O Christ Jesus
When all is darkness
And we feel our weakness and helplessness,
Give us the sense of Your Presence,
Your Love and Your Strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
In Your protecting love
And strengthening power,
So that nothing may frighten or worry us,
For, living close to You,
We shall see Your Hand,
Your Purpose, Your Will through all things.
By St. Ignatius of Loyola
When was the last time you went to confession?
Here is a quick guide on how to make a good Confession that you may want to print.
http://www.catholicplanet.com/information/Good-Con...
If you want to learn about the history of confession here is a good article.
A Brief History of the Sacrament of Confession
If you want a good advent reflection on Confession then look at our Day 3 reflection.
Do you struggle with committing the same sins over and over? A practical way of avoiding sin is by eliminating the circumstances that usually lead up to sin. A young man one time admitted to me that he has a hard time stopping himself from committing sexual sins with his girlfriend. It turned out most of his sins with his girlfriend happened while the two were alone together in the car. My advice to him was to avoid being alone with her in the car.
Removing yourself from circumstances that will lead you to sin makes it less likely for you to commit sin. If you struggle with gluttony then don't keep a fridge stocked with unhealthy foods. In addition to avoiding situations that will cause you to sin, place yourself in environments that will allow you to grow in holiness. Simply put, to stop committing the same sins over and over you should try the following:
1. Identity the circumstances that cause you to commit the sin.
2. If possible, avoid placing yourself in such situations.
3. Place yourself in situations that will allow you to grow in holiness.
By Sadeer Farjo
December 10, is the feast day of Saints Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs according to the Syriac Catholic Rite's Calendar. Behnam and Sara were the children of King Sinharib. They become converts to Christianity when St. Matthew, a priest, cured Sara from leprosy. Behnam, Sara, and the forty slaves were all baptized by St. Matthew.
When King Sinharib found out that his children became Christians, he was furious and demanded that they denounce their Christianity. Refusing to denounce their faith Behnam, Sara, and the forty slaves took flight to Mount
What I find most amazing in these events is that the slaves were baptized and remained with their so called master, Behnam, even enduring death alongside him. This event reminds us that only Christ can set us free. The Forty Martyrs were not made free by some political action, but by God's Grace bestowed upon them in their Baptism. We read in John 8:36: "
"For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." GALATIANS 3:26-28 (New American Bible).
The forty so called 'slaves' could have saved their own lives by abandoning Behnam and Sara; however, they decided to risk and ultimately lose their own lives with them. By the virtue of their baptism, the Forty Martyrs were no longer slaves, they were brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jealousy and pride are at the root of many sins. Lucifer was proud and jealous of God and rebelled against God, which transformed Lucifer from a beautiful angel into a wicked demon. Adam and Eve were jealous of God and wanted to become gods themselves and thus believed the words of the father of lies (the serpent) and ate the forbidden fruit, which resulted in them being cast out of the Garden of Eden. Cain was jealous of Abel which ultimately resulted in the first murder. I can go on and on but you get the point.
Are you the jealous type? Imagine this scenario, you have just received your final exam grade. You got a D. You find out that your friends all got As, how do you feel? Are you jealous or happy for them? What if your friends all got Ds, like you, are you more comforted by your low score?
We need to train ourselves to be happy for others. We always want to cry out WHY ME? But we need to resist this temptation. The devil loves to use our jealousy....
Written By: Thomas Mulcahy
Prefatory note on the importance of devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Mary entered human existence by a remarkable grace that preserved her from original sin, and which set her apart to become the Mother of God and the harbinger of God's own human existence in the person of Jesus. Mary's Immaculate Conception thus warrants a special devotion, and wearing the Miraculous Medal (first called the medal of the Immaculate Conception), and saying the prayer each morning, "Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you,' is one way to effectively practice this devotion. Saints who have been devoted to Mary's Immaculate Conception include Saint Catherine Laboure, Saint Bernadette, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and Blessed Mother Teresa (whose nuns have given out millions of Miraculous Medals).
