We, the Catholic Faithful are not the judges of where your eternal soul rests. We can only turn to THE Judge, the Most High King to discern if the path that any of us on is to Sainthood or to eternal separation from Him.
As Catholics, we have the benefit of the Sacraments of Communion (the Eucharist and Penance) to frequently examine if the path we are on is the way to Heaven. I love my God above all things, and I love my brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ as myself because we are all of one cloth and flesh. If I am in Communion with God and my Church, I have nothing to fear but to only grow in love.
The discernment of where your soul is heading is not in our hands. We should not judge, lest we be judged. You should not care about where we think you are going. It has no effect on your soul in the eyes of the Creator. We can only tell you if something is in keeping with the beliefs and practices that are in communion with the Church. In our eyes, that is what really matters.
Where my brothers and sisters are speaking is a place of love to educate you on the Truth that comes from the teachings of the Church that Christ Himself founded. At the end of the day, He is the only one who’s judgment of you really matters.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Rejoice? (12/16/2012)
Philippians 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice! That's what we heard today. I say Rejoice!
Today is Gaudete Sunday. When you went to Mass today, you saw the rose vestments. They are there to remind us that we need to Rejoice. The Lord is near.
How can we rejoice right now? For some of us, life isn't going awesomely. Friday was an outright terrible day. Innocent children were slaughtered in their elementary school. People are dying, families are suffering. This only adds to the stress of Christmas coming, families colliding together and school picking up JUST in time. But we are supposed to rejoice.
How dare you call us to rejoice? God must not get it. He must not understand it. There is no way He can command me to do that and understand what I face down here. The uncertainty of my future, the fact that everything sacred seems to be under attack.
Sometimes life seems like such an overwhelming task that it seems impossible to rejoice. The closer that we draw to Jesus, the harder it gets.
Sometimes the more that I know, the more I wish I didn't know.
Brothers and sisters, life is overwhelming. It's huge and looming. There is absolutely NO way that we can handle it on our own.
Paul reminds us, Rejoice, and do not be anxious in everything, but with prayer and petition and with thanksgiving present your requests to God. The peace of God which transcends all human understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
God wants us to rejoice because He has it under control.
All the suffering, the pain, the ridiculousness we endure are a Gift from Him. We must be thankful because without Him, we cannot bear it.
Suffering is an opportunity to shed the layers of this world and clutch onto Jesus; He who endured the cross for you.
Without tragedy and pain, it would be really easy to ignore our need for a Savior. It's only human.
The Peace of God is so much bigger than any tragedy or obstacle. When tragedy strikes, it takes away the distractions and the stupidity that separate us from Him.
Tell God what is on your heart. He needs to hear it. But, you need to be ready to listen. He is going to give you a great and amazing gift. But, you need to be ready in your mind heart and spirit to receive it.
It is so tempting and so human to get upset and not trust and to turn away from God when things do not go the way that we think they should go. We want to fix it and understand it on our own terms.
Brothers and Sisters, without God, nothing gets fixed. We will have no Understanding.
Let go, Rejoice! He is with you!
Be thankful. Let Him hear you and do His job of giving you what you desire in the deepness of your heart.
This life can certainly be terrible at times. But, this is the greatest opportunity to rejoice.
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice! That's what we heard today. I say Rejoice!
Today is Gaudete Sunday. When you went to Mass today, you saw the rose vestments. They are there to remind us that we need to Rejoice. The Lord is near.
How can we rejoice right now? For some of us, life isn't going awesomely. Friday was an outright terrible day. Innocent children were slaughtered in their elementary school. People are dying, families are suffering. This only adds to the stress of Christmas coming, families colliding together and school picking up JUST in time. But we are supposed to rejoice.
How dare you call us to rejoice? God must not get it. He must not understand it. There is no way He can command me to do that and understand what I face down here. The uncertainty of my future, the fact that everything sacred seems to be under attack.
Sometimes life seems like such an overwhelming task that it seems impossible to rejoice. The closer that we draw to Jesus, the harder it gets.
Sometimes the more that I know, the more I wish I didn't know.
Brothers and sisters, life is overwhelming. It's huge and looming. There is absolutely NO way that we can handle it on our own.
Paul reminds us, Rejoice, and do not be anxious in everything, but with prayer and petition and with thanksgiving present your requests to God. The peace of God which transcends all human understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
God wants us to rejoice because He has it under control.
