Category Archives: Prison

2021-02-10 · 9:04 am

Pornchai Maximillian Moontri triumphantly back in Thailand

But when did that happen? I recall MASH’s Radar explaining the International Date Line to Henry. Was it today, yesterday, tomorrow?

  • Radar: Ooh, you wanted to make that phone call to your wife.
  • Henry: Oh, right, right. Now, let’s see, Radar. We’re a day ahead plus 14 hours, right?
  • Radar: No, sir. The States are a day ahead plus 14 hours.
  • Henry: Well, then, it’s yesterday in Bloomington?
  • Radar: Yes, sir.
  • Henry: Well, then, I should have called her yesterday.
  • Radar: Well, you didn’t even know about it then.
  • Henry: Why can’t everybody be on the same time?
  • Radar: Because the Earth is round, keeps rotating all the time.
  • Henry: Oh. I thought it was just an army thing.

I only add some humor with the epic saga of the great Pornchai Maximillian Moontri because – thanks be to God – Max has not lost his sense of humor after all the hell he’s been through. I know that as I’ve been speaking with Father Gordon about the progress of Max around the world. Take a look:

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/posts/ice-finally-cracks-pornchai-moontri-arrives-in-thailand

Meanwhile, we remember Book 11 of the Confessions of Saint Augustine, in which he spoke of how time separates us one from another as the future which is now present is already past. Augustine offers the solution with Him who draws all time to Himself when He is lifted up on the Cross: It is Divine Mercy which reaches through time and space and makes us all members of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Anyway, as I publish this, Father Gordon and Max are on the phone at the same time, not having to wait for a delay of hours or days either way.

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2020-11-15 · 5:28 am

On the road to jail for Bible study, a flag was to be seen

A flag for each local veteran for Veterans Day. And, of course, we also honor those who laid down their lives, those whom our living veterans remember. Hail Mary…

Meanwhile, the Bible study continues. An odd Bible study, not because the participants are all prisoners – for Jesus has come to set us all free from the bonds of sin and death – but because there’s quite the constant of change, as it were, what with those who are there for a day or two, those who are transferred out to other places, the new faces each session.

And isn’t that the way for us all. We may only get one chance to help someone get to know Jesus this very day. Just once. We can make it count with our angels, with the grace of God, with our Blessed Mother. Hail Mary…

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2020-08-25 · 6:39 am

Penalties for not wearing Covid-1984 masks? Song fest!

  • Francisco: “What are you in for, sir?
  • Thug: “Murder, rape, arson, pretty much everything. What are you in for?”
  • Lucia: “We were rushing to meet the Queen of Heaven, and we forgot our face masks.”
  • Thug: “Seriously, they threw you prison for that?”
  • Jacinta: “Yes, but as long as we’re here, how about singing some hymns with us? How about ‘Immaculate Mary’?”
  • All:

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2020-07-29 · 4:16 am

Truth @ Joe Biden blocked by FaceBook

joe biden pope francis

Father Gordon has never seen his own FaceBook page but others post on his behalf. Content from TheseStoneWalls has been very popular on TheseStoneWalls FaceBook page. Posts from TSW have been very popular there especially with Catholic FaceBook “Groups”. There are people who post dozens of times a day elsewhere on FaceBook on their own pages, but nothing had been posted on my behalf for well over two days.

FaceBook blocked the graphic above from being posted on the following groups:

  • Roman Catholic Republicans Faithful to the Church
  • Catholic Pro-Life
  • Priests for Life
  • Catholic News Agency
  • Catholic News and Discussion
  • Sensus Fidelium
  • Catholic Writers
  • Catholic Media
  • Catholic Fellowship on Facebook
  • One Million Connected Catholics
  • Catholic Strong
  • Catholic Spiritual Warfare in Today’s World
  • The Catholics Writers Guild
  • …including many others such as FoxNews Groups, etc.

Even just two or three of the above have a readership of over 1/2 million followers.

The reason FaceBook gave is:

“FaceBook must place limits on how often you can post.”

FaceBook invited Father Gordon MacRae to make a rebuttal, which is as follows:

“FaceBook has been criticized for limiting or blocking conservative content. This is an example.”

The specific post being blocked in this very popular article by Father MacRae:

Was front page of The Big PULPIT on this Thursday past. However, we need YOU to share this as much as you can to get out the truth, those of you especially who have internet audiences.

Statement from Father Gordon J. MacRae:

  • “I may be the only priest free enough to write this. The Leftist Mobs cannot throw me in jail. They can only block me on FaceBook.”

