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,…

Lent–The Spiritual Preparation by The Faithful For The Resurrection of Christ

A homily written and presented during mass on ASH WEDNESDAY February 18th, 2015 by Fr. George Blasick, C.Ss.R.

Father Blasick is an ordained Catholic priest of the order of the “Congregation Of The Most Holy Redeemer”, better known today as the “Redemptorist Fathers” founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori .

"Take care you are not like the hypocrites who come to church a few times per year, making the ashen cross (upon the forehead) more valuable than a good confession of sins and the reception of My Body and Blood; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. Do not do this so that others will see you and call you My disciple. Amen, I say to you, for those who value much the little things and neglect the larger ones, they have already received their reward. But to those who use this day as a beginning -- to give alms in secret, to pray often, to fast with hidden appearance, and to celebrate My Sacraments worthily - these my Father who sees in secret will repay you."
 

Could these be words which Christ directs toward us? I believe so, even if some might say that they sound judgmental. However, keep this in mind: Christ was making a judgment of character in today's gospel, while speaking to His disciples. There are sinners, there are saints-in-the-making, and then there are the hypocrites who place themselves comfortably in the middle. Where are we?
 

In the book of Revelation, our Lord says to the Church in Laodicea:
 

"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" (Rev 3: 15-16).
 

We have no problem whatsoever with Jesus saying this stuff about "those people" centuries ago, about those in 1st Century Palestine and to the seven churches in first three chapter of Revelation. However, let no one dare say that about us, in any fashion! After all, what we want and need, more than anything else, is a Jesus of love and mercy!
 

Yet, we must not kid ourselves: we are just as sinful in this age as they were then. We can easily turn a blind eye by saying, "What is most important is that I have a relationship with Jesus!" Really? I ask this in reply to such simplistic thinking: what KIND of relationship? The devil has a relationship with Jesus, and it is a very bad one! So does every angel, good and fallen, and so does every human being as well. What is the DESCRIPTION of your relationship? Is it Scriptural or subjective? Holy or sinful? Good or bad? Real or imaginary? Sacrificial or self-deceptive?
 

Another protest might be, "But I'm a good person!" Perhaps, by human standards you are, but Ash Wednesday and Lent are about assessing ourselves by DIVINE standards. Are you a HOLY person? Are you striving to become a saint? Or do you still allow for spiritual mediocrity in your life--a mediocrity that will get you nowhere fast, which never really challenges you toward conversion (of life), and which allows for complacency and sloth?
 

Yes, we are called to relationship with Jesus, but that relationship needs to be a RIGHT relationship, a holy relationship+ as Jesus teaches us in the gospels, thru His Apostolic Church. That is the real challenge of this day, that symbol, this Lenten season: to allow Christ to transform EVERYTHING in our lives. "Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation." May we all hear His voice today and harden not our lukewarm hearts.

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.

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?

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

Who's Instigating Hatred?

A Christian organization known as the "Family Research Council" or FNC located in Washington D.C. was targeted August 15th, 2012, by a single gunman who allegedly resented their ideologies and non-acceptance of same-sex marriage because they promote the biblical principles of family and mirriage. The gunman had fifteen Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in a carry bag which also contained additional fully loaded clips or magazines to reload his gun should he get that far along in his intended shooting spree. By the grace of God, he was however, intercepted by the building manager who after being shot in the arm was still able to disarm and subdue the gunman until the police arrived. The FNC organization is a Christian non-profit group that supports family life and values and the biblical and historical definition of marriage as it has always been defined; that is as a union sealed by God between one man and one woman only throughout man's recorded history and in scripture.

Only a couple of weeks ago in a seemingly unrelated incident, 

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)

Organized Religion - Is it necessary?

In today’s society there is a growing opinion that organized religion is unnecessary. Such people suggest one can follow Jesus using scripture alone and they do not need anyone telling them how to live their faith. does that sound familiar? For some, organized religion is flat out objectionable. People have developed various excuses to justify their personal position to disregard the validity of organized religion but the most common underlying factor is clear. A vast number of people today prefer to do things their own way with a disdain for being told what they should or should not do or how they should do it. They would prefer to live as they "think" with their minds closed and would rather not know the facts or truths to be able to compare and make a knowledgeable choice. After a great deal of discussions and debates, the same can be said for their political and religious position as well.

Consider the opinions of those previously labeled as liberals but who have gone so far beyond liberalism to become permissives. If one were to put aside pride long enough to look into their reasons for being so permissive in their social views they would realize it is not a trait that expresses a respectful “live and let live” attitude as much as it is a “let me live as I want” attitude. But in expressing an excessively permissive position in support of others to the degree of opposing what is by God, nature and science natural to life and purpose, they feel more justified when they can say, “I supported you to do whatever makes you feel good, so you should let me do the same.”

Some who object to the need for organized religion claim to support their opinion by pointing out the number of Christian faiths that exist today suggesting this is their proof that organized religion is nothing more than a means for some to promote their own agenda. The fact is, the massive number of  Christian faiths that exist today is due to those who separated from the one and only organized Christian faith, the Catholic Church, with the opinion they didn't need the organized Church to teach them their faith, they could figure it out themselves. Ironic, isn't it?

