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Years ago, I was watching something like 60 Minutes ( Is that still on?) and they were doing a story on a convicted murderer in prison who had found Jesus.
As I watched, though, it was quite obvious that the man didn’t understand what being a Christian really meant.
Over and over again, the interviewer would ask him if he had repented of his grave sin and asked for forgiveness. Every time, the man would loudly say, “Nope! Don’t need to! I believe in Jesus and that’s all that matters!”
The interviewer would say, “You don’t feel you need to ask for forgiveness? Do you at least feel sorry for what you’ve done?”
Again, as if to drown out the question, the man yelled with a smile on his face, “Jesus took care of all that. I just gotta believe in Him and I get to go to Heaven. There’s nothing else I need to do!”
I shook my head and thought, “This guy just doesn’t get it and he’s in real danger.”
Danger of having Christ say, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in Heaven.” Matthew 7:21
This is why Sola Fide—Faith Alone—doesn’t work. This belief that came about in the 1500s flys in the face of everything Christ and His Apostles taught, though, there’s no one adopted belief on this doctrine.
And while many will pick out a few verses here and there to try to prove this false doctrine, you must, as always, take the verse in context with the chapter and the chapter in context with the book and the book in context with the whole Bible.
It just doesn’t work and it’s dangerous. This man in prison thought he just had to say he had faith and he was fine—faith alone would save him. Yet, it makes us wince to hear him say that he doesn’t need to repent or seek forgiveness, to ACT in a way that shows his faith has some teeth to it. Unrepentant sin does not show a soul in a state of grace.
Christ says, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.”
We come to Christ through the gift of Faith, Catholic Pilgrims, and our faith requires a response from us—not just a declaration. It also requires a trust and commitment to the sacraments.
Because as St. James says, “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:17
Live the Faith boldly and travel well this Thursday.
Day Nine of US landmarks and Catholic connections in our lead up to America's 250th Birthday. Today's Location: US NAVAL ACADEMY I've realized that I'm a mid-sized town gal and Annapolis definitely appealed to me. Annapolis is home to the Naval Academy, which I got to visit in 2022. We have two Catholic connections. 1. This gate that you see here is named after Commodore John Barry who was a devout Irish Catholic. He died long before the Academy came around, but he was personally chosen by George Washington to be the very first commissioned officer and first flag officer of the permanent U.S. Navy. 2. If you visit the Naval Academy Chapel there is a basement where you will find a Blessed Sacrament room. It is in honor of Servant of God Father Capodonna, the "Grunt" padre that was killed in Vietnam on September 4, 1967. Every September there is a Mass said in his honor in the chapel. Even though my hubby is an Airman, I am the granddaughter of a WWII Navy vet. While my grandfather did not attend here, it was still special for me to visit. I highly recommend Annapolis, Catholic Pilgrims, and if you are able to be cleared onto the Academy, I would encourage you visit. The grounds are beautiful. Live the Faith boldly and travel well!
Continue ReadingDay Seven of US landmarks and Catholic connections in our lead up to America's 250th Birthday. Our feature for today: NIAGRA FALLS Anybody wanna hop back and forth between borders? The Falls are nearly almost divided in half between Canada and the US. Now, I've never been, so this isn't my photo, but I'm guessing this was taken from the Canadian side. Maybe? But what, Amy, is the Catholic connection, you ask? Well, these Falls were first documented in the 17th century by a Belgium monk named Father Louis Hennepin. He was a Franciscan missionary and his documentation really was his claim to fame. He explored lots of other territory in what would become the United States, but he often embellished his stories and this got him into some trouble. However, he did make an "engraving of the Falls of Niagara. It is out of proportion, but its general features give an accurate idea of the appearance of the Falls at his time." I do hope to go to the Falls someday and apparently in the surrounding area, both in Canada and Buffalo, NY, there are some excellent Catholic Churches to visit. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims!
Continue ReadingDay Five of US landmarks and Catholic connections in our lead up to America's 250th Birthday. Today's landmark: CENTRAL PARK Why does my picture from 2005 look ancient? In 2005 my family visited NY after attending a graduation for my husband's cousin in Connecticut. This is me with my oldest (now 24 years old) at the famous Bethesda Terrace with the Angel of the Waters Fountain. The Pool of Bethesda, if you'll recall from the Bible, was a famous healing site in Jerusalem. The Jews believed that an angel stirred up the water and when it was stirred up, whoever got in first would be healed. So, we have a Biblical connection here. Another one is that Pope John Paul II said Mass on the Great Lawn on October 7th, 1995 for a crowd of over 125,000. Also, one of our most visited Catholic Churches sits just south of Central Park and that is, you guessed it, St. Patrick's Cathedral. Archbishop John Hughes (1797–1864), was one of the most famous Catholics in NY history. He was around when Central Park was being created. He was the first archbishop of NY, when it became elevated to an archdiocese. So, there's your Monday morning Catholic history lesson! Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims.
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