GODS      LOVE      FOR      US

Have we ever given much thought to, the real meaning of what the love of God presents to us?  Firstly, let us look at the Holy Family.  Mary, a young girl of sixteen years, consents to a request from God, to become the mother of His Son.  Her positive response came from amongst feelings of confusion, fear, anxiety.  Her YES was the result of her love and devotation to God.  There was no great emotional outburst, just a simple, THY WILL BE DONE.  That attitude of our Blessed Mother She carried with Her throughout Her life.  A life fraught with sorrow, danger and suffering, yet Her love for God only grew stronger.  Joseph, Her husband, silent and resolute, committed to the protection and welfare of his family.  Despite the hardship of their calling, their happiness and joy lay in the knowledge that Gods love would see them through no matter what the consequence; they would remain loyal to carrying out His will. 

Through the gospels we have a very clear picture of the sort of life our Lord and Savour experienced.  A life that finally ended in torture and death on a cross.

Contrary to much of the teachings of today’s modern world, to say yes to God and live our lives accordingly, is just a stroll in the park, is misguiding.  Knowing the way of life the Holy Family went through, the exhausting public ministry of Christ.  The constant battles of our church down through the ages, even to this present time, is no dawdle in any park. 

God’s love is an interior motivation to open ourselves to His love and greater understanding of what He wants from us.  Each one of us has a role to play, not only in our own salvation, but for those immediately around us, our families, our neighbours, and our parish.  This is the foundation on which our faith is based on.  If we fully agree to the will of God, He will surely see us safely home.  We must try to change our hearts and our mind-set.  To embrace the great gifts Christ won for us-the SACRAMENTS- our love for God would truly start to blossom.  It would help to change our parish into a better place to live in, for us and our children.  Take note, nothing is ever gained without sacrifices.  Each conversion that takes place must begin within ourselves then and only then can we reach out to others.  Think about this, how many times have we felt rotten inside, by the things we say and do, like gossiping about others misfortunes, constant complaining, feelings of hatred, jealously etc.  Most of the time we feel good about ourselves.  So why can’t we do the same to others who have their faults, and persevere with them.  If you truly know of how weak you are and are able to show tolerance to others in their strife, you are well on your way to salvation.  If God loves everybody then he loves me.  This is the basis of the caring love we need to share with those less fortunate than ourselves.  To seek a fellowship with all who are seeking help.  To realise we are not above them but one with them.  That is the beauty of God’s love.   Our faith is not just about a bunch of rules to follow.  Because God is love, by our actions we can be witnesses to that love and hopefully change a lost soul’s life.  We put too big a burden on our church and our priests, who are the guardians and administrators of Gods gifts.  We must become more aware of GOD by reading the bible.  Priests cannot be expected to explain the scriptures in the fifteen minutes given to them. To become more learned of scripture, we must read the bible.  By doing so we would progress a lot faster in our spiritual growth.  If we have time to study the soaps, sports stars, showbiz world etc.   THEN WHY NOT OUR GOD.  OUR God outweighs everything.  We must not offend our God by evil or sinful actions, in thought, word and deed.  All sinful actions must be condemned, but we must avoid judging those who perpetrate these deeds.  The judge of all creation will administer true justice when the time comes.  Live a life honouring and serving God, because He is all merciful, all forgiving, and all love.        GOD  BLESS  EVERYONE.      

                 THE      BEAUTY     OF     MOTHERHOOD

Numerous titles have been bestowed on our Blessed Mother throughout the ages.  But of all the titles ever attributed to her, either by the angels or human beings, pale into insignificance in the light of one title, MOTHER OF GOD, given to her by the creator off all life, God Himself.  Then what wonder, what beauty, what splendour is encompassed in the title of motherhood.  Every woman blessed by the gift of bringing forth life, should be honoured and respected by all humanity.  Regrettable as it is, this modern world however, has dishonoured, degraded, and turned the female form into objects of desire, lust, to be used or abused, to further its own ends, of a corrupt, unscrupulous world, filled with an obsession for power, greed, and control.  This blog is a response to an incident i saw on the national T. V. News concerning a young mother who was breast feeding her infant child in the premises of Clarridges Hotel.  She was approached by the hotels manager, who requested, could she cover up the action she was doing as it was unsettling to many of the clientele using the hotel.  In an act of courtesy, he acquired a table cloth to assist her.  His Explanation was that it was in line with Clarridges policy.  I have a query to put to this manager? Has he ever observed the females who frequent his hotels and discos especially at week-ends?  If he had done so, and carried out hotel policy, he would have been compelled to refuse entry to at least seventy per cent of them due to the mode of clothing they were wearing.  As in all probability they were revealing more of their breasts than this young mother was revealing.  This blog, i must state, is not to criticise modern day fashion or how women dress.  It is a criticism of the failure of the hotel, to explain, was it the showing of her breast, which was not evident on T.V or the sight of a young baby feeding that is against hotel policy that promoted him to take this action.  And what did the customers find offensive, the revealing of her breast, the baby feeding, or both.  How can any normal society accept this as justifiable behaviour? Yet deem breast feeding in public uncomfortable.  The western world allegedly champions the cause of human rights and moral standards but everyone knows this to be farcical as it is well known that it is the monetary system that set the standards.    We as Christians have to depend on our churches and its shepherds for leadership and guidance, but in recent years they have become silent on many serious matters that concern the laity.  Reasons that is known only to themselves.  In a sense we have almost been deserted.  I believe that their concerns for worldly aims is at the detriment of spiritual growth.  The failure of all Christian sects to unite as one in this battle against evil unnerves me.  Any more failure to act will only drive home the final nails in the coffin of Christianity.  This act of disrespect to motherhood and many other evils is affront in the eyes of God.  We profess our love for God but we fail to show it.  We must wake up to Gods will and his teachings and start to act before it is too late.  Christ will be victorious in the end.  We must be determined to share in that victory or lose every thing