Father Faber talks about the power of this devotion to Mary's Immaculate Conception; he indicates that her Immaculate Conception "is the first dawn of the world's redemption." He further indicates that devotion to Mary's Immaculate Conception is calculated to help us greatly in our "present needs...against the torrent of modern impurity" (and Faber was writing around 150 years ago!, so how much more do we need this devotion now!). Perhaps you know someone battling impurity: here is a devotion "eminently calculated" to sanctify our unruly passions. Faber recommends immense devotion to Mary and her Immaculate Conception, calling such devotion "a special power with God." Of the power of Mary's mediation Saint Pope John Paul II once said:
"In Mary's case we have a special and exceptional mediation...Jesus Christ prepared her ever more completely to become for all people their 'mother in the order of grace' "
(Saint Pope John Paul II, Mother of the Redeemer, 39).
This "preparation" began with the Immaculate Conception. If you are interested in the Miraculous Medal devotion, I recommend you read about the amazing conversion story of a Jewish man, Alphonse Ratisbonne. See
The Miraculous Conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne
Based on my notes from Fulton Sheen's Way to Inner Peace, chapter 35
"Humility is truth, or seeing ourselves as we really are
Here are 4 signs that might suggest you lack humility:
1) You play out a dream where you are the hero
2) You decrease the value of others effort
3) You are excessively sensitive to personal insults
4) You lack compassion for other people's feelings
A humble person does not underestimate himself. A humble person judges himself by his Maker and his Maker intended him to be. A humble person does not get bothered when insulted by others because if he has made a mistake, then he will try to fix it. If the insult he received is not true, it will not hurt him. A humble person is usually not comfortable receiving praise because a humble person knows that his talents are God's gifts.
Saint Nicholas has always been one of my favorite saints. One of the more famous stories of St. Nicholas involves three unmarried sisters whose father could not afford a dowry for them. Back then, the custom was for the father of the bride to give something of significant monetary value (called a dowry) to the groom to take care of his daughter. Since the father of the three women was not able to afford the dowry and had no financial means to support them, he decided to have them become prostitutes in order for them to afford to eat. The local Bishop, Nicholas, heard about the ladies situation and decided to help out. Each night for three nights he threw a golden ball (each value of the dowry) into the poor father's house. Back then, it was customary for people to hang their dirty wet sock by the fireplace to dry. On the third night a golden ball landed in one of the daughter's sock. He didn't tell anyone of his generosity but later people found out that it was Bishop Nicholas who preformed this generous act.
St. Nicholas pray for us.
Prior to Christmas or other big celebration we busy ourselves with cleaning the house, preparing various baked goods, and getting presents for everyone on our list. Similarly, but more so we must prepare ourselves by getting a spiritual cleansing in the sacrament of Confession. Confession brings us back into God's Grace. Mortal sin prevents us from getting so much needed
Many Christians believe that confession is a sacrament 'created' by the Catholic Church. By taking a look at a brief history of the sacrament of confession we know that the Sacrament of Confession is based on both historical and biblical Christianity. Many, not all, of these Christians who deny confession usually do so because they fear it. They fear telling a priest their sins. They fear feeling vulnerable. Remember Jesus came into this world as a baby, he relied on his mother and foster father for the simplest of things. We must not let our fear of confession block us from receiving God's graces.
"As the man whom the priest baptizes is enlightened by the grace of the Holy Ghost, so does he who in penance confesses his sins, receive through the
During Advent we await the Savior's birth. But with so many things to do leading up to Christmas, how do we find time to concentrate on the faith? One simple way is by fasting. Fasting is when we deny ourselves for the sake of holiness. When we fast we usually do something contrary to what our body desires, whether it be fasting from food or from an activity like playing a video game. It causes so called 'hunger-pains.' These 'hunger pains' can be offered to God for the sake of sinners. Fasting also keeps our focus on God. When we are hungry, we remember that we are doing all this for Someone greater than ourselves. It teaches us self-control and reminds us that we are not slaves to our bodies. Fasting doesn't require extra time from your day, but it does create an opportunity for you to focus on God throughout the day.
Want more? Here is another article about fasting: Fasting Teaches, Self-Control, Patience, & Discipline
Advent is a four week season, as symbolized by the 4 candles on the Advent Wreath, where the faithful awaits the Savior's birth. This instant world makes us forget to be patient at times. Our current lifestyle allows us for the instant access to food (microwave), people (cell phone), and information (Google). This instant lifestyle makes having patience, hard.
In the Old Testament, Samuel the priest told King Saul to wait until he got there before going to battle so that Samuel can offer a sacrifice. King Saul grew tired of waiting for Samuel to come and instead offered a sacrifice himself, an act that he was forbidden to do because Saul was not a priest. This displeased God and ultimately resulted in God choosing David as the new king.
