{"id":23735,"date":"2016-04-05T15:23:56","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T21:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=23735"},"modified":"2017-04-17T21:57:44","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T01:57:44","slug":"thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"CENTER\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-23743\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"ontheshore3\" width=\"471\" height=\"353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px\" \/><\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>BASKING<\/strong> in the warmth of the charcoal fire Jesus has lit through our Lenten Retreat; sitting in the glow of His nearness and Presence; listening to the ripples of His ineffable Mercy gently caressing the shore of my heart&#8230; I have a few random thoughts left over from our forty days of reflection.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">AMID THE STORM<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">It seems to me that everything in the world today has become a convoluted mess\u2014not\u00a0unlike the effects of a hurricane as the eye of a storm nears. The winds of chaos and purification are blowing across the entire planet\u00a0as they tear away the cheap facades that hide the depth\u00a0of corruption in the world&#8217;s economies, politicians, judicial systems, food production, agricultural processes, pharmaceutical interests, climate engineers, and yes, even the Church whose sins are being laid bare for all to see.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">But in all of this, the central message of our Lenten Retreat is like a shaft of light piercing this present darkness, reminding us that the Son is always present behind the clouds; that even the thickest smoke or most heavy fog\u00a0cannot fully diminish the brightness and victory of the Resurrection. And the message is this: no matter how complicated the world becomes, no matter how troubling the events are that will unfold, <img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-23742 alignleft\" style=\"margin: 2px 5px 2px 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/shaft4-1.jpg\" alt=\"shaft4\" width=\"242\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/shaft4-1.jpg 774w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/shaft4-1-290x300.jpg 290w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/shaft4-1-768x794.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px\" \/>no matter how much the Church\u00a0and truth, beauty, and goodness will disappear in many places&#8230; <em>Christ will reign in power and might within the hearts of His spiritual children. <\/em><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf.\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-smoldering-candle\/\">The Smoldering Candle<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0And He will reign through an interior life of prayer, communion, and trust. Satan can touch our buildings\u2014our stain glass windows, arches, and statues; he has been given power to tear them down insofar as God permits him&#8230; <em>but the devil cannot touch your soul, <\/em>unless you let him<em>; he cannot reach that interior place where the Holy Trinity dwells within. <\/em>The key for all of us is to not allow the seemingly insurmountable obstacles before us to penetrate the heart, to disturb our peace and trust in God. We must keep the Passion of Jesus ever before us as a reminder that the Father never abandons us even when everyone else does.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">At the very heart of things then\u2014even while, as Pope Paul VI said, &#8220;some signs of [the end times] are emerging,&#8221; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/why-arent-the-popes-shouting\/\">Why Aren&#8217;t the Popes Shouting?<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u2014is the constant call to <em>spiritual childhood<\/em>, which is the condition necessary for Jesus to live and reign in us. Easter, in fact, is what makes Christmas efficacious:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000066; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';\">To become a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom. For this, we must humble ourselves and become little&#8230; Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us. Christmas is the mystery of this &#8220;marvelous exchange&#8221;: <\/span><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000066; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';\"><em>O marvelous exchange! Man&#8217;s Creator has become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity<\/em>.<\/span><\/strong> \u2014<em>Catechism of the Catholic Church, <\/em>Evening Antiphon for January 1st,\u00a0n. 526<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">INTENSE PRAYER IS THE KEY<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">I can never repeat enough the necessity of prayer, of a living and healthy interior life with God. But the word that rises in my heart today, crackling with the\u00a0vigor of a charcoal fire, is <em>intensity. <\/em>We\u00a0need to have an<em> intense <\/em>prayer life. By this,\u00a0I mean <em>intense <\/em>in the way that two lovers gaze at one another;\u00a0<em>intense <\/em>in <img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-23741 alignright\" style=\"margin: 1px 2px 1px 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Prayer19-1.jpg\" alt=\"Prayer19\" width=\"235\" height=\"231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Prayer19-1.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Prayer19-1-300x294.