HAVE A HOLY AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS,     AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR

GOD BLESS EVERYONE                       

       

                     THE    TRUE       MEANING       OF       CHRISTMAS        

We have now begun the countdown to Christmas. The hurrying and scurrying about, anxious moments, financial worries etc.  Mustn’t forget the tree, lights, toys, presents, Christmas cards, food, wine, what’s on T V, and much more.  When and where does it all stop? Strangely something is missing.  I forgot, Christ is missing.  Nothing strange about that, He has been missing now for a couple of decades or more.  This brings me to ask the question, why is it still called Christmas when Christ is missing.  This amazes me, knowing that the birth of Christ is one of the three most important moments in the history of the human race.  The acceptance of our Blessed Mother to become the Mother of God, the birth of Christ, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  On that holy night, heaven was so full of joy, God sent a choir of angels to announce in song, the wonder of this birth, Glory to God in the highest.  This night has been celebrated for over two thousand years worldwide.  Alas this devotion has been replaced by pagan rituals.  The hymn now says, Glory to the God of the high street.  Our obsessions for worldly things, leaves us with a void, emptiness.  By boxing day when all the turkey and ham has disappeared, T V is lousy, we are usually left with that deflated feeling.  Our minds now dwell on the coming new year.  Prospects of the coming year bring with it the normal uncertainty, boring prospects of another year.  Take note, this mind set is of our own choosing.  By omitting Christ from our lives we have abandoned the true source , of love, hope, and joy, namely, Jesus Christ our savour.  It is God’s love that gives us the strength and purpose to face all the new year will bring.  Let the material world belong to the very young at Christmas, while we can enhance their joy, by turning more to the spiritual message of Christmas.  Try to live this message of love and hope every day. We need to focus on our eternal future.  If we are not certain about our faith in God, the concept of eternal life is likely to become meaningless to us, like a fairytale that many people have outgrown.  If Christ is distant and Christ is the one who brings us to eternal life, then eternal life must also be distant, and therein lies the root of most of our problems.  By praying to God through His Blessed Mother it will be a reality for us to recover, no matter how slowly, our faith, trust, and love of God takes.  The salvation of our souls and that of our families lie in the choice we and our families make.  That is the true meaning of Christmas.                           

    

 Have a holy and wonderful Christmas.                     

May God bless you and all your families where ever they are

HUGO  MAGEE

               OUR            UNSTABLE         FAITH    

Due to our lack of guidance, especially from our churches at parish level, i believe that being left to our own devices we have become indifferent, opened ourselves to a very distorted view of Christianity.  As Catholics we cannot grasp any longer what is sinful and what is not.  Our whole attitude to God and His church, and i am putting this mildly, is sadly lacking in zeal, no commitment, no reverence, and only a mild form of love.  All that we hold sacred towards our salvation, from Christ’s days on earth, up to a hundred years ago, is rapidly being eroded.  The reason being for this, the church has to modernise itself to encompass the changing attitudes of modern society.       A society built on materialistic views and self preservation.  In other words, God and spiritual matters are no longer relevant.  For the many who still cling to true faith, unfortunately are being swamped by homilies that place social issues, poverty, health and self esteem at the expense of the welfare of the soul.  Never forget, all things of the body are temporary.  To cater for them as first choice your time will be wasted, as the body does not last and one day will crumble into dust. The soul on the other hand exists forever and must be our primary concern.  If we take as much interest in our faith as we do in worldly things, i pods, high tech games, alcohol and drugs, then maybe we can retrieve some of our lost dignity.  We appear to worry too much about the welfare of ourselves and our children that we forget to focus on our spiritual state.  This leads to a shrinking of our moral standards’.   By rejecting Gods way, we become isolated from each other, more self cantered.  This is very evident in all homes, where daughters and sons isolate themselves for many hours on their own with their gadgets.  This attitude contributes to the moral decline of our faith in parishes worldwide.  The church must strive to become the centre of parish life.  Failure to do so could lead to the collapse of our faith and the loss of many souls.  I have heard several times, you can love God even if you don’t go to mass.  :Perhaps: but i am curious as to the kind of love this represents.  Holy Mass is the centre of our faith.  It’s the greatest expression of our love and devotion to our God.  By our presence at mass we will come to recognise the great love and commitment our God has for us.  Yet there many other ways in which to love and serve our God e.g. pray the rosary, holy hours, be involved with charity groups, and live your daily lives as true Catholics.  Our faith in Jesus Christ needs to be nourished daily if it is to grow.  By attending mass, we witness the death of Christ, whose cross is firmly planted at the centre of mass, and we should plant our daily crosses, though smaller in statue, firmly besides His.  With Christ we offer our daily crosses to the praise, glory, and commitment to the will of our heavenly Father.  No greater act of love can surpass this action.  By doing this you will be assured of heaven

