Consideration #1

The great tragedy of our time is that a woman’s quintessential role in the creation of life has been corrupted by abortion. The murder of innocent life – and the related denial of the beauty and reality of motherhood and family in God’s divine plan – has been elevated to the high altar for worship by a society hardened by a toxic culture, ego, narcissism, and selfishness. As a result, blindness, ignorance and pride becomes like a glove on the hand, desensitizing the woman to the violent reality beyond those “clinic” doors as she reaches for the handle.

A woman who aborts should never be condemned as they are part of our family. They need to know that God’s loving mercy and forgiveness is unfathomable. We all have experienced anxiety related to major life decisions and we all make monumental blunders. That is our shared humanity. It’s understandable then that some women feel trapped and confused as they enter an abortion facility. The choice propaganda is everywhere. They are likely ill informed. But if one does not show compassion towards them even while sharing the truth about abortion, we risk turning them away from the truth rather than drawing them towards it.

By choosing to eliminate the life within their bodies, women will destroy their own humanity and suffer for the rest of their life. In Veritatis Splendor, Pope St. John Paul II expresses that it is actually the one perpetrating the intrinsically wrong act that is first of all deformed by evil. This should be part of our message.

Consideration #2

Satan is a perplexing element of existence, seemingly a part of reality’s scaffolding. It’s as if he’s a universal constant – like gravity. With the skill of a dancer, he moves among us. Floating. Hunting. Scoring. And the mother with child is a prime target. Never successful at destroying the Mary-Jesus alliance, he maniacally pivots to the vulnerable surrogates – destroying millions of lives, both literally and figuratively, with glee.

Consideration #3

A doctor who was trained in abortion by the infamous late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller ironically said, “We learned at his knee. Kindness, courtesy, justice, love and respect are the hallmarks of a good doctor-patient relationship.” Evil takes great delight in this diabolically warped perspective, where man’s conscience can be twisted and unspeakable acts follow. The larger the scale, the better. When malevolence swallows up children, only some recoil in horror. Tragic.

Consideration #4

I don’t have an answer to this but is it effective to show pictures of aborted babies to women entering an abortion facility? It is the harsh reality of a contemplated act but should that picture be shared quietly or spotlighted? At the risk of offending some – spotlighting such an image as it were – I’m going to share a woman’s horrific memory which affected me deeply.

Consideration #5

The abortion mentality is nonsensical. I’m not talking about the abortion act, many cringe when you say murder, but it is the premeditated killing of one human by another. The confusion has to do with the rationalizations of the abortion proponents. Reproductive healthcare is both the disingenuous mantra and marketing ploy but brutality is its reality. As much as I want to understand the thinking of choice advocates, their position is indefensible, in a reason-has-left-the-room kind of way.

I’m also baffled by the inconsistency in thought of abortion supporters. Many would be at the forefront in championing civil rights for the disenfranchised, immigrants or the poor. Yet, here we are in the crosshairs of extraordinary human rights abuses, the killing of the innocent, and they are silent. Instead, it’s only their passion and commitment to choice and their alleged rights which is megaphoned.

Consider the actress Alyssa Milano. The harm she is doing to women as well as their babies is incalculable. She had two abortions in her 20s and would do it all over again. “I would never have been free to be myself, and that’s what this fight is all about,” she said. The fight she’s alluding to is freedom against oppression – which ironically is the unjust treatment by others. It is also paradoxical that such persons frame their ideas as promoting “women’s rights,” when they are actually misleading women down a path toward the disintegration of their womanhood. She invariably glosses over the agony which surrounds the abortion act, before, during and after.

Apparently, not all rights are equal. Clearly, selfish entitlements have more gravitas. But if these choice advocates desired consistency, I would presume that they would want to end this enslavement to abortion and protect the rights of the most vulnerable. The ones without a voice.

Consideration #6

Abortion proponents want the government out of the woman’s womb since it’s sacred, personal, their business and no one else’s. Dear women, your womb is indeed sacred. But if it’s turned into a killing field, shouldn’t society intervene and protect the child – your child – before they’re slaughtered? Because for reasons you may or may not understand, you’ve abdicated your protector role. The mother should be the first line of defense for their baby. Sadly, that is not the case.

Consideration #7

Only an abortion fanatic would dispute the following: “By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception.” Even Planned Parenthood in their early days admitted, “An abortion requires an operation. It kills the life of a baby after it has begun.” They’ve since tried to bury that spectacularly bothersome quote.

One does not abort a lump of tissue or a homogeneous biological mass. It’s not an abscess or a kewpie doll. It is a human being that will be thrown in the trash. One does not destroy a “potential human being but a human being with potential.” The pertinent distinction between the mother and her unwanted, unborn baby is that the mother has had time to grow and develop. The butchered infant was denied this precious time.

Consideration #8

Each one of the Ten Commandments has articulated theological layers and an incredible richness of thought. They are also supremely relevant to modern life. As an example, let’s consider the fifth commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” Human life is sacred because God creates it so God alone is the Lord of life. We can’t assume any rights that lead to the destruction of an innocent human life, whether in the womb or not.

We have some government leaders who may be sensitive to the Catholic Church’s position on abortion or actually support it. However, they don’t think their personal views should be imposed on others with different beliefs. This lack of both conviction and courage is stunning. Somehow, this fence sitting has to become hazardous to their political life. A professed leader who accepts immorality in one form is open to evil in all forms.

Consideration #9

In late 2019, the approbation of child murder by a powerful governor was met with wide smiles, hoots and hollers, congratulatory handshakes and high fives, and then made law. They – a high percentage of women by the way – took abortion to another level. You can now terminate in the third trimester under very liberal conditions. Other state lawmakers were so inspired that they quickly began to draft mimicking language.  

The worst of mankind was on display as lawgivers figuratively got on their knees, within inches of their victims, and whispered to each of the 239 children who would be sacrificed that day in New York, “Sorry kid, you’re inconvenient, enjoy the ride.” Each one of these lifetakers stood at the top of their Mayan-like temple and kicked a precious baby down the bloody steps into a heap below – all the while grinning like a Cheshire cat. And as the sun rose on the next day, the vicious cycle began once again. Out of sight. Out of mind. Serial killing memorialized and worshiped like a golden calf.

Consideration #10

I imagine the following conversation between an aborted baby and their mother.

You are my mother but you threw me away. Why?

“You weren’t important. I had other priorities. They even told me you weren’t a ‘you’.”

But I am someone, you know, from the very beginning. We all are. It’s undeniable.

“That was an inconvenient truth that I couldn’t handle.”

I was inconvenient?

“You were responsibility, commitment, disruption, expensive, awkward, burdensome, enslaving. Unwanted things.”

And my father felt the same way?

“He was busy. He told me to handle it.”

I don’t understand. That seems so selfish. Did you both know what they were going to do to me? That place where very bad things happen?

“I never thought about it. The chorus of voices pushing me to abort you was deafening, I was compelled from every which angle. I guess I forced myself into some sort of passive denial of your reality.”

Which meant you denied me. But I’m as real as the sun. This is such a sad story, Mom, it didn’t have to happen. Deep down, in your heart of hearts, I truly believe you know that.

All Things Considered

Legalized abortion is a tactical nuclear assault on our values and destructive to society. It is also a deplorable act in that it is gravely contrary to the moral law. More importantly, it is antithetical to God’s will. Perhaps today’s Supreme Court opinion will continue to topple the legal dominoes of child killing that exist in so many states.

The pro life movement has become counter cultural in the best possible sense. With God’s grace, this movement will inevitably succeed and push our toxic and throwaway culture of death to the gutter. But we all should be committed to making this happen sooner than later because lives are at stake. We should support all the women and men who are involved in this extraordinary battle. One profoundly important way to help them is through prayer. This personal communication with God, this request for good things from Him such as the end of abortion, is essential.

The post The Pro-Life Manifesto first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

Apparently, from the reaction of some people on the receiving end of this agenda driven onslaught, the media BBs must be coated with an anti-logic sealant that immediately transforms your rational human being to a reticent inquisitor or babbling fool. When these poor creatures become triggered by a magic word or phrase – pick one, plenty of candidates out there – like crazed zombies, they become vitriol-spouting, hate-spitting and blood thirsty.  

In short, let the apocalypse begin.

So, what is one supposed to do? Well, I escape. I like to get into my favorite bug out vehicle and go camping. Before my recent trip I thought I would ask Donald and Joe to come along – yep, those guys. It’s amazing what a cooler full of free steaks and beer (including non-alcoholic for Donald) can accomplish. I suggested they leave their minions behind so we could talk turkey and in exchange, I would endorse one of them for President. I’m basically independent, not enamored with either party and would change a lot of the ways our government does business – if only I were master of the galaxy. But I’m just the host and inconsequential. Granted, my endorsement is worth squat, but a night out with the boys under the stars would generate headlines and maybe some votes could be swayed due to my decision. 

I guaranteed them both that my mind would be open, but I wanted to flush out who they were and what their policies would be. The only ground rules were to bring a side dish, chop wood, clean up after themselves, and don’t complain about tents, air mattresses or trips to the woods. Also, don’t pack an attitude. No phones either. Just station a drone overhead to make sure the conversation remains civil. If people start waving steak knives, send in the Marines. They both accepted. 

Let’s start with the major issues. A recent Pew Research Center survey of registered voters identified the major issues in 2020. There are twelve of them. In descending order of importance, they are the economy, health care, supreme court appointments, coronavirus, violent crime, foreign policy, gun policy, race and ethnic inequality, immigration, economic inequality, climate change and abortion. I’ve seen other surveys that have some variation, but I’ll go with the Pew list. Good, we would have something to talk about. I just needed to keep Donald and Joe focused which in itself should presumably earn me a MacArthur “genius” grant.

From a historical perspective, this election has to be in the top five. America is teetering between two world views as represented by the political parties and the contrast is stunning. The world is complex as are the issues and a lot of very smart people are diametrically opposed to one another. So, what is the decision tree, the critical path that allows one to make an informed decision especially since most of us are just trying to survive. Is it just a matter of checking boxes where you agree and then add them up and vote accordingly? In that scenario, that presupposes that each issue has equal weight. But should they? Isn’t there rather a hierarchy of issues? 

In my humble opinion, there is.

Other than Donald demanding a chilled Waterford Crystal mug for his beer – he didn’t get one – and Joe’s occasional muttering to squirrels, I can safely say that that I haven’t experienced any PTSD since camping with them. I should note that I’m not too keen to do it again however, as neither one of them could be characterized as fun dudes; needy to say the least. As I listened carefully to what each one had to say on all the issues, as I cooked the steaks and served Coronas and O’Doul’s, I had this gnawing feeling that one specific issue could likely be the determining factor for me. Clearly, America has a significant to-do list over the next number of years in so many areas. One can only pray that it’s focused on all its citizens’ well-being and guided by love, whether it’s tough love or not.