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 235px) 100vw, 235px\" \/>the way a husband and wife long to reunite after a being apart for a while; <em>intense <\/em>in the way that we refuse to allow someone or something interrupt our focus; <em>intense <\/em>the way a baby holds out its arms to its mother, crying until she holds him again. It is this kind of intensity (which really means <em>intention<\/em>) that the heart can remain vigilant against the temptations and snares of the enemy. Here\u00a0then, is a little catechetical summary of\u00a0what I mean:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000066; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';\">&#8220;We must remember God more often than we draw breath.&#8221; But we cannot pray &#8220;at all times&#8221; if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration&#8230; Christian Tradition has retained three major expressions of prayer: vocal meditative, and contemplative. They have one basic trait in common: composure of heart. This vigilance in keeping the Word and dwelling in the presence of God makes these three expressions intense times in the life of prayer&#8230;. Contemplative prayer is also the pre-eminently intense time of prayer. In it the Father strengthens our inner being with power through his Spirit &#8220;that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith&#8221; and we may be &#8220;grounded in love.&#8221;<\/span><\/strong> \u2014<em>CCC, <\/em>n. 2697, 2699, 2714<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">While it is faith, not feelings, which is the necessary condition of spiritual childhood, we cannot forget our feelings altogether. That would not be human! Rather, Blessed Cardinal Henry Newman suggested that we foster feelings of fear and awe of God, a <em>sense of the sacred:<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">They are the class of feelings we should have\u2014yes, have to an intense degree\u2014if we literally had the sight of Almighty God; therefore they are the class of feelings which we shall have, if we realize His presence. In proportion as we believe that He is present, we shall have them; and not to have them, is not to realize, not to believe that He is present. <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u2014<em>Parochial and Plain Sermons<\/em> V, 2 (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1907) 21-22<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>IN THE OUR FATHER<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-23745\" style=\"margin: 2px 5px 2px 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/pilgrimroad5-1024x968.jpg\" alt=\"pilgrimroad5\" width=\"250\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/pilgrimroad5-1024x968.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/pilgrimroad5-300x283.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/pilgrimroad5-768x726.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/pilgrimroad5.jpg 1270w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>As the Lenten Retreat unfolded, <em>seven paths <\/em>emerged as a means to God&#8217;s presence, that is, the seven beatitudes of the Gospel. The eighth beatitude, <em>&#8220;blessed are they who are persecuted,&#8221;<\/em> is essentially the fruition of those who live the first seven. In actuality, these\u00a0beatitudes are found in\u00a0the prayer which Our Lord taught us:<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name&#8230;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are the poor in spirit&#8230; <\/em>(those who humbly acknowledge God)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>&#8230;<em>Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done&#8230;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are the meek&#8230; <\/em>(docile to the Father&#8217;s will)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>&#8230;<em>on earth as it is in Heaven&#8230;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are the peacemakers&#8230; <\/em>(who bring the peace\u00a0of Heaven upon earth)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\nem><strong>&#8230;Give us this day our daily bread&#8230;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong><em>&#8230;and forgive us our trespasses&#8230;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are they who mourn&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong><em>&#8230;as we forgive those who trespass against us&#8230;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are the merciful&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>&#8230;and lead us not into temptation&#8230; <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are the clean of heart&#8230; <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>&#8230;but deliver us from evil. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Blessed are they who are persecuted. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>THE MOTHER IS WITH US<\/p>\n<p>As you&#8217;ll recall, I asked the Blessed Mother to be our &#8220;Retreat Master&#8221; when I announced the Lenten Retreat. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">see <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/a-lenten-retreat-with-mark\/\">A Lenten Retreat with Mark<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> I said then that I had &#8220;cleaned my slate&#8221; to &#8220;allow this Queen to impress her words upon my heart, to fill my pen with the ink of her wisdom, and to move my lips with the love of her own. Who better to form us than the one who formed Jesus?&#8221; There were only two words on my heart at that time: &#8220;the <em>interior life.&#8221; <\/em>And so, I sensed that this was precisely what Our Mother wanted to speak about: the <em>interior life of prayer<\/em>. Those &#8220;seven paths&#8221;&#8230; the image of the <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-23739\" style=\"margin: 1px 2px 1px 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/mmary2-1.jpg\" alt=\"mmary2\" width=\"231\" height=\"369\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/mmary2-1.jpg 325w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/mmary2-1-188x300.jpg 188w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/>balloon&#8230; they are not things I had ever thought of before; they just came to me like flashes of light as the Retreat unfolded. And so, I had the strong sense of Our Mother&#8217;s presence with us, that she herself was teaching us.