Jesus saves!

It was the storm of the century. Hurricane winds pounded the coast as the torrential rains fell. The waters crested their banks and began their march toward the houses. An old Evangelical sat on his porch watching the approaching waters. Soon his house was surrounded and the muddy waters kept rising. A rescue boat came by and beckoned for the man to climb onboard.

“God provides. Jesus is my salvation.” He calmly said and refused to board the rescue boat.

As the flood waters got higher the man was forced to retreat to the second story of the house. Looking out his bedroom window another rescue boat tried to get the man to leave.

“God provides. Jesus is my salvation.” He again stated defiantly.

The waters did not stop and the man had to climb upon his roof to keep from being swept away. This time a helicopter descended and a billowing voice called to him over a loud speaker. “Climb on board. We’re here to save you.”

“Only Jesus saves!” The man screamed back as he shook his fist at the helicopter.

And with that his house buckled and was washed away by the enraged waters. The man was lost amid the destruction. In the blink of an eye the man stood before Jesus in heaven. The man was dumbfounded. “Lord, I had unshakable faith. Why didn’t you save me?”

Jesus looked at the man a bit bewildered. “I sent two boats and a helicopter. What more should I have done?”

This is a popular anti-Catholic meme that is floating around Face Book that demonstrates this same kind of thought. It is a great illustration on how something can be 100% factually correct and completely wrong at the same time. It is 100% factually correct that only Jesus can save us. Where it goes wrong is how Jesus goes about doing this.

Jesus was a tekton, a trade craftsman. English commonly translates tekton as carpenter. As a craftsman Jesus used many tools to do his job. He used hammers, saws, canons, and many other tools to build what he built. When he goes about the job of saving man he also uses tools to accomplish this. Jesus gave us things to make it easier to live a holy life. Let’s examine each claim of this meme.

Only Jesus saves, not a priest.

Correctly stated, Jesus saves through a priest. Jesus lived with and taught the twelve for three years. At the last supper he taught them how to offer sacrifice in his name. Between the resurrection and Pentecost he continued their instruction and passed on to them his divine authority to do things like forgive sins, consecrate the Holy Eucharist, and cast out demons. A priest cannot do any of these things on his own authority or through his own name any more than I can come to your house and demand that you let me in, in the name of the FBI. The FBI has not given me that authority and therefore I cannot not act with their power. The twelve were deputized and given a badge to act in the name and authority of Jesus by Jesus. Jesus acts through a priest to provide the things that will assist us in living a holy life.

Only Jesus saves, not Mary.

Once again, 100% correct. Mary is not God. She is the mother of God and the best example of what a human person can be. She was the first Christian, conceived without original sin, the new Eve. Catholics do not worship Mary. We venerate her and give her, her proper place as the queen of heaven, as stated in the Book of Revelations. Jesus said ask and it shall be given, knock and the door will be opened. If he is willing to do this for us how much more so will he do this for his mother, the only sinless human person, and one who never denied or lost faith in her son? Behold your mother. Jesus gave us his mother as the example on how to live and her intercession to him on our behalf is second to none.

Only Jesus saves, not Baptism.

Yup, no argument there. Baptism alone cannot save you just as much as not being baptized sends you directly to Hell. Neither is correct. Baptism is the first Sacrament of Initiation and the doorway to all of the other Sacraments. A sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is 'dispensed' to us. In other words, baptism is a tool used by Jesus to give us grace to live a holy life. A holy life leads to salvation; it is not salvation in and of itself. Baptism cleanses us, puts an indelible mark on our souls, and brings us into God’s family as an adopted child.

Only Jesus saves, not good works.

That is correct. There is noting salvific about works of any kind. Heaven will be filled with people who did not do a single good work. Take the repentant thief as an example. His faith alone was rewarded with paradise. Yet, there are many, many passages in the bible where we are told that it is not only expected but commanded that we do good works if we truly love Jesus. Obedience is more pleasing to God than even sacrifice. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned, and to bury the dead. These are good works and we have been commanded to do them. He also went on to tell us that anyone who does not do these things will be separated out with the goats at the end of time. If we truly love Jesus we will naturally do the good works that he has commanded us to do.

Only Jesus saves, not a church.

Spoiler alert – there will be many who attended church services faithfully their entire lives in Hell at the completion of time. In 1820 the whaling ship Essex was sunk by a sperm whale. The crew escaped to the lifeboats and spent the next ninety-five days at sea. Just because they made it into a lifeboat did not mean that they survived. The crew lived off of the bodies of five of their shipmates who died. When those bodies were not sufficient they drew lots on who would be sacrificed so the rest may live. Seven of the crew were cannibalized to save the rest. Just because you are physically in a church does not mean you will be saved.

Yet, Jesus did start the Church. With a little understanding of Jewish culture and the significance of the number twelve this becomes very clearly evident from Holy Scripture. Jesus did not just start any church or every church; he started only one Church, the Catholic Church. This has nothing to do with religion. It is a historical fact. He started the Church because he wanted us to be all one body, one family. That body is his Church. We are many parts but we are all one body. Jesus uses the Church as a tool to lead lost sheep to a saving knowledge of his love.

Only Jesus saves, not the Pope.