The last discussion point in our evening was abortion, the twelfth most important issue according to Pew. As I leaned back in my chair and stared at the stars, I thought back to the beginning of 2019. There was a defining moment for me that signaled, perhaps, the beginning of the end of the great American experiment. All civilizations fail, it’s just that I’m in no hurry for America to suffer the same fate. On a forbidding morning in January, I wondered if we were finally at our tipping point. 

As it happened that day in Albany, another endorsement of child murder by the New York governor was met with wide smiles, hoots, hollers and high fives, and then made law. These legislators – a high percentage of women by the way – took abortion to another level. They decreed that you can now terminate a pregnancy in the third trimester under very liberal conditions. Lawmakers in other states were so inspired by this grotesque new law that they quickly began to draft mimicking language. 

I shut my eyes and imagined these lawmakers figuratively getting down on their knees, within inches of their innocent victims, and whispering to each of the 239 children who would be sacrificed that day in New York.

“Sorry kid, you’re inconvenient… enjoy the ride.”

Each one of these newly crowned lifetakers then stood at the top of their Mayan-like temple – grinning like a Cheshire cat – and kicked a helpless baby down the bloody steps into a heap below. As the sun rises on the next day, the vicious cycle would begin once again. Out of sight. Out of mind. Serial killing memorialized and worshiped like a golden calf.

Trump’s ego is disruptive, his character flawed, his leadership wanting, and I don’t like him – but he’s not insane. Ultimately though, he is pro-life. For that reason alone, he would get my vote. Even if Biden was spectacularly aligned with me on the eleven other issues, his absurd embrace of abortion disqualifies him. It’s an indefensible position that results in the death of unique, precious and blameless souls. I just can’t get around that. 

There it is. In my view, abortion is the singular issue that is most corruptive of the American psyche. Our founding principles worked magnificently, our Union became great but our very foundation is now been undermined by an incessant blood river flowing beneath us. Imagine a family that callously kills its firstborn every generation. Would that evil dynamic foster an unyielding moral code for its members? No way. Would it ingrain the capacity to do right when the culture is telling you to do the opposite? Inconceivable.

I can’t imagine anything more radical than the targeting and destruction of our vulnerable children. As this extremism is lauded by a Democratic party that may soon waltz into power – who will reinforce their pro-abortion zealotry with their Supreme Court replacement of Ginsburg – they clearly will have no moral boundaries associated with any of the issues that will define our lives. Radical will become the norm. The overwhelming leftist media BBs will have done their damage and won the prize – and America will fracture even more on its slide to historic ruin.

The post Camping with Donald and Joe first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

First Wonder: God

So many years ago, when I was a non-believing Marine fighter pilot, like a kid in a sandbox, I played in the clouds. And then, it was as though God threw white fluffy lamb’s wool into the sky just for me; misty cumulus forms that reached for my body. I was alone in my jet, alone over the Pacific and except for ocean and sky, not anyone or anything could be seen. I could have been the only person on earth. It wasn’t frightening or intimidating. It was intoxicating. I felt important, unique, as if I were given an honor.

God had presented himself to me and inspired awe. I floated above on His wings of Love.

Second Wonder: My Catholic Faith

Meeting God required me to follow, but who or what? From my perspective, other religions, philosophies, cultural traditions and Christian splinter groups that have attracted legions of followers, men and women – not God – founded them. Some of these people have been characterized as prophets, revolutionaries or visionaries and their ambitions may have been laudable. But God and his incarnate son Jesus was not the originator. That in itself was hugely problematic. I was not interested in man-created creeds regardless of the charisma of the founder or well-articulated teachings. I did not want to stake my soul on human invention.

If there’s a wellspring of Truth, I wanted to be as close to this source as possible. God is Truth itself and the Roman Catholic Church is the pillar and bulwark of that Truth.

Third Wonder: Mary, Mother of God

Dr. Carrie Gress has written a thought-provoking book which I highly recommend, The Marian Option; God’s Solution to a Civilization in Crisis. Dr. Gress was able to synthesize this perfect mother whose will is immaculately aligned with God’s perfect will.

“Despite only speaking six times in Scripture, the centuries have proven that Mary is one of the greatest forces in history. While many consider her to be only slightly elevated over the rest of the communion of saints, in reality, she goes far beyond every other saint in terms of who she is and her intercession for us. Being ‘full of grace,’ she is much more than we can be while providing the model for who we should be. What started out as small as a mustard seed has grown into one of the most powerful forces on earth. Further, whether it’s evangelization, stomping out heresies, or vanquishing the Church’s enemies, Mary is at the heart of it all.”

Fourth Wonder: Norbertine Canonesses

Many religious communities are dying out. It is not a coincidence that the Norbertine Canonesses of Tehachapi are thriving. Women, even and especially the younger ones, are drawn to this pure, authentic and true representation and living of the Catholic faith.

Mother Mary Augustine commented to me that prayer is the heart of their life. Their mission, although quiet, hidden and undeniably Marian, is to intercede for the needs of the world. This helped me to understand why God loves all of us. The Sisters exemplify humanity at its best – loving, selfless, communal, serving, tireless, industrious. Combine that with a life dedicated to God’s honor and glory and the saving of souls and you have the Norbertine Canonesses of the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph.

Saints-in-training would not be an exaggerated declaration.

The monastic life that began back in the late 3^rd century continues to this day. It was the faith of the people that built and sustained monasteries, especially cloistered women. The rich and nobles gave castles, land, etc., so that the monks and nuns could pray for them in perpetuity. Endowments and donations over the centuries followed, people knew that nuns would be praying for them and their souls after they died, again and forever.

Today, there is little faith, and unfortunately, little desire to help those who pray. What do those nuns DO all day? There doesn’t seem to be an understanding of the nature of grace, of the roles of the various members of the Mystical Body, the reality of prayer and that God has chosen souls to be His co-redeemers. Cloistered nuns, in a special way, are called away from the chaos of the world, from distractions, to be for God alone, to be transformed by Him so that they may be instruments of His grace, mercy, etc. It is a part of His will and plan.

We all have a part to play, to help each other in His plan of salvation – the true brotherhood of union in Christ, not the false brotherhood of the world. Clearly, it is more and more difficult today. The Sisters will always declare that God provides for their real needs. And yet, they must cooperate with His grace, and self-sustenance is a part of that. It is an integral part of their life.

Every time I have the great pleasure of visiting them, I’m acutely aware of their mission and remarkable self-sufficiency. Their Order has a tradition of being self-supporting which is quite a challenge given that their primary duty is prayer and they only have limited time to work; labor that must be compatible with their cloistered way of life. They are also a young, developing monastic community (founded in 1997), although continuing a tradition that is almost 900 years old – but they are not of the mendicant tradition, i.e. they do not depend on begging or charity for their survival.

They are a cloistered community of love whose legacy is intertwined with other souls like them throughout the ages. Like a spiritual wreath, these communities past and present are an interconnected circle of service and sacrifice for God’s honor and glory, and the salvation of souls.

It’s disconcerting that headlines of immorality, pettiness, and selfishness bombard our senses. We almost don’t know which way is up. That is the nature of so much of the world. But knowing the Sisters are out there in the hills of Tehachapi doing what they do fills me with peace, gratitude and hope. I’m rebalanced.
And I need to support them. For more background, you can read about these extraordinary women here and here.

Action Item: Annual Christmas Wreath and Gift Box Fundraiser

The Norbertine Canonesses have been making fresh balsam Christmas wreaths for over 15 years. Reliable sources tell me that they are the freshest pine-scented and longest lasting wreaths ever. They also added Christmas gift boxes to their selection a few years back as well. I know it would be their honor and privilege to be both your prayer companions and Christmas gift wreath and gift box supplier this year. Perhaps you will decide to give and participate with the graces of the Spirit so that the work of these remarkable nuns can flourish.

Norbertine Canonesses Contact Information:
Address: 17831 Water Canyon Road, Tehachapi, CA 93561
Call: (661) 823-1066
Email: norbertinecanonesses@gmail.com
Please order here.
My sincere thanks and may God bless you this Christmas season.

The post Norbertine Canonesses: The Fourth Wonder of My World first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

The great tragedy of our time is that a woman’s quintessential role in the creation of life has been corrupted by abortion. The murder of innocent life – and the related denial of the beauty and reality of motherhood and family in God’s divine plan – has been elevated to the high altar for worship by a society hardened by a toxic culture, ego, narcissism, and selfishness. As a result, blindness, ignorance and pride becomes like a glove on the hand, desensitizing the woman to the violent reality beyond those “clinic” doors as she reaches for the handle.

A woman who aborts should never be condemned as they are part of our family. They need to know that God’s loving mercy and forgiveness is unfathomable. We all have experienced anxiety related to major life decisions and we all make monumental blunders. That is our shared humanity. It’s understandable then that some women feel trapped and confused as they enter an abortion facility. The choice propaganda is everywhere. They are likely ill informed. But if one does not show compassion towards them even while sharing the truth about abortion, we risk turning them away from the truth rather than drawing them towards it.

By choosing to eliminate the life within their bodies, women will destroy their own humanity and suffer for the rest of their life. In Veritatis Splendor, Pope St. John Paul II expresses that it is actually the one perpetrating the intrinsically wrong act that is first of all deformed by evil. This should be part of our message.

Consideration #2

Satan is a perplexing element of existence, seemingly a part of reality’s scaffolding. It’s as if he’s a universal constant – like gravity. With the skill of a dancer, he moves among us. Floating. Hunting. Scoring. And the mother with child is a prime target. Never successful at destroying the Mary-Jesus alliance, he maniacally pivots to the vulnerable surrogates – destroying millions of lives, both literally and figuratively, with glee.

Consideration #3

A doctor who was trained in abortion by the infamous late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller ironically said, “We learned at his knee. Kindness, courtesy, justice, love and respect are the hallmarks of a good doctor-patient relationship.” Evil takes great delight in this diabolically warped perspective, where man’s conscience can be twisted and unspeakable acts follow. The larger the scale, the better. When malevolence swallows up children, only some recoil in horror. Tragic.

Consideration #4

I don’t have an answer to this but is it effective to show pictures of aborted babies to women entering an abortion facility? It is the harsh reality of a contemplated act but should that picture be shared quietly or spotlighted? At the risk of offending some – spotlighting such an image as it were – I’m going to share a woman’s horrific memory which affected me deeply.

