Prayers for Bud and Bai

This sad situation is being discussed on a number of other blogs, including Fructus Ventris and Two Sleepy Mommies.

I've been in contact with Bai and she asked me to post this letter, written by her sister. Bai believes that more prayer will help, so please, please pray for her, her husband and their marriage.

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Dear friends,

Please pray for the grace inherent in the Sacrament of Matrimony to be unleashed for the purpose of healing the marriage of my sister Bai and her husband Bud Macfarlane. 

This is something that I have not brought to most of your attention since it was a personal matter. However, it has now become public  because of a front page article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer last Saturday (story here)  and a related e-mail to ARCHE members.  

I figured there is no further reason to delay in making a plea for your prayers. During their courtship and earlier years of their marriage Bud and Bai have appeared to all to be a devout Catholic couple.  But now, Bud is filing for divorce with no apparent interest in working for reconciliation, while Bai is leaving no stone unturned in her efforts to keep her family intact. 

Please pray for Bud that his heart will be softened and open to reconciliation, for Bai that she would know what is the most wise and loving course of action, and for their four young boys who are caught in the middle of this sad situation.

Many of you may be particularly concerned about this unfortunate situation because of your positive experiences with the Bud and Bai's ministry through the Mary Foundation, CatholiCity, and Bud's novels such as Pierced by a Sword.   Many people who have benefited from the work of the ministry are confused and concerned. Another prayer intention would be for the good work of these ministries to be able to survive  and perhaps even be refined by this family crisis.

Surely there is only one "person" who will benefit from the dissolution of this marriage.  I  invite you to pray that he will be defeated decisively.

Thank you for your support,
[SIGNED]

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Here is more from Bai's Sister:

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Dear  Friend

Thank you for your prayers and your concern. Below  you will find some  items that Bai sent me that she would like to share with interested people and those who are supporting their ministry and marriage in prayer.  I know this is rather lengthy, so feel of course, do not feel obliged to read it all, but to use it as you think best.

Something that is kind of remarkably evolving from this suffering is my sister's being swept up into the "marriage movement", a force in the legal and  Church circles working to see that reference is given to keeping marriages intact rather than making divorce and annulment so easy.   Bai's whole purpose in doing an interview with the Plain Dealer was to heighten awareness of the weaknesses of the system.  (She never intended that Bud's name be in the article, nor that people would be able to figure out who they were.  She really wanted to remain
anonymous, but she was not allowed that option.  That's why she used her given name "Marie", a name by which she has never be known.) 

Bai has never been intimidated about fighting for what she believes is right, just one example of which was her being  thrown in jail years ago for protesting abortion.  There is  a  hope which I hold onto that some greater good may come out of all this pain. Many lives could be touched if the Macfarlanes' marriage is healed because so  many people know them and  have looked  up to them. 

In addition, with Bai's fighting spirit the system itself in whatever small or large way could be impacted for good, or at the very least other abandoned spouses may be encouraged and made aware of options that they didn't know were available to them.

I keep praying that Bud will have a St. Paul conversion experience and that Bai's suffering will not be in vain just as Joseph' s  (son of Jacob - colored coat) unjust treatment by his brothers ended up bringing about a greater good than if he had never suffered at all.

I have been truly amazed as people respond to me, with a new awareness of the tremendous amount of good that has come from Bud and Bai's work, and  the fact that those who have been touched by that good are not inclined to respond in anger, but rather in prayer. It's actually quite beautiful to see the mystical body of Christ in action.

Thank you again on behalf of Bai and our extended family,

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LETTER FROM BAI TO FRIENDS OF MARY FOUNDATION
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Dear friends of the Mary Foundation

I do not know the true reason for Bud's recent behavior.  Of course I want an intact family for my children and myself and I pray and that Bud will eventually be inspired to discover the reasons he was unhappily married and work to solve our problems.

I also pray that his mysterious behavior will cause the minimum damage to those I love.  As co-founder of the Mary Foundation, I always have loved the Mary Foundation because I love what it does.  It disseminates high quality evangelical information to countless souls through the work of evangelizers who want to spread the good news, through audio recordings, cd's, books, and the internet.   Besides asking for prayers for our marital situation, I ask that evangelizers continue using good Mary Foundation information as they had in the past.

Some people have suggested that the Mary Foundation shouldn't survive because of Bud's behavior.

But I wonder, who REALLY runs the Mary Foundation.  Bud and I used to say it is MARY'S foundation;  we are just instruments.  If it is the devil's plan to destroy the good work of the Mary Foundation by somehow inspiring Bud to act so "contradictorily", then let the devil be tested.   If God allows the Mary Foundation to 'go down' under these circumstances, He can raise up other works, but I hope all of your prayers will melt Bud's heart, and the Mary Foundation can continue to do good work.

