Division 

   “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mark 3: 24 -25) 

   Many seem to see the teachings of the Church as mere suggestions which they are free to accept or reject on their own authority.  I once had someone tell me that she was a “pro-choice Catholic”.  She got terribly upset when I replied that there is no such thing as a pro-choice Catholic, since the two are totally incompatible.  Division over such an obvious evil as taking the life of an unborn child is the work of Satan.

   There have been heresies and divisions in the Church since the beginning, and the battles continue today.  The concept of relational morality is a heresy that continues to grow in society and within the Church.  This error says that what is right for you may not be right for me and vice versa.  In other words, there is no certainty of right or wrong, it all depends on human opinion.  Satan loves it when we assume we know better than God what is right or wrong.

   Modernism is another form of division among the faithful.  Some feel the Church needs to “fit in” with modern society.  They even go so far as to suggest scripture must be revised to reflect the modernist view of Christianity; in their view, even Doctrine and Dogma must be changed.  They refuse to accept the truths of God, truths that are eternal and not subject to change.

   By nature, people seek the easy route.  If it’s too hard, they look for another way and Satan is always there to show them an easier road.  Christ said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter it are many.” (Matt 7: 13).  The narrow gate may lead to a harder road, but that road is the one that leads to heaven.

 

 The Sands of Time  

   “To be sure, you establish the expanse of my days; indeed, my life is as nothing before you.  Every man is but a breath. (Psalm 39: 6) 

   My life, whether it ends today or continues for many years to come, is like a breath to the Lord who is eternal.  I count the days and the years, but they have no meaning to God who existed before time began and will continue after time as we know it has ended.

   If I look at an hourglass and consider the grains of sand as the days of my life it is evident that far more years have gone by than remain.  Early in life I looked at that hourglass and considered that I had all the time in the world.  I was a fool making a fool’s bet on how long my life would be.

   God alone knows the day of my departure from this world, I do not.  It becomes essential, therefore, that I look at each day and even each minute recognizing that it could be my last. 

   Accepting God and His will for me will determine whether I spend eternity in heaven or hell.  To delay is to risk my very soul.  “For he says: ‘In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.’  Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6: 2).

   I can’t say with confidence exactly when I realized that I had to give my life to God, submitting myself to His will in all things.  It was and is a journey to come nearer to Him and the journey will continue until He comes to take me home.

 Memorial Day 

   Memorial Day, like so many holidays, is not even celebrated on the proper day (May 30^th).  It’s been moved so that people get a three-day weekend, forgetting its importance as a day of remembrance.  It’s not about ‘Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet” as GM used to advertise; it's not about family gatherings where we eat and drink too much while never recognizing the purpose for the holiday.  It’s about remembering the American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who have given their lives so that we can enjoy those hot dogs and apple pies in freedom.

   For me Memorial Day always takes me back to April 17^th, 1987.  The USS Stark (FFG-31) was on duty in the Persian Gulf and I had been temporarily assigned to that ship.  At about 9:00 PM that evening an Iraqi F1 aircraft fired two Exocet missiles into the Stark.  One missile detonated and the other did not but remained inside the ship where it expended the rest of its fuel starting numerous fires.  For the next day and a half, the crew valiantly fought to save the ship.  At more than one point it was not certain whether the ship could remain afloat or would have to be abandoned.

   That attack resulted in the deaths of 37 crew members of the Stark, over 15% of the total on board the ship at the time of the attack.  Ironically, we were not at war or even in a conflict with Iraq at the time.

   I remember those men, many of them young and looking forward to life; how their life was snuffed out by what Iraq termed an “accident”.  I remember the wife and small son of one of the Senior Chiefs who was killed.  They had flown to Bahrain to meet him when the Stark arrived in port.  Sadly, they took part in a memorial service instead.

   Take time today to say a prayer for all those we have lost and for those who will undoubtedly be lost in years to come.  Pray for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  May he teach us that warriors never find peace, only more wars.  It is not violence that will end war, but the love of God.

 Pentecost 

   “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.  Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.” (Acts 2: 2 – 4) 

   Today we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles.  These were the same men who had abandoned Jesus at His arrest; Peter had denied even knowing Him three times.  And yet now they came out and loudly proclaimed the message of Christ to the gathered crowd.  With the one exception of St. John, they would all die a martyr’s death.  This is the power of the Holy Spirit; to take the simple, the weak and afraid, and empower them to speak loudly and without fear in the name of Christ.