Ah yes. How often we hear this especially in today’s world of social media and around the clock news coverage. Non-Catholics so often mistake the reverence Catholics hold for the Pope as worship. Like with Mary, we do not worship the Pope but we do hold him in a place of honor because he sits in the Chair of Peter. Simon bar Jonah, the Rock, is the man whose faith Christ built his Church upon. Jesus appointed Peter the first “pope”, the leader of the twelve in his absence. Peter was to lead and guide, not rule over, the early Church. Why does the Church need a visible head? Well, we have one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Catholic Church that teaches the same truth in every one of its parishes and 30,000 plus Protestant churches that cannot agree upon what is true. The Pope in union with his bishops make up the Magisterium. The primary responsibility of the Magisterium is to ensure that the truths that Jesus taught the twelve are handed down exactly as he taught them. The Pope is the visible face of the invisible Christ. It is through the authority passed down to him from Jesus that the Pope acts.

If this meme represented the Catholic understanding of salvation it would say:

Jesus saves through….

through the priesthood.

through Mary.

through Baptism.

through good works.

through the Church.

through the Pope.

Jesus saves through the tools that he gave us to use to live a holy life.

“Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.” Luke 9: 28-36

My heart is full because the tomb is empty.

Time to break out the hoes.

This is truly an exciting time of year. The hazy shades of winter are slowly losing its grip and the day is returning to full splendor. The snow is retreating and soon the first signs of green will start to emerge. My mailbox has already beginning to fill with seed catalogs filled with pictures of produce in every color of the rainbow. I have loved these catalogs since I was a small boy and their arrival fuels my urges to dig in the dirt. There is something so satisfying about being able to grow your own yummy, nutritious food from a small seed.

We are also in the season of Lent where we prepare our hearts to receive the greatest miracle ever granted. For me Holy Week is the greatest week of the year. My emotions run high as we re-present the Passion of our Lord, standing in the congregation while everyone yells, “CRUCIFY HIM!” I have never been able to take part in that portion of the service. It takes all my strength to keep tears from flowing down my cheeks.

Then on Good Friday Jesus is gone, body committed to the ground. I have never experienced such utter loneliness as what I feel when I am in a Catholic Church and the tabernacle is empty. Last year my parish did a Tenebrae service. In this service the last seven things Christ said on the cross are read. After each reading a candle is extinguished. At the end you are left in total darkness, alone, as Christ would have been in the tomb. You will never experience the feeling of such loss except in Hell.

Holy week concludes on the Easter vigil where the year’s catechumens and candidates are baptized, confirmed, and brought as new members into the family of God. It is the single greatest celebration that mankind has ever experienced. Darkness is vanquished and Light returns to the Church. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed! Imagine the torment you would feel if you misplaced your new born. Now imagine the joy you would feel when you found her again. Holy Week is like that for me but infinitesimally greater.

In part of the Easter Vigil the catechumens (unbaptized) are baptized. They become a new creation, an adopted child of God. Their sins are wiped clean and they begin anew. All of the faithful gathered also renew their baptismal vows.

In baptism God tills the fertile soil of our hearts. In each of us he plants a single seed. The seed is then germinated by the waters of baptism and we are given the command to be fruitful and multiply. It becomes our responsibility to tend to this seed, to nurture it, and help it grow. If we do our part that seed will grow to a strong plant and produce much fruit. Each fruit is full of hundreds seeds waiting to be spread to other catechumens and the light of God’s love will spread.

But how we care for that plant is up to us. Many neglect it. Many more let it die. They become infertile soil incapable of growing the love God has for each of us. But with God there is always hope. If those who fall away can see the abundance a fruitful garden can yield they can come to long for what that garden produces. This is where the real work of ministry, of tending the garden, begins. It is up to us to help the fallen away fix their infertile soil and then replant the seed of everlasting life.

Most of us are quite content living in our own garden. The abundant fruit is not shared with anyone and begins to rot on the ground. Rotting fruit attracts every sort of evil that will take over the garden and eventually destroy it. We are given an abundance to share with those who lack real fruit. This is the true meaning behind Jesus’ sermon on the sheep and the goats. Sheep share their abundance bringing new sheep into the flock. Goats do not and are cast aside. Goats need not the Shepherd for they have their reward.

Use this period of Lent, the lengthening of days, to tend to your garden so it may be fruitful and multiple bringing many sheep into God’s Holy flock.

My heart is full because the tomb is empty.

Puzzling Pachyderm

Five blind men heard that the circus was coming to town and they thought they would go down and see an elephant. They approached the elephant at the same time, side by side.

The first man grabbed the elephant by the trunk and after feeling it declared, “An elephant is like a big fire hose.”

The second man got a hold of the elephant by the ear and after feeling it disagreed with the first man. “An elephant is alike a large tropical leaf.”

The third man wrapped his arms around the elephant’s leg. It didn’t feel anything like a fire hose or a large leaf. “No, an elephant is like a mighty oak tree.”

The fourth man ran into the side of the elephant. He extended his arms as wide and as high as they could go. “To me an elephant feels like a rough brick wall.”

The fifth man only felt the elephant’s tail. He couldn’t understand what the other men were talking about. “An elephant is like a long rope.”

The five blind men began to bicker with each other over which one was right. The elephant trainer stood back taking in the whole sight. He just silently shook his head. “An elephant looks like, well, an elephant.”