<\/p>\n<p>Which is why I was stunned to read, in the middle of our retreat, a virtual summary of everything I had written to that point, in the alleged message to Mirjana on March 18th, 2016 in Medjugorje. Now, I confess that I have been hesitant to point this out, since there are a few readers who categorically reject Medjugorje. However, as I wrote in <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/on-medjugorje\/\">On Medjugorje<\/a>, <\/em>I refuse to declare as either true or false that which even the Vatican has refused to do so at this point, as the Pope continues to discern the conclusions of a recent Commission on the alleged apparitions. Thus, it is in the spirit of St. Paul, who calls us not to despise prophecy, but test it, that I continue to listen to what Our Mother may be speaking to the Church at this hour. And what she is saying, it appears, is this: the key to navigating the world at this time is <em>spiritual childhood <\/em>and <em>interior prayer. <\/em>In fact, she even mentions the beatitudes and the interior gaze of contemplation that was part of our retreat:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear children, with a motherly heart filled with love for you, my children, I desire to teach you complete trust in God the Father. I desire for you to learn by an internal gaze and internal listening to follow God&#8217;s will. I desire for you to learn to boundlessly trust in His mercy and His love, as I always trusted. Therefore, my children, cleanse your hearts. Free yourselves from everything that binds you to only what is earthly and permit what is of God to form your life by your prayer and sacrifice so that God&#8217;s Kingdom may be in your heart; that you may begin to live proceeding from God the Father; that you may always strive to walk with my Son. But for all of this, my children, you must be poor in spirit and filled with love and mercy. You must have pure and simple hearts and always be ready to serve. My children, listen to me, I speak for your salvation. Thank you.<\/strong><\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u2014March 18th, 2016; from <a href=\"http:\/\/medjugorje.org\/msg16.htm\">medjugorje.org<\/a>; in fact,\u00a0note the messages from February 2nd on through all of this past Lent.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Again, at the very least, this is a stunning mirror of our Lenten Retreat, which is derived from Part Four of the Catechism on <em>Christian Prayer<\/em>. But then, this should be no surprise to us. If Our Lady is speaking to us\u2014in whatever form\u2014it should be a reflection of Church teaching:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u201cMary figured profoundly in the history of salvation and in a certain way unites and mirrors within herself the central truths of the faith.\u201d Among all believers she is like a \u201cmirror\u201d in which are reflected in the most profound and limpid way \u201cthe mighty works of God.\u201d <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u2014POPE JOHN PAUL II, <em>Redemptoris Mater<\/em>, n. 25<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>REMEMBER THAT I TOLD YOU<\/p>\n<p>As I have shared with you already, it was\u00a0eight or nine years ago that I stood in a farm field watching a storm approach, when the Lord showed me in spirit that a <em>great hurricane<\/em> was coming upon the world. Events would intensify, one upon the other, as we neared the\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/eye-of-the-storm\/\">Eye of the Storm<\/a>. <\/em>Back then, many in the Church were closed to this warning that I was compelled in good conscience (and spiritual direction) to give. Now, many clergy and laymen alike are suddenly stunned and reeling as, overnight, laws are changing that are\u00a0<em>de facto <\/em>outlawing Christianity, step by step. But it&#8217;s too late. That is to say, that the<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-seven-seals-of-revolution\/\">Seven Seals of Revolution<\/a><\/em> are now upon us:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind. (Hos 8:7)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-23750\" style=\"margin: 3px 1px 3px 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/sow-the-wind-reap-the-whirlwind2-919x1024.jpg\" alt=\"sow-the-wind-reap-the-whirlwind2\" width=\"471\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/sow-the-wind-reap-the-whirlwind2-919x1024.jpg 919w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/sow-the-wind-reap-the-whirlwind2-269x300.jpg 269w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/sow-the-wind-reap-the-whirlwind2-768x855.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/sow-the-wind-reap-the-whirlwind2.jpg 1355w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px\" \/>Many clergy sowed the lie that one could &#8220;follow his conscience&#8221; when it comes to birth control (as opposed to an &#8220;informed conscience&#8221;). <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/o-canada-where-are-you\/\"><em>O Canada&#8230; Where Are You?<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0And now we are reaping the whirlwind of a culture of death. Politicians like former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, back in the 1970&#8217;s, said abortion would be allowed in the country only in &#8220;rare&#8221; circumstances. We sowed in death, and now his son Justin has come to finish the job <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_5');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_5');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[5]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_5\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-forerunners\/\">The Forerunners<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u2014to reap the whirlwind, as he and the Supreme Court <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_6');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_6');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[6]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_6\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-jaws-of-the-red-dragon\/\"><em>The Jaws of the Dragon<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0implement legalized killing for the sick, aged, and depressed.