All the suffering, the pain, the ridiculousness we endure are a Gift from Him. We must be thankful because without Him, we cannot bear it.
Suffering is an opportunity to shed the layers of this world and clutch onto Jesus; He who endured the cross for you.
Without tragedy and pain, it would be really easy to ignore our need for a Savior. It's only human.
The Peace of God is so much bigger than any tragedy or obstacle. When tragedy strikes, it takes away the distractions and the stupidity that separate us from Him.
Tell God what is on your heart. He needs to hear it. But, you need to be ready to listen. He is going to give you a great and amazing gift. But, you need to be ready in your mind heart and spirit to receive it.
It is so tempting and so human to get upset and not trust and to turn away from God when things do not go the way that we think they should go. We want to fix it and understand it on our own terms.
Brothers and Sisters, without God, nothing gets fixed. We will have no Understanding.
Let go, Rejoice! He is with you!
Be thankful. Let Him hear you and do His job of giving you what you desire in the deepness of your heart.
This life can certainly be terrible at times. But, this is the greatest opportunity to rejoice.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Vocations (10/21/2012)
Hebrews 4:14-16
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
Know the plans that I have for you.
Jesus knows. He was there. He will be here and He is always in your heart.
Brothers and Sisters, you have been called by name, and before He made you in your mother's womb, he knew you.
Your God loves you. He has a plan for you. It's written in your very being. In your DNA and in your personality. In every inch that you are and every thought in your mind and on your heart.
Jesus is about to join us. Here, on His Altar. He is going to listen to you. He is going to hear you.
The Father has created you to answer a call. To respond. To listen to His almighty and all knowing voice. You may have a plan in mind for how you want to live your life. It may be what you are called to do. Then again it may be not. The key is to listen.
In Hebrews today, we learned more of Jesus, our high priest and redeemer.
He has suffered what you have suffered. He has faced what you have faced. He is both human like you and me and listening and loving His father. But, unlike you and I, He is without sin. He has faced and defeated it. He has overcome.
The Scripture tells us to draw close to His almighty throne with confidence. It's because he is YOUR savior. He won't leave you hanging. He WILL respond.
Every joy, every pain, every triumph and every temptation. Offer it to Him. He will make your paths straight. He has overcome. He will fill you with His Grace if you would just let Him.
With that Grace, you will have His confidence. You will answer your Father's call.
You are all at a critical point of your lives where you have a choice to answer your Father's Call or try to do it all on your own.
As we officially kick off our semester on Vocations, ask yourself: Am I ready to listen? Am I ready to allow Jesus to overcome the obstacles that I have in my heart?
Know the plans I have for you.
Are you listening? He is going to tell you.
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
Know the plans that I have for you.
Jesus knows. He was there. He will be here and He is always in your heart.
Brothers and Sisters, you have been called by name, and before He made you in your mother's womb, he knew you.
Your God loves you. He has a plan for you. It's written in your very being. In your DNA and in your personality. In every inch that you are and every thought in your mind and on your heart.
Jesus is about to join us. Here, on His Altar. He is going to listen to you. He is going to hear you.
The Father has created you to answer a call. To respond. To listen to His almighty and all knowing voice. You may have a plan in mind for how you want to live your life. It may be what you are called to do. Then again it may be not. The key is to listen.
In Hebrews today, we learned more of Jesus, our high priest and redeemer.
He has suffered what you have suffered. He has faced what you have faced. He is both human like you and me and listening and loving His father. But, unlike you and I, He is without sin. He has faced and defeated it. He has overcome.
The Scripture tells us to draw close to His almighty throne with confidence. It's because he is YOUR savior. He won't leave you hanging. He WILL respond.
Every joy, every pain, every triumph and every temptation. Offer it to Him. He will make your paths straight. He has overcome. He will fill you with His Grace if you would just let Him.
With that Grace, you will have His confidence. You will answer your Father's call.
You are all at a critical point of your lives where you have a choice to answer your Father's Call or try to do it all on your own.
As we officially kick off our semester on Vocations, ask yourself: Am I ready to listen? Am I ready to allow Jesus to overcome the obstacles that I have in my heart?
Know the plans I have for you.
Are you listening? He is going to tell you.
Kickoff Proclaim (10/7/2012)
Hebrews 2:9-11
Brothers and sisters:
He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them 'brothers.'
He "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels, "
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them 'brothers.'
God never wanted us to be alone.
As we begin the school year and our time together, He wants
you to know.
You were never meant to be alone.
