​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.
​
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?
​
“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).”
​

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.
​
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. 

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.

I am currently reading the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. It is the fascinating and intensely holy journey of the Polish nun whom Christ commissioned with the task of spreading devotion to His Divine Mercy.

She records the words spoken to her by Jesus, in which He reveals an unfathomable love for mankind.

Jesus’ Frustration

He also tells her of how deeply saddened He is when we don’t come to Him with pure, childlike trust.

“This distrust of My goodness hurts me very much. If My death has not convinced you of My love, what will?....There are souls who despise My graces as well as all the proofs of My love. They do not wish to hear My call, but proceed into the abyss of hell. The loss of these souls plunges Me into deadly sorrow… I cannot help such a soul because it scorns Me; having a free will, it can spurn Me or love Me.” (580) (My italics)

Last Friday we commemorated the death of Christ, following the horrible scourging with lead-tipped whips and being forced to carry the heavy wooden cross before having His hands and feet nailed to it.

He did all that to prove how much He loves each one of us – regardless of our past. 

In doing so He conquered death and Satan, and urgently wants us to ask for His mercy and forgiveness, so that we can be with Him in Heaven when our life here on earth is over.

It doesn't take a genius to understand Christ’s frustration when we still refuse to believe in Him, despite everything He’s done for us!

Our Free Choice to Descend Into Hell 

Modern man has decided that he’s too smart for God and is happier without Him. 

All around us is clear evidence that this is not so. Yet we’re such ‘a stiff-necked people’ that we persist in our self-delusion. Do we really prefer our culture of death, the direct result of scorning God’s Ten Commandments? Do we really believe that we live in a better world now? Do you believe that?

As has already been noted, God is such a gentleman that when we say we don’t want Him, He leaves. And then we complain about the state of the world and wonder ‘how God can let it happen.’

Don’t we understand that we let it happen? We’re only getting what we asked for! And so we ‘do not wish to hear (His) call, but proceed into the abyss of hell.’

It’s our choice and an exercise of our free will. (Which, by the way, we wouldn’t have if God hadn’t given it to us….)

Sin & Satan: Myth or Reality?

We have to turn our backs on the secular culture that tells us there is no such thing as sin. The world and its very real prince, Satan, is having a wonderful time right now.

Satan knows that if we acknowledge sin, we’ll stop wasting our money on frivolous things and give more to the poor and needy. We'll spend less time watching television and more on praying and going to church. We’ll then be in real danger of getting out of his grasp and go to Heaven.

He hates us, and wants us to forget about God and sin.

Deep down we know that sin is real, even though we try to ignore it. Everyone one of us understands that murder is a sin, lying is a sin, theft, envy, etc.

All the things the Ten Commandments tell us not to do we are innately aware are wrong. God put that moral code into our hearts. But we don’t want to do the right thing because it ‘impinges on our freedom.’

As I mentioned earlier, where has that version of ‘freedom’ got us?

Those who have been through wars remind us that freedom doesn’t come for free. How much truer that is with God! We have to battle to keep our freedom.

Complete Forgiveness

Divine Mercy Sunday is this weekend.

‘No soul will be justified until it turns with confidence to My mercy, and this is why the first Sunday after Easter is to be the Feast of Mercy. On that day, priests are to tell everyone about My great and unfathomable mercy.’ (570)

Jesus is hurt that we don't understand how true freedom is a release from our sins. He reassures us that absolutely no one has reason to shrink from going to Confession. ‘Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.’ (699)

Christ rejoices when those who have been away from the Sacraments come back to the Church. His parable of the Prodigal Son wasn’t simply a moving story: He told it so that we could understand God's joy when one of His lost sheep comes back to the fold.

For non-Catholics, it is also a call to ask for forgiveness as well as an opportunity to see the many ways the Catholic Church can help its members draw closer to God and to Heaven.

‘I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment… Mankind will not have peace until it returns to the fount of My mercy.’ (699)



Jesus' call for our repentance is just as valid today as it was when Noah was told to build the Ark, when Jonah was sent to save Nineveh, when John the Baptist preached in the desert or Peter converted over 3,000 people at Pentecost.

This Sunday,let’s take advantage of God’s fathomless ability to forgive.

I grew up unaware of Christ's fathomless mercy during my formative years. A sword hung over me - I thought God the Father and His Son were waiting for - almost wanting - me to do something wrong so they could punish me.

I think that is how a lot of people perceive God.