\u00a0Yes, as democracy spreads, so too is <em>institutionalized<\/em> killing on a growing scale. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_7');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_7');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[7]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_7\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-great-culling\/\"><em>The Great Culling<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0As a result, I believe we are witnessing the spiritual principle of reaping and sowing unfold before us, as nations are now on the brink of nuclear war. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_8');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_8');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_8\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[8]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_8\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-hour-of-the-sword\/\">The Hour of the Sword<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0<em>They shall reap the whirlwind.\u00a0<\/em><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_9');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23735_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_9');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_9\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[9]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_9\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/reaping-the-whirlwind\/\">Reaping the Whirlwind<\/a>;\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-progression-of-man\/\">The Progression of Man<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23735_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But none of this should be a surprise to the Christian. As Jesus said numerous times,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe&#8230; I have told you this so that you may not fall away<br \/>\n&#8230; I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you&#8230; I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (John 14:29; 16:1; 16:4; 16:33)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This is all to say that Our Lord wants us to be aware that these things must take place so they don&#8217;t surprise us such that we lose faith and &#8220;fall away&#8221;, lose our &#8220;peace&#8221;, or falter in &#8220;courage.&#8221; But here is where Our Mother is teaching us the key to our times: <em>knowing what it coming <\/em>is NOT enough; rather <em>praying <\/em>and remaining in Jesus IS<em>. <\/em>As He said, <em>&#8220;have peace in me.&#8221;<\/em> This peace, which surpasses all understanding, comes through an intense interior life of prayer, through an &#8220;internal gaze&#8221; upon the face of Jesus.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thus, it&#8217;s interesting how Catholics flock to dramatic prophecies of apocalyptic doom or predictions of disaster and the like&#8230; but messages like that of Medjugorje are dismissed as ho-hum, more of the same. And yet, <em>if only we lived them! <\/em>Many would not be as afraid and confused as they are today. Many more would already have found Jesus living and walking <em>among<\/em> us and <em>through <\/em>us. Again, here is another message from Medjugorje that came at the <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-23744\" style=\"margin: 1px 2px 1px 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/baroqu-1-787x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"baroqu\" width=\"254\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/baroqu-1-787x1024.jpeg 787w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/baroqu-1-231x300.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/baroqu-1-768x999.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/baroqu-1.jpeg 850w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/>beginning of Lent, and that\u00a0is consonant with the rich contemplative spirituality of the Church, and which gets to the heart of authentic evangelization:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><em>With [Jesus] came the light of the world which penetrates hearts, illuminates them and fills them with love and consolation. My children, all those who love my Son can see Him, because His face can be seen through the souls which are filled with love for Him. Therefore, my children, my apostles, listen to me. Leave vanity and selfishness. Do not live only for what is earthly and material. Love my Son and make it so that others may see His face through your love for Him. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014March 2nd, 2016<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A PERSONAL NOTE<\/p>\n<p>In closing, I want to tell you what an awesome privilege it is for me to write you. It&#8217;s hard to believe that nearly 1200 writings later\u2014the equivalent of probably 30 books\u2014I still have gas in the tank. To be honest, my vision is getting worse by the day. And I&#8217;ve pretty much shipwrecked my music career. I mean, there are some pretty strong warnings in my writings\u2014things we are now seeing take place\u2014but words which don&#8217;t exactly endear one\u00a0to the vast majority. And that&#8217;s okay&#8230; that&#8217;s what I feel the Lord has asked of me, and His will is my food. I am at peace where I am right now under the wise advice of my wife, the salient spiritual direction of a priest, and the blessing of my bishop.