God created women to be companions to men. To draw them closer to following God. We know that a lot of times (or more like all
the time) we let each other down. We
forget appointments, to call, to check on people. We put other things as more important in our
hearts. School, sports, drama, hanging
out with other friends.
He set an expectation.
He trusted us to follow Him above all else. To obey his commandments. To surrender
anything and everything to serve Him because He is your Papa God.
And like the same way we let down our friends and our
family, and like they can let us down.
We fail. Time after time.
But He wants you to know that despite all that you do that
divides you between Him and you THAT YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.
He came down. God the
Son, below the Angels to suffer with you.
To die for you.
He makes all that you do, New. He KNOWS how you feel. He felt what you are feeling on the Cross.
He will never leave you or forsake you. His bond with you is Permanent. Through your Baptism, He has made a home in
your heart.
Like the author said in Hebrews, He came down from Heaven to
be with you. You get to see Him at Mass,
and you will see Him again tonight.
My Brothers and Sisters, He will be on His Altar, there for
you. To be with you and you alone.
Your bond with Him cannot and will not be undone. It is forever.
Offer up your problems, your joys, your sorrows to Him.
And just let Him love you.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The New Evangelization
Brothers and Sisters.
We are called to preach the same Gospel that was handed down to us. It is not of Human Origin. It comes from our Lord.
Each of us is called to Evangelize. But in order to Evangelize, we must be Evangelized ourselves.
This is our Church. This is how we are called to witness.
This document says a lot. It calls us to do many things. It calls us to fall in love with Jesus and allow Him to work through us.
I challenge you in this Year of Faith to actually crack this thing open and read it. It's 30 pages. It won't kill you.
It will challenge you, affirm you and it might be the kick in the pants you need to start seeing the Lord for who He is and what we are called to do in the world in spite of it.
God bless you.
Click on this Awesome Link:
Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization
We are called to preach the same Gospel that was handed down to us. It is not of Human Origin. It comes from our Lord.
Each of us is called to Evangelize. But in order to Evangelize, we must be Evangelized ourselves.
This is our Church. This is how we are called to witness.
This document says a lot. It calls us to do many things. It calls us to fall in love with Jesus and allow Him to work through us.
I challenge you in this Year of Faith to actually crack this thing open and read it. It's 30 pages. It won't kill you.
It will challenge you, affirm you and it might be the kick in the pants you need to start seeing the Lord for who He is and what we are called to do in the world in spite of it.
God bless you.
Click on this Awesome Link:
Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Prayer Request
Hey Everyone!
I know that someone out there is looking at this blog. Even if it's a small showing.
I have a friend from High School and she is amazing. Her name is Eve. She was one of the bravest people I knew in High School. She did not care about the superficial things that anyone thought of her or anyone else. She was fiercely independent, firm and totally herself. Yet she exuded kindness, compassion and she was totally open to all that anyone had to bring her or say. She played soccer on the team that I managed and she was so brave that she played hockey for the first time in her senior year with me.
She graduated from college, dabbled in the working world for a bit and then answered a call to go to Medical School. She is currently in her final year. While she was on break for Thanksgiving and headed back home to Massachusetts, she suffered a seizure and was rushed to the ER. Her shoulder was dislocated in the seizure. They discovered that she had a brain tumor. She was sent to an outstanding hospital in Boston and they removed it last week. She has been recovering well at home being cared for by her family. A lot of stuff is now understandably up in the air. She is waiting on results from pathology to determine what is next in her life.
God LOVES this girl. She could have very easily been in a foreign country for her fellowships, away from family and awesome medical care. Instead, she was at home, surrounded by family and friends and in a location that had the best medical care possible... perhaps in the world for her condition. Her surgery went flawlessly and she is doing amazing. She has been showered in love and generous gifts of food and amusement from her friends and family.
She is upbeat about what has happened and finding sheer joy in the time she has with family. She has no fear, only seeing how fortunate she is. Amazing huh? She is not despairing about her condition or uncertainty. She is simply proceeding forward with the same braveness, silliness and boldness that makes her so respected by all those who work with her and love her.
Well, she has a series of doctors appointments next week that will determine the future for her. Literally. I am asking that you join me in a novena to St. Luke, Jesus' Apostle and patron saint of doctors for healing for my friend Eve and that she is able to continue on to her residency in Psychiatry and God's Blessings fall on her.