   Today we still talk about receiving the Holy Spirit, but we see very few with the courage to spread the truth of the gospel regardless of the dangers and perils it might bring.  Certainly, the Spirit hasn’t grown weaker so why are there not more willing to risk comfort, safety and even their lives for Christ?

   The Spirit is still with us and is as strong as ever.  We are the ones who have grown weak and afraid  We are afraid we might offend others, unwilling to stand for the truths of God.  We fear rejection, persecution or worse. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26: 41).

   The Holy Spirit is within all Christians.  He is there, urging us to spread the gospel; by our words, by how we live our lives, and by how we love.  But we must be willing to act, to let the Holy Spirit work through us.

 How Will You Respond? 

   “He is always most willing, and is only waiting for you.  So what are you going to do?” (The Cloud of Unknowing) 

   The “Cloud of the Unknowing" was written by an anonymous English monk in the late fourteenth century.  It is a treatise on coming to grow closer to God through prayer and contemplation.

   When I read the quote above it stopped me in my tracks.  I had to put the book down and just think about what this meant.  I know that God is always with me, and I know that it is up to me to respond to Him, but what struck me is that He, the Almighty God, is waiting for me to act.

   There is a plan for my life and that plan has been known to God since before time began.  Even as I sit here writing this blog God has known what it will say since before time began.  Amazing!  It opens a whole new dimension to how I am to grow in my relationship with God.

   Even though He has and always has had a plan for me, it is totally up to me to accept His plan.  He will not force me though He will give me signs and indications of what I need to do.  His plan is one of love and eternal happiness with Him and what always astonishes me is that He waits for me to give Him permission to give me these blessings.

   The question, for me and for all of us, is what am I going to do about it?  Will I, like so many, ignore His callings or will I answer, “Yes, Lord, Your will be done.  We will answer many questions during our lifetime, but our place in eternity will be determined by this one; “What will you do when He calls?

 Humility 

   “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18: 14) 

   In my opinion humility is the basis upon which Christianity is built.  Without humility we can never truly know God.

   The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector speaks to the importance of humility. (Luke 18: 9 – 14).  In his pride the Pharisee thanked God for making him different from the rest of mankind.  He even went on to list the reasons that he considered himself better than others.  The tax collector stayed at a distance and wouldn’t even raise his eyes to heaven and prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18: 13).  The tax collector went away justified because of his humility.  Because of his pride, the Pharisee did not.

   Sadly, there are many like the Pharisees in the churches of today, eager to recount how faithful they are and tell of all the great things they have done for the Church.  Whenever I hear someone, including myself, talking that way, I always remember that the tax collector went home justified while the Pharisee did not.

   In many ways and on many occasions Jesus spoke of humility in serving God.  His whole life was an example of humility.  If we are to follow Him we must also be humble, for “Pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 11: 2)

 Come Home 

   “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;’” (Matt 25: 34) 

   During my career in the Navy there were times when I had to be separated from my family.  I’m not complaining, I knew full well that was a part of what I had signed up for and my wife and I were in complete agreement about my career.  Still, from the moment I left until the moment I returned I looked forward to going home.

   Throughout scripture we often see home as the place of happiness and contentment.  The Israelites wandered many years in the desert seeking the promised land.  Throughout their history there were exiles brought about by their turning from God and still they longed for home.  Some of the most moving of the Psalms are those mourning over the pain of being separated from their homeland.  Jubilation reigned when they were able to return to their beloved Jerusalem.

   In this life I have what I refer to as home, but it is not my true home.  It is where I return to when I travel but it is not where I truly desire to be.  I consider myself in exile in many ways.  I live in this world, but my home lies elsewhere.  That is where I long to be.

   I find comfort in the words of Jesus, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, you may be also.”  (John 14: 2 - 3).

   Only He will determine when it is time to come for me, whether it be soon or many years from now.  Until then I will strive to serve Him in all I do.  When that time comes I will joyfully take His hand and walk with Him in Paradise.

 The Repentant Thief 

   “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  He replied to him, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23: 42 – 43) 

   There were two men crucified with Jesus on that day.  One, whom tradition has named Dismas, repented and joined Jesus in paradise that very day.  The other reviled and mocked Him.  I’ve often wondered what Dismas saw that caused him to repent and what the other refused to see.

   They were both dying alongside the Lord and death was close at hand.  No one deserves death by crucifixion, but they were sentenced according to their crimes and the laws of the time.  Christ was wrongly sentenced, guilty of no crime, no sin whatsoever.  And yet, even while dying on the cross, He asked the Father to forgive those who had accused and crucified Him.

