Our Relationship With God

In the last post we read father Blasick’s homily for the beginning of Lent that speaks of our relationship with God on a personal level. Many of us today (not all), although we believe we're faithful to the teachings of our Christian faith choose what teachings we are willing to follow. We often see the church as an institution that is nothing more than an organization created by man. Some believe that it is not necessary to follow all of the guidance of the church in matters of faith and morality. There are even others who separate from the church and follow their own way of believing what God will be satisfied with assuming what is pleasing to them will be acceptable to God. They fail to realize that the church was in fact founded by Jesus Christ. He Himself empowered it with the authority to teach what He taught and for His church to guide His faithful. Yes, the Catholic Church presents to His faithful followers the teachings of Jesus Christ and not just some general rules a group of man made up on a whim.

As Jesus stated in Revelations,…

A Tale of Two Churches

The following article was published by Zenit.org and is the exclusive property thereof, but we at Seeking Divine Mercy felt this article more than worthy to be presented here with credit given according to the author and publisher. For additional articles of interest, please visit Zenit.org

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American Law Is Officially Telling Its Citizens What Values to Hold and How to Think, Warns Cardinal George

By Francis Cardinal George

CHICAGO, September 16, 2014 (Zenit.org) - Once upon a time there was a church founded on God’s entering into human history in order to give humanity a path to eternal life and happiness with him. The Savior that God sent, his only-begotten Son, did not write a book but founded a community, a church, upon the witness and ministry of twelve apostles. He sent this church the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love between Father and Son, the Spirit of the truth that God had revealed about himself and humanity by breaking into the history of human sinfulness.

This Church, a hierarchical communion, continued through history, living among different peoples and cultures, filled with sinners, but always guided in the essentials of her life and teaching by the Holy Spirit. She called herself “Catholic” because her purpose was to preach a universal faith and a universal morality, encompassing all peoples and cultures. This claim often invited conflict with the ruling classes of many countries. About 1,800 years into her often stormy history, this church found herself as a very small group in a new country in Eastern North America that promised to respect all religions because the State would not be confessional; it would not try to play the role of a religion.

This Church knew that it was far from socially acceptable in this new country. One of the reasons the country was established was to protest the king of England’s permitting the public celebration of the Catholic Mass on the soil of the British Empire in the newly conquered Catholic territories of Canada. He had betrayed his coronation oath to combat Catholicism, defined as “America’s greatest enemy,” and protect Protestantism, bringing the pure religion of the colonists into danger and giving them the moral right to revolt and reject his rule.

Nonetheless, many Catholics in the American colonies thought their life might be better in the new country than under a regime whose ruling class had penalized and persecuted them since the mid-16th century. They made this new country their own and served her loyally. The social history was often contentious, but the State basically kept its promise to protect all religions and not become a rival to them, a fake church. Until recent years.

There was always a quasi-religious element in the public creed of the country. It lived off the myth of human progress, which had little place for dependence on divine providence. It tended to exploit the religiosity of the ordinary people by using religious language to co-opt them into the purposes of the ruling class. Forms of anti-Catholicism were part of its social DNA. It had encouraged its citizens to think of themselves as the creators of world history and the managers of nature, so that no source of truth outside of themselves needed to be consulted to check their collective purposes and desires. But it had never explicitly taken upon itself the mantle of a religion and officially told its citizens what they must personally think or what “values” they must personalize in order to deserve to be part of the country. Until recent years.

In recent years, society has brought social and legislative approval to all types of sexual relationships that used to be considered “sinful.” Since the biblical vision of what it means to be human tells us that not every friendship or love can be expressed in sexual relations, the Church’s teaching on these issues is now evidence of intolerance for what the civil law upholds and even imposes. What was once a request to live and let live has now become a demand for approval. The “ruling class,” those who shape public opinion in politics, in education, in communications, in entertainment, is using the civil law to impose its own form of morality on everyone. We are told that, even in marriage itself, there is no difference between men and women, although nature and our very bodies clearly evidence that men and women are not interchangeable at will in forming a family. Nevertheless, those who do not conform to the official religion, we are warned, place their citizenship in danger.