We are starting tonight and going to Wednesday the 5th of December. Please join me.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Oh Most Holy Saint Luke you are a model of truth and patience! Most charming and saintly Physician, you were animated by the heavenly Spirit of love. In faithfully detailing the humanity of Jesus, you also showed his divinity and his genuine compassion for all human beings. Inspire our physicians with your professionalism and with the divine compassion for their patients. Enable them to cure the ills of both body and spirit that afflict so many in our day.
Dear St. Luke, I love you with all my heart. Inflame my heart with an ardent love of God and worship of the Trinity.
Please intercede for me and help me in this necessity (mention your petition) for the sake of Our Dear Lady's Tears and in honor of Christ Crucified.
We thank you for your intercession and Pray that we may always seek to do God's Will, to seek the truth in all things and to act humbly in accordance with God's Will all the days of our lives.
St. Luke, devoted to the Mother of God and Saint for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Pray for us!
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God Bless you all. :)
*****UPDATE 11/30/2012
Eve went to the Doctor today and her tumor was assessed as a Anaplastic astrocytoma WHO grade III.
She stated that the initial plan is 6 weeks radiation and pill chemo with the possibility of Clinical Trials.
Her next Doctor's appointment is Wednesday 5 December, the last day of this Novena where they will get a lot more detailed information.
Keep praying. Awesomeness will reign down from Heaven if you ask for it******
******NEW UPDATE 12/3/2012
Eve got some preliminary results from her pathology. Given that she is a super smart medical student, I will post what she said...
SO... GOD IS GOOD! You are amazing for praying for her. Keep it UP. Wednesday is the end of the Novena... please, please, please keep praying and beleive that God is so loving and amazing and that He will heal His daughter COMPLETELY.***********
**********UPDATE 12/5/2012
Today is the final day of the Novena and Eve got some decent news.
I know that someone out there is looking at this blog. Even if it's a small showing.
I have a friend from High School and she is amazing. Her name is Eve. She was one of the bravest people I knew in High School. She did not care about the superficial things that anyone thought of her or anyone else. She was fiercely independent, firm and totally herself. Yet she exuded kindness, compassion and she was totally open to all that anyone had to bring her or say. She played soccer on the team that I managed and she was so brave that she played hockey for the first time in her senior year with me.
She graduated from college, dabbled in the working world for a bit and then answered a call to go to Medical School. She is currently in her final year. While she was on break for Thanksgiving and headed back home to Massachusetts, she suffered a seizure and was rushed to the ER. Her shoulder was dislocated in the seizure. They discovered that she had a brain tumor. She was sent to an outstanding hospital in Boston and they removed it last week. She has been recovering well at home being cared for by her family. A lot of stuff is now understandably up in the air. She is waiting on results from pathology to determine what is next in her life.
Eve Post-Op... Fearless
God LOVES this girl. She could have very easily been in a foreign country for her fellowships, away from family and awesome medical care. Instead, she was at home, surrounded by family and friends and in a location that had the best medical care possible... perhaps in the world for her condition. Her surgery went flawlessly and she is doing amazing. She has been showered in love and generous gifts of food and amusement from her friends and family.
She is upbeat about what has happened and finding sheer joy in the time she has with family. She has no fear, only seeing how fortunate she is. Amazing huh? She is not despairing about her condition or uncertainty. She is simply proceeding forward with the same braveness, silliness and boldness that makes her so respected by all those who work with her and love her.
Well, she has a series of doctors appointments next week that will determine the future for her. Literally. I am asking that you join me in a novena to St. Luke, Jesus' Apostle and patron saint of doctors for healing for my friend Eve and that she is able to continue on to her residency in Psychiatry and God's Blessings fall on her.
We are starting tonight and going to Wednesday the 5th of December. Please join me.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Oh Most Holy Saint Luke you are a model of truth and patience! Most charming and saintly Physician, you were animated by the heavenly Spirit of love. In faithfully detailing the humanity of Jesus, you also showed his divinity and his genuine compassion for all human beings. Inspire our physicians with your professionalism and with the divine compassion for their patients. Enable them to cure the ills of both body and spirit that afflict so many in our day.
Dear St. Luke, I love you with all my heart. Inflame my heart with an ardent love of God and worship of the Trinity.
Please intercede for me and help me in this necessity (mention your petition) for the sake of Our Dear Lady's Tears and in honor of Christ Crucified.
We thank you for your intercession and Pray that we may always seek to do God's Will, to seek the truth in all things and to act humbly in accordance with God's Will all the days of our lives.
