Comments on: My Final Post for 2009 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/ Musings from Prison of a Priest Falsely Accused Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:33:26 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Jim McMahan http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-612 Jim McMahan Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:14:40 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-612 Dear Father Mac, You are in my prayers. May GOD'S Holy Will be done. Thank you for your Priesthood and your continued reaching out for souls for GOD. You are giving "all " in order to follow Christ. With Saint Faustina we can all declare; JESUS I trust in You. Jim Dear Father Mac,

You are in my prayers. May GOD’S Holy Will be done. Thank you for your Priesthood and your continued reaching out for souls for GOD. You are giving “all ” in order to follow Christ.

With Saint Faustina we can all declare; JESUS I trust in You.

Jim

]]> By: Sharon http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-443 Sharon Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:05:26 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-443 I am sending the following note and the link to the Dark Night of a Priestly Soul, to many people on my email list, to publishers, authors, priests and relatives. If any of you want to copy my note and add the link to Father's article and send it to those that you know, you have my permission. This article is important to read for priests and laity alike. Sharon "It's a New Year! Time to consider making changes in my life. I already know from New Years past, that distractions and busyness can "undo" my new decisions and new goals. Patterns of thinking and living sure seem "immune" to serious ongoing change. But there have been occasions when my habits and thoughts have taken a dramatic turn with little effort at all because of a strong inspiration that has come my way. This has usually been through prayer, or through something I have heard or read. When the word of God enters the soul like lightning, it tends to penetrate past the normal barriers of entrenched beliefs in our deeper self. We see things in a "new" way, we extend mercy and understanding without effort and our commitment to love God and our neighbor has a new zest. Below is such an article that has affected me deeply in the way I just described. It was posted just as this New Year was beginning, December 29, 2009. I share it with you. Happy New Year. " Sharon Please click this link to find <a href="http://www.priestsincrisis.com/blog/abuse-scandal/the-dark-night-of-a-priestly-soul-by-fr-gordon-j-macrae/" rel="nofollow">Dark Night of a Priestly Soul on Priests in Crisis</a>. I am sending the following note and the link to the Dark Night of a Priestly Soul, to many people on my email list, to publishers, authors, priests and relatives. If any of you want to copy my note and add the link to Father’s article and send it to those that you know, you have my permission. This article is important to read for priests and laity alike. Sharon

“It’s a New Year! Time to consider making changes in my life. I already know from New Years past, that distractions and busyness can “undo” my new decisions and new goals. Patterns of thinking and living sure seem “immune” to serious ongoing change. But there have been occasions when my habits and thoughts have taken a dramatic turn with little effort at all because of a strong inspiration that has come my way. This has usually been through prayer, or through something I have heard or read. When the word of God enters the soul like lightning, it tends to penetrate past the normal barriers of entrenched beliefs in our deeper self. We see things in a “new” way, we extend mercy and understanding without effort and our commitment to love God and our neighbor has a new zest. Below is such an article that has affected me deeply in the way I just described. It was posted just as this New Year was beginning, December 29, 2009. I share it with you. Happy New Year. ” Sharon

Please click this link to find Dark Night of a Priestly Soul on Priests in Crisis.

]]> By: Father Edward Joseph http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-437 Father Edward Joseph Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:04:20 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-437 Father Gordon: My prayers are for you as we begin this New Year on the beautiful feast of Mary, the Mother of God. I just completed a family dinner and New Year's celebration with 20 members of my immediate family. Dad is newly diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, as was my aunt recently. In my chapel tonight I looked at the Cross and contemplated the terrible suffering of husbands and wives who lose their spouses to this terrible disease, and looking at Jesus on the Cross seemed to help. As you endure your suffering, I believe that you are on the Cross with Jesus, and that He will use your suffering for the sanctification of others, hopefully for priests. God bless you, Father Father Gordon:
My prayers are for you as we begin this New Year on the beautiful feast of Mary, the Mother of God.

