+++++++++++++++++++++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

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Bishops

  In the Chicago Tribune, I have been reading columnists who are accusing the Catholic bishops, who are speaking out against the civil laws that are being passed or proclaimed by executive order,  as trying to regain waning power or as engaging in a fruitless exercise, since Catholics are not following a particular Church teaching anyway.  The function of the bishop (Titus 1:9) is to "be holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents." (NAB)  (He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.  (NIV))  As a member of the Church, aka the Body of Christ, the bishop has a purpose.  That purpose is to teach and defend the teachings of the Church.  That purpose does not give him as an individual any power over people.  It is the teachings which have the power.  Neither the purpose nor the teachings depend on the number of people who agree or disagree with them.  If the bishops did not speak out, they would not be serving God as their role requires.  If Catholics disagree with a teaching of the Church, they should deeply examine the teaching.  Perhaps, it requires what St. Augustine spoke of:  “For understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand so that you may believe, but believe that you may understand; for unless you believe, you will not understand.”  Tractates on the Gospel of John: Tractate 29 (John 7:14-18)


Friday, February 10, 2012

Bumper Sticker for Adoration chapel

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Pope Paul VI on contraception

In the encyclical The Splendor of Truth (Aug. 6, 1993) the Pope (John Paul II) reaffirms the intrinsic evil of contraception as taught by Pope Paul VI:

"With regard to intrinsically evil acts, and in reference to contraceptive practices whereby the conjugal act is intentionally rendered infertile, Pope Paul VI teaches:
'Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good, it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it (cf.Rom.3:8) - in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general.'" (n.80).