“...bear witness to your faith through the digital world!” ~ Pope Benedict XVI

BEARING WITNESS TO THE FAITH THROUGH THE DIGITAL WORLD

 

VATICAN CITY, 20 MAY 2009 (VIS) - At the end of his general audience, celebrated this morning in St. Peter's Square, the Pope made a brief appeal for World Communications Day, due to be held on Sunday 24 May.

 

Speaking English, the Holy Father recalled how in his Message for the Day this year "I am inviting all those who make use of the new technologies of communication, especially the young, to utilise them in a positive way and to realise the great potential of these means to build up bonds of friendship and solidarity that can contribute to a better world.

 

"The new technologies", he added, "have brought about fundamental shifts in the ways in which news and information are disseminated and in how people communicate and relate to each other. I wish to encourage all those who access cyberspace to be careful to maintain and promote a culture of respect, dialogue and authentic friendship where the values of truth, harmony and understanding can flourish.

 

"Young people in particular, I appeal to you: bear witness to your faith through the digital world! Employ these new technologies to make the Gospel known, so that the Good News of God's infinite love for all people, will resound in new ways across our increasingly technological world!"

AG/NEW TECHNOLOGIES/...                    VIS 090520 (230)

Healing Power of Jesus - Rest in Peace brother Delbert...

About three years ago, a man from my Parish approached me and asked me to pray for him, as he was suffering from Cancer.  I did not recognize Delbert at that time, but would grow to know and love him very much.

Without hesitation, I asked him to step in front of the High Altar of our Church, in front of the Tabernacle, containing the Blessed Sacrament.  I laid my hands on Delbert's head and prayed to the Lord our God to please continue to Bless and Heal Delbert of his affliction.

Several weeks later Delbert came up to me and shook my hand and hugged me and said "thank you Brother Richard for praying for me, I feel so much better and the Cancer levels are slowly decreasing in my body...thank you so much for your prayers."  Delbert would continue to do this for many many weeks later and for years to come.  It really made me feel uncomfortable at first, because I would always tell him, "Don't thank me, Thank God", but I learned humility in this interaction with my brother.  To be able to accept someones thanks, not because I had healed him, but in my saying "Yes" to the Holy Spirit, I allowed God to use me to bring Healing to someone, for the Greater Glory of God and not my own.  I thank our Blessed Mother Mary, who showed us ALL the way to say "Yes" to God when He wants to use us for His Blessings.

I would always tell Delbert, "you are more than welcome for my prayers brother and I thank you for your prayers for my wife and I."  My prayer on that day was for God to Heal Delbert and just as in the case of the Blind Man, God Healed Him as well, giving him site.  Now Delbert continued to live a wonderful life, and loved his family deeply, but then about two weeks ago, he was afflicted once again.  My wife and I had not been able to get over to see him, but we knew that Delbert was still smiling and praising God in the midst of his affliction, because that was the kind of Spirit Delbert had.  

Well, today about 11:30 am, God answered our prayers and Healed Delbert.  God called Delbert home today, and only 30 minutes prior to my wife and I walking in the front door of his house to pay him a visit.  His family was in the house gathered together and they were prepared as much as any family could be, to be able to let go of their loved one, allowing God's natural course of bringing us all Home, to happen.  Jesus gave site to the blind man, according to his Faith and the man was immediately healed, just the same as Jesus gave Healing to Delbert to be able to enjoy the last years of his life, and to accept his plight without malice, anger or bitterness.  Delbert, like the Blind man, continued to Praise God for His Healing power.

I thank you Jesus for your Healing Power and I thank you for allowing me to see Your face in Delbert Beard.  I pray that You would open WIDE the Gates of Heaven to receive your good and faithful servant.  May You allow Delbert to be a blessing to those of us who knew him and were not able to know him, use him Lord as an instrument of Your Healing Power for others.

God bless you my Brother (in Christ) Delbert and I pray we will see each other again soon, in the Kingdom of Heaven.  "Hail Mary, full of Grace, Blessed are you among women and Blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners...now and at the hour of our death... amen, Amen and let the Church say.... AMEN!

We love you Delbert Beard.  Rest in Peace.

Richard & Donna Lane

www.CatholicEvangelist.net 

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"Fair minded words..."

The words President Obama used to describe the divisions of the issue of Abortion between Pro-Lifers and Pro-Choice were those of, let us use "fair minded words", to describe our divisions of policy.