   I believe that Dismas saw an innocent man, wrongly accused, but who was full of love even for His accusers and those who had nailed Him to the cross.  He saw Innocence itself hanging on that cross .  Somehow the other thief either didn’t see it or chose to ignore it.  One is in paradise, the other is not.

   We are a world full of repentant and non-repentant sinners.  None of us are free of sin but some have seen what Dismas saw and have turned to Jesus in sorrow for our sins seeking His forgiveness.  Others see the same things but choose to ignore them.  Those who repent and accept Christ will join Him in paradise.  Those who, by their own choice, refuse will be turned away.

   Some believe they will have that last chance to repent before they die and hopefully they will.  However, death can come in an instant giving no time for repentance.  Yet even in the last few minutes of life, some still do not turn to God.  On Calvary one sinner chose Christ. and the other did not.

 Saint Makers 

   Have you ever worked with someone that you simply could not come to like?  Maybe they chewed gum loudly or had an irritating way of speaking or other personal traits that seemed to grate on your every nerve.  Or maybe a relative; the obnoxious one with the vile temper or the nosy one who thinks they must know everything about everyone.  These people might be your saint makers.

   A saint maker is someone that God may have put in your life to help you grow in acceptance of others, even though you struggle to even be around them.  They may be one of the crosses we are to bear in life.

   Rather than try to avoid them or ignore them, we should try to accept them as they are, even though we may never come to like them.  Loving our neighbor doesn’t mean we will always like them.  It means we still wish them good things and the blessings of God, that we remember they are children of God, no matter what a bother they may be to us.

   The thing to remember about saint makers is that we too may be someone’s saint maker.  If we look deep within ourselves I’m certain that we all have traits or idiosyncrasies that irritate and frustrate others.  Accepting our saint maker may even help us to recognize our own failings and shortcomings, urging us to make some changes in our own life.

   In all aspects of our life there are lessons to be learned.  Those who we simply cannot come to like can teach us that the love of God includes all, even those who drive us nuts at times.

 Wisdom 

   “I give you a heart so wise and so discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone equal to you.” (1 Kings 3: 12) 

   The wisdom of Solomon was known throughout the world.  People from many lands came to seek His counsel and advice.  He ruled for many years and did great things for God.  His wisdom is still spoken of with awe and wonder.

   I also ask the Lord for wisdom, not to rule over a people, but to rule over my own heart.  I ask for wisdom to better know His will for me so that I may better carry it out.  I desire no kingship; I simply want to be a worthy servant of the King of Kings.

   In addition to wisdom, I ask for strength and perseverance.  There are many trials and difficulties in life and without the help of my Lord I have no doubt that I would be unable to withstand them.  No matter the hardship, God will see me through if I will just trust in Him and place myself in His loving hands.

   The purpose of life is to prepare for eternal life in God’s kingdom.  To reach that goal I need wisdom, strength, and perseverance.  Above all, I need to love God completely, trusting always in His ways, confident of His love and mercy for me.

 Too Many Words 

   We often talk a lot, but say very little.  Politicians can talk for hours and never say anything of use.  Maybe that’s why no one trusts them.

   Instead of talking so much we should take a day to be silent except to share love and thanksgiving with those in our lives.  To thank our husband or wife for the love and joy they have brought to our lives.  To tell our children how much we love them and how nothing will ever make us stop loving them.  To remind our friends, those who support us through thick and thin, how much we love them and appreciate their friendship.

   Most of all, to tell God how much we love Him and thank Him for all the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.  And while we are at it we need to apologize and seek His forgiveness for the many times we have failed to show Him our love and thanksgiving by our sins.

   Words are plentiful but they should be used sparingly.  Say what is good and loving and leave the judgements to God.  Say what is helpful and uplifting and never be condescending.  The tongue is a powerful force; with it we can build up or tear down.  We must choose our words carefully and use them with love in our hearts.

 How Deep is the Ocean? 

   I often use the analogy of an ocean for faith in God.  Maybe because I’m a retired Navy Master Chief it seems appropriate to me.

   When thinking of an ocean there are many options.  I can stand on the shore and never even get wet, or I can choose to go into the water.  Once I step into the ocean I am again faced with many options.  I can simply splash about in the shallows, or I can dive in and swim.  I can make sure that I can always touch the bottom or trust my ability to swim and not be concerned if the water is over my head.

   To my knowledge there are still areas of the ocean where the bottom has yet to be found.  There are those who are not satisfied with that and seek to go deeper and deeper into the water looking for where it may end.  As they go deeper they often discover creatures never seen before, some of which appear almost alien.  The deeper they go the more they discover.

