tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post4060240840860176877..comments2024-03-05T14:07:28.062-08:00Comments on Ask Sister Mary Martha: Boo!Sister Mary Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580244097177195453noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-13619318334450976362009-02-14T14:29:00.000-08:002009-02-14T14:29:00.000-08:00Well, here lies our problem as professing believer...Well, here lies our problem as professing believers in God and the Lord Jesus Christ: Either we settle on the Bible being on our source for truth, including the topic of death, or another source.<BR/><BR/>Ecclesiastes 9:5 tells us that the dead don't know anything anymore, so it can't be that a living person returned from the dead to tell anything to anyone (just as it couldn't have been Samuel that appeared to rebuke). And we're also told that believers "sleep" in the Lord (Matthew 27:52).<BR/><BR/>The Bible, via Paul who is speaking to other believers, does say that to be absent in the body (dead) is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).<BR/><BR/>As for angels, we are told that angels do appear to us (Hebrews 13:2) and that there are angels (Hebrews 1-13-14) who minister to us.<BR/><BR/>Interestingly, the Bible speaks of the general body of believers as being saints (Acts 9:32, Romans 15:25, Romans 12:13, 1 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Corinthians 9:1).<BR/><BR/>Shall we let the Bible settle it or tradition? :-)<BR/><BR/>Grace and peace to all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-55506293398017426412009-02-12T17:45:00.000-08:002009-02-12T17:45:00.000-08:00TomT adds At Fatima,two children had died. Onewas ...TomT adds<BR/> At Fatima,two children had died. One<BR/>was good, the other girl was not. When the children asked Mary, she told them that the good girl was in heaven and the other would be in Purgatory till the end of time.tip2https://www.blogger.com/profile/06482308437402661026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-27341496173196576872009-02-05T09:55:00.000-08:002009-02-05T09:55:00.000-08:00For the record Lawrence, "Sister Mary Martha" appe...For the record Lawrence, "Sister Mary Martha" appears to have deleted my reply to your post for her own reasons.DaveWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01835113560041006697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-73963209688334810412009-02-04T14:55:00.000-08:002009-02-04T14:55:00.000-08:00Hi Sister,I'm retired Navy (27yrs.) Before I marri...Hi Sister,<BR/>I'm retired Navy (27yrs.) Before I married and returned to the Church I did ALL those things on leave. Please pray for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-59064188494249287642009-02-03T15:02:00.000-08:002009-02-03T15:02:00.000-08:00Sr. Mary Martha,I appreciate your insightful comme...Sr. Mary Martha,<BR/>I appreciate your insightful comments on a wide variety of topics and have given you an award. Come check it out on my blog.<BR/>http://gaudiumveritate.blogspot.com/ashleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16364644767288181348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-10024030674130297322009-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:002009-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00I thought you might like this picture-It was publi...I thought you might like this picture-It was published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette this morning, and shows the Little Sisters of the Poor cheering on the Steelers:<BR/><BR/>http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200902/20090202rd_super03_500.jpg<BR/><BR/>MarthaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-42211381601639087832009-02-02T08:49:00.000-08:002009-02-02T08:49:00.000-08:00After reading the Gospels my human understanding i...After reading the Gospels my human understanding is there is no better sinner or worse sinner....sin is sin. Jesus, Himself, sat with the sinners. He loved them and welcomed them as His children. There was no judging the degree of the sinner as far as my human mind can decipher. He did not accept one over another, in my humble opinion. <BR/><BR/>I worry as a Catholic how we can judge others. A fourteen year old girl or a marine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-66261573880530095332009-02-01T19:03:00.000-08:002009-02-01T19:03:00.000-08:00"Also, I've read that a lot of those Catholic myst..."Also, I've read that a lot of those Catholic mystics' visions were drug induced"<BR/><BR/>Ok, I'm sorry, but this is just absurd---the folks who propose this sort of thing are desperate secularists grasping for any "scientific" explanation for such things. The same people will tell you that Plato and Aristotle were on hashish too. There's absolutely no historical evidence for this thesis. If you don't believe in it, just say "I don't believe that happened."<BR/><BR/>As for apparitions, it's important to keep several things in mind:<BR/>1) Neither angels nor the faithful departed appear to the living of their own volition. If God wants to give a person the grace of an apparition, He can send an angel or the soul from heaven or purgatory. But angels aren't dead people---they're distinct beings.