All Are Called

ACTS 10: 34 - 38
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying: 
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly          
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites 
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, 
what has happened all over Judea, 
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached, 
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good 
and healing all those oppressed by the devil, 
for God was with him."

The Catholic Church is called Catholic because it is universal, that is, it is for everyone. Headquartered in Rome, the Churchs' ongoing mission is to preach the Good News of Jesus to the whole world.  For approximately fifteen-hundred years her voice was the sole voice that cried out in the wilderness.  Then, tragedy struck.  A man named Martin Luther tore the Church asunder and founded his own brand of Christianity and stepping away from the Church that Jesus founded, he led people astray.  Some of those people who broke from the Church did not agree with everything that Martin Luther taught. They broke away from him and founded their own church that was more comfortable with the way they thought that salvation was wrought.  Everything was fine but then a few more people broke away from the churches that sprung up in the wake of Martin Luther's rebellion because their view did not correspond with the view of the person that founded their former brand of Christianity.  Today, because of Martin Luther, Christian denominations number about thirty-thousand, each professing a different version of what they say is Christian truth. 

Through it all, the Catholic Church remained faithful to her founder and His teachings. Jesus wanted one Church and one people and He expressed this desire at the Last Supper when He prayed that we be one as He and the Father were one. The next day, Jesus, of His own free will took up His cross and died for the sins of all.  This is an important thing to remember; He did for all of us.  He knew from the beginning that the Church would remain faithful to Him and His teachings. But, He knows the ways of man and He knew that there would be discord and division.  His plan allowed for this to happen because He knew men of good will would sometimes wander off the path he made for them and He knew that the Father loved all of His children and so He would accept them all. 

I've wondered about the ultimate fate of each of the great reformers in the Protestant revolt.  Did Martin Luther give up his salvation because of the stubborn pride that caused him to create a schism in the Church?  What about some of the others?  I have no doubt that in their hearts they were men of good will but did they realize what they were doing?  Are these men that drew so many away from the Church in heaven or are they in hell teaching religion to Hitler and Stalin along with the Rev. Jim Jones?  I do not know about their fate just as I do not know the ultimate fate of Judas who betrayed the Lord. Come to think of it, while I suspect, I do not really have a clue as to where Hitler and Stalin or Jim Jones are spending their eternity.  I leave this up to God and his judgment, justice, and mercy for I will have enough to answer for when I stand before Him. 

Peter makes it very clear in our reading that Christ opened heaven for everyone who calls Jesus, Lord and who acts uprightly.  So, I've said this before and I will say it again.  The people who populate all of the denominations that are NOT Catholic can attain heaven just as a Catholic can.  The difference is that the occasions of Grace are just not as prevalent in the Protestant world as they reject the seven sacraments and they believe that the Eucharist is a mere memorial to Jesus and not the Real Presence that it is, discounting the teachings of Christ in the Gospel of John. 

We Catholics have advantages that our Protestant friends do not have.  This makes it easier for us to live a Christian life and to be true followers of  Jesus.  Because our separated brothers and sisters do not have these advantages it simply means that we need to pray for them and pray that one day all unity is restored.  For Jesus, Himself said that there will be one Shepherd and one flock.  The victory is already His. 

One day I will draw my last breath and leave this earth behind. I will know at that moment that I am not ready or fit for heaven yet. I will choose Purgatory so I can make turn my whole heart over to God.  I would hope that there would be someone to pray for me to lessen my time.  Please, pray for those in Purgatory, remembering your relatives and friends and especially for the soul that has been their the longest and has no one on earth to pray for them.

Seeking Is A Way of Life

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.



For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your waysand my thoughts above your thoughts.

The first reading at mass today is taken from Isiah and is really quite a written reminder to us as to who we are and where we fit into the universe.  

We are to seek the Lord while He may be found - does that mean that there will come a time when He cannot be found? Well, He will always be within our reach, we can push Him just one arm's length away, that's as far away as He will go from us.  He will respect our privacy and our desire to be without Him in our lives but He also will be ready to come at the first whisper of His name.  But, there will come a time when it is too late.  When we take our last breath and still keep our desire to be away from God, well, He will honor our request and we will spend eternity without Him.

