--Pope John Paul II
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Qoute for the Day
"When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society."
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Missing 'Cup'
This is the most somber Holy Day of the Year, Good Friday. At the Ninth hour much of Christendom will pause to commemorate the Hour at which our Lord Jesus Christ gave His own Life so that we might be reconciled to God the Father and share in the Eternal Life of the Trinity. One of my favorite Theologians in the United States is Dr. Scott Hahn. He is a brilliant theologian, writer, and speaker. If you have never listened to his talk on “the Fourth Cup” you are missing one of the best blow by blows, detailing the Lord’s Last Supper, Passion, and Death. He is able to look at Scripture and give all us regular Catholics in the pews, a down to earth explanation of what transpired some 2000 years ago. As a former Protestant Evangelical that has returned to the Church, I was absolutely amazed at what I did not see in Scripture as I read the Gospel accounts over and over and over these past 25 years.
In the Traditional Jewish Passover Meal, there are 4 cups of wine that are drunk, each with their own significance. However, the night Jesus instituted the New Covenant of the Passover in His Body and Blood; he did not drink the Fourth Cup. At the end of the Passover Celebration, normally they would sing a song called the ‘Great Hallel’ and drink the last cup ending the celebration. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus and his Disciples sang the hymn, but then left the upper room and went to the Garden to pray without drinking that last cup. SO at first glance, and as many of us regarded the Passover meal was over and done with; but was it? Was the New Covenant Passover complete at the end of that Meal? I am hesitant to give you then answer. You see, once I was disillusioned with the Protestant church and began to doubt the “once saved always saved” theology, I also began to question other doctrines as well. One of the largest differences comes to us in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist. MOST Protestants (not all), believe that the Lord’s Supper is just a Remembrance, a Memorial, a snapshot of the past. They believe it is more of a commemoration of the Meal, not a sacrifice that contains the REAL PRESENCE of our Lord Jesus Christ. We Catholics do believe that Jesus is Present in the consecrated Bread and Wine. Jesus is present to us… the same Jesus who was present at the Last Supper is being made present when the priest at mass calls upon the Holy Spirit to come down upon them. It in fact becomes the SAME Sacrifice that Jesus presented some 2000 years ago. He told us that he would NEVER LEAVE us. He has made this sacrifice to span both time and space so that HE is present to EVERY person who becomes a member of His Church; to nurish and feed us.
In the Traditional Jewish Passover Meal, there are 4 cups of wine that are drunk, each with their own significance. However, the night Jesus instituted the New Covenant of the Passover in His Body and Blood; he did not drink the Fourth Cup. At the end of the Passover Celebration, normally they would sing a song called the ‘Great Hallel’ and drink the last cup ending the celebration. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus and his Disciples sang the hymn, but then left the upper room and went to the Garden to pray without drinking that last cup. SO at first glance, and as many of us regarded the Passover meal was over and done with; but was it? Was the New Covenant Passover complete at the end of that Meal? I am hesitant to give you then answer. You see, once I was disillusioned with the Protestant church and began to doubt the “once saved always saved” theology, I also began to question other doctrines as well. One of the largest differences comes to us in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist. MOST Protestants (not all), believe that the Lord’s Supper is just a Remembrance, a Memorial, a snapshot of the past. They believe it is more of a commemoration of the Meal, not a sacrifice that contains the REAL PRESENCE of our Lord Jesus Christ. We Catholics do believe that Jesus is Present in the consecrated Bread and Wine. Jesus is present to us… the same Jesus who was present at the Last Supper is being made present when the priest at mass calls upon the Holy Spirit to come down upon them. It in fact becomes the SAME Sacrifice that Jesus presented some 2000 years ago. He told us that he would NEVER LEAVE us. He has made this sacrifice to span both time and space so that HE is present to EVERY person who becomes a member of His Church; to nurish and feed us.
In Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, Jesus tells everyone gathered, “I am the Bread of Life, that comes down from Heaven." He went on to tell them that if they did not eat his flesh and drink his blood, they would have no life in them. (Please read the bread of Life Discourse in the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel) Many present said they could not take that kind of talk. They said to themselves… HOW are we to eat his flesh… this is hard to take. As a result, many of his disciples left and no longer believed in him. Today, many Protestants think Jesus was speaking figuratively and did not mean we had to eat his flesh and drink his blood. They point to the fact that at the Last supper he only told us to do this in ‘remembrance of Me’… as a memorial and since it was a memorial… it was only symbolic. However, if Jesus only meant it symbolically, he would have called those disciples back and told them so. He did not. He even went further and asked the Apostles if they wanted to leave as well. They declined, saying that He was the son of God, and where else could they go? He was the one with the words of eternal life. The fact that Jesus did not correct them and given that he told them this 8 times… demonstrates that he meant what he was saying.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51)
Whenever Jesus was teaching the crowds in the form of a parable or figuratively, later he would explain the meaning to the disciples… here he does NOT do that here. He meant that we were to eat his flesh and drink his blood. That is why at the Last Supper, when he said to the Apostles… “This is my body…” and “this is my blood…” they knew what He meant and they didn’t have to ask for clarification. My friends, JESUS is PRESENT under the appearance of bread and wine in the consecrated Eucharist. He is physically present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The early Christians believed it and so did the Christians at the Reformation. It was not until at or after the reformation that Protestants denied it. Luther himself and many of the reformers believed in it… even Henry the eighth did as well. That is why today Anglicans believe it.
In his talk about the 4th cup, Scott Hahn reveals to us that the Passover meal that Jesus transformed into the NEW covenant of his Body and Blood, the Eucharist; in fact was not over until he was hanging on the Cross and said, “I thirst.” Then the soldiers gave him common wine from a sponge on a hyssop branch, and then he said, “IT IS FINISHED”… Protestants believe that Jesus finished the role he came to earth for. He finished and completed the mission of salvation and reconciled man with God Almighty. INDEED He did! Then he said. “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Then He died. It was done. But lets look back, do you remember what Christ said at the Last Supper? He said he would not drink of the fruit of the vine until he came in glory. He was offered common wine more than once on the way to the cross but he refused it. It wasn’t until God allowed him to “be lifted up from the earth…”, and hung on the Cross-that “he would draw all men unto me” (himself). The Father Glorified the Son at the Crucifixion. Jesus took the “last cup” of the Passover Meal while upon the Cross. Then he said “I Thirst” so that the scriptures would be fulfilled. He drank from the 'cup of blood', from a sponge on a hyssop branch…. The same branch that the Israelites used at the first Passover in Egypt when the sprinkled the blood upon the door posts and mantels so that they would be passed over when the Angel of Death ‘passed-over’ all of Egypt taking the first-born of every house. At His drinking of that wine from that sponge on a Hyssop branch, Jesus finished His mission and became the Passover Lamb for us all! Now, we too, can have death pass over us as we enter into Eternal Life. Thanks be to God!
May I ask you one question? What did the Israelites do with the Passover lamb? I’ll tell you…. They ATE It's FLESH! That is what Jesus meant for us to do as well. HE said… “Give us this day our daily bread” and in Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel…He said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” At the last supper He instituted the Eucharist so that he would be made present to us until the end of the Age; in the Eucharist where He would feed us and nourish us and give us the grace we need while on our journey to Eternal Life. EVERY time we share in His body and blood at the Eucharistic Meal, we proclaim his death until he comes again. Each time we take the Eucharist, we are having a personal encounter with the living Lord. We are personally welcoming Him into us, to change us so we become more like Him, as he unites us to Himself, God the Father, The Holy Spirit, and to one another; all Sharing in the Eternal Love of the Trinity.
