One Nation Under God?

"One Nation Under God", but are we still?

Our nation is formed upon the principles of God and Christianity and we as a people claim to be predominantly Christian. Our constitution was formed to protect all religions and especially the faith of our people; the Christian faith. If you doubt it look at the murals in the capitol building and see the depictions including the cross of Christ in them. When our constitution is used by the faithless to infringe on our practice of faith, it is due to our silence to that abuse and our separation from God that allows it to be used in such a manner and it is only by our returning to God that will save this country from the eminent collapse we are facing if we remain absent of his word and morality. For those who spoof this and believe God is only loving and does not demand we live a code of charity and love without infringing on the faith and God given rights of others, they will not change or return to Him until they personally suffer the great losses a life without true faith spawns.... or the loss of the greatest country known to the world now weakened and cripple both morally, financially and in exceptionalism as it was born and previously flourished. One day their children will ask their parents, "what happened that we do not have the same freedom and opportunities that you had?" What will we tell them? We wanted free things in stead of freedom and voted for those who would give to us in exchange for the opportunity to prosper to our greatest desires and potentials?

A Lesson in Patience

When the Holy Spirit put it on my heart to transition back into the Catholic faith a year ago, I knew this journey would be one of extreme discomfort for not only me but those around me. I knew the journey would be a very painful one but never did I think for a moment this pain would continue to follow me even after I became once again fully Catholic. I was naïve enough to think there would be the strong possibility of my family embracing the faith as well or at the very least be understanding of my transition. Once I could show what a rich and full life the church could provide, others would follow.  But this was not to be and as others before me have experienced, I am convinced it will take an extreme amount of patience on my part for some time to come to be accepting of that realization.

We have all experienced those moments when we run out of patience and someone says “Patience is a Virtue”. According to Wikipedia: The seven heavenly virtues were derived from the Psychomachia ("Contest of the Soul"), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. AD 410) entailing the battle of virtues and evil. The intense popularity of this work in the Middle Ages helped to spread the concept of "Holy Virtue" throughout Europe. Practicing these virtues is considered to protect one against temptation from the seven deadly sins, with each one having its counterpart. Due to this they are sometimes referred to as the contrary virtues. Each of the seven heavenly virtues matches a corresponding deadly sin.”

I heard a marvelous sermon not too long ago at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York by Archbishop Timothy Dolan on patience. He spoke of patience with ourselves, others and God. He mentioned patience with God is a difficult one as most of us when we pray want God to answer our prayers immediately and he likened it to us putting our request into the microwave oven and “zap” it is answered when in reality God puts it in a crockpot and lets it simmer a bit. My request for family to embrace the faith is in the crockpot and will probably simmer until there is no liquid left and the ingredients burn up!

Patience as defined in the dictionary says:

Conversion of Faith

Struggles in Returning “Home”

written by a follower of SDM

The intent of this article will be to hopefully help those who may be struggling with their return to the Catholic Church due to either conflict within family members or friends who are not supportive of a denominational change or personal conflicts in making a decision to leave belief systems that one has been a part of for many years. I was a part of both of these conflicts and I hope to offer some hope to those desiring to return to a Church, 2,000 years old; rich in both history and beliefs that I had discovered to be full of wonderful grace and solace to a very weary traveler.

As I traveled across West Texas recently on a trip to the New Mexico Mountains, I noted with certain sadness how dry, hot and parched the land was. As far as the eye could see, the land, which normally is rich with a mix of dark and light greens of the mesquite and cedar trees and farmland the color of red soil growing cotton and various other crops needed for a thriving economy, was sadly dying from lack of rain. Farm equipment lay to the side of the road and in some cases had “for sale” signs on them. Tractors were abandoned in the fields. Many ranches have had to sell their cattle and the small deer that roam the plains have left their fawns due to lack of water. I saw some of those on the side of road, fed on by those roaming scavengers looking for a meal.

Observing all this while driving down the long stretch of highway, I was reminded of how I felt a year ago when I began searching for fulfillment in a faith that had become for me, unsatisfying. I was parched, dry and thirsty. I was unable to grow spiritually much like the crops of Texas. I began searching for the flowing waters that would soothe me and bring me to that green, grassy pasture of my soul where I could lay down by those streams and cool my parched lips bringing me closer to the One I needed so desperately. As the psalmist sings in Psalm 23:2 “In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength.”

When I began contemplation of returning to the Church of my childhood, I knew it would conflict with those closest to me. Having been married 41 years and part of the Methodist Church during that time, I realized this would take me on a journey requiring much prayer, knowledge of the Catholic faith and most importantly spiritual guidance. For one contemplating this return, these three essential elements are needed in order to complete the journey, remaining somewhat intact and able to weather those developing storm clouds on the horizon that may occur.

The most important beginning of any journey is prayer. One must develop a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit in order to be able to recognize the call to return to the Church. It is a “spark” that may lie dormant for many years but once rekindled will burn out of control requiring immediate attention and the realization that God is at work in you. I actually “wrestled” with the call and found myself in a state of some deep depression for a while because I resisted the “call”. I fought it with every fiber of my being even though I knew this was what I had been searching for over a period of many years...

Sacred Tradition - Understanding its importance

Sacred Tradition or Apostolic Trasition

Although many do not understand the importance of Sacred Tradition, we should come to recognize what this term truly refers to as in its relationship to Scripture and the Catholic Faith. As has been explained many times throughout these articles, Sacred Tradition is the correct understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ passed on by the Apostles, but not from any written text, rather as they were taught through verbal instruction and direct discussion with their students (disciples), several of whom later became successors to the Apostles and are referred to as our Apostolic Fathers. From those teachings, the Apostolic Fathers provided further explanation in their own ancient writings. But what then is meant by understanding, one may ask.

