“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
A famous book dealing with misfortune was written called Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People? Why does God allow evil to affect His people? No one is entirely good, and because man is not a solitary being his actions affect not only himself but also others. Every sin we commit affects someone else (hence the need to reconcile not only with God but also the Church). God makes us with free will and does not interfere with our free will. God will take the most evil of actions and turn into something good. As humans we want this immediately, but it will happen in God’s time. Due to the sin of Adam and Eve, our bodies die. The tragic death of someone to a disease or the severe illness of someone may be the stimulus to another to become a doctor or researcher. The accident which left Christopher Reeves paralyzed also gave him the platform to lobby for funding into research and has developed new methods of treating spinal cord injuries. When bad things happen we need to turn to God and put our trust in Him and let Him guide us as we struggle with the situation. His answer may not be the answer we want. Our solution may be wrong because it is sinful and God will not help us continue on that path. God’s plan may have a greater scope than we can visualize. It is unlikely that the man dying in the streets that Mother Teresa first aided could even envision what her mission grew into, as she did not either. But we must trust God, let Him be in control and listen to Him as He guides us through the circumstances.
"What matters in life is that we are loved by Christ and that we love Him in return. In comparison to the love of Jesus, everything else is secondary. And without the love of Jesus, everything else is useless." St. John Paul II
+++++++++++++++++++++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
"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
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
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