I don’t know about you, but all I can say is…. WOW! Isn’t this AWESOME! Since I have discovered what the bible truly claims about the Eucharist… I am so OVERJOYED, so BLOWN AWAY! Whenever I humbly step forward I cannot help but bow before My Lord and My God as I graciously receive His Body and Blood present under the appearance of bread and wine at the Holy Sacrament of the Altar -The Eucharist. No wonder the Church calls the Eucharist the Sum and Summit of our Faith! All Praise and Glory be to God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Amen? AMEN!
If you are interested, you can purchase a downloadable MP3 for $2 of Dr. Scott Hahn’s “the Fourth Cup” at the website of Lighthouse Catholic Media. Here is the link:
Until next time, May you and your families have a MOST BLESSED EASTER.
BloggerBill
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Reverence in the Church and at Holy Communion
You all know that I have only just recently returned to the Catholic Church after 25 years in the Evangelical Church. When I left the Church so many years ago… we (Catholics) were turning away from some traditions (with small t) and norms in the Mass. Some of these changes were a very good thing, in my book, others I wondered and was quite puzzled about; I was a bit confused over them.
First, the Priest has turned around to enhance the idea that we are all gathering AROUND the ‘table of the Lord’. We are drawn into the ‘conversation’ and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. No longer is it just for the Priest and God, but now we are actually invited into the most Holy Sacrifice - more intimately. THIS is TRULY a good thing! One of the other good things was the language of the Mass. As a child I had NO idea what was going on in the mass when it was in Latin, I never took Latin, so it was always foreign to me! I am sure that I was not alone. My older sister tells me that the missals contained both Latin and English on opposing pages. I wouldn’t know. Being one of eight children, my parents couldn’t afford missals for all of us. Once the language went to English, I remember being IMMEDIATELY drawn into the Mass, and when the New Alter was turned around, I could not only hear in English but witness and participate with my own eyes, my ears, my heart, soul and spirit more FULLY in the Liturgy.
However, other changes puzzled me. For example, ‘reverence’. We no longer knelt when receiving Holy Communion. Additionally, we were now receiving the Blessed Sacrament … the Eucharist in the Hand, then picking it up with our own fingers, and putting it in our mouth. I thought, wow, is the Eucharist no longer thought to be HOLY? Again, I am sure that I was not alone. I always liked receiving it on the tongue but I thought we should conform and be ‘progressive.’ Who am I to make the rules? At first people bowed and/or genuflected before receiving standing in the hand, but that became less and less. Receiving Communion started to become mundane and … seemed to me to be ‘cafeteria’ style communion. Upon, returning after 25 years, I see more evidence of change. VERY few people genuflect or profoundly bow (if physically unable to genuflect) before entering the pew. Nor do they genuflect when leaving or turning their back to the tabernacle where Jesus is present – Body, Blood, Soul, Spirit and Divinity in the Eucharist. This truly made me sad. I am especially sad when parents genuflect, but their children walk right by them as they do and slide into the pew. They are not ‘training them in the way they should grow.’ Do not get me wrong… it is not everyone who does this… but it is becoming the norm. I am sure; once the future gray heads replace the gray heads in the church today, I bet no one will be genuflecting at all. This I do not think is good. We are losing the sense of Holiness that was missing in the protestant churches I attended.
I DO NOT bring up this topic of reverence to start a movement and insist that everyone start Kneeling and receiving on the tongue; nor do I INSISTS you train your kids how I think you should. I bring this up to create an awareness of what the SACRED TEACHING of the Church is - universally. I have been told many times in the past that standing for Communion was the ‘new norm’. Well, that is really just in the USA. MOST of the rest of the Catholics in the world still receives Kneeling and on the Tongue. I was astonished. One of the reasons I was given for not kneeling to receive the Eucharist and receiving in the hand, was that, In the Eucharist; we are transformed, made like Christ when we receive communion. Therefore, we are all united in Christ and Christ is in us, Furthermore we, are all bringing Christ’s presence to all we meet. I was given this reason, as to why we do not need to kneel, bow, or receive on the tongue. It sounded ‘good’ but I was never comfortable with that stance. For me, I know that Christ is IN ME. AS I receive the Eucharist who is WHOLELY and COMPLETELY JESUS CHRIST PRESENT in the visible form of the Bread and Wine. He changes me and makes me more Christ like. Unlike a regular piece of bread that I eat where I take it in and make it a part of me… it is the opposite with Christ in the Eucharist. As I take HIM in to me at communion, HE changes me… into HIM, not the other way around. This makes me think that having reverence present in the Eucharist is just as much an obligation as it was in the 1950’s. Even though Christ comes into me, and gives me the grace to be more CHRSIT-LIKE and welcomes me into communion with the TRINITY, I in fact still am the mortal person named ‘Bill’. The EUCHARIST present in the Tabernacles of the World and right in my church is 100% JESUS CHRIST. Therefore, when I face or come into the church that holds the tabernacle that holds the EUCHARIST, that Holds MY LORD AND MY GOD, I feel blessed and in AWE of Him so I will bow as I come into his presence, before sitting down. I will bow before I turn my back to him, and I will bow to him before I leave and take Him in myself, after Holy Communion when I am sent forth at the end of Mass.
May I suggest to you that below are two links of videos that I came across reinforcing my understanding of faith and the church’s teaching on these subjects. I am glad the Church continues to hold high, her reverence for Christ Presence in the Eucharist. I ask you as we are coming to changes in the Mass this Dec. 2011, should we consider some more Returning to the Primary Norms of the Mass found in the UNIVERSAL CATHOLIC CHRUCH. I often wonder… did these changes contribute to the loss of so many Catholics like myself over the past 25-30 years? Do we need to take a second look, admit our error, and return to the Norms of the Roman Rite currently being demonstrated in Rome today? Again… I am NOT a revolutionist… I just miss the reverence of the Churches of my youth that created an atmosphere at church that was DIFFERENT from any other place I visited. This is a place where we come to be transformed… made HOLY… Set ASIDE… from the fancy-free and mundane nature of our society. When I was in the Evangelical Church… there was no mystery, not reverence… no real sense of Holiness or of being set apart. Upon my return, I still find that Holiness missing. Think about it, wont’ you? Pray about it? Talk about it and give it some thought.
Here are the video blogs about the Eucharist and how it should be received and what ‘permissions’ have been granted in its distribution. The first is form Cardinal Arenzie… a BRILLIANT CATHOLIC priest who is the Prefect of the Liturgy and Sacraments for Pope Benedict XVI. Please review them… there are additional links on these sites to study and explore on this and many other subjects.
Cardinal Arinze on Eucharist on Tongue and Kneeling and Standing in the Hand. Cardinal Arinze is the Apostolic Prefect for the Sacraments and Liturgy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap1KL2D5ae4&NR=1
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
RE-POST of: The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Do You Dread It?
It is HOLY WEEK... Have you done the Lenten Requirement? I re-post this Blog because it is not to late for ANYONE to go to CONFESSION and make this EASTER the BEST ONE IN YEARS!!
Earlier i posted...
...This Lent the bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, Bishop Terry R. LaValley has asked that parish priests set aside March 26, 2011 as a day for the Sacrament of Reconciliation /Penance. He has asked them to schedule additional time for the faithful to fulfill their yearly minimum requirement. As Catholics, we are required to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once per year during the season of Lent.
Are you AFRAID to go to Confession? Are you SCARED what the priest might THINK about you? Well, I would like to share with you, my experience of going to “confession” for the first time in OVER 25 YEARS. I was born and raised Catholic but by the time I was 26, I had left the Church and joined a protestant evangelical church. Shamefully, I actually tried to get other Catholics to go with me; but that is another story for a later time. I must also admit that over the years I often confessed that I would NEVER, EVER, EVER, go back to the Catholic Church. Did I say ‘never’? Well, we have all heard that before… “Never say never.”… Right? After about 15 years in the protestant church, I began to have doubts about their beliefs and slowly attended church less and less until I just stopped going altogether. Then I had some life changing and dramatic events in my life. As you might expect, I looked to the only place that I knew I could find hope and help. I turned to God.