What the liberals and permissives haven’t realized yet is that at some point after their permissiveness has taken hold in society it evolves into entitlement, which is now flourishing in our culture. In time, entitlement will circle around and eventually become an infringement on those very people who have been promoting it through their own permissiveness. Once that happens there will no longer be a reasonable argument against that infringement because it was after all “permitted”. Those who were supported by such distorted freedoms through permissiveness will eventually take directly from the resources of the permissives and everyone else. The more permissive one is the closer he or she is to becoming a victim them self. Just as civil laws were established by man in an attempt to protect each person’s individual social rights (also done under the recognition of God), organized religion teaches the spiritual values of morality to protect and preserve our own self respect as well as respect toward others as we would have others respect us.

In a very short period of time, America has achieved greatness as a country founded upon the rights bestowed upon us by God as first attested to in the Declaration of Independence. Rights considered to be unalienable, founded in moral virtues written on the hearts of man by our Creator. Through the efforts and achievements of individual men and women, this country grew strong and became influential in the struggle for freedom throughout the entire world. Organized religion was the governing body of our moral code just as civil rights were advanced in the name of God. These principles enabled each individual the freedom to seek their own financial success. But we are beyond that now. In today’s society Martin Luther King would have been more likely to be scorned and mocked for being Christian or mentioning God than having been successful in the advancement of civil rights. 

We’ve abandoned God, self respect, respect for others and respect for life. We support the unbridled self indulgences of others with absolute indifference in order to justify our own flexibility of options until our excessive permissiveness becomes surrender to social corruption, chaos, and the inevitable collapse of our society. It was our departure from organized religion that led to the vast number of independent Christian religions that exist today and our abandonment of morality over the last fifty years that led to our liberal and permissive mind set today. It would seem more likely at this point that we as a self proclaimed intelligent society should now recognize what our abandonment of God has led us to and ask ourselves when we may return to our organized religion rather than suggesting it unnecessary.

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:

Spiritual but not Religious?

In our previous article titled "Modern Society vs. Morality" we discussed the serious state of today’s society in its all but total abandonment of morality and its close parallels with that of the Caligula society of the 1^st century AD. Recently, several books have been published disclosing the results of numerous surveys based on public opinion expressing today’s views of morality and our denial of the necessity of formal (Church) teachings in such regard. It is painfully clear that many of our younger adults today are suffering the consequences of little to no religious teaching or moral guidance by their parents during their youth.

The following is an article published by Zenit, Oct. 14th, 2011

Where Is Religious Belief Headed?
Young People Evaluate Morals: OK vs 'Dumb'
By Father John Flynn, LC

ROME, OCT. 14, 2011 - A couple of recent books provide interesting insights into the current state of religion in the United States and what we can expect from those coming into adulthood.

The first, "FutureCast: What Today's Trends Mean for Tomorrow's World," (Barna Books) is by George Barna, a prolific author who founded the Barna Research Group. Based on numerous surveys of public opinion, the book looks at where society is today on a range of social issues.

Three of the book's chapters look at religious beliefs and practices. Religious self-identification has remained very stable, with 84% calling themselves Christians in 1991, compared to 85% in 2010. Nevertheless, Barna observed that many embrace the title without backing it up in practice.

For example, only 45% strongly believe the the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. This declines to only 30% for those born from 1984 onwards. Only 34% of the adult public believe that there is any absolute moral truth, with barely 3% holding this among those born in 1984 and later. Barna also noted that among adults associated with a Christian church only half affirm that they are absolutely committed to the Christian faith.

Spiritual

One of the recent changes in religious identity is the growth in those who describe themselves as spiritual but not religious.

Meaning of Life - Why did God create us?

Out of God’s Love Comes Life

Perhaps we may find it easier to comprehend God’s intention for our existence, the meaning of life as it were, by considering in our limited capacity how He may explain it to us as we may explain to our own children. In many ways and limitless circumstances, Scripture tells us of our relationship with God; our varied levels of devotion and with some of us our departure from Him. It expresses to us His never ending love, forgiveness and acceptance of us should we seek to return to Him. This essay does not claim to be a transcript recorded directly from the mouth of God. It is a mere human perspective of the unimaginable, the flawless, incorruptible love only Our Heavenly Father could have for us. It has however, been written fervently attentive to the relationship between God and man as expressed throughout Scripture. Perhaps Our Father may say to us:

So many times my children, I have heard you question, why would God bother to create man; why would He love man? In a way that you may better comprehend the depth of love I have for you, I will express Myself according to your words. First, I ask the question of you: why do a man and woman so sincerely devoted in life and love to one another, long to bring forth children? Is it not the procreation of life in the sharing of that love that expresses the deepest respect, trust and surrender, devotion and freely given commitment between a man and a woman? As a man and woman become of one flesh in their sacramental union, is not their child the perfect expression of that unification into one flesh born of that love? Yet this testament to creation is less than a passing thought compared to that which rests within Me. For this reason I have bestowed upon you the gift of bringing forth children, directly sharing in My creation of life so that you may experience that most Blessed expression of love and the creation of human life made in my own image and likeness.