A Wonderful Gift from Jesus this Sunday

Jesus offers us forgiveness constantly, but the Feast of Divine Mercy this Sunday is special.

If everyone understood what Jesus wants to give us on this day, they'd drop everything and beg for His mercy. 

Jesus told Saint Faustina that no sinner has offended God so much that he or she cannot be forgiven:  “Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.”

Jesus died horribly in order to be able to offer us His forgiveness. Why aren’t we taking advantage of His gift?

The Words of Jesus to St. Faustina

Jesus said to St. Faustina in entry 699 of her diary:

“It is My desire that (the Feast of Mercy) be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.”

That feast is this coming Sunday, 27th April 2014.

 “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to confession, receive Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Pope recite the Our Father, Creed and a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament (exposed or reposed) shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishments.”  My italics.

Look at what Jesus is offering us and what little He asks us to give Him in return. Is it really so hard for us Catholics to fulfill those requirements?

Jesus Asks so Little of Us

If you didn’t go to confession during Lent, here’s your perfect opportunity. If you've been away from the Church for a long time – a few years or even decades – and are in need of some encouragement to go , read The Light Is On For You to be reassured of what a loving reception you can expect in the confessional.

Confession is the biggest hurdle to completing Jesus’ requirements for His mercy. He’s asking us to be humble, and that's tough. It’s difficult for us humans to get over ourselves, but we must if we are to move forwards in our spiritual lives.

Back in the Fold

Once you’ve been to confession, a powerful feeling of peace will come over you. You’ll look forward to receiving your first Communion after the long absence, and enjoy a strong sense of coming home.

If you go to Mass, but sit in your pew while others go up to receive, or walk up Sunday after Sunday with your arms crossed for a blessing – imagine how wonderful it will be to receive the Body and Blood of Christ again!

I went through that experience after being away from the Church (and Mass) for over twenty years. A tremendous sense of serenity filled me after my ‘first confession’ and I was so excited to receive Communion again.

I had not appreciated until then just how much I’d missed the Mass. I knew this was where I truly belonged, and I’m confident you will, too.

Get ready to receive Our Lord this coming Sunday!

Hurry Before This Offer Expires!

Once we die, Jesus becomes the Just Judge.  We can no longer prevail upon His mercy and forgiveness - it is too late.

Can any of us afford not to take Him up on His offer? 

When life is going badly and there seems no way out, it's easy to fall into despair.

Yet Christ's Easter message is: "Don't despair!" 

Repeat After Me..

We proclaim that message every time we recite the Apostles' Creed: Jesus "rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father....I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting."
 
There's no despair here.

But perhaps constant repetition has dulled our attentiveness to the reality of what we're saying: that Jesus suffered horribly for our sakes so that we might rise up from death and  have eternal life.

We are made in God's image and destined to be with Him in heaven. Christ asks us not to let earthly setbacks throw us into misery and distract us from that goal.

God loves us. If he puts suffering our lives, it's to turn our thoughts away from the world and back to Him and His infinite mercy.

But  fighting off despair and trusting in God's mercy is tough.

Judas Versus Peter

Despair is Satan’s most powerful weapon against God. He rejoices whenever he succeeds in separating us from our hope in Christ (see 'Hope versus Hope' in my last post). He thus sabotages our salvation and adds our souls to the ranks of those destined for hell.

Judas of Iscariot committed the ultimate sin when he despaired of forgiveness for betraying Jesus, thus cutting himself off from future happiness with God.

Peter denied knowing Christ three times, after having just said that he loved Him and would do anything for Him. But in contrast to Judas, he wept bitterly and repented over his betrayal. 

This humble admission of guilt and belief in Christ’s forgiveness wiped his slate clean. Peter's faith and hope restored his good standing with God and ensured his redemption.

Judas allowed Satan to deceive him into despairing of Christ's love: Peter believed in Our Lord’s mercy and was granted it.

Who would you rather be?

But What Use Is God's Mercy When I'm Suffering? 

Blessed Sopocko, confessor and spiritual director of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska has this to say about despair in his book God is Mercy (Marian Press, 1965, p. 81):

“Despair is passion arising in us because of the impossibility of escaping evil. The name covers not only the feeling of despair itself, but also the inclination to it. ... It is opposed to hope and trust, so much so that while hope enlightens, despair kills. ... (my italics)

“The causes of despair can vary. Temporal or spiritual misfortunes, incurable illness, loss of respect and honor, financial ruin, threat of inevitable danger, etc. Under the influence of such disasters there follows a terrible depression which takes away all energy, paralyzes the nerves, renders clear thinking impossible, and even impedes breathing and the normal circulation of the blood, so that the brain is not supplied sufficiently with oxygen and ceases to function sufficiently. ...