   My faith in God is, in some ways, similar.  I can be a regular Mass attendee and not much else or I can get involved in the various ministries of my parish.  I can study to learn more about my faith and help my understanding or I can just listen to the readings and the homily and let it go at that.  It’s up to me how my faith will grow and develop.

   How deeply I enter into my faith will determine how well I come to know God and His purpose for me.  If I cling to the safety of the shore my faith will never grow as it should.  With each step into the deeper waters of faith, I discover more about my Lord and grow closer to Him.  I don’t find strange new creatures, but I find a depth of love and faith that I would never have known if I just stayed in the “shallows” of faith.

   It doesn’t matter the depth I am willing to explore in the ocean, but it matters greatly how deep into my faith I am willing to explore.  I will never know all there is to know, many things are far beyond my understanding.  But the deeper I go, the greater my love and trust in God becomes.  I will go as deep as I possibly can, always confident that He will lead me home.

 God’s Heavenly Plans 

   “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”  (1 Cor 2: 9) 

   When my wife passed away I knew that I had to live the rest of my life for God so that I could be reunited with her in heaven when my life on this world is done.  Already a devoted Christian, I felt I had to raise the bar, to try even harder to serve Him in everything.

   That decision began a journey into a much deeper relationship with my Lord.  I still look forward to that reunion, but I’ve come to realize that God’s kingdom is so much more.  Now I strive to live for God not only to be reunited with my wife, but because that is what God created me for.

   In my younger years I had ignored God, I never really knew Him.  My life was virtually void of anything spiritual or of God.  Looking back on those times I realize that there was an emptiness that couldn’t be filled with the earthy joys and pleasures that I sought.  There was a hole within me that only God could fill.

   When I married things changed.  My wife was a faithful Catholic and it was evident in all she did.  I saw it, and though I didn’t yet understand it, I knew that I needed what she so obviously had.  I finally realized that I must have God in my life, so I joined the Church.  I’ve often said that God brought her to me, and she brought me to God.  I have no doubt it was all a part of God’s plan to bring me home to Him.

   Heaven is an unknown and that is probably a good thing.  It is good to dream of the paradise He has created for His believers, to allow our dreams to grow as we grow more faithful.  I believe that heaven, just like life, will be a bit different for each of us.  God has prepared a place of unbelievable joy and happiness for all His children, and we are all a unique creation of God.  And yes, I still believe I will be reunited with my wife and look forward to being with her for all eternity.

 Do What He Tells You  

   “His mother said to the servers, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” (John 2: 5) 

   The words of our Blessed Mother to the servers at the wedding in Cana are the same words she speaks to us today.  If we, like the servers, do whatever Jesus tells us, we too may see miracles before our very eyes.

   It seems easy enough, just do what Jesus tells us and we will spend eternity with Him in heaven.  But what He tells us isn’t always what we want, we may not understand His purpose.  Still, if it is Christ’s will, it can only be for our good.  And He will never ask what we cannot do.

   When we are asked to do something difficult and hard we often consider it impossible, we resist and complain.  We may turn to Him and say that it is more than we can bear; why have you asked this of me?  Yet there is nothing that can’t be done with the help of God.  Jesus’ reply to us might be, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”  (Matt 19: 26)

   It just takes trust and faith in God to step forward and begin even the hardest of tasks.  Though we may think it impossible and unfair, as we proceed we will find that it was indeed possible.  We just needed to trust in God to see it through.  Relying on our own abilities we might fail, but with the strength of God nothing is impossible.

 Understanding God 

   “Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How inscrutable are his judgements and how unsearchable his ways.” (Romans 11: 33) 

   Understanding is something we all seek in life.  We want to know how things work and how to fix them when they don’t.  We want to know why the sun rises and the flowers bloom.  We even want to know the motivations and thoughts of God.  But God owes us no explanation; He is God and we are not.

   The religious leaders of Jesus’ time failed to recognize Him because He did not conform to their understanding of what the Messiah was to be.  The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would rout the Romans and return Israel to its former glory.  They could not understand a Messiah who cared nothing for politics but cared deeply about their eternal soul.

   Over two thousand years later we still struggle to understand what can’t be understood, to be given explanations when no explanation can suffice, to turn from what doesn’t conform to our understanding of what is to be.

   Perhaps in the next life we will have a better understanding of God, but I doubt it.  He is and will always be far above our understanding.  But we will know the fullness of His love and will know the joy and happiness of His eternal kingdom.  What more could we ask?