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2019-09-16 · 11:36 am

Tattoos: Edu by the PoPo, PJ feet, Jesus

sharps biohazardBecause of the immediacy of a certain set of weird circumstances in which would-be misdemeanor activity of a certain individual – objectively speaking – could have jumped to a class “H” and then class “I” felony (here in NC), a cop from the other side of these USA was telling me sometime later about the meaning of some tattoos[!].

  • The cop mentioned the biohazard symbol that I see all the time at the local hospitals and rehabs and nursing homes. It’s pasted on all the sharps receptacles, and was invented by Dow Chemical. It’s so prevalent that I don’t even see it anymore. The cop said that if it’s a tattoo it apparently means that someone is HIV positive. But maybe just where he’s from.
  • The cop also mentioned a scorpion, which also apparently means HIV positive. But maybe just where he’s from. Elsewhere, I imagine that there must be a gang that uses a scorpion and the last thing they’re thinking of is HIV.
  • Anyway, he also mentioned diamond tats, a number of them, diamonds in the shape of the “diamonds” on playing cards. Who knows what any of that means? I’ve not heard nor seen any explanation. Anyone?

scorpionAfter this conversation, I spoke with a prisoner, and he said that, in his area, again in an entirely different area of these USA, those kinds of tats did not have anything to do with HIV as far as he knew. And if they did, one would immediately want to make a distinction with how it is that someone came to have HIV. For instance a druggy “lifestyle” using used needles isn’t necessarily the same as an “alternative lifestyle.”

I rarely ask people about their tattoos. But I do. I would if I saw tear drops, which can reference even a number of murders. I asked a guy who stopped in front of the rectory asking for directions about his full body tattoos that reminded me of MS-13. He was fearful of letting his tats be seen, even wearing one of those girly shirts with the ultra-long-sleeves that are tied around the thumbs so as to cover the hands. But the tats spilled out onto his fingers and up his neck and face.

  • Do I have any tattoos? No. I did get my hand stamped with red ink at the county fair in my home town as a kid saying I paid some sort of entrance fee. I also got an ultraviolet stamp on my hand while visiting my Shadow at a maximum security prison in Mexico, you know, to make sure it was me on the way out, since we look like each other and are the same age. But I digress…
  • PJ Green FeetWas I ever tempted to get any tattoos? Someone said I might be entitled to get a pair of green feet on my bum out of thanksgiving for services rendered by the great PJs. However, that tradition in honor of those utterly unique first tier operators would surely not be inclusive of preventative measures provided by their overwhelming accompaniment of yours truly, right? The immediacy of a critical incident was not evident. So, no. I didn’t do it.

I discovered trying to do up fingerprints recently for NC-SBI and FBI background checks for getting my concealed carry with the sheriff that my “natural tattoos” (fingerprints) are pretty much worn away. I guess I’m older than I was at one time…

The only real imprint you’ll find with me is the permanent character of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders while I hope that, as Saint Paul says, any sanctifying grace will turn to glory forever in heaven. We’re already “branded”, if you will, for our Lord by our Lord. By this time it’s not something that covers over but the Most Holy Trinity shining out.

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2018-12-10 · 8:38 am

“Hold on, please! They’re coming!”

kristallnacht

Apologies for making an analogy with Kristallnacht and the Shoah. It’s just that, honestly, this is what popped into my mind this morning when on the phone with Father Gordon, who’s in prison. The guards were coming to do count. When this happens, almost daily while we’re on the phone, Father Gordon J MacRae (ABOUT) says:

“Hold on, please! They’re coming!”

He then has to run out and stand in line and get counted. Big deal, right? I’ve heard him say this thousands of times over the years. But this time it was different. For me, it was electrifying: “They’re coming!” Honesty, the Nazi murderers coming to kill came to mind.

I mentioned this to Father Gordon just a few minutes ago when he got back on the phone, and then told him of a step even further that that. It struck me that this murderous analogy is not only what he himself meant to convey, but that he meant something even further. It came to mind that the “Hold on!” referred to just wait until we’re both in heaven, momentarily, and then we’ll pick up on this conversation where we left off…” as if to say, “Big deal about getting murdered; who cares about that if we have the Lord’s life within us, a life which is stronger than death?”

Father Gordon, becoming quiet for a moment, then responded to say that he can’t really speak about this, but, he said ever so reflectively, “The analogy is not totally improper.”

