+++++++++++++++++++++God's timing is not our timing, but He is never late.+++++++++++++++
"If we're open to it, God can use even the smallest thing to change our lives." Donna Van Liere, The Christmas Shoes


Layers - in the knowledge of God and the path to holiness

Learning about God is like unwrapping a head of lettuce, pealing back one leaf at a time. Always there is another leaf below. We will eventually reach the center of the head of lettuce; but we will never unwrap everthing there is to know about God.

The path to holiness is like pealing an onion. God shows us what is sinful and convicts us that we have sinned. No matter how sweet the onion, there are always tears in the peeling. No matter how sweet the grace of repentence, there are always the pain of letting go of the sin. As the peeling of the onion reveals another layer, so God shows us what we lack in holiness, drawing us ever closer to "be(ing) perfect even just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48



What I Believe

Why I am and always will be a Catholic. "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. Tthe living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." John 6:53-58 The words and actions of man cannot sanctify. Only the priest, empowered by his ordination, can invoke the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into Jesus so we can receive Him - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity into our bodies and souls. This is the core of the Catholic Church; without this there is no purpose or meaning to the Catholic Church. There are other ways to holiness, to grow in grace; there is no better way than union with Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Visitation Catholic Church

Visitation Catholic Church

Friday, November 30, 2007

God’s Forgiveness

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” John writes of the assurance of our forgiveness if we confess our sins to God. In the same manner, in confession we have the assurance of our forgiveness when the priest, in the place of Jesus, says “I absolve you…” We need this assurance because the devil takes every opportunity open to him to tell us that we are unworthy of God’s forgiveness and love. If he can convince us that we can never be worthy of God, then the devil has won. Judas believed (unless as he was dying he called out to God) that he was unworthy of forgiveness. Peter accepted forgiveness. How do we know that we are worthy of God’s love? First of all, God created us. He created us not as a whole, but individually. Each one of us at the time of conception was created by God who knew from all time the unique persons we would be. “He knew me before I was formed, in my mother’s womb.” Jeremiah 1:5 We are worthy of God’s love because we have been created out of God’s love. Not only that but the Redemption is not only for the world but for each one individually. “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Not only that but He gives us the means to grow in holiness. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day…He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.” John 6:54,56 God did not make us to be unworthy of forgiveness. This is the great lie of Satan.
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