 God’s Will for Me 

   It is God’s will that I spend eternal life with Him in the paradise He has created for those who believe.  That I am sure of.  Though I may not always understand the why’s or the how’s of His will, it isn’t necessary that I understand, only that I strive to accept and follow it.

   There are times when I am confident that I am following His will, and it gives me great joy.  There are also times when I struggle to know if I am following His will.  I sometimes wish I could receive a sign to reassure me that I’m on the right path, but no sign is forthcoming.  But trust in God's plan always brings me peace.

   I’ve come to accept that whatever each day holds for me is the will of God.  If it is a good day, I give Him thanks.  If the day brings trials and difficulties, that too is God’s will for me, and I give Him thanks for those days as well.  The good days are a blessing, but I believe my faith is increased even more by the bad days.  They require that I quit asking why, to simply accept His will, and to place all my trust in Him.

   C.S. Lewis wrote, “God intends to give us what we need, not what we think we want.”  He may give peace and ease, or He may allow suffering and pain, but whatever His will is for me, it is His purpose to bring me to heaven.

 Witnesses 

   “But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1: 8) 

   As Christians, we are called to be witnesses to the faith.  At baptism we received the Holy Spirit and if we will allow, He will strengthen us to be Christ’s witnesses in the world today.

   But how are we to witness?  A co-worker once told me that my job as a Christian was to push people into the Church.  I replied that my job, if you can call it that, is to live my life so that others might see the love and peace of Christ in me and to want Him in their lives as well.  By pushing I can only push people away.  By living for Him I can be His witness.

   In society today there are too many people who are pushing people to believe and accept what they want them to believe and accept.  There is no room for discussion or question, only blanket acceptance.  If we object, we are considered evil, homophobic, transphobic, racist, xenophobic, and any other vile name you can think of.  In the long run they will end up pushing people away rather than bringing them together.

   St. Peter tells us, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.” (1 Peter 3: 15 -16).  When an opportunity to be a witness for our faith arises we should not hesitate to share our beliefs.  But it must be done with love and kindness, not accusations and heated arguments.

   “This is how all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13: 34)  Our witnessing must be done with the love of God in our hearts and the love of all His children, believers or non-believers, guiding our actions. 

 Whom Do You Fear? 

   “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." (Matt 10: 28) 

   To fear the Lord is different from how we think of fear in the world.  Fear of God is to be in awe before His majesty, to humbly and obediently follow His ways, a desire to never offend Him by our actions.  It is a fear of separating ourselves from the one who is our only hope.  To fear the Lord is to give one’s life to Him, accepting His will in all things.

   Fear of Satan, the one who can destroy both body and soul in Hell is a visceral fear, fear of total, complete, and eternal damnation.  Fear of eternity without the love of God and with no way to beg forgiveness and receive salvation.  Those opportunities die with the body, while the soul must eternally pay the cost of refusing them.

   The forces of Satan, both the spiritual demons and the people who serve his will should be the subject of fear for they can take not only our life, but our very soul.  The enemies of the faithful are many and vile; they seek nothing less than our eternal destruction.  These are the ones who should be the object of our fear.

   The armies of God, the angels, the saints, and all his faithful children are our defense and our hope.  They provide a safety-net of love, faith, and hope to overcome the fear and the threat of Satan.  Our greatest fear should be to separate ourselves from the Creator, to turn our back on God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to forfeit the eternal life He desires for us.

 Distractions 

   “Occupy your mind with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones.  Unoccupied they cannot be.” (St. Thomas Aquinas) 

   I’ve found St. Aquinas’ words to be true.  I don’t think the human mind can ever be empty, there will always be something to fill it.  I also believe that even when I strive to fill my mind with God and thoughts of God, Satan will continue to attack me with his evil thoughts and distractions.  In fact, I believe the evil one increases his attacks when I am in prayer.

   In times of prayer and meditation my mind sometimes wanders and begins to fill with unwanted thoughts and ideas.  My prayer time becomes a battle to remain in communion with my Lord.  As often as I push the distractions away, they return.  I once read that even in such cases God recognizes my efforts and my desire for prayer and is pleased.  I pray that is so.

   Some say they can reach a point of emptiness in their mind which allows God to fill it.  I’ve never been able to accomplish such a thing.  Instead, I must continuously guard against the distractions that I know will  arise, rejecting them as soon as I am aware of them.

   In a sense the fact that Satan continues to tempt and challenge me is a blessing.  It reassures me that I am not in his power; if I were, he wouldn’t need to keep pushing.  St. Paul wrote of a thorn in his side that he must endure (See 2 Cor 12: 7).  Distractions during times of prayer and meditation seem to be my thorn.  Thankfully, there is help at hand.  When I call upon the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, my Blessed Mother, and the saints, Satan must flee in terror.

