WHY WORSHIP GOD

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

Hear, O Israel!

The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!

Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,

with your whole heart, and with your whole being,

and with your whole strength!

Take to heart these words which I command you today.

Keep repeating them to your children.

Recite them when you are at home and when you are away,

when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The God of the Old and New Testament is certainly in need of nothing, even our worship. God lacks nothing.  God is the cause of everything, and source of all beings.  God is not just another being, He is existence itself, all that exists, exists in Him and through him.

Are we not grateful when someone gives us a gift, no matter how small it is?   We can’t begin to tick off all the gifts we receive from God, our very existence, our world, the air we breathe, the sunlight and rain that produce food for our nourishment…

Each day is a day of gratitude and thanksgiving to the one who makes all things possible. Worship is not something that God needs, but it is very much something that we need…. To acknowledge that God is our end all and be all.

We can add nothing to God’s glory, but we can express God’s glory in our behavior to others.  . Our lives become right ordered. We are ready to travel safely home.  We may pray with the Psalmist…

 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?

The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?

One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek:

To dwell in the LORD’s house all the days of my life,

For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble,

He will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock.

Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD! (PSALM 27)

Very disturbing are continued reports of diminishing attendance at Sunday Mass.  In a few decades it has dropped from 70% of Catholics to now 30%, Wow!  So many going it on their own.  How is that working out? It can be a real challenge to remain faithful.  So many worldly distractions.  So many Church scandals…

When people dismiss or ignore God’s presence in this world they also ignore His graces and support for times of stress, grief, despair… At Sunday Mass we celebrate the Eucharist, the same sacrifice as on Calvary but in an un-bloody manner.

As we join ourselves in offering ourselves with Jesus to the Father we encounter God’s presence in personal and profound ways and are the recipient of the graces Jesus merited over 2000 years ago.  We are there with Jesus offering ourselves in sacrifice and in reparation for sin.

Just as we need to nourish our physical bodies in order to have strength; to work; and to live well, so too we need to eat in the House of the Lord to have spiritual strength. Nourished by this heavenly food we carry on the work of Christ and His Church.

Recently, I was in a hospital recovering from a fall and severe fracture of my upper arm, then that led to rehab and both OT and PT, all very painful and now in out-patient rehab.  Why I bring this up is that when you are in pain it is not the easiest time to pray or even feel presence of God.  Don’t wait until you are in extreme conditions to pray.  Pray now, attend Mass now, participate in Sacramental life now!

Sometimes God seems so distant….not engaged at all….the faith of my Baptism tell me He is engaged in my suffering….sometimes all we can do is ask God to do something good with our suffering for others…sure we can pray for our healing…but that is in God’s time and place….something beyond our control..

In rehab, I looked around at so many others older and more disabled than myself and most likely not to ever go home again.  What is that all about, God?  No wonder euthanasia has so much support around the country based on a fictitious “quality of life.”  What does God and His Church say about doctor assisted suicide?

So called “Death with Dignity” is always immoral.  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. A government that legalizes assisted suicide sends the terrible message that there is such a thing as disposable people.

So God, what is the God answer to these long suffering souls in nursing homes and the like.  First, their very state of being can be a prayer, a surrender to will of God for themselves and others.  Second, those who are their caregivers have opportunity to love and care for their neighbor and show by example how we love one another.  I know the caregivers I had I will never forget and are in my prayer intentions.  I know they were God’s hands of mercy to me in this world.

God allows evil in this world but never wills it.  Sometimes, the evil he allows brings a greater good, like conversion, reconciliation and forgiveness.  What some perceived as a shameful death of Jesus became our lifeline to eternity.

Did God just retire to some far away place after Old Testament and New Testament times? I think not!  Why would He do that?  He has a lot invested in us, a very complex, salvation plan evolving over centuries, the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, and promises that have not yet been fully realized.

THIS IS MY BODY DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

I am the living bread from heaven…whoever eats this bread will live forever….whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day…whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him John 6:48 (Bread of Life Discourse)

 

 

 

 

EUCHARIST THE BREAD OF LIFE: IS JESUS’ PRESENCE REAL OR A SYMBOL

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

BREAD OF LIFE DISCOURSE

 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

He gave them bread from heaven to eat

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,

it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;

My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 

For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.” “

Sir, give us this bread always”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;

whoever comes to me will never hunger,

and whoever believes in me will never thirst.

