Bob Mitchell

December 20, 2020 at 5:25 am

I just came across your broadcast “Take Us to Jail” of November 19, 2020. I agree the lay have a pro-active role in the Church. I wrote to our new pastor about ending registration to participate indoor Mass. I told him I could not be a member of a parish that required reservations to be with God, worship Him, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. I asked him if he thought doing this in the first 300 years of the Church would’ve made sense. I said that were they so virulent in combatting the rumors of abuse which most certainly had been traveling around our Diocese as they were about a disease which has a 98.7% survival rate what a strong Church we would have. I told him how my mother reminded us often that the road to hell was paved with good intentions and was concerned as to how many paving stones he had added to that road. And I closed with a request to keep me in his prayers as he would be kept in mine. 3 days went by without even acknowledging receipt of the letter. On the 4th day I received my monthly envelope package. I sent an email telling the Church to remove me from its rolls and cancel my envelopes. To that I got a reply not to reconsider but to advise my request was fulfilled. So, they would rather be rid of someone who calls them on their apostasy than respond to the parishioner’s grave concerns. In a video by Bishop Barron he talked about emails and letters that he received regarding a statement he made. He spoke about how individuals called him a coward and how such action was calumny. It caused me to think that perhaps I speak out too strongly. But the calumny is not that he was called a coward or that any bishop earns the title “coward” by their public actions and words. The real calumny is the actions of some bishops which are in fact cowardly or done with a misguided notion or to avoid accountability or rocking the boat. The same is true of pastors, priests and the lay people. I practiced law for over 20 years and managed peoples investments. I was deeply involved in politics in my area at all levels, state and federal, since my undergraduate days. I know how thin the veneer of civilization is. I pray that these bishops wake up to the threat against their immortal souls for not only are they held accountable for not just their sins of commission but omissions and the souls led a stray on their account. What a frighteningly heavy cross they voluntarily assumed by accepting the position of bishop. Yet so many believe, explicitly or implicitly, only in the worldly, as if there were no Heaven and Hell for eternity. However, we cannot expect God to show mercy. He is not bound by His mercy to award it to you like a participation trophy in youth sports. He chooses to be bound by our acceptance or rejection of Him. We are held accountable individually for what we do or don’t do. In the United States, with all the resources available today respecting Church Doctrine and the ease of access, there will be no one who can say, “I messed up Lord because my bishop or my priest or my RCIA instructor…never told me and, therefore, I was led astray not of my own choice.” Where learning the Faith is easier than ever in my 60 short years, literally at your fingertips 24/7, we will be called to answer for our intentional ignorance, in that I have no doubt. I was a terrible sinner and still play the sinner well unfortunately. I pray that I make it to Purgatory. But just because I acted contrarily to God’s Desire doesn’t mean that what I say is voided. I knew the choices I made and where they fell. We all make choices. The worse choices we make are the ones that keep us in the favor of the “popular crowd” or the latest hashtag this or that. Ignorance is no defense under the law and it certainly, in our information age, will not be a defense for the Baptized. So, play your role. Write your letters to your bishop and pastor respecting your concerns. Be polite yet firm. Be rational yet uncompromising regarding God’s truth. Use strong language when you deem it appropriate but in a manner that is compassionate and not radio talk show mean. Ask them if they think you’re wrong and why they think that way. Appeal to their obligation to teach. How can this be…. when the Catechism of the Catholic Church says this? Be sincere in tone. Try to open a dialogue but don’t be frustrated if you get the kind of treatment I recently described at the opening. You played your role out towards your fate. The other side’s free-will-choice decides their fate. Always end by asking for their prayers and assuring them of yours. You cannot control the emotional response of another but you can establish boundaries against which others in looking at both responses can evaluate who acted most fairly, most like Christ. When I was in seminary, I had the great fortune to live with a wise priest whom I shared meals with and many discussions. He told me many important things but the one thing that sticks in my mind the most is his telling me, “Unless we pray for the sinner, the soil will never become sweet enough to grow saints.” We are all sinners. We are all human. We all make bad choices, some knowingly, some because we get bad input. When we realize the error of our choice, we must act to correct it and not look for people to blame. The opening Psalm in the Divine Office daily is Psalm 95. All priest and deacons are required to say the Office daily but lay people are permitted to pray it. So, the opening pep talk to priests and deacons every day ends with “Forty years I endured that generation. I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My anger, ‘They shall not enter into My rest.'” Certainly not a Knut Rockne style pregame pep talk to get you all fired up to face the world. But a very sobering one, especially if you’re like me looking back on over 40 years of being one whose heart went astray often. But one that certainly drives home the obligation of personal responsibility for knowing and understanding the Faith, God’s Ways. Play your role appropriately and you just might get to hear what we all hope to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Please pray for me and mine. Count on my prayers for you and yours. Peace, Bob

3 thoughts on “Ivan Prayer Group Tonight June 17, 2011”

