****Real quick want to send a note thanking everyone for the prayers for Joe Hermosillo. I am not at all disappointed in Fr. Michael J. McGivney nor in the incredible response we received from friends, family, and those in the Church Militant world wide.
Between the heavy artillery that is sister praying for us and priests offering the holy mass I am so grateful and moved. I'm sorry I am not better at expressing how very touched I was to see the notes that came back from so many. I thank you and I know Megan and Joe do too. I pray we all one day meet in heaven so I can thank you in person.
Joe is doing very well. The hospital which at time was nothing short of hostile said Joe would need both lungs transplanted at one point, and now he only has to overcome the damage from the tube so he can return home to his family. I think he will be 100% and I owe it to many people; if you are reading this I think you were certainly one of the people I and friends turned to for prayers. I will ask please for one more push to get Joe out of hospital. Thank you.
Also I will ask for prayers for my niece Molly who has brain damage and has been hospitalized since last summer. ***
White Martyrdom. You will not always get to choose how you suffer, though where ever you are in life God has designed a way for you to still get to heaven and it may require great suffering.
Something we have lost as a people is the association between suffering and gain. It's not just a stoic philosophy but a natural law. When you practice running you become a better runner. When you lift heavy things you grow and become able to lift heavier things. It's simple. But also, in spiritual suffering as we teach our will that is it subject to our intellect and through this discipline we also grow stronger. Also often the suffering sent our way is directly related to how God wants us to grow spiritually. We are humbled so we may be humbled.
We all know that St Paul was imprisoned and survived boat crashes and all kinds of things. But we don't hear about the missed meals, the cold driving rains he had to hike through, and we fail to really reflect on the humiliation he suffered when his preaching fell on deaf ears. Yes he was strong, but he was also a human and it stung some I'm sure. Paul had a long walk before he gained his crown. He didn't simply convert and then get to die. He didn't choose Christ (Christ choose him, he accepted) and get to go to heaven. There was a lot of white martyrdom before it turned red.
I would of course love being hung drawn and quartered (a short pain for eternal gain), and to most modern ears this sounds crazy, I know. But what's crazier is that I don't want to suffer the constant white martyrdom. I don't want to take pay cuts and not have vacations and not be able to afford new boots. I want to keep my friends and be polite and not tell someone they are on the road to Hell. I want to keep my mouth shut and not make things tough on my wife and kids. I've said it a number of times, if I could choose a religion I would have lattes and rock bands and none of that 'Christ suffering and bloody on the cross' stuff. Give me Easter and birth control. Give me "it's just business" it's just a "white lie" give me "well I'm certain I'm going to heaven" never mind how contrary I my behavior may seem. Sadly St Paul said this is a marathon, the race -if he demonstrated anything about it- will be grueling and may involve prison. For 23 months (if not 23 years) I have been warning folks, telling them that there's something slouching towards us. It's clearer and clearer everyday, and I am confident that we have suffering coming. Two years ago we were told to choose sides; they are being very clear "no more luke warm souls", choose your team, goats or sheep. And if you choose correctly you will not be guaranteed a red martyrdom but you will get lots of white before this is over.
You were born for this. For all of time, for all that there has been and will be God chose you for now, and He knows what he's doing. You will have to suffer cold and hunger. You will have to not give up cowboy boots but UBI, and healthcare. And worst of all you will be hated for your crazy fringe beliefs. Beliefs like "this is going to get much much worse". Practice it now. There's a woman suffering right now. She can not do what she was made to do, to comfort her suffering and alone loved one. She can not hold that familiar hand and love and protect. If she can suffer this you can suffer practicing the missing of a meal.
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