Sojourner in the One True Faith: August 2011

I am Catholic!

I AM A CATHOLIC ... Because the founder of the Catholic Church is the God-Man Jesus Christ, Who was foretold by the prophets, and Who proved the divine character of His mission and teaching by wonderful miracles, especially by His Own Resurrection from the dead; Because Christ established upon Peter and the Apostles the Church, one, holy, universal, apostolic, with which He declared He would remain all days to the consummation of the world, and against which the gates of Hell would not prevail; Because Christ gave this society certain well defined doctrines which all men everywhere must believe under pain of damnation, to which they may not add or from which they may not subtract; Because Christ the Author of all holiness, promised to guard this society from error and preserve it until the end of time; Because the Catholic Church possesses all marks of this Church established by Christ: The Catholic Church is ONE because she everywhere professes the same faith, has the same sacrifice and sacraments, and is governed by one and the same visible head, the Pope. All non-Catholic sects lack unity. Because of the principles of private judgment they are conditionally splitting and subdividing. They have no central authority to hold them together. Their doctrines and practices are changing from day to day. The Catholic Church is HOLY because its Founder, Jesus Christ, is all-holy; because its doctrines are holy; because its means of sanctification, the sacraments, are holy; because it produces holy, saintly men and women. The Catholic Church is UNIVERSAL because it subsists throughout the ages, teaches all nations, and maintains all the truths given to it by Christ. The sects are not spread over the whole world but rather localized, nor do they they teach everything that Our Lord taught the Apostles. The Catholic Church is APOSTOLIC because it was founded on Christ's Apostles, because it is governed by their doctrines through their lawful successors, and because it never ceases to teach their doctrine. The sects cannot trace their origin to Christ or to the Apostles. I am a Catholic, finally, because God Who is Supreme Truth and Holiness could not possibly be the Author of the countless sects with their mutually destructive and contradictory teachings and practices.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

How to practice what you preach?

I know what I believe when it comes to my faith. I accept all teachings of the Catholic church and want nothing more than to follow Jesus Christ. Why, then, do I have so much trouble doing just that? I feel like such a hypocrite at times. I should be patient, kind, and loving and yet I find myself doing the exact opposite. I get irritable, I judge others, I hold grudges. I let stress rule my emotions rather than counting on God to handle things. I feel so totally inadequate at times! I have a little dog named LittleMan that I rescued several years ago. He was injured, bloody and very afraid when we brought him home. I sat with him on my lap and calmed him. I spent a lot of time with him; gradually he stopped shaking and started to come out of his shell. He has since become my best buddy. Everywhere I go, there he is. He looks at me with golden brown eyes full of devotion. He never fails to show me unconditional love. He trusts me completely. His favorite place is to be snuggled up next to me. There's a good lesson for me. When I feel stressed, put my trust in God, and snuggle up next to Him. Look at Him with eyes full of devotion and let Him take over. Feel the peace of His presence. He is always there for me as my protector and His love is never ending. Thanks, LittleMan, for the good example.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Journey

"MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

Thomas Merton

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

About Angels

They really exist. Not just in our minds, or our myths, or our symbols, or our culture. They are as real as your dog, or your sister, or electricity.
They’re present, right here, right now, right next to you, reading these words with you.
They’re not cute, cuddly, comfortable, chummy, or “cool”. They are fearsome and formidable. They are huge. They are warriors.
They are the real “extra-terrestrials”, the real “Super-men”, the ultimate aliens. Their powers are far beyond those of all fictional creatures.
They are more brilliant minds than Einstein.
They can literally move the heavens and the earth if God permits them.
There are also evil angels, fallen angels, demons, or devils. These too are not myths. Demon possessions, and exorcisms, are real.
Angels are aware of you, even though you can’t usually see or hear them. But you can communicate with them. You can talk to them without even speaking.
You really do have your very own “guardian angel”. Everybody does.
Angels often come disguised. “Do not neglect hospitality, for some have entertained angels unawares” — that’s a warning from life’s oldest and best instruction manual.
We are on a protected part of a great battlefield between angels and devils, extending to eternity.
Angels are sentinels standing at the crossroads where life meets death. They work especially at moments of crisis, at the brink of disaster — for bodies, for souls, and for nations.

This is from a book by Peter Kreeft. Love it!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

I Am The Great Sun

         I am the Great Sun

                      From a Normandy crucifix of 1632

                                  by Charles Causley

I am the great sun, but you do not see me,
   I am your husband, but you turn away.
I am the captive, but you do not free me,
   I am the captain but you will not obey.
I am the truth, but you will not believe me,
   I am the city where you will not stay.
I am your wife, your child, but you will leave me,
   I am that God to whom you will not pray.
I am your counsel, but you will not hear me,
   I am your lover whom you will betray.
I am the victor, but you do not cheer me,
   I am the holy dove whom you will slay.
I am your life, but if you will not name me,
   Seal up your soul with tears, and never blame me.

Sojourner in the One True Faith