A young woman, scarred for life by the accepted genocide of our time, wrote the following. “The glass container was half full and splattered with blood. Even the tube that fed into the container was crusted with blood. What I saw inside the collection container defies belief, little baby parts swimming in a bloody muck. All those graphic photos you’ve ever seen of tiny dismembered arms and legs are accurate. Only this wasn’t just one set of tiny arms and legs – this was more than I could count. This wasn’t just one baby that was aborted and some careless worker forgot to remove from the room. This looked like all the babies that had been aborted that day. All together in one glass container, swimming in a gruesome soup of blood and bits. They hadn’t even bothered to clean the equipment between patients and I suddenly realized they had every intention of using the same filthy equipment on me.”

Consideration #5

The abortion mentality is nonsensical. I’m not talking about the abortion act, many cringe when you say murder, but it is the premeditated killing of one human by another. The confusion has to do with the rationalizations of the abortion proponents. Reproductive healthcare is both the disingenuous mantra and marketing ploy but brutality is its reality. As much as I want to understand the thinking of choice advocates, their position is indefensible, in a reason-has-left-the-room kind of way.

I’m also baffled by the inconsistency in thought of abortion supporters. Many would be at the forefront in championing civil rights for the disenfranchised, immigrants or the poor. Yet, here we are in the crosshairs of extraordinary human rights abuses, the killing of the innocent, and they are silent. Instead, it’s only their passion and commitment to choice and their alleged rights which is megaphoned.

Consider the actress Alyssa Milano. The harm she is doing to women as well as their babies is incalculable. She had two abortions in her 20s and would do it all over again. “I would never have been free to be myself, and that’s what this fight is all about,” she said. The fight she’s alluding to is freedom against oppression – which ironically is the unjust treatment by others. It is also paradoxical that such persons frame their ideas as promoting “women’s rights,” when they are actually misleading women down a path toward the disintegration of their womanhood. She invariably glosses over the agony which surrounds the abortion act, before, during and after.

Apparently, not all rights are equal. Clearly, selfish entitlements have more gravitas. But if these choice advocates desired consistency, I would presume that they would want to end this enslavement to abortion and protect the rights of the most vulnerable. The ones without a voice.

Consideration #6

Abortion proponents want the government out of the woman’s womb since it’s sacred, personal, their business and no one else’s. Dear women, your womb is indeed sacred. But if it’s turned into a killing field, shouldn’t society intervene and protect the child – your child – before they’re slaughtered? Because for reasons you may or may not understand, you’ve abdicated your protector role. The mother should be the first line of defense for their baby. Sadly, that is not the case.

Consideration #7

Only an abortion fanatic would dispute the following: “By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception.” One does not abort a lump of tissue or a homogeneous biological mass. It’s not an abscess or a kewpie doll. It is a human being that will be thrown in the trash. One does not destroy a “potential human being but a human being with potential.” The pertinent distinction between the mother and her unwanted, unborn baby is that the mother has had time to grow and develop. The butchered infant was denied this precious time.

Consideration #8

Each one of the Ten Commandments has articulated theological layers and an incredible richness of thought. They are also supremely relevant to modern life. As an example, let’s consider the fifth commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” Human life is sacred because God creates it so God alone is the Lord of life. We can’t assume any rights that lead to the destruction of an innocent human life, whether in the womb or not.

We have some government leaders who may be sensitive to the Catholic Church’s position on abortion or actually support it. However, they don’t think their personal views should be imposed on others with different beliefs. This lack of both conviction and courage is stunning. Somehow, this fence sitting has to become hazardous to their political life. A professed leader who accepts immorality in one form is open to evil in all forms.

Consideration #9

Earlier this year, the approbation of child murder by a powerful governor was met with wide smiles, hoots and hollers, congratulatory handshakes and high fives, and then made law. They – a high percentage of women by the way – took abortion to another level. You can now terminate in the third trimester under very liberal conditions. Other state lawmakers were so inspired that they quickly began to draft mimicking language.  

The worst of mankind was on display as lawgivers figuratively got on their knees, within inches of their victims, and whispered to each of the 239 children who would be sacrificed that day in New York, “Sorry kid, you’re inconvenient, enjoy the ride.” Each one of these lifetakers stood at the top of their Mayan-like temple and kicked a precious baby down the bloody steps into a heap below – all the while grinning like a Cheshire cat. And as the sun rose on the next day, the vicious cycle began once again. Out of sight. Out of mind. Serial killing memorialized and worshiped like a golden calf.

Consideration #10

I imagine the following conversation between an aborted baby and their mother.

You are my mother but you threw me away. Why?

“You weren’t important. I had other priorities. They told me you weren’t even a ‘you’.”

But I am, you know, from the very beginning. We all are. It’s undeniable.

“That was an inconvenient truth that I couldn’t handle.”

I was inconvenient?

“You were responsibility, commitment, disruption, expensive, awkward, burdensome, enslaving. Unwanted things.”

And my father felt the same way?

“He was busy. Told me my decision.”

I don’t understand. That seems selfish. Did you both know what they were going to do to me? That place where very bad things happen?

“I never thought about it. The chorus of voices pushing me to abort you was deafening, I was compelled from every which angle. I guess I forced myself into some sort of passive denial.”

Which meant you denied me. But I’m as real as the sun. This is such a sad story, Mom, it didn’t have to happen. Deep down, in your heart of hearts, I truly believe you know that.

All Things Considered

Legalized abortion is a tactical nuclear assault on our values and destructive to society. It is also a deplorable act in that it is gravely contrary to the moral law. More importantly, it is antithetical to God’s will.

The pro life movement has become counter cultural in the best possible sense. With God’s grace, this movement will inevitably succeed and push our toxic and throwaway culture of death to the gutter. But we all should be committed to making this happen sooner than later because lives are at stake. We should support all the women and men who are involved in this extraordinary battle. One profoundly important way to help them is through prayer. This personal communication with God, this request for good things from Him such as the end of abortion, is essential.

The post The Anti-Abortion Manifesto first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

“I just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel.” Tom Hanks as Capt. Miller, Saving Private Ryan

The Academy Awards telecast is Sunday night, February 24^th, and once again a tiny but powerful segment of our culture nervously fantasizes about a potential life changing moment when they can hold a little gold dude with a sword. Some in that auditorium might say that a patriarchal, sexist, paganesque statue wearing swim trunks and holding a weapon of mass destruction is triggering, but good luck getting a show of hands to support that sentiment. People do have priorities.

On Sunday night at the Oscars, very talented artists will preen in front of thousands on a red carpet. As the lights go down and the show begins, a nominated few will muse on being the focus of admiring millions and will pray – not quite sure to whom or what – that ultimately, they will be the One.

Other than snippets, I haven’t watched the Oscars in years, but I’ve always enjoyed good movies. I just wish there were more of them. Since I’m not a Marvel/DC fan, I don’t pay much attention to today’s blockbusters. In trying to figure out my apathy toward the Avengers, Guardians, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, I think it may boil down to two things – nonhierarchical and confusing super powers and, “What does it take to kill somebody around here?”

Let me explain. There are twenty-five to thirty prominent superheroes, and I have no idea as to who can beat up whom. That seems too egalitarian for my tastes, like giving a trophy to the worst team in Little League. There needs to be an Alpha. And some of these super folks take a real beating from equally impressive bad guys, like getting slammed head first against a building at 200 mph. Or they are dismembered by metal octopuses or impaled by a telephone pole or atomized, skinned alive or frozen. And yet, they just won’t die.

They have little cuts on their forehead, which implies a circulatory system, and one can actually see their mashed up internal organs. These blemishes, I assume, are supposed to connect them to our brand of mortality. However, they reattach their heads or reconstitute their body parts and off they go – they’re back in the fight doing all kinds of reality-bending moves. My rational mind can’t synchronize any if this, it’s certainly not dramatic, so I go into bored mode.

I’ll take Saving Private Ryan and reality every time.

Let’s preview Oscar night. Viewership was down 20% last year so clearly something is broken. We know that getting a safe host is becoming more problematic in the twitter-verse of fragile psyches, so maybe a rock the world acceptance speech this year could attract eyeballs for next year. You never know. What if, and this is a rather large if, we heard the following from one of the winners …

Thank you, thank you. Wow, this is so fantastic. Three years ago, I was praying to God that He would allow me to make a difference in these tumultuous times, but never would I have imagined He’d so magnificently answer my prayers. It seems Our Lady gave Him quite a nudge. And now I’m standing on the world stage accepting the Academy Award for best screenplay. There are so many people to thank who have been extraordinarily supportive, but you know who you are. I love every one of you and am blessed to count you all as my cherished friends. 

You know, the seed for this screenplay was indeed a miracle. I had been struggling with my Catholic faith because of the very public scandals, the growing religious schism between the traditionalists and liberals that jeopardizes our deposit of faith, the corrupt leadership of some of our prelates and so on. We had become easy targets and much of it was self-inflicted. I was in absolute despair. Should I leave the Church? Add to that the destruction of families, the confused state of society, the dueling political vitriol, our cultural demise, the misguided social justice warrior-ing, well, perhaps you can understand how I began to conclude that our civilization was in mortal crisis.

At that very moment of realization, I had an epiphany to write about the communion of saints. You see, the Lord led me to icons of Christian holiness that changed the world. Saints such as Aurelius Augustine, Marie-Francois Therese, Catherine Benincasa, Maximilian Kolbe, and Katherine Drexel to name just a few, as well as future saints like Emil Kapaun and Dorothy Day – they all lived an extraordinarily faith-filled life and personified the best of humanity; examples for all of us. All served for the sake of Love who is of course, God. And by God’s grace, these saints can help us, can actually intervene for us on earth. What a gift.

My spirit was lifted by their stories and I was inspired to craft a tale centering on Thomas Aquinas. Thank you for honoring that effort. His masterful writing on faith and reason enhanced our understanding of the natural order – he knew it all came from God, the Creator. His genius insight touched the heart of Truth. Getting to know this extraordinary man, honestly, is an even greater treasure than this statue.

Audible gasps and murmurs from the audience.

I don’t have much time but let me finish with this. Last month, there was a defining moment for me that signaled, perhaps, the beginning of the end of the great American experiment. The approbation of child murder by a powerful governor was met with wide smiles, hoots and hollers, congratulatory handshakes and high fives, and then made law. They – a high percentage of women by the way – took abortion to another level. Other state lawmakers were so inspired that they quickly began to draft mimicking language. I’ve never seen people so eager to jump on a bandwagon. 

All civilizations fail. Tragically, this may have been our tipping point.

The worst of mankind was on display as lawgivers figuratively got on their knees, within inches of their victims, and whispered, “Sorry kid, you’re inconvenient, enjoy the ride,” to each of the 239 children who would be sacrificed that day in New York. Each one of these lifetakers stood at the top of their Mayan-like temple and kicked a precious baby down the bloody steps into a heap below – all the while grinning like a Cheshire cat. And as the sun rose on the next day, the vicious cycle began once again. Out of sight. Out of mind. Serial killing memorialized and worshiped like a golden calf.

