What If Jesus Showed Up?

I'm a little tired now after giving a Day of Reflection along with a leader from the Diocese of Brooklyn. I  presented to the English speaking laypeople and my friend was the presenter for the Spanish speaking laypeople, who are preparing to become lay leaders in the Church.
I'm still trying to process what happened today. We've given this very similar retreat day for many years to future lay ministers of the Church for the Diocese of Brooklyn. But today was different. I always tell people to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit, to be receptive, at the beginning of the retreat day. We always start with a beautiful bi-lingual prayer service.  The retreat takes place in a diocesan building with a consecrated chapel, I guess the whole building is consecrated.   These are very good people who study hard and commit themselves to prayer and study for the Pastoral Institute program. They work hard for many years, the best of the best, they love the Church, they love God and they inspire us as much as we try to inspire them. And apparently they are very open and receptive to the movement of the Spirit in their lives.
I can't figure out why today was different but it was. It's always a very good experience for the participants and for the presenters.  But today,  a few of the participants said they had very strong feelings and  intuitions of Jesus.  After practicing the Holy Name of Jesus prayer or a guided meditation that we always do,  or while praying in the chapel, they had very vivid experiences of Jesus. I was truly amazed at what they shared.
It seems if you take them at their word and they were very serious and sincere, it appears to me that Jesus "showed up" today at the Day of Reflection.
I better go to sleep and finish processing this tomorrow, because I can't make sense of it right now. It was suppose to be an "ordinary" Day of Reflection" until it wasn't. I guess no day is really "ordinary" when you are a baptized Christian, and open to the Spirit.
NJA

http://brooklynborncatholic.blogspot.com    (Just Quotes)

"What Else Can Be More Important Than Human Lives?"

Nan Jinyan, the sister in law of Yan Ling, who was a passenger of missing Malaysian flight 370, was quoted as saying, "What else can be more important than human lives?" The sanctity of human life. The family members of that flight have suffered so much and until they have closure, the suffering will continue. It is so sad and I, like others are praying for them. Family members are exhausted, disillusioned with all the misinformation and conflicting stories surrounding the mysterious disappearance of this plane and who can blame them. They are going through torment,  something no one should ever have to deal with.
Whatever is ultimately the cause of this catastrophic aviation event, I hope in the future airlines will learn from this........
When I board a plane, I want to be assured that if it's an international flight, everyone has a proper passport. No one should ever be allowed, anywhere in the world, to get on an airplane with a stolen passport, or stolen ID.  That's outrageous in this day and age.
When I board a plane, I want to be assured that there is no cargo on that plane which is highly flammable such as lithium ion batteries. (There is so far no conclusive evidence that this caused a problem on flight 370, but it could have).
It's such a terrible tragedy and the tragedy and the mystery continues. The world watches and waits, but for the family members, their emotional lives are in turmoil and I feel for them.
May God Bless Them and give them closure soon and may this never happen again, may airlines and transportation safety boards learn from this.
NJA

Feeling Compassion For Those Suffering Families of Missing Malaysian Flight

I, like about 3 billion other people in the world are following the mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Flight MH370. People are intrigued by what will turn out to be the most puzzling aviation story of all time. Sadly this incident is historic in aviation history, perhaps even surpassing the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance in 1937 over the Pacific Ocean.   I keep thinking how many of these historic, unprecedented yet sad incidents I have lived through during the many decades I have been alive. I feel so sad and so much compassion for the families of those who are missing on that flight. They must be suffering so much and I think about them and what they are having to endure. Human beings aren't meant to suffer so much anguish. It's just unfair. I especially am saddened by the thought of the children and infants on that plane, and the people who love them.
How anyone can board an airplane, anywhere in the world, in this day and age, with stolen passports is beyond comprehension? Especially when a database exists to track this. That is neglectful.
If it is either a hijacking by someone on board the plane or the pilots who are responsible for this horrific act, which the latest evidence seems to be pointing to, then one can't even fathom such corruption of the human mind and evil intent to plan and carry out such a heinous act.
I always think that God must suffer too, because of the evil in the world and the pain that causes.
I wish God would destroy evil once and for all.
I pray for the people on board that plane that they did not suffer and I pray that the families of those missing will have closure and the plane will be found. I also pray that in the future every country in the world has better security for airplanes, so this atrocity never happens again.
NJA

http://brooklynborncatholic.blogspot.com

Atheists Crossing the Line-Again

Radical atheists once again are crossing the line of decency by filing a lawsuit to have a World War I memorial, the Bladensburg Peace Memorial in Maryland taken down because it is a 40 foot cross.
The cross has historic significance as it honors 49 residents of Prince George's county who died serving their country in World War I.  It was dedicated in 1925.
Apparently one of the plantiffs in the lawsuit gets upset everytime he drives by the memorial because it's a Christian symbol on public property. Give me a break. Veterans are quite upset about the lack of decency and civility that atheists/humanists are showing on this matter. The plantiff should be upset that he is causing controversy and dishonoring the veterans who live in the county and showing disrespect to the fallen soliders and their families.
Town administrator, John Moss said that the Bladensburg Cross has historic and patriotic significance for the county. But apparently that doesn't satisfy radical humanists who just want their way, even if their way hurts and upsets veterans and others. The county should sell the property to private individuals or a veterans group, so that the plantiff in the lawsuit won't have to get upset, once a month when he travels past the memorial.
Such sad nonsense. The Founding Fathers of our country must be "turning over in their graves," or at least upset.
NJA