JOHN 6:31-34

BACKGROUND

 The Eucharist is one of seven Sacraments.  “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. the visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions. CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (CCC) 1131

 The Eucharist is foretold in many ways in Scripture.  In the Old Testament it is the chosen people fed in the desert with manna from heaven.  In the New Testament we have two miracles of multiplication of loaves and fishes to physically feed the people and the announcement of Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well that He is the living water that gives life.  In John’s Gospel chapter 6 we have the Bread of Life discourse.

 When Jesus finished the Bread of Life Discourse, many of his followers left. “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, Do you also want to leave? Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”  John 6:66

You will notice Jesus does not soften His speech or describe it in a metaphorical way or chase after those leaving and say, Wait, I was only kidding.  I didn’t really mean you must eat my flesh and blood. Jesus maintains the potency of His rhetoric by asking His closest disciples if they will also leave.

A new Pew Research survey finds that most self-described Catholics don’t believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. In fact, nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine used in Communion “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” Just one-third of U.S. Catholics (31%) say they believe that “during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.”

Other religious denominations with the few exceptions of some Eastern Churches do not believe the real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist (Transubstantiation) but rather some kind of sign of Jesus being with us or  a remembrance of Jesus and invitation to follow Jesus and thank Him for His act of atonement on our behalf.

CCC 1376 The Council of Trent …declares that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread (wheat) into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine (grape) into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.The Church professes the whole Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity, is truly, really and substantially contained in the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist.

The Priest, acting in the Person of Christ and speaking Christ’s words at the consecration, transmits Christ’s words to make His presence real in the Eucharist. Transubstantiation does no violence to the appearances of the bread and wine, but on the deepest level of their reality, they have been changed, becoming for the Church the Body and Blood of Christ.

JESUS INSTITUTES THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST AT THE LAST SUPPER

COMMENTARY

At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again…to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection…a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, and a bond of charity

 The Logos (Word of God) is manifested within all creation to differing degrees. The incarnate Logos, Christ, is the fullest revelation of God that we can possess on earth. The Eucharist is the sacramental extension of the Incarnation. “Abide in me, and I in you” John 15:4. . . . I am the vine, you are the branches.” John 15:5 “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him..”  John 6:54 Receiving Holy Communion unites the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, with its head, Christ.

Inasmuch as we participate in the Eucharist, we participate in Christ’s sacrifice, and this communion with Christ in His sacrifice enables us to share communion with one another. This communion is the foundation and condition for the unity of the Church.

CONCLUSION

 The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist is a core doctrine of the Catholic Church.  The meaning of Eucharist is thanksgiving.  We offer it at every Mass in thanksgiving to the Father for sending us such a Savior, Divine and Human, in atonement for our sins. Eucharist first of all means thanksgiving to God for all His benefits and graces that He has accomplished through creation, redemption and sanctification.

It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church in this unique way. Though ascending into heaven after His resurrection, Jesus wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us “to the end,” even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us

The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.

 Just as we need to nourish our physical bodies in order to have strength; to work; and to live well, so too we need to eat in the House of the Lord to have spiritual strength; the ability to learn and understand the ways of the Lord. Nourished by this heavenly food we carry on the work of Christ and His Church.

PRAYER ST. THOMAS AQUINAS BEFORE RECEIVING THE EUCHARIST

Almighty and Eternal God, behold I come to the sacrament of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As one sick I come to the Physician of life; unclean, to the Fountain of mercy; blind, to the Light of eternal splendor; poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Therefore, I beg of You, through Your infinite mercy and generosity, heal my weakness, wash my uncleanness, give light to my blindness, and enrich my poverty.

Grant, I beg of You, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord, but also its full grace and power. Most loving Father, grant that I may behold for all eternity, face to face, Your beloved Son, whom now, on my pilgrimage, I am about to receive under the sacramental veil, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IS THE DEVIL REAL OR A FIGMENT OF OUR IMAGINATION

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

BACKGROUND

 You may wonder why I chose the picture above to illustrate Satan.  In our society, especially Halloween, the devil is often portrayed as a buffon dressed in red with black goatee, gaunt cheek bones, horns, and piercing red eyes.  The devil is far from a buffoon and is a spirit that hardly wears Marvel comic attire.

The devil is a fallen angel.  I chose to show Satan alone and isolated.  Separtion from God means all we have is ourselves. That is a “hell” of a notion for all eternity.  Think about it!