Holding on to Hope, while fighting fear,

Bai Macfarlane

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Note from Sparki -- I include the following, but as a novice Catholic, I don't understand all of it myself. Comments welcome if you want to coach this baby Catholic along!
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SPIRITUAL WARFARE PRAYER FROM POPE LEO XIII RECOMMENDED BY PRIEST TO FAMILY TO USE IN PRAYER FOR MACFARLANES

Spiritual warfare prayer recommended to family by priest; join in
praying exorcism prayer. Exorcism Against Satan and the Rebellious Angels
http://atcc-torcc.org/compray.htm#SEC14
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF H.H. POPE LEO XIII

The following is a simple exorcism prayer that can be said by priests or laity. The term exorcism does NOT always denote a solemn exorcism involving a person possessed by the devil. In general, the term denotes prayers to curb the power of the devil and prevent him from doing harm.

As St. Peter had written in Holy Scripture, your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. (1Peter 5:8)

The Holy Father exhorts priests to say this prayer as often as
possible, as a simple exorcism to curb the power of the devil and
prevent him from doing harm. The faithful also may say it in their own name, for the same purpose, as any approved prayer. Its use is recommended whenever action of the devil is suspected, causing malice in men, violent temptations and even storms and various calamities. It could be used as a solemn exorcism (an official and public ceremony, in Latin), to expel the devil. It would then be said by a priest, in the name of the Church and only with a Bishop's permission.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy   Ghost. 
Amen.
EXORCISM
In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, We confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil.

PSALM 67: God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him.  As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax  melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of God.

V. Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee bands of enemies.

R. He has conquered, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the offspring of David.

V. May thy mercy, Lord, descend upon us.

R. As great as our hope in Thee.

[The crosses { + } below indicate a blessing to be given if a priest recites the Exorcism; if a lay person recites it, they indicate the Sign of the Cross to be made silently by that person.]

We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, all wicked legions, assemblies and sects; in the name and by the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ, + may you be snatched away and driven from the Church of God and from the souls made to the image and likeness of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Divine Lamb.

+ Most cunning serpent, you shall no more dare to deceive the human race, persecute the Church, torment God's elect and sift them as wheat.

+ The Most High God commands you,

+ He with whom, in your great insolence, you still claim to be equal; He who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim., II,4).

+ God the Father commands you.

+ God the Son commands you.

+ God the Holy Ghost commands you.

+ Christ, God's Word made flesh, commands you;

+ He who to save our race outdone through your envy, humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death (Phil.,II,8);

+ He who has built His Church on the firm rock and declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Her, because He will dwell with Her all days even to the end of the world (Mat.,XXVIII,20).

+ The sacred Sign of the Cross commands you,

+ as does also the power of the mysteries of the Christian Faith.

+ The glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, commands you.

+ The blood of the Martyrs and the pious intercession of all the Saints command you.

+ Thus, cursed dragon, and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you by the living God,

+  by the true God, 

+  by the holy God,

+  by the God who so loved the world that He gave up His only Son, that every soul believing in Him might not perish but have life everlasting (St.John,III); stop deceiving human creatures and pouring out to them the poison of eternal damnation; stop harming the Church and hindering her liberty.

+  Be gone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man's salvation.

+  Give place to Christ in whom you have found none of your works; give place to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church acquired by Christ at the price of His Blood.

+  Stoop beneath the all-powerful Hand of God; tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy and terrible Name of Jesus, this Name which causes hell to tremble, this Name to which the Virtues, Powers and Dominations of heaven are humbly submissive, this Name which the Cherubim and Seraphim praise unceasingly repeating: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, the God of Armies.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. May the Lord be with thee.

R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray. - God of heaven, God of earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of Virgins, God who has power to give life after death and rest after work, because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no other, for Thou art the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of whose reign there shall be no end, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy glorious Majesty and we beseech Thee to deliver us by Thy power from all the tyranny of the infernal
spirits, from their snares, their lies and their furious wickedness;
deign, O Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and to keep us safe and sound. We beseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. +

+  From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord.

+ That Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee in peace and liberty, we beseech Thee to hear us.

+ That Thou may crush down all enemies of Thy Church, we beseech Thee to hear us.

(Holy water is sprinkled in the place where we may be.)
Imprimatur: = Henri, O.M.I., Vicar Apostolic of James Bay - Aug. 15,
1967

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BAI'S ANALYSIS OF DIVORCE LAW CRISIS  - HER WEBSITE
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I have been dragged by my circumstances into a growing "pro-marriage" movement, that is in some ways similar to the pro-life  movement.  To  visit a website that I (Bai) created to address the catastrophic state of affairs in divorce law visit a web site that she has created go to http://www.marysadvocates.org to help.

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--Sparki