<BR/><BR/>2) Private revelations of this kind (i.e. where the vision doesn't persist or give instructions, etc.) aren't going to be investigated by the Church. Thus, definitively answering "what happened here?" is generally going to be impossible. You don't have to believe that this boy saw angels, or a saint. But you certainly could. There's no way to know for sure.Titushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01905201479928703850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-38286804837742771702009-02-01T15:17:00.000-08:002009-02-01T15:17:00.000-08:00Wow. That is really is wierd but amazing too. My D...Wow. That is really is wierd but amazing too. My Dad was battling cancer for a very, very long time and a few days before he died, he said he saw Jesus. And Jesus said that he was going to take him 'home.' Do you think that he went straight up to Heaven, or do you think he went to purgatory and still there? I watched him suffer for a few years but I guess God thought that he was done. Do you think that he lived his purgatory when he was sleeping with the KEMO or is he still in Purgatory? If you could answer this, I would be happy. You want to know something ironic. He got all of his sacraments in a Church (St. Jude Thaddeus) and he died on the Saints feast day. What's up with that?The Young Artisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11824087140885851403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-14880832607362381362009-01-31T20:46:00.000-08:002009-01-31T20:46:00.000-08:00Oh come on DaveW, get over it! As a graduate of t...Oh come on DaveW, get over it! As a graduate of the Catholic School system in the 1950's I can state there were MANY advantages to the gruff way our Nuns (Sisters of St. Joseph) taught. For one thing, we were able to learn without disruptions in the classroom (no one dared). And we entered the public High School about a year ahead of the public elementary school students. <BR/><BR/>Personally I was only knocked around once by a Nun, and in her eyes I must have deserved it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-5804276420771895852009-01-31T15:22:00.000-08:002009-01-31T15:22:00.000-08:00Sister, I'm sure you've heard about the lady who r...Sister, I'm sure you've heard about the lady who recently had octuplets. Apparently, she already has six other children. As Catholics, what should be our take on all this?<BR/><BR/>MarthaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-45716178391672068902009-01-31T13:19:00.000-08:002009-01-31T13:19:00.000-08:00Frankly, I think unrepentant nuns that revel in th...Frankly, I think unrepentant nuns that <B>revel</B> in their "reputation' for striking, beating and abusing innocent defenseless children <B>with objects</B> - and especially those Nuns that publicly BOAST about their enjoyment of that activity - repeatedly, are going to find themselves a long, LONG <BR/>long way behind the Marines in line to get to heaven. <BR/><BR/>Sister.DaveWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01835113560041006697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-91430408070622917852009-01-31T08:20:00.000-08:002009-01-31T08:20:00.000-08:00Sister...I didn't particularly like the way you an...Sister...I didn't particularly like the way you answered this. I have no problem answering this question honestly and according to the CCC, but, I think she was asking a serious question and I think you poo-poo'd it...or it almost sounded like you were making fun of her. I don't think we can answer for sure what that child saw....it could have been just some strange chemical reaction going on in his body from the injury...who knows. The crack about what the Marines do on leave was just unnecessary.<BR/>Perhaps you woke up on the wrong side of the convent today.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08703752271069054710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-41542486480030882822009-01-30T07:27:00.000-08:002009-01-30T07:27:00.000-08:00The marines I know go home on their leavs and list...The marines I know go home on their leavs and listen to their wives talk about the roof and taking out the garbage. Now as for the 14 year old at Fatima. How do we know what that girl was up to before she died? SheDymphnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01469622835449220113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-84328256636217189322009-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:002009-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00Stroppy ExPat: Try St. Jerome...he had such a har...Stroppy ExPat: Try St. Jerome...he had such a hard time getting along with others that he went to Bethlehem and spent the rest of his life translating the Bible into Latin. I don't think he had any friends....except maybe St. Paula and she didn't bathe.<BR/>Also St. Teresa of Avila...she had a real problem with impatience...even with God....when she fell off her mule she said to Him, "If this is the way You treat Your friends, it is no wonder You have so few of them". Gotta love her!