POLICY?!?!  POLICY?!?!?  You (Mr. President) are describing the right to LIVE of a Human Being, an unborn child as "Policy"?  This is such an abomination that is so unfathomable and incomprehensible I cannot understand.  A debate that will continue to go on throughout the course of humanity our President continued on to say, but this 'debate' will end when the time comes for EVERYONE to be held accountable for their actions and in actions as well.  A time will come when we are all going to have to give account to our Creator as to why we did not stand up for the least, and most voiceless of all human beings; our unborn children.

To continue on in this idiotic tyrad of speaking about how 'we will use ethical modern science' for research on healing of illnesses the plague our society, is such a laughing matter in my mind, it is ridiculous.  The ONLY reason 'they' are behind research is for MONEY and personal glorification.

How can we continue to stand in the way of God, and sacrifice our unborn babies, the future of not only this Country, but the future of all humanity.  To see this abomination happen at Our Lady's University is a true sacrilege to what we truly believe in... "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness for ALL people...", even the unborn!

God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

Jesus, Mary & Joseph... PRAY FOR US!

Evangelist Richard Lane

www.CatholicEvangelist.net 

“Still He Walked…”

For those who have not seen this…

"Still He Walked"

He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify"...
He could hear the hatred in their voices,
These were his chosen people.
He loved them,
And they were going to crucify him.
He was beaten, bleeding and weakened...
His heart was broken,
But still He walked.

He could see the crowd as he came from the palace.
He knew each of the faces so well.
He had created them.
He knew every smile, every laugh, and every shed tear,
But now they were contorted with rage and anger
His heart broke,
But still He walked.

Was he scared? You and I would have been
So his humanness would have mandated that he was.
He felt alone.
His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him.
He searched the crowd for a loving face and he saw very few.
Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered
And he knew that he would never be alone.
He looked back at the crowd...
At the people who were spitting at him
Throwing rocks at him and mocking him
And he knew that because of him,
They would never be alone.
So for them, He walked..

The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd.
The sounds of his cries echoed even louder,
The cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet were nailed to the cross,
Intensified with each blow.
Loudest of all was the still small voice
Inside his Heart that whispered "I am with you, my son",
And God's heart broke.
He had let His son walk.

Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering,
But instead He asked God to forgive.
Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him.
As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death,
He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd,
But also, the face of every person yet to be,
And his heart filled with love.
As his body was dying, his heart was alive.
Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us.
That is why He walked.

When I forget how much My God loves me ...I remember his walk.
When I wonder if I can be forgiven ...I remember his walk..
When I need to be reminded of how to live like Christ ...I think of his walk.
And to show him how much I love him, ...I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him,
.......And I walk. 

"The One Who Ate My Food Raised His Heel Against Me"

Many of you know that my wife and I do a lot of work not only for and in the Catholic Church, but we especially enjoy our Ecumenical work with our Protestant Brothers and Sisters in Christ, so that being said, I would ask their understanding during this Blog as I vent a little frustration to my fellow Catholics.

Yesterday I was surfing through YouTube and ran across a video of my own Parish, St. Alphonsus Liguori "Rock" Church here in St. Louis. The video was taken toward the end of one of our Masses a few years ago and it showed only for a few minutes at the end of Mass, how we celebrate in our Worship Style, in Song (Lively), clapping, as well as some 'movement' for lack of a better word.

In the comment section under the video, I read so many hurtful words and comments made by my 'fellow Catholics' around the Country who stated that "This is not right... this is not 'Catholic'... they are Protestants masquerading as Catholic and if they want to be Protestant, then they should just do it...". The most hurtful of them all was "I heard this Church burned down, I am sure God was upset and showed His wrath against them.... they should not be doing this (singing lively songs, 'moving' the way they do, clapping) it is a sacrilege."

It is so sad to see so many sanctimonious, holier than thou people in this world and they even call themselves 'Catholic' and they OBVIOUSLY have no clue what the word Catholic means in the first place, nor do they understand our Liturgical Celebration of Worship, and then they want to demean, demoralize, criticize and tear down a People of God. My question to you (all of you who say the SAME THINGS - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) "Who died and made YOU Pope, a Doctor of the Church, an Expert on Canon Law...let alone... who made YOU GOD, by placing judgment upon a People you are not familiar with nor with their struggles?"

In the readings for today's Mass around the World, in St. John's Gospel in the 13th Chapter , Jesus foretold of things to come, and warned them that He was going to tell them about things before they even happened. Jesus said, "The one who ate My food has raised his heel against me." Jesus had just finished washing the feet of the disciples, and He said to them, I have given you a model to follow. The Creator and Savior of the World, humbled Himself, to wash the feet of those He came to serve, and yet He knew someone was going to betray Him, even someone who just broke bread with Him.