The foolish man of little faith may say it is a natural animal instinct to reproduce, degrading man to the level of a thoughtless beast. How foolish can intelligence render a man? For animals have no conception of love nor emotions, no pleasures derived from their day to day witness of their children as they grow and interact in their parent-child relationship; they cherish no memories and they know no guilt for wrongful acts a husband or wife may commit in offense to their loved one. They have no thought or desire in the willing commitment of a relationship with their beloved. Is it not true that man well knows his being is above all creation? Although many of My children have abused this precious gift I have bestowed upon them, there has never been a child conceived that was not My child. There has never been a soul brought into the world that I did not love, and never a child I did not wish to share in eternal life. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. It is because of these I have so long ago proclaimed, for every human life I will demand an accounting; even from animals I will demand an accounting of human life and from man I will demand it, for each and every one is My child whom I love. Yes, I love you.

So deeply I desired you, to love you and be loved as your true Father; to give you life and bestow upon you the heritage of eternal joy in My Kingdom, My Heavenly Universe. A magnificent Kingdom existing beyond all realms and limitations of beauty, purity, time and distance and the longing that you may share in this never ending paradise with Me if only that you may freely choose to return my love. Of this Kingdom no mortal can conceive, for this is the ultimate gift of life in its fullness and majesty.

Before you, My child, I created the angels, but then they had no lacking in their knowledge of Me or in their immediate relationship with Me. Although they also have been gifted with free will, theirs is an existence that left them no real need for choice of one path over another because they were created into Heaven and received fulfillment in their creation. They never experienced a life of choices. For My beloved angels to choose anything otherwise would be to choose wantonness; to reject all for part; satisfaction for dissatisfaction; contentment for discontent and absolute for uncertainty. Their love is true for Me as is Mine for them founded upon that which they knew of Me upon their creation and there was never the need for any other consideration on their part simply because they could only choose less. Yes, they choose Me lovingly and devoutly in the most sincere angelic way but in a sense their free will was hampered by the instance of their most intimate relationship with Me without alternatives to choose in their existence.

But what, I pondered, of a being that would be born in My image and likeness yet possess no true pre-knowledge of Me to interfere with his or her free will?

Conscience – Good or bad?

Our conscience alone is not justification for our choices but rather the voice of reason calling out in recognition of something within us that conflicts with what we know to be righteous in our heart. When there is no question as to right or wrong and no desire to choose what we know to be wrong it remains silent and without conflict. Its voice is louder or softer as it has been nourished or deprived offering guidance prior to our final decision. It is an urging to abide by what we know is right according to human dignity providing us recognition of conflict that we may further seek to determine what moral or faithful choices we should make; but we are not forced to follow it. Our conscience is not the final determination. If our conscience is not properly nourished and well formed, it is weak and easier to convince our self to push it aside.

A simple fictional example; “Susan” has a good friend “Betty” who is married and has two children. Both women consider themselves to be Christian in faith. “Betty” has chosen to have an extramarital affair against her better judgment and in doing so she desperately attempts to ignore her conscience. Susan does not wish to upset or interfere with her friend’s choice so Susan avoids offering any guidance in opposition to Betty’s plan even though knowing Betty to be making a serious mistake in judgment that could critically alter the lives of many of those around her. Susan, although knowing in conscience she should make an effort to offer her friend guidance, eases her own conscience by convincing herself her silence is justified because “it is not her business” or “Betty is not happy with her current husband”, or some other self-determined “reason” (excuse). Perhaps Susan even finds Betty’s affair somewhat suspenseful. Yet, if Susan were to learn of Betty abusing drugs or about to drive while intoxicated with the children in the car she may be more inclined to intercede even though each instance is Betty’s “business” in relation to Susan. In each case, each choice would have a substantially harmful affect on Betty’s life and the lives of those around her. In each case, each instance is self destructive, one potentially no less detrimental than the other, and each are highly personal in nature. Our conscience knows this to be wrong but rather than follow it one may seek to convince one’s self otherwise in order to push it aside. We must rely on our conscience if well formed in matters of moral judgment. It is every person’s right and obligation to discern choices based on their urging of conscience but we must not forget that our choices may be righteous in dignity and trust in God our Creator or wrong unintentionally or deliberately, but in all cases leading to an outcome both here and in our eternal life.

The voice of conscience comes from that inherent moral code which we have naturally received in our hearts in the likeness of God. The development of a well formed conscience must continually be nourished by the teachings of our faith strengthening our morality in order that we may be righteous in our choices. We have the free will to choose but our choices are not free from consequences.

We have as individuals and as a society proven without doubt that the further we get away from practicing our faith and a relationship with God, the more decrepit our self respect and our respect for others becomes until society as a whole has turned perverse lacking true dignity at its foundation. This is reflected in the parallels between our society today and that of the society of Caligula during its brief existence. There is no denying every person has a conscience no matter how efficient or poorly formed, tainted or dormant it may become during life. Where there is no conscience there can be no soul and where there is no soul there is no life, hence each living person has a soul and a conscience...