St. Luke, devoted to the Mother of God and Saint for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Pray for us!
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God Bless you all. :)
*****UPDATE 11/30/2012
Eve went to the Doctor today and her tumor was assessed as a Anaplastic astrocytoma WHO grade III.
She stated that the initial plan is 6 weeks radiation and pill chemo with the possibility of Clinical Trials.
Her next Doctor's appointment is Wednesday 5 December, the last day of this Novena where they will get a lot more detailed information.
Eve and her Lucky Cat
******NEW UPDATE 12/3/2012
Eve got some preliminary results from her pathology. Given that she is a super smart medical student, I will post what she said...
Good News Everyone! Part of my pathology report came back today as IDH1+ which is spectacular news that I had been hoping for!
The science: "[...] IDH1 may be an independent prognostic factor, [...] it to be associated with an improved outcome in patients with anaplastic gliomas. [It is associated with...] a significantly prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival compared with comparable tumors without an IDH mutation."
I really have to wait until Wednesday before treatment will get a little more concrete as far as when I start Chemo/Rads. It sounds like I will be getting some form of treatment for around a year, which though not ideal, I'm pretty excited that they're using the word "years" :)
The science: "[...] IDH1 may be an independent prognostic factor, [...] it to be associated with an improved outcome in patients with anaplastic gliomas. [It is associated with...] a significantly prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival compared with comparable tumors without an IDH mutation."
I really have to wait until Wednesday before treatment will get a little more concrete as far as when I start Chemo/Rads. It sounds like I will be getting some form of treatment for around a year, which though not ideal, I'm pretty excited that they're using the word "years" :)
Eve and an amazing Neuron
SO... GOD IS GOOD! You are amazing for praying for her. Keep it UP. Wednesday is the end of the Novena... please, please, please keep praying and beleive that God is so loving and amazing and that He will heal His daughter COMPLETELY.***********
**********UPDATE 12/5/2012
Today is the final day of the Novena and Eve got some decent news.
Update time! So today was a really good day to get the ball rolling and I am feeling very confident and positive. Dr. Reardon and his team at Dana Farber were incredibly understanding, articulate, thorough and confident in their treatment plan for me and my specific lesion.
So what I am looking at (for those of you who are medically minded and curious) is (hopefully in 1-2 weeks) starting a 6 week regimen of daily pill Chemo (Temodar 140, which I already have in hand) and Monday- Friday 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy followed by a few weeks of a break and then transitioning to a higher chemo dose (2-2.5x) 1 out of every 4 weeks for a little over a year. Overall the side effects are going to be fatigue and being grumpy (which for any of you who have known me growing up, I have battled all of my life haha).
There is going to be long term follow-up of course and the data on my particular lesion is really poorly defined. It is possible down the line that I could need another Neurosurgery but I don't see the use in worrying about that now.
There is still a lot of genetic information I am waiting on finding out but none of it would be anything that would effect the treatment regimen, it's more for my curiosity and desire to understand as much of this as possible.
♥ Thank you to everyone for your continued support, optimism and love. It really means the world to me ♥
Keep Eve in your thoughts and prayers. I have left a Green Scapular with her to allow Our Lady to interceed for her healing. I have been saying the Green Scapular prayer daily for her. If you desire, please say the Green Scapular prayer daily for Eve's healing in mind, body, soul and spirit.
"Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and in the hour of our death."
Recovering from Cancer is a beast, but it's no match for our Lord and our Blessed Mother. Between her sheer determination and your prayers, Eve will have this on lockdown.
Bless you for joining me in this Novena. I will be sure to ask you for more.... because God is SO good, but we just need to ask. *************
So what I am looking at (for those of you who are medically minded and curious) is (hopefully in 1-2 weeks) starting a 6 week regimen of daily pill Chemo (Temodar 140, which I already have in hand) and Monday- Friday 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy followed by a few weeks of a break and then transitioning to a higher chemo dose (2-2.5x) 1 out of every 4 weeks for a little over a year. Overall the side effects are going to be fatigue and being grumpy (which for any of you who have known me growing up, I have battled all of my life haha).
There is going to be long term follow-up of course and the data on my particular lesion is really poorly defined. It is possible down the line that I could need another Neurosurgery but I don't see the use in worrying about that now.
There is still a lot of genetic information I am waiting on finding out but none of it would be anything that would effect the treatment regimen, it's more for my curiosity and desire to understand as much of this as possible.