How can we continue to serve each other, love another and even begin to UNDERSTAND another, when we tear each other down so quickly... THAT my brothers and sisters is the SACRILEGE in not loving one another.

Christ humbled Himself to death, Death on a Cross...for ALL of us; Black, White, Latino, Asian, Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Atheist, and everyone who was created in His Image and likeness. Before we begin to 'raise our heel toward each other, let us look at our OWN person and our OWN lives FIRST and realize that we are ALL SINNERS, and we ALL fall short of God's Grace and Mercy (Romans 3:23), ESPECIALLY YOU...the one's who POINT the fingers! For it is through His Grace and Mercy, we are ALL saved by Faith. When you have gone through what 'WE' have gone through for over 480 years, then and ONLY then will you begin to understand the TRUE MEANING of Psalm 150... "PRAISE HIM with SONG and DANCE, TIMBREL and HARP, PRAISE HIM WITH CLASHING SYMBOLS...", for 'we' have suffered for so long to be able to eat of the Bread of Life, and it is TRULY a Liturgical "CELEBRATION" of life and of His Life!

Mr./Mrs. Sanctimonious Catholic, how long has YOUR Parish been in existence? Ours has stood the test of time for over 140 years, and is STILL STANDING!

We were not burned down...WE GOT FIRED UP!

Let us ALL love one another the way Christ Loved us! Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever more...amen, Amen and LET THE CHURCH SAY... AMEN!!!

Peace be with you.

Evangelist Richard Lane

http://www.catholicevangelist.net/

Riding the Wave...

While on my Spiritual Retreat today (Playing Golf) with a dear brother in Christ, we shared the Gospel with each other. We talked about the different blessings we had each experienced through our respective Ministries, in serving the Body of Christ around the Country and the Globe.

While we were turning onto the back nine, (I mean the second half of our 'Retreat'), he shared a wonderful vision with me; "Christ was on a surf board and He met me in the middle of the ocean while I was on mine. He said, 'Do you want to have some fun?' Of course I answered 'yes Sir'. Jesus then said, ' Do you see that big wave coming at us...let's go for it.' So Jesus and I paddled toward the huge wave coming. Jesus told me, 'you need to make sure you are IN the Current, which will carry you.' We reached the wave and rode it out for several minutes. 'Wasn't that fun Jesus asked?' I replied, 'it was Glorious'. Jesus then asked, 'do you know what the lesson in that was?' I asked Him, 'Please, Teacher, teach me.' "The waters represent your life; the current represents your direction in life. If you are not in the current of the Holy Spirit, you will drown. If you are in idle waters, you are doing nothing. Once you see the Wave of the Holy Spirit, you need to continue to ride that Wave and ENJOY IT for as long as it lasts. Once the Wave is over...', Jesus continued, 'you are to wait patiently, in the current for the next Wave.'

I really see a lot of our lives such as this story that was related. We tend to spend much time in idle waters, doing nothing, or doing things that are none productive, and we are afraid of the currents, because we do not know where they might lead us. If we follow the current, while we are 'In the Spirit', when then are prepared for the Large Wave the comes, and when it does, we RIDE it for as long as it lasts. We must continue to give God the Glory and thanks for the blessings we have received during the ride, and then wait patiently for the next Wave, not complaining, or trying to make our OWN waves, because then the storms will come.

Be patient, Ride the Wave and enjoy it, give Him thanks and Praise, then wait patiently for the next Wave. Oh, and while you are patiently waiting...invite a friend along for the ride; they will love it as well. Remember, Jesus sent His Disciples out two by two.

God bless you and remember... SURF'S UP DUDE! Let's RIDE!!!

Keep on KEEPIN' ON!

Evangelist Richard Lane

www.CatholicEvangelist.net

Through the Storms...

My wife and I drove from St. Louis to Ball Play, Alabama last Thursday for my Family Reunion (see previous blog) and as we were driving, as soon as we set out on our journey pre-dawn Thursday morning, it was raining Cats and Dogs.  The rain and mist coming from the tires of trucks and passing cars was so bad at times, there were several periods of what seemed to be minutes, where I was driving completely blind.

I commented to my wife as we neared the end of

 our 8 hour drive back home today that in my over 30 years of driving, I had never taken a trip where during the drive of 15 hours it rained for more than 13 of the 15 hours.

