Your Passion, I ask You to give me Your holy love. Ah, draw my heart entirely to Yourself, that from this day forward I may love You with all my strength, and may love none other but You; and so may I one day come to love You for all eternity in paradise. - Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, March 10th, 2003
5:03 pm	Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me..... (Jesus at the Last Judgment: gospel of the Mass for March 10 in Roman Rite). (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, March 7th, 2003
7:53 am	Friday after Ash Wednesday AN UPSIDE DOWN STATIONS OF THE CROSS Jesus is Pontius Pilate to You Our Lord daily offers you the choice of innocence or guilt, God’s will or the selfish will. You can choose your creator, or you can exalt yourself. Which will it be? You have ample evidence that sin is destructive. Won’t you remind yourself in the face of the most alluring of temptations that heaven is better? That our Lord created you for Himself? Jesus is the Cross to You Our Lord said His yoke is easy, His burden light, but following Him can sometimes seem unbearable. You might cry out in anguish, begging Him to reveal His expectations of you, asking for relief from the trials of your life. Yet He may seem only to provide more pain. It is difficult to remember that from the crucible of suffering comes the greatest good if we are aligned with Him. Jesus is Your First Fall Our Lord often appears as a stumbling block to inward eyes. If it weren’t for His harsh commandments, we would be free – the noble savages of Jean Jacques Rousseau, able to pursue a natural world of goodness. But we are called not to nature, but to ultimately transcend the natural and become like God. Even though you stumble and are foolish to the scions of this world, you will triumph. As you fall in Christ, collapsing within His grace, the greatest freedom will be yours. Jesus is Your Mother Truly, although our Lord provided a most blessed Mother to you in His most beautiful of handmaids, He Himself is always and everywhere all that is good to you. He nurtures you and feeds you with His own Body. He sends His peace and each breath that you sigh. He dries your sorrowful tears and takes you to His heart. He, in the great Triune mystery of God, is your family. In Him are you born. In Him are you sheltered. In Jesus, your Lord, your God, your All. Jesus is Your Simon of Cyrene With each drop of blood, whether actual or figurative, on your own walk of Calvary, our Lord is there to help you persevere. He carries your most onerous scourges on this walk of life, blessing each grunt and every step taken to Him. No burden is too heavy for His merciful care, and no weight too little. Never apologize for seeking His aid. Jesus is Veronica to You Jesus is always your advocate. He cares not what the crowd thinks of you. He is not persuaded by public opinion. He will wipe your soul and keep you clean while the mud is slung in persecution of your faithfulness to Him. In the end, His judgment is the only one that counts. Do you believe this? Do you act accordingly? Will you accept the tender ministration of a Lord who loves You? Jesus is Your Second Fall He permits your fall because it can lead you to Him. O happy fault that leads to so great a Redeemer! As you lie in the dust of your sins, Jesus offers the grace of humility to become like Him, the servant of all, superior to none. The taste of dust is not pleasant, but it tames the insistent demands for the best, the highest regard, the nicest position, the most convenient course, the gourmet scents of hell. Jesus Mourns for You How often do you break His heart? How often do you make your own heart sacred and ignore His? With every sin, every substitution of your own will for His, He mourns because it means you are leaving Him. We humans have far more than fifty ways to leave our Lover. Each way hurts more than the last. Even wounded He waits for you, so that He can kiss you and heal your wounds and seal you in His embrace forever. He calls you Beloved! Jesus is Your Third Fall Jesus is your dead end. When you are most desolate, most dejected, most bereft, you have no other place to go but the Lord if you want love. You are deluding yourself if you believe anyone could care more. It is only our Lord who knows you better than you know yourself. He is the wall you meet when you are at your wit’s end. In this confrontation with Him you can see truly who you are and what your life must be – a glorification of Him. Jesus Strips You Jesus is the kindest gardener. He snips and prunes and sometimes seems to tear into you like a machete. You might cringe, but remember that while some flowers shrink from the sun, they cannot grow without its light. What you think of as misfortune, injustice, mistreatment, may only be the best fertilizer you can receive. Sometimes fertilizer stings, but your merciful Lord brings good out of pain and wants you to grow in beauty. What He strips from you is dross hiding your beauty. Jesus Nails You You play games. You hide from Him, make desperate or half-hearted bargains with Him. You hope He doesn’t catch you, but He nails you every time. His vision penetrates the depths of your soul. He