In October my son went for a week to Rhode Island to attend a seminar for dog trainers.

But he learned much more than how to educate a dog or grow a canine business. He came back with a long list of really good books to read - none of which had anything to do with dogs, but everything to do with self-improvement.
​
Thanks to that seminar the Kindle app on my phone is now rapidly filling up with great books!
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I am already re-reading ‘The Slight Edge’ by Jeff Olson. 

Habits of Thought & Attitude 

The book is about changing one’s life for the better by means of slight daily improvements.

He discusses how habits of thought and attitude can either ‘uphold and support you’ or ‘imprison and restrain you.’ It’s important to be aware of those that don’t serve us and either change or get rid of them.

Replacing a bad habit with one that empowers and serves us is a great way to do this and one way to achieve this is to have a positive outlook. People with a positive attitude move towards their goals instead of away from them.

​Daily Appreciation 

Cultivate the habit of gratitude. Mr. Olson says that positive psychologists note how consistently happier people share this trait. He suggests writing down three things to be grateful for upon waking every day – three different things.

We tend to take good things for granted and zero in on those that aren’t so wonderful. But by doing that we give too much power to the negative and derive no benefits from the positive.

By switching our focus to the goodness in life we can totally change our outlook.

For me, this means looking for God’s grace every day. Since I’ve started to do that, I’ve been amazed to find out how much He’s looking out for me.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve suddenly caught myself driving too fast and have taken my foot off the gas, only to find that there’s a cop car waiting up ahead. Thank you, God, for giving me the chance to do the right thing!

The other day I went to the dermatologist and my face was basted with a special cream. This was for the light treatment I needed for pre-cancer cells. A piece of Saran wrap was placed over my nose, with another on my forehead.

I had to wait 90 minutes like this before the actual light treatment and didn’t want to sit in the waiting room that long. So I drove across to Panera and bought myself a coffee. As I was walking to a table, I knocked my cup against my purse and the container fell onto the floor. The lid came off and the contents spilled all over the carpet.

Not only had I lost my entire drink, but had also drawn attention to my Saran-wrapped face. It was most definitely a negative moment!

Then a lady jumped up from her table to help me mop up the mess, telling me that she’s a waitress and a klutz and always dropping things on the floor. Whether that was true or not, I so appreciated her empathy!

When I got to the front of the line again to order a new coffee, the lady looked surprised. I told her what had happened and she immediately asked the barista to remake my drink - and charged me nothing. The barista worried that she hadn’t put the lid on my coffee properly, but I assured her the whole episode was entirely my fault.

Thus, on the heels of huge embarrassment came three spontaneous acts of kindness.

Which was going to serve me best? Dwelling on the positive or the negative?
​
If we look for it, we’ll find that goodness abounds everywhere.

Christmas Thanks 

One year ago my son was in a full-blown flare with ulcerative colitis. He had dropped 40 lbs and was unable to walk without the aid of canes because, as a secondary complication, he had also developed bursitis on his knees. He looked skeletal, was getting no sleep, was in constant pain and enduring all the other horrible issues of someone in his condition.

He made it through this Thanksgiving without a flare (YAY!) and we are looking forward to his first healthy Christmas in three years.

Yes, there is a lot to be thankful for.

I hope you find many reasons to be grateful this Christmas and that the New Year brings you ever more blessings.

The approaching New Year is the perfect opportunity for us to make - and follow through on - a positive resolution which will impact our eternal future.

How about this one: Working on getting to Heaven?

Where Are We All Headed?

I am currently reading The Urgency of the New Evangelization: Answering the Call by Ralph Martin, (OurSundayVisitor, 2013).

Martin wants us to understand now – not later – that whatever the prevailing culture tells us, hell is real and we are all going there if we don’t wake up to the Truth – not some ‘tolerant’ and ‘relative’ version of it.

“Out of His profound compassion God reveals to us the ways that lead to life and death. We neglect them at our eternal peril. And not to tell the truth to those we love is to be guilty of a genuine lack of compassion.”

The world around us wants us to believe that God doesn’t exist, and His commandments don’t apply to us anymore. (Code for 'don't tell me what to do - I don't want to behave myself.')

