"Be Exalted, O God"

As we continue to live this week, I offer this version of "Be Exalted, O God":

 

Belated Birthday Blessings, Tamara!!!

Belated birthday greetings to granddaughter Tamara, whose birthday was yesterday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many good people You place in our lives and for the many ways in which You work through them.

Why Darryl Strawberry Got Knocked Off His Throne

At the height of Darryl Strawberry's baseball career, his mother Ruby prayed that God would knock him "off his throne." The reason? Despite establishing himself as a premier home run hitter who won World Series with both the Mets and Yankees, Darryl struggled with addiction, womanizing, and other issues that were creating chaos in his life. Ruby simply wanted her son to be "humbled" and "saved." Though it took many years, Ruby's prayer was answered when Darryl made the decision to surrender his life to Christ and devote himself to preaching God's word. He shares his healing journey in the new memoir Another Life.

Darryl grew up in a challenging environment. Though Ruby was loving and supportive of her five children, her husband Henry was emotionally and physically abusive to all of them to the point that Darryl and his brother were once ready to kill Henry so he would no longer beat their mother. Henry moved out after that incident, and Ruby's resilience became a model for her children.

Darryl's natural baseball talent eventually led him to success with the Mets, with whom he won a drama-filled World Series in 1986. He also found himself living a "worldly lifestyle," which Ruby warned him against. Like many young people, Darryl didn't listen, thinking he could handle it. "There's a price to be paid," he admitted during a Christopher Closeup interview. "But [my mother] kept interceding and praying behind the scenes. . . . I always tell mothers, 'Don't ever stop praying because it's not up to you to do the miracle; it's up to God to do the miracle, and God hears the prayers of the righteous.'"

After Ruby died of cancer at age 55, Darryl and his siblings found their mom's journal, which included her prayer for God to knock Darryl off his throne. In retrospect, he wishes he would have listened to her sooner: "I always tell people: don't wait that long because you're going to cost yourself a lot of headaches if you just wait around and have God stop you. Because He will stop you after you've been prayed over and interceded for."

Darryl credits his wife Tracy with being God's instrument of grace on his road to recovery. Having struggled through addiction herself, she had been off drugs and alcohol for one year when they met at a function for people in recovery. Whereas most attendees hovered over Darryl to get pictures with him because he was famous, Tracy recognized that he was a man who was hurting and struggling. And she was right, since Darryl described himself as still "active in addiction" at that point. "God had sent her to rescue me," Darryl said. "He sent her to come pull me out of places [where I was] using drugs."

Darryl and Tracy broke up while he went to "get clean," then came together again to "get married and live according to [God's] principles.” In addition, she taught him he had to "clean up the mess" that he created. Darryl explained, "She led me back into church. I had to sit for seven years to go through discipleship and be able to learn God's will, God's word, His principles, and walk in faith... . . . Without her and without my mother's prayers, I probably would be dead.. . . . And I think a lot of people need to understand, God always has people out there that's trying to lead you and guide you towards Him. You just have to be able to say, 'yes,' and receive it."

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.

Background information:

The Christophers

Refalection Starter from Fr. William Howard Bishop

"An act of kindness or courtesy is, in the ordinary affairs of life, worth all the inconvenience and delay that it may cause." - Father William Howard Bishop (founder of Glenmary)

Randy Rothwell: "Salvation Belongs To Our God"

As e continue our Sunday celebration, I offer this version of Randy Rothwell presenting "Salvation Belongs To Our God":

 

Respect Life Sunday

Today, Sunday, 4 October, the Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Sunday, a time to remember that, as noted by Deacon Greg Kandra in one of his homilies for this observance, "every life bears the thumbprints of the Creator."

Related offerings:

Priests for Life: Observing Respect Life Sunday

EWTN: Respect Life Sunday

USCCB: Respect Life Month Action Guide

The Deacon's Bench: Homily for Respect Life Sunday: 'Every life bears the thumbprints of the Creator' (5 OCT 19)

Rev. Fr. Mathias MSFA: Homily for Respect Life Sunday | "Be What You Are & Be at its Best"

Belated Birthday Blessings, Brooklynn!!!

Belated birthday greetings to niece Brooklynn, who recently celebrated her birthday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Belated Birthday Blessings, Courtney!!!

Belated birthday greetings to niece Courtney, who recently celebrated her birthday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings You have planned for us during the month of October.

Archbishop Henning on the Legacy of St. Francis of Assisi

"St. Francis stopped at the Church of San Damiano in the fields outside his home city of Assisi, and he prayed before a beautifully painted crucifix. While praying, he heard a voice say, 'Francis, go repair my house, which is falling into ruins.' Looking around himself at the crumbling old church, he imagined that God wanted him to repair the building. He returned to Assisi and sold some materials from his father's cloth business to buy the mortar and stone for the repair of the church. 

"Francis's father was enraged at the sale of the goods, and his anger set off a confrontation and crisis that saw the young Francis renounce worldly goods and begin a journey of radical dependence upon God and devotion to the faith. Francis would come to understand that the call of the Lord was not really about a building at all -- rather the Lord wanted renewal for the Body of Christ. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Archbishop Richard G. Henning reflected on the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi.

To access Archbishop Henning's complete post, please visit:

The Pilot: Echoes: Archbishop Richard G. Henning: 'Francis, rebuild my Church' (2 OCT 26)

Reflection Starter from Pope Leo XIV

"In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce. There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others. Algorithms lack the spark of humanity. For this reason, the Church wishes to renew an alliance with artists and cultural institutions to safeguard our humanity." - Pope Leo XIV