From the transcendent dimension that is heaven, our Lord and God, our Holy Mother, the angels, saints and blessed souls, all cried in anguish at this hideous crime against humanity. Their tears will only continue until we beg for mercy and stop this monstrous sin.

Perhaps there’s a sliver of hope. The arts can be such a powerful force for societal good. For those of us who are fortunate enough to participate in the exercise of those arts, like it or not, we can be wonderful beacons of good, both in our work and in our public lives. But there’s a flip side. The dark or twisted impulses of our will – Thomas would say influenced by the false gods of wealth, pleasure, power and honor – are getting way too much screen time. Does it really have to be that way? 

I have a suggestion for all of us. You’re more likely to see a Volkswagen tap dance than a saint emerge from Hollywood.  Why is that? We are all called to be saints. Maybe we could speak as one united voice and help to stop the butchering of babies. What a glorious start to bringing America back from a dark, barbaric precipice. 

Please believe me; I’m not throwing stones. My life is as checkered as anyone’s, but the overall product of our collective work, the manner in which we live, and our silence in the face of evil should, in my humble opinion, be a cause for introspection. Are we contrarian to the moral good of society? Is that the role we covet? Distinguished members of the Academy, we can do better.

The applause as I walked to the stage was tepid. I understand. Everyone has to be careful and not alienate the powerful within our industry, those who will certainly disagree with me. But I’m holding an Oscar so clearly some in this room, and others watching at home, were inspired by St. Aquinas. That is encouraging and gives me hope. Just maybe we’ll do the right thing. Thank you again and God bless all of you.

Epilogue: 

Hopefully, my fantasy speech above resonated with some of you. Reflecting on the lightning-speed changes in the moral fabric of our society, I’m reminded of what President Reagan said: I think I understand how Abraham Lincoln felt when he said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” If we can possibly make any sort of difference, the best place to start is on our knees, imploring our loving God for His divine mercy. I believe in intercessory prayer and I have remarkable friends who are trained experts at it. Prayer as a critical weapon in our spiritual battle is needed now more than ever.

I invite you to call upon our hidden prayer warriors, the Norbertine Nuns of Tehachapi – the “Sisters of the Mountains” as they are called – and all cloistered communities. They all have a fast track to God’s Heart. After all, each solemnly professed nun is a Bride of Christ, the Beloved Son of the Father. Here is the Norbertine Canonesses’ dedicated prayer request email: pray_req@cybersurfers.net. Additionally, you can read about them here and here if you’re interested. 

One final but important comment. Abortion has many masters and toxic femininity is just one of them. Please read Dr. Carrie Gress’ latest book, The Anti-Mary Exposed: Rescuing the Culture from Toxic Femininity. She does a masterful job of explaining how radical feminism has  destroyed lives, torn families apart, and nurtured a culture where 60 million abortions are perfectly fine. She exposes much more about this devastating cultural shift and ultimately leads us to the antidote of the Anti-Mary spirit, Mary, the Mother of God.

The post An Oscar Speech You’ll Never, Ever Hear: Trigger Warning – Truth Zone first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

With Our Lady, the meek and humble Virgin as their exemplar, they are innocent as doves and cunning as serpents in their battle to ultimately crush the head of the Evil One. They have to be, to fight the fight well. What prompts this radical vocation? They are in love with Jesus, their relentless crusade is for Him and their objective is to love as Jesus commands – for you and me and the world. In Love – for Love – to Love.

____________________

As future Pope Karol Wojtyla prophesied when visiting the United States in 1976, “We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, between the Gospel and the anti-Gospel, between Christ and the anti-Christ.” He said this when delivering a bicentennial address at the Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia. If I take a tally of early 2019, it’s clear to me that Pope Saint John Paul II was quite the prophesier. More on that in a minute.

As a former Marine and before I was trained as a fighter pilot, I was first schooled as an infantry officer. One great takeaway from those many months in the science and art of ground combat was SMEAC – acronym for the five-part order providing information to carry out an operation. SMEAC is shorthand for Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration & Logistics, and Command & Signal. It is a battle-tested military tactical planning template. 

At this historic juncture in time, it is my premise that the Demon, a protagonist throughout the millennia, has clearly upped his game. So, I thought I would come up with my own plan of attack to counter his moves. It’s simplified, concise and, of significant note, a vital part of its strategy involves beautiful women.

1. Situation – Understanding the Enemy

When Pope John Paul talked about the anti-Church, the anti-Gospel and the anti-Christ forty-two years ago, I wonder if my sober assessment below is somehow symptomatic of the confrontation he predicted.

The essence of America is fading like the paint on a Kansas barn. We dismember unborn children by the thousands and throw their body parts on a metal slab. And that’s on a Monday. Families, the foundational mirror of the Holy Trinity, are disintegrating like soapstone in the rain. No longer relevant says the collective elite, just an unwanted legacy of patriarchal abuse. Same sex marriage, an immoral union of uncomplimentary disordered mindsets, is applauded and pushed as if a liberating drug.

Christian persecution is untethered, a chisel to God as Truth, brazen mudslinging at the Supreme Good. Gender fluidity has crept into the public consciousness as if an ear maggot whispered the destructive premise into a compliant brain, but it’s based on a lie. Cultural demise is pandemic, but the progressives are blinded by both relativism and modernism and see nothing. Islamic terror and domination are not fiction; read the Koran and recognize its global creep. Russia and China, our great power competitors, see God as a poker chip in a winner-take-all card game. The politics of the day is shrill vitriol directed at those who disagree, civility a rarity. And on and on…

As Archbishop Fulton Sheen said in 1958, “Very few people believe in the devil these days, which suits the devil very well. He is always helping to circulate the news of his own death.” I believe said devil is quite real and the main architect of the global conflict between good and bad, right and wrong.

Lucifer, the enemy, and his surrogates (many of whom are unwitting) are orchestrating a siege of civilization and Catholicism is his greatest threat. His efforts to cut us off from the graces of our Lord, our Blessed Mother and His Church is a battle in full rage. He hates God and his kingdom in Christ, Mary, the Church and our Catholic faith. With all of his power, he wants to separate God from man. He’ll never succeed at the mankind level (individually is another story) – we know that based on our covenant with Jesus, but as the great Tempter, Lucifer can’t help himself. The temptation to destroy all that he loathes is overpowering. He’s addicted to his own malevolence.

2. Mission – The Heart of the Plan

The duties of faithful Catholics are myriad. But to worship and serve the Lord in communion with his Church is essential – the Church is the Lord’s plan to unite all people in the love of Jesus Christ, the Savior of all. From the Nicene Creed, we know that the Church is holy. Its disciples? Not so much. The overarching issue of our day is not corruption or clericalism within the Church – there has always been that to some degree – but it seems as if the immorality and dishonesty of some of our prelates has ratcheted up a notch or two.

Have a few of our wayward shepherds shape shifted into aliens, have they done a mind meld with the Devil? Some of their decisions seem either unearthly or evil. The disconnect between their sacred role and corrosive actions has created a crisis of trust that has many Catholics reeling.

Only God can save the world, but His mission linchpin is Our Lady, Holy Mary, Mother of God. And the mission itself? Like the Holy Spirit’s efforts throughout the ages, nothing short of a renewal of our Church for the salvation of souls and to unite all people in the love of Jesus Christ.

3. Execution – The “How To”

The focus of my strategy is to combat the evil that is undermining global civilization. The challenge is monumental, but we have a task force that is nonpareil. I’m suggesting a two-pronged attack. Earlier I hinted that beautiful women were part of my plan, but now it’s time to categorically leave Wonder Woman in the dust.

A. Mary – Hit them from the high ground – Dr. Carrie Gress has written a thought-provoking book which I highly recommend, The Marian Option; God’s Solution to a Civilization in Crisis.

I realized that my foundational understanding of Mary was lacking, but Dr. Gress was able to synthesize this perfect mother whose will is immaculately aligned with God’s perfect will.

Despite only speaking six times in Scripture, the centuries have proven that Mary is one of the greatest forces in history. While many consider her to be only slightly elevated over the rest of the communion of saints, in reality, she goes far beyond every other saint in terms of who she is and her intercession for us. Being “full of grace,” she is much more than we can be while providing the model for who we should be. What started out as small as a mustard seed has grown into one of the most powerful forces on earth.

Further, whether it’s evangelization, stomping out heresies, or vanquishing the Church’s enemies, Mary is at the heart of it all.

There are many elements to The Marian Option, but the Rosary is at the heart of devotion to Our Lady. St. Padre Pio called the Rosary the spiritual weapon of our times. At this moment in history, we need her Motherly aide – pray for it.

B. Norbertine Canonesses – Disrupt with stealth, guerrilla tactics – I’ve written previously about The Hidden Warrior Nuns of Tehachapi, more specifically the Norbertine Canonesses of the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph. They are Mary’s secret weapon. In a complimentary sense, they are the yang to Mary’s yin and crucial to mission execution. It is an extraordinary community of cloistered nuns, who are closely following Christ and living fully the charism of their holy founder, St. Norbert, a holy man of God, a bishop, and profound preacher of the Word. He was one of the great reformers of the Church in the 12^thcentury, part of the Gregorian Reform. 

These women are true spiritual daughters of St. Norbert, women of deep faith, praying and sacrificing for the Church and the world with a deep penitential spirit, striving daily for a profound intimate union with Christ through Our Lady. They are vibrant and bursting at the seams with new vocations. Their founder, St. Norbert, also happened to have a powerfully strong and tender devotion to Our Lady. I think of them as a spiritual Seal Team 6 working in close concert with Mary, all of them more than comfortable in combat boots and laser focused.

They are the first and only community of cloistered Norbertine Canonesses in the United States. Of all the various orders of cloistered nuns, it is canonesses who have the solemn and reverential celebration of the Sacred Liturgy together in choir as the core, center and heart of their vocation. They are officially appointed by the Church and their Constitutions for this purpose, ambassadors as it were for this sacred mission.

At the risk of being indelicate, if I could somehow read the thoughts and prayers of Mother and the Sisters for one fleeting moment, the speech balloon over their monastery could very well have a stream of consciousness as follows;

We must hunker down, not be distracted, be faithful to our mission and vocation, living all the more deeply, intensely. Which means relying ever more on Christ through Mary, drawing ever closer to union with Him through her, dying completely to self, being transformed by Him and her, not holding back, but being docile, humble instruments of grace. The more the world and the Church are challenged, the more the devil shows his face or fingerprints, the more we must draw away from the world, and live our canonical vocation, at the heart of which is Holy Mass, the Eucharist, and Our Lady.

The five marks of our Order, following in St. Norbert’s footsteps – the Sacred Liturgy, intense devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist, fervent devotion to our Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary, zeal for the salvation of souls especially the holy souls in Purgatory, and a deep penitential spirit. We must pray, fast from self, do penance, repair, allow daily conversion, go deeper, ever deeper.