Although this process took a year or so, I ultimately found myself at
the doors of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. BOY was I scared! I was shaking so, as I opened that door and went in. NO, the roof did not cave in… but I did look up to make sure. It was Saturday and I learned that confessions were being heard at this time. I approached the confessional; still shaking with my heart racing I entered the box. I was surprised when I saw that I had the option of sitting right in front of the priest. “OH NO! I’m DEAD!” I thought. “I gotta look him in the eye? OH GOD! WHAT have I done!?” I almost turned around and walked out I was so scared. “What is this man going to THINK of me when I tell him that I tried to lead Catholics away from the Church!?” Then, into my head popped… “JUST DO IT”… like Nike says, “JUST DO IT!” And I did. I sat down RIGHT in front of him.
He was reading a book and as he set it down, he lifted his eyes to me
with a wide and sincere smile. I immediately turned my eyes to the floor. I
just could not look at him. He extended his hand and I looked up at his eyes as we shook hands. I then introduced myself. Then I froze! I couldn’t speak. MY lips and mouth were like a parched desert! “HOW am I going to get through this?!” I thought. He sensed my anxiety and said in a soft voice, “It’s OK, just relax. Take a deep breath and relax.” I tried, but was not very successful. I tried to speak and uttered a few words stumbling over them. Then I finally got it out… “Bless me father for I have sinned, it has been over 25 years since my last confession...” He said with a great big smile… “WELLLLLLL….” (At that instant I thought, ‘OH GOD… here it comes!")…. WEL-COMMMME Back!” I was pleasantly surprised and so relieved. This priest was not like Monsignor Tierney whom I once feared as a child. Maybe this isn’t going to be as hard as I thought. I must say that as I began to share of my thoughts, my words and deeds of the last quarter century… he listened so intently. He was sincere, genuinely concerned, loving, and encouraged me as we talked. He made me feel so comfortable, and he even helped me with the prayers. He was truly lifting me up. The Love I felt was amazing. "This is what Church should be like" I thought to myself. After he shared the story of the prodigal son and we discussed it briefly. He then prayed the words of absolution and my eyes welled up with tears of joy. The BURDEN off my shoulders was enough to make me want to SOAR! It was then I remembered one of the best things about confession… the RELIEF of Guilt and the JOY of being reconciled to God and his Church. Once again, I was assured that I was once again in ‘right relationship” with my God. I saw Father chuckle, as he noticed me let out a HUGE sigh of relief. As I got up to leave, Father LaValley said to me. “Welcome home, we're SO glad to have you back.” I exited the confessional with tears in my eyes. I now go to confession at least once per month, whether I really need to or not. I sit before the Blessed Sacrament before I go, and pray, collecting my thoughts, and reviewing my sins ... as well as my sins of omission.
I was in that confessional no more than 5 minutes and I didn’t have to pay a dime. Going to confession regularly keeps me in right relationship with God, his Church, and especially with MYSELF! Now I go and CELEBRATE the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly. The Sacrament is SOOOO precious to me ... "Priceless"! I think today, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is nothing like i remember. Sometimes I actually look forward to going. There is GENUS in CATHOLICISM! -- People just don't know what they are missing! It may be the best kept secret in the CHRUCH!!!
Please check your parish bulletin for the times when the Sacrament of
reconciliation is celebrated. During Lent I am sure you will find Penance Services, Parish Missions, Stations of the Cross, as well as extended times for confessions. I encourage you …. Please go and celebrate this wonderful Sacrament, and do it often. Jesus misses each one of us who are not in right relationship with him. He wants us ALL to be the VERY BEST person that we can be, and he wants to give us the grace to do so. One more thing... don’t worry about being embarrassed about your shortcomings. I have heard several priests say… “There is nothing that you might tell me that I haven’t heard many times before. You just aren’t that original!” I am also sure that over time those coming into the confessional are just like people you might meet at work. You know the face, but you don’t remember every detail of the conversations you’ve ever had with them. They all seem to just blend into obscurity. I truly beleive that God give his priests an additional special gift. The gift to forget the sins of many... including mine. Thank you Lord for the thought you put into the Sacraments... There is GENIUS in CATHOLOCISM! ( I know... i'm repeating myself again.)
Go and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week. You KNOW that you will be glad you did. In addition, going to confession may just make THIS celebration of the Feast of Easter the best you’ve had in years!
Until next time,
May God Bless and Keep You.
Earlier i posted...
...This Lent the bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, Bishop Terry R. LaValley has asked that parish priests set aside March 26, 2011 as a day for the Sacrament of Reconciliation /Penance. He has asked them to schedule additional time for the faithful to fulfill their yearly minimum requirement. As Catholics, we are required to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once per year during the season of Lent.
Are you AFRAID to go to Confession? Are you SCARED what the priest might THINK about you? Well, I would like to share with you, my experience of going to “confession” for the first time in OVER 25 YEARS. I was born and raised Catholic but by the time I was 26, I had left the Church and joined a protestant evangelical church. Shamefully, I actually tried to get other Catholics to go with me; but that is another story for a later time. I must also admit that over the years I often confessed that I would NEVER, EVER, EVER, go back to the Catholic Church. Did I say ‘never’? Well, we have all heard that before… “Never say never.”… Right? After about 15 years in the protestant church, I began to have doubts about their beliefs and slowly attended church less and less until I just stopped going altogether. Then I had some life changing and dramatic events in my life. As you might expect, I looked to the only place that I knew I could find hope and help. I turned to God.
Although this process took a year or so, I ultimately found myself at
the doors of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. BOY was I scared! I was shaking so, as I opened that door and went in. NO, the roof did not cave in… but I did look up to make sure. It was Saturday and I learned that confessions were being heard at this time. I approached the confessional; still shaking with my heart racing I entered the box. I was surprised when I saw that I had the option of sitting right in front of the priest. “OH NO! I’m DEAD!” I thought. “I gotta look him in the eye? OH GOD! WHAT have I done!?” I almost turned around and walked out I was so scared. “What is this man going to THINK of me when I tell him that I tried to lead Catholics away from the Church!?” Then, into my head popped… “JUST DO IT”… like Nike says, “JUST DO IT!” And I did. I sat down RIGHT in front of him.
He was reading a book and as he set it down, he lifted his eyes to me
with a wide and sincere smile. I immediately turned my eyes to the floor. I
just could not look at him. He extended his hand and I looked up at his eyes as we shook hands. I then introduced myself. Then I froze! I couldn’t speak. MY lips and mouth were like a parched desert! “HOW am I going to get through this?!” I thought. He sensed my anxiety and said in a soft voice, “It’s OK, just relax. Take a deep breath and relax.” I tried, but was not very successful. I tried to speak and uttered a few words stumbling over them. Then I finally got it out… “Bless me father for I have sinned, it has been over 25 years since my last confession...” He said with a great big smile… “WELLLLLLL….” (At that instant I thought, ‘OH GOD… here it comes!")…. WEL-COMMMME Back!” I was pleasantly surprised and so relieved. This priest was not like Monsignor Tierney whom I once feared as a child. Maybe this isn’t going to be as hard as I thought. I must say that as I began to share of my thoughts, my words and deeds of the last quarter century… he listened so intently. He was sincere, genuinely concerned, loving, and encouraged me as we talked. He made me feel so comfortable, and he even helped me with the prayers. He was truly lifting me up. The Love I felt was amazing. "This is what Church should be like" I thought to myself. After he shared the story of the prodigal son and we discussed it briefly. He then prayed the words of absolution and my eyes welled up with tears of joy. The BURDEN off my shoulders was enough to make me want to SOAR! It was then I remembered one of the best things about confession… the RELIEF of Guilt and the JOY of being reconciled to God and his Church. Once again, I was assured that I was once again in ‘right relationship” with my God. I saw Father chuckle, as he noticed me let out a HUGE sigh of relief. As I got up to leave, Father LaValley said to me. “Welcome home, we're SO glad to have you back.” I exited the confessional with tears in my eyes. I now go to confession at least once per month, whether I really need to or not. I sit before the Blessed Sacrament before I go, and pray, collecting my thoughts, and reviewing my sins ... as well as my sins of omission.