Recently, the Superior General of the Jesuits said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper, El Mundo,  “Satan is a symbolic figure who doesn’t really exist, but just a way of talking about evil”  Really! I guess Jesus was delusional when He was tempted by Satan in the desert??? Matthew 4:1-10

This kind of mythologizing of Satan has larger ramifications.  It encourages those pastors already playing down sin and the existence of hell in their homilies. No devil, no hell, no sin (No God)

Jesus constantly warned his listeners about the reality of hell in his preaching and parables, it is better to lose part of your body than for your whole body to be “thrown into hell” (Matt. 5:29). He urged his followers to be afraid of being destroyed “both body and soul in hell” (Matt. 10:28). On many occasions Jesus spoke of a place where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 22:1-14).

This talk of the devil being just a symbol reminds me of another prevalent false teaching by clergy and believed by lay catholics.  Some say that the Eucharist is just a symbol and not the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.

Catholic author, Flannary O’ Connor had it right when confronted by someone that claimed the Eucharist is just a symbol.  O’ Connor said, “if that is all it is then the hell with it”  Today, according to Pew Research only a third of Catholics, 1 in 3, believe in the Real Presence of Jesus who said THIS IS MY BODY!

Beware of false Shepherds!  When Catholic nuns began leaving our Catholic grade schools after Vatican II for social work, all the foundations of  faith that I had the pivilege to receive in my youth, slowly disappeared for generations to come. These Catholic children who had been abandoned in their faith formation became Catholic parents who were ill equipped to raise their children in the faith.  Some teachers in our Catholic grade schools are not even Catholic, others are in irregular marriages or in some cases co-habitting.

We who still believe and witness the faith Jesus taught and His Church nourished must speak out against any watering down of our faith that attacks the uniqueness and attractiveness of the Faith proclaimed by Jesus Christ, Our Savior! Who is it anyway that think making the Catholic Church like everyone else will attaract people to Jesus! Crazy thinking, but a trend we the faithful have endured for decades..

We have been warned of false shepherds by Jesus! Jesus said to them in reply, “See that no one deceives you…. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many;and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold…. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved… Behold, I have told it to you beforehand. Matthew 24:4-24

In the Old Testament we were warned of shepherds who might lead their flock astray.

The Lord said thus, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel…thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel… You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd…  Ezekiel 34:1-24

 WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (MAGISTERIUM) REALLY TEACHES

Lateran Council IV of the Church (1215) stated, “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.” These angels irrevocably chose through their free will to rebel against God and not to serve Him. For this rebellion, they were cast into hell.

 CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURC 391 teaches that Satan was at first a good angel made by God. In his original state he was very powerful, most beautiful, and wise. The devil and the other demons irrevocably rejected God and his reign thus becoming evil by their own doing.

 COMMENTARY

Many will question why God allows evil; why not just annihilate Satan.  True, we are too weak to defend ourselves; but God’s grace is sufficient.  God can bring great good from evil and He does.  “Where sin abounds, Grace abounds the more.” Romans 5:20

At the Easter Vigil Service, we pray, “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!”

God knew Adam and Eve would fall to temptation.  He was ready with His plan B, cursed Satan and promised mankind, a Savior. Genesis 3:15 “I will put an enmity between her seed and your seed and her seed will crush your head.” God’s own Son, Jesus Christ will defeat the devil and death!

 Satan is the Prince of Darkness: He lurks about and is crafty. He fills us with the pessimistic thoughts, the bad thoughts, hateful thoughts. He shows us all the hurts, frustration and troubles of this world and of our own lives hoping to lead us to despair.

BOOK OF JOB OLD TESTAMENT

The Book of Job is an interesting tale of a righteous man, a devious tempter, and perseverance in faith. One day God and Satan met as the story goes, and God asked Satan if he had noticed His servant Job in his roaming about the earth. Job had wife, many children, much livestock, and fertile ground to plant.  He certainly was blessed but much more Job was righteous with his God.

God told Satan, “there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil.” Satan answered the LORD and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing? Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, But now put forth your hand and touch all that he has, and surely he will curse you to your face. The LORD said to the Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on him.”

So Satan does his dirty deeds, wiping out Job’s livestock, wife and children, inflicting Job’s skin with boils, all the time encouraging Job to reject God. But Job persists in his faithfulness.  Even Job’s friends came to mock him and make fun of him but being such a fool for God.

Satan can only afflict Job with God’s permission–and only within the limits God Himself has established. When the story ends, Job’s faith has been deepened, and he is worshipping God. Job’s final condition and blessings are far better than his first. Job has been blessed, and Satan’s purpose has been frustrated.

CONCLUSION

 Satan has considerable power, but his power is not infinite. He is a creature not God.  God permits Satan to do only that which is a part of His plan. Satan’s power comes from God’s divine providence which allows him to do what he does.

Satan is allowed to do only that which God has planned for His glory and our good. He does nothing apart from divine permission. He does nothing contrary to God’s plan. God’s purposes are fulfilled, and Satan’s purposes are frustrated.