♥ Thank you to everyone for your continued support, optimism and love. It really means the world to me ♥
Keep Eve in your thoughts and prayers. I have left a Green Scapular with her to allow Our Lady to interceed for her healing. I have been saying the Green Scapular prayer daily for her. If you desire, please say the Green Scapular prayer daily for Eve's healing in mind, body, soul and spirit.
"Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and in the hour of our death."
Recovering from Cancer is a beast, but it's no match for our Lord and our Blessed Mother. Between her sheer determination and your prayers, Eve will have this on lockdown.
Bless you for joining me in this Novena. I will be sure to ask you for more.... because God is SO good, but we just need to ask. *************
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Complacency Kills (10/28/2012)
Hebrews 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
When I was a young Marine in training, I learned a lot of skills. We were told that “Every Marine is a Rifleman”. No matter where we were headed in terms of jobs, assignments or whatever we were doing we learned martial arts, how to operate weapons systems and how to employ tactics to defeat the enemy; another person who was going to harm us or someone that we cared about. We constantly trained. Constantly worked with each other. Exercised regularly. Constantly worked to become better. One simple, two-word motto drove all that we did.
“Complacency Kills”
From our standpoint, it was really easy to understand. Those skills were perishable. If you didn’t practice your reloading drills on your rifle, it would be impossible to work it when you needed it: When you or your friends were in danger.
My reloading drills were entirely for the purpose of “getting back into the fight”. If I ran dry on a magazine of ammunition, I would need to take cover and work through it to get “sights on target”. Discipline and rehearsal ensured that I was ready and I was looking back over the horizon. Ready for whatever the enemy was going to try on us next.
As we got older and started to go to other jobs that were not as intense in combat operations, we still needed to remember that little phrase. We were supporting Marines who had a mission to go to the front lines to encounter dangers. If we failed in our jobs, we would leave them hanging. Sure, if I slacked off in doing my job, it may not kill me. But it might prevent a resupply of food, medicine or ammunition that could save someone’s life. As a leader, I had to train my Marines to constantly get better. To be better. To not rest in that they had “figured everything out”. Our enemy too, studied us and tried to figure out how to get better at defeating us. It was dynamic. It never rested.
Many of you play sports, play an instrument, sing or act, study difficult subjects in school or have jobs that require a really finite skill set that requires you to keep practicing your skills. To become more proficient. As soon as you stop practicing, training or rehearsing, you develop atrophy. Someone will come along and beat you. They will beat you on the track, on the scoreboard; they will get the part or get the promotion. Complacency will not get you where you want to be. If you want something, it only makes sense that you keep working to get it.
Brothers and Sisters, you cannot become complacent in your relationship with your Savior. You do have an Enemy. He is constantly training and working to wedge himself between you and your God, and His Church. He sneaks his way in your disappointments, your fears, your fatigue, your desire to put what makes you feel good over what you know is right, the messages from the shows you watch and the music you hear. Each day the enemy looks for a new way in. He is trying to keep you from eternal life with your God. You cannot let him win.
Complacency Kills. Conversion SAVES. Conversion is a process where you change YOURSELF to become more like HIM. The one who Saves you. You can never Finish your Conversion. It’s constant. It’s fluid. It grows with you.
The great thing about Conversion? It’s REAL and it’s in you. It was founded in your Baptism, wiped clean and made anew in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Nourished in the Eucharist and Strengthened in your Confirmation. As Catholics, we have so many tools at our disposal to keep refining ourselves. To keep making us new. Jesus has done the hard part of defeating Sin and winning your Soul. It’s on you to keep training for the next battle.
True Conversion is never finished. True Peace does not come from being satisfied with being “done” or “making it”. You will find it be striving for Heaven and Loving Jesus on Earth.
Brothers and Sisters. Make no mistake. You are at War. This war was not declared by you or wanted for you. It’s for your Soul.
In Hebrews Chapter 5, you hear that we have all been called. As imperfect as you are, you are a perfect instrument for salvation. You are here to lead other souls to Heaven. You must train. You must be ready.
Train for Battle. Ask Him to help you train to fight. To help you focus. Get your sights on your target: Heaven. Jesus Saves.
Complacency Kills. Conversion Saves.
Never stop Converting.
You are not done. But He will take you the rest of the way. Let Him mold you, shape you and love you into what He intended you to be. Don’t rest on
your understanding. This is way too big for us to try to figure out on our own.
Rest in Him. Let him Change you.
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