He must increase and I must decrease

First said by John the Baptist but most appropriate for us all, especially during lent. We need to look to Jesus more and more and to ourselves less and less as we travel through lent. This is my prayer for you... follow he who the church remembers in this very special time of prayer, fasting, penance and alms giving. Follow him all through lent until it is Holy Week. Then watch closely as he prepares a way for you, a way to get back home to our Father in heaven. Meditate on what he did, how he suffered and died and then rejoice on Easter for he did this for you...

Ash Wednesday plus 1

Today is the day after Ash Wednesday and I think back on yesterday and I am reminded of a story. A member of my family while at college was a Eucharistic minster and in this duty she also gave out ashes on campus on Ash Wednesday... On one Ash Wednesday when it was late at night on Campus and all the Ash Wednesday services were over and the church closed. Came a student to this relative of mine asking for ashes since they did not go to any of the services. Of course there was no way to do this since the church was closed and the ashes gone... Then this relative of mine did the following, she took her fingers and rubbed them over her forehead where her ashes had been placed and with those ashes on her fingers she shared with this "late" college student and gave them ashes, by sharing hers. Upon this action of sharing and giving to another the grace that was hers, she showed herself to be the true meaning of what lent is. To give of yourselves, to take the grace that is yours and share it, even if it means taking from yourself to give to another..

"Seeing" Jesus

People who know of my "mystical experiences" have asked me what does Jesus look like? My response is usually guarded for they need not know as to how "I see Jesus", they need to know how to recognize Jesus in the everyday, in their own lives. They need to "see" Jesus in the poor, the suffering, the sick, the marginalized, in the neighbor they do not speak to, in the politician they do not like, they need to "see" Jesus in all things and pray for all things....

They also must always remember "Blessed are those who believe and do not see".... Your grace is greater to believe in such a manner then for those who "see Jesus" ...

I can only "echo" to you my experiences of Jesus, experience him yourself in all that is around you, for nothing exists without the power of God behind it...

We are all fellow travelers on this planet in this existence, learning to love, learning to show mercy and compassion... do so in your brothers and sisters and with all creation... We are the "Keepers" of grace, the grace of all life across the board. From the planet itself to all the creatures that inhabit it, to our fellow brothers and sisters. ...

So Blessed are you who can do this and not "see Jesus" for you are the ones who have Jesus in your hearts, not your eyesight... And in your heart is where Jesus seeks to be...

If you want to learn to pray as Jesus did.....

Over the last 20 years or so I have been to many prayer groups and I have read many a "prayer intention" sent to different places.... They all have one thing in common... they are asking for "help" for the person requesting prayer, or a family member, or a friend. Now, although this is good is not the way Jesus prayed or taught. No, Jesus said when you pray go into your room and do not rattle on in prayer (for your father in heaven already knows your needs)...

Here is the distinction between a "Jesus" prayer and the everyday prayer... Jesus prayed for and taught others to pray for their enemies... going on to say "What good is it if you only pray for those you love, don't the non-believers do the same"???....

Yet at every prayer group I attend in the beginning I only hear the "intentions" of others praying for those they love or care about... You want to see real miracles in your life, pray for those who hurt you, those who persecute you, those who you just can't stand!!! Such a prayer is very powerful and heard... and we serve a God that will not be outdone and with such a prayer he will show you amazing mercies in your life. For the measure you hand out is what you will receive.

I have a suggestion for all... do this at the beginning of your prayers.... "Dear God you know my needs even before I do and I leave them into your care, for I love and trust you. I pray now for those who hate me, for those I dislike, for those who hurt me, for those I hurt. I pray for peace and healing, and Father forgive us all for we know not what we do"...

The day after Valentine's Day

Yesterday was the day of "love"... according to Hallmark cards, chocolate producers and florists. A high pressure holiday for those involved in a relationship. Making sure you tell your sweetheart how much they mean to you. I hope you did and not just for one day. And hey if you forgot to tell God I love you, tell it to him now he is always listening to hear that from you. There is no one who can even approach the love God has for each and every one of us, he truly is your sweetheart. So why not tell him today and everyday... He does not need the cards, flowers or even chocolate his delight is having a place in your heart... so "open up your heart and let the Son shine in"....