The ultimate destiny of Satan is defeat and doom. Jesus spoke of his defeat in John 16:11, “The ruler of this world is condemned.” He is defeated through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We ask the candidates in our Baptismal liturgy, “Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises?” We must make that rejection every day. Satan knows how weak and vulnerable we are.

 Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen. .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DID JESUS SAY HE WAS GOD???

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

To the question of the High Priest:

“Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

He replies: “I am” you will see the Son of Man

 sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One

and coming on the clouds of heaven Mark 14:61

BACKGROUND

There has always been disputes between religious sects about the divinity of Jesus.  Some, even in our own Catholic Church, resulting in schisms, like Arianism that denied the divinity of Jesus. This schism was addressed at Council of Nicea (325) which proclaimed: Jesus is the Son of God and possesses the same nature as the Father.

While skeptics, even today, argue that Jesus never claimed to be God, they must not be reading St. John’s Gospel.  John’s Gospel was written much later after Jesus’ Passion and death.

John, the beloved disciple, had a lot more time to ponder his experiences with Jesus and His teachings.  John’s Gospel even begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus is Logos, the fully revealed Word of God.

 In the Old Testament God gives His name to Moses.  “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14

GOD (I AM) IS NOT ANOTHER BEING, BUT EXISTENCE ITSELF. HE IS! EXISTENCE IS HIS ESSENCE. THE NAME OF GOD IS FATHER SON AND HOLY SPIRIT; ONE GOD THREE PERSONS. GOD IS LOVE IN RELATIONSHIP IN THE HOLY TRINITY AND WITH HIS PEOPLE!

When Jesus used the phrase “I AM,” He made specific revelations regarding His identity and nature. These revelations made it clear to all that He was the Messiah—God in human form. Jesus is much more than just another leader, rabbi, or prophet. Jesus is God!

JESUS ACKNOWLEDGES HE IS GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”  Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father’?  Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me…John 14:7-10

 The Jews said to him, you are not yet fifty years old and have seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” JOHN 8:58 

 ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father JOHN 10:36  

 The Samaritan woman at the well said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I am he,* the one who is speaking with you.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” JOHN 4:26  

 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Christ, tell us.  Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me…But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.  They all asked, Are you then the Son of God? He replied, “You are right in saying I am.” Luke 22:66-70 

 JESUS DEMONSTRATES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GOD!

 Jesus, as the Bread of Life, offers each of us life everlasting

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35.

 Jesus offers a choice between the darkness of sin and the light of His presence.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” –John 8:12

 Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, died to save each of us.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” –John 10:11

 Jesus promises resurrection and life ever after

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” –John 11:25, 26

Jesus is the path to salvation, cling to Him

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

 CONCLUSION

I don’t know how much clearer Scriptures can speak to us.  Jesus is the Son of God, Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, Human and Divine.  Jesus is the light of the world, the bread of life, the Good Shepherd, the resurrection and life of the world.

Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE! AMEN!

 

 

 

WILL YOU HELP SPREAD THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

JESUS PREACHES ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD

 “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

 BACKGROUND

 Jesus came into this world to do more than save us from our sins by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.  He came as the full revelation of the Father so that we would know the Father and believe there is more to life in this world than ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…The kingdom of God is present wherever the will of God is found.

 Through Baptism, each of us become “missionary disciples,” called to bring the Gospel to the world. Each of the baptized, whatever their role in the Church or level of education, is an active agent of evangelization. Evangelizing is the heart and soul of the Church.

What is Evangelization? It may be a fancy word or even a scary word to some who have been asked and tried to do it in an organized way.  Let me break it down for you.  It is as simple as bringing God into any situation, simple as offering prayers to someone who is facing some trial.

By offering prayers, you bring God into the picture, a reminder we don’t just live in one dimension, the natural world, but are also part of a supernatural dimension.  While we deal with the mundane and trite of this world our destiny is an eternal home with God, our Savior.

God, Creator of the world and all that is, is still at the helm of His creation, still providing providential care.  God always wills the good but because He respects our “free will,” made into the image and likeness of him, He does not force us to choose the good.  One is mistaken to say the carnage mass shooting in El Paso was God’s will.  No, God never wills evil but allows it because He knows grace in the end will triumph.

“For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one, the many will be made righteous…where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:19-21

We must tap into that overseeing providential care of God in our world. Bishop Robert Barron suggests we begin where people are, to call attention to God already present in our everyday life, in our books, movies, TV even shopping malls.  God is involved so let’s call attention to Him!

