Faith Plus Love

The Lost Sheep

2011-09-30T19:41:00.012-05:00

This months's blog will be my shortest because Jesus is very clear in this parable:

Luke 15:1-7: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Always remember this scripture as Christians. There are many lost sheep out there that we can choose to ignore through the world's acceptance of the fallen world or we can decide to try to guide them towards the light of God's love and blessings.

All I can say is from my own experience, anyone who leads someone towards God and saves someone from the fallen world will receive a multitude of blessings.

Peace be with you,
Michael J. Cox

Understanding the Holy Trinity

2011-08-21T17:16:00.004-05:00

One of the least understood concepts is the Holy Trinity---the triune nature of God---three persons in one divine nature. Some of the best ways to understand the Holy Trinity involves a comparison using the sun and a coin. The sun = The Father, the sun rays = The Son (Jesus Christ) and the warmth felt from the sun = the Holy Spirit.

Another way to explain the Holy Trinity is with a coin. The heads portion of the coin is equivalent to The Father, the tails portion is equivalent to The Son (Jesus Christ) and the rim of the coin is equivalent to the Holy Spirit. All three sides make up the coin and the coin would not be a coin without all three. And the composition of sides of the coin are all made up of the same material.

The common question for those who doubt the validity of the Holy Trinity: If Jesus was God, why did he pray to God in the garden of Gethsemane?

First, Jesus was fully God and fully man. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to the Father as found in Mark Chapter 14:

Mark 14:32-36: They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

I believe Jesus prayed to the Father from his human nature to show humility. He prayed this same prayer three times.

How do we know the Jesus was God? Well, you have to believe all scripture or none of it.

John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us

How did Thomas greet Jesus after he had arisen from the dead?

John 20:28-29: Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

A few Christian denominations, who do not believe in the Holy Trinity, baptize in the name of Jesus Christ only. But scripture tells us we should be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Peace to you,

© Michael J. Cox

Father Corapi

2011-07-01T06:11:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Father John Corapi resigned as priest over the process of having to be indefinately suspended from ministerial priesthood due to allegations of misconduct from a former co-worker who he claims was a woman he tried to help. Many admirers are saddened and upset with Father Corapi's decision. Some prominent Catholics members of the media have voiced rather strong opinions questioning Corapi's decision and his integrity--even if he is innocent of the charges of misconduct.

This is big news as Father Corapi has become sort of the "Billy Graham" of the Catholic world. So I felt the need to speak up on the issue and wanted to wait until I could reflect a bit before commenting.

First, many Catholics feel that Father Corapi needs to show obedience as Padre Pio did during his life as he was falsely accused of sexual misconduct and internally attacked within the church over the validity of his stigmata. Padre Pio's faith and obedience eventually made him a saint. Many feel that Father Corapi should demonstrate the same obedience with the following scripture in mind:

Romans 13:1: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Many have quoted the following scripture that once someone is ordained a priest it leaves an indelible mark on one's soul that cannot be undone just as our baptism does, so once a priest, always a priest:

Psalm 110:4: The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

My feelings are that we need to not get caught up in all the details. Everything happens for a reason, some of which we may not understand at the time. Just like Christ's crucifixion, bad things happen to bring a greater good out it. Bad things happen to test our faith. The greater good that can come out of this is that this humbling experience will give us an even greater Father Corapi and the whole process of dealing with allegations against priests can be improved. When unproven allegations can put a priest on indefinate adminstrative leave and effectively shut down someone like Father Corapi, can anyone see here how Satan wins?

This issue has caused ill-feelings and some division within the Catholic faithful. Remember God loves Father Corapi and his accuser. He loves us all. When our world gets turned upside down, we need to look up and not horizontally looking to blame or for avengement.

We also need to remember that we are not Father Corapi. His greatest charism is preaching and teaching, not necessarily administering the sacraments like your parish priest. The Catholic faith is one of the most misunderstood religions and Corapi is a brilliant theologian that is needed in the media to help others understand our faith and lead others in the fallen world to Christ.

It has been said that there are no bad people in the world, only people with bad ideas. We are all made in the likeness of God. So when you are ready to judge Father Corapi and his decision, remember what Jesus said about getting caught up in the law:

Matthew 23:23: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

God's law is higher than any state or federal laws. None of us are Father Corapi or God. Ultimately, Father Corapi answers to God just like the rest of us. So trust that God is control here and pray for everyone involved. Even though Satan's influence is at the heart of this whole ordeal, there is no doubt in my mind that God allowed this to happen for a reason. Trust that Father Corapi knows what his situation best and what he was called to do and that he will receive an even greater blessing from God at the end of it all. That is the loving God that I know.

And remember: All fall short of the glory of God but by being closer to God, we experience His glory.

Peace be with you,

Anxiety and Fear

2011-06-15T06:06:00.005-05:00

I think we all having been consumed with anxieties and fear at some point in our life. We all probably have known a few worry warts. It is OK to be concerned about something but Worry is a sin. Why? Because it is something that does not come from faith:

Romans 14:23: But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Worry is forbidden

How should we handle our anxieties?

Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Instructed Us Not To Worry

Matthew 6:25-27: Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:34: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

A few good quotes about worry:

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. ~Leo Buscaglia

Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there. ~Author Unknown

Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway. ~Mary C. Crowley

As the Bobby McFerrin 80s hit song says: Don't Worry, Be Happy!

And pray more...

Because all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26)

Peace be with you,

Seeing Jesus In Others

2011-05-02T17:44:00.025-05:00

I was once asked what I meant in an older blog titled "Important Questions Jesus Asked About Himself." Specifically the ending question you should ask yourself regarding your spouse or spouse-to-be of: "Do you see Jesus in them?"

I felt like this deserved its own blog as it needs to be explained. In essence, as Christians, we are supposed to love others as thyself:

Mark 12:31: The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.

If we cannot see Jesus in someone, we probably are going to be emotionally detached from them and not able to love them very well.

In a prayer written by Mother Teresa, I found an excerpt from that prayer to be very fitting here in the grand scheme of seeing Jesus in everybody:

Jesus is the Hungry - to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty - to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked - to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless - to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick - to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely - to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted - to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper - to wash his wounds.
Jesus is the Beggar - to give him a smile.
Jesus is the Drunkard - to listen to him.
Jesus is the Little One - to embrace him.
Jesus is the Dumb - to speak to him.
Jesus is the Crippled - to walk with him.
Jesus is the Drug Addict - to befriend him.
Jesus is the Prostitute - to remove from danger & befriend her.
Jesus is the Prisoner - to be visited.
Jesus is the Old - to be served.

As Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “How can you love the one you cannot see, if you don’t love the one you can see?”

As a Christian when we go out into the world, there is an old saying that is appropriate here:

"You may be the only bible someone ever reads."

You may also be the only way someone will ever see Jesus. You may be the only one to show them true love, forgiveness and hope in a world consumed with self and oblivious to sin.

Love starts with loving God and then loving those closest to us. You can see Jesus in anyone. But to others, seeing Jesus in you is the love necessary to transform the world.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Good Friday

2011-04-22T07:41:00.020-05:00

One of the things that always seemed kind of twisted and morbid was calling a day of remembrance of Christ's crucifixion---Good Friday. Good Friday? What is so good about it? Jesus was taunted, spat on, mocked, beaten, whipped, stripped of his dignity and then had to carry the heavy cross that he would be nailed to and die on with a thorny crown pressed into the scalp of his head.

As Father Corapi has said, when we look at The Cross--we see the greatest evil and the greatest good. That the creature kills The Creator but The Creator dies for us out of love. Christ suffered a brutal death so that our sins could be forgiven and so that he could understand any pain and suffering we might ever go through in our lives.

This is why Good Friday truly was Good Friday. Sometimes we fail to understand or see the goodness and love of God. For just as in his crucifixion, often times bad things happen to bring a greater good out of it. The greater good here is Christ leaving us with the ultimate example of love.

And remember Christ died out of love for us so willingly. When he was about to be betrayed by Judas with a kiss on the cheek to identify him to Roman authorities looking to arrest him--What did Jesus say to Judas?

Matthew 26:50: "Do what you came for, friend"

Easter should remind of us of many things. But probably most important:

Friend, do what HE came for--LOVE

We sometimes get too caught up in the everyday minutiae of life that we forget to love.

Peace to you,

© Michael J. Cox

Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T12:34:00.015-06:00

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day--a special day for romance that was created to honor Saint Valentine, the patron saint of love, young people and happy marriages. One can't help but think of Romeo and Juliet in this instance. For those who fall into the "Love Stinks" camp, Saint Valentine was eventually beaten, stoned to death and beheaded for marrying young Christians and spreading Christianity.

Romeo and Juliet's romance ended tragically as well. Romeo, thinking Juliet was dead when she was asleep, committed suicide by poisoning himself. Juliet, upon waking up and discovering Romeo had killed himself, took her own life too with a daggar to the heart.

Jesus loved like no other on this earth and he was beaten, humilated and nailed to a cross.

What is the moral of the story here?

That Love stinks? No.

Faith

Saint Valentine had love and faith. Christ had love and faith. Those who persecuted them did not.

Romeo and Juliet had tremendous romantic love but they were weak in faith in the end.

"Where there is love, there is God also"

-- Leo Tolstoy

Great love requires great faith. If you want the love that can move mountains, it requires the faith that can move mountains. No matter how good and well-intentioned one is, we are all human and we will eventually disappoint and hurt the ones we love. Having a strong faith will give us the necessary forgiveness and patience. And being a true follower of Christ will guide in love because He was the greatest example of the love we will ever know.

Finally, love is not an emotion or feeling, love is a decision. God gave us free will, we can choose to love or not. A person's level of faith will be the greatest determinant of their ability to love. Apostle Paul told us the importance of love.

Corinthians 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Corinthians 13:2: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Love can be fatal as the examples noted above. But there are many other things that one can die from. Just remember who will be remembered most.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day

© Michael J. Cox

Riding The Storm Out

2011-01-19T17:45:00.023-06:00

There is a blizzard here in Missouri as I type this. During our life, we will go through many storms. It reminded me of a story someone emailed me awhile back.

One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, "What should I do?" He said "keep driving". Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse. "What should I do." The young lady asked? "Keep driving," her father replied.

On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!" Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!"

Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out. Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out."

She said "But why now?" He said "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm, because you never gave up your storm is now over."

This is a testimony for anyone who is going through "hard times." Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up. You don't have to...if you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the sun will shine upon your face again.

Jesus Calms The Storm

A good companion scripture for the above story can be found in Matthew Chapter 8:

Matthew 8:23-27: Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Rainbow

Just remember, after every bad storm, there is usually a Rainbow. It is God's promise that he will never destroy us and the earth again. Genesis 9:11

In troubled periods of your life, have faith and trust in God.

And...

"Don't miss all the colors of the rainbow looking for that pot of gold."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Peace

2011-01-13T18:00:00.050-06:00

One of the fruits of the spirit is peace. We spend a lifetime in pursuit of joy and happiness. I am sure that most of us have been guilty at one time or another of placing too much emphasis in finding our happiness in things of the world. I know in my youth, I placed a lot of emphasis on material possessions, sports, hobbies and achievements in search of happiness. These things did bring temporary happiness.

But with any created, worldly thing, if you try to make it your god and the focal point of your life, the happiness these things bring eventually fade and/or you will reach burn out. Then you will be moving on to trying to find the next "god" and that may lead to a mid-life crisis and depression.

God has to come first in your life. His love is the only thing that is proven to stand the test of time. Jobs come and go, children leave the nest, family members, friends and spouses unfortunately pass away, sometimes tragically at the most unexpected times. The only thing we are assured of is God's love and his promise of eternal life.

If you desire peace, you have to have the right order in life and if you are married, it should be: God, Spouse, Family and Career. Your spouse is the one who you've made a lifetime covenant to and they hopefully will be the last person left in your home when you get older and retire. Your spouse should be more than a lifetime companion, they should also help you keep strong in faith so that you reach the final destination of heaven and eternal life. Marriage and staying together is a true testament of your faith because it requires you to be Christlike and forgiving, over and over, in order to succeed.

If you have children, it is your responsibility to teach and guide them to be prepared for the world when they become adults.

Your job is important for providing for your family.

1 Timothy 5:8: But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

However, it is not God's desire to for you to sacrifice necessary time with your spouse, children and God Himself, to earn more materialistic things in life. And you don't go to heaven by "Keepin' up with the Jones," or due to your career accomplishments. God cares nothing about your career accomplishments or possessions, He only wants your love and to honor him as an obedient child.

Peace and being at peace with yourself is where true happiness comes and the source and summit of love and true sustained happiness is in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ never said, "Happiness to you" or "I leave my joy to you."

When Jesus healed 0r forgave someone, he usually told them that their faith has healed them and to "Go in peace."