We Christians are becoming increasingly marginalized, and branded at best as irrelevant, at worst as ‘intolerant’ and indulging in ‘hate speech.’
​
“As Christian culture collapses and we again face a situation that has more in common with the early Church than anything we’ve known in our lifetime, the words of the early Church become more and more meaningful and applicable.” (My italics.)

What Is Hell?

In 1936 St. Faustina was led through hell by an angel.

Among the terrifying sights she beheld were the “special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned.” And not just temporarily, mark you – this is for all eternity.

She explains further, “I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like…I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell.” (My italics.)

St. Catherine of Siena was also given a vision of hell and God told her that those in hell “see the devil as he really is – more horrible than the human heart can imagine. ….Even with all you have seen you do not really know how horrible he is.”

By giving into sin and the devil’s deceptions and lies we gradually become as extreme in ugliness and horror as he is and ready to join him in hell.

Unlike what the world today wants us to believe, there is no glamor in evil, no beauty in perversion and no happy ending for those of us who persist in sin and lies.

Who then Can Be saved?

(See also my post Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus is desperate for us to repent and ask forgiveness before it is too late.)

Martin points out how the devil has turned the current emphasis on God’s mercy to his own evil purposes. Focusing only on the merciful side of God, and forgetting the consequences of sin and lack of repentance, “some people have, mistakenly, gotten the impression … that sin is no big deal and that God in His mercy will never allow anyone to be lost. This is not at all … what the Lord showed to Faustina.”

This way of thinking has resulted in “a dangerous presumption on God’s mercy” which is also a sin.

As St. Paul tells us, we “must obey the truth” – The Truth, not some twenty-first century ‘progressive’ version of it. “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. (Rom. 2:8)”

However, St. Paul says “He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers (Rom. 2:7)”

God longs to offer us His mercy, but can only do so if we ask for it with a repentant heart and the determination not to sin anymore.

Yes, we will fall – time and time again – but we have to get up time and time again and ask for God’s forgiveness with a penitent and humble heart. 

We cannot approach God with the attitude that He somehow ‘owes us.’ He owes us nothing – His mercy is a free gift which we cannot earn. He wishes to give it to us, but we have to ask properly for it, with humility and an awareness of our human failings.

If you recall, Lucifer refused to fulfill those conditions, and look where that got him.

The additional good news is, says Martin, that “The Father tells Catherine that (our loved ones who are) already with Him continually intercede for us who are still on the journey and that the Father will do everything to answer their prayer ‘provided only that you do not foolishly resist my mercy.’” (My italics.)

​


















​What to Choose?

Consider what Martin writes here:
“It’s interesting to note how the Father shows Catherine that as each person dies they actually rush to where they want to be. In a very real way each person chooses their own destiny over the course of a lifetime and at the moment of death embraces what has truly become their choice.”

I know where I want to spend eternity. How about you?

It makes us desperately want to warn our loved ones, doesn’t it? Like the rich man in hell who wanted Abraham to warn his five brothers so they not end up like him.

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' (Luke 16:29)”
​
Let's heed the warnings in the Bible – those Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth – before it’s too late for us, as well!

​Endnote:

Here are a few excerpts from the book's impressive endorsements. They may help you better understand what the book is about and how powerful its message is.

“Ralph Martin masterfully develops a biblically based summons to the critical work of evangelizing, a work on which depends the very salvation of countless souls.” Monsignor Charles Pope, pastor, blogger and Our Sunday Visitor columnist.

“(Ralph Martin) effectively establishes that the primary reason for the urgency of the New Evangelization is that the eternal destinies of people we love – indeed all people – are at stake.” Janet Smith, who holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

“After reading it, you are called to decision.” Gavin D’Costa, Professor of Catholic Theology, University of Bristol.

“The book will be of particular value to the laity, many of whom continue to believe that the duty to evangelize falls mainly on the clergy and religious. Martin shows … the error of this view.” Colin Donovan, S.T.L., Vice President for Theology, EWTN.

This country has produced two presidential candidates who make it very hard to want to vote in this election. As a well-meaning Christian you may well feel that you shouldn’t vote because the choices are so awful.

But, as the British statesman Edmund Burke famously said: ““All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

We truly are in a position to prevent the triumph of evil.

Do I Have to Vote? 