When the recent case about religious objection to one provision of the Health Care Act was decided against the State religion, the Huffington Post (June 30, 2014) raised “concerns about the compatibility between being a Catholic and being a good citizen.” This is not the voice of the nativists who first fought against Catholic immigration in the 1830s. Nor is it the voice of those who burned convents and churches in Boston and Philadelphia a decade later. Neither is it the voice of the Know-Nothing Party of the 1840s and 1850s, nor of the Ku Klux Klan, which burned crosses before Catholic churches in the Midwest after the civil war. It is a voice more sophisticated than that of the American Protective Association, whose members promised never to vote for a Catholic for public office. This is, rather, the self-righteous voice of some members of the American establishment today who regard themselves as “progressive” and “enlightened.”

The inevitable result is a crisis of belief for many Catholics. Throughout history, when Catholics and other believers in revealed religion have been forced to choose between being taught by God or instructed by politicians, professors, editors of major newspapers and entertainers, many have opted to go along with the powers that be. This reduces a great tension in their lives, although it also brings with it the worship of a false god. It takes no moral courage to conform to government and social pressure. It takes a deep faith to “swim against the tide,” as Pope Francis recently encouraged young people to do at last summer’s World Youth Day.

Swimming against the tide means limiting one’s access to positions of prestige and power in society. It means that those who choose to live by the Catholic faith will not be welcomed as political candidates to national office, will not sit on editorial boards of major newspapers, will not be at home on most university faculties, will not have successful careers as actors and entertainers. Nor will their children, who will also be suspect. Since all public institutions, no matter who owns or operates them, will be agents of the government and conform their activities to the demands of the official religion, the practice of medicine and law will become more difficult for faithful Catholics. It already means in some States that those who run businesses must conform their activities to the official religion or be fined, as Christians and Jews are fined for their religion in countries governed by Sharia law.

A reader of the tale of two churches, an outside observer, might note that American civil law has done much to weaken and destroy what is the basic unit of every human society, the family. With the weakening of the internal restraints that healthy family life teaches, the State will need to impose more and more external restraints on everyone’s activities. An outside observer might also note that the official religion’s imposing whatever its proponents currently desire on all citizens and even on the world at large inevitably generates resentment. An outside observer might point out that class plays a large role in determining the tenets of the official State religion. “Same-sex marriage,” as a case in point, is not an issue for the poor or those on the margins of society.

How does the tale end? We don’t know. The actual situation is, of course, far more complex than a story plot, and there are many actors and characters, even among the ruling class, who do not want their beloved country to transform itself into a fake church. It would be wrong to lose hope, since there are so many good and faithful people.

Catholics do know, with the certainty of faith, that, when Christ returns in glory to judge the living and the dead, the Church, in some recognizable shape or form that is both Catholic and Apostolic, will be there to meet him. There is no such divine guarantee for any country, culture or society of this or any age.

Cardinal Francis George is the Archbishop of Chicago.

As a closing note by the producers of this website, Seeking Divine Mercy, No doubt as unwavering as the Words of Jesus Christ are; as unwavering as is the Covenant Jesus made with His Church, She WILL be here to meet with Him “until the end of days”. No other source can sustain over her. SeekingDivineMercy.org

A Response to Rachel Held Evans CNN Article, “Why millennials are leaving the church”.

A Response to Rachel Held Evans Article, “Why millennials are leaving the church”.

Written by Thomas W. Bigham

The following is in response to an article written by Rachel Held Evans titled, “Why millennials are leaving the church”, published in CNN’s “Belief Blog” on July 27th, 2013. As the author has offered her valued insight both honestly and directly, such deserves the same in addressing her points of issue.

 

The following excerpts from her article and this writer’s accompanying responses will attempt to briefly address those concerns as they have been raised. I respond as a lay person and practicing Catholic. My responses are not to be construed as an official response of the Roman Catholic Church or any affiliation thereof, but specifically as one who had been separated for many years from all organized religion. It was only after the realization of my own errors and the pursuit of a deeper knowledge and understanding of Christianity that I had returned through the guidance of scripture to the Catholic faith.

 

Rachel Held Evans, Excerpt  #1:

“Many of us, myself included, are finding ourselves increasingly drawn to high church traditions – Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, the Episcopal Church, etc. – precisely because the ancient forms of liturgy seem so unpretentious, so unconcerned with being “cool,” and we find that refreshingly authentic.”

