Two Uplifitng Stories

http://www.thegrotto.org/index.php/liturgies/st-peregrine-devotions-the-cancer-saint/

St. Peregrine, The Cancer Saint

St. Peregrine

Patron saint of victims of cancer, AIDS,
and other life-threatening diseases.

St. Peregrine Mass is celebrated at The Grotto on the first Saturday of each month at 12 Noon in the Chapel of Mary.

The Story of St. Peregrine
Peregrine labored for years as a brother in the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites). At age 60 he was diagnosed with cancer of the leg brought on by many years of disciplined prayer while standing, resulting in varicose veins which became ulcerous. On the night before the scheduled amputation of his leg, Peregrine dragged himself to the foot of the cross in the community chapter room and fell into a deep trance-like sleep. Upon waking, he discovered that his leg was completely cured.

Because of the miracle wrought by prayer, the Church canonized him in 1726. He is the patron of those battling cancer and other diseases, including AIDS. His Feast Day is May 4. Here he is depicted in mosaic tiles set in natural stone. In his honor, at The Grotto we have a St. Peregrine ministry for those who suffer from cancer, AIDS, or any life-threatening illness.

The lesson of Peregrine’s life is not only that God worked a miracle, but that a faithful, trustful servant placed himself, unconditionally, in the hands of our Lord. Peregrine’s trust in God can be a model for us in dealing with the pain, sickness and crosses of our lives.

and

http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/christian.htm

A Christian Speaks of Wicca and Witchcraft
by James Clement Taylor

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I am a Christian and not a Wiccan. A Christian is one who has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who has made a personal, free-will decision to commit himself and all his or her life to our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Both of these things are true of me. I am a member of St. Mary's Eastern Orthodox Church, Calhan, Colorado. In this paper, I am not speaking as agent for any church, but I am, entirely on my own responsibility, speaking the truth in love, as we Christians are supposed to do.

A Situation of Strife and Shame:

There are many Christians today who believe that anyone who is not a Christian is doomed to an eternity of suffering in hell. Any decent person, believing this, would be compelled to try to save as many people from this fate as possible. But is this belief correct? Jesus Christ, having noted the faith and righteousness of a Roman centurion, a Pagan, proclaimed:

"Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:10-12)

If we accept these words as true, and surely we should, then it is clear that heaven will contain many who are not Christians, and hell will contain many who are! Clearly, throughout the Gospels, Jesus Christ sets forth the criteria for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and those criteria include love, kindness, forgiveness, and a refusal to judge others:

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)

"For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:2)

"But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'" (Matthew 9:13)

"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:36-38)

Is it not clear? Anyone who fails in these things, will calling himself a Christian save him? Anyone who obeys God in these things, will being unbaptized condemn him? Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

Yet it is not by good works that we earn our way into heaven, because there is no way we can earn the free gift of God's mercy and grace, which alone can save us. But it is clear that it is not by faith, in the sense of sharing the Christian faith, that we are saved, either. The faith which saves us is not faith in the goodness of our works, nor faith that we have the right theology and/or belong to the right church. Rather, it is faith in God, and in His mercy:

"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy." (Romans 9:16)

But the Wiccans, you will say, do not have faith in God. Yet by their own theology, they certainly do. Those who call them Satan-worshippers are entirely wrong. They do not worship Satan, or even believe that Satan exists. Instead, they worship a Goddess and a God whom they understand as manifestations of a higher and unknown Deity.

Now if you are a Christian, this will sound familiar to you, and it should. In the Bible we find the following:

"Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, `Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you" (Acts 17:22-23)

The Wiccans worship the Unknown God, as manifested to them in the form of a Goddess and a God. Therefore, our Bible tells us they worship the same God we do; and if they do not know this, we should know it!