I just completed a family dinner and New Year’s celebration with 20 members of my immediate family. Dad is newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, as was my aunt recently. In my chapel tonight I looked at the Cross and contemplated the terrible suffering of husbands and wives who lose their spouses to this terrible disease, and looking at Jesus on the Cross seemed to help.

As you endure your suffering, I believe that you are on the Cross with Jesus, and that He will use your suffering for the sanctification of others, hopefully for priests.

God bless you, Father

]]> By: Mary Elizabeth F. http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-436 Mary Elizabeth F. Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:36:19 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-436 Fr. Gordon, Your writings are so very poignant and touching. My heart aches for you and for all our priests who despaired and lost hope. I wish I could do much more for you. Yes, I pray and offer up little sacrifices and visit the Blessed Sacrament, but I wish I could do something more. I have written to newspapers before and responded to unfair reports about priests and bishops. I have been personally thanked by other laity for doing so. I think that we as laity have a great challenge before us now. We must stand up, call, write, organize and get after defending our priests and their rights. Who else will do this? We cannot stand silently by and watch Christ crucified again and again without speaking up for Him and His priests. I pray God will give me courage to do more than I have. I pray I will take this challenge seriously and do all that I can to make this injustice known. Please keep praying for us Father. You need us, and we need you. Thank you again Fr. Gordon for your posts and for your ministry. I pray for you daily, and I hope that someday you will be exonerated and once again live your vocation in freedom. And I will pray for dear Fr. Lower and all priests who lost hope and took their lives. I cannot imagine their despair, but our loving heavenly Father understands and loves them. God bless you. A blessed Christmas season and new year to you Father. Fr. Gordon,

Your writings are so very poignant and touching. My heart aches for you and for all our priests who despaired and lost hope.

I wish I could do much more for you. Yes, I pray and offer up little sacrifices and visit the Blessed Sacrament, but I wish I could do something more. I have written to newspapers before and responded to unfair reports about priests and bishops. I have been personally thanked by other laity for doing so.

I think that we as laity have a great challenge before us now. We must stand up, call, write, organize and get after defending our priests and their rights. Who else will do this? We cannot stand silently by and watch Christ crucified again and again without speaking up for Him and His priests.
I pray God will give me courage to do more than I have. I pray I will take this challenge seriously and do all that I can to make this injustice known. Please keep praying for us Father. You need us, and we need you.

Thank you again Fr. Gordon for your posts and for your ministry. I pray for you daily, and I hope that someday you will be exonerated and once again live your vocation in freedom. And I will pray for dear Fr. Lower and all priests who lost hope and took their lives. I cannot imagine their despair, but our loving heavenly Father understands and loves them. God bless you.

A blessed Christmas season and new year to you Father.

]]> By: Rev. Arthur Joseph http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-435 Rev. Arthur Joseph Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:48:31 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-435 My dear brother Priest, Father Gordon, first thank-you for the personal note and especially thank-you for witnessing so powerfully to everyone, in particular suffering priests. May Our Lady of Hope be with you now and throughout the coming year, and may She remind you of the countless souls you help with your life of witness and prayer. Fr. Joseph My dear brother Priest, Father Gordon, first thank-you for the personal note and especially thank-you for witnessing so powerfully to everyone, in particular suffering priests.

May Our Lady of Hope be with you now and throughout the coming year, and may She remind you of the countless souls you help with your life of witness and prayer.

