Light Life Love NOW!

J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*

“Light, Life, Love” Those three haloed words eternally bound to the Paschal Mystery of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ beckon us to shine like Him, to live like Him and to love—even unto death—like Him.

They are our rallying cry to radiate true light to combat the darkness of this forsaken age, to inspire true hope in a future lived for and in God, and to foster true love that willingly offers itself up, so that others may have life.

As the Pro-life spectacle in the United States turns from very bad to even worse, we must seize this opportunity to claim the high ground, for it appears our time is short.  We must provide all Christian soldiers with a centering ethic, a battle cry and a glorious flag to wave. We must be united in a common cause and witness to a common destiny.  We must try with all our might to teach without teaching, to chastise without chastising, and most importantly, to love those whose hate is persecuting Christ and His Church here on earth.

St. Paul the Evangelist bore witness to the fasces of Light, Life, Love.  His enduring legacy is clearly evidenced in sacred scripture.  While this epitaph might not have been packaged as such, it is hard to deny the triangle of truisms that drove St. Paul all the way to Rome, to his three fount martyrdom outside the walls.

Witness his most powerful light-filled conversion encounter with Jesus Christ:

As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”  And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting… Acts 9:3-5

Ponder what is arguably his most profound utterance of existential being, his new-found life:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Gal 2:20

Try as you will to emulate his most eloquent, poetic, brilliant description of human love:

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… 1Cor 13:4-8

In 2 Corinthians 13, St. Paul appears to be answering our call for a fearless leader to rally a massed faithful remnant of today’s Church:

This will be the third time I am coming to you…Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.  For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong.  And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.  Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction. Finally, brethren, farewell.  Become complete.  Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Come St. Paul!

NOTE:  General Douglas MacArthur completes his famous Duty, Honor Country speech with these inspired words about the American soldier/ leader.  They seem to exemplify the life of St. Paul and we might do well to ponder them as we face a most uncertain future in this one time land of the free and home of the brave.

But when I think of his patience in adversity of his courage under fire and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues and by his achievements.

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,
Mike Rizzio

Imitate Mary
Become like Jesus
Live for the Triune God

Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ
See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph;
O Beata Trinitas;
St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael