♪ ♪ <i>Announcer: "Mother Angelica
Live!"</i> <i>brought to you from the Eternal
Word Television Studios</i> <i>in Birmingham, Alabama.</i> ♪ ♪ <i>Mother: See in you, the love,
the compassion of Jesus.</i> <i>The most glorious work of all,
to praise God in His Kingdom.</i> <i>Anyone moved by the Spirit...</i> <i>Anyone who lives in love,</i> <i>lives in God and
God lives in Him.</i> ♪ ♪ <i>What a wonderful
thing is our Church.</i> <i>This whole network
was built on trust.</i> <i>The essence of evangelization
is to tell everybody,</i> <i>"Jesus loves you!"</i> <i>We're all called
to be great saints.</i> <i>Don't miss the opportunity!</i> (applause) Mother Angelica: Well, This is water. (group chuckles) Just so I don't get a lot of calls in the morning that says, "Who socked Mother?" Nobody socked me. I had a little operation today and it just started to swell and swell. So it's kind of messed up. So, if I'm winking and blinking, that's okay. Tomorrow will be better. Anyway, we have tonight oh, 50 some people, 59 from Hanceville, Alabama and we feel very much like family because we are. So, they came tonight to see our show. We just hope and pray that our people from New Jersey and everywhere else that are here tonight will be seeing many, many, many benefits from the Lord. That's what we're here for. We're all here, we've all been created by God for one thing and that is to become holy. I think we kind of think holiness is one of those stiff-necked things that you do, but it isn't. It's a very normal thing. Jesus acted very normal and human, though He was Divine. He cried over the widow who lost her son. He groaned when He heard from Mary and Martha that Lazarus was dead. He must have smiled when Martha reminded Him that anybody dead four days stunk. Can you imagine a woman trying to explain death to God? I don't think there's any woman here that would do that. Is there? No, you wouldn't do that. I would. (all laugh) I would have been Martha. I would have said, "Lord, he's stinking. He's been in there four days!" (laughs) I love that event because Martha just couldn't-- and the Lord said, "He's going to rise." She said, "Yeah, yeah, I know, last day." I love to read about Martha and Zachariah, the man who explained to an angel why he and his wife could not bear a son. It was one of these, "Thank you very much but you're too late," first Chapter of Luke. I like that because it was also human. The poor angel--I wouldn't mess around with one, by the way, because if he tells you anything, say, "Thank you!" because they don't take a smart-aleck remark very well. So, I just thought this evening we would look at the different ways that people's prayers are answered. Now, I know some of you, all of us have at one time in our life said, "Lord, You didn't answer my prayer." In fact today, I was telling all my family from Hanceville, now, there were tornado warnings. We were out in the worst. We couldn't see more than three feet ahead of us. Regina was going this way and I was going this way with my bad eye and we were a mess but we made it. So, I said to the Lord, "Why do You have a tornado tonight when I got all my friends from Hanceville coming? "Can't You kind of cool it down, just kind of turn it around somewhere else? "Anywhere. Put it back in the sky, do anything." So, it happened. We went through a lot of rain and all of a sudden it stopped. I thought, "Alleluia! They're coming!" So, I want to welcome them with my whole heart, as well as all the people from New Jersey. I wanted to say, we're going about three different incidents --I think we are. By golly, I lost it again. I tell you, it doesn't pay to mark a Bible because the Lord changes it on you and then you don't know what He wants. (audience laughs) I think I did that in Hanceville when I talked to all of you and-- Do you know where I talked to them? In a bank. Could you imagine me talking to all these 50 some people in a bank? And do you know where in the bank? Right in front of the vault. (audience laughs) That was the happiest talk I ever gave. (audience laughs) Of course, the banker never opened the vault, (audience laughs) but it was a good feeling just standing there and I had a great time with them. Tonight, there are some places--by golly, I've lost the ribbon...here it is-- when Our Dear Lord answered prayers in a strange way, in no way, in an unseen way. All of that happens to you and me. We pray for something and, ah, before you know it's there. Then we pray for something and we never get an answer or we think He doesn't care. Then we pray so quiet, we don't really want Him to know and then we're going to see what happened then. There is this wonderful incident of the Canaanite woman. You can imagine the apostles just walking along, here comes this woman and she is a pagan. She says, "Sir, Son of David, take pity on me." Haven't you said that? Haven't you said, (heavy sigh) "Lord, I can't take anymore? "My daughter's tormented by the devil," [the woman said.] And He didn't say anything. And He didn't say anything, not a word, just kept on walking. Oh, haven't you felt that way sometimes? Haven't you felt like you're talking to Him, He's not listening to you? Well, the disciples went and pleaded with Him. Now, see, the motivation of the disciples were not too good. They said, "Give her what she wants." Do you hear those? (laughs) Well, they were not pro-feminine. Is that a right word? Yeah? Is that politically correct? No? It is? (audience laughs) (laughs) Who cares anyway? (audience laughs) I think that's the dumbest thing that ever happened to America. "Give her what she wants." Why? Now, why would these men who were future priests-- they weren't yet. We know the difference. They said, "Because she's shouting after us." What a motivation! Not, "Give her what she wants, her daughter has a devil." No. "Give her what she wants because she's crying." No. How many men have done this with their wives? "Okay! "Okay, you can have that dress. Just stop bothering me." (group chuckles) They don't care what the dress is. They didn't even see it. They just want you to shut up. (audience laughs) Is that right? Yeah? Now, "But he said in reply,..." oh, something so hard. He said, "I was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel." Now, I don't know, I think most of us, especially our women, wouldn't take that. We would have just walked away and said, "Pooh, I thought He was a Prophet." But this woman didn't. She came up and she knelt before Him. What is that? Real perseverance. Why? Because she loved her daughter. Love does not take "no" for an answer, and love is not humiliated because she wasn't thinking of herself. How many of us pray for our children, our loved ones like that? But Our Lord said something very hard. She knelt, she said, "Lord, help me," and He replied, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to house dogs." Whew! Wow! I think at that time, if there were any women left, today's women, they would have been gone, oh. Today's women wouldn't even have asked Him. Some of you would. So, there He is and there are the Apostles. The Apostles are astonished. The Compassionate Loving Jesus never did that before. So, what happened? This is an awesome sentence. You ought to read it once in a while to test yourself. First of all say, "Would I have persevered under this kind of trial?" And she said, "Oh, yes, Lord, even the dogs can eat the scraps that fall from the Master's table." What an answer! Oh! Sometimes when you just feel desperate and you don't know where to go and your prayers are not being answered and the Lord says, well, He just doesn't pay any attention. It seems that way. Jesus says to her, "Woman, you have great faith. Your wish is granted." Now, what was this? The Lord tested this woman for the Apostles' sake because they were kind of wavering sometimes, and for yours and mine, for your sake and my sake. He knew what was in this woman. What really happened to her? The Lord knew what she wanted before she asked. You can't fool the Lord! She asked persevering, but humbly. It didn't bother her when He said, "We don't give our food to the dogs." <i>(thundering noise)</i> (audience laughs) It's not time yet. (audience laughs) The Lord's saying to me something. I'm not sure what it is. (audience laughs) But the Lord tested her. I think what He was saying is, "Do you love Me? "Do you love Me? "Or do you love what I give you? "Do you love the answers I give you? "Do you love Me or do you love what I give you? When I answer all your prayers, who do you love when you pray to Me?" That's a great lesson in: "Do I really love Jesus for Himself? "Am I content if He says 'no'? "Am I content when dryness and aridity and you don't know what to say, you just sit there and you say, 'Lord, I'm desperate. I don't know what to talk about. "'I don't know what to say. My prayers aren't answered and I don't know where to go.'" And still silence. Is that God testing you like He tested this woman? Does He not want to bring out the best in you? And you say, "Well, that's a funny way of doing it. I mean, couldn't He use something else?" You remember St. Theresa of Avila, the great contemplative and Foundress. Her carriage turned over in the mud and she's crawling out of this carriage complaining to the Lord. The Lord said to her, to comfort her, "This is how I treat My friends." And she says, "No wonder You have so few." (audience laughs) (laughs) But it was true. Sometimes when you think you have a lot of faith and you think just wonderful things about Jesus, read this. Could you be tested? Could you be tested like this? Well, maybe not, maybe so. But the Lord says... Ah, don't you wish the Lord would say something to you like that? "Woman, you have great faith." Wow! So, now we see somebody who persevered, was seemingly pushed aside and insulted, called a dog. Now, some of you wouldn't mind being called a dog because you're dog lovers. (audience laughs) I can't say I'm not a dog [lover], well, I can't say I do or don't. I just want a dog to be a dog and me to be me. (audience laughs) But I would love if Our Dear Lord could say to me, "You have great faith," after such a trial. So, now we have a woman who apparently did not get an answer to her prayers right off, was rebuffed by the Lord Himself, only---if we could remember this one thing in our life--only to get our faith to a higher level. Sometimes Our Dear Lord asks us to make many sacrifices and we run the other way. (laughs) We're so scared. Well, maybe He just asks because He wants to see if you're willing. We can do all things in Him Who what? Strengthens me. Now, here's another woman who was scared to death to approach the Lord, scared to death. I'm surprised how few people love Jesus to that point. They're just scared and they're just afraid. They don't want to get near. Afraid of holiness, afraid or whatever. There's one woman who didn't care. She wanted her daughter healed. Well, here is this woman. Now, they crossed to the other side and this woman comes along who suffered from a hemorrhage for 12 years. Now, I like St. Mark's Gospel because he's so truthful. (laughs) He tells it like it is and I think he had something against doctors. It kind of shows itself off, see. Any doctors here? I hope not. (audience laughs) Now Mark says, "After a long and painful treatment by various doctors"--he didn't think too much of them-- "and she spent all she had," (laughs) "without being any better for it." And then he says, "...in fact, she's getting worse." Now, I love Mark because he never let's go. (laughs) First she went, spent all her money, then she went to all these doctors, now she's worse. She hears about Jesus. She's desperate, absolutely desperate. What does she do? She comes behind Him, she comes behind Him... Thank You, Lord-- the rain stopped. ...And she says to herself, "If I could touch His clothes, the end of his garment, I shall be well again." And when she said that, she leaned over--now, she's in the midst of a crowd of people. When you bend over, somebody could walk all over you. She had one thing in mind, "I'll go down and touch His hem and He won't know it and I'll be healed"-- all one big secret. Well, the source of bleeding dried up immediately and she knew she was healed. She's trying to get away, see, and Our Lord says, "Who touched Me?" Wow! Can you imagine Our Dear Lord with all the millions and millions and millions of people in the whole wide world? <i>(coughing from audience)</i> (heavy sigh) Ah, He knew one woman touched him? Do you want a cough drop? <i>(coughing from audience)</i> Go on, get it. (audience laughs) Take two. There you go. Priest: Thank you very much. Mother Angelica: That's my Girl Scout act for the day. (audience laughs) So, now, Peter, he's not a happy man. When the Lord said, "Who touched Me?" He says, "Lord, all the thousands of people around You. What do You mean, 'Who touched You?'" Poor Peter, he never got the point, never, never, never until Pentecost. He finally got the point. "Do you see how this crowd's pressing around You? Why do You say, 'Who touched Me?'" I always feel sorry for Jesus. Even the Apostles never knew what He was talking about. So, if you don't understand this Book, don't feel bad about it. They didn't either. (audience laughs) But He continued to look around and this woman was frightened and trembling because she knew. She fell at His feet and she was scared. He said, "My daughter, your faith has restored you to health. Go in peace." Now, here's an incident where this woman prayed in quiet and secrecy. Don't you feel sometimes like there's so many people in the world, how does He hear your prayer? Do you ever think of that? Everybody thinks of that. "I'm only a little grain of sand on the seashore." Oh but that's not true. God is God, and you and I have to let God be God. I don't know how He does it, He's God. I don't know how He says, "Behold a man without guile, without guile, without suspicion," a man without suspicion. And Nathanial said, "How do You know me?" (laughs) He sure asked dumb questions. "How do You know me?" And what did the Lord say? "When you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Can you imagine that? We have to accept this beautiful reality, that's reality--God knows me, loves me, chose me before time began. How do you like that? (coughs) Why do we doubt? We have plenty of proof in the Scriptures. "Peter, go out and throw a line, throw a line, catch the fish and you'll find two shekels in his mouth." (laughs) "Do You want to explain that to me?" Not only did He know Nathaniel under a fig tree, He knew that a vast sea of fish had swallowed two shekels. Is that useless knowledge? No. (laughs) God can do all things. He knows you like a book. If you think you're hiding something in the dark, you better get right, buddy, because He sees the whole thing. (laughs) You're not kidding Him. In the big book He's got it all down. The big book's His Mind. We cannot hide things. He knows. He knows, just like He knew that poor widow whose daughter had a demon. He knew this woman. Now, that's impossible. I've been in crowds, pushing and pulling. I wouldn't know you touched my habit. Goodness gracious! You're surrounded by people. But He knew and He knows when you pray. He knows your problem. Well now, what did the Lord say to both? "Your faith has saved you." It wasn't presumption, "Yeah, He's going to answer my prayer." No, these women suffered a lot. They both suffered a lot. Now, we're going to come up to a different kind of prayer. It's this wonderful woman who was a sinner. You say, "Well, we're all sinners." This was a high class prostitute--now I want to make it real clear. (audience laughs) She wasn't one of these street corner gals. She's one of the ones who go up in the big hotels. There you go wondering, "How does Mother know that?" (audience laughs) (laughs) You'll be surprised what I know. So, one of the Pharisees had a meal for Jesus. He was just trying to find out what's wrong with this Man? Who is this Man? So, He arrives at the Pharisee's house and took His place at table. A woman came in who had a bad name in the town. Now, you've got to ask yourself, how did she get in? Did you ever think of that? No? Women were not allowed to go in. The servants would have booted her out, except, she's been there before. (audience laughs) He probably said, "Oh, come in, Mary." (audience laughs) "So she heard He was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar." Do you know what an alabaster jar cost even today? No? Okay, let's see. An alabaster jar of expensive perfume would have cost today's salary, $20,000 to $25,000-- a whole year's salary. Boy, she's high-class stuff. Well, she comes in and the Pharisee said to himself, "Ah now, we know this is God." He said, "If this Man were a prophet..." He thought this; he wasn't saying it. "...He wouldn't know who this woman is that's touching Him." Oh you hypocrite, just like the man I talked to who said he didn't go to church because they were all full of hypocrites. I said, "Well, one more won't hurt." (audience laughs) (laughs) Isn't it true? Now, Jesus said to Simon-- that cracks me up. "I have something to say to you." [Simon] said, "Speak, Master." Oh, don't you have love oily words? He said, "There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt and one owed him 500 denarii and the other 50." That's a lot because that's over three month's salary, and the other a month or so. He said, "They were unable to pay so he pardoned both. Which of them will love Him more?" Simple! And here's this smart guy. He says, "Well, I suppose the one he pardoned more." He said, "You're right." He turned to this woman and He said, "Simon, do you see this woman?" (audience laughs) Wee! "I came into your house and you poured no water over My feet. But she has poured out her tears over My feet and wiped them with her hair." Sometimes I think we're rather thoughtless of Jesus and we think He doesn't care or He doesn't know. You're wrong. How many times during the day do you think of Him? Or are you one of these people that go to church once a week and think that's enough? Think of all the times you've played golf--I never understood that game. I mean, you finally catch up with the ball and you throw it again. I never understood it. You expect it to go in some hole way out there, then it lands in the sand, then it lands in the creek and the people you pay at these country clubs, you pay them to play golf and they do everything possible to make it impossible to play the game. (audience laughs) And then you walk away, happy you played golf. I think you got taken in. (audience laughs) Anyway, Our Dear Lord says, "You gave Me no kiss but she has been covering My feet with kisses ever since I came in." Isn't that amazing? The Son of God, Who is Love Itself--He doesn't possess love, He <i>is</i> Love--that He would miss a Pharisee who was a hypocrite. Because that was the custom-- the custom that the host washed your feet, the host gave you a kiss, the host put oil on your head. Why would He miss that? Why do some of you think He doesn't love you when He went through that? Now, if, if I knew that someone at my dinner was such a hypocrite as this Pharisee, I wouldn't want him to kiss me. "Get out of here. Who wants you around?" That would be my feeling, and I bet most of you. "He's there to do you in!" The Lord missed it. Because it was an insult? No, because He loves this man. This man did not love Him in return. We don't think God loves us that much to miss us, to say, "You didn't say good morning to Me." You say, "Oh, what's He care if I say good morning?" He cares! He misses it. You get up in the morning, your thoughts are far from God. You've got too many important things to do. Oh, when you face Him face-to-face, what are you going to do then? He misses it. Then He goes on to say, "You did not anoint My head with oil; she's anointed My feet with ointment. For this I tell you, her sins or many sins must have been forgiven or she would not have showed such love." She wasn't forgiven because she loved much. She loved much because she was forgiven. That's different. The initiative was on the side of God, not this woman. Well, anyway, He said, "There is a man who has forgiven little who shows little love." He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And then they said, "Who is this Man Who forgives sins?" And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." Well, this woman didn't ask for prayer. This woman did not even ask to be forgiven. She had to be forgiven and she knew it before this banquet. She knew that she was loved by God and forgiven all of her sins. It's like the woman taken in adultery. That always griped me. That's the only thing in Scripture that gripes me to death. They dragged this woman along and they said, "This woman was caught in adultery." I want to know what they did with the man? (audience laughs) Was he not also caught in adultery? (audience laughs) What did they say, "Get out of here, buddy?" That's the only gripe I had and I think that's why Our Dear Lord, one of the reasons He was so merciful to her because she was the only one guilty. Huh-uh. That was a plan, so they got rid of him and brought her in. Do you know what Our Lord did? Oh, I wish... The first thing I'm going to ask Him when I get to Heaven is, "Lord, who are the names You wrote down? (audience laughs) "And what did You write, Lord? Did you write 'Simon, April 26th, 9 p.m.'?" (audience laughs) (laughs) Boy did he run! And they all left, every single one, 'cause as He wrote their names down, out they went. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. All of a sudden this poor gal is all by herself. He said, "Where are those who condemned thee?" She said, "Nowhere, Lord." He said, "Go and sin no more." Now, some of you put the period in the wrong place. The sentence goes on, "Go and sin no more." What a God/Man we have. What a Lord we have! What a Savior we have! Wow! But in today's world we decide if you live, and then we decide when you die. You fulfilled your work. We make past terrorists look holy. We figured out--I think one of my sisters did; I hope I'm remembering it right-- that we have in the world, in the whole wide world, we have killed enough babies, population of 10 times America--10 times every man, woman and child, 10 times. 10 times that population has been annihilated from the world forever by people who think they have the choice. And now we're deciding whether or not, how old are you? I wouldn't tell them, if I had to go to the hospital again, I wouldn't tell them how old I am. (audience laughs) They'd snuff me out. (audience laughs) I'd have more than a black eye. (audience laughs) You don't know, see, you don't know. This beautiful little nine-year-old, they finally found her today, dead, in a 14-year-old boy's house. America, please ask yourself a question, "What are we feeding the kids?" Sometimes in our Catholic schools you learn about sex from the 2nd grade up. It took my mother five minutes, (audience laughs) five minutes. Now, they start you 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th... how much can you learn? It's the ruination of our children's souls, minds. That's all they think about. What is your education for? We just got the lottery in our state. That ought to do something. Just another place to waste your money. "Oh, it's for the schools." (makes noise) Tell that to Sweeny. I never did find out who Sweeny was. (audience laughs) My mother used to say that--"Tell it to Sweeny." (audience laughs) You're not kidding me-- you ain't going to spend that for an education. Let me know in four years where it went. All of you that play the lottery, let me tell you, you're as dumb as the ones who voted for it. It's not going to do a thing for your country, for you, for anything. Why don't you make up your mind to take sex education out of the schools? I don't think Abraham had to teach anybody how. The only one that didn't understand was Zachariah. (audience laughs) Maybe that's why they never had any children. (audience laughs) (coughs) I give our kids more credit than that. I don't think you have to teach them anything. You only stuff their minds with the wrong thing. Try God; it might work. So, tonight I hope you learn no matter what answer you get, whether you prayed for it or you didn't, He knows. He knows. This whole network is an act of God. A couple of nuns can't do it. They didn't know anything about it. Who's going to start a network with $200? Come on. You're nuts! (heavy sigh) The same God who told Abraham that he would have as many children as there are sand on the seashore--he's already 90 years old (laughs)-- The same God who opened the Red Sea, the same God Who protected His people and bought water out of a rock. I would have followed that rock all through the desert, just to see the water come out. What a miracle! They weren't happy, so He gave them bread. They weren't happy again, so He gave them pheasant. But that's a lesson to all of us. We're never happy, we're never satisfied. We want more and more and more and more. Why don't you try just loving God for Himself? Did you ever try that? How many of you just say, "Jesus, I love You. I don't even want anything today. I don't know about tomorrow, but today I don't." (audience laughs) How many of you thank Him for little things, an ice cream cone? You say, "Why? I paid for it." But it's there. It's not in Yugoslavia, it's not in Nicaragua. It's in your hand. I know a place between here and Hanceville that's got the biggest cones for 90 cents, I think it's 99, bigger than you can eat. Of course we're always there. (audience laughs) On our way home, somebody inevitably will say, "Don't you think it's hot?" (audience laughs) At that point I know we're exactly ten minutes from a Texaco station and we don't need gas. (audience laughs) That's a little thing but it's there. God put it there. God gave you the money to buy it and He gave you the sense of taste to enjoy it. But we don't think of that. We're just so self-oriented that everything is us, the earthly trinity-- me, myself and I. "I earn the money. "I'm thirsty. The cone is there, I bought it." Well, why would you enjoy anything like that? You can't. Do you thank God when you get up? Say, "Oh, good morning, Lord." "Do you know what I say? I say, "Good morning. Lord. I hope You have a good day." Now, I know you think that is stupid but He wants to hear it from me, "I hope You have a good day, Lord." He knows He's going to have a good day but He wants me to say it. That's what you miss when you talk to God--little things, little things. And because He loves us so much, He wants us to do these things. I'm going to tell you this, we've heard it before, but my Hanceville friends have not. One day I got so angry. We were just starting this network and everybody was giving me a problem and I had a lot of pain that day and we were broke and I had umpteen bills and everybody was saying, "When are you going to pay?" Creditors sometimes get different. they get kind of funny. (heavy sigh) And I about had it. I went in the chapel and Our Dear Lord is always present there. I was kind of fed up. I said, "Lord, I told You I don't know anything about this stuff. "I told You I don't know! "Now I got all these bills and I got all this pain and I don't know what to do and everybody's criticizing us and everybody thinks we're nuts. "Why me, Lord? Why me?" Well, (heavy sigh) I heard a very gentle voice and He said, "Yes, and why Me?" Well, I felt about that big and I said, "Lord, I'm sorry. Could You erase that tape?" (group chuckles) I really didn't want it to stay in that infinite mind, but I was sorry. It was a stupid remark, stupid. I have no right to say, "Why me?" I can't complain to God. If He's asking me to do something, He's going to provide. So, I hope tonight you learn something about God. He loves you. That's all that matters. Everything passes. You know, you look at yourself in a mirror, and quite different than 20 years ago. You didn't know you were changing. Your whole face changed. You're not at all what you were and the reason is you're getting old! O-L-D, old. You can dye your hair, that's okay. (audience laughs) It comes out the true color, though. (audience laughs) (laughs) I bet your head said, "Oh God, here it comes again." (audience laughs) "Fight the good fight; come up white." (laughs) (audience laughs) That rhymes, did you know that? (audience laughs) (heavy sigh) We don't have to fake it. By the way, we got a call. Hello. <i>Male Caller #1: How are</i> <i>you today?</i> Mother Angelica: Hi. <i>Male Caller #1: I want</i> <i>to thank you and Jesus</i> <i>for EWTN.</i> Mother Angelica: Oh, thank you. <i>Male Caller #1: Thank you</i> <i>so much.</i> Mother Angelica: You're welcome. <i>Male Caller #1: The question</i> <i>I have is, when Jesus was</i> <i>standing before Pontius</i> <i>Pilate, He humbled Himself</i> <i>to the point where He didn't</i> <i>defend Himself.</i> Mother Angelica: No. <i>Male Caller #1: No?</i> <i>Is that, are you saying no?</i> Mother Angelica: What? <i>Male Caller #1: Are you</i> <i>saying "no"?</i> Mother Angelica: No, I'm saying, "Yes, He didn't defend Himself." <i>Male Caller #1: Okay, does</i> <i>this mean that if we're</i> <i>to imitate Jesus, that we too</i> <i>should not defend ourselves</i> <i>if we are falsely accused?