The Catholic Defender: St. Lucy, Virgin And Martyr

When I was coming home to my Catholic Faith in the late 1970's, one of the early Catholic Martyrs that had such a great impact on me was St. Lucy.

The college environment was in full transition, the culture was beginning to push the progressive movement.

For the progressive movement to catch a foothold in the United States, much of our innocence had to be compromised.

The divorce rate was bordering 50% even by the summer of 1976.  When I was interviewed by my High School newspaper, I told the paper that my favorite band was a group called the Eagles and my favorite singer was Elton John.

At that time I was not strong in faith and I was not aware of the values and morals this actually would support.

Elton John, for example, had not come out of the closet with his homosexual agenda.  I remembered his song "Crocodile Rock" and that was a favorite song of mine at the time.  That was a song that reminded me of the sock hop dances at school.

College life in 1977 would be a different scene.  I am thankful that the Lord spared me of the progressive movement because of my interest in playing baseball.  Instead of experimenting with the party life, I'd be out running 5 miles or in the gym.  I would go to the school dances but most of that was exercise.

It was the fall of 1978 that I began to rediscover perhaps for the first time the importance of my Catholic Faith.  The story of St. Lucy intrigued me greatly because of her courage.

St. Lucy lived in the early 4th century during a massive persecution of the Catholic Church.  She was a very beautiful young woman whom I wondered how she would have lived in our time.

As a young beautiful woman, many men wanted to take her hand in marriage and her Mother wanted to arrange a wedding for St. Lucy.  That never materialized because of St. Lucy's love and commitment to Jesus Christ.  She wanted to be one of Our Lady's maids who are presented before the King (Psalms 45:15).

St. Lucy dedicated her life solely to the Lord.  She would pray at the tomb of St. Agatha and through her intercession, her Mother was cured of a long illness miraculously.

This led to her Mother's conversion to Christ, but that did not stop the suitors seeking St. Lucy's hand in marriage.

The rejected bridegroom accused St. Lucy of being a Christian.  He took his case to the Governor who sent her to a house of prostitution.

The Lord worked wondrous miracles through St. Lucy.  Her guards found her "stiff and heavy as a mountain".  They could not budge her.

While in this house of ill repute, any man who looked upon her lustfully lost their sight.  Can you imagine such a sight? They would receive their sight back upon her intercession. In the above picture, notice the eyes placed in her plate.  This depicts God's grace given her for protection.

The Governor was wanting to save her life because she was so beautiful, but her faith was immoveable.  Can you imagine what it would be like today if men were to treat women like they were ladies?

Many women today are much like those captives "weighed down by sins, led by various desires, always trying to learn but never able to reach a knowledge of the truth".  (2 Timothy 3:6-7)

Because of their rebellion, "God handed them over to degrading passions.  Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another". (Romans 1:26-27)

If I thought it was bad in 1978, going back to college in 2013 is a total shock.  Our holy Catholic Faith is under attack on all fronts around the world.  It is like we have lost all common sense.  We really need St. Lucy today more than ever as a role model.

St. Lucy suffered torture during the terrible reign of Diocletian and is remember today as the Patron Saint of the blind and those with eye trouble.

What courage St. Lucy demonstrated because of her strong faith.  She contended for the Faith with her life as many of the Saints.  Today she is among the great cloud of witnesses who greatly encouraged me at a critical time in my life.

I have stood up for the faith millions of times the past 35 years eventually going to many places in the world.  St. Lucy was a great motivation for me.  I wanted to have that kind of faith.  Her feast day is 13 December.

Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen 

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The Catholic Defender: Jeremiah 29:5

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses to dwell in; plant gardens, and eat their fruits." Jeremiah 29:4-5

This Prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the remaining elders who were exiled to Babylon.

This letter was addressed to the priests, the prophets and all the captives who were exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah writes, "This was after King Jeconiah and the Queen Mother, the courtiers, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans and the skilled workmen had left Jerusalem.  Delivered in Babylon by Elasah, son of Shaphan, and by Germariah, son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, sent to the King of Babylon" Jeremiah 29:1-3

Notice that the King of Judah, King Jeconiah is listed first and then the Queen Mother! The King reigned for only three months but he did what was not pleasing before the Lord.  Most of the Kings of Israel were not faithful which is why they were exiled to Babylon.

What is it that God was wanting to say to the People of God living in exile? To "build houses to dwell in, plant gardens, and eat their fruits.  Take wives and beget sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters.  There you must increase in number, not decrease.  Promote the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you; pray for it to the Lord, for upon its welfare depends your own."