knows your most anguished fear, your most pervasive frailty. Constantly exposed to Him in all your pettiness, all your infidelity to Him, all your pridefulness, He loves you and considers you precious. He delights in you, and you are His pearl of great price. Jesus is Your Death Jesus is the gate of death through which you move into eternal life. Jesus has neutralized all the terrors attached to death and removed its finality in your nightmares. In Him even death cannot conquer joy. Through death He says to you: "Come, you blessed of my Father, and possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning!" Jesus is Your Removal from the Cross Jesus takes you from all the agony of the world and raises you to His heart. He releases you from anger, bitterness, the desire for more and more acquisitions, the pain of discouragement, the wrenching knowledge of your own inadequacy. Once a prisoner, you are now free! You will know the endless joy of love without bounds, extricated from your self-imposed tethers. Jesus is Your Tomb One definition of tomb is "last resting place." Jesus is this for you if you dare accept the gift of everlasting love and peace within the heart of the Almighty. To be forever in Him, never separated from Him, always sharing in His majesty is His offer. He made you to be as He is – radiant, pure, crystalline in brilliance. Do you accept His invitation to bask in His divinity? He wants, with greatest fervor, to crown you with His glory. Do you say Amen? (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 6th, 2003
5:09 pm	Thursday after Ash Wednesday Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 21-25. He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose his own soul? O my God, when will I be able to really say "no" to myself and my own drives and preferences and my own plans and hopes? I can seemingly say "no" as long as I can make some sense of it, see how it can be turned to good, when the deprivation or disruption seems like it will bring a blessing down the line, etc. etc. But when it seems like I really will be diminished and my own "quality" of life (even regarding the "spiritual" life) will suffer, I resist and do not "take up my cross" daily. I lose myself, at times, in a hundred distractions and won't sit still and be in your presence, knowing perhaps that if I am "face to face" I must surrender and give myself totally and without reserve. I fear "lest having you, I might have nought besides." (Francis Thompson, The Hound of Heaven). O my God, O my dearest Father, I am yours regardless - do with me as you will! Your Will be done! Amen. Amen. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 5th, 2003
11:22 am	ASH WEDNESDAY O my God: let me REALLY remember that I am dust and unto dust I shall return. And let me hope that someday I will be "immortal diamond, immortal diamond" (Gerard Manley Hopkins). Let me be united with Christ in the desert and in the glory of the resurrection. Per crucem ad asteras! Bless Lent for me and for all of us! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 7th, 2003
8:38 am	CLOSING DOWN FOR A WHILE: HOPE TO REOPEN THIS LJ FOR LENT. GOD BLESS ALL RICHLY! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 5th, 2003
5:52 pm	Let faith be the star that guides me to Christ in the darkness of my mind, in the darkness of this world, to Christ who enlightens and opens up the way to your inaccessible light. Let faith sustain me with or without feelings or emotions, with or without "happiness" or desparation. Let faith bring me both peace and joy in the Holy Spirit and bring these blessings to those I love and those whose lives I have touched and have touched mine. Blessings, O Christ of the Star, on all my most gracious and generous benefactors. Bless this house of yours and let me welcome all guests as if they were Christ Himself. I ask much and more than I am capable of. Give your good Spirit to aid me in my weakness. Our Lady, mother of beautiful love, pray for me, pray for us! (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 4th, 2003
7:38 pm	Christ of Bethlehem, Christ of Calvary: let me rejoice in your birth and in taking our flesh and dwelling among us; let me to ready, more and more, to love even to the point of suffering and death. To eternal life with you and the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen (Comment on this)
Friday, January 3rd, 2003
7:44 pm	Today: The Holy Name O Jesus, be to me JESUS! (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 2nd, 2003
6:57 pm	O my God: let me remember that what I am in your sight is what I am: that and nothing more or nothing less. Let me recall this when I read negative words about myself; when I realize that some think little of me and may even despise me. I know, dearest Father, that I am very loved as well and this is a great comfort - and quite humbling too. I realize, though, that things are said by some who do not really know me at all, and who do not seem to understand very much or care very much..... and I hope I do not do this with others, but fear I do. Have mercy on me! What you see, O Truth, is what I am. Let me rest in that knowledge and ask forgiveness and give thanks. Amen. (Comment on this)