</i> Mother Angelica: Well, I think it all depends. Our Dear Lord never defended Himself because He knew Who He was. He had deliberately decided to give His life for us. I would say that most of the time when we're accused of something that we're not guilty of, it's a little thing. Who cares? If that sometimes applies to our family or the good of our family, you may want to get counsel, but you know, that very thing you're talking about happened to St. Thomas More. St. Thomas More would not agree with the King of England. He would not agree that he should have an annulment from his marriage to Catherine. He would not explain it to his family. Now, his family signed the papers, but Thomas More wouldn't, and he would never explain why to his family because he didn't want his family put in jeopardy. In the first place, he knew they would not understand. I think if your boss comes along and said, "Why did you steal five pens?" Who cares? You know you didn't steal them. Somebody else stole them. It's not a weighty matter. But with Thomas More, it was very weighty and it was very, very important that his family not know why, so they were not culpable. That's a difficult question to answer without knowing. If you're accused of murder and you didn't do it, I think you owe it to explain why you didn't do it. That's why we have courts. That's why we have juries. So, since I don't know, I think you need to pray, because many times you should defend yourself. Let's go back a little bit before Pilate, when Our Dear Lord was in the, in the courtyard and He was being questioned by Herod. This soldier trying to make himself look big and important before the king slapped Our Lord when He didn't answer. Do you know what Our Lord did with His infinite love and mercy? He said, "Why did you slap Me?" Why did Jesus do that? Why? Because He was trying, in His infinite love for the man who slapped Him, He wanted him to understand what a terrible thing he did to the Son of God. He was trying to make him repentant. He was trying to say to him, "Why did you slap Me? Why are you trying to make an impression on Herod?" He was trying to awaken his conscience. So, Jesus at that time... Do you remember what He said one time? He said, "If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn it." But then Jesus didn't turn it, did He? No. Why? Because He was trying to awaken in the conscience of that man the injustice he did to the Son of God, which he would pay for in a big way and secondly, to make him understand, you should have never done that and to bring out repentance. So, if you've been accused of something, first of all, it depends what you've been accused of. If you're accused of being a Catholic heretic because you're honest and you believe in the Church's doctrines, that's a compliment. I get that all the time. I feel sorry for them. I don't care. When I face God, I'm going to do it all by myself. So, I think that's difficult, but I wanted to show you there are two different ways, see. Our Lord did say one time, "Do not judge and you shall not be judged," right? Oh, then another time He said, "By their fruit you know them," which is to judge. If somebody socks you in the eye and I see it, I can't say you didn't do it. That'd be a lie. I saw you do it. But I don't know why you did it. That's what Jesus was saying, don't judge. Maybe you're a nutso or something, maybe you're drunk, maybe you're on drugs. I can't tell you why A socked B, but I cannot say I didn't see it, can I? I saw A sock B. Yeah I did. Here I am. Our Lord does not speak in contradictions; He speaks always the truth. So, I probably just confused you. But if you're in that position, I would go to a holy priest and he'll tell you exactly what to do. Well, I hate to say our time is up. I enjoyed you being here and I hope you enjoyed being here. But in spite of all that, I have to make a pitch. All my Hanceville friends, because they're family now, don't have to listen to this part. You can turn your hearing aides off. (audience laughs) This is only for the New Jersey people. (audience laughs) (Mother laughs) I've got two minutes. First of all, I wanted to thank you for responding to my plea on the air and remember, this network is brought to you by you. We don't have anybody else but you. But we try to reach our brother who is in great need of God. I can say with Peter, "Silver and gold I have not but what I have, I share with you, what I have, I give you." We have the Lord to teach you, to inspire you, to give you zeal for His Kingdom, to thank Him for His saving, saving suffering for you and me, for forgiving us, for being compassionate and for loving me and you so much He waits, waits with an anxious heart for you to say, "I love You Lord. "Good morning. "I hope You have a good day. "Be with me today. "Guide and guard me. "Don't let me say anything that would displease You. "Never let me disappoint You by saying 'no' to something You've asked me to do. "I accept everything that happens today, Lord, (heavy sigh) because it's from You. "Help my brother buried in the mud. Help my brother in deep sin who cannot see the way and help my brother who tries so hard to come back." Well, all of that beautiful thing we're trying to do cost money. I have a banker in front of me and after this little pitch, I'll never ask him for a loan. (audience laughs) I love you and we'll be back tomorrow night with a guest. Remember to say often, "I love You Jesus." Bye now. (applause) ♪ ♪