Christ Our Lord was born into the human family by becoming one of us.  During His lifetime He founded a new way of life for the betterment of humanity.  Given His status He has more of a right to be heard in this world.  More than the other rights groups such as, civil rights, gay rights, pro life, social issues etc, etc.  We can disagree with each other, but all should have the right to speak.  Many groups are supported by the pillars of society, governments, civil servants, news media, and law makers.  Sadly the most restricted of all seems to be those who support the views of Christianity.  Many of their symbols have been banned; many sections of their way of life have been outlawed.  It appears as if the world societies are anti Christian.  As Catholics we must not be silenced.  Our church leaders must pick up the mantle, fearlessly proclaim the catholic faith openly and vigorously, irrespective of the scabs and sores it carries.  Failure to do so may lead to , not a church controlled faith, but a faith controlled by the state.  Their reasoning message to the world, eat, drink, be merry, tomorrow we die, nothing else matters. 

THATS THE DOCTRINE OF MODERN LIFE.                                GOD   BLESS

               GODS KINGDOM               FAITH              COMMITTMENT      

At various times throughout my life and in all probability the lives of a great many Catholics i have tried to reason with my faith.  What is it that makes us believe, especially as there is no tangible evidence to subdue our reasoning?  Our instinctive notion of faith is the response to Gods divine presence in our souls.  A friendship of mutual love, of person to person.  A love that should incite us to be, caring and devoted to all souls.  It might be a duty, or it might be a merit, but faith cannot exist without hope.  If there is something we believe to be true, then we should not only say it, we must do it.  Living in modern times, unbelief is unavoidable in an age of intellect.  We must never forget, that with due consideration,       faith requires an act of will.  In an atmosphere where unbelief loudly speaks out, those who champion faith must also speak out loudly.  As falsehoods assail truth, truth must assail falsehoods, and we must pray for the courage to do so.  It’s frightening, that this world so shamefully fosters such low ambitions that sets everybody on the lookout for success.  To amass money, to gain power, never wavering in their quest for fame and fortune in whatever shape or form.  All this is done at the expense, of our most deepest thoughts, all that makes us holy and calm, weakening our moral values.  How then can we be persuaded of this great truth, in spite of its outward appearances, human society, as we find it, is but a part of an invisible world that is divided into two companies.  The children of God and the children of Satin.  That some souls are administered unto by angels, others led captive by devils.  This warfare has existed between the kingdom of light and the powers of darkness since the dawn of time.  Our allegiance to our God and His Blessed Mother must be supreme, no matter how we feel.  As often as we can we must witness openly on their behalf.  Great prayer is offered up daily by the millions of pilgrims who visit holy shrines all over the world.  This commitment to prayer must be sustained openly on their returning home,  as witnesses to the value of their journeys and a great encouragement to those who did not go.  The rewards of these actions and through the intersession of our Holy Mother, the Angels and the Saints, great graces have been poured out on the human race.  Yet much more is needed to combat the evils of this world.  Those pilgrims worldwide, returning from Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje Rome etc must unite in open and common prayer in catholic parishes worldwide.  This then will stand as a monument to the authenticity of their commitment to God and his Holy Mother as well as a pointer to the validity of all shrines.  If we need encouragement to do so just think of the many sons  and daughters (our brothers and sisters) of God being led astray by the powers of darkness using the lures of this world .  Do it for this if not for any other reason.  We owe it to God and to them to do so.  If we take time to digest the necessicity of prayer that protects our daily way of life, we should study the words of the Lord’s Prayer, evil all around us, likelihood of temptation, sin to be avoided, Gods will in our hearts, Gods name on our lips, Gods kingdom our hope.  This is the view it gives us to what it means to be a Christian.   