Jeremiah 29:16 has this to say, "Thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on David's throne, and all the people who remain in this city, your brethren who did not go with you into exile; thus says the Lord of hosts: I am sending against them sword, famine and pestilence.  I will make them like rotten figs, too bad to be eaten.  I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, astonishment, ridicule, and reproach to all the nations among which I will banish them.  For they did cot listen to my words, says the Lord, though I kept sending them my servants the prophets, only to have them go unheeded, says the Lord."

When we see the conditions the people of God was having to deal with, this provides us today hope that no matter how difficult things are, God is with us.

Isaiah 51:14 states, "The oppressed shall soon be released; they shall not die and go down into the pit, nor shall they want for bread."

Jesus is the one whom liberates his people through a new and everlasting Covenant.  Isaiah 61:1-3 states, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, To announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God, to comfort all who mourn; To place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem instead of ashes, To give them oil of gladness in place of morning, a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.  They will be called oaks of justice, planted by the Lord to show his glory."

This is a great message for Advent and Christmas because Jesus is the Bread of life.  He is the Savior of the world.  For the exiles Jesus gives the foundation that we stand.  He is our Rock, giving us the Church to set the captives free.

We are living today as exiles, we are pilgrims living in a strange land.  So, as God's people, the Catholic Church, let us build our houses and plant our crops, and eat the produce of the land.  We are not a people who believe in the "gospel" of wealth such as some of our Protestant friends believe, but to be responsible stewards of the earth.

Let us live out our faith in the face of war, famine, and pestilence being a sign for others in troubled times.  Where King Jeconiah was short lived and displeasing to the Lord, Our Lord Jesus Christ is without end and His Queen Mother is our spiritual Mother as well.  What a joy to remember as exiles living in a strange land, to know that the Kingdom of God is in our midst, in every Catholic Church around the world, in the hearts of all the faithful. 

Advent and Christmas reminds us of our ultimate future.  God bless you all.

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The Catholic Defender: The Dan Quinn Story

Tonight, Saturday night, live Deepertruth will host Dan Quinn to the show that will give his story of Faith and family.                     ( http://www.blogtalkradio.com/deeper-truth/2013/12/08/deepertruth-the-dan-quinn-story)

I first met Dan at Gardner Kansas when I was up their visiting family.

Gardner has a dynamic Catholic Parish (Divine Mercy Parish) and I met so many great people of faith there.

Dan has a strong faith and his testimony will inspire many people.

He is a huge Missouri Tiger fan being that he studied at the University of Missouri.  The Tigers have a huge game today with Auburn which should be a great match up.

Dan Quinn is a Catholic Author with a book about the Immaculate Conception on Amazon. 

Currently, it is the top Amazon book about the Immaculate Conception subject.  

He is a strong family man who is very energetic about his faith!


We are celebrating the second Sunday of Advent and that means we are moving closer and closer to Christmas.

So we are definitely getting ready for Christmas.  I will be meeting my Wife, Gigi and family who are stationed in Gardner Kansas so I will be graced to be attending Midnight Mass at Divine Mercy Parish.

I am following a couple of other things today as America remembers 7 December 1941, when America was brutally attacked by Japan.

This attack on Pearl Harbor would be the greatest attack on American soil 72 years ago today. 

More than 2400 American Troops died during this attack and another 1,143 were wounded.

The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that December 7 would be "a date that will live in infamy".  That statement would be very true.

On December 8, (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception) the United States declared War on Japan bringing America into World War II.

Today is also the Feast of St. Ambrose, most remembered for his defense of the Catholic Church against the Roman Emperors who felt they were more privileged than the rank and file laity.  He stood up against tyranny.  He is probably most know for his influence with St. Augustine.  

St. Ambrose was very much like King Hezekiah, who  took out the Pagan idols out of Israel (2 Kings 18:4).  St. Ambrose did much to outlaw Pagan practices.  That is interesting to me because anti-Catholics make the attacks that Catholics brought in Paganism.  That is false.

Today, there is an attack on Christmas from different groups.  From those who do not like Santa Clause such as Representative Michele Marie Bachmann, (one of the few disagreements I have with her) to the Secularists who fight to take Christ out of public life.

In the picture above, I am left to Santa and prepared to help him defend Christmas against those who seek to destroy it.  On this occasion, Santa visited me when I was in Iraq.

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