Reflecting on the trip this evening made me really realize just how much that reminded me of life's journeys for us.  Many lives go through many many storms, and some are driving completely blind and hoping there is road ahead, only to find an abrupt ending of nothing, a wall, a closed bridge, a closed door and it seems as if their whole world has crashed upon them, and their own lives are virtually snuffed out as if they had no life preserver, no seat belt on and no air bag for protection.  (Quick thought...how did we survive this long, especially 30 years ago we had no air bags in cars...something to make you go....Hmmmm.)

Our Protection, Life Preserver was and always will be, Jesus Christ.  Prior to us leaving we said a prayer asking for God's protection upon us, not knowing the storms that were ahead of us, but WE kept driving THROUGH the STORMS - TOGETHER, with Jesus as our Guide.

Brothers and Sisters in this modern world and time, it seems as if the Storm continues to rage more and more each day, as the economy struggles to recover, the worlds largest and oldest companies are going bankrupt and now we are scrambling in fear of a new virus the world has never seen and has no cure for.  The winds of violence are blowing our worlds about like a Hot Wheels Car on the Talladega Speed Way; the Rain of uncertainty violently pushes us to the point where we need to pull off the road and wait for the Storm to pass over.  

If we continue to press on through the Storms of our lives, if we continue to seek the Lord FIRST everyday, and have Him with us, then He will guide us through the Storms and we will see the Sun through the Clouds and the Rays of the S.O.N. will shine down upon us.  For it is THROUGH Him, we see the light in the midst of the Storm; for WITH Him, He will guide us through the Storm; and if we are IN Him, we shall fear NO EVIL, because HE Comforts, Protects and Saves.

Brothers and Sisters, KEEP ON KEEPIN on through the Storms, like Donna and I did on this road trip, because no matter how hard it may be, the SUN and the SON are at our final destination....waiting with open arms for us.  We MUST continue to PRESS on...in the Name of Jesus... amen, Amen and let the Church say... AMEN!

Evangelist Richard Lane

www.CatholicEvangelist.net 

Decoration Day 2009

The First Saturday before the First Sunday in every May is a family Tradition called "Decoration Day". My mother Mary O. Cowser-Alexander is one of 10 children, who were all raised in a little town (understatement) outside Gadsden, Alabama, called Ball Play.

I asked my mother yesterday how did that name come about and she stated that my Great Grandfather was part Cherokee Indian and they came to Ball Play many years ago and they loved to 'play ball', hence the profound utterance of this very well thought out named town.

Our family can trace our roots back to a grave yard which is across the road from the main house where my mothers oldest brother raised his Children (my first cousins, of whom some were my mothers age and a little younger). My Grand mother and Grand father are burried here. My Great Grand mother and Great Great Grand mother and Grand father are burried here. We can trace our roots back, at this particular grave (family) plot, over 170 years. God willing, this will be where myself and my wife are laid to rest when our time comes, and YES our spots are marked!

Family from from all over the United States to Ball Play and fellowship and rekindle familie ties that have been severed over many years and with our family, you only need mention ONE PERSONS name, whom ever it may be, and YOU ARE IN!

The day begins at about 11am on Saturday morning with a Church Service at the family Church, New Bethel United Methodist Church, directly adjacent to the cemetary. Many men of God have preached at this Church and MANY of our family have had their funerals in this Church. My earliest recollection is the funeral of my Grand-father, Hurley Cowser, who was burried in this Church in 1973 (I was 8 years old) and I refused to go inside because I was scared. Another Uncle of mine, Rev. W.D. Cowser was the Pastor at this Church for many years, and he himself was laid to rest from this Church, and it was a true honor for me to be so Blessed to be able to Preach the Service this morning and what a GLORIOUS TIME was had by the over 300 friends and family members in attendance. It took ever ounce of Courage and blessing from the Holy Spirit to keep me from crying such great Tears of Joy, to be able to be in the position of Blessing my own Family with what God has blessed me with.

Many of you already know that I am the only Black Catholic Lay Evangelist in full time ministry in the United States, and as a Convert to Catholicism, I have heard horror stories of so many who have converted and their families have deserted and left them, called them idolators, etc., but I am such a Bless young man, to have not only the support of my Gift from God, my Wife, but my beautiful Daughter as well as my ENTIRE FAMILY! What a blessing from God...He is TRULY so GOOD!

Yes, I know, I treasure my entire family, the functional and especially the dysfunctional members as well, because we are not only related by blood, but more importantly, we are brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus - TOTALLY COMMITTED.... TO YOU JESUS!!!

Cowser Clan, Glovers, Adams', I love you with all my heart and will continue to keep you all in my daily prayers!!!

All the Time, God is GOOD!!!

Catholic Evangelist Richard L. (Cowser) Lane

www.CatholicEvangelist.net