“If we search for the very first, deepest cause of despair, we always find a lack of trust in the Mercy of God. ...”  (My italics)

(Taken from What Is Divine Mercy? By Dr. Robert Stackpole)

But why is it that when things are going badly, we find it the hardest to trust in God?

Because we want control over our lives. We want to know exactly what lies ahead, we demand concrete proof that our bad situation will end and quickly.

‘Show, don’t tell!’ is the usual advice to story writers and we feel the same way about God. Don't tell us that all will be well, through the Scriptures, don't tell us that we must trust in You: show us a reason to trust you by performing a miracle!

For some reason, God's amazing miracle of resurrection on Easter Sunday often isn't good enough for us. We're doubting Thomases who want to see it for ourselves, not have to believe writings from 2000 years ago.

Unfortunately faith means believing without seeing, and we must have blind faith if we’re to attain the goal for which we were made, namely to be with God in eternity.

Dispelling Despair Through Divine Mercy
 
Since despair comes from believing things will never get better and that we are alone in our misery, the antidote is complete trust in God’s love for us. (See 'Christ's Strategy' in my last post.)

Dr. Stackpole says, regarding the benefits of trusting in God:

"It opens the door to all the graces and blessings He wants to give us.” (My italics.)

We mustn’t hang ourselves with despair, like Judas. Instead we must trust in God’s mercy and be raised from misery to happiness.

....Which Leads Us to Divine Mercy Sunday

This weekend, Catholics will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday (Feast of Mercy).

God’s mercy is not confined to this one day of the year – it is available every single day of every year! – but there are certain graces to be obtained on that day.

Here is entry 699 of St. Faustina Kowalska’s diary, in which Christ makes clear his desires for Divine Mercy Sunday. This entry is very long, but if you read it, you'll feel overwhelmed by Christ's love for you.

My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.

(Even if you've not been to Confession for 60 years or more, you may feel that it's worth going now, before next Sunday. :) I promise you, priests are kind in the confessional: they are there to help us make a good confession, not beat us up over our sins!)

Christ also revealed to St. Faustina the extraordinary graces available to those who devoutly receive Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday:

I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy (1109).  

Whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (300).  

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (699).

Click here for further information on how to prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday 

Are God’s Graces Confined to Catholics?

No!

I know that we Catholics are considered arrogant because we believe that Catholicism is ‘the one, true faith.’
 
We make no apologies for this belief.
 
Christ instituted the Catholic (i.e. universal) Church 2013 years ago. All other Christian faiths are man-made spin-offs. (I now cheerfully await an onslaught of angry comments!) The Sacraments of our faith make the Christian life easier for Catholics.  We certainly don't believe that non-Catholics are doomed to the eternal fire of hell.



The important thing is to trust in God’s mercy and humbly ask Him to forgive our sins. Christ longs for us all to come to Him – Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

We will stop feeling despair when we realize that Christ is always walking with us.


Postscript: Whenever I find myself teetering on the edge of despair, I quickly recite this prayer, over and over again:

‘Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy itself.’ Diary 950

I hope it helps you, too.

Being a good Christian is difficult, especially these days.

It’s unfashionable to follow the precepts of a man who lived over 2000 years ago and doesn’t embrace the spirit of our times, which tells us to ‘eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.'

Instead He exhorts us to "turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” New Living Translation (©2007) Matt. 16:24

Where’s the appeal in that?

And does such a lifestyle guarantee admittance to heaven? Supposing we ‘take up our cross’ only to end up in the nothingness of the Universe after we die, instead of living in eternal happiness with God? We'll have missed out on so much!

Would it not be smart to have a Plan B – a back-up creed, as it were ─ just in case we’re wrong to believe in Christ and His teachings?

Napoleon’s Life Strategy

In his famous book ‘Think and Grow Rich,’ Napoleon Hill outlines principles for attaining earthly success and writes about the many men who’ve applied them.

A certain Edwin C. Barnes wanted to work with (not for) Thomas Edison. Mr. Hill writes:  “Barnes' desire was not a hope! It was not a wish! It was a keen, pulsating DESIRE, which transcended everything else. It was DEFINITE.”

Mr. Barnes was so determined to achieve his aim, that he was willing to “burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want."