We are like these blind men when we cherry pick passages out of Holy Scripture and use them to form our own beliefs as to what the bible actually is trying to tell us. We can latch on to one passage that leads us to believe that we are saved by only our faith. We can read another and believe that our faith is dead if we don’t perform works of love. One may read a passage and come away believing that anyone who isn’t baptized cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Another may believe that they can cast out demons by simply using the name of Jesus.

Yet God can see the entire picture, a beautiful tapestry, the magnificent masterpiece of art. God doesn’t see just the fire hose, the tropical plant, the tree, the brick wall, or the rope. God sees the elephant. Jesus took on flesh so that he could teach us how to see the elephant as well. He instructed his church on how to understand the bible. It is only through the lens of the Church can we see and understand the bible for what it is. Without the guidance of the Church we are just grasping at parts of the whole.

You have dirt on your forehead.

“You have dirt on your forehead.”

I remember saying this to the Catholics who came to work after receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday. How little I understood what that mark meant.

Ash Wednesday begins the Christian season of Lent. Lent is the forty days before Easter and signifies the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the desert before he began his public ministry. The word lent comes from an Old English word meaning lengthening, as in the days are lengthening and the rebirth of spring is coming. That is what Easter is – a rebirth. Death has been conquered and we are all reborn in Christ’s resurrection.

Lent is a time for fasting, alms giving, and penance. In ancient times Christians would put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign for all to see that they were being penitent. Out of this tradition many Christians today start the season of Lent by having a cross of ashes traced on their foreheads with the words;

“Remember man, you are dust and to dust you will return.” Or,

“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Lent is a time for fasting. We do not fast because God likes it when we suffer. God does not want us to suffer nor is he impressed when we do. We fast to show God our love for him and to strengthen our wills. Everything I have belongs to God. I am just a steward of these things for him. The only thing that is truly mine is my free will. When I deny myself something pleasurable I exercise that free will. The devil hates it when we exercise because exercise makes us stronger to resist temptation. Satan loves spiritual couch potatoes.

Lent is also a time for alms giving – giving to the poor. If we are fasting we have extra we can offer to those who do not have these pleasures. We are to be more charitable during this season, giving not only money and food to those in need but our time as well. We can give alms by serving those not as fortunate as ourselves.

Most importantly, Lent is a time of penance. We are to look at our lives and be consciously aware of where we fail in our love for our Lord. We are to pray more and seek reconciliation. It is this purpose that the second person of God took on flesh and became the man known as Jesus of Nazareth. In his perfect love for us he offered up his divine blood as the payment for death brought on by sin.

Lent is our time in the desert, to prepare for the greatest gift of love ever given. When an important guest is coming we clean the house for them. During Lent we clean our souls to prepare for the arrival of the most important guest who will ever visit. We prepare to receive the risen Lord on Easter Sunday.

My heart is full because the tomb is empty.

So today I have dirt on my forehead as an outward sign to all that I am a Christian and that the season to prepare for Jesus is at hand.

“Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” – Matthew 6, 16-18

Missed it by that much...

ἁμαρτάνω – hamartanó, a Greek verb used in archery meaning to miss the mark. It is more commonly known as the word “sin”. Our target in life is to have a perfect, communal relationship with God. When we sin we miss the mark or, we do something that damages that relationship with God. In essence, we fail.

When God made man he made him perfect. He wanted for nothing. He didn’t hunger. He didn’t thirst. God gave him dominion over all of the beasts of the land, the birds of the air, and the fish in the sea. It was man’s responsibility to care for the garden.

In the center of the garden God planted the tree of life or the tree of knowledge. God gave man only one rule – don’t eat from this tree. If man ate from this tree he would surely die. Satan tempted man and got him to eat from the tree. Death entered the world and man did die. This was the original sin.

God is omnipotent, he knows all. If he knows all he knew man would fail and eat from the tree. If he knew man would fail why would he plant the tree in the garden in the first place? Surprisingly, God planted the tree so that love could exist. For love to exist there has to be a choice. Love cannot be forced on anyone and you cannot force anyone to love you in return. If God provided for every need of man, man couldn’t possibly love God in return. As long as there is a choice love can exist. Do I love God and show that love for him by being obedient or do I choose my desires over God?

The root of all sin is selfishness, taking for the self. The sin of Eve was the sin of greed. I want for myself that which God does not wish to give. How many ways do we commit this same sin today? In vitro fertilization, consulting psycics, reading horoscopes, Ouija boards, and the like are all examples of where we are trying to take for ourselves that which God does not wish to give. I want a baby and can’t get pregnant. I want to know what tomorrow will bring. I want to talk to a departed loved one. We commit this sin when we turn to extraordinary means when ordinary means don’t work or aren’t available.

There are two types of sin – mortal and venial. Mortal sin will kill you, venial sin will not. Mortal sin is a sin so great that it completely destroys your relationship with God. Venial sin damages that relationship but does not sever it completely. Put into a medical analogy; mortal sin is a cancer that will leave you dead. Venial sin is a sore on the skin. Think of how lepers were described in the bible. They were unclean people with sores covering their body. Body parts would rot off and fall away. They were cast out of society. Even their families wouldn’t have anything to do with them.

Only God can forgive sins. Despite the beliefs of some of our non-Catholic brothers this is not an automatic thing. Jesus did die for our sins and the divine blood he shed paid the price of death for all humans who would accept him. Accept him as what? Accept him as Lord and savior. You see, we are all slaves, δοῦλος, doulos in Greek. We all have a master. None of us created ourselves and therefore we do not have rights to our bodies or souls. Through sin death entered the world and Satan became our master. Jesus paid that ransom with his own blood and bought us back from the devil. Redeem means to buy back.