GOD BLESS                            

THE      SILENCE      OF      THE      LAMB

Just stop for a moment and give some thought to this title.  Ponder on its meaning and see how much truth lies there in.  Is it possible, Christ’s is being silenced everywhere in the world.  Has the catholic church been so eroded by today’s world.  In the past, in all Christian countries, the strength of the church was able to curtail, governments of legislating anti Christ polices.  How different it is today.  A world where Christian ethics are outlawed by those whose aim is to destroy the catholic church worldwide.  This victory would lead to an anything goes society.  Abortion, compulsory civil marriages, promotion of immorality, take care of the strong and abandon the weak, cater for the rich by robbing the poor.  Anyone who is a liability or financial burden on the state would be isolated.  Sound familiar? It is.  They are the polices that enthroned Adolf Hitler to power, while the world stood idly by twiddling its thumbs.  The church, strong as it was then also kept silent.  The question i ask now, when is the church, worldwide going to wake up and address these evils that confronts us.  A strong spiritual revival is needed to combat evil no matter what the cost.  We can no longer stand idly by while millions of souls are being lost.  Strong leadership must come from the guardians of the flock, before they have to leave the one and go after the rest.  Depressing yes, but not hopeless.  Perhaps we need a few John the Baptists, or St Pauls, to invigorate our dying church.  To passionately act and preach of the great love and mercy our God has for His creatures by upholding the truth.  While Christ’s love can envelope us, we will never understand it.  For example, do children trust their parents because they have proved to themselves that they are trustworthy and desire to do so, or is it from the instinct of affection? We believe because we love, and that is the honest truth.  How can we encourage them who doubt this, to believe?  There are many who for various reasons have abandoned their faith.  All must come to terms that faith is the medium in which the soul sees Christ.  It is colourless, like air or water.  Unfortunately many are bent on holding it in their hands.  They substitute it for a feeling, a notion, sentimentally or an act of reason on which they indulge in or dote upon.  Rather, they aim at experiences within them than at Him who is beyond them.  In faith we must believe, Our Lord is truly and really present in the forms of bread and wine.  We do not know how, we have no parallel to the how in our experience.  We can only believe that he is present, not according to natural manner, but sacra mentally.  If the church can encourage the laity to unite in prayer for stronger faith, we will involve God more and more in world affairs and thus defeat the evil that enslaves us.  Without God we face total defeat of ourselves and our children.  Any catholic who profess their belief in God but do not pray daily is a contradiction in its very nature.  They are only fooling themselves. Throughout the old and new testaments, God decreed that the human race must pray daily.  To do so is the answer to the world’s problems and keep us on the road to salvation.  Prayer is not just a mumble of words that come out of our mouths.  It is the thoughts of our hearts that must be expressed by our words.  Prayer is a means to an end.  The end being that thoughts and words become actions.  In politics many countries strive for the unification of their nations.  In our church unity does not exist at parish level, parishes live in isolation of one another, all are detached from their spiritual centre :ROME:  Unification of the whole church needs to be addressed earnestly if our faith is to survive much longer.  Pray every day for unity, from pope to pauper.  Do not be silent, let Christ’s voice be heard through us everywhere in the world, (LOUDLY)

 

            GOD   BLESS                                 

 

               THE        FOUR        LAST         THINGS

Knowledge of the last four things must be examined by all Catholics, to enhance the spiritual well being of their lives.  The church, for some obscure reason appears to avoid these topics.  So by the lack of information it devalues their existence.  One possible reason for this is that the laity, by dwelling to long on them bring about fear and anxiety.  It is important that we are well informed about them.  I agree we should not linger to long on them.  So what are the four last things.  Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell.  Upsetting, yes, but we must not be afraid of events that are certain to come about.  We know very little about death, except, for Catholics it is the gateway to eternal life.  On arrival we will have to give an account, to God, of how we lived our lives here on earth, and be judged on their merits.  The outcome of that judgement is known only to God.  All verdicts will be revealed on judgement day.  True fact is, the belief in future punishment will not pass away without it causing a grave injustice to our Creator.  By ignoring it we weaken our faith in God.  The doctrine of atonement also suffers when future punishment is tampered with, as it was Christ who took the place of man to atone for our sins.  How will this doctrine stand if final punishment is denied.  Everyone who escapes eternal death does so by the virtue of the atonement.  So great a price was paid for that undertaking supposes an unimaginable debt.  If the need be denied will not the sacrifice be unthinkable.  A word of caution, it is not wise to get to precise in our thinking, it is enough to know that before God our fate, a destiny that cannot be fully imagined or understood in this life.  The judgement of God is carried out in perfect justice, perfect knowledge, and perfect mercy and all verdicts are final.  This knowledge should bring hope to all peoples of the world as we ponder the evils of this world today.  To know that, no matter what, true justice will prevail.  Sadly it seems as if humanity is on a collision course with its Creator.  By its evil and depraved mentality, the world is suffering wars, famines, drug abuse, and sexual abuse worldwide and an anti Christ philosophy that enters every home via the media, T.V, INTERNET, etc.  However the many faithful who persevere in the love and the service of God must take heart from what is written in this blog.  God’s mercy will see us home.  Every human being since the dawn of time till the end of time will have to give an account of how they lived their lives here on earth, even down to the very hairs on their head, answerable to God for their actions.  What of the others who refuse to listen?  Well they are taking a big risk by ignoring Gods love and His mercy.  They must give serious thought to change their lives while they still can.  God’s love and mercy is open to every soul up to the moment of death.  In all honesty, it is too serious to gamble on waiting till the very end for anyone to change.  In fact its eternal suicide.  The church and the faithful must focus their prayers and their actions towards the salvation of lost souls.  Without final judgement all lives are in complete.  We have forgotten how to look ahead.  How can we claim our lives have dignity if we are held accountable for nothing.  In a way to deny judgement is subtly to deny God.  Our aim must be to regain our firm trust in Jesus, His mercy, His love, and live the way He taught us.  The reward for this commitment is eternal life in HEAVEN.              