The night before Jesus was arrested, he said this to his apostles:

John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

When the Risen Jesus came back from the tomb and saw the apostles, how did he greet them?

John 20:21: Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Joy comes through the Holy Spirit and being at peace with oneself.

Inner Peace

We all go through life, sin and make mistakes. How we deal with these sins and mistakes determines our overall happiness and self-esteem. The degree to which we have Inner Peace determines how well we deal with stress and anxieties in everyday life.

Inner Peace is defined as: the state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress.

The spirit of people who have not rectified their past and turned it over to God will be continually haunted by it and this will adversely affect their inner peace. This is where sacrament of confession can become very powerful, to release the baggage that we carry around with us from our past and the shackles that keeps bogging us down from being the true light of the world that we are called to be and a calm, happy spirit on a day-to-day basis.

Forgiveness

Reconciling your sins and forgiveness is essential in retaining the Holy Spirit and being at peace with oneself. You will be forgiven to the extent you forgive. I wrote a blog on our daily battle as Christians and forgiveness that goes into better depth HERE.

Division

Jesus left this world being an instrument of peace but when he entered this world, he said:

Luke 12:51: "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."

But Jesus was trying to divide the world from the "eye-for-an-eye" Old Covenant and leave the world with a New Covenant of Love and Forgiveness. Satan is the master at dividing with anger, pride, revenge and hard-heartedness. Christ came into the world to show us love and forgiveness to unite the whole world in peace.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

I Remember

2011-01-09T06:50:00.072-06:00

Things I remember:

I remember flunking my Freshman Chemistry class at mid-term and my college chemistry professor telling me that maybe I wasn't cut out to be a pharmacist, that he wanted to be a physicist but he couldn't get past Freshman Physics. Well, I retook his class and got straight A's in Chemistry 1 and 2. I graduated from pharmacy school 6 years later and have been a pharmacist ever since for 22+ years.

An old saying: "Quitters never win, winners never quit."

I remember my cousin Daniel who was a cute kid growing up and had a smile that would light up any room he entered. At a children's Christmas play this past December, an elderly lady was struggling to find a seat and Daniel saw her and helped her sit down next to him. Daniel said something like, "Don't you go to such-and-such church that my mother goes to?" She did. Sadly, just 11 days later, Daniel needlessly took his own life over a relationship squabble with his girlfriend. Ironically, the older lady who Daniel helped to her seat, was a choir singer and sang a beautiful version of "Ave Maria" for his funeral.

A Gracie Allen quote that seems fitting here:

"Never place a period where God has placed a comma."

I remember happy, young marriages of family or friends being destroyed by affairs and hard-heartedness. I remember women I loved and/or tried to help, only for the relationships to end painfully due to pride, the blame game or an absence of love.

Another old saying: "Faith makes all things possible. Love makes them easy."

They say that nobody remembers the team who lost in the Super Bowl, that they only remember the Super Bowl champion.

It is true with anything in life, it is not how you start, but how you finish that everyone will remember.

And no matter how well or poor you start off, it is also important to remember what Jesus told us:

Luke 18:27: “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

My parish priest, Father Taranto, brought up the fact in his homily this Sunday that he has had requests from people who have fallen away from God ask to be re-baptized. But only one baptism is necessary as scripture tells us (Ephesians 4:5). It is just a start and it is up to us to carry out our baptismal promise from that day forward.

And this proves a point. Many of us all start off well and good-intentioned in our intiation into Christian life at the time of our baptism. But that is the day-to-day challenge to remain Christlike and not fall off.

Remember our savior?

John 19:29-30: A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

When Jesus said "It is finished" shortly before he gave up his spirit on The Cross, He left a legacy of unsurpassed love so that sins could be forgiven. All the while, going through humiliation, ridicule, pain and suffering so that he could understand anything we may go through in life.

Who remembers Jesus Christ well?

Those closest to Him and those He touched. And even one, Peter, who He loved but denied him three times.

So remember this in your everyday life. The most important people in our life will not remember us by how many material things we possess, how much money we made, how many degrees we earned, how successful we were in our career or by any of our career accomplishments.

We will be most remembered by those closest to us for the love and forgiveness we leave behind. We will be remembered how we finish, not how we start.

A famous quote:

“For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'.” --John Greenleaf Whittier

I also remember the Tennessee Titans came within one yard of the end zone on the final play of the 2000 Super Bowl against the St Louis Rams. A touchdown would have made the Titans Super Bowl champions. I am sure that the Titans look back and wonder if they could have done one or two minor things differently and won the game.

As with the more important things in life, whether it be parenting, your marriage and with your salvation, don't live a life that you'll regret later, just try as hard as you can every day to love and live as Christ did.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

There's Something About Mary

2010-12-21T06:00:00.033-06:00

One of the things many Christians do not understand, is Catholics veneration of Mary. We do not worship her, we simply honor and respect her for what she was--a saint who was more than a figurine you drag out every Christmas as part of your Nativity scene.

Other than hearing the "Virgin Mary" mentioned in the Nicene Creed every Sunday, you rarely hear Mary's name discussed during Mass unless she is part of the rotated scripture readings or at a special Mass. But we have tremendous respect for her. Catholics aren't unique in this regard, most Orthodox Christian denominations, some Anglicans and Lutherans venerate Mary as well.

Why should Mary be venerated and considered more than simply Mother of Jesus?

Ark of the New Covenant

Mary was the Ark of the New Covenant. To understand this concept and the true meaning behind it, remember the following scriptures in John Chapter 1:

John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.

John 1:14: And then the Word became flesh

The Word became flesh in Jesus Christ.

Also remember the Ark of the Covenant which was a vessel containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed:

Exodus 26:34: Put the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place.
Exodus 40:3: Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain.

Hebrews 9:4: which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
Revelation 11:19: Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

Mary carried Jesus in her womb. Jesus came into the world and turned it upside down with a New Covenant of Love that was recorded and written in the New Testament. So in essence, Mary was the Ark of the New Covenant.

Mother of God

Mary was Jesus's mother. If you believe that Jesus was God, then Mary has to be Mother of God. To deny this would be to deny scripture and to deny that Christ was fully God and fully man. Remember what Elisabeth said to Mary?

Luke 1:42-43: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

The Greek word Theotokos (Mother of God) is literally translated into God-bearer or one who gives birth to God. The earliest use of the term Theotokos came in the middle of the third century (250AD) by Dionysios of Alexandria in an epistle to Paul of Samosata. And the title Mother of God was formally affirmed at the First Counsil of Ephesus in 431 AD.

Neither Martin Luther (the Father of Protestantism) and Protestant reformer John Calvin had issues with calling Mary "Mother of God."

God could have created Jesus from dust like he did Adam or from a rib like He did Eve but God wanted the full human experience. God loved us enough to be with us and fully one of us.

God also fulfilled His promise in Genesis by putting an enmity between the Serpent and the woman. The enmity God created between the serpent was Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Is there any coincidence that God used Mary? Eve disobeyed God by eating fruit from the Tree of Knowledge casting us with the taint of original sin. God uses a woman, The Virgin Mary, to give birth to our Redeemer of sin.

Mary is just not "Mother of God", she is our mother too.

John 19:25-27: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Note that Jesus did not say to the disciple: "Here is your sister" to denote her as simply a female Christian. He said "Here is your mother" which has a stronger, much deeper meaning.

We have a Father and a Son, God felt we needed a Mother too.

Nobody was Closer to Jesus

Mary played a role in Jesus's very first miracle at a wedding at Cana, in fact she precipitated it asking Jesus to turn water into wine (see John 2:1-10):

John 2:1-3: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

John 2:4: “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
John 2:5: His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Jesus showed humility and obliged his mother and turned the water into the best tasting wine at the wedding feast. This closeness Mary had with Jesus, her prompting of Christ's first miracle is why Catholics believe in intercessory prayer to her--especially via meditation with a Rosary.

Queen of Heaven

Mary is Queen of Heaven. Revelation Chapter 12 is our scriptural proof. Mary is the woman and the dragon is Satan symbolically revealed in Revelation Chapter 12.

Revelation 12:1-2: A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

Some Protestant scholars (perhaps in an attempt to nullify the importance of Mary?) believe that the woman mentioned in Revelation Chapter 12 refers to Israel and that the twelve stars on the woman's head represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

But the last verse in that chapter reveals otherwise. Who does the dragon, enraged at the woman, wage war against?

Revelation 12:17: Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus

If the woman was to represent Israel, did all of the woman's offspring (Israelis) hold fast their testimony to Jesus? No, not all of Israel were Christians. This is proof that the symbolism of the woman is Mary and Mary's offspring is Christ's church (those who hold fast to the testimony of Jesus).

Mary said Yes to God

When the angel Gabriel asked Mary to mother our savior, she said humbly accepted:

Luke 1:38: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Most importantly, what you can take from this blog this Christmas, is the fact that Mary said yes to God, she followed Jesus and nobody was closer to him.

This is what we Christians should do and strive for every second of our life.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Real Gift of Christmas

2010-12-09T06:00:00.046-06:00

With Christmas fast approaching, many probably wonder, what gifts will be left for them under the Christmas tree this year. As a kid, I always remember getting that one special gift each Christmas: "I've got a tough assignment for you" Talking GI-Joe, the electric race track that entertained me and the family cat for hours, Electric Football with the Kansas City Chiefs players who quickly vibrated straight for the sidelines each play.

So we are all probably wondering...

What will be the best gift we receive this Christmas?

As an RCIA sponsor, this was shared with me in my parish RCIA class and I think it is appropriate here:

The Difference Between Santa & St. Nicholas

Santa Claus belongs to childhood;
St. Nicholas models for all of life.

Santa Claus, as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales—the commercial Christmas message;
St. Nicholas told the story of Christ and peace, goodwill toward all—the hope-filled Christmas message.

Santa Claus encourages consumption;
St. Nicholas encourages compassion.

Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time;
St. Nicholas is part of the communion of saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.

Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;
St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.

Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;
St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.

Santa Claus isn't bad;
St. Nicholas is just better.

—J. Rosenthal & C. Myers

See: Who is St. Nicholas?

*************************************************************

As far as what will be the best Christmas gift this season, maybe the above will cause us to refocus. Let's take a look at our Savior and what gifts he left behind.

There are quite a few Christian denominations who subscribe to the Sola Scriptura ("by Scripture alone") doctrine--one of the five solas developed by Martin Luther.

Sola Scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. The belief that "Scripture interprets Scripture" and the Bible is sufficient of itself to be the final authority of Christian doctrine. Hold on to this concept for a minute. If scripture was able to interpret scripture properly, why do we have 25,000 different Christian denominations? Knowledge is important but the New Testament was written after Christ's Death.

So what did Jesus leave behind for us?

Jesus didn't leave us a Bible. Besides a legacy of love, Our Lord and Savior, left behind two important things.

1) His Church:

Matthew 16:18-19: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Jesus said this shortly before predicting his own death. He entrusted Peter with authority over His earthly church which mirrors Isaiah 22:20-22.

Apostolic Succession is confirmed in the book of Acts (Acts 1-15-27) and in Acts Chapter 20:

Acts 20:28: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

The Holy Bible is important. The Holy Bible contains Truth. We know that Jesus quoted from scripture..."For it is written"...to teach but what does scripture tell us is the pillar and foundation of the truth?

1 Timothy 3:15: if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth

Reading the Holy Bible and knowledge is important. As St. Jerome once said: "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ."

Father John Corapi, who has five advanced degrees in theology, has said that if knowledge was the key to sainthood, he was sure that he had enough knowledge to be canonized a Saint someday. But as he correctly noted, knowledge is not what makes one a Saint. Most of the Saints were not overly educated people.

If the Holy Bible was the most important thing Christ wanted to leave behind, He could have taken a tree and turned it into a million bibles and handed them to his disciples. But not everyone can read, not everyone can see. The most important things Jesus Christ left behind was His example of love, His church and the Holy Spirit.

2) The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is needed to properly read and interpret scripture and the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive sins was the last gift the Resurrected Jesus left behind.

John 20:21-23: Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Proof that the Holy Spirit was passed on by Apostle Paul (not one of the original 12 apostles) can be found in Acts 19:1-7

What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The above embodies the Spirit of Christ and what the Spirit of Christmas should be. We all probably have a good working knowledge of what is right and wrong, what is good or evil and sometimes we can probably recite the scripture.

The Holy Bible is a "Do-It-Yourself Manual" but you cannot do it yourself very well without proper spiritual guidance and the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is needed to guide us into doing what is right to avoid sin.

Having been to numerous churches over my lifetime, I have never been able to find a church that connects me more to the Holy Spirit than the Catholic Church. The gifts of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion which renews my baptismal promise and helps keep me alive in Christ and helps me from getting disconnected from the Holy Spirit.