In every era throughout history there have been new challenges in morality that confront society. More directly it is each individual on a personal level who faces these challenges and in turn, by popular choices form social morality overall. Many of us may find ourselves inwardly questioning what is the right choice we should follow morally? In so doing we may in good conscience come to the correct determination, but only if our conscience is well formed. When there is uncertainty, do we rely on our own personal opinion based on society's views or do we turn to the Church for further guidance? If we choose to be guided by the teachings of the Church, then we have based our moral decision on the very teachings of Jesus Christ and the properly understood meaning behind them. If we choose to base our moral decisions according to society's standards, we fail to see that morality is not determined by society, but often repressed by it. One path is good conscience and the other becomes a deceived conscience overcome by what we prefer to believe.

It is the commission of the Church as commanded by Jesus Himself to teach, guide and confirm the church body in their faith. The Magisterium in unison with the pope is that body within the Church that must confront new moral issues throughout each era and provide us direction, always referring to Scripture and the understanding of the teachings of the Apostles guided by the Holy Spirit. Sacred Tradition brings forth the answers to these new moral challenges and it is not based on popular opinion or societal convenience, but the true and full teachings of Christ. In all cases, moral and theological, this process of determination through the understanding of Christ's teachings is the essence of Sacred Tradition.

If a moral teaching conflicts with Scripture, it is invalid and should be rejected. Likewise, if a decision of moral virtue must be made by an individual and one choice defies the teachings of the Church, it also should be rejected as opposing the teachings of Jesus Christ. At no time  has the Catholic Church misguided its faithful in the instruction of proper moral virtues. Each resolution of moral responsibility resulting from some new challenge over the ages has in fact been founded upon Scripture through Sacred Tradition. In making personal choices that oppose Church moral teaching we are doing nothing less than choosing social liberties adopted by the majority in opposition to the teachings of Jesus Christ through the authority He bestowed upon His Church. All we need do is look at the popular choices that have formed today's society to see how morality can be silenced by the adoption of liberalism.

We offer this brief explanation to further emphasize the equal importance of Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium, and the guidance that is so critical in understanding the true and complete teachings of Jesus Christ that we may make morally responsible decisions in our daily life. In the next article we will delve more deeply into decisions made from "conscience" and our God given freedom to choose by our conscience accordingly.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

77 "In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority." Indeed, "the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time."

78 This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it. Through Tradition, "the Church, in her doctrine, life and worship, perpetuates and transmits to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes." "The sayings of the holy Fathers are a witness to the life-giving presence of this Tradition, showing how its riches are poured out in the practice and life of the Church, in her belief and her prayer."

79 The Father's self-communication made through his Word in the Holy Spirit, remains present and active in the Church: "God, who spoke in the past, continues to converse with the Spouse of his beloved Son [the Church]. And the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel rings out in the Church - and through her in the world - leads believers to the full truth, and makes the Word of Christ dwell in them in all its richness."

80 "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal." Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own "always, to the close of the age".

. . . two distinct modes of transmission

81 Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit."

Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it abroad by their preaching."

Separated Catholics - Ex-Catholics: Part Three

“Ex-Catholic” Conversion to Denominational Christianity

The term “Ex-Catholic” as one may refer to them self after separating from Catholicism and entering into a protestant faith, is no more valid than to be ex-Irish or ex-blood type ‘o’. None of what is written here is intended to be demeaning to any protestant congregant who has never been a part of or educated in the true and full teachings of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Faith. Protestant faithful are more often than not, very devoted to Scripture and their own system of beliefs regardless of their individual interpretation of Scripture. In fact, it is the lack of familiarity of one’s faith and Scripture on the part of the non-practicing Catholic that leads them to be persuaded by a person of a Protestant congregation when they (Protestants) can more readily refer to Scripture, which is very sad to acknowledge. This is also why some Catholic-to-protestant converts believe they are “reborn” when in fact they only finally become somewhat knowledgeable of Scripture which they should have been in the first place.

Every valid Baptism brings a rebirth into the soul of the Baptized but it is what he or she does through their life with that rebirth that determines their depth of relationship with the Holy Spirit. The knowledge one pursues in Scripture and faith is what determines the level of intimacy one enters into with God. It is therefore misguided to suggest a Catholic or other previously and validly baptized individual is later “reborn” when in fact they are most accurately awakening to that which was already previously provided them, whether it is from the time of their rebirth through Baptism or the time they seriously open their mind and heart to the Word of God in Scripture.

Denominations that change teachings conforming to popular opinions

A commentary on changes to Christ’s teachings to conform to modern society

What would you be fearful to learn?

Whether you are a “fallen away” or “non-practicing” Catholic, have converted to one of many protestant faiths, or have always been of a protestant faith and never knew the true Catholic faith, we encourage you to express and discuss your thoughts and faith beliefs in our blog.


There are many today that were raised in the Catholic faith but have separated for personal reasons or disbeliefs, but do they really know why or what they separated from? Did they really know their faith or Scripture in the first place? As one who has been there I can tell you with all confidence they did not, or the threat of death itself wouldn’t have separated them from the one Church Jesus founded with His Blood. Learn what you thought you knew but didn’t really know.

For those of another faith who were never of the Catholic Faith but have opinions based on what you have been led to believe, learn the truth.