My "other" Mother

Although today is the anniversary of the death of my mom, it is also the feast day of my "other mother", she being the Virgin Mary. Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. This gracious lady who also happens to be the mother of Our Saviour is also the mother to all of us. She is the one who can help us through anything in life and even through our death, for I know she helped my mom go through hers. What an amazing grace we have all been given by God himself, the gift of his own mother. So on this day I say hi to her and wish her a happy feast day. I ask this "other mother" of mine to pray for all of you today especially those who are sick in any manner and to be with each and everyone of you today and always. To let you know whether your moms are alive or deceased that she (the Virgin Mary) is always with you and you are never without a mother you are not an orphan on this planet. You are a child of God very much loved by him and the mother of his only begotten Son.

My mom, my friend, I miss you

Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. Although I know that we do not really die, only the flesh does and that my mother is in a better place, it does not make the loss of someone any less painful. Death brings saddens to those who remain.Yet on this day I choose to be happy for my mom and look at the time I was given with her. I know that she knew I loved her and I know she loved me. This is why it is so very important to tell those around you how much they mean to you, to say I love you to them, to thank them for their presence in your life. We are not guaranteed time with anyone, so every moment should be precious to us. Disagreements and arguments are part of life do not let them steal time from you though, work through them to get to the solution. So one day when you think of a family member or friend who is gone you can say good-bye, I love you, I will miss you and I am happy for you for you are in a better place and I will see you soon. We all will be reunited one day.. until then we have our memories of those lost... That is why it is so important to make good memories, laugh together now, love together now, share and care with others and then keep all of these things in your heart where they will live forever nothing can remove these things from you not even death... The love you shared with someone who is gone is not dead it is alive in them and always with you here on earth...

Ho-Jo

Got a new nickname from someone... they have taken to calling me Ho-Jo... At first I thought...what?? Why am I being called "Howard Johnson... aka..Ho-Jo".. Did not know why I was somehow representing a franchise of motels and breakfast food to someone... Then this person told me, Ho-Jo stood for Hope and Joy... WOW, that is cool being thought of as being a source of hope and joy to someone. Then I taught wouldn't that be great if I could start franchises like IHOP (International house of pancakes) and be the I-HO-JO... meaning that each and everyone could be Hope and Joy for others throughout the world... Yes that is cool so let this posting be my advertisement for you to "purchase" a I-Ho-Jo... Can I interest you in becoming a franchisee???... Here is all you need to do... take the I (meaning you), take the Ho- meaning hope and then take the Jo- meaning joy...now you take that hope and joy and then you (the I) place it into the world, the cost is free, the rewards a better world for all of us to live in..and we can all reap the profits...

account closed

Recently someone told me their account was closed after telling me that they advised someone to set boundaries and not reach out to another or help them anymore. Wow, I thought in those words and in those actions you just closed your "account with God"... For how grace works is that you are given the measure you give out to others. As soon as you speak the words and tell others to take action not to help another or reach out for them you told it to God and how he is to act towards you.. You close your account to another it is closed to you in heaven. Your treasure is in heaven not here on earth... Jesus speaks of selling or giving away all that you have, he speaks of the widow who gave from her need not her excess. What this tells him is you are willing to give it all and trust in him alone not your bank account or your whatever... Anytime you place a "close" on something in regards to someone else you are limiting God's ability to help you.

We must always remember none of us are self starters if you have it was given to you, you think you worked hard for it? Who gave you the ability to do so? You think you are educated, who gave you the mental capacity to learn and the opportunity to do so? Do you think you are special or made different then he/she who was not given this grace???... No the difference between you and he/she is grace... for in everything.."there but the grace of God go you"...

What a wonderful way to sell a book or story as well telling people that God wants you to set limits... Does he? Did he?.... No he gave it all... up to and including his own life... read the gospels. Jesus told everyone who wanted to follow him sell everything you own and give it to the poor and then follow me... So I hold nothing but sorrow in my heart for this person who tells another or does so themselves, stop helping others or closes their account to those in need... For this poor soul no matter who is their counsel does not know God, does not know grace... You say you know Jesus and love him then take the risk... You empty yourself in any manner for his sake and his people he will fill you.. what you do for the least of his people you do for him...

I do not close the account on you or anyone, my spiritual bank account is open to all for my treasure is in heaven not here... I give to all "grants" not loans... no need to pay back.. it was not mine anyhow, any grace I have is not mine it is God's so it is his to give away... Money is not mine in the literally sense nor the figurative and especially not in the spiritual. It is God's so I have no need to protect it ... only the need to share it...



