Angels

Do you remember the TV series "Touched By An Angel?"  I was a big fan of that series.  If you never had the chance to watch it the show depicted four angels doing their work on earth at the behest of the Father.  It was a great show and it dealt with a lot of different human issues. The show included the angel of death. Angels are real.  We know this because they are mentioned in the Bible.  Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, was visited by an angel and it was then that she accepted the mission that God had planned for her.  She became the mother of Jesus, a person worthy of the greatest respect.  We also have an angel appearing to Jesus during His agony in the garden where he prayed the all too human prayer asking for the approaching suffering to be taken away. The angel was there, says Jim Bishop in his wonderful book "The Day Christ Died" to offer comfort and to confirm to Jesus that he had to undergo the coming trials. Angels are mentioned in the Book of Revelation. They are the constant servants of God. The a Seraphim are the closest to God, they guard the throne of God. They burn with love for God. 

Angels are superior to us in every way yet there are two classes of angels. The good angels and the evil angels. At one time there was only one class of angels and all served God.  The brightest among these was Lucifer. He was so puffed up with his greatness that he fermented a rebellion in heaven.  He fought against the angels who were loyal to God and lost. The leader that threw Lucifer down to hell was the Archangel Michael, the strongest warrior in heaven. With Lucifer went all of the rebellious angels who form the cadre of devils and they will remain in hell forever.  They proudly proclaim that it is better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven. They spend their time tempting us to sin.  They want nothing more than the ruin of our soul so we can join them in eternal darkness, grief, and punishment. 

God has made provision for each of us in the form of a personal angel called our guardian angel. Our guardian angel is there and tries to guide us in the path of right but he is not allowed to interfere with our God given free will. Mother Angelica relates her encounter with her guardian angel when she was young.  A truck was heading right for her. She was unable to get out of the way. She closed her eyes and when she opened them she was out of harms way on the side of the road, safe.  She did not walk herself, she gave credit to her guardian angel. 

The website I clipped the above from included a long prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.  We Catholics are more familiar with with the shorter version: 

Angels and especially guardian angels are just another way that God shows His care and his love for us.  

2016 - Why I Am Catholic

It is the first day of a brand new year.  At midnight all counters rolled over to zero and we begin a new year with hope that it is better than the last.  The year of Grace 2015 saw the death of my wife's sister, a wonderful woman who brought up seven children while dealing with an alcoholic husband and keeping her faith. It also saw my wife finally getting her knee fixed and she is now walking much better than before. There was a mixture of good and bad in 2015 but one thing that hasn't changes is that I am still a Catholic and I am in love with the Church that Christ built and continues to build.  Here are some of the basic reasons why I am and why I always will remain a Catholic. 

First of all the Catholic Church is Christ centered. Our eyes are fixed firmly on Christ in the Eucharist.  The Eucharist is the triumphant Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity there in the flesh.  Other Christians are centered on the Bible.  The Bible of course is the very Word of God but this very book tells us where salvation lies and that is in the Eucharist and the book uses the very words of Christ to convey this truth.  Catholics love the Bible but we worship Christ in the Eucharist. 

Secondly, I am head and heels in love with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. My sisters have fallen away from the Church and my younger sister attends something called "Willow Creek."  I guess that this is some sort of a Church of What's Happening Now sort of place.  My sister's Facebook account shows a picture of them attending Christmas Eve services at this place and the "altar" appeared to be designed like a set for a play.  It did not look very reverent to me.  My Church on the other hand was decorated simply but beautifully with a couple of Christmas trees and poinsettia plants.  We did not need theatrics, or slide shows because we had Jesus in attendance at the Eucharistic Banquet. 

Third, no other denomination can offer the true Eucharist. Imagine while my sisters were being entertained by a minister juggling bowling pins and quoting John 3:16 I was receiving inside of me the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.  How can a slide show compare with this?  Imagine, God Himself being inside you, making your soul a dwelling place of God.  Keep the entertainment, I want to be close to God. 

Fourth, when I enter a Catholic Church I feel a sense of peace.  I see the glow of the sanctuary lamp and I know Christ is in this place.  The times I have been in Protestant places of worship I do not feel that closeness to God. 

Finally, my Protestant brothers and sisters have to depend on music and sermons to feed their spiritual life. If a pastor is not a good speaker on one particular Sunday my Protestant brothers go home without feeling that their spirits have been lifted.  For a Catholic, we do not depend on our emotions because we have been nourished by Christ's Body and Blood. 

So I am a Catholic because I know that the Catholic Church was the Church started by Christ and as such it enjoys the protection of the Holy Spirit and it will be here until Christ returns for us at the end of time.  Christ will come to claim his bride, the Catholic Church.

God bless you on this first day of the year,  I pray on this day for peace to break out world wide and may it start with your heart.   

