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

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

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 16^th 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 3^rd 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 4^th century and the 16^th 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 21^st 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

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.

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? 

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 Hours


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.

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

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."

~St. Augustine

(Submitted by a friend: Bryant.)

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. 

“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,

Bill

VIEW THE ARTICLE: Don't abandon God because of 'attacks of evil' in church, pope says

'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

'The Servant of God'

It was just six years ago, that the world took great pause at the passing of a man of great Love, stature, and integrity. He was a man ‘after God’s own Heart’. A ‘Faithful Servant of God’, who showed us how to live, seek forgiveness; forgive un-conditionally, and to grow in Faith, Hope, and the Love of God through Jesus Christ. He cooperated with the grace of God, as he stood in ‘solidarity’ with people around the globe. He was a great proponent of Human Rights, Peace, Freedom, and the integrity of every Human Being created by Almighty God. God graced him with many gifts. He could speak to the hearts and minds of every person who encountered him, by simply loving them, listening to them, and building them up.  He was gifted and able to address an audience of Scholars, or Teachers, Priests or religious. Yet, at the same time, he could speak to the heart of a child, of the poor, or the marginalized. The youth of the world were drawn to him as if he were a beacon of Light and Love. No one can say that he was not a man of great faith, great Love, and understanding. His vision and influence throughout his entire life and especially as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church will be remembered as a shining example of what God wants each of us to be. His vision for society as a whole, was one that breeds truth, trust, and posterity while at the same time keeping the moral standard that God Himself has written on the heart of every man. It is ONLY in this way that we may hope to please God and at the same time bring to all humanity, TRUE success, happiness, and prosperity.


The man I speak of here has had a major influence on my own life. Several years ago, I witnessed John Paul the Great as he lived out his faith to the fullest. In Him, God showed the world the value of EVERY Human being from conception to Natural Death. He stood upon the world stage, as we all watched him as a vibrant young man who was a skier, mountain hiker, and canoeist. Slowly we watched as he aged into a man who experienced crippling pain and anguish in the final years of his life. Even as his health deteriorated his mind and leadership did not. He remained a pillar of wisdom, great thought, vision and insight as he continued to lead the Church into the New Millennium. Yet, he struggled to walk, speak, and do the simple tasks of everyday life that so many of us take for granted. Even at the end of his days, he was ALIVE and
doing the will of God.  Many of us will call him John Paul the Great, because he not only did great things for all of mankind, but year after year and day after day he didn't tell us how to live a Faith filled life, he SHOWED us. In the end, he even showed us how to die. Even then he continued to Glorify God. The life of John Paul the Great will go down in history as one of the most powerful and incredible example of truth and devotion to God and all of His creation.  I am confident that he will go on Living … in the Hearts and Minds of every life he touched, both non-Catholic and Catholic alike. Thank you Lord, for the brilliant example of your Light who was John Paul II.


These past few weeks during lent, and in light of the coming Beatification of John Paul II that is scheduled in Vatican City on Sunday, May 1, 2011; I have compiled a tribute to John Paul II. It is a 20 min pictorial video of his life; as seen through the lenses of hundreds of photographers across the globe.  I post it here on my blog for all to enjoy. It is my first attempt at making a movie like this and I think I am more critical of my own work than others may be.  Nevertheless, I hope you will enjoy it, as together we all remember the ‘Servant of God, Pope John Paul II -- JOHN PAUL THE GREAT!


Until next time…. May God Richly Bless You
and Yours … this Day and Always.

Quote for Today: April 2, 2011 - 6th Aniv. of the Death of John Paul the Great

"Finally, true freedom is not advanced in the permissive society, which confuses freedom with license to do anything whatever and which in the name of freedom proclaims a kind of general amorality (immorality). It is a caricature of freedom to claim that people are free to organize their lives with no reference to moral values, and to say that society does not have to ensure the protection and advancement of ethical values. Such an attitude is destructive of freedom and peace."
                                                                                        –Blessed Pope John Paul II