 

Response: I would only comment here that a number of changes over the last few centuries and even more so over the last few decades have caused many sincere Christians from various denominations to voice their concerns questioning the guidance of the faith they had followed. Jesus Christ did not adapt His teachings or His presentation to be more accommodating or acceptable to more people. He did not accept the opinions of others in determining the “best approach” for the biggest return, and he certainly did not conform to society’s popular opinions - and neither should His Church if it truly presents His teachings faithfully. Likewise, the Catholic Church has retained the consistency of His teachings for 2000 years even in the darkest of times, regardless of any particular era’s fluctuating social or moral standards. In fact, just as today, there were times throughout history the Catholic Church struggled in direct opposition to popular opinion. As was said, the Church can not care about what is “cool” or popular, especially when popularity infringes upon the truth and guidance provided to the faithful.    

 continued

American Secularism

“For what can be known about God is evident to them (His people), because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.

While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes. Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans CH1: vs19-32)


Our nation clearly suffers the effects of our own abandonment of God and morality as it was first established according to the principles of faith of our forefathers. These are the motivating forces that lead us to the founding of our country. We can not be so foolish to believe we are in a relationship with God if we live opposing His teachings or kiss Him on the cheek while betraying His passion on the cross. But we can turn our country around and return to those principles by rediscovering our faith and begin living it once again while teaching our children of God and morality, but only by such a revitalization of faith will we recover. It takes only recognition of what we have become as a people over the last 50 years; what we have abandoned, to realize why we suffer today and the responsibility we have to out children in providing them the knowledge to live a life in a relationship with God rather than the meaningless pursuit of what will never fulfill or give purpose without Him.

 

Ending The Mass Slaughter of The Innocent

If we are to seek a relationship with our children by shielding them from the need to make an effort or the reality of failure to believe there is only success; or we believe we can establish a relationship with them mainly by taking them to a firing range to teach them how to shoot a firearm, or misguide them into believing everything they do is praiseworthy with nothing to be considered improper or lacking or insufficient, they will be greatly disappointed, aggravated and even subject to hostile actions once having entered the real world. They will find their efforts will at times be judged and they will be found lacking when compared to others; they will loose in competition; their belief they are entitled to equal shares in life’s rewards is false and they are not due what is not earned, and few people show respect for those who have no respect for themselves.

 

Do we hide the score so no team looses or do we teach them winning and loosing is the result of training and effort. Do we have the mindset to take our children to the firing range or some other misguided form of activity to build a relationship with them or do we take them to Sunday services and teach them of God, love and respect for self and for others including human life?

If we want to ever see an end to these mass slaughters of innocent people including our children in their class rooms, we must first accept the rise of such events comes from a lack of parental guidance in teaching faith morality and the love of God to our children. We live with a social mentality of irrational permissiveness supportive of unbridled abortions to the millions. We support same sex marriages against what is proper by science, nature and God in a nation with man made or no moral values. A nation that supports the taking of human life as deemed convenient most commonly to eliminate the responsibility of raising an unplanned child conceived in the casual and often careless acts we choose to amuse ourselves by.

The answer to these mass murders is not in gun control laws that only serve to restrict the law abiding. We must turn back to Christ, teaching our children faith and love of God; teaching them respect for self and respect for others and respect for human life as created by God. None of those who committed such horrendous acts of mass violence were raised in a family living their faith and attending worship services. None were raised living with God in their lives and none had self respect let alone respect for others. But most if not all found themselves alone and unfamiliar with God and often it seems they believed they were denied something they believed they were entitled to but did not receive yet had not been earned.

Euthanasia and Catholicism

What Is the Church's Teaching on Euthanasia?

 

by Fr. William Saunders

An article appearing in CatholicCulture.org

Pope Pius XII, who witnessed and condemned the eugenics and euthanasia programs of the Nazis, was the first to explicate clearly this moral problem and provide guidance. In 1980, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released its Declaration on Euthanasia which further clarified this guidance especially in light of the increasing complexity of life-support systems and the promotion of euthanasia as a valid means of ending life. The new Catechism (No. 2276-2279) provides a succinct explanation of our Catholic teaching on this subject.

Euthanasia

2276 Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible.
 

2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.
 

Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.
 

2278 Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of "over-zealous" treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one's inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.
 

2279 Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged.

Before addressing the issue of euthanasia, we must first remember that the Catholic Church holds as sacred both the dignity of each individual person and the gift of life. Therefore,

American Duplicity - Prayers of Convenience

“Do I lie to myself to see things as I want to? If I do, how then can I possibly identify and achieve the best for myself in life? How well would I do if I were to test my own level of honesty with my self and can I accept the answers?” What am I responsible for and do I control the course of my life?” How do I show self-respect to warrant respect from others? How do I justify my prayer requests of God without living according to His Word? Ten years ago the time came for me to ask such questions of myself. I lived a very secular life as so many people do today and believed “all that mattered was to live life in a manner “I considered” good and God would be satisfied with my choices”.