As I end this posting I say do not worry about your accounts be charitable and that means give without strings or control... control is not giving... There are very few people in the world who give of their need or give without strings or control... these are the people who soar spiritually... so stop worrying about your money or lack thereof.... give to others so it can be given unto you.

thank you Father...thank you Jesus...thank you God

No more needs to be said... please just stop where ever you are and say thank you, God. That is all you need to do... Now go out into the world and show him you are a man/woman of your word and show him that you are thankful... help all his children, all of his creation, do so with love...

A, Ray, through whom the "SON" shines...

What goes on with me... most of the time I do not know... I have given up trying to figure out why or what will happen.. I live in the moment... Not trying to be in any manner flippant here, but realizing there is one in control of all of this and it is not me so why get hung up on it.

When I "really" do this, live in the moment and let go, let God, things work for me, things are shown and given to me. Situations and people come into my life in the most amazing ways.



One such person I met only recently, his name is Ray. I "heard" of Ray for about a month or two before I decided I would like to meet him. Ray is an ordinary man, working class, married with a family. My first encounter with Ray came after speaking with someone who knows him, Ray then being most gracious to allow me to come to his house and meet him personally. Something I might not have done if the situation were reversed, being a very private person. Yet here was this man opening his home and himself to me; me a stranger wanting to hear his story and witness of faith. When first I met Ray, he was most cordial and kind, again I would not have been so. For I questioned him and asked him questions about that, which is personal to him in regards his spiritual experiences. Yet here was this man endlessly kind to this stranger, pressing him to tell me about himself. My response probably would have been back off, you have no right to know me so why are you asking, not Ray, he smiled and answered what I asked him.



Not only was Ray patient and kind with me, he gave me a "tour" of his paintings, statues and such. These "things" being something to see... for you see these things are weeping oil. I held some of these objects in my hands and as I was holding them they dripped oil into my hands. I asked Ray if he ever had the oil analyzed, he did, saying that they came back as being 97% pure olive oil 3% unknown... I mention this for I am aware of other "weepings of oil" that have been declared "miraculous" and they have tested to be olive oil usually with a portion of an oil, "unknown".... In my opinion this is most significant for in Scripture it speaks about the use of olive oil and the church uses this oil as well.

After my first encounter with Ray, I decided I would go to his weekly prayer group, that he has at his home. Each time I have gone ,(three times so far), there are a different group of people present. Some traveling nearly 2 hours to come. These people are varied in their backgrounds, from artists to a doctor. On some level each and everyone of them has been "touched" by Ray, who is clearly "touched" by God. Ray also has "stigmata", although not active all the time. I sit and I pray with these people when I am there, after this Ray goes into a private room and prays with anyone who needs one on one prayer. Ray also has a cell phone in his hands at all times, he takes phone calls from people who are in need of prayer or just a kind word. This man is "on" 24/7 to lift people to God in prayer. I think about Ray and all his doings for others and I am embarrassed, for I do not have the "clean intent" this man does. No I am one of impatience, I am very much a person of personal boundaries and personal space, whereas Ray has dropped all of these things in favor of loving others and being kind.

I have heard Ray speak and his theology is not always correct, nor is his "lifestyle" the customary one the church holds as being "Holy", (but with this I say as an echo of Jesus in Scripture, "who is holy", only our Father in heaven being so), yet I can see where the church would stumble over him. As they have done with me. I make no claim on holiness, I am a sinner in need every moment of salvation. We all are if we think differently we call Jesus a liar for he came to earth to save us... to save us all... There is not one among us without need of salvation. Error is made by anyone or any church that thinks once a person has an encounter with God, they no longer fall into sin or become misguided at times. As long as we are walking in the flesh, we are prone to sin, those touched by God know this, the difference with them is that they also know they can be forgiven and they seek it. So in my typical "verbal style" I say to all, relax know you are a screw up, it is okay we all are, and God knows us all... and he is working with us all.

The last time I spoke with Ray, I said to him and this is truth, the real "miracle of Ray" is not in weeping paintings, statues and such, nor in stigmata, the real miracle is his heart. A heart so big that it fits all who come to him seeking a kind word or a prayer. This is the message that Jesus brought to earth, the signs and wonders were just a "hook" to get the attention of people to look and take notice to see what is happening here. And what is "really" happening with Ray is love, love of God and love of neighbor and this is the "sign, the hook, the miracle" we are all suppose to be bringing into the world and we are all capable of. It is not just Ray's "mission or call" on this planet to do that which he is doing, reaching out to others, it is a call for us all...

This is the day...the Lord has made....