So this Christmas, remember the greatest gifts Christ left behind. And the circumstances and situations in which he gave them--shortly before his death and returning from the tomb. And the greatest gift of all if we choose to receive it.

John 6:47: "Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life."

Have a very Merry Christmas!

A recommended video to watch, click HERE

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

"How Do You Read It?"

2010-11-15T20:01:00.031-06:00

Luke 10:25-37:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This parable of the Good Samaritan has another way it can be read.

Although this involved a theft of personal property and being physically beaten, leaving the man on his way from Jerusalam to Jericho half dead, how often do we find people like this in everyday life in the spiritual sense?

You see, Jericho here represents some place we feel we need to reach in life (financial success, power, love, etc). Then on our way there, the fallen world spits us out, robs us and strips us of our dignity and emotionally wounds us---leaving us spiritually half dead.

And how many of us see this person in everyday life and decide like the two others, to walk on the other side of the road. We just don't want to get involved. Afterall, they are not physically crying out for help.

How many of us recognize this person needs help and offer them the bandage for their wounds called Jesus Christ?

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light. ~Norman B. Rice

How many of us go the extra mile and bring them to the inn--in this case Church--and introduce them to the pastor (the innkeeper) and tell him to "Look after him."

The great message in all of this is that everybody is our neighbor and if you truly love thy neighbor as thyself, you want the best and greatest thing for that person: the final destination of heaven. The Holy Spirit is our GPS. This is what we should try to do as Christians, to lead others on a different pathway to the gift of life eternal.

As Jesus would say: "Go and do likewise."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Understanding Catholicism

2010-11-03T23:36:00.023-05:00

I was watching a movie the other night titled Molakai: The Story of Father Damien. Father Damien was a Belgian priest who did missionary work with Lepers in Hawaii in the mid to late 1800s. In the movie, a man (who was Protestant) asked Father Damien: "Do you honestly believe only Catholics go to heaven?" And Father Damien replied: "I am not absolutely certain. But I know that Catholics can go to heaven." Brilliant answer.

With this in mind, I feel that there are some issues that I need to discussed in this blog.

First, in my previous blog, Prayers of the Saints, I talked about why Catholics ask for intercession from saints and a little about the canonization process. Specifically, that two posthumuous miracles are required for anyone to be canonized a Saint. Well, Father Damien was canonized a saint last year in October. The second posthumuous miracle involved a woman given 6 months to live due to cancer and how she was miraculously healed. Click HERE to read this amazing story.

Secondly, for those becoming Catholic, you will not understand how misunderstood our faith is until some of your friends/acquaintances find out that you are becoming Catholic. In an age with so many different Christian denominations, I wrote a blog one year ago that sheds light on why I decided to become Catholic. It is titled: A Halloween To Be Remembered

Other blogs that I have written regarding sacraments that might be useful here are: The Benefits of Confession, The Real Presence of Christ, The Sacrament of Marriage.

But a few other things seem hard for many non-Catholics to understand, like Purgatory, mortal vs venial sins, why Catholic kneel so much during Mass, etc. So I will address a few more here.

Purgatory

Many claim that purgatory is unscriptural because it cannot be found anywhere in the bible. It is true the word purgatory cannot be found in the bible (neither does the word Trinity) but the concept of purgatory is scriptural:

But first, you have to know what purgatory is and what it is not.

Purgatory is the final purification of the elect. It is a state of being, not a physical place like heaven or hell, where after death, souls are purified before entering heaven. How is it scriptural?

In Revelations Chapter 21, it tells us that nothing impure will enter heaven.

Revelation 21:27: Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

So when somebody dies, unless they are in an extreme state of grace at the exact moment of their death, their soul is stained with sin and would not be able to enter heaven without being purified.

Catholic teaching makes no claims to how long someone stays in purgatory. Nobody knows for sure, it could be seconds or years. But it is a Catholic belief that once someone makes it to purgatory, they will eventually make it into heaven.

For those who want discount the concept of purgatory as unscriptural because "the bible only mentions heaven and hell", I would invite them to research the difference between Sheol and Gehenna in the Old Testament. Research how these words were translated in the New Testament and how the New Testament seems to draw a distinction between the two. And to research The Bosom of Abraham that involved Lazarus and the rich man found in Luke 16:22-23 which was neither heaven or hell.

Mortal vs. Venial Sins

Another concept that many non-Catholics do not understand is mortal vs. venial sins. As scripture tells us in Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin is death." Many believe all sins are created equal but scripture tells us otherwise.

1 John 5:16-17: If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

The sins that lead to death are mortal sins. The sins do not lead to death are called venial sins.

An excellent guide for determining what is a mortal and venial sin, click HERE. And after reading that list, perhaps you will understand the next topic better.

Why do Catholics kneel during Mass?

Out of love and reverence to God and Christ. It is one of the many ways to pray. The following scriptures probably explain it best:

Daniel 6:10: Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Ephesians 3:14-15: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name

Philippians 2:9-10: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Prayers of the Saints

2010-10-05T19:57:00.025-05:00

One thing many non-Catholics do not understand is praying to saints. As my Protestant father once told me about his belief in prayer: "We go directly to Jesus." So should Catholics but this doesn't mean that you cannot have others pray for you as well. I don't think I would get much argument with Protestants about their belief in intercessory prayer and the benefits associated with it. Scripture instructs us to pray for eachother:

James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Who can be more righteous than a saint?

No Contact with the Dead?

Some Protestants will state that the Old Testament prohibits communication with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-11) but what this scripture is forbiding is conjuring up spirits for the purpose of gaining information. A great example of this would be séances.

We are all One Body in Christ

Jesus came and established a New Covenant and Catholics believe what Jesus said--that true believers never really die:

John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Ironically, Jesus asked this question to Martha, mother of Lazarus, who was mourning her son Lazarus's death. If communicating to the physically dead is wrong, why did Jesus do it? Further into John Chapter 11, Jesus talked to a physically dead man (Lazarus) and then raised him from the dead:

John 11:43-44: When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

And why did Jesus talk to Moses and Elijah on the Mount?

Matthew 17:3: Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Also, twice in Revelations it demonstrates that the prayers of the saints are offered to God in heaven:

Revelation 5:8: And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 8:3: Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.

In conclusion, do what feels right in your heart. But many miracles have occurred when praying on the Rosary or when saints have been asked for their help in prayer. In fact, two posthumous miracles are required for any man or woman to be canonized a saint, no matter how holy of a life they lived or how many miracles they were associated with during their lifetime.

So as it says in First Timothy:

1 Timothy 2:1: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone

And always remember:

For God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive --Luke 20:38

Thanks be to God and for all the prayers of the saints,

Thanks Be To God

2010-09-22T23:14:00.017-05:00

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. Why? The 3 Fs - Food, Family and Football - and since it is a non-commercialized holiday where you can sit back and reflect on what you should be thankful for in your life. A lot of people pray for things they want from God but I would bet that we are all guilty of not giving enough thanks to God for things He has blessed us with.

Having been to a number of Protestant churches in my life, there is nothing more beautiful than Catholic Mass or the Catholic faith in general. But just like with the sacraments, this depends on the disposition of the receiver and their understanding of it. Too often, many go through the motions. After the first and second scripture readings during Mass, the congregation says: "Thanks be to God!"

This should be more than an empty repetitious verbal response. So giving thanks to God is the theme for this blog. Here is a good scripture reading on this subject, that involves Christ:

Luke 17:11-19: Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Only 1 out of 10 of the lepers had faith and were mindful enough to truly thank God? Has anything really changed in 2000 years? Have you known people who were truly blessed by God but discounted it or didn't really demonstrate thankfulness to God in their life?

Being Thankful For Our Brothers & Sisters In Christ

We should be more thankful for what God has blessed us with. We should be more thankful for the Christian brothers and sisters that God has put in our life along the way. Below is a passage from a letter Apostle Paul that hits home on this subject. Paul wrote this while being imprisoned for his Christian beliefs.

Philippians 1:3-10: I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ

This is a beautiful example of Christian love and a great testament to Saint Paul's thankfulness to God.

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~ William Arthur Wood

Thanksgiving Day is several months away but Thanksgiving should be celebrated every day. Even if it is only for a few seconds. We have a lot more to be thankful for than we will probably ever come to realize.

Peace to you,

A Case For The Sign of the Cross

2010-08-23T11:51:00.010-05:00

The making of The Sign of the Cross, or crossing oneself, is often mistakenly believed to be a purely Catholic ritual. Comedian Bill Cosby once joked about Catholics, calling us quiet people and that we "could communicate with God using hand gestures." Cosby also joked and said that us Catholics didn't have to shout the way Protestants did.

But crossing oneself is not just a Catholic ritual. It is used by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodoxy and to various degrees in Protestant denominations like Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist and Anglican churches.

Understanding The Sign of The Cross

The making of The Sign of the Cross isn't (or shouldn't be) an empty hand gesture, it should be used to begin prayer, in blessings by priests and accompanied by the words "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit." The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say about the Sign of the Cross:

CCC 2157 The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior's grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.

How Do You Make The Sign of The Cross?

One takes their right hand touches their forehead (which symbolizes Heaven and the Father for wisdom), then their stomach (which symbolizes the earth and the Son who became incarnate) and then shoulder-to-shoulder (which symbolizes the power of the Holy Spirit). Catholics make the motion from their left shoulder to right but many Orthodox Christians go right-to-left.

There are various ways to use the right hand for crossing oneself. Some Christians use an open hand to represent the five wounds of Christ. Others use two fingers (index and middle finger together or crossed) to represent the human and divine nature of Christ. The more common way in Catholicism is to place the thumb, index and middle fingers together to represent the Holy Trinity.

Criticism Of Its Use

Some Christians have criticized usage of making the Sign of the Cross as not scriptural. However, making the Sign of the Cross on the forehead has been a part of the early Church since the 2nd Century. But it begs the question: Does everything have to be in the bible in order for it to be a good or Holy thing? We greet people with a handshake, we wave at friends when we see them in public places, so why can't we use our hands for prayer? Prayer helps us establish and keep a friendship with God.

There are many different religions in the world whose followers all pray to a God or Gods. The use of the Sign of the Cross easily identifies us a Trinitarian Christians (those who believe in the Holy Trinity). Making the Sign of the Cross also reminds us of our baptismal promise since we were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And having sat in a special Mass for the deaf and hearing impaired, where we had someone translating the Mass readings into Sign language, it was quite moving and unifying to see these people all make the Sign of the Cross in unison with the rest of the congregation.

Why We Shouldn't Take It For Granted

I remember watching a video of the 1981 Canada Cup with a Russian hockey player friend of mine named Mikhail Kravets. In the championship game, the Soviet Union faced Canada and playing in the nets for the Soviets was the great goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. Tretiak had come under fire from Soviet hockey coach Tikhonov.

In the 1972 Summit Series, Tretiak gave up a goal to Canadian Paul Henderson with 34 seconds left in Game 8 to give Team Canada the win in the series. In the 1980 Olympics, Tretiak was pulled and replaced in the first period of Soviet Union-USA game which saw the upstart Team USA comprised of college kids defeat the Soviets in what is now called "The Miracle on Ice."

Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Americans were led to believe that most Soviets were atheist because atheism was the official religion of the Soviet Union. In fact, the Soviet Union discouraged religion and oppressed it. My friend Kravets was Russian Orthodox and he smiled and pointed out to me in the video of the championship game (between the Soviet Union and Canada) how the Vladislav Tretiak inconspicuously made the Sign of the Cross in the nets just prior to the drop of the puck. Tretiak, hunched over, disguised crossing himself by fidgeting around with his goalie glove but it was an obvious Orthodox right-to-left Sign of the Cross.

Tretiak and the Soviets went on to win that game 8-1 and take the Canada Cup. Tretiak was named Tournament MVP. Ten years later, the Iron Curtain fell and today, 72% of Russia's population consider themselves Christian.

And if anything, making the Sign of The Cross before prayer serves as a visual reminder to others of what Jesus said in Luke 14:27:

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

The Cross, whenever and however we see it, also should remind us as Christians that it represents the greatest evil--the creature kills The Creator--but more importantly, the greatest love--that Christ willfully suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us.

So in essence, it is a sign language of FAITH and LOVE

But to those who live or lived in countries where Christianity was oppressed, it was a sign language of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

In the name of The Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Will of God

2010-07-26T16:44:00.061-05:00

A recent trip to Minnesota, where I visited the beautiful Cathedral of St. Paul, caused me to delve more into Paul's life and his letters. Apostle Paul authored the majority of the New Testament Non-Gospel books (His first encounter with Christ was the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus). Anyway, I noticed a number of times Paul identified himself as:

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God"

So, I got a little curious and decided to do a search of the exact phrase "Will of God" in the NIV version of the bible on www.biblegateway.com: (Click HERE)

Curiously enough this exact phrase seems to be associated with most of the books attributed to Paul.