I was in that confessional no more than 5 minutes and I didn’t have to pay a dime. Going to confession regularly keeps me in right relationship with God, his Church, and especially with MYSELF! Now I go and CELEBRATE the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly. The Sacrament is SOOOO precious to me ... "Priceless"! I think today, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is nothing like i remember. Sometimes I actually look forward to going. There is GENUS in CATHOLICISM! -- People just don't know what they are missing! It may be the best kept secret in the CHRUCH!!!
Please check your parish bulletin for the times when the Sacrament of
reconciliation is celebrated. During Lent I am sure you will find Penance Services, Parish Missions, Stations of the Cross, as well as extended times for confessions. I encourage you …. Please go and celebrate this wonderful Sacrament, and do it often. Jesus misses each one of us who are not in right relationship with him. He wants us ALL to be the VERY BEST person that we can be, and he wants to give us the grace to do so. One more thing... don’t worry about being embarrassed about your shortcomings. I have heard several priests say… “There is nothing that you might tell me that I haven’t heard many times before. You just aren’t that original!” I am also sure that over time those coming into the confessional are just like people you might meet at work. You know the face, but you don’t remember every detail of the conversations you’ve ever had with them. They all seem to just blend into obscurity. I truly beleive that God give his priests an additional special gift. The gift to forget the sins of many... including mine. Thank you Lord for the thought you put into the Sacraments... There is GENIUS in CATHOLOCISM! ( I know... i'm repeating myself again.)
Go and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week. You KNOW that you will be glad you did. In addition, going to confession may just make THIS celebration of the Feast of Easter the best you’ve had in years!
Until next time,
May God Bless and Keep You.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Quote for Today
“May we never risk the life of our souls by being resentful or by bearing grudges.”
-St. Gregory of Nyssa
Friday, April 15, 2011
THE SIN OF THE CENTURY
“The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin."
– Pope Pius XII (in a 1946 address to the United States Catechetical Congress)
http://www.fallibleblogma.com/index.php/the-sin-of-the-century/
Check out the above link to one of my favorite Catholic blogs. In this Post on "Fallible Blogma" Matthew Warner examines the words of warning from Pope Pius XII some 60 years ago and how those words have come to pass in ways I think even Pius XII might have been surprised with.
Until Next time, May God Bless and Keep You.
BloggerBill
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Quote for Today
"Many of us spend our whole lives running from feeling with the mistaken belief that you cannot bear the pain. But you have already borne the pain. What you have not done is feel all you are beyond the pain."
--St. Bartholomew
--St. Bartholomew
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Discovering the Faith We Hope To Pass On.
Re: The Inheritance.
I came across a video on YouTube, where a Mr. Michael Voris talks about the “Inheritance”, a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. During the last 5 or 10 years of my journey, just before returning to the Catholic Church I began to ask questions about the protestant faith that I could not find answers to. It was déjà -vou all over again! When I was a young adult Catholic, I could not find the answers to question I had about the Catholic Faith either.
What were my questions? Well I will give you just three of the many.
1. The Evangelical church believes that ‘once saved always saved’. Yet, the more familiar I got with scripture I found instances that cast great doubt on this premise. Where is the Truth?
2. The Protestant church believes that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial, a symbolic remembrance of what happened 2000 years ago when Jesus paid the ultimate price for all of our sins.
3. The Protestant church believed that somewhere along the line in the first 3 or 4 centuries, the Catholic Church strayed from the true faith and it didn’t surface again until the Reformation of the 16th Century. It was then the true Church ‘surfaced’ in its fullness and grew into the Protestant faith. Where was the Church hiding during those ‘obscure’ years?
Once again, only now as a middle-aged adult I found myself questioning my faith. I questioned its validity just as I had done to the Catholic faith of my youth. I found myself reading scripture with great intensity. I prayed and prayed asking God to please help me find some truth. He had answered me so many times in the past; I knew that if I kept searching I would find the answers. I began to read world history hoping to find something. That led me to Church history and to my astonishment; I discovered some of the church fathers. The prayer and study of both History and Scripture began to bear fruit for me. In the letter to the Ephesians 2:12 Paul writes, “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” This verse not only cast doubt on the notion of ‘once saved always saved’… but here the apostle was saying that we should continue to ‘WORK’ it out, also dispelling the premise that ‘WORKS’ had nothing to do with salvation… but that it is was by Grace alone. To make a long story short, I also noted in the beginning of the book of Revelation that John writes the letters to the seven Churches. He uses words and phrases like… ‘Do not be luke-warm, or I will spew you out of my mouth’; and ‘be careful that I do not strike your name from the book of life’. Again… casting doubt that once we are saved, we are always saved. The Protestants would argue that if your name were stricken from the ‘book of life’ that you were never really saved in the first place. You must not have made a real commitment to Christ. This did not make sense to me. This all required much more prayer, studying, and reading on my part. After about 2 years or so, I concluded that in fact, that we are SAVED by Grace but not by Grace alone. GOD took the first step and offered salvation to us by Grace; and that as we who choose to cooperate with it, we then go about on working it out. Look at Ephesians 2:10 the Apostle goes on.... “For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” In short the Grace of God and our cooperating with it to do the works and will of God will bring us to salvation. IT is both FAITH and WORKS. The two are so closely knit together that they are in-separable. The Grace comes in... because it is through God's Grace that initiates that salvation. WE respond by choosing to cooperate with it, or we can refuse to work with it.