 

                     WE           MUST          FIGHT            BACK    

In time our bodies will waste away, but our souls that are the source of life are being renewed daily.  As the soul is ageless it cannot grow old.  It is the growth of knowledge that is being renewed on a daily basis.  That knowledge depends on what we expose ourselves to.  If we walk with God, we must condition our minds not to dwell on the things we see but on things unseen.  The things we see are temporary, things unseen are eternal.  Some of us lucky enough to have reached old age are well aware of this.  Whole streets, schools, rivers and glens etc have disappeared.  Old neighbours who we knew so well, have either died or left the parish. Nothing in this life is permanent.  Turning from God can lead to stubbornness and eventually blot out the rays of hope that come from God.  The outcome of this action can lead to, Justice being rejected, the rights of Christians being outlawed, the fear of God is abandoned and immorality is given a free hand.  It is taking a jump from a balcony into a dung heap or worse, from paradise to hell.  Sincerity has gone it has vanished from our mouths.  Apart from God, will turn our souls into a mind set of misery and despair.  Most of us unknowingly pass this way of life on to our children.  A way of life that can lead to eternal loss.  Not a very pretty picture i know, but none the less truthful.  On a brighter note, every soul is precious to God and his desire to save every soul exists to this day.  We must never forget the wondrous deeds our God did for us and our salvation.  We must rekindle in our minds The Passion of Christ.  To keep on ignoring God for things of this life is fatal.  Keep in your hearts always, the infinite love our God has for us and try to repay Him in kind.  As you truly love your children, you must tell them of Gods great love and mercy for them.  We live in evil times so it is important we begin to change the way we live and think, Turn to God, for guidance and strength.  If we place our family’s souls in His hands we do not have to worry, they are safe, and we just have to work at it .During lent talk to them to them about their suffering Savour.  Speak of his glorious resurrection.  At Christmas time, tell them the reasons for Christ birth All  this can make a profound impression on the minds of your children in years to come.  God is the creator and centre of the universe, in which the life of the humblest citizen has a purpose, meaning and value and can make a specific contribution towards His Divine plan.  Unfortunately through the state of their worldly minds, many will not believe this, ridicule the notion of it. Because they have never experienced it they consider it a mere matter of words.  The primary aim of the lord our God, the salvation  of souls still remains today.  To assist with this aim He established His church on earth.  The church initiated in the apostles and continued in their successors for the direct object of, preserving, protecting and declaring the means of guardianship and responsibility of the Divine Author.  In His divine wisdom, God was aware that His church was in the hands of human beings and they would be sorely tested by the evils of this world.  The church has faltered many times, the crusades, the Borgia period, the inquisition, the abuse of the young, and the evils of the cover up.  It is still the church of God and it is all we have.  Though many have deserted its ranks, many still remain faithful to its teachings.  The Pope, many cardinals, and many priests still remain faithful to persevere and administer Christ’s gifts to the people.  The clergy and laity must unite to face these problems  and seek with honest resolve the intervention and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The church must refrain from tossing tit-bits to the people just to keep them happy.  If the church is to grow strong again, the laity must be given a greater and a more significant role in the church to

AND       THE       STORY      CONTINUES         

During the last years of his life, a band of followers travelled with Jesus as he made His way around Galilee and Judea, healing and teaching.  From among these disciples He chose twelve as His apostles.  From these leaders He further singled out one.  Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter, meaning rock.  Declaring, that upon this rock He would build His church

The apostles lived with Jesus for three years, heard His teachings, and witnessed His miracles.  Yet when Jesus was arrested, all but one fled in fear.  Even the ‘’ rock’’ Peter denied Him.  Surprisingly, at first, Jesus resurrection did not appear to change them much.  The remaining eleven dismissed the early reports as ‘’idle tales’’ The apostle Thomas refused to believe until he had put his fingers into the wounds of the risen Christ.

Jesus finally appeared to all of them and instructed them to tell the whole world about Him.  First  though, they were to wait in Jerusalem for what Jesus called ’’the promise of God’’,  Nine days after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the apostles, Mary the mother of Christ; and over a hundred others soon found out what Jesus meant  It was during the feast of Pentecost, when the power of the Holy Spirit filled them so profoundly that they would never be the same again.  Formerly fearful and faltering, they now became bold, joyful, and courageous.  Dashing into the street, crowded with pilgrims from every part of the known world, the apostles stood up, and with Peter as their spokesman, fearlessly witnessed to the resurrection of Christ.  Thousands heard them preaching, each in their own language and many were baptised that day, into the new community of love, forgiveness, freedom.  The final chapter of Gods plan, for bringing the fragmented human family back together had started, for on that day also, the active involvement of the new church and the laity had begun.  That work continues till this day, through the offices of the catholic (universal) church.  Many may shake their heads in disappointment  and refer  to the state of today’s world.  It is not that Christianity has failed, rather it is we who have failed to be Christian.  The church can be seen as a universal hospital for sinners where all can experience the healing grace of God, and become the people God intended us to be.  Sadly, Christians have been unable to maintain that unity to which we are all called.  The result has been a weakening of Christian witness,  It is true, to the shame of the church, that many who have borne the name Christian have not lived up to its name.  This does not take away from the enduring testimony of the church for over 2,000 years and still give witness to the, life death and resurrection of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ today.  The grace of God has sustained the church and He has promised to do so until the end of time.  In every age there have been sinners who have entered the church and become saints through the power of Pentecost.  Peter the coward –turned rock, Paul the murderer became a martyr, all the way to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose relentless love touched the heart of the twentieth century.  So what about us, Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full.  Why settle for anything less.  It is our responsibility to witness together with an undivided voice to the fullness of his truth, or lose all that Christ won for us.                           