Because God loves us and gave us a free will he respects that will above all else. Even though he paid the price for us he will not force us to leave our master to be his slave if we do not wish to. This is why we have to accept him, accept him as our new Lord and master. Likewise, God is willing to forgive us our sins but he will not force his forgiveness on to us. We have to seek it. We have to ask for it. We have to accept it when it is given. If we never ask for forgiveness he will not give it to us and the wage for sin is death. We go back to being slaves of the devil. At the end of time the devil will rule in hell and all who are his slaves will be cast into hell with him. Do you wish to spend eternity in friendship with God in heaven or slaves to the devil in hell? That is a choice only you can make.

So how does forgiveness work? That’s what we will explore next.

Be a blessing to all you know and allow them to be a blessing to you.

Under Attack

The evil one both hates and loves ordained men. He hates the ones who truly serve God and loves the ones he can corrupt. We were warned about this when we were in the pre-aspirancy to the diaconate. The men in the formation classes ahead of mine and ordained friends I have talked to all attest to this being true. The devil and his minions love to attack these men because they either hope to discourage them away from their vocations or they wish to corrupt them into being bad servants. A bad shepherd corrupts the entire flock.

I knew that this would be something I would have to contend with at some point. I did not expect to have to wage this war so soon. Satan is a cunning, sneaky master of deceit. He is the father of lies and extremely skillful at his craft. I came very close to walking away from the diaconate over our holiday break before I recognized his handiwork. Now that I am aware of what his manipulation feels like I know that I have felt it for as long as I have also felt God’s call to serve.

A good friend could sense the struggle I was having and gave me a call. He reminded me that the devil doesn’t attack those he already has. He also doesn’t attack those who have no influence over others. Those who can do him the most damage get the worst attacks. If I were being attacked it must mean I am doing something right or stand to be an adversary in the future. He was an encouraging light for a soul in the shadows.

Now that I know what Satan’s hand in my life feels like I can look back and see the effects he has over me. I can clearly see now that the moment he got what he was trying to accomplish his presence would live me as quickly as it came to me. It is eerie when you can feel the darkness suddenly leave you. Now that I can recognize it I can try to do a better job at combating it. At least I hope I can. May God be my shield and sword.

I cannot imagine how badly some of our holy men and women get attacked. There is a growing darkness in this world feeding hate. Satan is sowing the seeds of deceit, hate, and chaos and his garden is growing rapidly.

Pray for your bishops, priests, deacons, and those who have chosen religious life. Pray for our Pope. Pray for them to be holy men and women for they do battle with evil every day.

“Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.” – Matthew 26: 31.

Father, send down the Holy Spirit unto those you have called to inspire and guide them to always be good and holy people who will lead your people closer to you.

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,
cast into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

And please pray for me and my brothers in diaconate formation; that we may stay strong and not give into the attacks that await us.

Be a blessing to everyone you meet and allow them to be a blessing to you.

Let's Talk About Sex Baby...

A friend asked a group of people if they thought he were gay by choice or by birth. Everyone in the group, being sympathetic to his struggle, told him he has born that way and to be proud. For me the source of his same sex attraction does not matter. His real choice is in how he responds to it. Having same sex attraction is not a sin. Acting on it is. Having a strong desire for something does not justify embracing the desire and it does not matter if you were born with the desire or if it developed from an experience.

There is a perceived notion by some that the Catholic Church hates people with same sex attraction. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Because every human is fallen every human has been given a cross they have to bear in this life. The Church does not hate someone just because of the cross they have been given to bear. In fact the Church is more like Simon the Cyrene, the man who helped Jesus carry his cross to Calvary. The Church is made up of sinners, each with their own crosses. The Church loves sinners and stands ready to help every sinner bear their cross in this life. There is no cross the Church is not ready to help a sinner carry. One needs only to ask.

The root of the problem with same sex attraction is when one uses their desires as justification to engage in sexual activity. God created sex to be part of a fruitful marriage. Its first purpose is procreative. Pro-creative = For-creation= to bring about new life. The second purpose of sex is to strengthen the bond between husband and wife. The family is the foundation of all society. Family is the rock that human interaction is built upon. Destroy the family and you destroy society.

Sex was never intended to be about personal pleasure. The road to heaven is selflessness – giving to another. The road to hell is selfishness – taking for one’s self. When sex is done for selfish pleasure it leads towards hell. It does not glorify God or honor his design and intent.

Any sex done outside of the bonds of one man, one woman marriage is therefore sinful. It does not matter if it is between people of the same sex, unmarried people of the opposite sex, those cohabitating, or even masturbation. Even sex between married couples that intentionally ends in a way that is not open to life is sinful.

I have a theory that the forbidden fruit mentioned in the first book of the bible was actually sex. Adam and Eve were naked and innocent and did not know each other. The devil tempted Eve into having sex with him and she in turn then had sex with Adam. Their eyes were opened and they were ashamed. The union with the devil could have possibly conceived Cain and this is how evil entered into human nature. Adam’s greatest sin was in not protecting his wife in the garden. This is just something to ponder.