Here is one of my favorites scriptures using "Will of God":

Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

As Father Corapi brilliantly said in one of his talks, God is reality and a good working definition of insanity is to to be out of touch with reality. And the world we live in is out of touch with reality.

Will of God vs. Will of Man

But how many Christians--in their day-to-day lives--can discern the "Will of God" and do the right thing and take a stand for our Heavingly Father?

Jesus warns us about doing the will of the Father:

Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

How do you discern the Will of God?

Well, you have to be connected to the Holy Spirit. How do you do this? Through prayer, reading The Word and Godly Counsel. Because if you aren't connected with the Holy Spirit, you will become influenced by other type of spirits not from God--those from Satan.

Whenever you are making a decision and unsure about God's Will, ask yourself if it will please self, man or God and remember who comes first:

Colossians 3:23: And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men

But realise that being a Christian and being true to the Lord won't always endear you to those of the fallen world.

But as Saint Peter says:

1 Peter 3:17: It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

As Jesus says:

Mark 3;35:"For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

And always remember:

1 John 2:17: The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Way

2010-07-08T19:43:00.027-05:00

Many people go through life in search of love and happiness. At one time in our life we have all thought we knew how to get there and have felt that we control our own destiny. It is true that God gave us free will, so we do control a large percentage of our own destiny. We can chose to follow God and His plan and have true happiness in our life or we do it our own way and accept the consequences--which might provide short-lived happiness.

If you experience hardship in your life and are unhappy, get close to Christ. You will find peace and love:

Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord" -- St. Augustine

And remember that God is a loving god and He will do whatever it takes to get our attention:

Hebrews 12:6: because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.
Hebrews 12:10: Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

We are no different than God's Son who suffered. Christ suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us:

Luke 24:26: "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

What is the benefit of being a follower of Christ? He will do whatever you ask in His name as long as it is good for us or not a selfish, materialistic request:

John 14:13: And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

As Christians, we sometimes get discourged or get comfortable and slip back to ways of our past when we didn't live as Christians to find happiness. As Satchel Paige once said:

"Don't look back. Something could be gaining on you."

That something is probably Satan and his false hopes and lies.

Christ said something important here to his followers about not looking back:

Luke 9:62: Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

But still, many people try to do it their own way to find happiness and love. Why is this when we have Jesus Christ?

Quite a few times in scripture, Christ said "Follow me." However, Christ did not say that he knew "The Way."

Christ said He was THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE:

John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Faith, Hope and Love

2010-05-01T13:11:00.001-05:00

Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Why is love the greatest of them all? Paul tells us:

1 Corinthians 13:1: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:2: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:3: If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is the greatest of them all because it "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:7

If you want great love, you have got to be strong in faith and hope:

Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end.

~ Mother Angelica

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is love.

~ Sophocles

What is love? God.

1 John 4:8: Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:16: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Where there is love, there is God also.

~ Leo Tolstoy

If you want great love, get close to God and strengthen your faith. And have hope:

Romans 5:3-5: Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

~ Mother Teresa

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

How We Know Love

2010-04-20T10:01:00.032-05:00

A friend has this quote posted on her Facebook:

"Love is everything it's cracked up to be...It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for." -- Eric Jong

I couldn't help but think of this on two levels--the romantic level and how this also applies to our faith.

First, on how this applies to our faith. Think of the example Christ set for us as well as the early Christians. Christ willingly suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us for the forgiveness of sins and so that he could understand the pain and suffering we all go through in life. The early Christians were martyred, beheaded, throne to the lions out of love and reverence for their faith. Christ and the early Christians had perfect love:

1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

On the romantic level, love is difficult to find. You can't buy love because love is priceless. When you find love, you should cherish it and fight for it. But so many people in relationships let pride get in the way and pride always kills love. Pride is not something from above, it is from below.

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. -- Saint Augustine

Having humility is something that God desires and He will bless us when we are humble. We are all supposed to be faithful, humble servants. And this includes being faithful humble servants to ones we love because we do it for our Lord, not because our loved-ones always deserve it. True authenic love, agape love, is supposed to be unconditional because Christ's love is unconditional.

Want to find or have great romantic love? It is a two-way street. If you want great love, you have to give great love. You have to be the person you desire in your life. Christ gave us a great example of love and selflessness to follow.

If you are a single Christian and want to find great love, make sure the one you get into a relationship with goes to church regularly. Not that going to church makes someone a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes one a mechanic--but it is at least a good start.

If you have to drag them to church, don't be so eagar to drag them to the alter. My theory, if you can't love God by going to church and dedicating one hour of your time every week for Him, it brings up the question of how faithful and dedicated that person will be to you. If they don't show love and reverence for God, how well will they show you love over time?

Where there is love, there is God also.

~ Leo Tolstoy

When you invariably go through difficult stretches in your life as a couple, being strong in faith will help you get through these times. Nobody is perfect. We are all human. We are all sinners and we all will all slip up from time to time, say or do something we shouldn't have or say something in a tone we shouldn't have. We all will allow anger to overcome us on occasion and we all we will, no matter how hard we try not to, will at some point disappoint or hurt the ones we love. Being strong in faith and being united with someone strong in faith should enable us to find the humbleness to apologize and repent as well as the necessary heart to forgive.

1 John 4:12: No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

How do know what love is?

1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Christ gave us an example of perfect love:

1 John 3:16: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

If you want great romantic love that lasts forever, be united with someone strong in faith. Christ's love never ceases, neither does the love of someone made whole in Christ.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Our Daily Battle and Having a Heart of God

2010-03-15T12:21:00.030-05:00

Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Yes, this is what we fight on a day-to-day basis. I used to discount this long ago a religious craziness, but I have seen this with my own eyes. This struggle is real: a struggle between good and evil, lightness vs. darkness-between God and Satan. I recommend Father Corapi's Immortal Combat series as he is someone who has seen greater depths of this in his own life.

Yes, we live in a fallen world. Who controls it?

1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

Even Jesus didn't refute Satan's control on earth:

Matthew 4:8-11: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

But we know that Satan is fighting a losing battle, his time is short and that goodness wins out over evil:

Revelations 12:12: Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.

Satan - the Master of Lies and Division

Unfortunately, until the end of time, Satan will try to inflict as much damage as he can. He is the Master of Lies and tries to blind you from the truth:

2 Corinthians 4:3-4: And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Satan takes great delight in dividing and destroying anything that is good or Holy. He accomplishes this when we don't stay close to Christ, when we are wounded, when we make things of the world (money, alcohol, drugs, material things, etc,) our god and when we lack forgiveness:

2 Corinthians 2:10-11: If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

This is why it is important to stay close to God, through prayer, reading the bible, hearing the word in church and fellowship with other Christians. We all need friends, acquaintance friends and close friends. But we must be careful who we chose to be close friends with.

1 Corinthians 15:33: Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

As Christians, we need to be out in the world but not "of the world." Christ ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus said in Mark 2:17: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

But unlike us, Christ was free from falling to temptation from Satan. He could not be influenced to do wrong, he influenced to do what is right. Jesus helped raise the spiritually dead through example and teaching.

Therefore, we need good Christian friends around us that can lift us up and be positives influences in our life and in our spiritual journey. We need to be a light in the world and be surrounded by the light can make our light burn brighter.

"Friends are the mirror reflecting the truth of who we are." ~ Unknown

This is why we need really good Christian friends if we truly are Christian. Steel sharpens steel. If we are called to be the light of the world, then think of ourselves as candles in a world filled with darkness. A candle that burns and gives off light needs oxygen. The Holy Spirit is our oxygen. The Holy Spirit is replenished by reading scripture, hearing the word in Church, praying, Holy Communion, listening to spiritual music and fellowship with other Christians.

If we don't do these things, then we chance having our light get blown out or dimmed.

How can we can tell a Christian? By the fruits of their spirit:

Galatians 5:22-24: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Having a Heart of God

One of the fruits of the spirit not identified above is forgiveness. Why? Because forgiveness is love. God is love. So forgiveness is key to having a heart of God:

“There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” -- Bryant H. McGill

Jesus taught the importance of staying free from things that cause sin and the importance of forgiveness:

Luke 17:1-4: Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

When you do things that don't glorify God, watch out! God is a loving god and he will do whatever it takes to bring you closer to Him.

Here are some great quotes on forgiveness:

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.

~ Robert Quillen.

He who is devoid of the power to forgive, is devoid of the power to love.

~ Martlin Luther King Jr.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.

~ George MacDonald

Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again. ~ Saint Augustine

Having a Heart of God is greater than having a Heart of Gold. Because God is love and love is worth all the gold on earth.

I love you all,

That means I will always be ready and willing to forgive you,

© Michael J. Cox

A new video I recommend: Click HERE

Anger and Blame

2010-03-03T09:42:00.045-06:00

We all get angry from time to time. Whether it is when someone cuts us off on the highway, from co-workers on a stressful day on the job or to our loves ones at home. But is it OK for a Christian to get angry? Well, anger is a real human emotion.

Many people believe it isn’t Christian to get angry but God got angry at times:

Jeremiah 21:5: “I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath.”

Deuteronomy 29:28: In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.

Slow to Anger

The key here is, God was slow to anger. "Slow to anger" is mentioned 9 times in the NIV version of the bible. Click HERE

But God sent us his son Jesus Christ to serve and set an example for us on this earth. And yes, even Christ got angry at times too. Here are a few examples:

In Matthew 23, Jesus was angry at the Scribes and Pharisees and he didn't sugarcoat what he thought. Read this chapter and see how many times that Jesus calls them hypocrites, fools, and blind guides. And in Matthew 23:33, he even referred to the Scribes and Pharisees as snakes.

In Matthew 21, Jesus became angry for all the buying and selling that was going on in the temple.

Matthew 21:12-13: Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves."It is written," he said to them, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"

In Mark Chapter 3 Jesus shows visible anger with the Pharisees who doubted him:

Mark 3:5: “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

But Christ’s anger wasn’t over petty things or for selfish reasons. Christ had righteous anger that centered around moral issues (making a mockery of God’s house), leading people to do wrong, refusing to listen to God, for lack of faith, injustice, taking advantage of the poor or due to hardness of hearts.

And most importantly, knowing that we will get angry at times, we are instructed to not sin in our anger and resolve it quickly:

Ephesians 4:26: "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

Jesus tells us the importance of forgiving:

Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. "

So in our busy, hectic lives, we Christians always need to be remember the parameters of anger and how to appropriately deal with it. And also to employ the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, which are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The above spirits identify us as Christians.

Self-Control

The key fruit of the spirit in dealing with anger is self-control. Nobody really makes us get angry. We can feel anger but we don't have to show anger. There is an equation for this: Event + Response = Outcome. We may not have much control over the Event but we do have complete control over the Response part of the equation and how we react to an event.

Proverbs 25:28: Whoever has no rule over his own spirit--Is like a city broken down, without walls.

Whenever we lose self-control and get out of touch with our Holy Spirit, we are inviting Satan into our soul and expect many bad or hurtful outcomes.

Blame

The first human sin recorded in the bible is found in Genesis Chapter 3 when Eve disobeyed God and ate fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. This sin was pride as Eve disobeyed God and thought she could be like Him and gain His knowledge by eating the fruit.

The second sin was blame as Adam took the fruit from Eve and ate it and then tried to blame God--"it was the woman you gave me!"

Genesis 3:12: The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

Likewise, Eve blamed the Serpent (Satan):

Genesis 3:13: Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Here is a great quote on blame:

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy.” -- William Dyer

When we constantly blame others, we give up our power to grow spiritually. We cannot blame other people, other things or Satan for when we stumble and sin. The devil doesn't make you do it, we have to take personal responsibility for our actions because we all will be held accountable to God someday.

Romans 14:11-12: It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

A good concluding scripture:

Ephesians 4:31-32: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

A video I recommend that I think can help when you get angry and calm your spirit: Click HERE

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Authentic Love

2010-02-05T18:59:00.083-06:00

With Valentine's Day drawing near, it is probably a good time to write on the topic of love--not romantic love, authentic love. The kind of love that has no end. Also, picking up from my last blog "Does God Really Exist?" it is a good time to talk about what makes us a Christian since it deeply involves love as well.

I am sure if you are reading this blog that you do believe that God exists. I am also pretty sure that you believe that Jesus Christ exists too. This, unfortunately, doesn't really make us a "Christian." Why? So did Satan.

What constitutes being a Christian? Generally speaking, holding to Christ's teaching and loving him enough to obey him. And praying to him and asking for forgiveness when you have failed (i.e. having a relationship with Christ).

John 8:31: "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."