<\/p>\n<p>But in truth, I&#8217;m also broke. Over the years, I have invested nearly a <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-23746\" style=\"margin: 2px 5px 2px 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/PonteixBlue-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"PonteixBlue\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/PonteixBlue-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/PonteixBlue-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/PonteixBlue-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/PonteixBlue.jpg 1224w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/>quarter million dollars making the best quality Catholic music, videos, books and blog that we\u00a0possibly can. Some of that has been covered by donations, but most of it has been financed myself. But when music services like Spotify send less than $10 a month for streaming my music to the world&#8230; it pretty much cripples the independent artist. I have had more than one person tell me that my music is the only CD in their car for the past <em>three years. <\/em>But somehow, that kind of zeal is not translating to the greater body of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>I have refrained from writing you with lengthy fundraising campaigns or frequent emails begging your support. In fact, I have freely given away much of my music and writings. As Jesus said,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. (Matt 10:8)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>But St. Paul also said,<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">&#8230;the Lord ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. (1 Cor 9:14)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I really have no choice but to beg. Beg or bankruptcy. Some folks perceive that a ministry like\u00a0this is a full-time endeavor with many expenses (though we try to cut corners where we can with only one staff member, we buy high mileage vehicles, grow and raise our own food, etc.).\u00a0However, at times people have scolded me for not making our needs better known.<\/p>\n<p>And so here I am.\u00a0I am carrying around a hundred thousand dollars in financed debt (aside from our mortgage) in order to keep our ministry and family afloat. But we are fast running out, not of money\u2014that happened years ago\u2014but <em>credit<\/em>. Part of our difficulties is that we have, according to friends\u00a0and family, an\u00a0inordinate amount of &#8220;disasters&#8221;. I mean, leading up to and during the Lenten Retreat, all of our vehicles had major repairs in the <em>thousands<\/em>; the roof of our studio was damaged in a wind storm; the furnaces in the studio, house, and garage\u00a0each quit <em>twice<\/em> resulting in costly repairs that are still ongoing&#8230; It&#8217;s been an endless and bizarre circus of expenses. I sometimes wonder how much of this is a spiritual attack, because it is the one thing that truly discourages me. One step forward, three back. I hate being in debt, though I am reminded of a saint who also amassed debt in order to build hospices and orphanages. My wife and I have also taken big leaps of faith in order to supply you with the Gospel&#8230;\u00a0I&#8217;m just not sure how much longer I can hold the bag.<\/p>\n<p>And so, once again, I find myself discerning what the next step forward is for both my family and ministry. Please pray for us, for protection, and for <em>wisdom<\/em>. And if God has blessed you financially, certainly you can invest in gold, silver, foreign currencies or hard assets etc.\u00a0But I implore you to consider investing in <em>souls. <\/em>Our ministry truly needs those who have the resources to come forward and help us at this time.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/114065927\" width=\"470\" height=\"264\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\"><em>Thanks for your support and prayers!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.markmallett.com\/donate\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Donateovalbtnonbeige.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"112\" height=\"48\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_23735_1();\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_23735_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_23735_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_23735_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_1');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf.\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-smoldering-candle\/\">The Smoldering Candle<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_2');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/why-arent-the-popes-shouting\/\">Why Aren&#8217;t the Popes Shouting?<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_3');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">see <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/a-lenten-retreat-with-mark\/\">A Lenten Retreat with Mark<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_4');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/o-canada-where-are-you\/\"><em>O Canada&#8230; Where Are You?<\/em><\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_5');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>5<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-forerunners\/\">The Forerunners<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_6');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>6<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-jaws-of-the-red-dragon\/\"><em>The Jaws of the Dragon<\/em><\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_7');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>7<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-great-culling\/\"><em>The Great Culling<\/em><\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_8\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_8');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>8<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-hour-of-the-sword\/\">The Hour of the Sword<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23735_1_9\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23735_1_9');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>9<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/reaping-the-whirlwind\/\">Reaping