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

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Sanctify Your Week


A thought from Bishop Conlon in his sermon on Corpus Christi.  Sunday Mass is not to be seen as an obligation.  Rather see Sunday Mass as a way to sanctify your week.  Sunday Mass is a gift from God to help us in many ways. 

One can view Sunday Mass as the beginning of one’s week, but also as the ending of the week (especially if one goes to the vigil Mass on Saturday).  As the end of the week, we can thank God for all that He has provided for us during the week, even the problems.  As the beginning of the week, we can ask God to sanctify it for us so that we can best do our work, live our lives as witness to His love.

The Church still sees Sunday Mass as an obligation.  It is that necessary for our spiritual lives.  Think of those parts of life that hold obligations.  People are obligated to take medications.  They can choose not to, but to the detriment of their health and even to their lives.  Sometimes we just have to do it.
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