Today these are questions each and every person should be asking of them self not only as a part of this current American society, but as one of the many people responsible for the direction in values our society takes. Yes, we as individuals through the choices we make and the ideologies we support form our society when those principles are supported by the majority. But when the majority determines what notions will be adopted basing those notions on self gratification and willful ignorance to learn truth, the result has and always will be self destruction of that society.

It does not take a professional investigator to recognize today’s American society consists of an overwhelming number of people who publically choose to be ignorant to truth so as to retain or promote their ideologies regardless of how uninformed or misinformed they may be. They like what they believe and prefer to believe things as they do and are unwilling to accept anything different. They clearly and boldly profess this ignorance most commonly by holding the palm of their hand up to the face of any person who speaks words other than those they want to hear, or by flat out cutting off the other person in midsentence advising, “I don’t want to hear it”.They will associate mostly with politically and morally likeminded people to avoid hearing anything contradictory to what they believe and they believe what they do because it is more convenient to the way they wish to live or the self-gratifications they pursue.

The sad fact is, a vast number of Americans do not recognize the truth today. We have rejected morality and replaced it with a false sense of righteousness called “political correctness”. We do not abide in the commands of God and go further to create a stumbling block to others in their path to faith by misleading them into believing they may live the lifestyle they wish even though it may be in opposition to God’s commands.

And many no longer know how or when to feel embarrassed or to know shame to the point of publically supporting such distortions as those not only opposed to God, but science and nature as well. Same sex relationships and marriages, and unrestricted abortion mislabeled as “woman’s reproductive rights”. Let’s be honest. A woman expresses her reproductive rights when she willingly chooses to refrain or engage in the physical act of procreation. Once another human being has been conceived, a third life exists with its own unalienable rights bestowed by God alone. If we can feel the sorrow and outrage for a pregnant woman who is assaulted and as a result miscarries loosing her child, and in some states criminally charge the criminal, we can not claim that unborn child any less a human life because it is the victim of an un-wanting parent. Yes sin exists and political correctness is a perversity of God’s moral virtues created by man. Supporting and promoting those perversities is as much a matter of sin as the acts they promote. Yet, when we suffer the loss of lives by mass murderers such as the innocent children in New Town or several other public shootings all over our country, we stop broken hearted and in shock to pray, then many go back to the lives they lived never giving thought to the fact that those who committed these acts grew up with the void of never having been taught of God or faith by their parents. Some still insist they have a relationship with God even though they do not follow His commands.

1 John CH2: 3 The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his command ments. 4 whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: 6 whoever claims to abide in him ought to live (just) as he lived.

In response to Jennifer's comments in the previous post...

Thank you, Jennifer, for your thoughtful insight. I agree totally with your opinion. I also believe there are two issues expressed in the views you have revealed here.

One; that in an effort to understand why men commit evil, rape or any other crime of violence in our society, we through our so determined professionals in their various fields of psychology have too often taken these theories (which is what they are) and turned them into excuses for such violent acts. In my opinion, this is inexcusable.

It may be a benefit to understand why a person commits such acts but in most cases it does not excuse the act itself as there are many people who suffered comparable past conditions in their lifetimes but did not resort to such violent acts and even some who because of their past similar experiences became more guarded against such acts.

Secondly, I believe those people including juveniles who are prone to the thoughts of committing rape and other violent acts have in recent years become increasingly more influenced to go through with those acts because of the abandonment of morality and permissiveness in our society today.
Since the era of the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, those now of the age group in their 50s and 60s can recall the general bonding within families and the union that existed in the family practice of faith and morality. For most, that bonding no longer exists – there is a void. Many born during subsequent generations, those children of more recent years have experienced the increased separation and lack of family bonding by the abandonment of parental teaching in faith and morality and many carried it further with their own children. Due to the many from that era who became parents during those earlier years after separating from the practice of faith and the subsequent failure of parents to teach their children faith and morality, there grew an increase in sexual relations outside of marriage and promiscuity, a lack of value in the commitment in relationships, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, and continues now as shown by the disregard for the true understanding of the value of marriage as we attempt to redefine it to suit same sex relationships - something defined as distorted in its essence by nature, science and faith.