In an election where one of the major candidates is virulently anti-Christian (and specifically anti-Catholic) while the other publicly defends Christian values, surely we cannot refuse to vote because of our personal feelings about the individuals who represent each side?

Here is what Pope Pius XII had to say when Catholics went to the polls in 1948 to vote for or against the Communists in Italy:    (from “The Moral Obligation of Voting” written by the Rev. Titus Cranny, S.A, M.A, S.T.L in 1952 as quoted in All Catholics Have a Moral Obligation To Vote Against Hillary Clinton )

“Everyone has to vote according to the dictates of his own conscience. Now it is evident that the voice of conscience imposes on every sincere Catholic the necessity of giving his own vote to those candidates or to those lists of candidates, which offer them truly adequate guarantees for the protection of the rights of God and of souls, for the true good of individuals, of families, and of society, according to the laws of God and the Church’s moral teaching.”
 
Rev. Cranny writes:

“Thus, Pius XII eloquently points out that it would be a mortal sin for one to abstain from voting under circumstances where a party hostile to the Faith, in this case clearly Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party, wish to gain control of government and harm the Church.”

Remember Christ’s words:

"Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me (Matthew 12:30).”
​
If we don’t vote for Christ we are voting against Him and cannot call ourselves Christians.

​

Jesus versus Prevailing Opinion​

Today’s culture is based on how people feel about issues on a given day: we are urged not to ‘hurt people’s feelings’ or ‘show intolerance.’

If someone wants to flout the laws of God we are told to stand by and let them, rather than upset them by pointing out what they are doing is morally wrong and will lead to perdition, instead of happiness as they mistakenly think.

“My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you (Proverbs 3:11).”

Christ didn’t care about people’s feelings. He cared about their souls and where they were headed when they die. He wanted them to gain everlasting life, not merit the everlasting misery of hell.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36)”

Progressivism and power are the antithesis of truth and morals. Doing ‘what feels good’ and looking after number one are the very same things the people did in Noah’s time before the floods came. They laughed at the crazy man building the huge boat – that is, until the heavens opened and God poured His wrath on His wayward people.
​
We can be assured that if this country doesn’t turn back to God, He will turn His back on us.

   Intrinsically Evil Actions Must ALWAYS Be Rejected

Most people agree that evil must be stopped.

But the agreement ends when defining what is and what is not evil.

Abortion 

Selective Outrage

Each year around 35,000 people die in gun violence in this country and there is a huge outcry, as well there should be.

Every year over 1 million babies die in abortions in America, yet this murder of innocent children passes for acceptable behavior.

What is the reason for this selective outrage? Why is it bad for people to be shot to death but O.K. for babies to be butchered to death?

What is the moral difference?

The Right to Choose

A woman may claim to have rights over her own body (even though our bodies were given to us by God, Who is the only Being with any rights over them) but she cannot claim to have rights over another human being.

Just because that human being is growing inside her doesn’t mean that she is morally justified in deciding whether that baby should live or die. God created that baby, and only God has the right to decide.

Why is it considered double homicide if a pregnant woman is murdered with her baby inside her, yet abortion is not considered homicide in this country? Morality aside, where is the logic?

Choosing to murder a baby is still murder. Period.

Remember Christ’s words:

"'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)”

Thus, whatever you do for the least of these our brothers and sisters you do TO Jesus.

We are made in the image of God and when we kill babies we are murdering His Son all over again. It’s that simple.

Christians cannot vote for a party which condones abortion at ANY stage of pregnancy.

Mercy Killing

To make murdering our senior citizens, or those who are terminally ill, acceptable to those of a sensitive nature, the term ‘Mercy Killing’ has been coined for it.

We put our pets ‘to sleep,’ the argument goes, so why not put people ‘to sleep’ when they’re old or in pain? We’re being ‘merciful.’ We’re being 'compassionate.'

That way we can get rid of all those who place financial burdens on our families and society as a whole. Let’s make old and terminally ill people feel selfish if they don’t agree to be killed so we can have their money.

Old age and suffering are part of God’s plan for humanity. It’s up to God to decide whether we live or die, whatever our circumstances on earth, not the government’s.

Telling an old person that he or she is a drain on society and should therefore, in all good conscience, consent to being murdered, is morally reprehensible.

Would you allow a party that sanctioned such behavior to get into power?