As an important aside, I’ve been writing about the Norbertine Canonesses because God in His mercy chose to bless me with an extraordinary grace – the friendship of these extraordinary Nuns. As unique as their charism is, there are other remarkable orders of consecrated women who have answered the call to espouse Christ and live a monastic vocation.

The role and function of all these cloistered Nuns, like St. Therese explained so well, is like the heart, pumping the sap of grace to all the members of the Church. It’s pure, beautiful, faithful and fruitful.

4. Administration – The Details

Here I’ll speak to the logistics. For my two-pronged attack, two essential weapons will suffice.

A. Rosary Beads– We have great tools at our disposal to accomplish our mission, thank God, so allow me to start with the small. As Dr. Gress discussed in The Marian Option, transforming the world does not require a “huge” thing.

Like the tiny stone thrown by David to vanquish Goliath, the small beads of the Rosary can rid the world of the evils represented by the Philistine, such as pride, impurity, and heresy.

B. Chapel (& Phase II Monastery Expansion) – This other material requirement for supernatural labor depends on our readiness to do the will of the Trinitarian God. Our monastic Norbertine Canonesses need capital to grow, another $10 million to be precise, for the construction of a chapel and additional wing to house the ever-expanding corps of sisters.

They retreated from the world precisely to save it. It is in the monastery that they help wage spiritual warfare against all that is evil – through prayer, intercession, penance, and atonement for sin.

It is a fully ecclesial vocation. An appropriate monastery church/chapel is key, where they can give all honor and glory to God, and all for the salvation of souls. It’s imperative that there is proper monastic space for His brides, who have vowed their lives in poverty, chastity and obedience, as well as daily conversion, to Him, as well for those who come to worship God with the sisters.

“For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator” (Wisdom 13:5).

I want the sisters to be inspired, liberated, to grow in fraternal life, to lift their meditations even higher. The chapel expansion can accomplish that. The closer they are to God, the more powerful their prayers become. A chapel to turbo boost their mission of prayer seems like a very good thing for all of us. But most importantly, here the Son of God can dwell in his sacramental presence. A cramped, converted ranch house is serving its purpose, but Jesus deserves so much more.

I pray that the beauty of a new chapel will someday quietly rock the Sisters. Detached from the world’s noisy sleight of hand – distraction – in a serene environment conducive to prayer they can find their still point, their center. Free of their own frenetic thinking they can contemplate our world and discover even greater Truth. With these discoveries, comprehending the world as it is, they can decrease in self and increase in God’s spirit. They know they are imperfect sinners, but with God’s grace and mercy, they strive daily to get beyond themselves and enter into pure, encompassing prayer to battle Lucifer hand in hand with Mary, nourish the Church and save souls.

5. Command/Signal – Communication within the Home Team

In our mission of Church renewal, saving of souls, and uniting people to Christ, success depends on faithful bishops, laity and devout religious putting their oars in the water and rowing as if hell was going to suck all of us into a maelstrom – a vortex of disorder created by sin. This hard work as God’s servant starts and ends with prayer.

We are all called to be saints. “The greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to her as the perfect model to imitate and as a powerful helper to assist them.” (Saint Louis Marie de Montfort)

St. Chrysostom says: “Prayer is a strong weapon, a defense, a port, and a treasure. It is a weapon sufficient to overcome every assault of the devil; it is a defense to preserve us in every danger; it is a port where we may be safe in every tempest; and it is at the same time a treasure which provides us with every good.” Every day, the Norbertine Canonesses of Tehachapi live this prayerful fusion of warrior, protector, nurturer and sacred servant.

Last Thoughts

Dr. Gress will soon be publishing her new book, The Anti-Mary Exposed. With her permission, I quote:

Mary’s place in the order of grace also elevates her significance in direct battle with demons. When commanded by priests during exorcisms, demons testify to the rage they feel toward Mary, a mere human with such an exalted position. As an exorcist attests, “The cooperation of Mary in the victory of God over the demons humiliates them more than if God defeated them alone. To be defeated by God through a cooperation of a human creature, inferior by nature yet Immaculate, greatly humiliates their bloated pride.”

In the Garden of Eden, God sets the table for Satan basically telling him that he will eat dirt for all of eternity. And horror of horrors, ultimately it will be a woman that will bring the arrogant field marshal to his knees. Such shame!

“And I will establish a feud between thee and the woman, between thy offspring and hers; she is to crush thy head, while thou dost lie in ambush at her heels” (Genesis 3:15).

Personal Appeal

I’m greatly inspired by the Norbertine Canonesses. This is an epochal time for our Church, and we need their prayers. Please help them monetarily if at all possible – you can click here – it would be a glorious way to start 2019. A chapel and facility expansion worthy of our Church’s Heart is certainly within our province. And of course, the Sisters love and cherish your prayer requests so please contact them direct here.

The post Civilization in Crisis: Our Lady, Cloistered Nuns and Prayer – A Solution first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

But let’s leave my Dad for a second and think about the 16 Cardinals and 456 bishops, both active and retired, that lead our Church in the United States. With their collective image in our brains, let’s look at the results of their command in the summer of 2018. Abysmal is all that I can come up with, but you may have another word or perhaps are more charitable.

Like this McCarrick fellow, he’s one for the books. Wicked fabulist extraordinaire. Give the dude an Oscar and then put him on a boat with the 300 plus Pennsylvania degenerates who defiled and abused thousands and make them row the river Archeron (River of Pain in Greek mythology) for seventy years. [As an aside, 49 states remain to be investigated by grand juries. Will it happen? I can only imagine those findings.]

In times of war, one does not have the luxury of being polite or deferential. The idea is to win. You would assume that your adversary is not one of your tribe but the bad guys out there doing their damndest to destroy you. But as it happens the enemy is within our walls, they know who they are, and I need an air strike on our position to take them out. To send them to hell.

I hate the leadership responsible for the sex debacle our Church now finds itself. Again. For decades this has been going on and the officious, well manicured, never miss a meal legion of Luciferian puppets have winked, nodded and cavorted their way to the top and corrupted our Church. Don’t tell me I can’t hate as a Christian. I hate the devil and I certainly despise his lackeys.

The minority at the top has caused me to generalize, but I don’t for a moment disparage the majority of extraordinary priests who do God’s will with love and conviction. Thank God for their ministry. I can’t even begin to imagine the despair, emotional strain and heart break they’re enduring.

So what should a leader do? First of all, what is a leader? And is it fair or appropriate to apply the following criteria to Pope Francis?

A leader has character, he is effective under stress and shows initiative. He displays steady purpose of action, inspiring others while continuing to lead under adverse conditions. He sees what needs to be done and acts without prompting all the while being creative, proactive and decisive. He shows an uncanny ability to know his mission requirements and formulate original, far-reaching solutions.

Providing direction, he shows remarkable intellect, prudence and judgement. (And Pope specific) he draws on his Christian values as the successor to St. Peter as well as his knowledge and experience to make wise choices. He comprehends the consequences of his course of action and inspires and hopefully earns back the confidence of America in the Catholic Church. But he must first get on his knees in humility and pray for God’s grace. This is an epochal time for our Church and one can only hope that the Pope grafts correctly to God’s will.

Notwithstanding the Pope’s next step, what would be my plan? Even better, what would my father do?
I’d like to think he would have one-on-one conversations with 16 Cardinals and 456 Bishops. He’d record them for fairness and corroboration. That’s about three months if each takes an hour. Multiply by two for travel and miscellaneous logistics so you’re looking at a six-month process. He’d dispose of pleasantries because we’re at war. He’d ask the following questions. They can be answered with a yes or a no. Of course, the interviewees can elaborate but Dad doesn’t have all day.

1. Are you a priest in good standing?
2. Are you a homosexual?
3. Are you directly aware of homosexual activities, sexual abuse and related financial improprieties within the clergy?
4. Can you name names?
5. Do you acknowledge and confirm the Church’s teaching on homosexuality?
6. Do you accept that we are all sinners and require God’s mercy?
7. Do you swear to our Lord Jesus Christ that you are answering these questions truthfully?
8. Do you accept the judgement that you will be defrocked if you are discovered to have lied during this hour?

That’s it. No need to do a cabriole around difficult questions. Undoubtably, painful action will result from this process. The permutations are many. If there have been canonical crimes committed (or any crimes for that matter), handle them accordingly but care for the victims as the first priority. The goal is to have a united American Church that genuinely gives a damn and not one subverted from within. If all that remains of the hierarchy are 12 individuals, so be it. We know what 12 apostles on fire for their faith can do and it’s magnificent.

Who best to handle the above inquiry? The Pope? God forbid, what if he’s compromised as having known about McCarrick. Anyone else in the Church? Does that person even exist? The fact that I’m asking is absolutely symptomatic of a corrupt hierarchy that has… and is… currently destroying the faith and lives of millions. I wouldn’t ask except I’ve become suspicious of all those wearing amaranth red or scarlet. Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. How sad. Nope, we need someone from the laity.

Am I worried about the walls tumbling down? Not really. Am I being too simplistic? Too radical? Too aggressive (I’m a former Marine fighter pilot, it’s in my nature)? I don’t care. Look at the results, “smart and conservative” Catholic leadership in the United States is not working. How many anguished victims with screaming souls does it take before something is done to fix the chaos? The swamp needs to be drained but the Church isn’t going anywhere. Our Lord said so and I trust in Almighty God.

The post A Marine’s Perspective On McCarrick And Corrupt Leadership first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

However, as the print has faded, so has my family. They’re all gone. And on this sunny day, for some reason I feel desolate. Disjointed. And therein is the impetus to ask why. This impulse won’t last long but I think people should revel in these opportunities to reflect. You can encounter memories long gone or blurred, many of which are precious, many of which substantiate a life worth celebrating. Your life. Ultimately, the chance we all have “to be” is pure grace. We should never forget that.

Something else about that picture. It compels me to think of my child. Gone as well. As it’s too painful to share his life and death, one of my coping mechanisms for this staggering void in my life is to imagine the two of us on a hike in the mountains. Parent and child. Talking. Questioning. Growing together. What might I say to him?

First of all, anything I might say presupposes my faith in God. He’s everything, is Truth, and through His lens (when I’m in a good place) I see the world. But in my years of meandering through space, what impressions of life have stayed with me that are worth sharing with my child? What comes to mind?

I understand why people are attracted to causes that don’t concern people whether it’s the earth, oceans, rain forests, dogs, cats, whales, art, culture and so on. I’ve certainly met my share of real stinkers over my life as we all have and it’s disheartening. But when I’m around truly inspirational individuals, which isn’t often, I’m in awe. Seek them out, your life will be enriched. Embrace them and not a tree.