Convert-a-Catholic 2016 has been launched!  Save me the clutches of the Catholic Church, convince me that the Catholic Church is wrong and I will drop it like a hot potato. Click here to make your pitch! 

You Gotta Be Kidding ! The Titanic Sunk by the Jeusits?

Stop the Presses!  Get ready re-write history!  The Catholic Church, specifically the Jesuits sunk the Titanic on purpose.  Yep, a self appointed watch dog that keeps tabs on crimes committed by the Roman Catholic Church has published a YouTube video that accuses the Jesuits of ordering Captain Smith, a secret Jesuit they say, to sink the Titanic in order to kill three millionaires on board that were against setting up the Federal Reserve Bank!  

This is one of the most ridiculous anti-Catholic things I have ever reviewed. What surprises me is that there are comments from others thanking the author for the video and exposing Catholic treachery.

This brief video shows how far the Catholic hating community will go to justify their hate.  The sad part is that they do not hate the Catholic Church, they hate what they think the Catholic Church is. They would never think to engage in serious scholarship and learn the truth about Church.  It's not like what the Church believes is a secret, the Catechism is available free, online, and it exposes everything you might want to know about the Church.  But if they were to do that, they would have to start giving up some of their prejudices about the Church.

I pray for the people that hate the Church.  The Church is the Bride of Christ and they call her the whore of Babylon. They go through their whole lives never knowing the feeling of being forgiven for their sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  They never get as close to God as they can by taking him in the Eucharist.  Those that hate the Church that Jesus founded are to be be pitied.  

I am here to answer any question you may have about the Catholic Church, what we believe and why we believe it.  You can simply ask your question by leaving a comment.  No question is too hard for me to answer.   

  

Christians Are Under Attack ! A Prayer Crusade is THE answer !

Christians are under attack world wide.  In many places the followers of Islam burn churches and kill believers, both Catholic and Protestant.  It's time to do something about this unwholesome situation.  Should we arm ourselves and take to the streets?  No, that is not what Jesus would have done.  What we need to do is to embark on is a Prayer Crusade.  Our Father in heaven is waiting for us to join together and ask for help against the people who are injuring His people. 

What do we really know about Islam and their holy book, the Koran. Here are a few quick facts for you. Get to know the enemy so that they will not be able to trick you. 

Islam and Civil Rights:  Islam does not recognize freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press. 

The Koran: The Koran was supposedly handed down directly from Allah to Mohammed and is in perfect Arabic.  In actuality it contains sentences that are incomplete, sentences with poor grammar, and contradictions in what a follower should do.  The Koran contains text ripped from the Hebrew Bible because the Prophet hoped that by putting in something the the Jews were familiar with he could convert them.  This failed and the peaceful Prophet began attacking caravans and Jewish settlements.  Through this means the Prophet was able to obtain great influence and huge monetary resources.  

Islam and Women:  (From the Koran Sura 4-34) "Men are the managers of the affairs of women. Those you fear may be rebellious - admonish them; banish them to their couches and beat them."

The Prophet: The Prophet used the Koran for his own benefit on many occasions.  For example; the Koran says that a man may have up to four wives.  The Prophet had at least sixteen wives and had relations with up to six more concubines or slaves. Aesha was nine years old when the Prophet took her into his bed. In another instance he fancied the wife of another man and son of a gun, Allah spoke and told the man to give his wife to the Prophet.  

These are just a few facts about the Islamic faith that everyone should know.  We, Catholics and Protestants of all denominations MUST enter into a Crusade against the Muslims.  Do not be deceived by their words of honey.  They play only by their rules and peaceful co-existence with any other religion will not happen.  Look at what the Taliban did to those ancient statues in Afghanistan.  

Do not engage in any violence against these poor people.  Remember they have been brainwashed their whole lives to accept the mush-mosh that is the Koran is the word of God.  Our Crusade must be completely non violent.  We must pray to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and ask them for help against a vicious foe.  

So, fellow Christians, will you commit to praying each day for God to move His mighty arm and to rebuke the followers of Islam that employ violence against His children.   We have to show by our actions that we trust in God, that we trust in Jesus and we have to be ready to put our action where our beliefs lead us. 

Fellow Catholics, the Rosary helped bring down the Berlin wall and communism. Let us resort to our sharpest sword and dedicate one Rosary per day to the defeat of violent Islam. 

Other Christians, pray however you want, but do it daily and do it faithfully.  We need to unite to defeat this enemy.  We will either hang together now or hang separately later. 

God is watching and waiting for His children to ask for help.  His mighty hand will protect us.  We must remember too that Jesus has already won the victory for us.  It is the duty of every Christian to participate in the work of Christ, in the manner he has taught.  We must not trade violence for violence.  For if we do this we are not trusting in God, we are trusting in our weapons.  If we enter into prayer and ask our Father for what we need and we are all united in our words, what Father could refuse us?