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2018-08-03 · 8:53 am

Catechetical Capital Punishment: Anti-Catholics burn Pope Francis [Update]

wolf angry

The anti-Catholic “katholics” not so kryptically klaim that Pope Francis has “changed church doctrine” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church with a rescript of paragraph 2267 on capital punishment. Those who make the klaim that he changed Church doctrine are well aware that there would be no Catholic Church if doctrine can be changed. They know they scandalize the faithful. They revel in coprophiliac self-congratulating fake-news popularity as heroes, self-proclaimed saviors of the Church and the world.

But, of course, Pope Francis has done nothing even remotely like changing Church doctrine. Not at all. Quite the opposite. He’s reaffirmed it. Let’s do something pretty much no one does. Let’s actually analyse the new paragraphs for 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church with my emphases in bold and [[my comments in red]].

Nuova redazione del n. 2267 del Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica sulla pena di morte – Rescriptum “ex Audentia SS.mi”, 02.08.2018

The death penalty

2267. Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.

Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes [[I’m not aware of that truth being lost on those of the past, by the way, but that is beside the point.]]. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state [[This refers to debate on a deterrent or exacerbating effect of the death penalty.]]. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed [[“been developed”: directly to the point.]], which ensure the due protection of citizens [[“ensure the due protection”: directly to the point.]] but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption [[This is beside the point as this may also come about because of imminent death.]].

Consequently [[“pertanto” “quapropter”: that is, considering these ever changing conditions, the present conditions, generally speaking – and which can revert back to something more primitive in future – are such that right now, for these particular conditions…]], the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible [[…in present circumstances…]] because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”,[1] [[“inviolability” … “dignity”: these absolute statements are actually relative to things like “self-defense”, right? So, there’s no there there.]] and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide. [[Fine.]]

[1] Francis, Address to Participants in the Meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, 11 October 2017: L’Osservatore Romano, 13 October 2017, 5. [[This citation is incorrect. It is the last paragraph on page 7 which then continues on page 11. See the PDF of this edition of the Vatican newspaper from the Vatican website:

http://www.osservatoreromano.va/vaticanresources/pdf/ING_2017_041_1310.pdf

Anyway,there are plenty of ambiguous statements in that footnoted private address which is not directed to the universal Church, nor can it be said that everything in that private address to now canonized, as it were, because it is noted for whatever reason, for instance, to let us know more about not so much the doctrine of the Church but as an indication of Pope Francis’ concern, and to show that he has now brought to completion what he had intended to do for quite a while. There’s no there there. That address is NOT the Catechism no matter how much the mere fact of its publication is noted.]]

=======/// In other words, the doctrine stays in place, and this is simply a comment on the proper application of the doctrine in present conditions, generally speaking. Mind you, the prudence of the Church hasn’t changed one bit. This is a faithful rendition of not only of the doctrine but also of the prudent application of the Church from all ages. This is the judgment for the present time, generally speaking.

The method is crystal clear in examining ever changing circumstances. See the words “developed” and “ensure” and “consequently”?

Get it? This is not hard. In fact, it is so easy that one is tempted to think that there is real malice in those who attack to quickly, so easily, with manipulation.

I, for one, think that we need to support Pope Francis with prayer.

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2018-06-19 · 7:31 am

The Gift of Father Gordon J MacRae and Pornchai Maximilian Moontri

img_20180618_191758540_ll~2933566123..jpg

These spiral notebooks of blank, lined pages were envisioned and created and sent to me by Father Gordon and Max and dearest Charlene Duline (my all time favorite State Department diplomat who also totally spoils Laudie-dog and Shadow-dog).

I’m wondering what they have in mind with these notebooks, as they have at other times said in all humor and in all truth that “Father Byers doesn’t have an unpublished thought.” Ha ha ha.

When I was doing my doctoral thesis, and when I was writing my first[!] novel, I used to carry around paper and pen everywhere, no matter what. After all, you never know when ideas, when solutions to impossible conundrums are going to pounce on heart and mind. I many times had to control myself from stopping mid-step while crossing busy Roman streets so as to jot down some notes. Many times I could be seen writing notes while driving a scooter on the way to some Missionaries of Charity house outside of Rome to say Mass early in the morning. But with the pictures and titles of these note-pads, what could the message possibly be?

Anyway, it is they, Father Gordon and Max who are themselves gifts to me. Both are the most extraordinary people, so balanced, so humorous, so insightful, having not only the wisdom of suffering while at the same time always coming to know Jesus’ friendship all the more. I do not know where I would have been without them. Jesus is good and kind in granting that we help each other get along to heaven.