Secondly, as a Protestant, I believed that the Lord’s Supper was a symbolic memorial. IT was not until I started reading the writings of the first popes and bishops of the church that I began to look at the Bread of Life discourse in Chapter 6 of John’s gospel in its true light. The Protestant church teaches that there were many heresies that surfaced in the church during the 3rd and 4th centuries. Therefore, the ‘true’ faith became obscure. I myself could never really put my finger on just where and when that happened. Once I started reading church history and almost a year along into my studying, I came across references in the third century to what was called the “Didache”. THIS document was instrumental in my returning to the church. It detailed “the Way” of the Twelve, the Teaching of the Twelve APOSTLES. It “blew me out of the water” … so to speak. It lays the foundation as to how one should live the "Way" of the Christian Faith, and How not to. It goes on and details what the Apostles taught about “The Thanksgiving” what we call the Eucharist. This document was forged while there were still some of the Apostles living. It was passed around the Church world and was considered sacred writing. Although it did not make it into the cannon of Scripture, it was still a very important and instrumental document of the early church. The ‘Didache’ gave me EARLY confirmation as to what the Gospels and the Catholic Church Teaches about the Lord's Supper. It confirmed that the Apostles themselves believed the ‘Thanksgiving’ was a sacrifice that was made present ... the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Finally, I would like to address my third concern about where the church was during those obscure years between… let us say the 4th century and the 16th centuries; until the Reformation. Well, I have to admit I never really got around to finding where the church was. Why you might ask? Well my friends, it was because as I read about History and found documents and writings of the early church fathers there was no need. Again… why you ask… because much of what I was reading was the Apostolic Tradition of the Catholic Church. In finding it, reading it, praying about it, I discovered that the Church was never hidden, never obscure, never was it obscured from the eyes and ears of man. The CHURCH has stood firm and sound on Peter, the ROCK, and the Gates of Hell have not and will NEVER prevail against it. I discovered for myself what the Protestant Church in fact denies; that you cannot have just Scripture alone. You must have the living, breathing, Spirit led Magisterium of the Church as guide. Without that rich Apostolic Tradition that was passed on by the Apostles, you only have half the Story. It must be set in the Context of that authoritative History; otherwise, it will be subject to whoever and whatever direction the winds of change will be blowing. The Catholic Church with the Holy Scripture that she gave us, along with the Apostolic Tradition handed down by the Apostles spans more than 2000 years. YES, that history contains evil men, greedy men, savage men, and self-righteous men, men in need of reform and especially in recent years with the grave sin of the sex abuse scandals. ALTHOUGH, Christ has used these ‘unclean vessels’ of poor reputation and character to guide The Body of CHRIST, the Church was always been visible and INTACT. Please, if you have never read of the Church Fathers, Doctors, early Popes and Saints who pledged their lives for YOU, The Holy Church… then you owe yourself the time to do so. Because, only after reading and truly understanding it all will you discover the FULLNESS and the context of Scripture and Tradition that make up the full deposit of the Catholic Faith. I am convinced that the FULLNESS of the Christian faith is found only in the One Holy Apostolic Church... the Catholic Church.
My Friends, there are those among us in the Catholic church and outside of it, who believe the Church is to ‘old fashion’ to ‘out of touch’, that it needs to come out of the ‘dark ages’ and come into the light of the 21st century. Let me say this…we do not own the Church and its teaching, it is the gift from Christ Himself; given and revealed to us through the Apostles. Therefore, we cannot change nor can we improve upon it. Doing so would only distort and demean the very truths about our faith. The Catholic Faith has stood the test of time and space in its ENTIRETY; and it will stand until the day the Lord Himself returns. The tenants of Sacred Scripture and Seared Tradition do not belong to me; they do not belong to you. They belong to the Entire body of the Church, the Communion of Saints. The faithful who have gone before us have preserved it for more than 2000 years so that today we will have it in its FULLNESS. It does not just belong to our generation. We are just the vessels who hold it for a while, until we too, pass it on to the next generation preserving it in its entirety. May God Bless and Keep the Catholic Church this day and always.
Please check out this link entitled… “Inheritance”. I found it very interesting. http://www.youtube.com/user/RealCatholicTV#p/u/1/6t-oydfasVc
I came across a video on YouTube, where a Mr. Michael Voris talks about the “Inheritance”, a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. During the last 5 or 10 years of my journey, just before returning to the Catholic Church I began to ask questions about the protestant faith that I could not find answers to. It was déjà -vou all over again! When I was a young adult Catholic, I could not find the answers to question I had about the Catholic Faith either.
What were my questions? Well I will give you just three of the many.
1. The Evangelical church believes that ‘once saved always saved’. Yet, the more familiar I got with scripture I found instances that cast great doubt on this premise. Where is the Truth?
2. The Protestant church believes that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial, a symbolic remembrance of what happened 2000 years ago when Jesus paid the ultimate price for all of our sins.
3. The Protestant church believed that somewhere along the line in the first 3 or 4 centuries, the Catholic Church strayed from the true faith and it didn’t surface again until the Reformation of the 16th Century. It was then the true Church ‘surfaced’ in its fullness and grew into the Protestant faith. Where was the Church hiding during those ‘obscure’ years?
Secondly, as a Protestant, I believed that the Lord’s Supper was a symbolic memorial. IT was not until I started reading the writings of the first popes and bishops of the church that I began to look at the Bread of Life discourse in Chapter 6 of John’s gospel in its true light. The Protestant church teaches that there were many heresies that surfaced in the church during the 3rd and 4th centuries. Therefore, the ‘true’ faith became obscure. I myself could never really put my finger on just where and when that happened. Once I started reading church history and almost a year along into my studying, I came across references in the third century to what was called the “Didache”. THIS document was instrumental in my returning to the church. It detailed “the Way” of the Twelve, the Teaching of the Twelve APOSTLES. It “blew me out of the water” … so to speak. It lays the foundation as to how one should live the "Way" of the Christian Faith, and How not to. It goes on and details what the Apostles taught about “The Thanksgiving” what we call the Eucharist. This document was forged while there were still some of the Apostles living. It was passed around the Church world and was considered sacred writing. Although it did not make it into the cannon of Scripture, it was still a very important and instrumental document of the early church. The ‘Didache’ gave me EARLY confirmation as to what the Gospels and the Catholic Church Teaches about the Lord's Supper. It confirmed that the Apostles themselves believed the ‘Thanksgiving’ was a sacrifice that was made present ... the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Finally, I would like to address my third concern about where the church was during those obscure years between… let us say the 4th century and the 16th centuries; until the Reformation. Well, I have to admit I never really got around to finding where the church was. Why you might ask? Well my friends, it was because as I read about History and found documents and writings of the early church fathers there was no need. Again… why you ask… because much of what I was reading was the Apostolic Tradition of the Catholic Church. In finding it, reading it, praying about it, I discovered that the Church was never hidden, never obscure, never was it obscured from the eyes and ears of man. The CHURCH has stood firm and sound on Peter, the ROCK, and the Gates of Hell have not and will NEVER prevail against it. I discovered for myself what the Protestant Church in fact denies; that you cannot have just Scripture alone. You must have the living, breathing, Spirit led Magisterium of the Church as guide. Without that rich Apostolic Tradition that was passed on by the Apostles, you only have half the Story. It must be set in the Context of that authoritative History; otherwise, it will be subject to whoever and whatever direction the winds of change will be blowing. The Catholic Church with the Holy Scripture that she gave us, along with the Apostolic Tradition handed down by the Apostles spans more than 2000 years. YES, that history contains evil men, greedy men, savage men, and self-righteous men, men in need of reform and especially in recent years with the grave sin of the sex abuse scandals. ALTHOUGH, Christ has used these ‘unclean vessels’ of poor reputation and character to guide The Body of CHRIST, the Church was always been visible and INTACT. Please, if you have never read of the Church Fathers, Doctors, early Popes and Saints who pledged their lives for YOU, The Holy Church… then you owe yourself the time to do so. Because, only after reading and truly understanding it all will you discover the FULLNESS and the context of Scripture and Tradition that make up the full deposit of the Catholic Faith. I am convinced that the FULLNESS of the Christian faith is found only in the One Holy Apostolic Church... the Catholic Church.
My Friends, there are those among us in the Catholic church and outside of it, who believe the Church is to ‘old fashion’ to ‘out of touch’, that it needs to come out of the ‘dark ages’ and come into the light of the 21st century. Let me say this…we do not own the Church and its teaching, it is the gift from Christ Himself; given and revealed to us through the Apostles. Therefore, we cannot change nor can we improve upon it. Doing so would only distort and demean the very truths about our faith. The Catholic Faith has stood the test of time and space in its ENTIRETY; and it will stand until the day the Lord Himself returns. The tenants of Sacred Scripture and Seared Tradition do not belong to me; they do not belong to you. They belong to the Entire body of the Church, the Communion of Saints. The faithful who have gone before us have preserved it for more than 2000 years so that today we will have it in its FULLNESS. It does not just belong to our generation. We are just the vessels who hold it for a while, until we too, pass it on to the next generation preserving it in its entirety. May God Bless and Keep the Catholic Church this day and always.