For those of us who are unable to simply stand on God's Word, and must prove to themselves the truth of what it proclaims the holy Apostle John has given us the method for doing this. You have only to attend any public Wiccan ceremony, and test the spirits which are there, to see "whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). You will find that, while the power manifested there may be less than what you have experienced as a Christian, that power is clearly the power of God.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these people of Wicca have been terribly slandered by us. They have lost jobs, and homes, and places of business because we have assured others that they worship Satan, which they do not. We have persecuted them, and God will hold us accountable for this, you may be sure, for He has said, "Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:40)

Let us, from this point onward, repent of our misdeeds and declare that henceforth we shall obey Christ our God, and not judge others or condemn them, so that He will not have to judge and condemn us for our sins.

Happy Earth Day!

Today we raise our voices to inspire others as we stand up for the land, the creatures, and the places we hold dear. Today we raise awareness of the importance of adopting a conscious way of living and the importance of being mindful, every day in very simple ways, to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle knowing that the responsibility is ours alone and that each and every one of us can make a huge impact on our environment.
Together we have the power. Together we can preserve this planet, protect the environment and the well-being of future generations. This world is a beautiful place. Let’s work together to keep it that way.

House Blessing

"Herbal potion, cauldron brew,

now be charged with magick true.

With intent I speak this charm,

all be blessed and none be harmed.

Ever minding the law of three,

This is my will, so mote it be..."

To prepare your home and yourself for the onset of spring or to cleanse a new home of the residual energy left by the previous owner, begin by first cleaning house the conventional way. Then for enhanced energy, add an herbal infusion to your washwater.

Just make a strong decoction of the herb of your choice and add to your floor washing water. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of herb per cup of cold water. Bring the mixture gently to a boil. Keeping covered, simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add the decoction to your wash water and clean.

Here are some that have worked well for me:

Use these for blessing:

Chamomile: For calmness, meditation, and prosperity

Loosestrife: harmony, peace and accord.

Rosemary: blessing, protection and love.

Tansy: love and happiness.

Use these for protection:

Burdock: purifies and protects

Fennel: deflects negative energies.

Hyssop: for protection, cleansing and removal of negative forces.

Marigold (calendula): Use to ward against negative threats.

Mullein: This herb is wonderful for uncrossing, deflection and return to sender.

Pennyroyal: Use to repel unwanted guests and ward off negative energy. (Also wards off gnats & mosquitoes and repels ticks.)

Rue: Works two ways: First a rue infused wash will get rid of malevolent energy and it second it will return hexes to the sender.

Betony: To banish nightmares and bad thoughts.

Damiana: Protection of property.

Use these for prosperity:

Allspice: Prosperity and energy.

Basil: To draw wealth. Basil can also be used to draw love and creativity.

Bergamot: For successful ventures.

Cinnamon: Success

Coriander: Good health and wealth

Use these to attract love:

Catnip: works to draw love and increase relaxation.

Lemon Balm: success and love.

Lilac: Beauty and love

Marjoram: works for love, protection and wealth

While Rose is the flower of love, Thyme, Vertivert and Yarrow work across the board.

When you’re ready,wash down all the surfaces, visualizing all unwanted things being washed away. Meditate on the mental detritus you need to clean out as well.

To purify a space use sea salt:

Salt is a purifier. Use sea salt to cleanse and banish any negative energy that may cling to an object, person, or area. Sprinkle salt around a room to put yourself and others at ease. Or asperge with sesalt/water mixture. Aspersing means sprinkling with liquid in order to effect spiritual and magical cleansing. This is an ancient rite, just like burning incense. Aspersing rituals direct the elemental power of Water.

You may want to try smudging your home or workspace with sage to clear out the old energy. For centuries smudging, the burning of aromatic herbs has been a common practice for purifying objects and locations. Smudging will clear a room or area of any old or stagnant energy.

Smudging is also a wonderful way to purify a space. To smudge a room, simply walk around the room wafting smoke into each corner. Sage and sweet grass are popular smudging herbs used for cleansing, balance and purification. Smudging calls positive energy into a space while removing negative energy. It is the spiritual equivalents to bathing. This is a great way to clear depression, stress or the energy where an illness occurred. You can also use this method when moving into a new home to clear the energy of a previous resident.

When you have finished cleaning ask the blessings of your deity on your home and all who dwell within it.