Treatment of the Vulnerable 

Speaking of the then most vulnerable members of society, Mahatma Ghandi  famously said:

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

He cannot possibly have foreseen the moral regression and poverty of spirit of today’s America.
​
I offer a more modern rendering:
​
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its unborn babies, sick and old people are treated.”
​

Same Sex Marriage 

The Moral Argument

Marriage is between a man and a woman, for the purpose of procreation and forming a family unit which mirrors the Holy Family (and by extension the Holy Trinity). A homosexual relationship is against God’s natural law.

This doesn’t mean that Christians are called to reject gays and lesbians. Not at all. We are to love the sinner but not the sin, for we are all sinners.  We are to embrace the person but not his or her immoral acts.

Here's a different example of the this.

Should theft be legalized for people who can’t control their urge to steal?

Are we being hateful when we say it’s wrong for a kleptomaniac to take another’s property?

Are we intolerant if we say that kleptomania is bad? If someone wants to steal your car should you say “Oh, go ahead, that’s fine by me,” rather than (oh, horror!) be intolerant of their behavior?

Of course not, you say. God said ‘thou shalt not steal.’ 

While we should feel compassion for someone with a compulsive urge to steal, we shouldn’t condone their acts of theft!

The same goes for homosexual acts. Here are some Scripture readings to clarify God’s standing on the issue.

Leviticus 18:22: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

Leviticus 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

Romans 1:26-27: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet."

1 Corinthian 6:9: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind."

God is intolerant of the sin, not the sinner.
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We all sin and are called to repentance: gays and lesbians are no more excused from indulging in sin than the rest of us. God has no tolerance for any sin.

​The Negative Impact on Children

Catholic adoptive agencies are being forced to close their doors because they are not allowed to place children in adoptive homes only where there is a natural family unit of married mother and father.

Consider how this is affecting children who badly need foster or adoptive families to take them.

Putting aside the psychological damage to children placed in same sex homes, they are being led astray from God’s law and the chance to lead authentic Christian lives.

Here is what is happening in D.C alone, but is being repeated all over the country:

“In Washington, DC, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington—which has provided support to children and families for over eighty years—had a partnership with the District of Columbia for its foster care and public adoption program. However, in 2010, a law redefining legal marriage to include two people of the same sex took effect in the District. The District then informed Catholic Charities that it would no longer be an eligible foster care and adoption partner. Why? Because, as a Catholic organization, Catholic Charities was committed to placing children with married couples so that each child would have the experience of a mother and a father.”  (From Catholics 4 Trump.)
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We have a duty to confront this evil in our society.

​Don’t Waste your Vote 

Don’t waste your vote on a party that won’t get into power. It’s the same as sitting idly and watching evil triumph.

In Conclusion 

St. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” Elsewhere, he exhorts us to:  “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers (Ephesians 6:18).”

Say your rosary, ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us with her Son and stop the rising Godlessness in this country.
 
“The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
                To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
                And delivers them out of all their troubles
                                                     (Psalm 34:16-17).”
 
Be bold and count among the righteous in blocking the power of the evildoers.
 
“O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
            You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
 
“To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
            So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror
                                                     (Psalm 10:17-18).”
 
Be humble that your prayer may pierce the cloud of God’s anger against the hedonism of this country.

​And vote for Christ!

Further Reading 

All Catholics Have a Moral Obligation To Vote Against Hillary Clinton

What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality? 12 Scripture Verses About Gay Marriage

In a sermon this past week I learned that most Catholics don’t believe in the Real Presence. This astounded me: the Eucharist is the central focus of our Catholic faith!

Jesus asked us to eat His actual Body and drink His actual Blood in order to gain eternal life.
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Anyone who doesn’t believe this cannot call themselves Catholic.  

Why Do We Catholics Believe in the Real Presence?
 
In common with other Christians, Catholics believe that the Scriptures are the written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus makes a statement, He is speaking the Truth.

We believe Him when He says: “I am the bread of life (John 6:35)” and “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh (John 6:51)”

Here Jesus makes three statements which follow in logical order:

1. He is the living bread from heaven
2. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever
3. This bread is Jesus’ flesh

We have to eat Christ’s physical Body in order to live forever. There is no other way to interpret His words.