Until Next time May God Bless and Keep You,
BloggerBill
Please check out this link entitled… “Inheritance”. I found it very interesting. http://www.youtube.com/user/RealCatholicTV#p/u/1/6t-oydfasVc
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Quote for Today
“The first swallow from the cup of the natural sciences makes atheists ---but at the bottom of the cup God is waiting.”
–Nobel Prize winning Nuclear Physicist: Werener Hesienberg.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
After Mass, We Are ALL Sent Forth
Every Sunday we go to Mass. What For? I often went with the premise that it was all about ME being fed. I wanted to receive the Word – in the Gospel, in the Homily, and in the Eucharist. Although that may be part of the big picture, I learned it was definitely not the whole picture. Yes, we do come together as members of the Body of Christ to be nourished by the Word, but it is also about giving Worship to the Father. We come together so that we are changed and transformed, transfigured - into the person of Christ. When we receive the Word of God and especially the Eucharist, we are not really consuming them. THEY… HE is consuming us so that we can be transformed and become more and more like Him. As we are transformed, we are then “sent forth” and commissioned to live, act, and be like Him. With the faith, hope, and the love of God, we are to go about our everyday lives and bring Christ to all we meet in our homes, our communities, at work, and even on the street. You have heard repeatedly through the years that we are all called to the ‘priesthood’ by virtue of our Baptism into the family of God. We are all called to bring the Gospel to all we meet, by both word but especially by deed.
For me that has not easy, as I am sure you will agree. However, I have discovered the better prepared that I am for this mission, the easier it is to answer that call as an instrument of the body of Christ. Christ gives us the grace as we offer our lives to do the will of God. WE must choose to cooperate with that grace; it is not forced on us. Part of my cooperation with that grace involves commitment and study. I needed to decide what things I love to do, need to do, want to do, should do, and discern which I need to eliminate to make room for the mission of God’s call in my life. There are only 24 hours in a day. What do you devote yours to? Where does God and His mission for you fit into your Schedule?
What does your time schedule look like each day? Is it worse? What is making it worse? Do you work longer hours, is shopping and cooking more, are you over-scheduling in the area of relaxation? Do you have five kids and take more like 5 hours to cater to their schedule? Are YOU doing TOO much? Are THEY doing too much? I know we want our kids to have the best and the most… but are they so busy that between, homework, two sports, music lessons, and hanging out with friends, it creates such havoc for the entire family. Are your weekends FILLED with sports and activities leaving no room for Church at all? IF your life is anything like the rest of us in today’s society, I am sure I would hear you saying … YES! AND, I AM SO STRESSED! Well, then you need to make some choices. You need to cut some things out. It may start by cutting out some of the activities your kids are doing outside the home so that you both can spend more quite time with each other and most importantly … together, with God. Not just on Sunday at Mass, but every day. TRY to have meals TOGETHER whenever you can. studies show that this is one of the single most important elements of a good and healthy family life, especially when it involves prayer.
BloggerBill
For me that has not easy, as I am sure you will agree. However, I have discovered the better prepared that I am for this mission, the easier it is to answer that call as an instrument of the body of Christ. Christ gives us the grace as we offer our lives to do the will of God. WE must choose to cooperate with that grace; it is not forced on us. Part of my cooperation with that grace involves commitment and study. I needed to decide what things I love to do, need to do, want to do, should do, and discern which I need to eliminate to make room for the mission of God’s call in my life. There are only 24 hours in a day. What do you devote yours to? Where does God and His mission for you fit into your Schedule?
Work: takes up 9
Sleep: takes 6
Driving the kids to Sports, Practice, Lessons 4hours?
Shopping and Cooking 3
Relaxation and / or entertainment 1
Personal care, shower, laundry, cleaning 1
24 HoursWhat does your time schedule look like each day? Is it worse? What is making it worse? Do you work longer hours, is shopping and cooking more, are you over-scheduling in the area of relaxation? Do you have five kids and take more like 5 hours to cater to their schedule? Are YOU doing TOO much? Are THEY doing too much? I know we want our kids to have the best and the most… but are they so busy that between, homework, two sports, music lessons, and hanging out with friends, it creates such havoc for the entire family. Are your weekends FILLED with sports and activities leaving no room for Church at all? IF your life is anything like the rest of us in today’s society, I am sure I would hear you saying … YES! AND, I AM SO STRESSED! Well, then you need to make some choices. You need to cut some things out. It may start by cutting out some of the activities your kids are doing outside the home so that you both can spend more quite time with each other and most importantly … together, with God. Not just on Sunday at Mass, but every day. TRY to have meals TOGETHER whenever you can. studies show that this is one of the single most important elements of a good and healthy family life, especially when it involves prayer.
Folks we need to make time for God. IF we do not… our children WILL learn by our example. I am sure we have all heard the old expression “Children Live what they Learn”. Well… it’s true! If they see you DO NOT make Mass a priority, Study of Scripture and the Spiritual life a priority… don’t expect them to! IF they DO see it, it is much more likely that they will imitate it… especially if you include them. Sure, as young adults, they will explore other options, just as we did, there may be a time they fall away, but if it has been a visible part of their lives with an attitude of Love, they are MUCH more likely to return to it. Give them some space as you continue to pray and counsel them, as they try to discover their own role.
WE are all part of the Church, the Body of Christ. You have heard it said before… as parts of that Body we are His Eyes, His Ears, His Hands, His Feet, and His Heart. IT is you and me that Christ will use to complete His mission but we have to make the hard but important choices and choose to cooperate with His grace to do so. I pray we all make the right Choices… as we are sent forth, the Next time we go to Mass.
God Bless you and Keep you … this day and always.
Until next time,BloggerBill
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Quote for Today:
"To fall in love with God is the greatest of romances;
To search for God the greatest adventure;
To find Him the greatest human achievement."
(Submitted by a friend: Bryant.)
To search for God the greatest adventure;
To find Him the greatest human achievement."
~St. Augustine
(Submitted by a friend: Bryant.)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Pope Benedict XVI Speaks to Youth In New Version of CCC
The words of Pope Benedict XVI printed in the forward of the new “Youth” CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church) would not be wasted should the parents read them as well. Here the Pope tells the youth not to Abandon God and the Church because of the ‘attacks of evil’ inside the heart of the Church. He also reminds them they need to KNOW their faith if they hope to survive the negative impacts that society has on us all.
As adults I am sure we are all well aware of those ‘challenges and temptations’ that Pope Benedict speaks of. More and more, we are becoming a society of people who are self-centered and evermore drifting from our Faith. The influence of indifference and ‘relativism’ - where one makes decisions based on how it affects him personally, without taking into account how his ‘choices’ affect society as a whole. We deceive ourselves if we think that when we make the wrong choices, it does not have consequences for society as a whole. We do not live in BUBBLES folks! When Adam and EVE took a big bite out of that 'luscious red apple’… they were not thinking of the future and how it would affect us today. They looked at it. They saw that it looked pleasing to the eye, and that it just might be quite tasty! As we often do, they probaly thought... "What harm could there be?' So they both took a BIG BITE! You know the rest of the story…the bad news. They and their heirs would have to toil and work, suffer in childbirth, and have to subdue the earth. I am SURE they would have never taken that bite, if they knew what was going to happen to All of us. At least I like to think that. Folks the truth is, as we do these things … giving into desire, selfishness, dishonesty, immorality, etc; It affects every one of us. It may not have an instant affect on our next door neighbor, but COLLECTIVLY, it is detramental to our society as a whole. Sadly, sin inside the Church does as well. When a priest or Lay minister, or ANYONE in the community for that matter, sins, it has a collective affect on the Body of Christ. That is us, the individuals who make up that Body.