Beware big egos. These people are a black hole that warp reality and drain relationships. And in time, because their focus is inward and not outward, they will negatively impact your life. Take is their moniker. Anyone whose sole purpose in life is “I” and thinks humility is weak is someone you want to put in your rear view mirror. Do it now and spare yourself the pain because it won’t be a minor cut but a major hurt.

Most of us know what is right and wrong. We tie our neurons into knots when we try to come up with an easy, safer solution or rationalize the ill-advised route. Ask yourself. When did I become such an appeaser? What specifically do I fear? Why am I open to any compromise that diminishes my humanity?
Pursuit of fame is such a crock. Goes back to the ego thing. And I hate that part of our culture that promotes it.

Life, in the purest sense, is simple … with unimagined nuance.

Life is not supposed to be fair. End of story. It’s how you navigate that uneven terrain which determines the kind of person you are.

You have a solid life foundation. I would recommend that you then trust your intuition. Draw on all those experiences, circumstances, and people you’ve encountered along the way. No need to read a book or do an elaborate, double-blind research project. React appropriately and you’ve probably made the right decision.

Satan is a perplexing element of existence, seemingly a part of reality’s scaffolding. It’s as if he’s a universal constant – like gravity. With the skill of a dancer, he moves among us. Floating. Hunting. Scoring.

Now let’s tie in free will. Thank God I’m free to hit a golf ball with my driver; I’m equally as free to hit my dog over the head with a crowbar. If God blocks my freedom – or the serial killer’s freedom – when it’s about to be unwisely exercised, am I really independent?  No, I’m not. I would be enslaved by God. So how could I possibly “choose” to love Him if He controls my choices? The genius of God’s plan is that He invites me to love Him, but I can say no. So, from my perspective, there is a God, there is a plan for our lives, and our will is free to choose between God and Satan, good and evil. This dichotomy of action should always be paramount in your thinking as you move through the days of your life.

Let’s end with a big one. Religion. They all can’t be true since some are in conflict with one another. One god or thousands? Multiple lives or one? Do’s and don’ts versus a relationship with your Creator? Resurrected founder making exclusive claims or an ethical teacher? So, some religions at their very foundation don’t accurately reflect the essence of Truth. This seems so rational but saying it can be like throwing a grenade at a 4th of July parade.

The relativist might say that all religions are valid due to the experience of the adherents. And since this “experience” is all a construct of evolved neurons doing their synaptic dance to inspire optimism – you know, for survival – religion is nothing more than a reality game. That doesn’t fly. I only have to think of miracles, Fatima for example, or those in my life to know that transcendence exists. Deciphering it is another story and I would hope that all of us feel a need to unlock the mystery. And for you dear son, I pray that key is a Catholic one. But remember, all Christians are our brothers and sisters in faith.

I’ve got other things that we should talk about. But let’s save it for our next time together.

The post Father and Son on a Mountain Trail first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

Imagine if you will a wave, like a ripple in a pond, emanating from the Tehachapi mountains in a concentric circle. The source of this wave is not an earthquake caused by tectonic movement but something even more powerful: prayer. As it flows outward and eventually envelops the world, it penetrates both the darkness and the light.

This concerted “raising of one’s mind and heart to God and the requesting of good things from God” clearly does not destroy, but just the opposite. This mystical vibration, like a heart, “pumps the sap of grace” to our fallen planet and impacts the secular blind, the spiritually lethargic, the religious myopic and even the righteous. It advocates for our eternal well-being.

Quite a force, tsunamic to my way of thinking. What is the wellspring that creates such faith? Simply put, it’s the essence of our existence, the Way, the Truth and the Life. And the nexus of this not so imaginary wave? The cloistered Norbertine Nuns of Tehachapi California, who shroud themselves in the Divine Source and strive to be part of Jesus’ Love and Work.

They do so as warrior Nuns which is not hyperbole. Their modus operandi is stealth, but you must understand that they are indeed on the front lines battling the evils of the world as soldiers of God. They are innocent as doves and cunning as serpents. They have to be, to fight the fight well. What prompts this radical vocation? They are in love with Jesus, their relentless crusade is for Him and their objective is to love as Jesus commands – for you and me and the world.
In Love – for Love – to Love.

My Objective
Let’s first start with a premise and then my objective. Premise. You either believe in a Trinitarian God and desire to do His will or you don’t. If you don’t, your particular world view will probably find the following rather out-there, medieval, superstitious, un-scientific, almost silly. But if you do believe in this great petition of Christian prayer, “Thy will be done,” you desire to unite your will to His to fulfill His plan of salvation in the life of the world.

Our province of Catholic faith starts with the here and now. But it is also beyond time and space, both supernatural and transcendental where eternity resides, and miracles are born.

Now my objective. I’m on the hunt for a miracle. The vibrant and growing community of the Norbertine Canonesses of the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph are running out of room. Just as, if not more important, their current twice-expanded chapel is still located in the property’s original early 1900’s ranch house, not a dwelling place intended for the worship and majesty of God. They need capital to grow, $12 million to be precise, for the construction of a chapel and additional wing to house the ever-expanding corps of Sisters.

Being faithful to their cloistered vocation, they seek to raise funds in a manner consistent with their hidden way of life, e.g., through their FirstFruits newsletters, their website and donate buttons, etc.; they do not organize or host fundraisers, or similar types of events. So, it’s incumbent upon this unworthy former Marine to tell you a little about them so you can investigate further if you choose. Then you can decide whether to help and participate with the graces of the Spirit so that the work of these remarkable Nuns can flourish.

Their story is riveting.

The Beginning
Founded with five Sisters in 1997, and the only community of cloistered canonesses within the Norbertine Order in the United States, their monastery began in the mountains of Tehachapi as a 4,000 square foot ranch house, since renovated to serve as their chapel and makeshift convent. Over the years, they lived and slept in three used modular trailers, which served as their dormitories, at one point twelve Sisters in one trailer, four in one room with bunk beds, with one bathroom per trailer. At an altitude of 5,400 feet, leaking ceilings,15-degree weather and snow and cold were occasional reminders that their extraordinary mission would always be replete with trials.

In time, they were eventually able to raise $3 million, that in itself a minor miracle, for phase one of their monastery expansion. Planned for forty-eight Sisters in 2010 when there were only twenty, it was completed in 2013. The result was 23,000 square feet with 2 1/2 stories. They could finally dispose of the trailers. Since then, they have continued to grow, and are now actually forty-three in number, with more young women desiring to enter. They may be at capacity this year.

Their most pressing need is a chapel as well as an adjoining wing where new Sisters will be roomed. This is phase two. The current chapel is a converted dining and living room in the original ranch house, twice expanded. Their projected budget is $12 million for the project, in large part due to the uneven terrain on which the tri-level chapel will be built. When I became aware of this crucial requirement, there were three relevant dimensions of their life I first wanted to explore.

Prayer
I will never decipher the mystery of our faith, none of us will, at least in the context of our material life. But I’m a believer, and I know that I’m required to live in a personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is called prayer. In Jesus’ life, he presents himself as our model, the perfect man, our Teacher. And through his humility he draws us to prayer because it is He who we are supposed to emulate. He is always in communication with God and often in solitude during these times of triune discourse. He removes himself from the crowds, away from the distractions and inconsequential noise. He needs to pray in the wilderness.

The other great exemplar for me regarding prayer and a committed relationship with Jesus Christ are the Sisters. Mortal like me, the comparison definitely stops there. Oftentimes my prayers need training wheels, they are a little unsteady to say the least. But do my ears hear and am I open to the spiritual depths to which God wishes to take me?

That is the key question for all of us. I struggle in this fundamental area but I’m in awe of the Norbertine Sisters who follow the Rule of St. Augustine, striving always to be of one mind and heart lifted toward God. Their ears hear, I just know it, and they are attuned to the spiritual guidance of God. They joyfully live out their canonical vocation within the monastic rhythms of liturgical prayer and contemplation, of community life and work, of silence, study and penance. And like Jesus at times, they are away from the world.

One note. Liturgical prayer has a special excellence because it is not the prayer, however sublime and elevated, of individual souls, but is the prayer that the whole Church addresses to God, in union with Jesus, her Spouse and Head. And as canonesses, the Sacred Liturgy is the raison d’etre of their life, mission and vocation.

St. Chrysostom says: “Prayer is a strong weapon, a defense, a port, and a treasure. It is a weapon sufficient to overcome every assault of the devil; it is a defense to preserve us in every danger; it is a port where we may be safe in every tempest; and it is at the same time a treasure which provides us with every good.” Every day, the Sisters live this beautiful fusion of warrior, protector, nurturer and sacred servant.

Mother Teresa wrote this about the spiritual life: “The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is peace.”

Cloistered Life

Why aren’t you out there helping people, teaching, doing something? Can’t you find a man? What are you running away from? Could you possibly live a more selfish life?

This is a life that was well understood for centuries, but not any longer. The world has become secularized beyond imagination. What is prayer? Who is God? What is grace? People don’t understand the life and mission of cloistered Nuns, the eternal value of prayer and sacrifice, that each member of Christ’s Body has a role and function, and they, like St. Therese explained so well, are like the heart, pumping the sap of grace to all the members, just like the natural heart pumps the lifeblood throughout the body.

It is a radical way of life, to be sure, but one that twenty centuries have proven is one geared to bringing the soul to a deep union with God. The Sisters are not practicing a rationalist Christianity. Everything about the cloister, about their monastic cloistered canonical life of prayer and sacrifice, about their Rule and way of life, the monastic architecture, their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, with virtually little to no compensation or consolation, is designed to bring them to the point – at a much quicker pace than you and I – where all they desire is one thing, God alone, to follow His will and carry the cross. To love Him truly with their whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and their neighbor as themselves.

St. Catherine of Siena, in her book of Dialogue with God was reproached by Him. “You cannot render me any service, but you can help your neighbor. The soul in love with my Truth gives herself no rest but searches ceaselessly to help others. You cannot give back to me myself the love I demand, but I have put you beside your neighbor so that you can do for him what you cannot do for me. What you do for your neighbor, then, I consider as being done for me.”

Living the true authentic cloistered Norbertine canonical monastic life is a daily challenge. They must always be on guard, just like the trained Green Beret in the midst of battle. There is no break. There is no vacation. The Trinity is always working; it is no accident that they are, too. And of course, so is the evil one. The truth is they are out there doing something, every second of the day … through their intense and serious life of prayer and sacrifice.

What do you do all day? Are the walls and locked gates to keep you in at night? Aren’t you bored? Don’t you get cabin fever? Do you feel forgotten?