It is clear to those who once knew the union and bonding of families through the practice of faith and morality that the abandonment of that family teaching and practice has led many of today’s younger women and men to a complete lack of recognition of self-respect as well as respect toward others which leads to one person’s infringement upon another and in some cases in extreme and vile ways. This in turn leads to diminished respect for life itself, hence the popularity today for unrestricted abortion rights.

Without appearing to place blame on one gender or the other, it is fact that it has always been the female who has had the greatest influence in society in the practice of moral virtues and the male who has had the responsibility to see to honor and protect the virtues of the female. In today’s society, both sides are responsible for the results of the lack of respect to self and others in this regard. Both sides have suffered loss.

It is rational to recognize the more freely open a woman is in the engagement of sexual relationships separate of true commitment, the less her virtues and his respect becomes an influence. Many men today do not see women as they once have; that is to say, due respect for moral virtues. Men certainly suffer their own lack of respect and moral virtues as a result of their lack of the same practice of faith and morality as once taught in the family setting. Many of these men have little to no self respect or respect toward others or even life itself in extreme cases because they themselves knew no true faith in God or moral teaching.

As a result of all of this, we see a society on the verge of financial collapse due to mankind’s extreme greed and carelessness at the highest levels of the corporate ladder and witness a society suffering a rapidly growing number of personal assaults as well as both juveniles and adults committing murder against their domestic partners, parents, strangers and even children in mass crimes. Our society has abandoned God and morality and in its place attempts to manufacture its own form of moral code calling it “political correctness”, which is a failed attempt to recognize human rights as something created by man rather than as that which is written in every man’s heart by our Creator and can not be rewritten. 

Do not be shocked to see the increase in these mass crimes when there is no expression of respect for self or others practiced in our society. But pray that those who do practice good will toward others will pursue the source of that good will and return to faith and morality realizing without God in our culture, we can not be the nation we once were.

A Lost Society?

There are many viewpoints, in fact arguments people offer in an attempt to justify the permissiveness of our society today, such as the “woman’s right to choose” or what has more recently been relabeled "a woman's reproductive rights". A tireless effort to retain the so determined legal validity of abortion, fought for more intently than our right to practice our faith even according to the constitution which supposedly provides us our freedom of speech. In reality, our permissiveness has become a quest in this country to justify and legalize immorality in general for nothing more than individual conveniences to a point of perverting the American culture that before this period thrived as one nation under God - but no more. IT IS NOT AND NEVER WAS within the scope of our Government’s authority to determine what moral values may be dispensed with or at what age a human life has no value beyond that which God determines and instills within each of us. The principles of God and morality were our foundation as a nation.When the foundation of any structure is removed, the structure weakens and will collapse.

 

Morality is not limited only to those who do believe in God. But we are going to pass beyond all the arguments and opinions and view points of the “most intelligent minds” of our day, our supreme court justices for example, and speak the truth of it all regardless of who’s "side" anyone might be on. I have to ask, do we not realize that a mentality of a society that denies the humanity of a preborn infant would certainly spawn the same mentality that raises children who commit mass murder of their classmates, or adults who commit mass murder on the most innocent children in their classrooms? Acceptance of legalized mass murder in the killing of millions of preborn children due most commonly to carelessness and the lack of self respect and self control can not breed healthy relationships, respect for life or respect for self let alone generate any kind of Christian love the majority of this society claims as a foundation of their faith. How many of us reelected a president who has refused to support the legalization of required medical intervention for infants born alive after a failed abortion determining it was better to leave them to die?

The time has long past...

A Society Gone Wrong? Romans CH1

"For although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes. Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans CH1: vs21-32

Lord, Bless Our Children and save them from the affects of our society's ignorance.

Does God's Love Embrace Sinfulness?

2000 years ago Our Father in heaven gave to us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to serve as our Messiah, providing each one of us who would accept His love and guidance in every generation hence forth the means to personally reconcile and reunite with Him. The indescribable degradation against God’s will committed in mankind’s betrayal and sinfulness was so great that the only sacrifice deemed adequate to offer the Father on behalf of mankind that could overcome our sinfulness was the sacrifice of His own life purely out of love and selflessness for man; His mortal life sacrificed for man’s eternal life. Jesus sacrificed Himself by submitting Himself to the most horrid of torments, tortures, humiliations, degradations and the most agonizing of deaths man could conceive of, to be performed by the hands of the worst of mankind for the salvation of the reverent of mankind. And all any person would have to do to accept this forgiveness and salvation is to freely accept God in the love of Christ and live by the calling Jesus taught us.  