He does not say ‘eat a symbol of My Body’ – he says we must eat His flesh. Period.
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The Jews found this statement difficult, just like many people today. “The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat? (John 6:52)”

It would not have been lost on the Jews that Jesus used the phraseology “I AM” which is God’s name for himself as declared to Moses: Yahweh or “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14)

Jesus was calling Himself God, and God was telling them to eat Him!

A hard concept to accept indeed.

Jesus goes further: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day (John 6:53 – 56)”

There is no ambiguity here. Why do Christians doubt the Truth revealed by Jesus Himself? True followers of Christ don’t choose to believe a diluted version of the Truth because it’s easier on their sensibilities.
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Jesus knew we would find this troublesome. Like any good teacher, when introducing a new idea, He had to explain it several times to ensure that we would know He meant what He said. 

He continues:

“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever (John 6: 55 – 58).”

Again, there is nothing ambiguous about ‘eat my flesh and drink my blood.’ 

​There is nothing to misinterpret in ‘the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.'

At the Last Supper, he said again:  at how other Christian denominations completely
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." (Matthew 26:26)”

Not, ‘this is a symbol of my body.’

To Whom Else Shall We Go?

To ‘believe’ in Christ means listening to His Word and acting upon it. Otherwise we’re not even Christians, let alone Catholics!

After Jesus said that we need to eat His real Flesh and drink His real Blood (not a symbol of them) many of His disciples left him. Why else would they leave Him if not because they didn’t like what he said? They understood His meaning perfectly.

“So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God (John 6: 67 -69)”

‘Believing in Jesus’ is not the same as ‘believing that He exists.’ Even the Devil believes that Jesus exists.
 
Jesus says in John 11:26: “And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
 
Believing in Jesus means taking His Words at face value, because Jesus is Truth. It means following His precepts, including eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood.
 
It means not making up a more palatable version (pun intended) of Holy Communion, dumbing it down by calling it a ‘symbol’ and thereby depriving ourselves of the unique gift God gave us of His real Flesh and Blood to help us get to heaven.
 
Christ could not have made His intentions any clearer.
 
 
Perhaps it will help to read accounts of the Eucharist being alive to help you realize that it is the Body and Blood of Christ? 
 
https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/pope-francis-eucharistic-miracle-in-argentina/
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/a3.html

​“Seeing is believing” is how we humans operate, since it’s far easier to have faith in visible things than those we can’t see.

Maybe you don’t believe in God because you can’t see Him?

Yet there are many invisible things you do believe in. Why is God not on your list?

​If You Believe These Exist … 

Gravity
If it weren’t for gravity, we'd be floating in space. We believe this, not because we can see gravity, but because we see it in action. It keeps us on the earth. We witness the absence of gravity through images of astronauts in space capsules without gravitational force holding them down. We know gravity exists.

Oxygen
We cannot see oxygen, but cannot live without its function. Oxygen plays an essential part in our breathing processes and metabolism. Without invisible oxygen, we would die. We have no choice but to believe in oxygen!

The Wind
No one sees the wind. But we see it operating all the time. The wind has the power to move things – making the grass and branches sway. In its extreme form it causes trees and power lines to fall. We harness the wind’s energy for our purposes. No one can deny that the wind exists.

Life & Death
We cannot see life.  We cannot see death. But we know what it looks like to possess life and be deprived of it. Without life, we are dead. We cannot ignore the reality of life or death.

Personality Traits & Moods
Some people have sunny dispositions, others are surly. There are sociable people and there are loners. Everyone shows these feelings and characteristics by the way they behave. We cannot see characteristics, but we don’t deny their reality simply because they aren’t tangible.

Evil
You cannot see evil, but you observe its manifestations daily. Hatred, jealousy, cruelty, envy, which lead to war and murder – all these are the workings of evil which none of us can ignore.

(And evil personified is the Devil - an argument for another post!)

… Then You Believe in God 

The above is not an exhaustive list. But it illustrates our willing belief in things we can’t see through our witness of their operation in our lives. Our eyes observe them at work.

The greatest invisible essence of all is Love. Love is God manifesting Himself through His Creation and good works.

Christ said, “believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don't believe me (what I say).Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father
(John 10:3 8 )." (My italics.)