Let me cite a few examples:   Let’s say your neighbor invites you to inspect his new car and you notice a baby seat.  You may bring up how caring your neighbor is by providing safety for his precious baby and may even lead into life issues.

You are on a fishing trip with friends and miss some of the conveniences of home but at the end of the day share with your fishing partners your thanks to God for good weather and good fishing day.

You are playing cards and a friend uses God’s name in vain and you ask in nice way not to say that because it offends you and you want to enjoy yourself with your friends.  The person swearing, , may even say what is the big deal, giving you opportunity to share your respect and honor for God who has blessed them all.

You are at cookout and someone brings up controversial topic.  Your best friend brings up the same sex marriage of his friend recently and makes some kind of comment about it not being any big deal.  You might remain quiet or you may ask your friend how he feels about that type of marriage. You may then share that you don’t think that’s what God intended in the natural law or in Scripture for that matter.

You are in a shopping mall with a friend buying gifts and you share you are buying school supplies for your Church collection for the poor in another parish.  We must share God’s gifts with others.

I think you get the idea; we don’t have to be a big time preacher or theologian to bear witness to our faith.  God does the heavy lifting. But we do have to be a willing instruments of God. We are after all the Mystical Body of Christ, our actions on this earth make a difference.

Below, I include an example from Scripture of St. Paul evangelizing the Gentiles in Athens Greece based on his observation of Greek culture.

PAUL AREOPAGUS SPEECH IN GREECE, ACTS 17:22-31

 Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: “You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’* What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.… 

The Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands…Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything… For In him we live and move and have our being… He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth…he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us….

 COMMENTARY

Paul captures the good will of his audience by complimenting the Athenians on their spirituality: “I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’” Paul elected to build upon a religious foundation already in place in the society he was addressing

As St. Paul did in Athens, we should bear witness to our faith to people where they are.  It doesn’t have to be a big complicated deal.  Evangelization is not just about techniques and programs.  It is first about our personal holiness.  We ourselves must undergo a life of continual conversion through prayer, Scripture, and life in the Church, so that our light will shine bright to others and be attracted to the source of that light.

CONCLUSION

The proclamation of the Gospel is not optional for Christians.  We, on earth, are God’s instruments, God’s Mystical Body, His voice, his deeds. It is unthinkable that a person accept the Word for himself and keeps that light to himself, without bearing witness to others.  To be Christian means to be missionaries. This missionary task must remain foremost. For it concerns the eternal destiny of humanity and corresponds to God’s mysterious and merciful plan that all will be saved

.THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST

The Church founded by Christ is the Mystical Body of Christ.  Christ is the Head, the Spirit is the Soul, and we are the Body, the hands, the feet, the eyes, and the mouth of Jesus now in this world.  The Mystical Body gives and receives just like Jesus, “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to Me!”  When one suffers, we all suffer.  When one rejoices, we all rejoice.  Jesus and His Church are one!

 

 

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (CCC)

What is sin?  The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us a concise definition. “Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity.  (CCC #1849).

 COMMENTARY

 In today’s culture, hardly anything is called a sin except maybe during a Church Service.  God has been set aside and replaced by one’s own authority to decide right and wrong. (Moral Relativism)  Sin is just not something people like to talk about because they too may be guilty and in need of repentance and change of behavior.  But sin actually exists today as well as in days of old.

In the Old Testament God gave us the guidelines for our wellbeing on Mount Sinai when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the promises that all will be well if Moses and the Israelites followed these guidelines.  Of course they didn’t, any more than Adam and Eve obeyed God in the Garden of Eden.

ORGINAL SIN.

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness, He endowed them with intelligence, love, free will, and conscience.  He gave them the grace of “original holiness.”  God also gave them preternatural gifts. Man and the world began in grace, not sin. The inner harmony between man and woman, and all of creation comprised the state of “original justice.”

 The preternatural gifts received by Adam and Eve include infused knowledge, absence of concupiscence, and immortality of the body. Adam and Eve received these free gifts not just for themselves but to be passed on to the whole and entire human race.  After Adam and Eve committed “original sin,” they lost “original justice” and the preternatural gifts for the entire human race.  Now they could only pass on a fallen human nature.  Their descendants are now subject to ignorance, concupiscence (disordered desires), suffering and death.

 God “tested” our first parents by forbidding them to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  The tree is a symbol of the limits that humans have as creatures. Our freedom to choose means we are free to choose good. We are not free to choose evil.  To step outside God’s moral laws is to assume a freedom never granted to man.  To choose evil has bad consequences for mankind.