As vast numbers of Catholic and non-Catholic Christians in other countries today are being shot to death for remaining devout to their faith while attending Mass in their churches, many American Catholics are embracing their own adaptation of Catholicism. Yes, many of us who are free to worship Christ faithfully do so casually

Test For a Christian

We say we are Christian which in its claim defines us as one who knows, believes in and lives by the teachings of Jesus Christ. In this regard church affiliation makes no difference at all. As a nation, by our own word we then are in fact overwhelmingly a Christian people. Are we proud to be Christian – that is to say a brother or sister of Jesus Christ? Or are we embarrassed to live and express that faith?

When it comes to morality and the liberalism and permissiveness of our society and all we have supported or promoted, either personally or by our selected government representatives, do we believe in our heart we can be as two individual people in one – one who is devout in a relationship with God and one entitled to support or do as we choose without being held accountable?

Here is a test to discover for yourself where you stand in a relationship with Christ. Perhaps it may serve to help and guide each of us in determining what choices we should make regardless of the issue.

In a private place, recite verbally and thoughtfully “The Lord’s Prayer”, the prayer Jesus Himself taught us to pray to Our Heavenly Father, and immediately following this prayer, try to verbalize the choice you are intending to make. If you ARE Christian and ARE truly in a relationship with Jesus Christ, after reciting “The Lord’s Prayer” and saying your intention to support or renounce the particular issue (for example, abortion rights, the legalization of same sex marriage, etc.), you will know undeniably if your intended choice is acceptable to God as well as your accountability. A person may fool others but can not fool them self or God.

May the Holy Spirit guide us all.

Reflect on 1 John CH2: vs4-6.

Catholic Polls - contraception coverage mandate

Today, June 8th, 2012, yet another poll came out regarding Catholics and Obama's HHS mandate. The group “Public Religion Research Institute” released a poll that found 52% of voting Catholics do not believe the contraception coverage mandate should apply to religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals. Only 45% of Catholic voters said the rule should apply to these ministries.

 Although it is a “positive” to see the Catholic majority (by a thin margin) are supportive of the Catholic Church against the mandate, it is extremely saddening that such a vast number of Catholics do not follow their principles of faith at least at this time. It is not that I do not understand how this can be the case after having been separated from living my faith for 25 years, I do. This is exactly why I find it so saddening. As a separated Catholic not practicing my faith for several years living among many people who were as indifferent to Catholicism as I was, I know all the excuses that come with it. But I also have learned over the last nine years of research and study into Christianity and Catholicism how ignorant I was to Christ and the faith He established and I have come to know Him in a way that I pray others will one day seek Him for themselves.

 There is no doubt in my mind that not a single Catholic would ever oppose let alone abandon the Catholic faith if they knew it properly. As in all relationships, you can not enter into a truly honest relationship with anyone without coming to know them. The fact is, too many Catholics know little to nothing of their faith as compared to what they should know and as a result, they misconstrue what it means to have a relationship with Jesus if they even express a sincere interest in the first place.

 I pray that others who are distant from their faith will one day open their hearts and accept the blessing offered them as it was offered to me – that they accept the inspiration to seek the truth and pursue it before time in this life is finished. For those who return to Christ like the prodigal son or daughter, there is a loving relationship and a fulfillment in life they could never have discovered otherwise. But if anyone thinks God did not know what was to come, or did not know what our choices would be in the society we have formed today, or there is anything in life that scripture does not address with relevance for any period since the formation of the Bible until the consummation of the world, that person deceives them self.

Time to rethink our priorities....

“For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.” (2 Timothy CH4; v3-4)

“The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live (just) as he lived.” (1 John CH2: vs4-6)

“…God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans CH1: vs26-32)

Conservative vs. Liberal Christians

Here we are. A society that defines itself either liberal as opposed to conservative, right verses left, far left verses far right or independent. We classify ourselves this way in all aspects of life but in this case we will refer strictly to our Christian faith and most especially our Catholic faith.

We boast of our advanced intelligence and express our “modern philosophies” but are we all that modern? No, not at all. Our society has digressed to a level of permissiveness that is perverse while we strive to redefine what we know is truth to conform it to fit what is most self indulging. In fact, today our social standards and permissiveness mirror that of the Caligula society during the first century. We’ve explained this in previous articles so we will not repeat the distorted elements or lack of morality that conform us to that era again here.  