We are then reminded about the wonder that God is and how far above our human ways He is.  Scoundrels and the Wicked are called to repent and call upon God.  Who are these scoundrels and who are the wicked?  It is you and me. Oh, I know that there are persons in this world that are far better at being a scoundrel and being wicked than I am.  I am a poor sinner. By that I mean I am not really good at it because my conscience calls to me and the prompting of the Holy Spirit convict me of my sin.  The professional sinner can sin and think nothing of it.  He (or she) goes through life trampling on the laws of God and not fearing the consequences of the sinful acts. Those of us who are poor sinners, we know enough to call to God and to return to the path of holiness before it is too late. 

This week, in all you do, Seek The Lord Where He May Be Found!  

Please, Please, Please pray for the poor souls in Purgatory.  I know I sound like a broken record but they really need YOU to step up and pray for them,...Thank you. 

Ordinary and yet Extraordinary

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.

They were ordinary men. You could say that in a way that they were just like you and me.  Arising each morning, each of them began their day full of hope and they dressed, ate a bit of breakfast and went to work. They put in a full day, went home, rested, went to sleep and the next day they did it all over again.  Yes, you could say that they are just like you and me.  One day, one glorious day, everything changed.  They were called by this man that they had heard about called Jesus. He was known to be a great teacher, afraid of neither Pharisee, Sadducee, or the Pagan Romans.  They left everything behind and they began to follow Him.  They saw many wonders and speculated between themselves who this Jesus was.  It was Peter, the first one called to be a fisher of men that first acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God.  It was Peter on whom Jesus placed the mantle of leadership, and it was Peter who when given the chance saved himself and denied his Lord, but later repented and was received back by Jesus.  Yes, these men are a microcosm of all of the eventual followers of the Lord because He chose not the strong and the wise, he chose the incredibly average.  He also included among that number one that in the end betrayed Him to the authorities, making it possible for them to rather quietly dispose of an inconvenient messiah. 

Remember this fellow Catholics, from the Pope on down, we are ordinary people, all members of the Church that Christ built on the Rock of Peter. This Church is built with Christ as the cornerstone. The founder and His teachings hold the whole thing together as we await the moment of His return to claim His bride again. Our Church was not the invention of a mere man but rather it was the will of the Father, the work of the Son, and the constant protection of the Holy Spirit that gave her birth, sustained her through good and bad and that will keep her safe until the wonderful day when Jesus returns.

It is not through any action on our part that the Church is holy.  It is because of who the founder is, Jesus, and who sustains His Church in error free teaching, the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow! 

Lent - Broken Hearts Mended Here

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

There is no pain greater than a broken heart. When something touches us so deeply, to our innermost core, the pain can be more debilitating than a physical injury.  Break a leg, and in a matter of weeks, it is healed.  Break a heart, and the injury can last for the rest of your life! 

The hardest part about dealing with a broken heart, at least for me, is the feeling that no one understands the pain you are going through. Even your best friend may tell you to "toughen up and work through it."  The advice is well-meaning but hard to implement. 

We all have suffered a broken heart at one time or another in our lives. Each of us has felt that pain that turns into an ache that does not want to go away.  Some of us embark on a regimen of self-treatment. We look for answers in drugs or alcohol.  Some of us try to heal ourselves by trying to forget by keeping permanently busy in mind and body so we do not have to think about it. This works right up until the time we stop for a moment to rest. It is then that all of the bad feelings come flooding back in.  To deal with a broken heart by doing nothing at all is perhaps the most dangerous thing you can do.  A broken heart never mends through inaction.  

There is a sure cure for a broken heart. To cure a broken heart in the quickest amount of time possible you have to lay the burden down and ask someone stronger to pick it up for you.  There is only one person that can do this astounding feat.  This person is, of course, the Lord.  He is no stranger to a broken heart.  He knows what it is to be disappointed in those he loves.  He knows what it feels like to give His all, only to be rejected by us as we walk away.  I believe that the physical pain of the cross was not as bad as the thoughts that must of went through the mind of Jesus as he hung there. In the Garden, the previous night he sweated blood. So, if you ever need a friend who knows what a broken heart feels like, turn to Jesus, turn to God.  In Him, you will find a friend forever.  In Him, you will find healing for the hurts of life, especially the hurts that break your heart. It will take time but after all, it is better to walk the road of pain with a willing companion.  That willing companion is Jesus who will heal your broken heart.