The Sisters pray together as a community in choir throughout every day and night, seven to eight hours, including midnight Matins. The Worship of God in the Sacred Liturgy, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Seven Canonical Hours of the Liturgy of the Hours, is their life, duty and mission, on behalf of the Church. Latin and Gregorian chant, the official language and music of the Church, take pride of place in their daily liturgy. Their liturgy is not light, brief, or bland; it is full, rich and they strive to make it beautiful for God. They only have about four hours each day for work, study, and the like, which is done with utmost diligence by all the Sisters.

They do not leave the enclosure, it is their home for life except for doctor appointments, necessary business, and the unexpected. They perpetually abstain from meat, following in the footsteps of their holy founder, St. Norbert, and the great monastic tradition he embraced from the beginnings of their Order in the 12^th century.

They strive to be increasingly self-sufficient, with gardens, a small dairy working farm with livestock and of course chickens (milk, cheese and eggs for the Sisters), as well as their various means of self-support, including their little gift shop and private guest house, making priest vestments, and their annual Christmas wreath and gift box fundraiser. They are also planning a number of other exciting endeavors and I was fortunate to see some of that preparatory work on their well-organized grounds. One couldn’t help but notice the pride in workmanship everywhere.

I visited their monastery because I was compelled to observe and experience and decide for myself if these women were real. One day I helped Mother and the Sisters on one of their many ongoing projects. For the hefty part of the morning and afternoon we were pounding posts, connecting fencing and constructing gates. The sisters that were involved were on the grounds before me and after me, and the work was taxing. I was baked at the end of the day and passed out for bed before 8pm. I didn’t get up for their midnight prayers. They did. Their commitment, discipline and obvious joy is nothing short of extraordinary. Marvel and DC Comics like to think they’ve cornered the market on super heroes. They’re clueless.

St. Teresa once said to the nuns of her convents, “I want you to be strong men. For if you do what lies in your power, the Lord will make you so strong that you will astonish men.” I think I understand St. Teresa’s point. Throughout my stay at the monastery, whether observing the Sisters in prayer or at work, I was a witness to their powerful spirit, stamina and astonishing strength of character. They are clearly women of God, in the likeness and in imitation of Mary, our Blessed Mother, whom they endeavor to emulate daily.

There are four women Doctors of the Church, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Hildegard of Bingen. What was it about their cloistered life that would foster holiness, doctrinal insight and contemplative Catholic writing that is unique and authentic? Is their Saintly perspective something that is possible today? Perhaps at Tehachapi? Or does the mission of prayer and sacrifice (and the logistics of independence) consume all of a Sister’s waking moments?

Debi Hoppe, a dear friend of the Sisters, touched on this in an article she wrote for the Homiletic & Pastoral Review: “The body of knowledge these women contributed to the deposit of faith was made possible through their openness to God’s grace, and their steadfast practice of prayer. Their dedication to contemplation was enhanced by the grace they found in their darkness of faith, uncertainty, and many trials. They received this mystical wisdom through being receptive to the gift of contemplative prayer, being faithful to their specific mission, and keeping their gaze on Jesus through desolation, aridity, and misunderstanding. The source of the major renewals these women accomplished was not primarily through academic study, as these holy women received little formal education. Their ministry and evangelical efforts were the fruit of love, and faithfulness to our Church, and intense union with God.”

God calls us all to become saints, it is not optional: “Be ye therefore perfect, as also thy heavenly Father is perfect.” That will never change no matter the century. A saint emerging from Tehachapi is just as much a possibility today as it was with Hildegard of Germany in 1098 or with Therese of France in 1873. The sisters take this call seriously, for God’s honor and glory, and the salvation of souls.

What reinforces the Sisters’ commitment to this cloistered life of prayer and sacrifice? Is it some mystical intrinsic reward that a lay person would never understand? Is it simply the loving act of giving oneself to God? Are there answered prayers that point to subtle (or not so subtle) miracles? Is this the validation required to offset the pain, hardship and exaggerated little things that can periodically disrupt community life?

I asked these questions to Mother when I began to contemplate the Sisters’ life. She responded, “As the Little Flower said, ‘All is grace.’ Indeed, what is it that reinforces anyone’s commitment to do good, to keep vows to God, to keep vows of marriage, to keep a promise made? God, and His grace. Without Him we can do nothing; with Him, all things are possible.” I was also particularly struck by her comments, “We must deny the natural in order to receive the supernatural” and “We must die to self, self-indulgence, self-love, selfishness, self-focus, in all of its forms, in order to be open to Christ’s mystical wisdom and gifts, to those of the Holy Spirit.”

Our souls are not infinite vessels, only God is infinite, when we fill ourselves with selfish bad things there is no room for selfless good things. So, where best to empty oneself of the world’s superficiality and subordinate self to the mission of God?

Chapel
I remember walking on a trail in the redwood forests of northern California and unexpectedly began to cry (little tears because I’m supposed to be tough). It was so startling that I had to stop and think about it for a moment. Clearly, I was moved by the grandeur and beauty of the space but there was something more. I was confronted by creative genius – the colors, textures, light, shapes and composition were in perfect unity, here was one aspect of creation, I was another in conscious understanding, it screamed purpose, it was systematic, miracle sub universes of life were all around me, it all came from nothing – why was I thinking about this stuff now? Then I realized I was momentarily off the world’s treadmill and was free to explore these vicissitudes of thought. The place allowed for the serenity and exploration. I was untethered. I could be with God.

This is how I imagine the new chapel for the Sisters. “For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.” I want them to be inspired, liberated, to grow in fraternal life, to lift their meditations even higher. The closer they are to God, the more powerful their prayers become. A chapel to turbo boost their  mission of prayer seems like a very good thing. But most importantly, here the Son of God dwells in his sacramental presence. A cramped, converted ranch house is serving its purpose, but Jesus deserves so much more. Mother Angelica once remarked, “What bothers me is we’re satisfied with the very least for God, but only the best for us.”

Bishop Barron has written that “there is something unthreatening about the beautiful. Just look at the Sistine Chapel Ceiling or the Parthenon or Chartres Cathedral or Picasso’s ‘Guernica’; just read The Divine Comedy or Hamlet or The Wasteland; just watch Mother Teresa’s Sisters working in the slums of Calcutta or Rory McIlroy’s golf swing or the movements of a ballet dancer. All of these work a sort of alchemy in the soul, and they awaken a desire to participate, to imitate, and finally to share. Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the great advocates of the aesthetic approach to religion, said that the beautiful claims the viewer, changes him, and then sends him on mission. Of course, the Eucharist is the heart and soul of the chapel, but its beauty invites one to commune. It’s hard to resist the power of the beautiful to draw you in and change you.”

I hope that the Sisters will someday be quietly rocked by the beauty of a new chapel. Detached from the world’s noisy sleight of hand –  distraction – in a serene environment conducive to prayer they can find their still point, their center. Free of their own frenetic thinking they can contemplate our world and discover even greater Truth. With these discoveries, comprehending the world as it is, they can decrease in self and increase in God’s spirit. They know they are imperfect sinners, but they can get beyond themselves and enter into pure, encompassing prayer to nourish the Church and save souls.

This last question is one I asked for my edification.

Why are these Nuns special?

Many religious communities are dying out. It is not a coincidence that the Norbertine canonesses are burgeoning. Women, even and especially the younger ones, are drawn to this pure, authentic and true representation and living of the Catholic faith. The added benefit is the beautiful setting in the Tehachapi mountains of silence and solitude where they can live a grounded and purpose-filled life. In my humble view, they were touched by the tsunamic faith that emanates from the monastery.

This is the first and only community of cloistered Norbertine canonesses in the United States. Canonesses may be nuns (which they are), but the canonical vocation encompasses something more, as not all nuns are canonesses. In fact, few are. Nuns (like the Dominicans, Franciscans, Benedictines, Carmelites, etc.) of the ancient tradition are all devoted to prayer, and must participate in daily Mass and recite the Divine Office. But only Norbertine canonesses have the solemn and reverential celebration of the Sacred Liturgy together in choir as the core, center and heart of their vocation, being officially designated by the Church and their Constitutions for this purpose. One might assert that they, as Norbertine canonesses, are daughters of the Church in its fullest sense, for the Sacred Liturgy, that is, Holy Mass and the Divine Office, are the official public prayer of the Church.

This is out of left field but Jack Nicholson’s famous monologue in A Few Good Men made me think of the Sisters (gotta love Marine references). I’ve tweaked it for my purposes.

“People, we live in a world that has walls. Those walls are built on a foundation of secularization, narcissism, and the diminution of God. The abhorrent mortar that holds it together reeks of distraction, family disintegration, a toxic and throwaway culture, a celebrated abortive mindset, and a relativism that distorts Truth. Listen to me! The only way those walls can be dismantled is with prayer and sacrifice. Who’s gonna do it? You? Me? The Sisters have a greater responsibility than I can only possibly fathom. The world minimizes their role. You would rather not think about them. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know in my core: their mission serves the needs of our Church, the very body of Christ, and saves souls. I know you want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at polite socials, you want them attacking that wall. You need them crushing that wall. We use words like ‘faith’, ‘hope’, ‘love’, ‘charity’. We use these words as the backbone of our life as Christians. Do we mean them? Or, do we have a spine of ambivalence?”

Jack can be a little in-your-face, but I see his point. Please help our Nuns. Let’s give them a chapel worthy of our Church’s Heart. Please donate or contact them direct. And of course, the Sisters love and cherish your prayer requests. One last comment. My weekend with the Sisters was a profound one on so many levels. If at all possible, visit their site, learn about them and invite them into your lives. God bless all of you.

**Photos courtesy of the Norbertine Canonesses of Tehachapi**

The post The Hidden Warrior Nuns Of Tehachapi first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.

“Lani. Slow down! You’ve got four legs, I have two!” My beautiful black Lab can sure motor when she wants. The brick-red shale crumbles under my feet as I try to keep up. We’re hiking up a steep grade to one of our favorite vantage points. The sounds of the valley below accompany us. I can see my neighbor’s barn in the distance, a little beat up but a marvel nonetheless. Artists would love it if they could find it; within the confines of a cluttered farm, it’s out of the spotlight.

As it’s early in the Christmas season, it’s an uncommonly warm day and snow remains a stranger. But when it arrives, the newly hung festive lights on the neighbor’s ranch house and barn will reflect magically off the fresh whiteness.

I stop to catch my breath and look back to our starting point. I can see my house posing under a spectacular day. Surrounded by cottonwoods, oaks and aspens, it’s quite a sight. A picture of stone simplicity trimmed by brown-green grass, western elegance nonetheless.

Seventy-five yards in front of it, a fly fisherman scours the great serpentine creek. Big fish can be found but it will require intuition and skill.

Lani and I arrive at our destination; a rock cropping that never fails to amaze me. A frenetic coloring of gold, red, tan, grey, black and brown, the synergistic moss has sculpted itself into abstract paramecia. I sit and admire the vista. Incredible. Rolling hills in the foreground, mountains in the distance. Last season’s snow isn’t entirely vanquished from the high points as stubborn ice sheets cling to the shadows.