In Christianity there is a call to faith that is expressed by a way of life of which we are taught by Jesus Christ. Scripture and the Church together teach that way of life and the moral values that are intrinsic to live as true Christians. Scripture does not teach a conservative way of Christian life or a liberal way of Christian life. It does not teach us we can selectively defy the teachings of Christ in our faith determined by what is most convenient or self gratifying to us as individuals. It does not teach us we can manipulate our conscience to serve our greater desires within a particular culture. The cultural elements of any given society are after all, nothing more than the adopted practices of the majority based on opinions. Opinions change based on what one considers as advantageous to the individual within that culture or period.

But God does not change; neither does moral values or truth change, but rather are respected or rejected. Principles of faith are either abided by or ignored. There are no conservative or liberal versions of Christian faith; we invented these categories to serve our own interests. We must be honest with ourselves before we can be honest with others. Many of us ignore our call to worship the Lord even one day a week. We claim sin is not sin, sexual promiscuity is not lacking in self respect or respect toward others, pregnancy to a single parent or outside of a marital commitment is acceptable and does not deprive a child of the benefits of a loving parental commitment or the influence of being raised by a father and mother during the growth of a child, divorce is as valid as marriage, abortion is not murder of human life, homosexual relationships are not adverse to nature, science, morality or the will of God, marriage is merely a civil agreement between any two people and is not a covenant intended strictly between one man and one woman but whoever chooses to enter into it including those of the same sex.

The fact is, if one believes in God and the judgment each of us will one day face, we must turn back to recognizing reality and stop kidding ourselves by claiming to be conservative or liberal in matters of living our faith. We must realize that claiming our conscience is good with the choices we make even when defiant of scripture and the Church either reflects an ill-informed conscience or a conscience that we have distorted for self-gratification. Is it difficult to live a truly Christian life? Not if you know your faith well enough to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. As in any loving relationship, self control and moral values are expressed willingly in the desire to preserve a loving relationship. Truth: there is no conservative Christian faith. In matters of faith, those considered conservative are actually striving to live their faith properly and “liberal” is living faith by convenience. Will we be judged on our choosing to live a truly Christian life or liberal way of life? The answer is in the following verse from Revelations, by which one can judge for them self the eternity they choose for them self. 

 "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,' and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold (grace) refined by fire (purified by perseverance in faith) so that you may be rich (righteous), and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.”  (Revelations CH3: vs15-18)

Catholic - Abusing the Term

“Woe to those who tug at guilt with cords of perversity, and at sin as if with cart ropes! …Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own sight, and prudent in their own esteem!” (Isaiah CH5: v18, and vs20-21)

Recently I have been made aware of public comments made from independent groups that designate themselves as “Catholic” in their organization’s name but oppose Catholic principles or legal actions filed by the Catholic Church in defense of our constitutional rights under the first amendment. Usually I disregard such groups because they are obviously looking for recognition by showing their diversion against the Church. But this time I feel the obvious should be pointed out to show the absurdity in groups such as these.

Groups who promote themselves as Catholic such as “Catholics for Choice” for instance, a pro-choice organization (in favor of abortion or the murder of innocent preborn human beings usually performed by physically shredding them apart) prove themselves by the abuse of the reference “Catholic” to be hypocrites at best who obviously have no valid knowledge of scripture, Catholicism or man’s relationship with God. Yes, this is what they express of themselves by relating their organization’s mission to Catholicism. In fact, their referring themselves as promoters of the right to kill preborn human beings while referring to themselves as being of the Catholic Faith is misleading to non-Catholics and demeaning against faithful Catholic Christians who believe and strive to live in accordance with the calling of Christian life. As such they should be recognized for the hypocrisy expressed by their adopted title and the reflection of their ignorance in their knowledge of the faith they claim to belong. The promoting of abortion results in self-excommunication. What they do represent is dissention from faith, not the faith.

Another group, “Catholics United” has expressed their own ignorance by suggesting the Catholic Church must have some “secret agenda” for filing the law suits it has recently filed in seeking defense under the first amendment rights of religious freedom. Let me initially respond by pointing out that numerous religious groups, Christian and non-Christian alike are uniting in their opposition against the HHS mandate which is the primary element of this issue. I would be more inclined to believe it is “Catholics United” who may have their own personal agenda for opposing the lawsuits rather than the Catholic Church filing for surreptitious reasons.