Sex is serious stuff simply because sex is holy. It is through the act of sex that man was given something the angels weren’t. God shared with man the ability to create life. The devil cannot create life, he can only corrupt it. That is something he has been doing since Adam and Eve were placed in the garden. The devil has convinced man that sex is for personal gratification. He has gotten us to sacrifice our children to him. He has gotten us to believe that contraception is a good thing. Contra-ception = against conception = to stop life. Contraception has led to sterile, fruitless marriages.  It has weakened the bonds of marriage to the point that many no longer find a reason to be married. People now come together for what they can get for the self and not what they can give to the other. Once they stop getting it is time to move on. This in turn has destroyed the family. Once the foundation of a house has been destroyed the house falls. Society is in a death spiral. Most of the civilized world is below replacement rate – the rate of birth needed to just break even in the population. There are places in Europe where entire towns have closed simply because there is no one left to maintain them.

Through all of this the devil is laughing.

Death came into this world through selfishness in a garden.

Life was restored to the world through a garden by a celibate man born of a virgin woman.

Sex is holy and should only be used as it was designed.

Be a blessing to everyone you meet and allow them to be a blessing to you.

The Journey of Life

Life is a journey and every journey has a destination. The destination that awaits us at the end of our lives is only one of two places. Luckily the place we will end up spending all of eternity is totally our choice.

At one end of the journey we have heaven where we get to have the beatific vision of God. A person cannot begin to understand what true love really is until they are fully immersed in love itself. There are no words in any language that can describe what it is like to be in the presence of God.

At the other end of the journey is hell. In hell there is only total love of self. Again, there are no words that can describe what it is like to be in hell.

God created man to live with him forever in heaven. God sends no man to hell. God finds man there by his own choosing. If hell is such a horrible, horrible place why would any person ever willingly choose to go there?

God is ἀγάπη, agape, sacrificial love. It is the total love of the other. Someone who chooses hell has only total love of self. For someone who only has love of self agape is hated above all else. Agape can be physically painful. They will do everything they can to get as far away from it as possible. This means choosing hell, choosing total love of self, over being in the presence of love itself.

God offers heaven to each and every man when we pass from this life into the next. To borrow an image from scripture, we will stand alone with Jesus over a charcoal fire. For the person who had never been introduced to Jesus he will be his best advocate for them. As he did with Saint Peter he will ask each of us a simple question – do you love me above all else (agape)? Very few of us can answer that with a truthful yes. As long as our answer is not no we will be given a chance to perfect the love we do have until only agape remains.

For those who answer no to his question Jesus will honor their choice made freely and they will be left utterly alone with only their love of self. They will be in hell.

Which direction are you traveling in this life? Is what you do done for the glory of God in love and service of others or is what you do done for love of self? One way leads to eternal happiness and the other leads to utter loneliness.

The Lie of Secular Happiness and Joy

Catholic happiness and joy begins with selflessness and emanates outward in love and service to others. The secular lie is that happiness and joy centers on the self and all love and service should emanate inwards toward the self. The true root of all evil is the disordered love of self. Selfishness is at the heart of every deadly sin.

Lust – Lust is the intense desire to have something for our own, whether that is a lusting for sex, power, or knowledge. Adam and Eve lusted for the knowledge God was not willing to give to them when they ate from the tree of good and evil.

Gluttony – Gluttony is the intense desire for food or drink. It causes us to overindulge. We want food even when we do not need it.

Greed – Greed is the intense desire of possession. No matter how much of the object of our desire we have it never satisfies the desire for more. Adrenalin junkies push the limits of sanity with ever increasing dangerous stunts for the high they get by doing the stunt. Greed also presents itself as an intense desire for control or power.

Sloth – Sloth is intense lack of desire to be spiritually, emotionally, or physically active. Work has redemptive value to it. Scripture tells us that God does not like people who are lukewarm, people who lack passion. Sloth is the intense lack of passion.

Wrath – Wrath is an intense emotional response. Anger is both good and useful when it is just. Wrath is unjustified anger that often leads to the desire for revenge or other malicious intent.

Envy – Envy is an intense sadness when looking at the goods or goodness of another. Envy often drives us to find a way to justify our shortcomings. This is usually done by comparing our shortcomings to ones who are worse. God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

Pride/vanity – Pride is unrestrained and disordered appreciation for one’s own worth. I am the best, the most knowledgeable, the most beautiful, etc. It is listed as the worst of the deadly sins for where pride leads the rest of the deadly sins usually follow.

All deadly sins reside and grow within a self-centered heart.

The foundation of this lie is Moral Relativism. God is sacrificial love and he gave us laws that flow from his very nature to insure that we live selfless lives in love for the other. For Satan to turn us from God he had to get us to freely choose selfish lives over selfless lives. He had to get us to think of the law as something subjective. When we allow morality to be personally defined by each and every person morality loses its meaning. What good is a speed limit when everyone is allowed to drive as fast or as slow as they personally deem safe?

Take the commandment Thou Shall Not Murder. Pretty cut and dried. One human shall not kill another human. Moral relativism allows a person to define murder for themselves so we get things like – one human shall not kill another human unless that human is an unborn baby residing inside the first human or one human shall not kill another human unless the other human is terminally ill and is going to die anyway. Moral relativism allows each individual to define what is morally right for them, rendering morality a useless measure of anything.