It is a familiar song to many... "this is the day, the Lord has made"... let us rejoice and be glad it in. This is a very special day for me, on this day in 1992, the Lord performed a "public miracle" for his people. Here is what happened....



In 1987 my mom died and I was heart broken to say the very least, I was in so much pain, that I decided to go to church. I did not go into a church to pray, I went into a church to complain to God and tell him how mean he was to have done such an awful and cruel thing as to take my mother away from me, when I needed her so much. I remember this day well I went to this church and I yelled and yelled at God, really ripped into him. You name the word I said it, mostly four letter words... that is when I could speak through the tears that were falling. I remember the pain in my chest for truly my heart was breaking at the thought I would never see my mom again, never hear her voice, never be able to tell her face to face I love you... Just thinking now about those times is hard...

I found at the end of this session in church, (my ripping into God, session), made me feel better. The Next day the pain and sadness started again for me so I went back to the same church I was in the day before and "ripped into God", once again.... This time I stayed a little longer then the day before and my anger though great was not as intense, a strange peace seemed to want to enter into my heart. Yet at this time I did not want this peace ,I wanted to live in my sorrow and pain, this was the address of my residence now. It was a dark place to dwell, a place of loss and despair. Nothing in the world looked the same, I would look at others and think do you not know the world has changed forever, these thoughts only made me more angry with this "God", that I never knew, yet heard about throughout my life. ... Here I will be frank and honest in an attempt to help others who are struggling with God...



At this time I thought of the Virgin Mary and I even "ripped into her"... with the following, you are his mother, you could have raised him better as not to hurt people, don't you know that he hurts people and they do not understand why?



End the second day of complaining in church... the next day repeated itself in church, as did the next day, and the next, until it was weeks... each time something was happening to me. The darkness and sadness within started to dissipate. Like early morning fog or mist it just started to lift. I still went to this church everyday, but I found I was no longer ranting and raving against God, I was just sitting there quietly, no thought... just sitting there. Soon I started to take notice of others in this church and I would watch them. Some would pull out rosary beads, some would read from prayer books, some just sit there. These people became very fascinating to me, I did not know how to pray the rosary, I did not have any prayer books at this time, nor was I so inclined at this time to pray to a God that took my mother. So I just sat there and watched these people, I do remember thinking what are they getting out of their efforts here. Soon I found myself staying longer and longer at this church, even staying and watching Masses being said.

Then I started to stay after the Masses, when every one had left the church to go home I stayed, and just sat there, I do not know why or even how I did this, (I am hyper so to say and cannot sit still for long, I have to be doing something, yet I found myself sitting now for hours at a time within this church)... Just sitting there, nothing happening, no one there just "me"... I started to look around the church, noticed the stained glass windows, they depicted events within the rosary, events in the life of Jesus Christ. I then started to think to myself who was this guy, who was this woman. He was just one single man, yet how he changed history, human history as well as the belief system of so many.



These thoughts of who was/is this guy became so strong within me I started to "investigate", I did so through the least complicated way, or at least this was my thought, I would do so through his mother. Being a mother, myself, I knew who really knows a child, a mother. So I thought this "guy" is to big to know on my own, let me try to find out through his mother. So I purchased books, about who the Virgin Mary was and I purchased a book on how to say the rosary. I also purchased rosary beads and started to say the rosary. No big deal saying the rosary in the beginning, kind of boring actually, yet I was driven to continued to pray. I also thought of her a lot. To be honest I thought to myself on a human level, okay I just lost my mother so I am doing a transference here, I am placing my human need for a mother on this woman called the Virgin Mary to fill the void left by the death of my mother. I do think on a psychological level this was true and I actually think that is what is suppose to be done with her. We need to approach God as I did then, with the Virgin Mary on a psychological level as well as a spiritual level. For it is within the "man", that is the residence the ego and therein is the "free will" given us and God is all about free will, hoping we will choose him and always choose love.



It is not that I never had "extraordinary experiences" in the past prior to the death of my mom, I did many events happen. I chalked these extraordinary events throughout life as just being, "flukes", "strange coincidences", no real value or meaning to them. Examples would be, having a near death experience at age 18, I was in a car accident, arrived at the ER no blood pressure and in a coma, I did see a dead relative and he spoke to me. I having health professionals in my family chalked this event up to my brain firing off synapses, deciding if it was to live or die.

