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There are many in the Christian community who don’t like Catholics’ devotion to Angels and Saints. Some tell us our practices are pagan. Some find it unnecessary and a distraction. Some repeat over and over that there is only one mediator between God and man—Jesus. Some tell us that we are practicing necromancy. All of these thoughts misunderstand, of course, Catholicism and are an ignorance about Catholics relationship with Angels and Saints. We don’t believe the Angels and Saints are gods to be worshipped like the One True God. We don’t believe that you have to have a relationship with them in order to be saved, but we do believe they are a great help given to us by God. We agree that Jesus is the mediator between God and man. Having a relationship with Angels and Saints doesn’t usurp that role just as having relationships with other Christians doesn’t usurp that role. Necromancy is the attempt to conjure up the dead to obtain information from them. This is strictly forbidden in Catholicism. We are allowed, however, to ask those who are alive in Heaven to pray for us and to ask our guardian angels to guide and protect us. The whole of Christian life is not meant to be reduced down to a private, “personal relationship with Jesus.” Baptized Christians are a part of the Body of Christ and we are meant to be in communion with each other. This includes those in Heaven—the Triumphant. It also includes the angels for, as Scripture shows over and over, they are given to us to help us. As a parent, I don’t just demand that my kids only have a relationship with me. I want them to have healthy relationships with other family members, friends, other church members, teachers, and coaches. Why? Because all these people can help them in some way and strengthen them. We have hope that God will give us everything we need to get to Heaven. Angels are one of those helps. St. Bernard of Clairvaux said angels were “proof” ‘that heaven denies us nothing to assist us.” God gives us many wonderful and holy helps, Catholic Pilgrims, to assist us on our pilgrimage through life. Thank God for the help of the Angels. Have a blessed Feast of the Holy Angels!
Continue ReadingHEY!!! (said in loud infomercial voice) Are you looking to improve your evangelism skills? Well, folks, you've come to the right place!! Listen, I've got a book called, "Tips and Secrets of Online Evangelism: Ways To Be Wildly Ineffective" that is gonna help you take your skills to a lower level. Just a few topics covered are: 1. Learning how to use all CAPS!!!! You may not have a bullhorn, but using all CAPS says, "THIS IS IMPORTANT!" and "IF I SAY THIS IN ALL CAPS, IT MEANS THAT I AM RIGHT!" 2. Repetition. This is where you learn to just repeat the same thing, no matter what your interlocutor says. For instance, no matter what they say back to you, just type "IDOL WORSHIPPER!" Do this over and over again and you'll have people on your side in no time, or not, but it requires little effort on your part. Don't forget the CAPS! Pro-tip: Sending a slew of links to videos that no one is going to watch is super ingenious, as well. 3. Refuse to stay on topic. The goal here is to not really engage in meaningful debate, but, instead, have the person you are trying to evangelize run around collecting red fish, if you catch my drift. With these and other great tips, you will be on your way to evangelizing no one, but instead just being massively annoying and getting yourself blocked. So, order now, by calling 1-800-BEA-GONG and get started on going no where TODAY! A little Friday sarcasm, Catholic Pilgrims, but with the intended purpose to remind us all that we are meant to be salt and light. When we seek to evangelize, let us be intelligent, mindful, clear-headed, sincere, and, above all, not annoying. Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Friday!
Continue ReadingThere have been two people in my life who I have hated. I wanted them to burn in hell and be tortured by the demons for all eternity. Oh, how the thought of them suffering immensely consumed my thoughts. I would daydream of one day being in Heaven and looking down gleefully at them burning and be filled with satisfaction. And this, Catholic Pilgrims, is what hatred of others does to us. We even imagine ourselves relishing destruction of others in Heaven. Heaven--a place of perfection, all-consuming love, and joy. It is wild to me that at one time I thought hating people would 1. still allow me entrance into Heaven and 2. be an activity I would carry with me into Heaven. Overtime this hatred distorted me and made me ugly. I lashed out and raged against people--even people I claimed to love. I became more selfish. Even though I assumed I was going to Heaven, I dropped my relationship with God. Because really, how can you have a relationship with God when you are fantasizing about the eternal destruction of people? I'll be the first to tell you, you can't. Once the burden of this hatred became more than I could bear, I knew I needed help. It started with converting to Catholicism and going through my First Confession. That moved into learning from my patron saint, St. Maria Goretti. I was strengthened with the Eucharist and when you receive Love Himself, you can't help but surrender to His Will. His Will for me was to drop the hatred and pray for the two guys that had caused me so much pain. I had to will their good which was repentance and to find a relationship with Jesus. And...I had to desire that they find their way to Heaven. That was the toughest thing to surrender to, but with God's grace, I have been able to do that. If left to me, I would still be seething with rage and hatred for them. If we want to find true satisfaction in this life, if we want to be joyfully exhilarated by life, and if we want to be warmed with God's love, we cannot hate people, Catholic Pilgrims. As we read in the Book of the Prophet Haggai, "Consider your ways." Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday. *The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, NM
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