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One of the worst parts about terrible sins is that even after they are confessed and forgiven, the residue of them in your mind can still be hard to handle sometimes. The devil loves to use even forgiven sins against you. Because, it's not like we forget our terrible sins once they are forgiven. We have no mind eraser. Another really bad thing is that those who know your worst sins, many times, won't ever see you as anything but those sins. I have such sins. They lie dormant in my mind and then, without any prompting, there they are in my mind and the thought of them can bring me so low. "Look who you used to be. That kind of ugliness is in you." These are the things that run through my mind. It's hard to shake. Today, in the Gospel, we read about the "sinful woman" who is anointing Jesus' feet. She's brought her confession to His feet and she's weeping over them and kissing them in repentance. The Lord sees her contrite heart and says to her, "Your faith has saved you, go in peace." The Pharisee who is hosting Jesus for dinner can't see this woman's repentant heart. To him, she will always be just the sinful woman and he will never let her forget it. That's how the devil operates, as well. When I have those moments, where the dark parts of my past creep up, there is a moment when the thoughts win, but by God's grace, I find a way to always turn back to Christ, Who loves me forever and ever. The door I always go back and open is the one that leads me back to the feet of Jesus and there I find reassurance and peace. "Never let your past sins be an obstacle between you and Jesus. It is a ruse of the devil to keep putting our sins before our eyes in order to make them like a screen between the Savior and us." --Father d'Elbée Instead, Catholic Pilgrims, know that "He has wiped them out; He has forgotten them. His blood has been shed; the flames of His mercy have done their work." Have a blessed Thursday.
Continue ReadingI don't know when it occurred, and maybe it was a culmination of things, but somewhere along the way, enough people decided to turn Christianity into a low-bar social club. "You're alright, I'm alright," became the mantra. Like with anything that has a low bar, it might seem fun at first, but after a while you start to think, "What's the point?" Mass or going to Sunday service became optional. Being with Jesus in the trees is equivalent. Nobody is allowed to point out sin because that's mean. Just keep it calm, keep it nice, don't ask too much, just believe, it's fine, all's fine. With this, cheesy Christianity set in because everything was just about "go make a difference" with your tambourine. What we've seen with the low bar and the cheese factor and the calls to just be nice is that people drifted away, because what is the point? What is the point? Nothing is inspiring about anything that is casual--nothing. Casual has no fire, no bite, no fight, no answers. It's just--"Hey, meh." And I hate it. I despise the casual-fication of Christianity. Nobody is going to stick around for something that asks nothing of them. Why would they? This past Sunday in my OCIA class that I help teach, the main teacher said, "If you are looking at Christianity as just some feel-good thing, you might as well just turn around and leave. It's not that. When lived right, it will ask something of you." He's right. Christianity is about sacrifice, discipline, obedience, and spiritual warfare. "Pick up your cross and follow Me." Christianity sets a high-bar for us--Sainthood. There is no Saint that just casually staggered towards salvation. I need to be prepared for the spiritual battles and I simply cannot do that just hugging trees and singing "Table of Plenty" and only ever quoting "be nice" from the Bible, though that isn't in there. I just simply can't be equipped to battle a fallen world with a casual basket of wet, cheesy noodles to arm myself with. Accept the challenge of a life lived to the fullest in Christ, which asks us to surrender our lives not to our wills, but God's Will, Catholic Pilgrims. The true path to salvation will never be casual, nor should we want it to be.
Continue ReadingI will unite around: Christ and Christian doctrines. Objective Truth. Truth that comes to us from natural reason and, also, from supernatural revelation. Beauty that elevates the soul. Goodness that brings lasting joy. Families. Repentance. Marriage between one woman and one man. Denouncing evil and its destructive forces. Love of America. Virtues--Courage, Justice, Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, etc. True Freedom, which is the freedom to choose what is right and not just do whatever you want. Our unalienable rights--Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are the things I can unite around. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims.
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