You know my friends, God will prevail in the end. He said to Our first Pope, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build MY Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt 16:18) In the end… God will prevail, NOT the devil. YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK! So … my friends, may I suggest that WE choose “wisely”? Are you going to “give up the faith” and accept the devil’s lie… or are you going to start “cooperating” with the grace that God wants to give you? Me, I will choose to take the grace! That grace is available to each of us and especially available in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist. CELEBRATE them often. I do not want to suggest that all this will be easy, but it will be WELL worth it in the END.
Pope Benedict XVI goes on to encourage our Youth to "Learn your FAITH, study the CCC." May I add to that - as I am sure he believes we should, especiall as adults, READ Holy Scripture daily. One of the Best things that Vatican II did for us, was to give us the NEW CCC and give us the BIBLE back. They strongly encourage us to read them both! You see, as Catholics in the last century we did not STUDY HOLY SCRIPTURES nor did many of us really understand what Sacred Tradition was. I think this may have been one of the biggest mistakes the American Chruch has made. I myself truly believe that it is the primary reasons that the Church has lost millions of the faithful to indifference and to other churches. However, "Times, they are a changing!" I thank God for His GRACE… and for the Church who makes the choice to cooperate - EVER ANEW - with it! We now have one of the BEST tools to teach the Apostolic Tradition as well as being the best study guide for Holy Scripture. It is found in the CCC. WE need to have them both in EVERY home. As you read the CCC, you need to have your bible in your other hand. If you are reading Scripture the CCC can bring difficult concepts found in Scripture to light; use them together. You see folks, Sacred Tradition can never, and will never, conflict with Holy Scripture. In addition, Holy Scripture will never conflict with Sacred Tradition. If you ‘think’ it does, you are probably missing something… Being more than 2000 years old, I have to think (NO, I know!) that the church in her Wisdom and expericne is correct. Personally, I learned that the hard way while I was away from the Church for more than 20 years. I had left and joined an Evangelical church, vowing never to return. (I will save that story for another time.) I will say this though… I thank God I’m Back HOME!
Finally, as WE the CHURCH struggle with our past… we must not look back. WE need more than ever to focus and move on LOOKING FORWARD. WE need to EDUCATE or RE-EDUCATE ourselves and get involved. We are a part of the problem… or part of the solution… YOU make the choice. I pray we ALL make the right one. GO back to Church, Buy a CCC, Buy a BIBLE and learn your faith. IF you just go to church once a week and go on about life in the same old way… I say… "That ain’t gonna cut it anymore! It is unacceptable." IF you want the rest of your family and friends to come back you have to INVEST in it! PRAYER is a very important component of this but, really, it is only half of the equation. WE are the Body of Christ and WE are His EYES, EARS, FEET, HANDS and HEART! WE are the ones that God uses to get His will done. (Remember that the next time you pray the 'Our Father’.) IF you want “...thy will be done on earth…” YOU and I need to make it happen. Did I mention prayer? Pray for our Priests, our Bishops, and the Pope, but pray especially for the Body… YOU and me .... the Church, won’t you?
VIEW THE ARTICLE: Don't abandon God because of 'attacks of evil' in church, pope says
“Today's Christians really need to understand their faith more than ever before in order to resist modern day challenges and temptations”, he wrote.
I am sure that he will to talk to them in greater detail when he meets with Youth representatives from around the globe at the World Youth Day 2011 in Spain this coming summer. Each Catholic pilgrim who attends will receive the New Youth CCC in his or her “backpack”.As adults I am sure we are all well aware of those ‘challenges and temptations’ that Pope Benedict speaks of. More and more, we are becoming a society of people who are self-centered and evermore drifting from our Faith. The influence of indifference and ‘relativism’ - where one makes decisions based on how it affects him personally, without taking into account how his ‘choices’ affect society as a whole. We deceive ourselves if we think that when we make the wrong choices, it does not have consequences for society as a whole. We do not live in BUBBLES folks! When Adam and EVE took a big bite out of that 'luscious red apple’… they were not thinking of the future and how it would affect us today. They looked at it. They saw that it looked pleasing to the eye, and that it just might be quite tasty! As we often do, they probaly thought... "What harm could there be?' So they both took a BIG BITE! You know the rest of the story…the bad news. They and their heirs would have to toil and work, suffer in childbirth, and have to subdue the earth. I am SURE they would have never taken that bite, if they knew what was going to happen to All of us. At least I like to think that. Folks the truth is, as we do these things … giving into desire, selfishness, dishonesty, immorality, etc; It affects every one of us. It may not have an instant affect on our next door neighbor, but COLLECTIVLY, it is detramental to our society as a whole. Sadly, sin inside the Church does as well. When a priest or Lay minister, or ANYONE in the community for that matter, sins, it has a collective affect on the Body of Christ. That is us, the individuals who make up that Body.
Pope Benedict goes on telling the youth this:
“You have need of divine help if you do not want your faith to dry up as a dewdrop in the sun, if you do not want to succumb to the temptations of consumerism, if you do not want your Love to be drowned in pornography, if you do not want to betray the weak and the victims of abuse and violence,"
This is the GOOD NEWS! THERE is HOPE! God Is who he Is! He can take our terrible sin or any circumstance that WE might create, and turn it into something for good. HOWEVER, the devil on the other hand will use these same circumstances to create havoc, division, hate, dissension, a turning away from the Faith, and completely banishing all Hope. He will do his best to try to bring down the Church in any way he can. But remember, GOD on the other hand can take our terrible sin and use it for the Good of his Church. How? That is a good question. Throughout salvation history, God has provided the GRACE to all who Love him, want to embrace truth, and endeavor for the good of the ‘whole’. HOWEVER, we must make the choice to cooperate with that grace or, choose not to. If we choose not to… the devil will win and prevail in the battle at hand. If we choose to say, “yes Lord, help me to help the Church'… He will give us the grace to do so. HE WILL supply the GRACE to accomplish what HIS will is for His Church, and that will is .... "to have Life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10)! If we choose to be the best person that we can be (which is His will for our individual lives), HE WILL provide the grace to do so. AS we walk and work with Him, He will be by our side; He will even carry us if He has to.You know my friends, God will prevail in the end. He said to Our first Pope, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build MY Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt 16:18) In the end… God will prevail, NOT the devil. YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK! So … my friends, may I suggest that WE choose “wisely”? Are you going to “give up the faith” and accept the devil’s lie… or are you going to start “cooperating” with the grace that God wants to give you? Me, I will choose to take the grace! That grace is available to each of us and especially available in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist. CELEBRATE them often. I do not want to suggest that all this will be easy, but it will be WELL worth it in the END.
Pope Benedict XVI goes on to encourage our Youth to "Learn your FAITH, study the CCC." May I add to that - as I am sure he believes we should, especiall as adults, READ Holy Scripture daily. One of the Best things that Vatican II did for us, was to give us the NEW CCC and give us the BIBLE back. They strongly encourage us to read them both! You see, as Catholics in the last century we did not STUDY HOLY SCRIPTURES nor did many of us really understand what Sacred Tradition was. I think this may have been one of the biggest mistakes the American Chruch has made. I myself truly believe that it is the primary reasons that the Church has lost millions of the faithful to indifference and to other churches. However, "Times, they are a changing!" I thank God for His GRACE… and for the Church who makes the choice to cooperate - EVER ANEW - with it! We now have one of the BEST tools to teach the Apostolic Tradition as well as being the best study guide for Holy Scripture. It is found in the CCC. WE need to have them both in EVERY home. As you read the CCC, you need to have your bible in your other hand. If you are reading Scripture the CCC can bring difficult concepts found in Scripture to light; use them together. You see folks, Sacred Tradition can never, and will never, conflict with Holy Scripture. In addition, Holy Scripture will never conflict with Sacred Tradition. If you ‘think’ it does, you are probably missing something… Being more than 2000 years old, I have to think (NO, I know!) that the church in her Wisdom and expericne is correct. Personally, I learned that the hard way while I was away from the Church for more than 20 years. I had left and joined an Evangelical church, vowing never to return. (I will save that story for another time.) I will say this though… I thank God I’m Back HOME!