What are some ways that we can grow more patient? Here are a few suggestions:
1. After you say grace over your meals, wait 1 minute before consuming the food.
2. Read a short sentence from the Gospel, usually one that Jesus has spoken and then pray "speak LORD for your servant is listening"1 Samuel 3:9 and "speak Lord for your adopted son is listening." Then just stop and listen. You can read more about this simple prayer here.
3. Do not look at your phone as soon as you wake up in the morning.
Obviously this is just meant to be a short list of things that you can do to grow more patient. Here is a good article about Catholic Solution For Gaining Patience.
It is no secret...there are many within the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church that are not only supportive of homosexuality but now thanks to the efforts of Archbishop Maria Vigano, we know many are aiding a diabolical sodomite abuse ring among the clergy. But how could this have happened especially knowing the constant and unchanging teachings of the Church have stood the test of time in condemning the sin of sodomy? Unfortunately, there is not a definitive answer but there are many clues and historical events that have lead to this present sadness within the Church. It should come to no surprise to the faithful Catholic that the origin of these terrible days began with diabolical infiltration. In fact, one can argue it began with a mystical conversation between Satan and Jesus whilst overheard by the Pope:
On October 13, 1884, after Pope Leo XIII had finished celebrating Mass in the Vatican Chapel, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff, he suddenly stopped at the foot of the altar. He stood there for about 10 minutes, as if in a trance, his face ashen white. Then, going immediately from the Chapel to his office, he composed the prayer to St. Michael, with instructions it be said after all Low Masses everywhere. When asked what had happened, he explained that, as he was about to leave the foot of the altar, he suddenly heard voices - two voices, one kind and gentle, the other guttural and harsh. They seemed to come from near the tabernacle. As he listened, he heard the following conversation:
I was recently reading Mathew Kelly's book Resisting Happiness and I learned a good Catholic productivity hack. Matthew Kelly explains that we can offer each hour of our day for a particular intention. For example, I can offer my 9am-10am hour for my kids' intentions, the 10am-11am hour for my wife's intentions, 12pm-1pm hour for a sick relative, etc. Offering the hour does not necessarily mean I would be in praying in a chapel. I could offer the hour by offering the sacrifices and hard work during it. For example,
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.
I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
We are accustomed to anxiety and stress all too well. There is rarely a moment in our days where we are not faced with some level of anxiety or pain. The stress of duties imposed upon you whether it be of work, family, friends, etc.
In a word, we are to pray. Now this is not a 'cop-out' for lack of better rather the ultimate strategy against despair. We simply cannot afford to forgo prayer and expect to be able to deal with life's various twists and turns. This of course means we pray whatever the 'season' may be in our lives; whether the joys of springtime or the pains of winter we are to give place to God as master of our lives. It is grace that we must seek in order to be given the faith we need to carry our crosses. Keep in mind, there has never been a time our Lord ever said to us that to follow Him was to be a walk in the park. Instead, Jesus made it clear that to follow Him meant to, “Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me daily.”
So, prayer is the first, let's recall the easier days of your life when stress was at an all time low if any at all. Do you remember how easy it was to pray? Exceedingly easy! It is not terribly that you pray and pray often in times of relaxation, peace, and comfort; though all pray merits for holiness, but saints are not made in the days where justice and peace is common place otherwise following logic would make us perfect. No, it is when life is the hardest we discover the narrow path spread with thorns to the rewards of Christ. It is when every prayer is like a mouth full of sand that you gain the greatest merit for your penances. It is in the very midst of temptation to forgo prayer that we find our path to the crown of life. Struggle therefore with that temptation to refuse to speak to God or petition the saints for intercession as it is surely a demonic attempt to assail you from spiritual victory.