 

            WE         MUST         TRY          HARDER

One of Christs earliest declarations of His power, and his mission on earth, was the curing of the paralysed man, who had been lowered through the roof and placed in front of Jesus and the crowd.  Jesus reaction to this was to say :your sins are forgiven:  Strange words to say to a very sick man.  But in truth, our greatest needs are spiritual, the healing of the soul and spirit are first, all else is secondary.  This man’s needs in the eyes of Christ, was to have his sins forgiven.  Like him our primary need is to know our sins are forgiven.  In the confessional, via the priest, we hear the words of absolution, Gods words :my son, my daughter: i absolve you from your sins.  Be in no doubt, this is an absolute fact.  We have Gods word on it.  But take care, the only sin God will not forgive, is the person who refuses to go to Him in the belief they are beyond forgiveness.  This refusal can cause a hardening of one’s heart against Gods love and mercy, and God will never impose on our free will.  We are all sinners and in need of God’s mercy. Through frequent prayer and confession we will come to experience the real value of true joy and freedom.  A freedom that will lead us to self awareness and knowledge of who we are, and who God is.  His saving grace is needed by every soul.  The young addict who lives alone and in misery, and equally the young people who abstain from drugs and alcohol are both in need of salvation, the plight of the addict is just more evident.  A spiritual life is in many ways, a battle for control of our minds.  Gods words enter our minds, in order for it to take root and bear fruit, we need to engage with it, so it is not lost.  The only remedy for the human condition is Jesus Christ.  In all honesty, this statement would not sit very well with many young and many not so young in today’s society.  However if we stopped for a moment and gave some thought at the way we live our lives, we may have a change of attitude.  Living in todays world, where our minds are chock- a- block with useless information its almost impossible to make room for Gods word.  If we are to enter heaven we must make room.  Perhaps we should take stock of our Christianity, by our kindness, patience, and love and mercy towards those who have strayed from Gods path.  We must try harder not to judge or condemn people for the mess and the fear they have got themselves into.  The truth is, we all seek comfort, consolation, and friendship in one form or another.  This is part of the human condition.  There is a need in us all to change our lives for the good.  The Christian faith will always challenge us to change, an invitation to reform our lives.  Change is not just for a day or a one of thing, but a continual daily call.  We often think others need to change, but not us.  In fact, very few turn to the scriptures, the living word of God, when we are down, lonely, or depressed.  Why not?  Because we usually turn to drugs, alcohol, gambling, just to mention a few.  As any recovering addict will tell you, Christ will sustain you in your efforts.  Mercifully the scriptures are full of consoling words,  especially Christs words (come to me all you who are heavily burdened I will ease your pain )  Daily contact with God through prayer (mass whenever possible )  and begin reading the bible.  Do this and we and we can all move out of the darkness we are in, begin to enjoy the light of God in our souls.  Peace does not mean the absence of war, hunger, or suffering.  It is a condition which exists in all of us, by Gods grace, due to His infinite love for us.  Being human and as a result of our domestic and family obligations, we are prevented from giving more time to God as we should. By His coming among us, God fully understands this, and that puts a reason on us to try harder.  The reward for your efforts will be a place in heaven for you.              

         