Finally, as WE the CHURCH struggle with our past… we must not look back. WE need more than ever to focus and move on LOOKING FORWARD. WE need to EDUCATE or RE-EDUCATE ourselves and get involved. We are a part of the problem… or part of the solution… YOU make the choice. I pray we ALL make the right one. GO back to Church, Buy a CCC, Buy a BIBLE and learn your faith. IF you just go to church once a week and go on about life in the same old way… I say… "That ain’t gonna cut it anymore! It is unacceptable." IF you want the rest of your family and friends to come back you have to INVEST in it! PRAYER is a very important component of this but, really, it is only half of the equation. WE are the Body of Christ and WE are His EYES, EARS, FEET, HANDS and HEART! WE are the ones that God uses to get His will done. (Remember that the next time you pray the 'Our Father’.) IF you want “...thy will be done on earth…” YOU and I need to make it happen. Did I mention prayer? Pray for our Priests, our Bishops, and the Pope, but pray especially for the Body… YOU and me .... the Church, won’t you?
Until next time, May God Bless and Keep You All,
BillSunday, April 3, 2011
'Friedship' and Facebook
I was on Facebook and surfing the Net yesterday and I was reading posts that I often subscribe to and some that I do not. I came across an article that really made me stop and think. What about? You're SO smart! Of Course, ‘Facebook and Friendship’. First I would like you to tell me How Many Friends Do You Have On Facebook? Do you have 1000? Do you have 2500? Do you have 250, 750, 300, or do you just have 22? Now ask yourself… what does that mean to me? Are you the kind of person that is always checking your friends ‘wall’ to see how many friends they have? Are you “friending” people just so you can say…? “ HA, HA, HA, …. I HAVE MORE FRIENDS THAN YOU DO! NAH, NAH, NA, NAH, NAAAH! J OR, are you like me and have very few friends on FACEBOOK. In and of it-self, the number you have, whether high or low is irrelevant. EVERY one of us is different and some of us are more naturally outgoing and have numerous relationships, yet others, have few and like it that way, we cherish that small number because we prefer small groups and more intimate relationships. (NO, I do not mean sexual) However, for the sake of the discussion here let me go on.
Personally, for me it is NOT about the NUMBER of friends I have, it is more about the quality of friends I have. And that is what I really want to get across to you today. There are so many of us who seem to be in a CONSTANT race or competition with one another to see who has MORE, who has the BEST or BETTER, etc. We need to stop and ask ourselves, are we often focused on the WRONG questions? We should be asking ourselves, MORE of WHAT? The BEST of WHAT? Really folks, what is a BEST friend? WHAT are you looking for in ‘Friendship’? Are the friends you have on FACEBOOK, truly FRIENDS? Do your friends meet the ‘Criteria’ as to what a ‘Friend’ truly should be?
For me, and I would hope with most adults, I look for qualities like, Trust, Loyalty, Kindness, Genuine, authenticity, and mutual investment. I want my friends to know that I not only have my own best interests at hand, but that I have theirs and hold theirs, in just the same way. I want to be the very best person I can be for myself so that I can share myself whole heatedly with them. Actually, I think that’s what Christ calls us to be as well. Let’s take a closer look at some attributes of Friendship. (I borrow these definitions, with slight alterations, from an article I read… see the bottom for links and info on the article I base this entire post on.
· Authenticity: Do you allow FRIENDS to know you Intimately? Do you Talk to them and share with them your true Self? No matter what, do THEY love you anyway? Or do you find yourself, hiding your real self from your FRIENDS because you fear or might be embarrassed about something. If, EITHER of you hurt one another… do you Forgive them or do you hold grudges for life!?
· Loyalty: Do you stand by your FRIEND? Do you keep your promises to HIM? Do you love HIM through thick and thin? Even if it’s not real convenient? Do you return to your FRIEND, love and kindness? Is your life Better for having HIM in it, and vic-versa?
· Equality: They say, “Genuine friends don’t keep Score.” When you ask a FRIEND or give a friend some help… do you Keep a score card, as to who owes the other how much? Do you give freely to your Friend? Does HE reciprocate the same? Is there a sense of mutual trust and equality in the relationship?
· Investment: Do we want the best for our FRIENDs and do you ‘invest’ in THEM, and put their needs before our own? Does your FRIEND do that for you? Do you act on HIS behalf to help him when he needs support and encouragement?
You know folks, if we are honest with ourselves each and every one of us, at one time or another fall short in our relationships. Even though we may have the best of intentions we still often fail one another. I guess that is what makes us Human and not Divine. But, that doesn’t mean that we should not strive to be the very best person for our OWN SAKE as well as for our FRIENDS. Here are some things we all need to strive for in our relations ships with FRIENDS, no matter how good and faithful they might be.
1. Have a meal with your FRIEND often.
2. Sit and spend some time with HIM or HER, with NO agenda. Just get together and hang out. Don’t forget to SHUT OFF the Cell, the Computer, and the TV. BE PRESENT to your friend, not just close by in your ‘own bubble’.
3. Apologize to HIM if you have done something to offend or hurt them; or if you fail to follow through on something you agreed to do.
4. Remind your FRIEND from time to time how much they mean to you and how important they are to be a part of your life.
5. Say thank you to your FRIENDS for all the ways they have touched your life.
6. MAKE plans with HIM, so you BOTH have something to look forward to.
So, when you go home and sign on to FACEBOOK today and find yet another person who wants to “FRIEND” you, GO AHEAD AND JUST DO IT! Then, make sure that you are the very best friend you can be. THAT is what you want from your FRIEND and you know I'm right! And, to all my FRIENDS -- we ALL know that GOD is looking for the same thing too..
END.
Thanks for reading my post…. But wait… don’t go just yet! READ ON.When I read this article I was really very very impressed and thought; this is the kind of thing that i could use for a 'teaching moment'. As a faith instructor with an RCIA group, in my church I could really use this in my class. But here is the twist. First, cut and paste this post to a ‘word’ document. Print copies for all your students. Read it in class with them, aloud. Now, you have just read my post and saw all the capitalized words… ‘FRIEND’, ‘HIM’ or ‘HER’ or ‘THEY’ that appear throughout the text. Now go back through and REPLACE each of those word with the word “GOD’ or a pronoun for Him. Print out the two sections that refer to the QUALITIES in a friend and the LIST of things to do with a friend to build that relationship. Make sure you replace all of the words ‘friend’ with ‘God’. You can even add more qualities and ideas of your own if you wish. Then, hand that out to your class. Now read it together, discuss it, and wrap up the lesson. WE all KNOW that God is our MODEL for RELATIONSHIPS. God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is a GOD of relationships ... a community of relationships -- The Trinity is the best model for this. It is my hope and prayer that you share this with every teacher you know. The article entitled: “Would God ‘friend’ You?” posted by Jennifer Scroggins on Mar 30, 2011 on the St. Anthony Messenger Press web site is what gave me this idea. Please read her inspiring article here:
http://blog.americancatholic.org/2011/03/30/would-god-friend-you/
Until next time, May God Richly Bless you and yours.
Bill
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