If you do not believe in God’s Word, which existed ‘in the beginning’ and ‘was God,’ (John 1:1) then look at His Love operating through selfless acts. When Love is at work, God is at work.


We are being irrational and illogical if we separate the existence of God from the existence of other intangibles (all of which He made!). 

As Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me. (John 20:29).”

If you subscribe to the monthly Magnificat Magazine, you’ll know that, in addition to daily Mass readings, each issue contains a wealth of other information.

It includes meditations for every day, and every so often one of them strikes a deep chord within me. The March publication contained a real gem which I want to share with you.
​
It was written by Father Gerald Vann, an English Dominican who had this to say:
​
“Good people are so often worried and distressed because, they say, they feel no devotion; they feel no love of God in their hearts, no readiness to suffer anything for him, no zest for sacrifice. Then they have to be told that feelings are of no account: devotion is a question not of feelings but of will.” (Magnificat, March 2016, p.150)

Feelings Have Their Place

​By no means does he discount the emotions. Feelings can be of enormous help in giving strength to our will. When we are emotionally invested in our daily duties they are easier to carry out: we have greater energy and enthusiasm for them.

“God gives the emotional zest in his service to show us that his burden is light,” writes Father Vann, and this helps us to “form the habit of working for him with vigor and constancy.”
​
But we must beware of judging the genuineness of our spiritual life by our feelings. Otherwise we’ll lose heart and equate not feeling zeal for God’s will with not loving Him.

What Happens When Those Feelings Are Absent? 

Father Vann brilliantly describes the situation we all find ourselves in at times. “When he takes the joy away and gives us fatigue and boredom…our hearts feel dead within us … (and) ...everything connected with his service seems purposeless and futile and perhaps cruel.”

Our enthusiasm wanes and we feel that God no longer loves us. We wonder what we did wrong to deserve his desertion?

Father Vann poses a better question: “provided we go on with the thing to be done, have we cause for despair or depression?”

He points out that “It is then that we can show, and know, that we really are devoted…that it is really God we love and not his gifts.”

When we continue to do God’s work without earthly consolation we prove we’re in it for the love of Him, not the feel-good factor. St. Peter writes:
​
“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:7)”​

Spiritual Dryness Puts Us In Good Company

Many saints wrote about experiencing periods of spiritual desolation, sometimes lasting many years. 

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta went through a fifty year period of dryness with almost no relief. “For years, she grieved over it, wondering what she could possibly have done to make the Lord withdraw from her. Was there some secret sin or defect on her soul? Had she displeased him in some way?”

It took her a long time to come to “understand what was going on in her. ‘I have come to love the darkness,’ she wrote, ‘for I believe now that it is a part, a very, very small part of Jesus’ darkness and pain on earth.’ In this … Mother Teresa showed that she had come to see her painful situation as a way of sharing in Jesus’ life—a mysterious sharing in his suffering and in his cross.”
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And so she continued to carry out God’s will for her among the poor and homeless, sustained by faith alone.

The Saint of Calcutta is a perfect example of the truth that love is not a feeling, but an act of will.

Father Vann sums it up well:
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“Whenever you do in fact do what God tells you, then you are growing in the love of God, no matter what your feelings may be.”

​I’ve been as confused as anyone about Pope Francis and his agenda.

As the Vicar of Christ, he is infallible when it comes to Catholic doctrine. But I have to admit to being one of those who were:

“dismayed that the pope, in his emphasis on the poor, barely mentioned issues like abortion and homosexuality during his visit to Washington, New York and Philadelphia.” NY Times 3rd October 2015

Why didn’t he speak out strongly against those things? Isn't that what a pope should do?

Papal Agenda 

When I mentioned my concerns to my family, my son shared an interesting view: while those are perhaps big issues in the U.S., Pope Francis probably wants to draw our attention to the global problem of the poor and marginalized.

Sounds plausible. 

But shouldn't he nevertheless address the huge threat in the U.S. to marriage and the life of the unborn?

Like Christ Before Him… 

Jesus’s disciples – and all the Jews – expected their Messiah to be a powerful king who would overthrow the oppressive Romans.But what they got was a humble man who ate with sinners.

This provoked 'righteous' indignation:

“When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners? (Mark 2:16).”