Then there was the "outside voice" I was awoken from a deep sleep prior to my mom's death, by someone calling my name, I got up looked to see if someone was in the house, no one there. I tried to fall asleep again and once again someone called my name, it terrified me I stayed up the rest of the night... this I chalked up to just having a stressful day and my mind was working overtime... there were many , many other events that have happened in the past that I have written about... Then my mother had a massive stroke, and she was kept "alive" by machines of all sorts, for nine days. Her mother and her brother both died of strokes and she would tell me if this ever happened to her, do not allow anyone to keep her alive artificially, she did not want to live like that, that she wanted to be allowed to die. When this did happen to my mom, I could not tell a doctor to "unplug her", yet there was a family member who happens to be a medical doctor who did tell the hospital this. Since it was a Catholic Hospital, there was an "Ethics Committee" that decided what was to be done next, and what was decided was to try and "wean" my mom off her ventilator to see if she could reestablish breathing on her own. I knew the day before when this was going to happen. On that day I did think of the Virgin Mary, I do not know why but I did, and on this day I went into my mother's hospital room, as I did everyday since she was admitted. This time though I brought with me a dozen white roses and placed them on the night stand beside my mom's bed and I said to the Virgin Mary, "these roses are for you and my mom, if she is going to die, please allow me have some kind of memory of the both of you"...

I left the hospital that evening knowing the next day could be the last my mother has on this earth... I must have been in shock for although I knew this it was surreal to think about.

The next day after taking my kids to school and my checking in on my father (who at the time was in another hospital seriously ill) ... I just stood in my home and thought here I am one parent in a hospital clinically dead, yet kept alive and the other parent in another hospital with an unknown disease at risk of death as well... Then the phone rang, it was the hospital my mother had died, when they tried to wean her off the ventilator she past away. As fate would have it I could not find anyone else in the family. So I told the hospital to hold my mom's body in her room I would be right there I needed to see her, so they did.



I do not remember the drive to the hospital, I just remember standing outside the door of my mom's hospital room, it was closed and I knew behind that door lay my mother no longer alive. I opened the door and there she was, she just looked asleep. The tears started, I went up to her and held her hand, it was warm and I thought they made a mistake her hand is warm she cannot be dead., then I touched her leg and it was cold. At that moment the veil of sorrow fell, the curtain closed upon the life that I knew with her. Never before was I without her, she was always there, how can this be. Then I looked at the night stand where the night before I had left the dozen white roses and I saw they they were perfectly dried, not fresh looking anymore but as if someone had taken them and preserved them forever... much like one perseveres flowers from a special event in life, so you can have them forever as a memory of this event that you never want to forget. I thought, here is my mom and I will never forget her and who ever did that with the roses I will never forget them either, (from that day forward, when I see white roses, I know my two moms are there)... The Virgin Mary granted the request I asked the day before, "if my mother was to die, let me remember both of you in a special way, she did so with the roses but also with the day my mom died on, she died on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes... This may seem strange to some, Our Lady of Lourdes, in France is suppose to be the place where people are healed, and on this day when my mother died, it was just that, a place of healing. For the ultimate healing for us all is death, we may be cured along the way in this life of one illness or another, but we will all one day die and this is our ultimate healing. At that moment we are healed of our separation from God, we are brought home and at home we will never again be afflicted with any disease or illness, so this is the ultimate healing.

Back to my time in church, after my mom's death, even when someone is "prepared" for a death, the event shakes you to the core. The thoughts of regret and angry boil to the surface, it is a matter that is so final and out of your control you cannot help but be at a loss on many levels. You search, you look for the whys and they are never to be found within human reason, as to why we are born, why we die, what is the point. This level of stress within is normal, is to be expected; where one places it is a matter of grace. I have learned with grace and the knowledge of a higher power (God) you can get through anything, things that human reason does not allow you to get through are gotten through in faith.

My time in Church after the death of my mother became a focal point of my day to day existence, I started to look forward to this time in prayer in church as a means of relief. The time in prayer became longer and longer. I found the longer time I prayed the "more time" I had, a paradox to say the least. I became more productive in that, which I needed to do in the world, things "went" better for me. As if some "invisible" force was thanking me on some level, saying "I will not be outdone, your efforts in prayer are not unnoticed, and I will not be outdone"...

Then the "light phenomena" started I would "see" light around the Tabernacle in church. At first it glowed Golden a rich gold. Then at Mass, when I would stay I would see the hands of the priest, glow white when he was consecrating the host. When a priest read from the Bible they would look "golden" to me, for lack of better words they had an aura around them of gold.