We did not commit “original sin.”  But we are born with its effects, a wounded human nature in body and soul and estrangement from God’s divine life.   Man’s passions are no longer ruled by right reason. The union of man and woman became subject to tensions, lust, and domination.  The rest of creation became hostile and alien to man.  Death entered into human history.  Because of man’s act of disobedience, all of creation is now subject to death and decay.

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN TODAY

We are told by Jesus not to judge lest we be judged in like fashion and rightfully so. Matthew 7:1  Only God can judge a human heart.  This does not mean we can’t judge objectively sinful behavior and its consequences.

As examples, I will use the seven deadly sins as described in Scriptures and Catholic Church teaching.  Why, deadly, because in grave matters they can lead to the death of the soul and eternal damnation.  These are sometimes described as cardinal or capital sins because all sin flows from these vices.

 Lust, (disordered desire) is just one of the seven deadly sins mentioned in Scripture.  The others are: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. Because of the sin of Lust, we have broken marriages, dysfunctional families, increase in venereal diseases, domestic violence, pornography, child abuse, and sex trafficking.

Gluttony really includes any overindulgence of food, drink, addictions.  Consequences may be drunkenness, drunk driving, abuse of drugs, overdoses, suicide. Health problems that are related to food products.

Greed results in stealing from others, fraud, cheating, lying about financial affairs, taking from someone else which is rightly theirs, opposing what is in the interest of the common good but may cut into your profits ie..solar energy which is safer and cheaper for households but threatens profits of fossil fuel industry.

Most people barely examine themselves on the deadly sin of Sloth.  They just think it means being lazy but also sins of omission should be considered.. Consequences of the deadly sin of sloth may not be witnessing to your faith when it is attacked; not voting to make a difference in the world; ignoring those in need the least of our brethren; and not helping others when you could and should.

Consequences of WRATH are wars, broken relationships, hate, physical harm to others, discrimination, using God’s name in vain, abuse of spouse and/or children,

Those who nurture ENVY may covet their neighbor’s wife or property to the point of taking what is not rightfully theirs.  Envy also results in dissatisfaction  with one’s own blessings and gifts from God, takes away our inner Peace and undercuts our call to choose God’s will over our own.

Pride, I save for last because all sin can be traced back to the sin of Pride.  Our first parents passed on our fallen nature because they listened to the lies of the devil that they would be just like God if they ate of the tree of good and evil. While in fact all they discovered was evil and slavery to sin.  We, today, become slaves of sin every time we choose our will over God’s will.

 CONCLUSION

 Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Confession (Penance, Reconciliation).  The Church has always understood the Scriptural reference for theSacrament of Confession to be John 20: 22-23: “Receive the Holy Spirit.  For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

 We experience God’s mercy through this Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is there that we acknowledge who we are: limited, weak and sinful creatures in need of redemption.  It is in this Sacrament that God forgives us of any and all of our sins.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3: 16-17).

God knows we are sentient creatures and need visible signs of absolution.  The Sacrament of Confession is an The priest raises his hand, and then with a blessing pronounces those amazing words, “I absolve you from your sins.”  At that moment, we know that God has heard our cry for forgiveness, and we have been pardoned of our sins.

REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL!

ACT OF CONTRITION
Oh my God I am sorry for all my sins because they offend you who are all good.  Be merciful to me a sinner. I am deeply sorry for my sins, for having broken or weakened my communion with you and my neighbor. I pray that your loving mercy will heal what I have hurt, strengthen what I have weakened. Help me to amend my life and sin no more and in your mercy bring me to everlasting life. Amen
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JESUS IN SCRIPTURE NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS

SCRIPTURE

MATTHEW 6:24-34 NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?   Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span.

 So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’   All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. 

 REFLECTION:

 Mammon in this passage refers to any treasure or god you put before God…Our God demands full commitment…Listen to Great Commandment once more, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up…. Deuteronomy 6:5-7

 These words spoken by Moses at God’s command are as true today as when Jesus spoke them to His disciples in the Gospel of Saint Matthew.

 “Teacher,* which commandment in the law is the greatest? He said to him,* “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it:* You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36

 No one likes to talk about masters, especially today. when the very roots of our country are sown with masters and slaves.  But Jesus is not talking here about ownership and denial of freedom in a plantation sense.  He is talking about what we value will determine our behavior. 

If we value greed, are we ready to share with those in need?  If we value power, will we be willing to share with the marginalized?  If we value pleasure, will we be willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus?

 Jesus asks the question, “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Well is life more than food, clothes, cars, 401ks, fame and fortune. Is it?  Is this world on earth all there is? …or is there “resurrection of the body and life everlasting” as we state in our Creed every Sunday?