                     A      GRIM     OUTLOOK     FOR      OUR      CHURCH       

Throughout human history, there has been an almost universal recognition that at the end of time we will all render some kind of an account of our lives, to God.  Even when the understanding of the one God is clouded and confused.  Every culture has a strong sense, that they will be judged by their maker.  So as Catholics, do we ever ponder about what we will be judged on.  The most significant act in the history of the human race has been passed down the centuries until this present day, the coming of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ.  What then was the reason for Christs suffering.  Because He and only He was capable of paying the price of our freedom demanded by the will of the Lord our God.  His passion restored to fallen mankind, what the original human race (ADAM & EVE) had lost by their disobedience, in that they sinned against Gods law.  In rejecting God, they began to love themselves and many other things more than they loved God, Who must be first in every ones hearts.  By their actions they lost, not only for themselves, but for generations to come, the gift of eternal life.  After the fall, human desires became more self seeking and confused.  Christ’s coming reinstated our intimate relationship with God, new offer of eternal life, and the proper meaning of love :sacrifice:.  In short, words are cheap.  Christ also came to destroy the works of Satan.  He (satin) markets sin as liberating, but is the exact opposite (slavery).  We live in a permissive society that embraces sin as a virtue.  Our choice is simple.  There are the ways of God, and there the ways of this world, two different ways for humanity to live.  Unfortunately the message of the world’s media is often portrayed as, that anything goes and sin is no big deal.  Even sections of our church play down the gravity of sin.  This attitude has led many catholics to reject the confessional, to abandon prayer, and eventually disregard God by their non attendance at holy mass.  This approach could draw many souls towards the gates of hell and eternal damnation.  Our sins are often rooted in our greed, lust, pride, envy, etc. Moreover choosing the evils of this world can be very attractive.  Our free will, given to us by God has allowed us the freedom of choice, to follow Gods way, or follow the ways of this world.  We must be in no doubt the fate of all who ignore Gods way and the vast rewards for all who follow His ways.  If we decide to pursue Gods way, we must do so by action and not just words.  With stronger guidance and greater support from the church many souls could be won back for our God.  In the last one hundred years the church has become weak due to the disunity among the clergy who many them selves have become more worldly and less spiritual.  Their failure to inform the people of the way they are living their lives, and the outcome of their actions will bring, to clearly explain the obligations of what it means being baptised a catholic and the importance of what is expected of them.  If people think that sin is trivial, and their commitment to God trifling.  Take a good look at the crucifix.  That’s what  God did for us, and that’s what sin did to GOD.  In most families today spiritual growth is almost nonexistent.  It is as though the catholic faith was living on borrowed time, especially in the west.  This exodus can be slowed down if we seriously turn back to God.  To love God and one another will take a big effort on the part of those who do so.  The clergy and the laity must stand up and speak the truth. To become united as one under God.  Gods primary aim is the salvation of souls and it must be ours also.  This world which has existed so long in the grip of fear, of dying, of suffering, poverty, of evil, it seems almost impossible to get our minds around a kingdom where none of these things exist.  But that is a perfectly human reaction to the world in which we live.  We are pressurised daily by the evils that surrounds us.  I was told, many years ago, faith was believing in something you cannot understand.    The love, beauty, joy, and happiness of heaven is not a myth or a fairytale.  It is a reality.  It is a mystery to be enjoyed, not to be analysed or understood, for there is nothing in this life that comes anywhere near the splendour of seeing God face to face.  That’s what we must strive to achieve, for ourselves and our families. 

DO NOT TELL ME YOU LOVE ME           SHOW ME

GOD   BLESS          

HEARTS       AND          MINDS

There are many who would associate this title to a T V programme of the same name.  But the reality of the title is more startling when studied more deeply.  Church teaching informs us, all souls are created by God, out of His deep love for us, and placed in their earthly bodies (created in Gods likeness) at the moment of conception.  All souls belong to God, and in time will return to Him.  It is through the soul the body receives life, and the life of the soul is eternal.  The final destiny of the soul is best thought of by the way we live out our time spent on earth.  During this period, our spiritual growth can be greatly influenced by the commitment of our hearts and minds towards God.  Since the beginning of time, a war has been raging around us, between good and evil, for the control of our hearts and minds.  With the coming of Christ and later the Holy Spirit, vast numbers of souls were won over to God.  Regretfully, within the last century the tide has shifted towards the powers of evil.  In many parts of the world today, people have given in to the lures of this world, and in doing so have weakened their spiritual growth.  The church firmly maintains that, Christ alone, pays the price for the forgiveness of everyone.  Church teaching also states that everyone is responsible for his or hers own actions. The gospels confirm this.  We have only to think of lazarus and the rich man to see the relationship between action and the judgement one receives from God.  By catering for the body, the more the light in the soul is being extinguished.  Never forget, to reach heaven, and receive the gift of eternal life, we must direct our hearts and minds to be in tune with God.  Remaining faithful to the church and the sacraments we have the means to do so.  Not an easy task to achieve, as we are hemmed in at every turn we take  by the glitter of this world.  To combat this situation, the church needs to show strong leadership to its people.  Taking a more personal role in organising the people to a stronger faith in their God and their church.  Through love, actions, and proclaiming the truth, regardless of the situation many find themselves in.  As i stated at the beginning, the welfare of the soul is everything , all else is secondary.  The body will die and all its needs and wants with it.  The soul exists forever.  We know that, at the end of time our souls will be reunited with our glorified and resurrected bodies, in a wholeness,  far more perfect than we presently have the capacity to imagine.  On reflection we can see the importance of any decisions we make and the influences they have on our hearts and minds.  Our eternal destiny depends heavily on this.  Our attitude towards God has become so disrespectful that it is one of the main causes of our weak faith.  Most priests portray, Christ as a brother, friend, companion. But very rarely as God and creator of all things.  The reason being, the onus it puts on us.  This is clearly reflected in the way God is treated by many Catholics.  Our approach to Mass, communion, baptism, marriage, confession etc shows no serious commitment to anything spiritual.  The actions of many priests and large groups of Catholics worldwide, is soul destroying and disappointing to many Catholics who still remain steadfast to the church and its teachings.  I know there are many who will shake their heads at this in disbelief.  Claiming an old dinosaur is lost in a time capsule, somewhere in the past, afraid to move with the times, afraid of change.  Perhaps they are right.  As everyone is entitled to their thoughts as i am of mine, Hence the creation of my blog site, as i don’t like what i may be changed into.  So with God’s blessings (i pray) the thoughts will keep coming. 