John 14:15: "If you love me, you will obey what I command"

Does doing good things for people who are good to you (family and friends) make you a Christian? While it certainly displays kindheartedness, read what Christ says about this:

Luke 6:33: "And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that."

Jesus also wants us to help the poor and unfortunate. God gave us two hands, one for receiving and the other for giving. Read Matthew 25:

Matthew 25:40: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Jesus taught us a lot about love when someone asked him which is the greatest commandment:

Matthew 22:36-39:"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Love God Above All

This is why our priorities in life should be: 1) God, 2) Spouse, 3) Children, 4) Career. When these priorities are out of order, expect disharmony in your life. Trust me, I have experienced this myself and seen it in other couples lives. Jobs come and go, children eventually grow up and leave the nest, careers hopefully end in retirement but your spouse is someone you've made a lifetime covenant with.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Loving your neighbor is the second greatest commandment. Who is your neighbor? Everyone.

If you love your neighbor as yourself, you want the best and greatest thing for that person: that is heaven and eternal life. You also wish for them to find love and happiness. God is love (see 1 John 4:16) and God is the source and summit of real sustained happiness. Things of this world only provide short-lived happiness. You will keep wanting more and more things, but you will find as many have, that you cannot substitute the happiness and love you get from the Lord.

We fail to love our neighbor when we don't take a stand on political issues that leads others away from God's love and mercy such as abortion and gay marriage.

Did you know that the woman in the famous court case Roe vs Wade that legalized abortion is 100% Pro-Life today?

Yes, Norma McCorvey (aka Jane Roe) is now totally against abortion and is a vocal member of the Pro-Life movement. She also turned away from a lesbian lifestyle and is now a converted Catholic. As a surprise to many, she also never had an abortion but was used politically by feminist abortion activists. Here is a link to many interviews and articles about her: Click HERE

McCorvey found like many, God is love and God is the truth. When we run from the truth, we run from God's Love and Mercy. Norma McCorvey wrote a book about her life experience, titled "Won By Love"

Our Failure To Love

We fail to love anytime we confirm someone in their sin by silence or approval. We should love the sinner and hate the sin.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines our obligation.

CCC 1868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:

by participating directly and voluntarily in them;
by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;
by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;
by protecting evil-doers.

Being a Christian means following Christ and helping build his Kingdom on earth and leading others away from traps set by Satan.

Jesus didn't say: "Come follow me and I will make you oblivious to sin."

Jesus said:

Matthew 4:19: "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

And when you take a stand on these issues, expect to be hated. Jesus warned us:

John 15:18-19: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Do Not Judge?

When you take a stand on the above issues, expect to hear the "Do not Judge" or "He who is without sin, cast the first stone" arguments. This is sometimes the brilliance of Satan. The bible tells us that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) but Satan hopes to confine us as slaves to sin. Satan is the master deceiver who wants to exchange the truth for a lie. "Do not Judge" is used by Satan as "Do not Love."

When Jesus said "Do not Judge, or you will be judged" he really meant not judge (condemn) anything before its time and not to be hypocritical (committing the same sin but judging others who commit it). See Romans 2:1.

God will judge everyone on judgment day, not man. However, we do know what the bible says about who will not inherit the Kindgom of Heaven (See: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21). And we certainly should call sin as a sin and try to lead ourselves and others away from it and grow in holiness. If we hold eachother accountable, we will all grow in holiness.

When Jesus said, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone" he made this comment about a woman caught in the act of adultery to the Pharisees who were ready to stone her to death. And even then, after he saved the woman from the stoning, he said to her: "Go and sin no more."

Jesus said for us to judge with righteous judgment.

John 7:24: "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Greatest Example of Love

What is the greatest example of Love?

Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:16: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Christ laid down his life for us in the most brutal and humilating fashion. Why? Because of sin and so that sins may be forgiven and also so that he could understand our pain and suffering. What is the depth of your faith and how much do you really love your neighbor if you don't try to lead others away from sin?

Fortunately, we don't have to be nailed on a cross and die for anyone. All we have to do is help give the world life. Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). We can give life by taking a stand for Christ in the world and in the voting booth.

And those closest to us, to speak the truth in love to help set the captives free:

Romans 6:6: For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
John 8:31-32: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

There is no end to God's love, only many beginnings

I love you all,

© Michael J. Cox

Does God Really Exist?

2010-01-14T00:53:00.006-06:00

Whether it is a family member, co-worker or friend, everybody knows someone who is either agnostic or athiest. I can appreciate those who are skeptical. As a pharmacist, I have to guard against and be leary of false claims about the benefit of drugs from Over-The-Counter drug manufacturers. I was also born in the "Show-Me" state of Missouri--so just "Show-Me."

The real stumbling block on issues of faith is that man has a finite ability to comprehend infinite things. God is infinite and God is reality.

I suggest watching this YouTube video: Click Here

We can all agree that Albert Einstein was a genius and one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century.

I remember a pastor who lived across the street from me long ago that seemed concerned when I told him that I was going to college and taking science courses for pharmacy school. I think he was worried that I would discount God in favor of science.

But just like Einstein, seeing the order in the Periodic Table, studying physics, seeing how amazing the human body works in harmony all the way down to the Krebs Cycle...the more I delved deeper and deeper into science, the more I knew there had to be a God. Science confirmed my belief in God because you can see the brilliant architect behind it all.

Science and religion do mix. As a Catholic, the Dan Browns of the world negatively and erroneously try to protray the Catholic Church out to be anti-science. Do you all remember hearing about the Big Bang Theory in high school science class? Did you realize that the "Big Bang Theory" (origin of the universe) was formulated by a Belgian Catholic priest?

Yes, Monsignor Georges Lemaître. Click HERE to read about it.

Einstein believed in God but he didn't believe in a personal God. My reasoning is that his parents were Jewish. He did not believe that Christ was the son of God. Our "personal God" is Christ. And Christ himself says that you cannot know the Father except through the son:

John 14:6-7: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

So why does God allow bad things to happen in the world?

Why does He allow evil?

Many athiests and agnostics always raise this question. And it is good question. It has made me think at times. But once again, we have a finite ability to understand an infinite God. We define our life too much on the seen and on THIS world--without knowledge of the greater world beyond called heaven.

As Father John Corapi says, just take a look at The Cross if you want the real answer for why God would allow bad things to happen. The Cross represents the greatest evil (the created kill the creator) and the greatest good (Christ willingly dies for our sins).

So in summary, why does God allows bad things to happen? Simple: To bring about a greater good.

Christ came into the world to turn it upside down. He brought a New Covenant of Love and Forgiveness to replace the "Eye-for-an-Eye" Old Covenant. Jesus Christ willingly laid down his life for all of us for the forgiveness of sins. He did so in a humiliating and brutal fashion. He experienced pain and suffering. Why? So that He could truly understand the pain and suffering we all go through in life.

The next good question that even Christians raise at some point in our lives: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why does God allow suffering? Because He is a loving God. God knows us better than ourselves and He knows what we need. God tests our faith from time to time. He tested Job, didn't he?

Hebrews 12:6: because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

Hebrews 12:10: Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

Luke 24:26: "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

What is the danger of not believing in Christ or making things of this world your god?

John 8:21-24: Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come." This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?" But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."

Faith

Faith is something that even Christians struggle with at times. But least we forget this these scriptures:

2 Corinthians 5:7: We live by faith, not by sight.
Acts 14:22: ..."We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."

Help the victims of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti this week. Below is a link to donate especially for the cause through Catholic Relief Services. Click HERE

Galatians 5:14: The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Gone Fishing

2010-01-02T13:15:00.030-06:00

I started this blog almost a year ago. According to my blog stats, I get over 1200+ page views per month and have over 250+ regular readers. My July 2009 blog titled The Mystery of The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved had a record high 437 page views in a day. Some of the readers are family and friends but many of the readers are those in CyberWorld that I do not know. Guess what? I love you all.

Ok, what is love and who should we love? Christ said we should love everyone, including those who hate us.

Luke 6:32: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them."
Luke 6:27: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you."

And as a Christian, you will be tested because you will be hated and misunderstood. Christ warned us:

Matthew 10:22: "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

And God will test you, He chastises every son he loves:

Hebrews 12:6: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Back to the concept of what love is. Is love doing good things for people? Yes, that is a part of it but listen to what Christ says:

Luke 6:33: "And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that."

The Ultimate Form of Love

So what is the ultimate form of love? Can we all agree that if you truly love someone, you would want the best and greatest thing for that person? Yes?

Well, the ultimate form of love is when you desire the best and greatest thing for that person. That is: Heaven and Eternal Life.

Matthew 13:44: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

It is undeniable. It is love in the highest degree. Heaven and Eternal Life are forever. And just like the song says, "Forever is a mighty long time."

And this is why I started this blog: Out of love. A love for you and a love for God. I am a sinner just everybody else but God loves me just as he loves you. God gives each one of us certain talents and one of mine is writing. I have authored one book: Masten Gregory: Totally Fearless. It got a movie option from James Chressanthis and it helped get Gregory into some motorsports Halls of Fame. I could spend my free time writing another book for its monetary reward. But I have all that I need and have the most important thing that brings true happiness: Christ's love and forgiveness.

So I choose to use my talents and some of my free time in helping build Christ's Kingdom on earth by writing these blogs. I don't know if my blogs have made a difference in anyone's life. I get a few e-mails of encouragement from time to time. But if my blogs help one person and get them on the path of God... if they help save one soul, then it is worth any money I could get from putting my talent and time into some other selfish pursuit.

I took Christ literally when he said:

Mark 1:17:

"Come, follow me,"

"and I will make you fishers of men."

You can't be a fisher of men any other way than following Christ. As Christians, we need to be IN the world, not OF the world, and it is our moral obligation to point other lost souls towards the light--not to confirm them in a life of darkness.

James 5:19-20: Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

And so we all need to go fishing, being fishers of mankind. Christ tells us why:

Matthew 13:47-50: "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

When the nets get pulled up someday in the future, don't you desire yourself and those you love to be good fish that don't get thrown away?

That is the ultimate form of love, when you desire the best and greatest thing for that person. To be with Christ someday, the greatest example and source of love we have ever known.

1 John 3:16: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

So go fishing instead of just a wishin'. Because in the end, you and those you love will be one of two things: a good fish or a bad fish. A winner or a loser.

A new song I love. Click HERE

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Marriage, Depression & New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-26T21:27:00.038-06:00

It is that time of year, the time of year that depression sets in for many. Shorter days, colder weather, large credit card balances from Christmas spending and maybe failed expectations from your loved one this holiday season. Time to reflect on the year and maybe your relationship/marriage has soured or isn't what you had hoped it would be and you just been trying to get through the holidays.

Well, just so you know, the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. It is always greener where it gets watered.

Contrary to what many people believe, there is no such thing as a Mr. or Mrs. Right for us. Want in on a divine secret?

God puts people in your life for a reason, it is up to you to make the relationship Holy or allow Satan to tear it apart.

In in his book "Laugh your way to a Better Marriage," author Mark Gungor says:

“The truth is, a successful marriage is not the result of marrying the “right” person, feeling the “right” emotions, thinking the “right” thoughts, or even praying the “right” prayers. It’s about doing the “right” things -- period."

Truth

Nothing in the bible tells us that God has a chosen one for us. Why? As Gungor says, "Because He knows that His principles of love, acceptance, patience, and forgiveness work, and they work all the time, every time — no matter to whom you are married.”

I wrote a blog in October titled "Important Questions Jesus Asked Himself" that goes into depth of these same principles.

Ever want to become a priest or nun and devote yourself to the Lord? Well, marriage is even a higher calling. Marriage is a Holy union between man and woman instituted by God, it provides the framework to add more children to God's Kingdom.

Marriage will test your faith and be a testament of your faith to make it work. Why? Because marriage forces you to become more selfless and Christlike on a daily basis--being single doesn't. Marriage forces you to grow up and to think less about self. To make a relationship work, you have to be less self-centered and more Christ-centered.

But today's world seems to cut-and-run in relationships when the going gets tough as Gungor says: “Then the unwise voices of modern convention scream in their minds: ‘If things are bad, you married the wrong person.’ ‘It’s not supposed to be this hard.’ ‘You’ve made a mistake.’ ‘God doesn’t want you to feel unloved.’"

But any relationship is hard work and God has to be the center of it. Perhaps this scripture tells it best:

Proverbs 14:4: Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.

And where there are oxen, there will be ox poo.

As with anything in life, whether it be your job or marriage...

Colossians 3:23-24: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

And marriage requires two people serving eachother for the Lord. I know that I want to be treated like a King. Not that type of King, like Christ who is the King. Wives, treat your husbands like Christ the King. Husbands treat your wives like Christ did the church.

Divorce - What did Jesus Say?