Anyway, anyone have any ideas about what is intended to fill the pages of these note-books?

The subtitles to the books: TheseStoneWalls.com /// MercytotheMax.com

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2018-04-30 · 4:00 am

Consecration at Mass: The irony!

consecration- 

Father Gordon J MacRae (About) over at These Stone Walls asked me to publish some pictures of day pilgrimages during my Missionary of Mercy trip to Rome in the days surrounding Mercy Sunday 2018. The churches and basilicas involved saints who had been imprisoned, a kind of tradition throughout the centuries.

God’s revelation to us of love and truth and goodness and kindness is also manifested through these members of the Body of Christ, and is a kind of Sacred Tradition if you will, so to speak, as it were. As the great Cardinal Siri pointed out in Gethsemane, the supernatural faith and charity received with sanctifying grace are univocal, always the same, ever ancient, ever new, as they always have the same source in the Holy Spirit.

Christ Jesus was imprisoned. As the Master, so the disciple:

jesus mary solidarity prison

So, we have the tradition of Tradition. We are captives of the Captive One. His love and truth and goodness and kindness is captivating. People push and test His love and truth and goodness and kindness in us, wanting it to be true, but treating us in the same way as our sins treated Mary’s Divine Son. We are, then, captives of Catholic Tradition.

Fr. Gordon MacRae and Pornchai Moontri: Captives of Catholic Tradition

That seems to have gone a little viral with more than 20,000 shares as of this writing. Father Gordon complains: “So, my first post to hit 20k was not even written by me?!!!!” :-) It’s really a very short post. Pretty much all pictures. If you haven’t seen it yet or don’t know Father Gordon or TSW, go over and take a look, especially at Father Gordon’s About Page.

Anyway, Monica Harris dropped a comment on that post saying this:

“The root word of Tradition can also mean betrayal, right? Makes the title of this post true in both senses.”

Sacred Tradition, traditio, or, as the Council of Trent puts it, traditiones – traditions in regard to the articles of faith supernaturally infused into us by the Holy Spirit with Sanctifying grace, refers to a handing on among us of the faith it seems as if by hand (quasi per manus), but really wrought by the Holy Spirit. The Second Vatican Council in its dogmatic decree Dei Verbum, against all definitions of the “spirit of the Council”, repeats what Trent pronounced in Sacrosancta, its first dogmatic decree of the Fourth Session on April 8, 1546.

Judas handed over Jesus to be imprisoned and put to death. Judas, in handing over Jesus, betrayed Jesus. Yes.

In the consecration at Holy Mass, Jesus says:

Hoc est enim corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur.

For this is my body which will be handed over (given up, betrayed) for you. In the inspired Greek of the Gospels, this is expressed in the present participle: διδόμενον “being handed over now”, thus uniting the Last Supper with Calvary.

The Holy Spirit’s action upon us, flooding us with sanctifying grace, bringing us supernaturally into faith and charity, Sacred Tradition, thus forming us into being the members of the Body of Christ depends on, has its foundation on the obedience of Jesus to the Father, obedience, ob-audire, the eager, prompt listening of Jesus unto death, our redemption. When Jesus lays down His life in this way He also lays down the life of the members of His Body. The most holy moment in the history of the universe, the consecration at the Last Supper, that upon which even Sacred Tradition depends, speaks of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, indeed, of all the members of the Body of Christ. It is Tradition to be handed over, to be made captive so as to be free. Jesus unites us with Himself in His offering to the Father, handing us over to the Father with Himself.

Good one, Monica.

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2018-04-12 · 10:03 pm

Visiting prison: Tarcissius! Prayers for Father Gordon MacRae and Pornchai

In the last moments before leaving Rome I made it out to Saint Lawrence’s Outside the Walls. This is in the Blessed Sacrament chapel below the altar: Saint Tarcissius. Or am I wrong? This little boy was commissioned by the Pope (who would be forthwith martyred in the catacombs) to bring the Blessed Sacrament to prisoners at the Coliseum. He was doing this…

He was doing this when he was smashed down and beaten to death by some other boys who wanted whatever it was he was carrying. They could not wrench it from his hands, even in death.

I felt compelled to pray for Fr Gordon MacRae and Pornchai here. Will you join me with some prayers for them? It’s like taking the good example of Saint Tarcissius…

Angel of God…

Hail Mary…

Saint Michael the Archangel…

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