Hedonism is all about personal pleasure. Eat and drink as much of anything you wish. Do any drug you want. Have any type of sex with any person or object of your desire. With the restrictions of morality diminished or gone one is free to do whatever brings the self pleasure.

When one is the center of one’s universe it becomes easy to believe that one is owed everything just for being alive. The sense of entitlement grows proportionally to size of one’s self-centeredness. To receive something one is due is the definition of justice. To be owed something that one is not due is entitlement.

The cornerstones of this lie are pleasure, power, and money. The secular culture would have us believe that the more pleasure we have, the more power we have, or the more money we have the happier we will be. We are bombarded relentlessly with images and suggestions of things that would make us happy if we only had them. Even people become nothing more than objects to be used and thrown away. For someone caught up in this lie there is never enough. They never reach a point where they have enough money or possess enough objects. Pleasure becomes harder and harder to obtain. Extremes must be pushed to get the same response they did in the beginning. They are never satisfied. They crave more.

In the Catholic secret of happiness and joy everything starts with Jesus at our center and radiates outward in love for others in the form of service, stewardship, and shepherding. In the secular lie everything comes in from the outside in the form of I, me, and mine. Everything for a self-centered person revolves around what “I” have done, what has happened to “me”, or about the things that are “mine”.

The secular lie is a bright, shiny object that looks to be the greatest, most fun thing ever but it is nothing more than a card house built on a sand foundation. It is only a matter of time before it comes crashing down and the only thing that remains is agonizing despair and loneness.

 

Be a blessing to all you know and allow them to be a blessing to you.



The Secret to Catholic Happiness and Joy

At the center of our faith is the Eucharist, the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. It is the source and summit of the Catholic Faith. Everything we do as a people flows from and goes back to him. The Eucharist is the number one reason to be Catholic, to become Catholic, or to return to the Catholic faith.

 

Ephesians 2:8

                “By grace you have been saved through faith; and not that from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

This is the foundation of our joy, that through our faith in Jesus Christ we have been saved and redeemed. Death has no hold on us. Through our baptism we become adopted children of God the Father. 

We have been provided the structure needed to live a joy filled life in Exodus 20, 1-17 and Luke 10:27. The Ten Commandments flow directly from the nature of God and establish morality which shows us how to live just and upright lives. Jesus focuses these commandments into the great Commandment – to love our God with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

There are three things that are repeated throughout all Holy Scripture. Anytime God interacts with his people, either directly or through one of his angels, we are always told, “Be not afraid. Peace be with you.”  When we trust in God we have no reason to fear anything. We can be at peace knowing that he will always provide exactly what we need. Even during times of great distress or persecution we can still live joyful lives through our trust that God will always be there with us. 

True Christianity is never a private relationship. Selfishness is the true root of all evil. We are called to love and serve our brothers, our neighbors, even our enemies. The more we empty ourselves in service to the other the more room Jesus has to live within us. Where Jesus is there is joy. There are three ways that Catholics fulfill this calling:

Servant – We are called to directly serve others. We are called to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, care for the sick, visit those in prison, and to bury the dead. These are the corporal works of mercy. The measure of mercy you give will be the measure of mercy you shall receive.

Shepherd – We are called to lead and guide others, both directly and as example in how we live our lives. We are called to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, offer fraternal correction, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offences willingly, comfort the afflicted, and pray for the dead. These are the spiritual works of mercy.

Steward – We are called to be good stewards of everything within our care. Jesus was asked by the rich man what he must do to inherit eternal life. The answer was to sell everything and follow Jesus. When we choose to follow Christ we recognize that everything we have ultimately belongs to God and that we are nothing more than stewards of these things. We are called to care for all of God’s creation. He gave us dominion over all of the earth and its creatures to care for it and not to use it recklessly for our own profit. We are to ensure that objects under our control are used properly and not for selfish gain. With what we take we can make a living; with what we give we can make a life. 

True joy starts with Jesus at your center and emanates outward with love, service, and stewardship. The more you empty yourself in love and service to others the more God fills the space and the greater your joy becomes.

Be a blessing to all you meet and allow them to be a blessing to you.



Repent, The Kingdom of God is at hand.

“Repent, The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

This was printed on the front and back of the sandwich board the doomsday fanatic was wearing. Few paid him much mind. Fewer still understood the message.

When most people hear the word repent they think it means to be sorry for one’s wrongs.

Kingdom usually implies a geographical location like the United Kingdom or King Author’s lands, or it means a political way of rule, as in a monarchy. A Christian usually sees "Kingdom of God" as being synonymous with heaven.

“Be sorry for what you have done wrong because heaven is almost here.” That is the general translation from what is written on the sandwich board.

This passage is taken straight out of Holy Scripture – Matthew 3, 2. John the Baptist was preaching about the coming of the messiah. Being part of the New Testament it was written in Greek and the Greek words used have much different meanings from what we understand today.

The Greek word used in scripture for repent is “metanoia” – μετάνοια. It is one of the worst translations in the bible. Metanoia does not mean to be sorry for one’s wrongs. Metanoia is the turning of the will and mind to that of God’s. Metanoia is what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed.

“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

Luke 22, 41-42

In Greek a verb can take two forms. The first denotes a onetime action. The second form means to do the verb and to continue doing the verb unceasingly. In almost every instance in Holy Scripture where metanoia is used as a verb it is in the later form. Change your mind and your will to that of God’s unceasingly.