My breathing has calmed. “You trying to outrun a tsunami? What’s the hurry?” Lani is sitting like a Westminster show dog. Expectant. Searching.

I follow her gaze to an adjacent ridge line. Grazing cows and calves are lethargically going about their business. Below them, a flock of sheep slowly enters into view from the saddle.

“Busy place.” I do nonchalant sarcasm well.

Lani glances at me briefly and then bounds across the side hill, jumping the chokeberries and oak brush, taking aim on the ruminants. If I commanded her to stop, she wouldn’t. She’s on a quest.  I follow but lose her from sight as I scramble through higher brush. I hope she’s not expecting to play with the sheep; a gun-toting shepherd might shoot her. I reach the low ground between the ridges and trot up to the flock’s main body. Lani is nowhere to be seen.

“Lani!”

No “here-I-am” bark in response. A short distance away is a solo cottonwood. A perfect spot for shade. Perhaps she’s cooling down. As I round the tree, still peeved at my missing dog, I find her comfortably relaxing. “Doggonnit Lani.” Usually she reacts to my scolding, not now. She nods serenely to her companion resting nearby on matted grass.

“Hello. Nice to see you.” Piercing blue, sky-reflecting eyes are the mesmerizing feature of a white lamb that just greeted me warmly.

Lambs don’t have blue eyes, do they? They’re not known for conversation, either. “Exactly when did I wormhole to a parallel universe?”

“There’s only one. That should suffice, don’t you think?” The lamb said. “You doing well?”

Talking to my dog isn’t strange because it’s always a short monologue – mine. Okay, I’m all in. Let’s chat with a lamb.

“I’m doing okay.” I don’t have a lot of conviction in my voice.

The lamb is studying me. Is he wondering if I’m being truthful? He says, “I’ve been getting an update on your life.” 

An update from my dog? Paging Dr. Doolittle.

“Really? Well, I have stepped up from a trailer to a real house. With heat of all things. And a real kitchen. It’s quite charming notwithstanding the brown well water,” I said.

The lamb’s warm gaze seems to be taking an inventory of my being. “And yellow roses I understand. That has to be comforting,” he said with concern.

“Blessings are everywhere if I slow down and notice. I sometimes smile at the rose in the front yard and wonder if it reacts at the quantum level. So yes, in spite of everything, Lani and I are not lacking. I’m no-kidding poor, but I teach school on occasion, I help out some friends in town to earn a few bucks, and my body hasn’t crashed. I can’t complain.

“Subtle miracles?” he asked.

“Yes actually, if you only knew.” I’m beginning to think he does know. What’s odd, he’s using my term. I’ve always characterized subtle miracles as the wonders that filter through happenstance – only belatedly understood when connected retrospectively. Something that is beyond circumstance and clearly demonstrates God’s touch. Never the mind-blowing, heaven-rending miracle variety. Those are for Moses and Bernadette.

“I’m well aware,” he said compassionately.

The lamb and Lani exchange a knowing glance.

He is aware? How? Could an animal be an angel? Or maybe my guardian angel’s pet? No, he’s gotta be a messenger. Right?

He continues: “I wanted Lani to bring you here. There are aspects of your journey worth talking about. Why don’t you have a seat?”

A broken tree limb looks like the perfect candidate. I find a comfortable spot. A glance at Lani. “And exactly how do you guys communicate? You don’t text; is this a mind meld thing?” I flippantly remark. She gives me a look.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how would you characterize the dark moments of the last few years?” The lamb asked.

How do I take all that emotion and pain and succinctly answer? “Agonizing,” I respond.

“But you’ve become a man of strong faith, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I used to be an atheist.”

“Strength comes from meeting resistance, from overcoming obstacles. The stronger the opposition, the stronger the faith. You’ve been tested. Your faith was compelled to grow. Do you understand?” he asked.

I pensively nod.

“As clay in God’s hands, you had sharp edges, irregular form. As well as a hardened and misdirected will. You were determined to live your life as you saw fit. God, as potter, needed to remold you without breaking you. This shaping process, as you’ve learned, is arduous and time-consuming.”

“Was the hellish fire of the kiln necessary?” A bit of sarcasm in my voice.

“Every degree had its purpose.” The lamb said matter of factly.

“There were times when I wondered how much I could take.” Momentarily, I lose myself in memories not so sweet.

“You received no more or no less than what was required. And now. Has your life changed by walking with Christ?”

Such a simple question. My eyes begin to well but fortunately they’re hidden by my sunglasses. “So much of my life has been focused on empty pursuits. I guess it shouldn’t be surprising in that I was living a hollow existence. Not anymore. With Jesus, there’s fullness to my life. The chaos has been muted. The contrast of then and now is startling, thankfully so.”

“Has life become easier?”

“Problems still remain. But they’re manageable and they don’t send me into a tail spin. I’m both grounded and supported by God. I’m also at peace. I know who I am and why I’m here. There’s both solace and wisdom in that.”

“Are you happy?” he asked. This seems to be important to him.

There are eight billion types of happy. Nevertheless, I know what he’s asking. “In that I have a right relationship with God, I’m truly happy. Joyful. But I’m really not the jovial type, so my happiness is contentment.”

I pause for a moment to gather my thoughts.

“I was telling Lani that ‘all the world’s a stage’ is perhaps more insightful than Shakespeare intended. Because of my new faith, I see life as a moral drama where even ordinary events have great significance. I’m never not aware of that.”

“A sense of purpose,” the lamb said.

“Absolutely! It can be exhilarating. I tell some people I view the world through a spiritual lens. That I’m always trying to find connections to God’s plan. At times, I succeed.”

The lamb gets up from the grass and walks to the trunk of the cottonwood. He peers around it to check on his charges. Content that their grazing is as it should be, he returns to his resting spot. “Despair, cynicism, frustration. Are they still a stumbling block for you?” he asked.

“I may have a little regression now and then but never the all-out wars of before. Life can be unfair. Sure. But if you live in the shadow of eternity, this life isn’t the only life.”

“So does your life on earth have less meaning because you anticipate the hereafter?” He knows the answer.

“Not at all. The way I live my life has extraordinary consequences. It determines what my eternal fate will be. There are no throwaway days.”

“You couldn’t be wrong about this, could you? Perhaps guilty of wishful thinking? In much of the culture, Christianity is seen as a convenient coping mechanism.”

Is he really playing devil’s advocate? Of course I’ve heard this criticism. I would love to get in the heads of those people who espouse it. What are they afraid of? Are they worried about a disruption of their lives? A surrender of so-called freedom?

“Maybe I daydream too much and perhaps I’m prone to over analyze things. However, I’ve been able to embrace Christianity’s claims about God and the nature of reality with absolute conviction. They make sense to me. Their reasoned clarity never fails to impress. But don’t take my word on their truthfulness. Brilliant erudition through the ages attests to those truths. As well as some of the greatest scientific discoveries.”

The lamb stands and walks toward me. Stopping, nose to nose, care and love pouring from his eyes, he asks, “You mentioned daydreams. What about your nightmares?”

Wow, a mind reader too. As I try to remember the last one, I realize that my nights have been undisturbed for some time. Interesting.

“They just kind of stopped,” I said.

“I’m delighted. What about your loneliness?”

I have this overwhelming sense that he wants assurance. An acknowledgement that I trust God and that I’ve indeed surrendered my life to Him.

“Thankfully, I’m beyond that­­ – I have a relationship with God. I trust and accept His will completely. And unlike all the other relationships in my life that have their own tidal currents, my bond with Him is permanent, glorious and faithful. And He’s forgiven me. For the pain I’ve caused, for my inimitable pride and for all the other sins I’ve committed.”

I’ve been reluctant to share these thoughts but giving them life in words is calming. I smile.

“Are you ever upset by the mysterious ways of God?” he asked.

I would love insider information, but it’s not in the cards. “If I consider the mystery of suffering, even mine, or death for example, intellectually I can understand them as part of God’s plan. But when I’m confronted with either one, well, it knocks me for a loop. However, I trust there are reasons and God is the only one that has the script. That’s okay with me.”

“You wanted to be a good man. Are you?” he asked.

“Not for me to say but I’m always trying to be a better person. Not because I have to but because I want to although it’s not easy. That’s what God intended. Love Him and love my neighbor, which is the thrust of the Ten Commandments. Liberating truths that free us from the slavery of immorality.”

Sounds from the flock interrupt our conversation. The lamb looks over at Lani, then to the sheep and back to me. “I think it’s time. My drove is on the move and I’m the designated shepherd. I want you to know I’m pleased with you. It appears I can worry less.”

The lamb begins to walk toward the other sheep. As he approaches a lone flower, he hesitates for a moment to take in its fragrance and then turns and looks at me with his big blues. “God loves you beyond measure. We all do.” He nods his head slightly and continues on his way.

Lani and I both stand and watch him. Regal, this one.

I look back at Lani and say, “And that was…”

I swear my dog is smiling.

“C’mon kiddo, you can tell me. Was that just a lamb or did something beyond epic just happen? We know I don’t do LSD so could I have been talking to God’s proxy?” A reverential drop to my knees seems in order. Then out of nowhere, I yell in the Lamb’s direction, “Merry Christmas!” And instantly felt like a total goof.

The vortex from Lani’s wagging tail could blow a house down. And then she starts toward the saddle and distances herself from me immediately. So athletic and quick – she’s almost doing cartwheels. Suddenly, she skids to a stop and looks back at me with incredible affection, her eyes sparkling. It’s an extraordinary moment­­ – as if our love and companionship has been compressed into a singularity of infinite value. Then, with irrepressible joy, she turns and races for home.

I follow at a leisurely pace.

So many years ago, like a kid in a sandbox, I played in the clouds. Only today do I appreciate the sublime graces I experienced. It was as though God threw white fluffy lamb’s wool into the sky just for me; misty cumulus forms that reached for my body. I was alone in my jet, alone over the Pacific and except for ocean and sky, not anyone or anything could be seen. I could have been the only person on earth. It wasn’t frightening or intimidating. It was intoxicating. I felt important, unique, as if I were given an honor.

God was presenting the world to me.

I had forgotten those moments, they were lost in a faithless life. Blinkers must have been part of my uniform, because I just didn’t see. Yet, the awesome double joy of embracing Him in my darkness and talking to a lamb has been rediscovery and clarity. Although it seems everything has changed for the worse, that’s just a superficial perspective. Many things haven’t changed. I’m as unique now as I was floating among the angels. Loved now as I was loved then as He cradled me in His palms over the vast blue. And my life, the world, gifts from God, are still to be treasured.

The post My Christmas Legend first appeared on MARCUS ALLEN STEELE.