They get what they deserve...

They get what they deserve...

Recently, I was privileged to attend the 32^nd Annual Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministry, in Orlando, Florida. It brought new ideas to light about the lives of the incarcerated. Over the three days of the convocation sponsored by the Society of Saint Vincent DePaul, I learned first hand from the volunteers, the families, the clergy and the formerly incarcerated.

I learned about the lack of rehabilitation, the lousy food, forced labor, loneliness, desperation and the permanent scars of incarceration. I found often times because of the way our laws are written, people can be labeled for a major crime when in fact they simply made a mistake in judgment at the wrong time and at the wrong place.

St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, Queens, NY

Our pastor at my church has been involved in prison ministry for many years and his interest is beginning to influence the members of our parish. My natural curiosity has led me to find out more about it, as one of the things Jesus asked us to do is to visit those in prison. Jesus was teaching the parables of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents, and then he began to talk about his second coming. In Matthew 25: 35-46 we read:

Jesus is teaching: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’

 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Many people have no problem feeding the poor. Many people have no problem caring for the sick. Many people give clothing and money for the poor to clothe and house them. But why is it so hard to visit those in prison?

This is one of the things Jesus taught to the multitudes, it was one of the things the Apostles and Paul taught in Hebrews 13: 3  Paul wrote: 

Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body.

The Apostles were imprisoned many times, and many were convicted and killed. On one occasion Peter was in prison, Acts 12:5 : Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.

Not all people in prison are despicable. Not all are murderers and pedophiles and rapists. Would it be easier if they were all thieves? Or frauds? Or prostitutes? Would you be able to visit them and offer them comfort and prayer or bring them communion?

          One of the first stories I heard was of a man whose father was a serial killer. Travis S. Vining was a victim as a child and as an adult, by a murderer who used his own son, and threatened him to keep him quiet when he thought his son may turn him in to the authorities. The child of a murderer, who buried memories to allow himself to live in a fantasy of normalcy. A man, who lived in pain, suffered bodily, because of suppressed memories and feelings, all because his father was a sociopathic serial killer. Travis’ discovery of faith and the Divine Mercy gave him strength and courage to reach out for help. He learned to forgive his father despite his continued fear of him, and began a ministry for the forgotten victims of major crimes, the families of the criminal, who suffer from unforgiveness, that website is: www.Victorythroughpeace.com. 

          We sometimes forget that the family of the victim is not the only family that needs comfort. The prisoners themselves often are tortured with guilt and we should be able to forgive them and have compassion for them. At the very least, we should pray for their immortal souls and for healing of their minds and hearts.The convocation was three days and there were multiple topics of which I cannot include in just one post, so I will concentrate on for aspect at a time. Today, I want to conclude with this suggestion: Pray for the imprisoned. No matter what their crimes, prayer can bring them peace and healing. Of course, not all people can be healed, and not all will repent their crimes, much like Travis’s father who sits on death row in Florida today. But our duty is to serve our Lord Jesus by following His instructions and His example of how to live for Him and with Him. 

 

         Now, before you rush out and head for the nearest jail, let me warn you that you should first seek guidance from someone in the ministry. The jail personnel will be watching you for professionalism and grace under fire. The prisoners will be watching you to see if you are what you claim to be and a miss-step in the jail can make you lose credibility with prisoners and the prison staff. Be prepared, study, and go with someone experienced.

Onward Christian Soldiers! 

Blessings,  

The Catholic Lady©

Love Sunday

Love Sunday

Last Sunday, April 28th, the fifth Sunday of Easter, is what we sometimes call "Love Sunday". Why, do you ask? Because that is the Sunday the Liturgy readings are on our Greatest Commandment, to love one another. 

Some call it the Eleventh Commandment; some call it the Greatest Commandment, Gospel Reading: John 13:31-33a, 34-35

 When Judas had left them, Jesus said,

“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once.

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. 

I give you a new commandment: love one another. 

As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.

This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Some might argue that Jesus didn't give a new commandment because of other talks in the Gospels like Matthew 22:36-40 where the scribes were testing his knowledge of the Law.

36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

37 He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all

your soul, and with all your mind.

38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.

39 The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

The two commandments were from two different parts of the Law. The first was given at Mt. Sinai to Moses on the stones, Exodus 20:2-3 and the second is recorded in Leviticus 19:18, 34, as Moses' teachings and explanations of the Ten Commandments. Some say that because it was recorded to "Love thy neighbor as thyself" in Leviticus it was part of the original Ten Commandments. But look at what Jesus said in the Gospel of John a bit closer and perhaps you will see a difference.

Jesus washes the feet of Peter

Jesus says to "love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another"!

How did Jesus love his disciple's? He called them to him; He humbled Himself to them as a servant; He died in total disgrace for them, (and us). He showed them to have compassion for children, women, cripples, lepers, sinners and prisoners. He taught them the real meaning of God's commandments, not the bogged down, great weight it had become for the Israelites.

It begs you to ask the question, how great is true love for another human?

To love a complete stranger may sound like Bazarro World, but that is what the "world" wants us to believe. As members of Christ's Mystical Body on earth, we are part of Him and He is part of us, and as He loved, we should love. 

We, let's use caps here, WE, must have compassion for children, women, cripples, prisoners, sinners and the sick and infirm. We must feed the five thousand, with the Word which was made Flesh. The fishes and loaves are now our alms and service, to be given to nourish our brothers and sisters in need. It doesn't have to be with just money and food; it can be with a visit to the hospitalized, the incarcerated, and the infirm left in nursing homes by their children. It can be with a Blog, or social network, a Bible study in your home or church, a CD talk that you pass on to someone because it may give them hope or inspiration.

Join the Club today

There are as many ways to love our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, as there are ways to make a sandwich, literally thousands of ways. Jesus just wants us to LOVE!

Can you love others as yourself? Do you need love? Do you crave meaning in your life?

Christ is calling you; we are calling you, to come to Jesus. If you need help finding answers to these and other questions, feel free to email or message me and I'll point you to someone close to you. Or pull out that smart phone and tell it to find the nearest Catholic Church. We'll leave the light on for you.

Blessings and Love,

The Catholic Lady©