The Greek word used in Holy Scripture for kingdom is “basileia” – βασιλεία. It is from this word we get words like basil and basilica. As with metanoia, basileia is also incorrectly translated as heaven. Basileia correctly translated means kingship, sovereignty, or rule. It is the royal nature of God.

“The Kingdom of God is at hand” does not refer to Jesus’ second coming or the institution of heaven on earth as many believe it to mean. It meant that God’s royal nature was now among us in the person of Jesus. Anyone who follows Jesus inherits this royal nature when they are adopted as brothers and sisters of our Lord and become children of God.

I have inherited God’s royal nature when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and became his adopted brother. I am called to live a life worthy of that royal nature by conforming my mind and my will to that of the Father’s unceasingly.

λέγων , Μετανοεῖτε  : ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν .

Conform yourself to God for his royal nature is among us.

Let Us Not Shrink From Our Responsibilities

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25, 31-46

There is a multitude of people in the United States who do not believe we should give aid to the Syrian refugees fleeing persecution and fighting for their lives. People are proud that their government and their governors have declared, “Not in my backyard!” Memes are running rampant on social media likening the refugees to a bowl of M&Ms or gumballs with a few “poisoned” ones in the bowl. How many are willing to try one? We are constantly reminded that many of the terror attacks in our own country have come at the hands of “refugees” we have let in.

Do you think Jesus will accept the excuse that we failed to give aid to the Syrian refugees living in crisis because there were vipers among them? Do you think he will understand that we did not help “them” because of increased danger to “us”?

Christians all over this country have feigned outrage with President Obama because he once stated that this is not just a Christian nation anymore. Many of the same Christians now feign a similar outrage with the President because he wants to come to the aid of those in desperate need. So are we still a Christian nation that does as Christ taught? Do we feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty? Do we invite in strangers and clothe the naked? Do we tend to the sick, the suffering, the persecuted, and those in prison or do we only give lip service to those things as long as not much is required of us and there is no danger imposed on our way of life?

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

            “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

             “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

             “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

             “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

             “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

             “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

             “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the   kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5, 1-12

 

Divinely Human, Humanly Divine

Jesus was fully human and fully divine. This has been a root of much confusion which has caused countless heresies through the ages. Sabellianism, Docetism, Adoptionism, Nestorianism, Apollinarianism, Socianism, and Arianism are just a few of the heresies the early Church had to deal with concerning the dual nature of Jesus Christ. These heresies come about from many different beliefs but all wrestle with the belief that a person cannot have two distinct natures at the same time.

Think of a nature as if it were water for a moment. If I have a cup of red water and a cup of blue water and I try to pour them both equally into a one cup glass the best I can do is 50%-50%. The water in the cup would also become mixed to the point that you couldn’t tell them apart anymore. This concept has lead people to believe that it is impossible for Jesus to have a 100% human nature and a 100% divine nature at the same time. That equals 200% and isn’t possible.

Now imagine a room that has a red light in one corner and a blue light in the other. If I turn on the red light the room is filled 100% of the way with the red light. If I turn on the blue light the room is filled with 100% blue light. If I turn on both lights at the same time an interesting thing happens. The room is filled 100% with the red light. It is also filled 100% with the blue light. The red light does not displace the blue light and the blue light does not displace the red. They coexist in harmony with one another.

Another interesting thing happens. If we place an object in the center of the room, equally between the two lights, and look at that object from the side with the red light the object will appear red. If we look at the object from the side with the blue light the object will appear blue. If we look at the object from any angle that both lights shine on it the object will appear purple. We can see each light individually as well as both lights combined at the same time.

No metaphor is perfect but this one can help us to better understand the great mystery of how a divine nature and a human nature could coexist in the man Jesus totally, equally, and without diminishing the other at the same time. There are times in scripture where we see Jesus’ human nature shining through, like during his agony in the garden. There are other times when we can see his divine nature shining through, like when he is forgiving sins and healing people. Through most of scripture Jesus is seen with the perfect mix of the human and the divine.

Lost in Translation

“So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

John 21, 15-17

 

There are only two times in Holy Scripture where a charcoal fire is mentioned. The first is when Peter denies the Lord three times on the night he was betrayed. The other is when Peter affirms his love for Jesus after his resurrection. In the above passage it appears that Jesus gives Peter a chance to redeem himself from his denial by asking him three times if he loves the Lord. Peter answers that he does love the Lord and yet the passage says that Pete was grieved by this. For someone who only reads an English translation of the bible this passage can never make sense. The true meaning of it has been lost in translation.

English is a vocabulary rich language. We have many different words that can be used to express the same thought in a slightly different manner. I can walk through the woods. I can also hike, amble, stagger, skip, wander, journey, stride, stroll, saunter, meander, mosey, roam, and high tail it through the woods. Each of those hold the same basic meaning but express it in a way where someone can understand what type of “walk” occurred. English is a vocabulary desert when it gets to the concept of love. We have one word with a dozen different meanings. I love my wife. I love my pet squirrel. I love this town. I love this pencil. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. In each of those the word love was used but each held a distinctly different meaning.

Greek (the language of the New Testament) has four words for love that have distinctly different meanings. The first is “Éros” from which we get words like “erotic”. It refers to a love of a physical nature. The second is “Phillia” from which we get words like “Philadelphia” or “pedophilia”. It refers to affectionate regard, friendship, or brotherly love – usually between equals. The third is “Storge” and refers to the love usually felt between a parent and a child. The greatest type of love is “Agápe”. For a Christian this is a sacrificial love, a love above all others. It is the love God has for man and the love we are called to have for each other.