the Whirlwind<\/a>;\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-progression-of-man\/\">The Progression of Man<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_23735_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_23735_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_23735_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_23735_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_23735_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_23735_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_23735_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_23735_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_23735_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_23735_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_23735_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_23735_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_23735_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_23735_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 BASKING in the warmth of the charcoal fire Jesus has lit through our Lenten Retreat; sitting in the glow of His nearness and Presence; listening to the ripples of His ineffable Mercy gently caressing the shore of my heart&#8230; I have a few random thoughts left over from our forty days of reflection.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1280],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-journal","category-lent-retreat"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire - The Now Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire - The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0 BASKING in the warmth of the charcoal fire Jesus has lit through our Lenten Retreat; sitting in the glow of His nearness and Presence; listening to the ripples of His ineffable Mercy gently caressing the shore of my heart&#8230; I have a few random thoughts left over from our forty days of reflection.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-04-05T21:23:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-04-18T01:57:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3-1024x768.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mark\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\"},\"headline\":\"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-04-05T21:23:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-04-18T01:57:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3114,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/04\\\/ontheshore3-1024x768.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"HOME\",\"LENTEN RETREAT\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/\",\"name\":\"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire - The Now Word\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/04\\\/ontheshore3-1024x768.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-04-05T21:23:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-04-18T01:57:44+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/04\\\/ontheshore3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/04\\\/ontheshore3.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":768},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Now Word\",\"description\":\"\u2014 With Mark Mallett \u2014\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a\",\"name\":\"Mark\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Mark\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.markmallett.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire - The Now Word","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire - The Now Word","og_description":"\u00a0 BASKING in the warmth of the charcoal fire Jesus has lit through our Lenten Retreat; sitting in the glow of His nearness and Presence; listening to the ripples of His ineffable Mercy gently caressing the shore of my heart&#8230; I have a few random thoughts left over from our forty days of reflection.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/","og_site_name":"The Now Word","article_published_time":"2016-04-05T21:23:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-04-18T01:57:44+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3-1024x768.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Mark","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mark","Est. reading time":"15 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/"},"author":{"name":"Mark","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a"},"headline":"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire","datePublished":"2016-04-05T21:23:56+00:00","dateModified":"2017-04-18T01:57:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/"},"wordCount":3114,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3-1024x768.jpg","articleSection":["HOME","LENTEN RETREAT"],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/","name":"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire - The Now Word","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3-1024x768.jpg","datePublished":"2016-04-05T21:23:56+00:00","dateModified":"2017-04-18T01:57:44+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ontheshore3.jpg","width":1024,"height":768},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-charcoal-fire\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Thoughts from the Charcoal Fire"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/","name":"The Now Word","description":"\u2014 With Mark Mallett \u2014","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/000af5cf476f9c725d5bc45f722aa99a","name":"Mark","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Mark"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/cropped-hurricaneearth_Fotor2.jpg"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23735"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28441,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23735\/revisions\/28441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}