GOD    BLESS                   

                  TAKEN        FOR          GRANTED           

Now more than ever, in our present age, catholics need to remain steadfast in their faith.  As catholics this is their solemn duty.  Unbelief has carried its insolence to its very limit, boldly claiming that there is no God.  We must profess our faith openly and fearlessly, holding on to our love for Christ and his church.  We live in a world that takes everything for granted, our God, our faith, our church, and in the way we live our lives.  God has been placed on the back burner, only to be called on in emergencies, no longer having  any influences on our lives.  This leads to, why pass on to our children, something we have no faith in.  Active involvement in the church, and spiritual teaching in the homes is disappearing rapidly, and therein lies our greatest problem.  It appears to me, the church is either unwilling or unable to address this problem.  To many Catholics, the church has hung the laity out to dry, in other words to fend for themselves.  Our faith has always been supported by strong leadership and sustained in most catholic homes.  This is no longer happening.  To continue in this way will only lead to the exclusion of God and the perils these actions will bring.  Sadly this attitude not only affects the adult population but children as well.  Most people i believe are unaware of this.  Most sermons preached fail to inform the people about the consequences of their actions.   Talking to many young people in the parish i live in express little or no interest in God or prayer.  If a survey was taken throughout the parishes, 80/90 per cent would be of the same opinion.  The clergy must focus their efforts to counteract this chain of thought.  A massive problem indeed.  But i guess the Apostles, in their time, faced the same problems.  Thankfully we have more going for us than they had.  Today the church tells us not to worry or be anxious, God is in control.  God has always been in control.  Unfortunately the church is not.  Until the church speaks with one united voice, Gods hands are tied.  God has given us a free will, and pledged Himself never to destroy it.  No matter how we defy God or shriek against Him, He will not destroy our greet gift of freedom.  Christianity is a religion of the world , It is for the busy, the influential, the rich, the employed as well as the poor.  Yet it is very difficult to realise both these truths at once.  The rich and the busy, though not in themselves heavenly, can in most cases, be after all steps that leads us to God.  We must apply all that we do in this life as steps leading to God.  We must never forget that a final judgement awaits us all.  To continue to blot out this belief will severely damage the future of our faith.  By doing so, we may be weakening its warning voice, and losing an ever present reminder of an unseen God.  Heaven is a supernatural gift far above the capacity to achieve through our merits.  Gods graces are needed if anyone is to attain heaven.  We must not shut Him out of our lives.  All the graces necessary to reach heaven have been promised to the human race, as the fruits of our prayers.  And when we pray for others, it is to help them to reach heaven, no matter how far from its path they have strayed.  Our prayers for others should be humble and trusting.  We must pray with perseverance trust.  Do not forget God is always faithful to his promises, 

 

G OD    BLESS.        

                                                Today’s           modern            world     

Is the state of this world as bad as it appears, if so, why? This question keeps entering my mind frequently.  Is there so much evil in the world, and if so, why does it appear to be spreading at an alarming rate. Are the great injustices in the world today worse than in any other era of the past.  On examination, the moral fibre of society has disappeared from most countries especially in the west.  The gap between the rich and the poor has widened greatly.  The answer may well lie in the spiritual famine affecting most countries today.  The world chooses to ignore this, due to its pursuit  of earthly answers.  We pile uncertainties upon uncertainties making lasting solutions impossible.  Governments in countries worldwide  appear to be in control. But in truth , are controlled by the world monetary system.  We need go no further than the debacle of the big banks.  Via the social media of, T.V, INTERNET, NEWSPAPERS, e.t.c, the control for the hearts and minds of the populace is almost complete.  The spiritual growth especially in the west has eroded to almost zero.  Bleak though all this may seem, we have the methods to overcome this monopoly of evil.  We must divert our interests away from earthly goals and focus on heavenly goals, and pursue that which will strengthen our spiritual growth.  Gods words :there are none so blind as those who have eyes but cannot see, and ears but cannot hear: for if we begin to see and hear, we will have to change our way of life, of which so many are unable or unwilling to do so.  Until all peoples turn back to God we will wallow inour self inflicted misery.  With church support , Christians must rekindle the need for stronger faith in God, and His ability to change even the impossible.  We can cooperate with GOD, by means of, stronger union between clergy and laity, combined prayers and efforts of all Christian sects.  All other faiths who believe in God must do likewise.  We must give up our citizenship of this world and concentrate on our citizenship of heaven, no matter what our nationally we claim to be.  Equality is always foremost in Gods eyes and should be in ours.  On T.V we see the horrors of what drinking and driving can do.  We are faced with terrible scenes of death and sorrow it brings.  We are also shown how this can be prevented.  Likewise we see what smoking does to our lungs.  Again we are given ways to prevent this.  Other afflictions such as poverty, child abuse, hatred, and many others are displayed to make us aware of their dangers and steps to take to avoid them.  The results of spiritual sickness unfortunately are not tangible.  We cannot see or touch them, but they are more serious than all the rest.  It is with great urgency then to listen to what God is asking of us.  Pray frequently and as often as possible for the graces to do so.  Our eternal salvation depends on it.                 

  

GOD BLESS