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Thank you almighty God for sending Tropical Storm Bonnie to clean up the oil spill created by man. Many had wondered what it was going to take to clean up this disaster but those of us who trust in your providence knew that you would take care of this. We also thank you for the slow but steady recovery of Haiti and for allowing stability to take hold. I attended a wonderful Mass at St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont, TX this weekend and heard Bishop Guillory preach for the first time. He was terrific and used modern day examples to further illustrate the Lord's word from the Gospel reading. What really struck me was his emphasis on the first reading as well. Bishop Guillory talked about forgiveness in such a way that it made me begin to look at so many things in a different light. Our society is very focused on public humiliation. People are recording and filming others in very unflattering situations. It seems that many are taking great joy in the downfall of others. I am not saying that we should not seek to expose corruption or evil. Bishop Guillory urged us to take a very different approach than what is prevailing at the moment. He says that Jesus instructed his disciples to talk one-on-one with anyone that they had a disagreement with and resolve the issue between themselves. He noted that this public humiliation fascination is contrary to God's teachings. I agree and will focus on settling my disagreements in a more private manner. In addition, I will not support anything (TV shows, movies, etc.) that seek to publicly humiliate rather than reconcile. All of our decisions have consequences and very often when we are upset with "society", we have helped to create the situation with our choices. I hope you have a blessed week full of forgiveness.

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