Bob Mitchell
December 20, 2020 at 5:25 am

I just came across your broadcast “Take Us to Jail” of November 19, 2020. I agree the lay have a pro-active role in the Church. I wrote to our new pastor about ending registration to participate indoor Mass. I told him I could not be a member of a parish that required reservations to be with God, worship Him, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. I asked him if he thought doing this in the first 300 years of the Church would’ve made sense. I said that were they so virulent in combatting the rumors of abuse which most certainly had been traveling around our Diocese as they were about a disease which has a 98.7% survival rate what a strong Church we would have. I told him how my mother reminded us often that the road to hell was paved with good intentions and was concerned as to how many paving stones he had added to that road. And I closed with a request to keep me in his prayers as he would be kept in mine. 3 days went by without even acknowledging receipt of the letter. On the 4th day I received my monthly envelope package. I sent an email telling the Church to remove me from its rolls and cancel my envelopes. To that I got a reply not to reconsider but to advise my request was fulfilled. So, they would rather be rid of someone who calls them on their apostasy than respond to the parishioner’s grave concerns. In a video by Bishop Barron he talked about emails and letters that he received regarding a statement he made. He spoke about how individuals called him a coward and how such action was calumny. It caused me to think that perhaps I speak out too strongly. But the calumny is not that he was called a coward or that any bishop earns the title “coward” by their public actions and words. The real calumny is the actions of some bishops which are in fact cowardly or done with a misguided notion or to avoid accountability or rocking the boat. The same is true of pastors, priests and the lay people. I practiced law for over 20 years and managed peoples investments. I was deeply involved in politics in my area at all levels, state and federal, since my undergraduate days. I know how thin the veneer of civilization is. I pray that these bishops wake up to the threat against their immortal souls for not only are they held accountable for not just their sins of commission but omissions and the souls led a stray on their account. What a frighteningly heavy cross they voluntarily assumed by accepting the position of bishop. Yet so many believe, explicitly or implicitly, only in the worldly, as if there were no Heaven and Hell for eternity. However, we cannot expect God to show mercy. He is not bound by His mercy to award it to you like a participation trophy in youth sports. He chooses to be bound by our acceptance or rejection of Him. We are held accountable individually for what we do or don’t do. In the United States, with all the resources available today respecting Church Doctrine and the ease of access, there will be no one who can say, “I messed up Lord because my bishop or my priest or my RCIA instructor…never told me and, therefore, I was led astray not of my own choice.” Where learning the Faith is easier than ever in my 60 short years, literally at your fingertips 24/7, we will be called to answer for our intentional ignorance, in that I have no doubt. I was a terrible sinner and still play the sinner well unfortunately. I pray that I make it to Purgatory. But just because I acted contrarily to God’s Desire doesn’t mean that what I say is voided. I knew the choices I made and where they fell. We all make choices. The worse choices we make are the ones that keep us in the favor of the “popular crowd” or the latest hashtag this or that. Ignorance is no defense under the law and it certainly, in our information age, will not be a defense for the Baptized. So, play your role. Write your letters to your bishop and pastor respecting your concerns. Be polite yet firm. Be rational yet uncompromising regarding God’s truth. Use strong language when you deem it appropriate but in a manner that is compassionate and not radio talk show mean. Ask them if they think you’re wrong and why they think that way. Appeal to their obligation to teach. How can this be…. when the Catechism of the Catholic Church says this? Be sincere in tone. Try to open a dialogue but don’t be frustrated if you get the kind of treatment I recently described at the opening. You played your role out towards your fate. The other side’s free-will-choice decides their fate. Always end by asking for their prayers and assuring them of yours. You cannot control the emotional response of another but you can establish boundaries against which others in looking at both responses can evaluate who acted most fairly, most like Christ. When I was in seminary, I had the great fortune to live with a wise priest whom I shared meals with and many discussions. He told me many important things but the one thing that sticks in my mind the most is his telling me, “Unless we pray for the sinner, the soil will never become sweet enough to grow saints.” We are all sinners. We are all human. We all make bad choices, some knowingly, some because we get bad input. When we realize the error of our choice, we must act to correct it and not look for people to blame. The opening Psalm in the Divine Office daily is Psalm 95. All priest and deacons are required to say the Office daily but lay people are permitted to pray it. So, the opening pep talk to priests and deacons every day ends with “Forty years I endured that generation. I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My anger, ‘They shall not enter into My rest.'” Certainly not a Knut Rockne style pregame pep talk to get you all fired up to face the world. But a very sobering one, especially if you’re like me looking back on over 40 years of being one whose heart went astray often. But one that certainly drives home the obligation of personal responsibility for knowing and understanding the Faith, God’s Ways. Play your role appropriately and you just might get to hear what we all hope to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Please pray for me and mine. Count on my prayers for you and yours. Peace, Bob

Marian P
November 24, 2020 at 2:52 pm

What a crisis of faith in our Church. Biden married one of his worker’s wives and brags about officiating at a [abominable] wedding and brags we will fund planned parenthood. So sad.

Bernardo Sanchez
November 21, 2020 at 10:52 pm

Our Lady want us to be strong and full of love to act decisively. Deciding for God today could be scaring without faith but with faith it is a great honor to be chosen and face the darkness of the world with the truth in the heart. You talked today sooooo strongly and clear. Yes it is a very good idea to say – take me to jail. Otherwise they would not take us seriously. Tonight without mask let’s find out what’s on Our Lady’s plan.

Your Time Zone	Apparition Time

Eastern Time	4:00 PM

Central Time	3:00 PM

Mountain Time	2:00 PM

Pacific Time	1:00 PM

Alaska Time	12:00 PM

Hawaii Time	11:00 AM

Brazil Time	5:00 PM

Sydney, Australia	7:00 PM – (June 18)

Seoul	4:00 AM – (June 18)

Beijing, Singapore	3:00 AM – (June 18)

Calcutta	2:30 AM – (June 18)

Baghdad, Moscow	11:00 PM – (June 17)

Jerusalem, Athens, Cairo	11:00 PM

Warsaw, Paris, Prague, Rome, Berlin, Medjugorje	10:00 PM

Nigeria	09:00 PM

South Africa	10:00 PM

Kenya	11:00 PM

London, Dublin	9:00 PM

Ivan Prayer Group Tonight June 17, 2011