Suggesting this legal defense filed by the Catholic Church under the constitution in some way opposes charitable acts is a perverted play on conscience. The Catholic Church provides charitable services throughout the world including all over the United States. These services include providing food to the hungry, shelters for the homeless, schools for the unfortunate, medical services to the ill, the suffering and the dying, and no one in need is denied regardless of their religious beliefs. That is Charity. The Obama administration by their own law insists the Catholic Church NOT provide these services to anyone other than Catholics and not hire anyone except Catholics if the Catholic Church wants to stay in conformity to its religious principles.  In other words, Obama would have all those who are hungry, homeless, uneducated in poverty, ill, suffering, and dying be turned away from the charitable works of mercy offered by Catholicism, AND all those who are currently employed by Catholic institutions be removed from their jobs and replaced by Catholics only. Now who is it that is denying charity to the needy?

According to the Obama administration, the forced HHS mandate was to serve as a protective measure under commerce to relieve the financial stress and availability of health care but wouldn't that be more relative to say, capping or attempting to control the high cost of gas due to its influence on the economy? Funny that was never mentioned...

These legal actions are a forced response seeking defense and relief from the willful disregard and attempted fragmentation by this President and his administration against the religious rights protected under the constitution; these are the foundation of this country. Failure to protect and defend any constitutional rights once violated can then result in the systematic dissolution of principles previously protected under any article of the constitution. Once a process of diminishing principles of rights under the constitution has been proven effective, groups such as “Catholics United” and others may one day find themselves without a right to free speech, or to assemble at all which incidentally has come under attack in recent years as well.

Blessed are the Meek - What will come of the abortion society?

Blessed are the Meek - for they shall inherit the Land.”
The second of the eight Beatitudes preached by Our Lord in His Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew CH5; v4)

In our current times we may find a much deeper message in this proclamation than has ever been considered before. “…for they (the meek) shall inherit the land.” Could it be that in the literal sense and without most of us realizing it, through the power of God’s justice and love for the meek and in answer to their cries, they are about to begin collecting their inheritance? Are those Christians who live the true sense of faith actually witnessing the beginning of the meek inheriting the land today?

In the most profound way, the unborn child is the quintessence of meekness of human life. Yet, torn from their mother’s womb, they have been violently and grossly victimized having life itself literally ripped from them before ever having had the chance to experience God’s light of day. Infanticide; not only supported by but promoted by a presidential advocate, legalized by the majority vote of government and in many ways financed with tax payer dollars including the salaries of those elected officials who vote in legal support of it. A government founded upon and once held accountable for the safety and security of man’s unalienable right to life. But then, the majority of the voting population of this country voted for these men before they held positions enabling them to enact such laws and pass such spending bills. Therefore, most of us can not stand innocent on our part. Can we claim a split personality that boasts to be Christian but can separate itself from moral Christian obligations to faith in matters of our social life or conveniences? We each know the answer to that.

In less than forty years (since 1973), the United States alone has increased its abortion rate to an average of 1.2 million recorded individual slayings performed per year. Millions upon millions of the meekest of human life have been terminated by choice. Recorded history has already begun to reflect the society we’ve become over the last few decades but now perhaps history may also reflect more than what many could have imagined; the power of the meek.

For those who believe in God and the teachings of Scripture, these meekest of human beings have been gifted before all others the power of God's justice by their innocence, never having had the exercise of free will or to become defiled by temptation, pride, ideology or any other moral corruption. Yet they fell the victim, subjected to horrid deaths at the hands of our society that in and of it self became defiled by temptation, pride, ideology and moral decay years ago. By their greatest numbers they were and are conceived and killed out of our own moral decay and lost self respect. Is this all that history will reflect of our society for future generations to remember us by, or will there be something else? Could it be that the power of God reserved for the meek has ignited a part of society that has not made it self heard loudly enough before?

Today we are witnessing a sudden growing number in society ignited in the recognition of evil, the repulsion of abortion and the grace filled motivation of moral conscience including many of our youngest adults who previously had not really been taught or devoutly practiced a particular faith but have found their own way in good conscience. The growing number of these militants of Christ is most impressive, whether aware or not that they stand for the taking back of the land from the powerful; the influential; the egotistical; the greedy and the self indulgent. Such is the innate  power of God the meekest of all possess. Those in defense of life now growing to take back from the powers in this world the control and influence they perverted for so long. 

One can believe this may be the beginning of the current authorities relinquishing their power back to the meek through those who by the power and grace of God will stand on their behalf as our government should have done had it kept to the values this land was established upon. God bless and empower those who seek to regain what has been lost... and thank God for allowing the faithful to see this begin and to be a part of it... Praise Almighty God, we are seeing just a part of the good Christian fight.