Then when I said the rosary, the mysteries became like a movie to me, I would "see" the mysteries and sometimes I was "there" watching them. Then I started to see the Virgin Mary as well... at this point I contacted a priest and someone in the family who was a psychiatrist, both did not feel that this was a mental disorder but something that they could not explain, I was advised by the priest to keep journals of these events which I did and still have, dating back to 1990.

The months past until people started to "notice" that I was spending a lot of time in prayer and they would start to ask me to pray for them, soon people started to ask to pray with me. Then a prayer group started, every morning after Mass a group of people would pray with me. We would pray 15 decades of the rosary every day in addition to the Divine Mercy Chaplet, this was done for nearly a year. Until one day a woman brought into the church a statue of the Virgin Mary, and Our Lady of Fatima Statue, I asked her to place the statue near the Tabernacle in an effort to keep the focus of prayer on Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In a further effort to keep every ones attention on the Tabernacle, I asked that Jesus truly present in the Eucharist extend his hand and bless the statue.... then that miracle happened... and today is the anniversary of this miracle done in 1992... this miracle was written about in newspapers, was on TV stations and on the radio... I remember being in the grocery store one day and seeing the "miracle" on the cover of a Weekly World News type of paper, said papers usually reserved for the rich and famous was now featuring this event, on the cover was also Princess Diana, it was a surreal moment for me. The entire event was and is. This event was also written about in two books.... with this I will end the writing of this posting not saying what happened preferring to let you, know that God is real he hears your prayer, he cares and loves you.... And on this day I say thank you, Jesus for showing me that you are really here, and I thank you for hearing my prayer...

Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh....

Yesterday was the day the Magi gave gifts to the new born king he being Jesus Christ. For those who do not know January 6 is the feast day of the three kings. In many countries outside the United States this is the day of gift giving not December 25Th. This is the day that Christ was revealed to the common folk so to say, even though the common folk happened to be Kings. Yet I would like to take the tale of the the three kings down a different road.

The three Kings followed a star, they charted a "birth chart" so to say on the King of the Jews due to be born. In today's day and age these three kings would have been called "new agers" for they practiced astrology. They were also skilled in astronomy. I am making this point about "new agers" for several reasons. Over the last year I have heard many a derogatory comments about "new agers" or anything that looks "new age" as being evil. Usually coming from "good God fearing Christians", they feeling the need to tell me to beware new age stuff that these people are evil... Interestingly one of these comments came from someone who went to a workshop done by a priest, whose ministry is to clear up past sins that came down to you through your blood line, your relatives... What ever that priest calls his ministry that is a Hindu philosophy and also a Hunna/Hawaiian philosophy, that you are carrying Karmen that needs to be cleaned up. This person who is so down on new agers ,I believe was practicing just that, with this retreat that cost $90 for the day. If you are called to a faith practice do that, which is yours and do not criticise someone else, especially when that, which you criticise you are doing. There is no Karma to be released as a Catholic there is just sin, released in the confessional. Yet we judge.... also there were the signs this past Christmas season plastered on cars stating ... keep your Happy Holidays out of my Merry Christmas... with that I say ... do you think that is a Christian thing to do??? If as a Christian you feel you have the fullness of Revelation, the fullness of truth should you not then practice it... this fullness being love, that is the truth Christ brought to earth... love so great that he died for it... Also the word Holiday mean Holy-Day. I think that his birth is a holy day don't you. Or how about Hanukkah that falls around the time of Christmas, do you forget Jesus was a Jew, do you not want to wish them a Happy Holiday? In doing so you wish Jesus' people thus.

So as people, all humanity, but especially as Christians lets us give a gift to Jesus better then gold, frankincense and myrrh... let us give him unity and stop pointing fingers at others and telling them they are wrong, stop shoving in their faces your believes. Try showing them you live your belief instead, they will know you are a Christan by your love... reference that in the Bible...

This is one of the things I really like about the apparitions in Yugoslavia... there the Blessed Mother once told one of the visionaries when asked who is the Holiest man in the area, she responded that it was a Muslim... She going on to say that the divisions among men and religion was not God made but man made... So make God happy try to restore that, which mankind took away from him, love one another this year and do not judge anyone whoever they are. And instead of plastering your car with signs and poster, plaster yourselves with the love of God for your fellow man. Now that is a sign that people will stop and read and take notice of, they may even want to be one of those signs themselves if they see it on you. That is a sign of love and humility, not of division and judgement.