Where will we spend eternity?…with a friend, Jesus, we made in this life or be by ourselves with our addictions and lusts…”Enter by the narrow gate,” Jesus says.  Jesus is the gate, the way, the truth and life….There is no other path to eternal life. 

 Jesus became human while remaining Divine, that He might in justice atone for our disobedience and repair the separation from the Father.  We are now adopted sons and daughters of God as long as we don’t rebel, resist, and reject the promise.  We can’t do it on our own but amazing grace accepted and acted upon is a share in the divine life here on earth and promise of eternal life.

 Jesus tells us that God knows all our bodily needs.  We have all of Scripture that shows God’s loving providence from the liberation of His people in slavery in Egypt to a Savior that saves us from the slavery of sin.  Jesus says,” Seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” 

 PRAYER OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

 Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will.

 All that I am and all that I possess, Thou hast given me:  I surrender it all to Thee to be disposed of according to Thy will.

 Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1 Comment / CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING

 

COME HOLY SPIRIT!

“Now the works of the flesh (our fallen nature) are: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control….Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit”… Galatians 5:19-25,

 COMMENTARY

 On the way to His Ascension, Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit on His followers. “John baptized with water, but you, not many days from now, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Christ assured them, “You will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses, not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria and indeed to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-5, 8

 When I went to Confession this month and did the examination of conscience to take inventory on what I needed to work on, I remembered another inventory I might make to check how closely I am following Jesus. I examined how I was manifesting the fruits of the Spirit in my life.

I will keep the results of my examination to myself but will say the inventory was quite revealing.  When we are working in harmony with God’s will, he will pour out his Holy Spirit, giving us these qualities in abundance.

 FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 1) Charity.  Love and prefer God over everyone and everything.

2) Joy.  Happiness is realized when we live for God, we are with Him now and will be forever in heaven.

3) Peace.  The Holy Spirit gives us order in our souls and a clean conscience.

4) Patience.  Trust in God that all will be well

5) Kindness.  This is the virtue of kindness to others.

6) Goodness.  We renounce evil, seek what is good, and repent of our sins

7) Gentleness, helps us overcome our natural tendency to be harsh or angry

8) Faithfulness, the ability to stay faithful, persevere to the end

9) Self-Control, ability to resist temptations of the flesh

“Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows, because the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit.” Galatians 6:7-8

 CONCLUSION

 You have probably heard the old saying, “The apple does not fall far from the tree,” sometimes a compliment and sometimes not so much.

“By their fruits you will know them…Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:16-20

”When Jesus was going back to the city in the morning, he was hungry.  Seeing a fig tree by the road, Jesus went over to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again.” And immediately the fig tree withered.” Matthew 21:18-22

 Let us pursue the path of blessings not curses.  Work at it.  Pray about it.  Let our pray for each other that we live in the Spirit and model it for others.  Our human nature, while created good by God, is weakened by Original Sin. St. Paul may have put it best in Romans,

“What I do, I do not understand… I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate….So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want…it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me….I see  my members at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?” Romans 7:18-22

 

JESUS IN SCRIPTURE YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD

SCRIPTURE

MATTHEW 5:13-16  YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD

 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

 You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

 REFLECTION

 We are the salt that invigorates and gives life to the Spirit dwelling within… We need the nourishment but we can’t savor it alone, keep it to ourselves…it is our hands… our voice… ministering to others…speaking out against injustice…proclaiming God’s Word…holding the infirm and the afflicted in our love and prayers…giving comfort and hope in Christ Crucified… and the glory of His resurrection…don’t let it be trampled by Satan…

 It is the same for the light… once illuminated in truth,…don’t hide that truth, the grace we have been gifted, share it with the whole world…perhaps you are familiar with the folk song, This little light of mine…do it…if we are indifferent or slothful who will carry on the work of Christ….our salt and our light brings peace and conversion to an otherwise dysfunctional world… “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it” (John 1:5)

NOTE: I am including below an old folk song and children song, perhaps you know it or even have sung it..  Check out YOUTUBE to hear it sung.

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine,

Let it shine,

Let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel? No!

I’m gonna let it shine

Hide it under a bushel? No!

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

Don’t let Satan blow it out,

I’m gonna let it shine

Don’t let Satan blow it out,

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine,

Let it shine,

Let it shine.

THE WORLD NEEDS YOU TO SHINE YOUR LIGHT BRIGHT

JESUS THE BRIDEGROOM AWAITS HIS BRIDE

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, SCRIPTURE

INTRODUCTION

My granddaughter is getting married later in the week so marriage reflections have been on my mind a lot lately. Marriage was one of the first gifts to mankind when God presented Adam with his wife, Eve.  God is the first witness of a sacramental marriage.  It is also the first of six covenants God has made with His people.