 Humility and Obedience 

   Few would consider a life of humility and obedience to another a life well lived.  Humility is often confused with humiliation and obedience is considered an infringement upon one’s rights as an individual.  And yet, if the goal is to spend eternity in God’s kingdom, humility and obedience are absolutely required.

   When I look at God’s creations, the universe and all that is in it, how can I not know humility.  His majesty overwhelms me and makes me realize that I amount to very little in the larger scheme of things.  I have value not because of any good that I may have done because all good is from God.  I certainly find no spiritual value when I consider the sins I’ve committed.  In humility I recognize that my value comes only from God’s love of me.

   If I recognize God as the ultimate good, why would I not only be willing, but anxious to obey His will in my life?  There is no other way to sanctity but through the will of God.  There is nothing within me that can make me holy, only by the grace of God can this be done.  So yes, I will endeavor to always obey the one who can make me holy and bring me to Himself.

   Humility before God is recognition of His majesty, obedience to His will is understanding and accepting that His will is what will bring me to eternal paradise.  How can I not be humbled by and obedient to the One who created me, the One who loves me, the One calls me His own?

 Food for the Soul 

   “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.’” (John 4: 34) 

   I need nourishment for my body to be healthy.  If I don’t eat enough or if I eat too much I am doing harm to myself.  If I eat all the wrong foods and avoid those that I should eat, that too harms my body.  I need a balanced diet if I am to remain as healthy as possible.

   Just so, I need spiritual food for my soul.  Like physical food, if I get too little I am doing harm to my soul.  However, it is not possible to get too much spiritual food.  The more I consume the more my heart and soul turns to God and the more I turn to Him the greater His presence within me.

   There are numerous diets that insist they know how and what I should eat to maintain my health.  However, far too many of these diets seem more concerned with selling their products and services than in keeping me healthy.

   Sadly, there are also a host of sources trying to tell me how to feed my soul.  Again, many of them seem more interested in increasing their donations than in saving my eternal soul.  I must choose carefully if I am to properly nourish my soul.

    “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 -54).  This is the true food, the Bread of Life that has come down from heaven.  This is the food that nourishes my soul.

 The Patience of God 

   I look back at my life and I am very thankful to God for having left me in this world for as long as He has.  Had He taken me earlier in life I am confident that I would be spending eternity in Hell.  I was living for self, seeking my own way and my own desires.

   But God is patient, He has given me the time to change, to repent of past sins and strive to avoid sin going forward.  St. Peter tells us, “The Lord does not delay his promise as some regard ‘delay’, but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3: 9).  That patience has saved my very soul.

   God desires that we return to Him rather than perish, He wants to forgive us and welcome us into His heavenly kingdom.  He sent His only Son that we might find redemption and forgiveness for our sins.  “He bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2: 24)

   Justice alone would have demanded my condemnation, but God offered me patience and forgiveness instead.  My only desire is to live the rest of my life for Him, serving Him in all things.

 The Fruit We Bear 

   We are to be evangelists, to spread the good news of the gospel.  However, most of us do not have a podium or platform from which to preach God’s word.  That is probably a good thing, since most don’t have the wisdom or the presence to effectively proclaim His word.  So then, how are we to evangelize -- by the fruit we bear.

   Our priest often says that he would prefer to see a sermon than to hear one.  What he means is that our actions, the way we live our life, is a far more effective means of evangelization than words alone.  Our faith must be reflected in all we do if we are to effectively spread the word of God.  As St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”

   Scripture tells us, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of the Father in heaven.” (Matt 7: 21).  In the language of today, “words are cheap”.  We must not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk.

   If we live our lives so that others can plainly see the love of God within us, it will speak well of our faith.  Perhaps they will look at us, see the peace and love of God in us and say, “I want what they have in my life.”  We will have done well.

   However, if we don’t live what we preach; if our words aren't backed up by our actions others will say, “All Christians are hypocrites.”  We will have produced bad fruit and we are doing the work of Satan.

   “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6: 43 – 44).  The fruit we bear must be good fruit.  Our faith must be reflected in our words and proven by our actions.

 Remaking Society 

   “Many souls fail to find God because they want a religion which will remake society without remaking themselves.”  (Fulton J. Sheen) 

   Most of us would like to see changes in today’s society.  But society can only reflect the people who are part of that society; until we remake ourselves we will never remake society.