Fr. Joseph

]]> By: DMNPM http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-432 DMNPM Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:09:57 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-432 Dear FR Gordon, I send you Christmas greetings, may the New Year bring you Peace. You were placed at the crech scene at the mass for Christmas. May the little infant Jesus give you a song for your heart. After reading your blog I was very aware at table how blessed we are to be able to celebrate and eat and drink and how unaware we are of those who suffer from no food or drink. You have opened my eyes and I hope to do something for God. Thank you for this blessing, Denise PS Happy New Year Father Dear FR Gordon,
I send you Christmas greetings, may the New Year bring you Peace. You were placed at the crech scene at the mass for Christmas. May the little infant Jesus give you a song for your heart. After reading your blog I was very aware at table how blessed we are to be able to celebrate and eat and drink and how unaware we are of those who suffer from no food or drink. You have opened my eyes and I hope to do something for God. Thank you for this blessing, Denise

PS Happy New Year Father

]]> By: Rochelle Dennis http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-431 Rochelle Dennis Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:08:51 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-431 Dear Father MacRae, A very moving and enlightening account of the plight that awaits anyone who is unfortunate enough to find themselves in this type of situation rightly or wrongly. Maybe it is time for the Church to take an active role in providing lodging and essentials for priests who find themselves in similar circumstances, especially while they await the outcome of any accusations. People have been know to do many things that are wrong to accomplish goods or money. So it is not surprising that people can justify taking away a good person's name and welfare. Some people have claimed to be abused by brothers or priests in institutions that are Catholic and where they did not even attend. We need to pray more and get back to the practice of Holy Hours. Sincerely, rdennis Dear Father MacRae,

A very moving and enlightening account of the plight that awaits anyone who is unfortunate enough to find themselves in this type of situation rightly or wrongly.

Maybe it is time for the Church to take an active role in providing lodging and essentials for priests who find themselves in similar circumstances, especially while they await the outcome of any accusations.

People have been know to do many things that are wrong to accomplish goods or money. So it is not surprising that people can justify taking away a good person’s name and welfare. Some people have claimed to be abused by brothers or priests in institutions that are Catholic and where they did not even attend.

We need to pray more and get back to the practice of Holy Hours.

Sincerely,

rdennis

]]> By: Esther http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-430 Esther Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:42:49 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-430 Dear Father: What a tragic story about Father Lower! What can we do to help the priests, other than prayers? God bless, Esther Dear Father:

What a tragic story about Father Lower! What can we do to help the priests, other than prayers?

God bless,
Esther

]]> By: Regina http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-429 Regina Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:53:32 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-429 Dear Father Gordon- oh, how my heart goes out to you and to Fr. Lower and to all priests falsely accused... and to think any good priest might be accused, at any moment, with no rights... it makes my heart sick. It can make one lose all hope- But I know Mary is here watching over all her sons- her Son knows exactly what each priest is going through- and that there are people seeking justice for you and for all priests. I can only hope the coming year brings hope with it... All my prayers, Fr.- and I remember you at every Sacrifice of the Mass. Dear Father Gordon- oh, how my heart goes out to you and to Fr. Lower and to all priests falsely accused… and to think any good priest might be accused, at any moment, with no rights… it makes my heart sick. It can make one lose all hope-

But I know Mary is here watching over all her sons- her Son knows exactly what each priest is going through- and that there are people seeking justice for you and for all priests.

I can only hope the coming year brings hope with it…

All my prayers, Fr.- and I remember you at every Sacrifice of the Mass.

]]> By: Anne http://www.thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/my-final-post-for-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-428 Anne Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:17:53 +0000 http://www.thesestonewalls.com/?p=1088#comment-428 Fr. McRae, I thank you for sharing this tragic story with so much heartfelt love and compassion. I recently attended a funeral for my friend's husband who committed suicide. So many people were saying that he was extremely selfish to take his own life and leave his wife and children. I only saw a man who was in tremendous agony and would do anything to stop the pain. It was so sad! I pray daily for all priests. I thank you for the courage to write this blog and to continue to serve the Lord in prison. You are a blessing to so many. Fr. McRae,

I thank you for sharing this tragic story with so much heartfelt love and compassion. I recently attended a funeral for my friend’s husband who committed suicide. So many people were saying that he was extremely selfish to take his own life and leave his wife and children. I only saw a man who was in tremendous agony and would do anything to stop the pain. It was so sad!

I pray daily for all priests. I thank you for the courage to write this blog and to continue to serve the Lord in prison. You are a blessing to so many.

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