Now that we know that endurance and persistence in prayer is necessary, what shall we petition God in our distress? Shall we ask God to take away our pain or misfortune that we are obligated to give attention to? If so, then tell me, would it have been good to shield our Lord Jesus from the scourging at the pillar or to protect Him from the crown of thorns or to remove the cross from His shoulders and keep Him from being crucified? Surely these things would have given Jesus comfort and removed from His path great pains and distress. Do you see what I am getting at? I deliberately meant to frustrate your less than stellar petitions to God to remove from you the one thing that might make you holy. Why should you ask God to take away what was destined for you to suffer for His sake for the very purpose of sanctification? How does gold get refined? By the fire! How is the steel of a sword tempered and strengthened? By the fire! How are you going to shed all those things that keep you from Christ? By the fire! Pray therefore for the graces to happily receive whatever is necessary for your salvation even to the point of martyrdom. Is that going far? To what lengths do you go for security, peace, happiness, and love for you and your loved ones? Then how much more shall we do for the eternal God who loves us and wishes to live eternally with Him in heaven? Pray then that will be abandoned so that God's heavenly will may be done in, through, and you so that you are neither puffed up by life's easy moments nor cast down by the hardest. Rather, pray to be fully satisfied in ALL things for the love of our Lord. As Sacred Scripture says, “And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.” - Romans 8:28
One of my favorite verses in Holy Scripture
“Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity.”
Now this is not to say
But again, in what light does man take in fear that actually assists him and what unfortunately of fear that destroys him? What are we “allowed” to fear and continue to avoid worshiping in vain? I ask these questions to call to mind the fears that bind you at this very moment so that you may in secret find the solution, who is Jesus Christ. Shall we legitimately fear things and still claim faith in Him who is always faithful regardless of our inconsistencies? Fear of losing a job or not being able to provide for those we have charge over? Or fear of not meeting others expectations? Indeed fear has its place in our lives as it is a healthy reminder of our boundaries and limits to what may bring ruin if we were to exhaust them. Such as the fear of suicide as this goes against the moral law and traditionally speaking is a grave matter. The fear of hell, while considered imperfect contrition for sin is quite useful indeed to stave oneself away from malignant choices in life. But do we rather fear losing grace or sullying our innocence? Do we fear for the souls of others who, if we do as Christ asks us to, see others on a road to destruction? This isn't pride that we who are so holy and they who are so evil so as to fear for them and not ourselves. Certainly Not! Do also fear for your own soul as you, oh fickle one, are ready to lie, steal if an opportunity presents itself, lust when no one is looking, procrastinate in ones duty in life or not at all, you who are so ready to judge and think nothing of it. What shall you fear? Fear him who can destroy the body and soul. Fear also the perfection of Him who reigns supreme as master, king, and lord of all creation. For as we look at ourselves as though dimly in a mirror we see the inglorious nature of man, deaf, dumb, and blind to most spiritual realities that would have without a doubt solidify our faith if we only had one small glimpse at the face of God while we walked the earth.
What I gather about the plague of fear is not actually concerning spiritual matters but far more carnal reasons. Earthly troubles that are made into mountains while only in truth the size of a mole hill. And so many believe by praying for a desired result will usher in a definitive resolution to your haunting fears. Remember, those of you who fear without consolation, you do not receive because you ask amiss [1]. If it is 'these things' that we are afraid we will not receive, we need only refer to Our Lord Jesus in fully understanding what we must do so that we receive freely,
Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit? And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. And if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith?
Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. - Matthew 6:26-34
So what do you have to fear? Some would quote FDR and say fear itself is to be feared and in some ways that is true. But in reality, it is the lack of charity you ask to be perfected in by God you must concern yourself with. Thanks to St. Paul, we know of the three Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity, however it is charity that is greatest of them all [2]. But why? How is it that charity towers over faith and hope? Some may argue without faith you cannot be saved, this is true. Others would side with hope as without it you lack zeal in the truth and endurance in all things, and this is true. But charity, my brave ones, is the pillar virtue that outlines, infiltrates, edifies, and purifies your faith and your hope as God IS charity so, therefore, employing true love while satisfying His justice in Dogmatic/Doctrinal truth removes all hindrances from receiving His grace. So that you may receive and not be afraid, pray for the graces to live a life of virtue, to take care in fulfilling even the smallest duties granted to you, offering them up as penance for your sins and others. Turn you fear into something holy and presentable to Him who wipes away all fear because of His great love. Do this, and you will indeed be perfected by charity and fear will flee you!
Few months ago, I was going through a hard time. I was worried about many things. I feared that I might fail in my career. I feared that I wasn't a good lawyer.Therefore, I need to trust God and I need to remind myself he will watch over me. I had to realize that even if I fall, I can count on God picking me up. Like Peter who was walking on water until the wind grew louder causing his faith to be shaken and ultimately causing him to sink, I too need to respond like Peter did and ask Jesus to grab my hand pull me out of the water.
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