Mark 10:2-8: Some Pharisees came and tested him (Jesus) by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" "What did Moses command you?" Jesus replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."

"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one."

Mark 10:9: "Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Let man not separate." This means: divisive friends or family, marriage counselors that don't view marriage as a sacrament, greedy attorneys and the hard-hearted prideful spouse.

Advice From Christ

Luke 21:34-36: "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Can't think of a New Year's Resolution for 2010?

How about living a more Holy life and being more Christlike to those around you.

And judging from divorce statistics, make a resolution to work harder in your relationship and be a better parent and spouse.

John 13:34: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Its all Faith Plus Love. And when you have these, you have Hope.

A video I recommend, click HERE

Peace be with you,

Is there going to be a Christmas this year?

2009-12-17T10:29:00.034-06:00

Is there really going to be a Christmas this year? Will the real spirit of Christ be present this December 25th or will many celebrate a commercialized holiday "of the world"?

Will you celebrate the birth of our savior or will many continue to celebrate a false god of worldy things--materialistic goods that bring short-term happiness?

Remember what Christ said in John 6:48:

"I am the bread of life."

We are all hungry. We all hunger for love, peace and happiness in our lives. Christ feeds this hunger and he truly is the bread of life.

Christ was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem in Hebrew means "House of Bread."

In John 6:51 Christ says: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Is there any coincidence that the Christ child was first laid in a manger, a feeding trough?

In John 6:53-58, Christ goes on to say:

"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

But many did not believe Christ then or today...

John 6:60: On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

John 6:61: Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them: "Does this offend you?

Knowing that he was still alive and in the flesh, Jesus sets the table for Holy Communion later and "Do This In Remembrance of Me" on the night of the Last Supper when he says:

John 6:62:

"What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!"

In John 6:643-65, Christ goes on to say: "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

Sadly,

John 6:66: From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

John 6:67:

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

Have you turned your back on Christ or strayed away from him?

The Humble King

Christ was born in the humble setting of a stable, not a royal, lush palace of your typical king. He said came to serve--not to be served.

Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

He taught us to put others first and ourselves last.

Mark 9:35 Christ said: "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and a servant of all"

He taught us not to value material possessions.

Luke 12:15: Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Will the real spirit of Christ be in you this Christmas?

Will your heart be filled with Christ's love, humility and forgiveness?

That is how you can truly celebrate Christmas. For Christ to be alive in your heart so that he was not born and did not die in vain.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Lets remember the greatest gift of all.

A recommended video to watch, click HERE

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

2012

2009-11-17T08:11:00.006-06:00

There is a new movie out called 2012, in which the world as we know it comes to an end on December 21st 2012. As dissatisfied as I am with most of the movies being churned out of Hollywood for its promotion of moral relativism and violence, at least this movie has some religious symbolism and overtones.

And this movie may make many people think...

In the past, I remember a few Christian evangelists stirring up fear that there were all these signs that the end of the world was near on a specific date. Well, if have read your bible well, you will remember what Christ said about this, that even Christ himself doesn't know the day or hour:

Mark 13:31-32: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

The premise of the movie 2012 is not bad if it causes one to look at their own mortality. December 21st 2012 is only 25 months away. If we all had 25 months left to live, how would you live it? What is most important to you now? Would they be as important to you if you knew you had 25 months to live?

Since the world as we know it comes to an end in the plot of 2012, I can see how this coming Sunday's gospel from John Chapter 18 relates. When Jesus Christ's life is on the line and he comes before Roman Governor Pontius Pilate to face charges against him, Jesus Christ says to Pilate (John 18:36):

"My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

There are two key points I want to make in this scripture. The first, Christ says his kingdom is "not of this world." Have you made things "of this world" too important?

We all like money but have you made money your God?

Luke 16:13: "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Is working long hours in order to afford a nicer home and nicer car more important than your relationship with God, your spouse and children?

Matthew 16:26: What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Is your career and perceived success more important than God and your family? Are you trying to climb the corporate ladder instead of climbing the long stairway to heaven and eternal life? And are you living by the standards of this world?

Colossians 2:20: Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules

The second point I want to raise in the John 18:36 scripture, why did Christ say his Kingdom was not of this world?

"If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews."

This quote gives rise to some important questions:

Are you fighting to build and be apart of Christ's Kingdom today to those around you and those who serve you politically?

Or are you silent and ashamed of your faith?

Luke 9:26: "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

Have you left Christ handcuffed, preventing his open arms of love?

John 14:13-14: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Have you held Christ captive and at a distance in your life when the reality is that you are being held captive by this world?

Galatians 5:1: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

What the Movie 2012 Should Teach Us

It should teach us the real value of material possessions, that will someday end up being recycled or buried in a junkyard.

Matthew 6:19-21: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

It may show you where your heart has been.

It should teach us the most important things in life are relationships, our relationship with God, Christ and those closest to us.

It should also teach us the most important thing we leave behind on this earth are memories, both good and bad. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and with Christ's great example of love he left behind on this earth, may you always leave behind good memories and a legacy of love.

What the Movie 2012 Didn't Teach Us

The movie 2012 didn't teach us a few things but these three verses sum it up best:

1 John 2:15-17: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Peace be with you,
© Michael J. Cox

A Halloween To Be Remembered

2009-11-01T18:31:00.087-06:00

On October 31st 1517, four hundred and 92 years ago yesterday, Catholic monk Martin Luther pinned his 95 Theses on the front door of a Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This officially started the Reformation Period which centered mainly around Luther's dissatisfaction with the abuse of indulgences within the Catholic Church.

Luther must have had some valid points, because in Pope Leo X's Papal Bull, he only asked Luther to recant 41 sentences in all of his writings within 60 days or risk excommunication. Luther also received a summons from Rome to answer for his 95 Theses. For whatever reason, Luther never went to Rome. He publicly burned Pope Leo's Papal Bull thus resulting in his excommunication.

What was the end result of this today? There are now over 25,000 different Christian denominations, many sending conflicting messages of salvation. With so many denominations, subsets of denominations, different practices and beliefs within Christianity, it is no wonder that there are so many agnostics. Confusion is the work of Satan, not of God:

1 Corinthians 14:33: For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Why did all of this happen? It was the work of Satan. Let me explain:

In Luke 12:51 Jesus Christ said:

"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."

Unfortunately, Satan, the Master Deceiver, has the same objective. The division Christ sought to bring in the above scripture was the division the New Covenant would bring. The "Turn-the-Other-Cheek" New Covenant was radically different than the "Eye-For-An-Eye" Old Covenant. Christ wanted to Divide and Conquer the World with Love.

Satan is a Master Tactician who wants to Divide, Conquer and Destroy:

1 Thessalonians 2:17-18: But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11: If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

The division Satan seeks is unsurping God and taking great pleasure in destroying lives, our Kingdom on earth and dividing Christians. Anything Holy and good, you can bet that Satan will seek to destroy it.

Satan understands this scripture quite well:

Matthew 12:25: Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."

When researching the history of Christianity, this knowledge, is one of the reasons that led me to the Catholic Church, which origins can be traced directly to Jesus Christ and the Apostles and not to a man (Luther, Calvin, Wesley, etc).

Since Martin Luther broke off the the Catholic Church in the 16th Century, so many different Christian churches have formed and most have seen their own divisions.

Apostle Paul warned about church division

1 Corinthians 1:10-12: I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."

If Apostle Paul wrote this epistle during the 16th Century, the last line in this scripture might read like this:

One of you says, "I follow Luther"; another, "I follow King Henry the Eighth"; another, "I follow Calvin"; still another, "I follow Christ."

As Paul brilliantly points out in the next verse:

1 Corinthians 1:13: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

If greater humility and love was displayed on both sides, the Protestant Reformation may have never happened--at least not with the magnitude that is has today that has fragmented and divided the Christian faith.

Luther was once a humble monk but he did not so much want to reform the Catholic Church as he wanted to establish his own church and teach his own theology. Luther developed and promoted his own beliefs of Sola Fide (by Faith Alone), Sola Scriptura (by Scripture Alone), Sola Gratia (by Grace Alone), Solus Christos (by Christ Alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God Alone).

Discussing the validity to the Five Solas Luther promoted is a topic for another blog. But I will say that I place greater faith in theological interpretations of a group of Holy men, the Magisterium of Catholic Church, than any one man's theological interpretation and theories. Many beliefs have been debated and discussed for centuries within the Catholic Church. Some beliefs, for example, whether every soul having a Guardian Angel, is accepted by many but has yet to become Catholic dogma.

With any theological teaching or interpretation, it is always important to consider the following scriptures:

The danger of private interpretation:

Acts 8:30-31: "So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him."
2 Peter 1:20-21: "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

The necessity of testing the spirits:

2 Peter 3:15-16: "as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."
1 John 4:1: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

When you review the life of Luther and his writings, you can see a lot of anger, that he had a problem with his temper, you can see his animosity towards the Pope and a lack of humility.

Luther's Anti-Semitism

The most upsetting of Luther's writings was his treatise "On the Jews and Their Lies" written in 1543 where Luther's wrote about the Jews:

"First to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them... Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed..."

For anyone who is Christian, they will recognize that this doesn't jive with Christ's Turn-the-Other-Cheek teachings. And no, this is not Catholic propaganda, the Lutheran Church acknowledges and denounces Luther's anti-Semitic remarks but cling to his final and more Christian viewpoint towards Jews. See source below.

Source: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2166

Overall, Luther deserves credit for bringing some necessary changes to the Catholic Church. However, "The Father of Protestantism" was no saintly man and Pope Leo X was never canonized a saint either. However, despite the wrongdoings within the Catholic Church at the time, Luther seemed to be filled too much with anger, hatred and lacked necessary humility for me to be a spirit to follow.

And does wrongdoings in the Church justify many new theological teachings? It is not like Luther recreated the Catholic Church. He took seven books out of the Old Testament, placed them in the back of his bible and said they were useful reading but not inspired by God (apocrypha). Today, these seven books have slowly disappeared from most versions of Protestant bibles.

In some of Luther's statements and actions towards the Pope and the Catholic Church, and how Pope Leo X handled Luther, it brings to mind a couple of scriptures:

Hebrews 13:17: Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you
1 Peter 2:17: Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Philippians 2:1-3: If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

And always remember that no church is free from those tempted and succumbing to Satan, not even when Christ walked the earth:

John 6:70-71: Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

Perhaps, someday we Christians will be united again.

Until then, we have to work together and be united front on many issues adversely affecting the world today.

Peace be with you,

Once Saved, Always Saved?

2009-10-25T07:57:00.021-05:00

There is a belief among some Christian denominations, that once you are saved, you are always saved--that it is impossible to lose your salvation. This misguided, dangerous line of thinking was never part of the early church and seems to have originated in the 1500s with John Calvin, a French theologian and pastor during the Protestant reformation. The Father of Protestantism, Martin Luther, didn't subscribe to this theory.

So who do you believe? A theologian 1500 hundred years after the fact? Or Jesus Christ and the apostles?

Those who believe in Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS) use the following scriptures to support their belief:

1) John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

"Believes" is not past-tense word. It is ongoing and we have to believe EVERYTHING Christ taught and demonstrate it through our actions and words. When we slip up, stumble and sin, as we often do on a daily basis, we have to confess our sins, repent and ask for forgiveness. And forgive those who sin against us as well.

If our salvation was a guaranteed event, how close would it make us in our relationship with Christ?

2) John 5:24:"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

This is the danger of choosing a few scriptures to build a theory while ignoring other scriptures. You want the WHOLE Truth so read ALL of the Holy Bible. Christ also said:

John 15:5-6: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

3) John 10:28: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

God gave us free will. Satan and the fallen world can tempt us but we choose to jump from the hand of Christ or abide in Him.

4) Romans 10:9: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

But Jesus Christ himself said:

Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. "
Matthew 7:22-23: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

Why was Paul unsure of his own salvation?

1 Corinthians 9:27: No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

This verse above, the last in Chapter 9, provides a very good transition to First Corinthians Chapter 10.

Who Judges, Man or The Lord?

This "Once Saved, Always Saved" concept is the equivalent of man prejudging himself and others who enters the Kingdom of Heaven.

Apostle Paul wouldn't judge himself, he knew such power belongs to our Lord:

1 Corinthians 4:3-5: But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

If we are saved and always saved, why does Christ tell us that we have to stand firm to the end to be saved?

Mark 13:13: "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
Matthew 10:22: "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

In the Second book of Timothy Chapter 2, the following passage below tells us that if we disown Christ, He will disown us. However, Christ will be faithful when we are faithless because He cannot disown himself:

2 Timothy 2:8-13: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him, we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him.

If we disown him, he will also disown us;

if we are faithless, he will remain faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

Another scripture to ponder:

Romans 13:11: And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

If our salvation was already earned as a believer in Christ, how could we be nearer to it?