He went totally against their preconception of a powerful religious leader.
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In the same way, Pope Francis is causing many of us to scratch our heads over his leadership style.

God’s Priorities Remain the Same 

Yet Pope Francis is not, as some claim or hope, going to change Catholic doctrine. At the current synod he has spoken firmly for marriage between a man and a woman.

“Confronting a mass of 270 bishops at St Peter's Basilica in Rome, he reaffirmed the Catholic Church's opposition to gay marriage as he opened a three-week synod focusing on family issues….. He insisted the church cannot be 'swayed by passing fads or popular opinion'.” (Daily Mail 5th October 2015.)

But he is also calling on the Church to show mercy to those who are struggling.

He “stressed that the Church must be more welcoming, charitable, compassionate and merciful to all people, particularly those whose lives have been wounded and who find it difficult to adhere to all of the Church's regulations.” (Daily Mail 5th October 2015.)

Is this not the same response as Jesus, when He heard the Pharisees grumbling about His consorting with sinners?
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“And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2: 17).”
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An Uncomfortable Message 

Accustomed to sermons about the evil world around us, many of us congratulate ourselves on not being a part of it. Jesus addressed this human tendency:

“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.’ (Luke 18:11).”

Pope Francis is walking in Christ’s footsteps and has an urgent message for us:

“We should not simply remain in our own secure world, that of the 99 sheep who never strayed from the fold, but we should go out, with Christ, in search of the one lost sheep, however far it may have wandered.” (Catholic Herald, 27th March 2013)

Abortion
 
He has not changed Catholic doctrine on abortion, which remains a serious sin. But he does want to extend Christ’s mercy to those who have had an abortion and sincerely repent doing so. He is reaching out to those women who, as a result, are outside the Church.
                
“The order, which temporarily allows all priests to grant forgiveness to women who have elected to have an abortion and profoundly regret the procedure, is part of the church’s jubilee year of mercy, which begins on 8 December and runs until 20 November 2016.” (The Guardian, 1st September 2015) 

(Ordinarily a bishop must forgive this sin.)

Is this not an echo of John’s words?

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17).”

Christ wants all of mankind to be saved.
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Like Jesus before him, this new pope is reaching out to all sinners, and giving us a chance to ask for mercy, with the opportunity to repent and change our ways before it’s too late.

Pope Francis is not what we’re used to. But we can be certain that he walks with Christ, and must support his efforts. 

I currently live in Maryland, but my husband wants to retire and move to God’s Waiting Room, i.e. Florida.

Our house was put on the market a few months ago, and we’ve had several showings. But it appeals to a small niche, since it is a horse property, so it will take a while to sell.

Meanwhile, I’m in a constant state of not knowing how much longer I’ll be at this house, and it’s hard to handle the uncertainty. I need to be ready to leave at any time, which is very unsettling.

No One Knows the Hour 

It then occurred to me that this is exactly how we should approach our earthly existence.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:36 NIV “But about that day or hour on one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

My life could end at any moment and I should be putting all my efforts into getting my soul in order. 

You Must Be Ready

Again, in Luke 12:40, NIV Christ warns: “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

If my soul is ready to meet the Lord, then it doesn’t matter whether or when my body will move to another house. As long as I’m in right standing before God, I can be at peace. The unsettled feeling will disappear and I’ll be able to say with honesty, “Thy will be done.”

The house will sell when God wishes it, and that is all I need to know. 

Everything Should Lead Us to God

But it will be hard. When we move, the horses will no longer live with us but have to be boarded somewhere, and I’ll have a tough time relinquishing control over their welfare.

God is reminding me that He is in control, not me, and everything I have is from Him.  I own nothing: He has simply loaned me things and creatures.

As my parish priest says, adoring God leads us to love people and use things for the greater glory of God. We're not at liberty to use people and love things.

I must be willing to hand everything back to Him when He asks, and in the meantime not get too attached to anything, anyone or any place.

I must be prepared to leave behind all I hold dear here on earth, with complete faith that I will be going to my true home after I die.

My thoughts and heart and treasure must be stored up in Heaven, where I hope to live forever.

But it's so hard in practice!

Happily ignoring God’s law and pursuing my own, I was a lapsed Catholic for several decades. Then I became a mother.

As often happens to those of us who stray from the Church, I recognized my son as a gift from God. He needed to be raised in the faith and God was calling me home.

