Tracy Turner

St. Francis and the Birds

May 21, 2013 in Ponderings

I had mentioned in a recent post of my devotion to St. Francis of Assisi. I have always loved the outdoors, dogs, birds and all of God’s wonderful flora and fauna. We have several bird feeders and houses around our property and a day doesn’t go by that I’m not standing, watching them feed and keeping check on the amount of food in the feeders. It drives me nuts to see an empty bird feeder. Today was one of those days. I watched as several cardinals flew in and landed on the feeders and flew away because they were empty. I checked on the seed supply and low and behold we are out. We had some stale bread in the breadbox, so I took it over to the feeding area and crumbled it up around the tree that holds some of the feeders. I was feeling pretty good about the situation until I looked out the window to see our Cocker Spaniel over there making lunch of my makeshift bird feed.

Empty feedersOne of the most interesting stories I have heard of St. Francis is the one where he preaches to the birds. Francis and his companions were making a trip through the Spoleto Valley near the town of Bevagna. Father Francis spotted a huge number of birds. These were not just of one variety. There were crows, doves, cardinals, etc. Francis became enchanted with them and wandered away from his friends for a moment to pay them a visit. He expected them to scurry off in the air as they usually did, but this time was different. Instead, they waited patiently for him and as he begin to speak they remained quietly in the area not moving.
This brought about a sense of awe to St. Francis and he said to them: “My brother and sister birds, you should praise your Creator and always love him. He gave you feathers for clothes, wings to fly and all other things that you need. It is God who made you noble among all creatures, making your home in thin, pure air. Without sowing or reaping, you receive God’s guidance and protection.”

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Tracy Turner

Pope Unlocks New Missio app

May 18, 2013 in Ponderings

I love gadgets and new technology. Anyone who has been around me for the last few decades know this and are always asking me questions on the latest new toys to hit the market. I was “one of”, if not the “first” person to have an internet account in Harlan. It was a dial up account on a toll free number and compared to today’s technology was slower that smoke from a pipe. Times have changed and technology has gripped the world. Internet speeds are now supersonic.

When I first opted for a smart phone, I chose the android and was amazed at all the things one could do with a phone, other than make a call. As the years rolled by, a lot of my friends started buying the Iphone and I had always made the comment that I would never own one. Just a short few months ago I backed down on that idea when a friend offered to sell me his new Iphone 5 at a fantastic price. I was ready to get a new phone anyway, so thought “What the heck?” I will just see what all this fuss is about. I have to be honest, I love it! It’s super fast, very seldom if ever hangs and there are so many interesting apps available for the Iphone now.

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Tracy Turner

Mothers Day

May 12, 2013 in Ponderings

MAria

 

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

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Tracy Turner

Judge Drops Murder Charge of 25-27 Week Baby Whose Leg “Jerked”

April 24, 2013 in Ponderings

Kermitt Gosnell

How much have you heard about the Kermit Gosnell murder trial in mainstream media lately?  Not much I suppose.  Why is that?  We as Christians should be outraged not only of what is happening but for the fact that major networks are not picking up on this and letting the public know how our judges are reacting to outright cases of murder.
Today, the judge in the case reinstated one murder charge for killing a newborn infant but another charge – for Baby F – was dropped!
I was outraged when I first heard of this.  A grand jury’s report along with testimony in the trial of the abortion practitioner indicates that “Baby F’” jerked her leg before her spinal cord was severed by Gosnell.

Steven Massoff, an unlicensed medical school graduate who assisted Gosnell in the so called abortion testified that he actually saw the baby’s leg “jerk and move” before it’s life was ended.  We are talking about a 25 to 27 week old child.
The murder charge that was dropped according to reports was because the prosecution wasn’t able to obtain enough evidence for a conviction, partly because Gosnell and his staff destroyed evidence.  “We believe, given the manner in which Gosnell operated, that he killed the vast majority of babies that he aborted after 24 weeks,” the report indicated. “We cannot, however, recommend murder charges for all of these cases. In order to constitute murder, the act must involve a baby who was born alive. Because files were falsified or removed from the facility and possibly destroyed, we cannot substantiate all of the individual cases in which charges might otherwise have resulted.”
This, following a grand jury report that recommended murder charges in this instance.