If Salvation was as simple as accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and only a past-tense guaranteed event, they why this scripture?

Philippians 2:12: Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

If our Salvation was a guaranteed event, there would be no need to work out anything.

We Do Have Hope...

Romans 8:24: For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

So be strong in Faith and Love...

Jude 1:21: Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Peace be with you,

Also be sure to check out the videos I uploaded from Father Corapi's Dinner Speech. Click Here

Important Questions Jesus Asked About Himself

2009-10-02T07:42:00.024-05:00

In a discussion on marriage, my parish priest, Father Jim Taranto, brought up three important questions we should think about regarding our spouse or spouse-to-be. Jesus was asked many questions, He answered many questions and raised many questions in order to teach his followers. But Jesus asked very few questions about himself. Here are three:

1) Who do you say I am?

In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks Peter: "Who do you say I am?"

We all have perceptions of who we really are. But how does the people closest to us perceive us?

Peter answered Jesus: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

We are not. We are all made in God's image. We may be Christian but we all sinners, we are all mortal and make mistakes. Have you forgotten your spouse's good qualities? Have you forgotten the many things they are to you? Who do you say they are to friends and family?

Also remember, with the people we love and are closest to, we tend to focus on the 20% not-so-good qualities in them instead of the 80% good.

2) Do you truly love me?

John 21:15: When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
John 21:16: Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
John 21:17: The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

Although it hurt Peter's feelings, Jesus asked him three times if he loved him. This parallels the three times Peter would deny Jesus the night he was arrested (Matthew 26:69-75).

Even Jesus needed reassurance how much he was loved. So why we would be any different?

3) Will you leave me too?

In John Chapter 6, Jesus said:

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" John 6:60

Sadly,

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:66

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. John 6:67

When your spouse loses a job, loses popularity or says something that is difficult for you to accept, are you going to leave them physically and/or emotionally?

Two More Important Questions

In addition to the three above, I came up with two more important questions

4) Why have you forsaken me?

When Jesus was dieing on the cross

Mark 15:34: And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When we are in pain, when we are sick or if we are ever stricken with a terminal illness. Or when the world comes toppling down on your spouse's head: Will you be there for them? In sickness and in health and until death do us part?

5) Who touched me?

Luke 8:45: "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."

In this instance, a woman with a bleeding disorder sought out Jesus in a crowd. She had been to many doctors and suffered with this bleeding disorder for 12 years. She touches Jesus's cloak and was healed instantly.

In times of peril and troubles in your marriage, remember who came into your life in this crowded world we live in. Remember who touched you.

And what Jesus did say to the woman with the bleeding disorder?

Luke 8:48: Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Remember who can heal all wounds and stop the bleeding.

And remember who had faith in YOU.

I guess the most important question to ask yourself about your spouse or spouse-to-be:

Do you see Jesus in them?

Peace be with you,

Take Thou: Faith

2009-10-01T05:59:00.002-05:00

Life can be difficult at times. We all experience anxieties and stress periodically. We all desire a stress-free, easy life filled with happiness. Guess what? Life is never going to be this way. It wasn't supposed to:

"We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." -- Acts 14:22

And Thank God for it.

If you didn't have some bad days, how would you be able to appreciate the really great days of your life? If we weren't tested, how well would we ever know our Lord? How would we be able to prove our love for Him?

When we experience tough times in life, don't let it push you away from Christ.

Romans 8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

The purpose of going through tough times is prove our faith and to build spiritual maturity:

James 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

So be careful not to fall into Satan's pit:

Luke 21:34:"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.

As a pharmacist, I dispense plenty of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety pills. I believe that they are good for short-term use and for acute phases of depression and anxiety. But reliance and dependence upon them are unnecessary for most people and they can potentially be addictive. All drugs have side-effects. So don't let earthly things replace God and what He can do for you.

When you are stressed and full of anxiety or depression, you need to strengthen your Faith.

Matthew 13:22: "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful."

We have something better than any prescription sleeping pill, his name is Jesus Christ.

Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

We have something more powerful than any Valium tablet:

1 Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Feel down and out, depressed, or unable to function?

Psalm 55:22: Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

When we have strong faith, we will have great Hope. Hope stands for: Helping Other People Endure

Christ gives us hope. Heaven and eternal life gives us hope. Show this hope to others.

When we have strong faith and hope, we can love others more.

What does Love stand for? Loss Of Valuable Energy

Losing Valuable Energy is necessary because LOVE is what makes the world go around as they say. We need to give this "valuable energy" to others in order to make room to receive valuable energy. Otherwise, we become spiritually constipated and eventually will become unhappy.

Getting through life is all: Faith, Hope and Love:

Faith is what gets you started.

Hope is what keeps you going.

Love is what brings you to the end.

~ Mother Angelica

In the Pharmacy industry, you'll often see the Rx symbol on signs and preprinted on prescription blanks. Rx is an abbreviation for the Latin word "Recipere" which literally means: Take Thou

So in life's trying times,

Rx: Faith

And Faith stands for, Forsaking All I Trust Him

Peace be with you,

"Be Holy! For I Am Holy"

2009-09-25T02:52:00.013-05:00

The other day, my 6 year old son found an old Talking GI Joe doll in the closet that was mine when I was his age. Talking GI Joe had life-like hair and a beard. In the technology Stone Age of the late 60s, this was an awesome toy for a young boy. GI Joe had a draw string on his back and when you pulled it, there were four different phrases he would say. With age and normal wear-and-tear, GI Joe began to say one phrase over and over. No matter how many times I pulled it, he just kept saying the same thing:

"I have a tough assignment for you!"

What does that have to do with religion? Well, it reminded me of Father Corapi's Immortal Combat series (about our spiritual battle against Satan) and the tough assignment we Christians have on a day-to-day basis. Especially, when I read this command from God in Leviticus 11:44:

"Be holy, for I am holy."

1 Peter 1:13-16: Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

This reminded of another phrase Talking GI Joe used to say: "This is going to be rough. Can you handle it?"

Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Yes, being Holy and like God is a real challenge. Judging from a poll I found on the Internet, many Christians aren't even sure what it means to be Holy.

So what does being Holy mean?

HOLY: Spiritually whole or sound, of unimpaired innocence and virtue, separate from sin, set apart for God, pure in heart, pious, saintly, acceptable to God, dedicated or devoted to the service of God

How does one become more Holy?

Ask this question and you'll get a variety of answers. I wrote a previous blog in June "How to do I become a Better Christian" that can help but remember the importance of being humble. As Father Corapi says, "No Humility, No Holiness. No Holiness, No Heaven."

Matthew 23:12: For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Hebrews 12:14: Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Talking GI Joe's third phrase: "We must get there before dark. Follow me!"

Yes, as Christians, we should reach out to those in the world before darkness sets in and be like stars that illuminate the night sky. We accepted this challenge when we chose to follow Christ.

Job 30:26: Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness.
Matthew 4:19:"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Finally, the fourth phrase Talking GI Joe used to say was: "Mission accomplished. Good work, men!"

This comment reminds me of the scripture below if we fight the good fight in this spiritual battle on earth until the end:

Matthew 25:23:

His master replied,

'Well done, good and faithful servant!

You have been faithful with a few things;

I will put you in charge of many things.

Come and share your master's happiness!'

Talking GI Joe, Spiritual Action Figure. Weapons (Bible, Crucifix, Rosary, Holy Water bottle) sold separately.

And if you can't tell, yes, I played Army men with my son. That helps too.

Matthew 18:3-4: And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Humbly Yours,

The Sacrament of Marriage

2009-09-21T17:00:00.023-05:00

Marriage is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is one of the many reasons why I chose to become Catholic. But what is the scriptural proof that marriage is a sacrament? First, we have to know the definition of what a sacrament is.

What is a Sacrament?

A sacrament is "outward signs of inward grace instituted by Christ for our sanctification."

Another definition of a sacrament is: "a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery."

Since the New Testament was originally written in Greek, not Latin, the word for sacrament we find in the Bible is the Greek word mysterion, "mystery." Sacraments are something of a mystery, something we cannot fully understand.

Marriage as a Sacrament

Most Protestants don't view marriage as a sacrament. John Calvin was very influential in this line of thinking. Calvin wrote:

"Lastly, there is matrimony, which all admit was instituted by God, though no one before the time of (Pope) Gregory regarded it as a sacrament. What man in his sober senses could so regard it? God's ordinance is good and holy; so also are agriculture, architecture, shoemaking, hair-cutting legitimate ordinances of God, but they are not sacraments."

This is not true.

More than a eleven hundred years before Pope Gregory and the Council of Trent (1545-1563), Saint Augustine (Augustine of Hippo) stated:

"Among all people and all men the good that is secured by marriage consists in the offspring and in the chastity of married fidelity; but, in the case of God’s people, it consists moreover in the holiness of the sacrament, by reason of which it is forbidden, even after a separation has taken place, to marry another as long as the first partner lives . . ." (Source: St. Augustine, De bono conjugii - chap. xxiv in P.L., XL, 394)

The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) was the first to list marriage in the official list of church's seven sacraments.

As Catholic Encyclopedia explains: "The reason why marriage was not expressly and formally included among the sacraments earlier and the denial of it branded as heresy, is to be found in the historical development of the doctrine regarding the sacraments; but the fact itself may be traced to Apostolic times."

Calvin's Viewpoint

Backing up to Calvin's viewpoint, the difference between marriage versus agriculture, architecture, shoemaking, etc, is that these vocations lack a mysterious bond that unites man and woman.

When a man and a women are married, they are united as One:

Genesis 2:24: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Mark 10:7-9: 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.

Ephesians 5:31-32: “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall I be one flesh. This mystery is great; but I speak in regard to Christ and the church.

Earlier in Ephesians, what is marriage compared to? Christ’s church.

Ephesians 5:23: For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Ephesians 5:25: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

And what makes marriage higher than any vocation? What is often the result of this union? God willing--Children--more potential members in Christ's Kingdom.

Malachi 2:15; Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring.

And God won't hate it if you divorce your career as a farmer, architect, shoemaker, etc. God does, however, hate divorcing your spouse.

Malachi 2:16: "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel

Christ's First Miracle

Is it any surprise where Christ's first miracle was performed and what his first miracle turned out to be? At a wedding at Cana when he turned water into wine. See: John 2:1-11 The covenant of marriage parallels the New Covenant Jesus brought to the world. See: Luke 22:20

Building Your Marriage Around God

The following scripture shows the benefit of marriage and hints at the importance of making God the center of it.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down, his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

The three strands in the cord above are husband, wife and God. Simple math: 1 + 1 = 2. Whereas God's math: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 (Husband + Wife + God = One). God is the steel strand in the cord. If you center your marriage around God, Satan will not be able to unravel it, divide it or break it.

Given the fact the U.S. has the highest divorce rate in the world, it is important to understand the real purpose of marriage. It isn't necessarily to make us happy, it is to make us more Holy. Ultimately, our happiness comes from our Lord.

Just like religious vocations in the priesthood, we are called to devote ourselves to our spouses as priests devote themselves to their flock. More importantly, as Christ gave himself up for us. That is why marriage is compared to Christ's church in Ephesians. Loving and forgiving the one closest to us, is a great day-to-day test of our Faith.

So please remember:

Colossians 3:13: Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Ephesians 5:25-28: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:22-24: Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

And also remember, in troubled times in your marriage and everyday life:

Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Don't let Satan ruin your marriage with selfishness, pride and anger.

Pray for humility and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you,

Alcohol, Drugs and Happiness

2009-09-11T09:00:00.024-05:00

I am sure that quite a few people have been impacted by alcohol or drug use in their own life or with someone close to them. Nineteen percent of alcoholics are married. One out of thirteen deaths in the U.S. are alcohol related. Since many alcoholics and drug users resort to drinking or doing drugs to escape from the real world or to elevate their mood, this blog will look at the summit and source of real happiness.

Alcohol/Drug Use

Simply stated: drugs and alcohol, if abused, ruin lives and can destroy marriages. Most people who use drugs or abuse alcohol have had trauma in their past and are wounded spirits. They are depressed and are seeking something else to fill void.

As Father John Corapi brilliantly described in his talk on Humility, if we are wounded physically, lets say we get shot with a bullet in our arm, we bleed. But eventually the wound heals up. Yes, sometimes an infection can set in. We have antibiotics for that.

But when our spirit is wounded, Satan is an opportunist and loves to enter these wounds and inflict more damage.

What is our antibiotic spiritually? Jesus Christ.

Instead of using alcohol to fill the void, fill yourself with the third person of the Blessed Trinity--The Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Since most people who use or abuse alcohol or marijuana suffer from depression, how much sense does it make to put something into your body that is a Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant? That is the equivalent of throwing gasoline onto a fire.