Barnes ‘did not say, "I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization."……“He stood by his DESIRE until it became the dominating obsession of his life ─ and ─ finally, a fact.”

In short, Barnes’ goal became an obsession, and everything he did was in order to achieve this one end. He succeeded. ‘Out of that business association (with Edison) grew the slogan, "Made by Edison and installed by Barnes."’

Christ’s Strategy

God demands the same ‘obsession’ from us, and warns against trying to be of this world and of God. We can choose only one.

The first commandment is unambiguous about this.  “I am the Lord your God…. You shall have no other gods before Me.” (My italics)
Exodus 20:2-17   

Jesus elaborates further on the level of commitment God requires of us.

'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' Matthew: 22:37

We must guard against deep attachment to the things of this world for  only love of God makes us willingly obey His laws. And when we don’t obey His laws, it proves we don’t love or believe in Him.  

St. James admonishes those who can’t choose one or the other 'god,' and calls them ‘double-minded.’

“Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:8.  The New Living Translation (©2007)

Clarke’s Commentary on the same webpage explains it this way:

“A man of this (double-minded) character is continually distracted; he will neither let earth nor heaven go, and yet he can have but one.”  

St. James also makes it clear that such “people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” unless their “faith is in God alone.” James 1:6-7

We can’t pray to God only when we want something and expect Him to give it to us, when we worship the pursuit of worldly wealth instead of Him the rest of the time.

If You Aren't For Me...

It isn't possible to love God and Mammon: love of one excludes love of the other. Either we are for God or we are against Him: there is no middle ground.

Christ is very clear about this: "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.” Matthew 12:30 New Living Translation (©2007)

He also outlines the consequences of not being wholeheartedly Christian:

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in His glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.” Luke 9:26 New Living Translation (©2007)

We can’t be successful in any undertaking if our commitment is lukewarm. The desire of true Christians is to get to heaven: their lives are lived solely in the hope of being with God when they die.

Hope Versus Hope

Christian ‘hope’ is completely different from worldly hope.

Jack Weaver defines this in his ‘Notes From a Retired Preacher.’

‘The Hope of Heaven is not a maybe — but an absolute and definite guarantee by the Word of the Truth of the Gospel.
 
‘“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” Titus 1:2
 
‘Eternal life — guaranteed and promised by the God of the Universe. He cannot lie... Every true believer in Jesus Christ may look with confidence to the glorious appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. (There is) No doubt!’
 
Christian hope is not wishful thinking: it is the absolute certainty of eternal life if we commit to Christ.
 
Do We Still Have Time?  

If we’ve been a doubting, ‘double-minded’ person, will Christ still accept our belated commitment to Him?

Absolutely!

 ‘“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.’ Joel 2:12-13 ESV

‘The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.’ Acts 17:30 ESV 

So now would be a good time. :)

Is There a Deadline?
 
Christ is the Merciful One during our lifetime. If we repent of our sins and ask for His forgiveness now, He will extend His infinite mercy to us.

This changes when we die.

Consider these words of Our Lord to Saint Faustina:

“Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. (1588)”

The moment we die, He becomes our Judge and His clemency is permanently over. 

“….after (the end times) will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them. (848) (My italics)

“Before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the doors of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the doors of My mercy must pass through the doors of My justice... (1146)”

Now, Was That So Difficult?

Christ wants to save us, but we must humble ourselves and ask for His forgiveness. He cannot save us if we don't ask Him to. 

Catholics have to ask pardon for their sins out loud to a priest, which requires even more humility than a quiet acknowledgement of guilt to God alone.

But, however we do so, once we’ve admitted our faults and asked for forgiveness, a great burden lifts from us. Invited back into our hearts, Christ in His mercy walks with us again.

And as my former parish priest used to say, ‘Don’t look down or that’s where you’re going. Look up ─ at where you want to go!”

God must be the Alpha and Omega of our lives if we are to attain that for which He made us: eternal life with Him in heaven.

There is no Plan B for Christians. We don't need one.


Napoleon Hill quotes taken from:

Hill, Napoleon (2010-05-07). The Classic Napoleon Hill Masterpiece THINK AND GROW RICH [Illustrated & Annotated] (Kindle Locations 4470-4471). Northpointe Classics. Kindle Edition.(Available for 99c)

Or click here for free download.

St Faustina quotes taken from:

THE LIFE AND MISSION OF Saint Faustina APOSTLE OF THE DIVINE MERCY