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-17701538574515403042009-01-29T11:09:00.000-08:002009-01-29T11:09:00.000-08:00O, Stroppy Expat, you know who would completely un...O, Stroppy Expat, you know who would completely understand? Therese of Liesieux the little flow, that's who! She was a sweetie in all her actions but she really worked at it because her sister Carmelites could be so very annoying --making little ticky noises in their throats, splashing her with water, interrupting her writing, taking her eraser ..... <BR/><BR/>Best wishes for your continued conversion!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-48316415585508450142009-01-29T09:44:00.000-08:002009-01-29T09:44:00.000-08:00My husband has been a Marine for almost 15 years. ...My husband has been a Marine for almost 15 years. When he is on leave he changes poopy diapers and cooks dinner so that I can have a break! I'm sure hoping that there is a special place in heaven for him.<BR/><BR/>Incidently, I've found that civilians get into more trouble than the young Marines these days. For a lot of Marines, having people like my husband watching over them gives them a parental figure when they would not otherwise have one. <BR/><BR/>But that's just my opinion. And I do love my Marine!Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03825122530791714292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-35793968434864517252009-01-29T08:56:00.000-08:002009-01-29T08:56:00.000-08:00Oh Sister I think you have riled up the marines. P...Oh Sister I think you have riled up the marines. Personally I love the marines no matter what they do on leave. Hi guys!!;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-71789249630867985992009-01-29T01:57:00.000-08:002009-01-29T01:57:00.000-08:00Dear Sister:Another in an infinite series of Saint...Dear Sister:<BR/><BR/>Another in an infinite series of Saints questions from your readers:<BR/><BR/>My besetting sin is that I am an irritable, bad-tempered, impatient person. I desperately want to change and I pray to Jesus constantly to change my heart.<BR/><BR/>I would like also to "recruit" some saints to my prayer group on this issue:<BR/><BR/>Can you recommend some saints who struggled with these sins, or conversely, were the souls of patience with sweet-natures? I need all the help I can get.<BR/><BR/>Thanks in advance!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-41458579549687063192009-01-28T20:48:00.000-08:002009-01-28T20:48:00.000-08:00SMM, I was a U.S. Army Sgt. in 1970-71 and on my l...SMM, I was a U.S. Army Sgt. in 1970-71 and on my leaves, I went home for Mom's home cooking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-45502662108294321252009-01-28T12:22:00.000-08:002009-01-28T12:22:00.000-08:00I've seen "Ghost Whisperer" and I always think tho...I've seen "Ghost Whisperer" and I always think those ghosts shouldn't be hanging around bothering their relatives. When I die I want to see Europe. I didn't get to spend enough time in Rome. <BR/><BR/>Also, I've read that a lot of those Catholic mystics' visions were drug induced. We don't really know exactly what happens when we die, but that boy's story of seeing a lot of people around him is certainly not unusual.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-73506347732967056372009-01-28T08:30:00.000-08:002009-01-28T08:30:00.000-08:00Sister, it kind of seemed like you were saying his...Sister, it kind of seemed like you were saying his dad might have been one of the angels surrounding him. People don't become angels when they die.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-31062513683045356242009-01-28T08:28:00.000-08:002009-01-28T08:28:00.000-08:00So you're telling me that Ebenezer Scrooge rea...So you're telling me that Ebenezer Scrooge really was simply having a reaction to "an undigested bit of undercooked potato?"<BR/>Somehow loses some of the literary arc of the story, but makes a lot shorter read. :>)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15238905633085051322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-39219921552273168632009-01-28T07:55:00.000-08:002009-01-28T07:55:00.000-08:00"I can't think that the Marines, given what they d...<I>"I can't think that the Marines, given what they do when they're on leave, have skated straight to Heaven."</I><BR/><BR/>As a former Marine I find myself wondering what you think Marines do when they're on leave. Perhaps you believe a lot of what you see in the movies sister? Movies produced by people that do not exactly hold our servicemen and women in high esteem? <BR/><BR/>I used to spend a lot of my free time working in the Toys for Tots program, and my leaves were spent almost entirely at home supporting my family as my then 13 year old sister was dying of osteosarcoma.DaveWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01835113560041006697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30512717.post-2430264756042016212009-01-28T07:34:00.000-08:002009-01-28T07:34:00.000-08:00Yes, and let's not forget about St. Augustine's sp...Yes, and let's not forget about St. Augustine's speculation about beer in Heaven. I'm sure on-leave Marines could not be worse than Augustine prior to his conversion, and they would certainly know how to secure any potential beer. Really, saint stories can be much better than any movie. Ancient monks fought idol-worshippers covered in intestines and insects in the African desert. Coptic texts are like every horror film fan's dream.Janellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00383320208405368513noreply@blogger.com