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Tracy Turner

Popes Resemblence to my Father

April 24, 2013 in Ponderings

Pope Fancis and Walter Turner

When the new Pope stepped out on the balcony March 13, I felt an immediate connection.  There was just something there that tugged at my heart.  After a few minutes of listening to him, I knew what it was.  His resemblance to my own father, Walter Turner is remarkable as you can see in the photograph.   Dad passed away in 2007 and with his passing, a very important part of my life went to cherished memories.  Pope Francis has a mild voice that too reminds me of my father. I speak not a word of Italian and very little Latin, but when the Pope preaches, I am captivated by his words.   He has brought about a sense of spiritual renewal to me.  Not unlike the Saint, whom our Holy Father took his name, I too have a deep devotion to animals and nature.  My dad was also very fond of nature.    Dad was a very spiritual man who prayed daily.  I can recall the little makeshift altar he constructed in the walk-in closet of his bedroom.  Many an evening, I remember hearing the mumblings coming from that closet as Dad offered up his adoration to the Almighty God.   Mealtimes always began in prayer too.  No one was to take a bite of anything until Dad said the blessing.  I feel very fortunate to have been brought up in an environment like that.  I am reminded daily, in my job, of those children who aren’t as fortunate.

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Tracy Turner

Gay Marriage Supporters Using a Smoke Screen

April 18, 2013 in Ponderings

The US Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling on same sex marriage in July of this year. It’s interesting to say the least that proponents of gay marriage are using a smoke screen of sorts to get their message attention.  One of the two cases it heard concerned Proposition 8, California’s state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.  Attorneys Ted Olsen and David Boies have brought up objections for two same-sex couples who are seeking to overturn that amendment in that “this court has never conditioned the right to marry on the ability to procreate.”  No, it hasn’t!  The ability to wed has never been made contingent on the ability to procreate. US District Chief Judge Vaugh R. Walker stated in the Perry vs. Schwarzenegger case back in 2010 that the ability to have children has never been a prerequisite for granting marriage licenses to heterosexual couples.

I am trying hard to understand the relevance of this procreation point to the case.  Why are they making this the center stage for their argument against exclusively heterosexual marriage?  Smoke starts to fill the air when we look at the gay marriage movement and their use of infertility as an attempt to push forward by pointing out that if infertile heterosexual couples can wed, then the ability to procreate can’t be essential to marriage.  Therefore, they contend that homosexuals should be permitted to wed.  This doesn’t hold water.  Their argument will only work if there is no distinction between an infertile heterosexual couple and the infertility of gay relations.  To simplify, all infertile couples would have to be equal. They aren’t.  Heterosexual relations are sterile only by accident.  Gay relations are sterile by nature. Objects or acts which can not procreate are not considered infertile just because they can not create life.  This is nature that God has created. God did not create a man to procreate with a man nor a woman to procreate with a woman. It’s not difficult to understand.
Sodomy by its very nature is sinful. In Gen. 19:24-28 – the Lord rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah as punishment for the sin of homosexuality. Homosexuality perverts God’s covenant with humanity.  In 2 Pet 2:6-10 Peter also provides evidence that the Sodomites were guilty of homosexuality.  He states that God condemned them for “licentiousness” and “lust of defiling passion”.  That’s where we get the title “Sodomite” for a homosexual.
I agree totally with Cardinal Timothy Dolan in that we as Catholics should not use this as an act of striking out against gays and lesbians.  We do not condone their sexual preference, but we need to provide a method of reaching out to them in compassion.  Who are we to change God’s view of something He has condemned?

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Tracy Turner

Saturday’s Vigil at the Tomb

March 27, 2013 in Ponderings

Virgin Mary

It’s official liturgical name is Sabbatum Sanctum.  Saturday, March 30th, 2013 is a sacred day.  It should be one of the most calm and quiet days of the Church year, one broken by no liturgical function at all.  On this day, our Lord and Savior lies in the grave while the church sits and mourns.  The great battle has been fought and He is at peace in the tomb.  We can see the scars of his agony… Still visible are the mortal wounds.  His enemies are all the while working furiously to wipe out the memory of the Lord with slander and lies.
Our Savior’s mother and the disciples have been overtaken with grief, while the Church must sadly accept that too many of her children return home from the place of the skull with a cold and hardened heart.

Tradition gives us that the whole body of the Church is represented in Mary.  She is called the “credentium collectio universa“.  Therefore, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as she sits near the tomb of her son, is an icon of the Virgin Church who waits for the celebration of His resurrection.

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Tracy Turner

Popes Bring Different Gifts to Papacy

March 23, 2013 in Ponderings

Francis and Benedict

Many of us have not lived through a large variety of popes.  Suddenly, within a span of eight years we have went through three and with Pope Benedict retiring, there are lots of Catholics who are having a difficult time accepting Pope Francis.

For those struggling with accepting our new Holy Father, we need to remember that in the divine economy, all the saints have had various parts to play in line with their own personalities and characteristics. In the words of St. Therese of Lisieux “How different are the variety of ways through which the Lord leads souls!  Souls are as different as faces!”  We could compare the variety of saints to how God has created our world.  We have various flowers, trees and shrubs as well as different birds, bees and animals.  If we look closely at the saints, we can gain an understanding of God’s unique way of working the world.  If we look at St. Francis and St. Benedict we begin to see how Pope Francis and Pope Benedict complement each other.

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