IIt's All About What Ya Put Into Your Head

Finally, brothers and sisters,                                                      

whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.



Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.

Poor Harold, he is so shy that he knows what is going to happen when he goes to the homecoming dance.  He will simply sit there too shy to ask a girl to dance and he will never know that the girl with the blue ribbon in her hair thinks that he is just adorable and wants to dance with him.  Instead,  Harold will sit there all evening and go home with that sad feeling that comes from being alone.  

What if Harold, instead came to the dance, knowing that he looked good in his new suit and shoes and went up to the girl with the blue ribbon in her hair and asked her to dance?  That would have changed the outcome of the evening and probably the rest of his life because now he knew that there was at least one person who liked him so there might be more out there!  So, our wallflower boy would become confident and because of this new confidence he would go out for the football team and become the quarterback of the team, throw a long pass and win the state championship for good old Turtle Creek High School.  

It is what we put in our brainbox that will determine what kind of person we will be.  In this respect, we are like a computer where if we put garbage in, well, garbage will come out.   Paul here is telling us to banish evil and trash from our mind and to fill it with good thoughts and to continue to be the Christians we were taught to be.  

Last Sunday we were told how to do this in great detail.  We were told our attitude should be like that of Christ.  This week we are told what should fill our minds and make no mistake about it, it is up to us to change our attitude.  We have freedom of will and God's Prime Directive (thank you Star Trek) is to never interfere with his children's free will.   He will use our conscience to give us hints, but the work of cleaning up what needs to be cleaned is a voluntary operation that we have to choose to do ourselves. 

So this week, when someone approaches you with the gossip of the day, politely tell them that you are not interested.  If you are tempted by unworthy thoughts, tell yourself that you are going to reach up for fresh, ripe fruit that is above and you will not stoop down to gather the wormy, rotting. fruit that has fallen to the ground.   In either case, you will get the harvest you have chosen. 

Some people do not believe in Purgatory.  I fear that this attitude affects the Poor Souls who suffer much as they long to see and be with God.  If you are one of those that doubt the reality of Purgatory, please get a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is free online and will show you why there is a Purgatory and why we should pray daily for the Poor Souls there who can do nothing to help themselves.  

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.