   Everyone  complains about the evils in society, in politics, and even in the clergy and churches.  But each of these entities are merely a sampling of the people from which they are populated.  If the populace is one of faith, there will be less evil, when the people reject God and His ways there will be more. 

   Right from the beginning, in the book of Genesis, we are told what we are to be.  “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1: 27)  Though we can never be a true reflection of the image of God in this life, that is the goal we must strive to attain.  Until we make a serious effort to apply it to our lives we will continue to live in a dysfunctional society.

   Remaking ourselves in the image of God, taking to task our laziness, our lukewarmness, our outright rejection of God’s commands, is difficult.  It requires determination, perseverance and, most of all, trust in God.  The kind of trust that refuses to allow us to give up on God and His will for us.  We will often fail in our efforts, but those failures are opportunities to get back up and, with the help of God, to try harder.

   If we want to remake society we must endeavor to make ourselves into the image of God as we were intended to be.  As long as we remain the same, society will as well.

 To Follow Christ 

   “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt 16: 24) 

   It is my greatest desire to follow Jesus all the way to heaven.  He has told me how that is possible; I must deny myself, pick up my cross and follow Him.

   How am I to deny myself?  I must submit my will to the will of God and seek His guidance in all that I do.  There will be times when I don’t understand, but there can never be a time that I do not trust.  There will be blessings but there will also be hardships.  I must praise Him for both.

   Praise and thanksgiving for the many blessings of God and all He has done for me is the easy part.  No one finds it hard to thank another for the good things they have received.  But that is only part of what “follow me” means.

   I must also accept, acknowledge, and give praise for the hardships which may befall me in this lifetime.  In matters of faith and trust in God,  accepting these difficulties and crosses that come is far more important than accepting the blessings He bestows on me.  It is in the difficulties that my faith is tested and, if I accept all as the will of God, increase my faith and draw me nearer to Him.

   If I am to follow Christ I must understand that He suffered greatly in His life.  He was betrayed by one of His chosen, abandoned by the others at His arrest.  He was scourged, forced to carry His cross to Calvary and there suffered the horrible death of the cross.  He was willing to do all this to give me the opportunity for redemption, forgiveness of my sins, and eternal life in heaven.  How can I not accept and give Him thanks when I must suffer the minor tribulations of this life and refuse to follow Him; even if it means all the way to the cross? 

 The Voices Within 

   I hear voices.  The voices attempt to guide me in the way they would have me go.  One wishes me to pursue the joys and pleasures of this fallen world and the other desires my salvation and eternal life in heaven.

   As you might suspect one is the voice of Satan and the other is the voice of God.  It reminds me of a scene in an old movie; a person with an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other, fighting for his will.  Sometimes I feel that if I looked in a mirror I would see the same thing.

   Satan has by far the loudest voice.  He tries to convince me that his thoughts and ideas are my thoughts and ideas, that I am making a choice of my own free will.  Satan speaks to my mind and the inherent sinfulness within all humans.  The things he proposes may not at first glance seem to be evil, but with further thought they are trying to draw me away from those things that are good for the soul, tempting me to be worldly.

   The other voice, the voice I choose to listen to, is that of the Holy Spirit.  He speaks not to my humanity, but to my heart and to my soul.  He urges me to follow Jesus, not the world.  He is never loud or pushy, but quiet and loving in His urgings.  His goal is to help me resist the temptations of the devil and live my life in the will of God.  His desire is to lead me away from the worldly way of life.

   Two voices, two choices; good or evil.  We are all faced with this dilemma every day of our life.  We must choose who will we listen to.  Will it be the loud, almost demanding voice of Satan, or the quiet, loving voice of God?  I pray for the strength to shut out the voice of evil in my life and listen only to God.

 Defeating Temptation 

   “Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and his might power.  Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” (Ephesians 6: 10 – 11) 

   There isn’t a day that goes by when I am not tempted by Satan.  He is always near urging me to do or say something that shouldn’t be done or said.  I need the armor of God if I am to have any chance at all of defeating the evil one and the evil desires he tries to put within me.

   But where do I find the armor of God?  Where is it kept and how do I access it?  All I need to do is ask and God Himself will provide it.  In the words of scripture, in the writings of the early Church Fathers, and in the lives of the Saints are the weapons needed to defeat Satan.

   I once wrote that when I pray Satan cringes.  I believe that to be true.  When I pray, when I call on God and all His strength, Satan knows that he has lost that battle.  God will never ignore the pleas of the faithful, He will always be with me in the fight.