But my progress was painfully slow. Had He truly forgiven me for my past transgressions?

There’s Gotta Be a Catch! 

We assume that God’s love has limitations, like ours.

It’s hard for us to grasp the concept that He is Perfect Love. St. Faustina tells us that His “mercy is endless and the treasury of (His) compassion inexhaustible” (Diary, 950).

But in order to receive God’s mercy we must ask for it. This means humbly accepting that we aren’t perfect and acknowledging our sins.

Yes, sin does exist! It’s as real now as in the past even though Satan has done a great job of persuading the world that sin is an old-fashioned religious hang-up that modern man can safely ignore. Not so.

Refusing to acknowledge our sinfulness means we're too proud to ask for God’s mercy, and are therefore unable to receive it. As Our Lord told St. Faustina:

“The greatest misery does not stop Me from uniting myself to a soul, but where there is pride, I am not there” (Diary, 1563).

The Practical Path to Forgiveness, Healing & Help

The surest way of obtaining forgiveness is by going with a truly contrite to hear Confession, where the priest is in persona Christi. It is Jesus Himself who is listening to you.

This Sacrament is also a powerful tool against Satan:

“First, do not fight against a temptation by yourself, but disclose it to the confessor at once, and then the temptation will lose all force” (Diary, 1560).

We aren’t alone in our battle against the devil. God wants us to rely on His help, and the aid of His Mother and all the Saints.

“Second, during these ordeals do not lose your peace; live in My presence; ask My Mother and the Saints for help. Third, have the certitude that I am looking at you and supporting you” (Diary, 1560).

Temptations are not a test sent by God to see if we are strong enough to overcome them alone. They are a chance to prove our fidelity to, and trust in Him.

“Fourth, do not fear either struggles of the soul or any temptations, because I am supporting you; if only you are willing to fight, know that the victory is always on your side. Fifth, know that by fighting bravely you give Me great glory and amass merits for yourself. Temptation gives you a chance to show Me your fidelity” (Diary, 1560).

Christ gives us the strength we need and makes up for our deficiencies, as long as we appeal to Him for help. 

Trust Is Hard! 

No sin is unforgivable, save despair of God's forgiveness if we ask Him for it.

“My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world” (Diary, 1485).

God’s Perfect Love forgives us, if we repent and are sincere about mending our ways. 

And if God has forgiven us, how arrogant of us to say we aren’t forgiven! How much that hurts Christ, who told St. Faustina:

 “..My heart is even more wounded by their distrust after a fall” (Diary, 1532).

In her beautiful Conversation of the Merciful God with a Despairing Soul St. Faustina records the following words of Jesus:

“My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does – that after so many efforts of My love and mercy, you should still doubt My goodness” (Diary, 1486).

It is deeply troubling to Christ when we are embarrassed by our failure to be perfect and refuse to believe that He can forgive us yet again. Our pride becomes our stumbling block.

We are not each allotted a ‘lifetime limit of forgiveness.’ If we humble ourselves and come with trust to Jesus asking for forgiveness over and over again, He will give it over and over again without reserve. 


His mercy really is endless!

“He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine, and his enemies will be shattered at the base of my footstool” (Diary, 723)

“The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is – trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts” (1578)

So we should be willing to “ask for much” mercy.


No matter what we have done, God will forgive us if we confess our sins and ask for mercy. Under those conditions, He will give us a clean slate, and peace in our hearts – every time.

Remembering our blemished past helps us remain humble, but we shouldn’t let it prevent us from accepting God’s forgiveness. He came into the world not to condemn us, but to save us (John 3:17).

If You Don’t Believe in the Sacrament of Confession

Many people think that Confession (the Sacrament of Reconciliation) is a convenient way for Catholics to obtain forgiveness for sins which we fully intend to commit again after confessing them. They perceive Confession as our carte blanche to sin without fear of consequence, because God will forgive us anyway.

This is not at all what the Sacrament means!

For someone to receive forgiveness, he or she must be contrite (regret having committed the sin) and have every intention of not committing that sin again. Otherwise they are not forgiven.

In fact, they are in a worse position than if they hadn’t gone to Confession, because it was done under false pretenses. God is unimpressed by white-washed sepulchers.