When you read this passage in Greek you come away with an entirely different understanding of it. The exchange between Jesus and Peter goes like this;

Jesus: Peter, do you love me above all things? (agápe)

Peter: Yes, Lord. You know that I love you like a brother. (phillia)

Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love me above all things? (agápe)

Peter: Yes, Lord. You know that I love you like a brother. (phillia)

Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love me like a brother? (phillia)

At this Peter became upset for he knew that he had failed once again. He did not love Jesus with the perfect, sacrificial love but as a brother.

Peter: Yes, Lord. You know all things. You know I love you as a brother. (phillia)

Jesus knew Peter did not yet have the love he needed to have but he was willing to meet Peter where he was on his spiritual journey. He trusted Peter to teach his people in his place and knew that he would eventually come to love the Lord with agápe.

Each of us will stand where Peter did. Each of us will be asked before a charcoal fire if we love the Lord above all else, with perfect sacrificial love - agápe. I suspect that is what purgatory is for. For those of us, like Peter, who answer that we love the Lord like a brother, phillia love, we will be given time in purgatory to perfect our love until only agápe remains. Hell is reserved for those who have no love at all for the Lord.

Catholic Prayer

Catholics are often accused of worshipping false gods because we pray to Mary and the Saints. Most of this confusion comes because of how we use the word “pray”. For many non-Catholic Christians the word “pray” is synonymous with the word “worship”. Given this extremely narrow and modern definition of the word it is understandable why many non-Catholics believe we worship people other than God. The Catholic Church is not a modern creation. It is over two thousand years old. To us, the word “pray” has a much broader and deeper definition.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines five types of prayer. These are:

1: Prayers Blessing and Adoration

2: Prayers of Petition

3: Prayers of Intercession

4: Prayers of Thanksgiving

5: Prayers of Praise

A detailed explanation of these forms of prayer can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Four, Section One. I offer the following as a basic definition for sake of this discussion:

1: Prayers of Blessing expresses the basic movement of Christian prayer. Our blessing ascends in the Holy Spirit, through Christ, to the Father. We bless him for having blessed us. A prayer of blessing also asks for the grace of the Holy Spirit to descend upon us from the Father through Christ. “Blessing” is the English translation of the Latin word “benedictionem” which means “to say well of”.

 Prayers of Adoration acknowledge that man is a creature before his creator and exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us. True adoration is worship and due to God alone. Many who accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary have no problem telling their significant other or children how much they adore them.

2: Prayers of Petition come in the form of supplications and lamentations. Supplications are prayers asking for our every need, from forgiveness, to strength, to healing, and even our worldly desires.

Lamentations are passionate expressions of grief or sorrow. Jesus prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane are a perfect example of a lamentation.

3: Prayers of Intercession are like prayers of petition except we are asking for the needs of others. Jesus is the one and only intercessor to the Father and our prayers of intercession are directed towards Jesus. We can ask others to pray for us, to add their prayers of intercession to Christ on our behalf. When I had my heart surgery I had thousands of people praying to Christ that he would intercede with the Father and grant me a safe surgery and a complete recovery. I attribute the speed at which I recovered to God answering those prayers of intercession.

4: Prayers of Thanksgiving are prayers of gratitude to a Lord that provides all things to his people. Everything we have, including our very breath, is a gift from God and we offer constant thanks in the form of prayer.

5: Prayers of Praise offer glory to God simply because He Is. In Prayer of Praise we recognize and acknowledge that God is God and is due all glory, honor, and praise we are capable of.

Even for non-Catholic Christians who believe the word prayer is synonymous with the word worship will realize that they offer these five types of prayer when they pray. Catholics believe prayer is all of the above and more. For us it is also a means of spiritual communication. God has a family consisting of his believers here on earth as well as all persons living in heaven. The definition of a Saint is any person, angelic or human, living with God in heaven.

Just as I can ask any of you to pray for me to our Lord I can also ask any of my brothers and sisters in heaven to pray for me as well. This is where prayer as a means of spiritual communication takes place. God alone can hear our prayers. If I direct a prayer to a Saint in heaven God allows that Saint to hear my prayer and intercede on my behalf. Saints can offer prayers to Jesus for me just as any of you can offer prayers to Jesus on my behalf. Saints are perfected persons living in heaven in God’s sight. Their intercession for us is great.

Mary is a very special person. She is the mother of Jesus and the greatest of all of the Saints, either angelic or human. Jesus loves his mother and will do whatever she asks of him. I can pray to Christ and my prayer will be heard but if his mother prays for me he will give the request much greater attention. Because of this we pray to Mary for her intercession to Christ on our behalf.

Catholics do not worship Mary. We venerate her as the mother of Jesus. Sometimes that veneration can be so strong that it could be mistaken as worship. Mary is not God and not worthy of our worship but she is the greatest example of what a human person is called to be like. When we honor Mary we honor her son through her. If someone were to honor and respect my mother I would go out of my way to make sure that person knew how much I appreciated the action. How much more do we please Jesus when we honor and respect his mother?

Be a blessing to all you meet and allow them to be a blessing to you.