God made six covenants with his people, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus.  When covenants were kept by the people, blessings flowed.  When the people did not keep the covenant disaster followed.

 “Have you not read that in the beginning God ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:3-12

Jesus went on to teach His disciples, “Not all can accept this, but only those to whom that it is granted.” Not everyone is called to a sacramental marriage but if this is your calling to enter into a covenantal marriage then you must be prepared to keep the promises of the covenant and you will receive the blessings.

In a contract, you exchange something you have – a skill, a piece of property, money. The difference between a contract and a covenant is like hiring a prostitute, contract, and entering into sacramental marriage, covenant.  In a covenant, you give your very self to another person.  When people enter into a covenant, they say: “I am yours and you are mine.”

The grace of this Sacramental Marriage perfects the love of husband and wife, binds them together in fidelity, and helps them welcome and care for children. Christ is the source of this grace and he dwells with the spouses to strengthen their covenant promises, to bear each other’s burdens with forgiveness and kindness

I began looking into nuptial references in all of Scripture. Scripture, both Old and New, are filled with references how God has compared Himself to a bridegroom and the people of Israel as bride. God our Creator desires an intimate relationship with all of us!

Jesus performed his first miracle at Cana in role of bridegroom.  The bridegroom was responsible for providing sufficient wine to his guests. “When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom…John 2:9

When Jesus was asked by religious leaders why his disciples didn’t fast, he replied, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you “But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” Luke 5:33-35

I will now include one example from the Old Testament of God demonstrating His nuptial relationship with His people.  God desires intimacy with us.  He certainly a transcendent God, way separate from us in most respects but He is also an immanent God with us, Emmanuel.  He calls all of us to the Wedding Feast, better prepare your wedding garments!

 HOSEA THE PROPHET

 When the LORD began to speak with Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: Go, get for yourself a woman of prostitution and children of prostitution, for the land prostitutes itself, a turning away from the LORD. So he went and took Gomer, daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived and bore him a son.” HOSEA 1:2-3

The Lord gives Hosea one of the most shocking commands in the Bible: Marry a prostitute! (1:2) Hosea obeys and marries Gomer and they have three children.  Then she apparently returns to her immoral lifestyle, but Hosea seeks her out, redeems her and takes her back (3:2).  Their relationship is meant to be a metaphor for the Lord’s relationship with his people. 

Hosea’s love seems to have transformed Gomer at least for a little while. But soon after the birth of Jezreel she goes back to her old ways. She ends up totally in the gutter, to be sold as a slave. What the Lord tells Hosea then is very revealing: “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress” (3:1).

Despite everything that she had done, Hosea still loves Gomer! Hosea brings her back once more and gives conditions.  She must stay many days with him and no more prostitution but work on restoration of a loving marriage.  Gomer’s unfaithful character mirrors Israel’s infidelity to the Lord. 

 The people of Israel are in a covenant relationship with the Lord, but they have all but forgotten their commitment to him.  Israel has committed spiritual adultery against the Lord by worshipping other gods.

The people of Israel worshipped the Canaanite deity, Baal, and participated in the sexually immoral rituals which were part of Canaanite religion.

Hosea rejects this idolatry and calls the people to repent (Hos 8:5-6, 10:5).  Hosea calls the people to return to the Lord and find restoration (Ch. 6, 14).  In his infinite mercy, the Lord promises a future time of healing, salvation and reconciliation for his people.  Though his people had been unfaithful and adulterous, he willingly extends his forgiveness and grace to them.

Hosea powerfully presents the image of the nation as the bride of the Lord.  Other biblical books, such as Song of Songs, Isaiah, Revelation and the Gospels, use this theme to explain the depth of God’s love for his people and the gravity of breaking our relationship with him through sin.

Hosea shows the mercy of God who welcomes back his bride after her time of unfaithfulness (3:5).  The Lord’s willingness to forgive his bride for her betrayal shows his willingness to forgive us for our sins.  Not only does the bridal imagery show the intensity of God’s desire for his people, it illustrates the extravagance of his mercy.

CONCLUSION

A voice coming from the throne said: “Praise our God, all you his servants, and you who revere him, small and great. …The Lord has established his reign, Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb* has come, his bride has made herself ready….Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed* are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These words are true; they come from God.  REVELATIONS 19:5-9

JESUS THE BRIDEGROOM WELCOMES HIS BRIDE THE CHURCH