   I can call on Michael the Archangel to do battle with me.  He who battled Satan and exiled him and all his followers from heaven is an opponent Satan can never overcome.  He and his angels are a bullet proof vest against the slings and arrows of the devil.

   I can turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  She who gave birth to the Messiah is a mighty warrior against evil.  I believe that just the name of Mary sends Satan away.  When Jesus looked at Mary from the cross and said, “Woman, behold your son.” (John 19: 26) He wasn’t referring just to the apostle John, but to all Christians throughout time.  We are her children; she will never abandon us, and she will defend us with all her might.

   I can never defeat Satan by my own efforts, that is an undeniable fact.  But with the armor of God to protect me Satan can be overcome, his temptations resisted.

 To Know Christ 

   “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” (St. Jerome) 

   I can never come to know and follow my Lord if I fail to study scripture.  In scripture, the inspired word of God, is where I will find Him and come to better know and love Him.

   Both the old and the new testaments proclaim Christ; the old in prophecy and the new in the reality of His presence among us.  The first prophecy of Jesus appears in the first book of the Bible, “I will make you enemies of each other: you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring.  It will crush your head and you will strike at its heel.”  (Gen 3: 15).  This was the prophecy given to Satan after he had tempted Eve and Adam and they had eaten of the forbidden fruit.

   The ”woman” is not Eve, but the new Eve, the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God.  It is Mary who will reverse the disobedience of Eve with complete obedience to the will of God.  The offspring spoken of is not the offspring of Eve but of Mary, Jesus Christ.  This was the first but by far not the only prophecy of the Messiah in the Old Testament.

   If I wish to follow Christ I must know enough about Him to know where He is leading.  The gospels of the New Testament give me that knowledge.  They tell of His life and all that He did when He walked among us.  His desire to obey the will of the Father in all things is the desire that must also have.  The Acts of the Apostles and the rest of the New Testament writings show me the example of the first Christians, how they devoted themselves to worship and the spreading of the word.

   If I am to know Christ I must know scripture.  If I am to follow Jesus, I must follow the path He followed and only in the scripture will I find the way to God’s heavenly kingdom.

 The Easy Life 

   I am totally convinced that the easy life is one of the biggest causes of the problems we face in our society today.  Nothing that comes easily has lasting value.  What is truly worthwhile will always require effort and even hardship.

   The easy life says we shouldn’t have to work hard to succeed.  We look at hard work as punishment rather than the honest effort to better oneself.  Consequently, our work ethic, that willingness to work as hard as needed to succeed, has essentially disappeared.

   Gone are the days of taking a job, any job, in order to get work experience and the opportunity to move up.  We expect our first job to be well-paying with a bright future and if we don’t get it we might just as well sit at home and depend on the government to provide for our needs.  The sense of well-being that comes from working one’s way up the ladder through hard work and effort is rarely seen.

   More importantly, our spiritual life is also affected by this attitude.  Spending time in prayer and contemplation takes time and effort that many refuse to offer to our Lord.  Church on Sunday morning is the best they can muster and even that is often seen as a chore and a distraction from the fun-filled plans for the day.  Respecting and honoring the Sabbath, keeping it holy, is just too hard it seems.

   What comes easily often disappears just as easily.  What comes from God through the sometimes hard work and difficulties of Christianity is eternal. 

 Lessons to be Learned 

   If we ever stop learning we will have given up on life.  From our earliest days until our last there are lessons to be learned; lessons that can guide us and direct us on the right path.

   Of course, the greatest lessons to be found are in Holy Scripture.  There I learn of the life of Jesus and am enlightened by His teachings and the examples He set.  In my opinion the greatest of these is to put the will of the Father above my own, that His will, not mine be done.

   But there are many worthy lessons in life outside the scriptures.  I’m not referring to what we learn in school, though we certainly need a proper education.  I’m referring to lessons of life, those most often learned from the example of others.  As we observe those around us and their examples we can discern many truths.  We can see the falsehoods and the damage they cause, and we can greatly benefit from those examples which edify us in what is right and just.

   Examples, both good and bad, are of value in life.  Good examples help us to grow in our faith and recognize our own faults, hopefully giving us the courage to change to those things that need changing in our life.  Bad examples can help us to choose more wisely how to live our lives by avoiding the mistakes of others.

   I’m in my 70’s now and I am still looking for the opportunity to learn.  The writings of the Church Fathers and the saints have taught me many truths.  From the examples of holy men and women I've known, I have learned how to better live my life for God.  Most of all, the lessons found in scripture and in prayer have enabled me to grow in my faith, trust, and love of God.  If it is His will I hope to still be learning as I take my last breath on earth.