Alcohol doesn't make you a rational thinker, more peaceful or wise.

Proverbs 20:1: Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

And being around those who have had problems with alcohol, do not do anything that could cause them to stumble.

Romans 14:21: It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

Happiness

"Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible." -- Saint Augustine

Happiness in today's fallen world can be traced to human psychology and the desire to have everything we want in life now--I called it our Drive-Thru Happiness mentality. There have been studies on humans (and lab mice too) that show we tend to opt for immediate gratification without regard to future consequences. That is, we place more emphasis on current happiness than what is really best for us in the long run.

Blend this with all the wounds that our society receives in early life and what are the outcomes? Drug and alcohol problems, sexual promiscuity, eating disorders, materialism, high divorce rates, spending problems, etc.

This desire for instant happiness is an example of emotional immaturity of lost souls and relates to what Dr. Jerome Murray calls stimulation hunger:

Stimulation Hunger- This includes demanding immediate attention or gratification and being unable to wait for anything. Stimulation hungry people are incapable of deferred gratification, which means to put off present desires in order to gain a future reward. Stimulation hungry people are superficial and live thoughtlessly and impulsively. Their personal loyalty lasts only as long as the usefulness of the relationship. They have superficial values and are too concerned with trivia (their appearance, etc.). Their social and financial lives are chaotic.

It is important to remember that patience and self-control are fruits of the spirit that identifies us as Christians without wearing a crucifix around our neck.

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The Ultimate Happy Meal

If you feel empty inside, how about the ultimate Happy Meal? His name is Jesus Christ.

John 6:35: Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:53: Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

And don't overrate happiness of earthly things or think the purpose of marriage is to bring happiness. Happiness comes from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ--through His Love, His Forgiveness and the promise of heaven and eternal life. The purpose of marriage is to make us more Holy. The purpose of hardships in our life is to test us and draw us closer to Christ and to make us stronger Christians.

2 Corinthians 12:10: That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

French philosopher Joseph Joubert once said: "Happy is the man who can do one thing: in doing it, he fulfills his destiny."

True, but let me expand on that:

Happiest is the man who lives a life for Christ. His destiny is the greatest reward: heaven and eternal life.

Matthew 13:44: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

Get high on the Holy Spirit and eternal life, not on drugs or alcohol.

And always remember:

"The only real failure in life is the failure to get to heaven at the end of it." -- Father John Corapi

Peace be with you,

What are Angels?

2009-08-20T08:12:00.154-05:00

Angels --they are frequently mentioned in scripture, in Pop songs and are often depicted with wings and robes in movies, cartoons, artwork, etc. But do you really know what they are?

What prompted me to write this was my recent visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackwanna, New York--arguably the most beautiful church in the United States. It is estimated that 1,500 to 2,500 angels can be found in the basilica in the sculptures and artwork as they were a fondness of the church's founder--Father Nelson Baker.

After leaving the Basilica, seems as if everywhere I turned after this visit, I was constantly reminded of Angels and how much more I felt I needed to know about them.

One can write a whole lengthy book on Angels and their role, I will try to keep this blog short.

What is an Angel?

First, it is best to look at what the word angel means. Angel comes from the Hebrew word malak, Latin word angelus, Greek word aggelos; meaning messenger "one going" or "one sent."

So what is an Angel?

This is complicated as the more you delve into the scriptural research of angels at Greek Septuagint level, the more you learn and then you realize that how little we really know about them. And many theologians are confused. Catholic Encyclopedia gives us insight as to why there might be confusion:

The word (angel) is used in Hebrew to denote indifferently either a divine or human messenger. The (Greek) Septuagint renders it by aggelos which also has both significations. The Latin version, however, distinguishes the divine or spirit-messenger from the human, rendering the original in the one case by angelus and in the other by legatus or more generally by nuntius.

Too often I have found in various articles about angels, the tendency for human reasoning to turn angels into a square peg and then fit them into a square hole. I became frustrated trying to do the same thing. It came as a relief to me that I came to the same conclusion as St. Augustine did that it was easier to describe what angels DO than what angels are.

As St. Augustine said:

"'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'"

Overall, here is what I think is the best definition of an angel:

Angel - Spirits that are messengers and servants of God

This scripture gives us the most insight:

Hebrews 1:14: Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

With all the various scriptures that mention angels, you will find that angels come in many different forms and apparently have different roles. There is a belief of an Angelic Heirarchy that consists of nine choirs organized into three spheres:

1) The first sphere of Angels (Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones) are believed to work as heavenly guardians of God's throne.

2) The second sphere of Angels (Dominions, Virtues and Powers) are believed to work as heavenly governors.

3) The third sphere of Angels (Principalities, Archangels and Angels) are believed to function as heavenly messengers and soldiers.

Although this is a general belief of many Early Church Fathers, as Catholic Encyclopedia states: "Though the doctrine it contains regarding the choirs of angels has been received in the Church with extraordinary unanimity, no proposition touching the angelic hierarchies is binding on our faith."

Guardian Angels

Belief in angels is an article of faith but this is not the case with Guardian Angels. We all like to believe that we have a Guardian Angel (I believe I have one). It is a general belief within the Catholic Church that we do. However, as Catholic Encyclopedia states:

"That every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith, but it is the "mind of the Church", as St. Jerome expressed it: "how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it."

The scripture that leads many to believe that we have Guardian Angels is this statement Jesus made:

Matthew 18:10: "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."

If you read the context in which Christ was quoted in the above scripture, Jesus was talking about children being the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps, since we are all God's children, if we humble ourselves like a little child as Christ recommended, we all will have Guardian Angels into adulthood.

Can Humans be Angels?

You probably remember the television show, Highway to Heaven, starring Michael Landon who plays Jonathan Smith--a probationary angel sent back to Earth to help people. There is confusion about what angels are, pure spirtual beings or if humans can be angels like the Michael Landon character in Highway to Heaven.

We know from scripture that man was made lower than angels:

Psalm 8:5: You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

There are some who believe that angels can reveal themselves as humans. When Peter was freed from prison by an angel in Acts Chapter 12, many people were amazed and thought at first it was Peter's angel.

Acts 12:15: You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."

I have a strong belief that if a human experiences sudden death and is revived, it is possible that they can come back as an angel--a messenger, not the winged creatures we most associate the word with.

The Mangy Donkey Story

Father Josemaría Escrivá, a Spanish priest who later became canonized a Saint, had an interesting encounter. From Francis Fernandez's book, In Conversation With God:

Once during a time of intense anticlerical persecution in Madrid a would-be aggressor stood menacingly in Josemaria's path with the obvious intention of doing him harm. Someone suddenly stood between them and drove off the assailant. It all happened in an instant. The protector came up after the incident and whispered to him: "Mangy donkey, Mangy donkey," the expression Blessed Josemaria used to refer to himself in the intimacy of his soul. Only his confessor knew about this. Peace and joy filled his heart as he recognized the intervention of his Angel.

I have a similar story, it confirmed my faith. Someday I will be brave enough to write about it.

Anyway, probably the best scripture to conclude with here is:

Hebrews 13:2: Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Peace be with you,

The Mystery of The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

2009-07-12T19:23:00.111-05:00

This blog probably will seem like a theological debate that you aren't interested in. It may be somewhat controversial to some. But give this a chance as I think you will like the message at the end. I propose to solve a mystery in the bible. Whether it is really right or wrong is probably not as important as the message.

One of the longstanding mysteries of the bible is the unknown disciple ("The Disciple Whom He Loved") who was at the foot of the cross at Jesus's crucifixion:

John 19:25-27: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

This "disciple whom he loved" has been a subject to debate amongst biblical scholars for centuries. The general consensus is that it was John The Evangelist. Some believe it was James, others believe it was Mary Magdalene, Mark The Evangelist or Lazarus.

This wording of the "Disciple whom he loved" is found four other times in the bible, curiously enough all in the Gospel of John (John 13:23, John 21:7, John 21:20 and John 20:2). This is why many think it was John and that it was a more neutral way for an author to refer to himself.

Well, yesterday, from completely out of the blue, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. That this disciple whom Jesus loved was worded that way in scripture to be symbolic for all Christians (part of my theory) so that we could identify with being at the foot of the cross with Jesus. I did some research online and found that Martin L. Smith, an Anglican priest and writer, theorized the same idea:

Perhaps the disciple is never named, never individualized, so that we can more easily accept that he bears witness to an intimacy that is meant for each one of us. The closeness that he enjoyed is a sign of the closeness that is mine and yours because we are in Christ and Christ is in us.

This makes sense until you do more research...

What We Know About The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

So here are some things that what we know about this disciple:

1) The disciple was male. In (John 19:27) it states that this disciple took her (Mary) into his home. For conspiracy theorists who think it was Mary Magdalene, both the Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus (early manuscripts of the Greek Bible) both confirm that it was a male who took Mary into this disciple's home.

2) He had to been one of the Twelve Apostles. He was at the Last Supper the night of Passover. Although Leonardo Da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper depicts a womanly looking figure next to Jesus, chalk this up to artist interpretation. There are only Thirteen people in Da Vinci's painting (Jesus plus the 12 Apostles). Plus, there is no mention of anybody else (not Mary or Mary Magdalene) being with Jesus at the Last Supper other than the Twelve apostles:

Matthew 26:20: When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.
Mark 14:7: When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.
Luke 22:14: When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.

3) He was a real person, not fictitious. Simon Peter asked him a question ("Ask him which one he means?" John 13:24) and then this disciple asks Jesus who will betray him ("Lord, who is it? John 13:25).

So this couldn't have been a fictitious character to symbolize all Christians if "The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved" had dialogue with Peter and Jesus.

Who Was The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved?

So who is this disciple whom Jesus loved? I propose it was Judas Iscariot. You might be saying "Nonsense" and want to quit reading. I know what could be going through your mind right now from an emotional level or biblical scholar standpoint but I will address them all:

1) The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved was the one who betrayed him? You might be insulted because there aren't a lot of positive feelings associated with the name Judas Iscariot. Most view him very negatively as a traitor. Judas was also referred to as a thief (See John 12:4-6). Even Jesus likened him to the devil John 6:70-71: "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!"

2) You might say Judas Iscariot couldn't have been this disciple at the foot of the cross because he hung himself shortly after he helped turn Jesus over to authorities:

Matthew 27:5: So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Note that this scripture passage does not confirm that Judas was successful in hanging himself. In fact, there is an apparent scriptural contradiction on how he died. Read on.

Controversy About How Judas Died

The following scripture found in Acts suggests that Judas Iscariot did not die from hanging:

Acts 1:18: With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.

There are good arguments to show that these two scriptures don't really contradict themselves. But I won't go into them because they don't matter with my theory. There are other scriptures that support my belief that Judas could have been the disciple at the foot of the cross and that he lived long enough to see the resurrected Jesus.

Sidebar: One thing I have wondered, this field Judas bought in Acts, could it have been the field where Jesus was crucified (or a symbolic reference) because it was referred to as the "Field of Blood" in Acts 1:19?

Proof that Judas Saw the Resurrected Jesus

To set the stage for my contention that Judas lived to see the Resurrected Jesus, read this passage:

John 21:20-23: Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

Who was the first apostle to die or the closest apostle to death? The overwhelming consensus is Judas Iscariot. But when?

Now here is proof that supports that Judas saw the resurrected Jesus. Luke 24, Matthew 28, Mark 16, and John 20 give accounts of the Resurrected Jesus appearing to the apostles. PLEASE NOTE: that ELEVEN apostles were there in Luke, Mark and Matthew's testimony.

Luke 24:33-37: They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. Jesus Appears to the Disciples While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
Matthew 28:16-17: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Mark 16:14: Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

The assumed missing apostle has always been thought to be Judas. But in John 20, Thomas (also affectionately referred to as "The Doubting Thomas") appears to have been the missing apostle:

John 20:24-25: Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

The real defining truth that Judas did see the Resurrected Jesus comes from Apostle Paul where he says Jesus appeared to the Twelve:

1 Corinthians 15:3-5: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

Some will argue that the Twelve disciples here includes Matthias who replaced Judas (See Acts 1:18-26). However, earlier reading in Acts Chapter 1 show that this occurred after Jesus was taken up into Heaven.

Conclusion

Why wouldn't this "Disciple Whom Jesus Loved" have been Judas Iscariot? Doesn't this test you as a Christian about being judgmental? Does it test your faith in Christ since Jesus asked this disciple to take Mary into his home? Could there have been a more perfect and greater example of the depth of Christ's love and forgiveness if this were Judas Iscariot?

Judas was a thief. We have all stolen something at one point in our life, it doesn't have to be property.

"Attribute to God every good that you have received. If you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft." - St Anthony of Padua

Judas betrayed Jesus. We have all betrayed Jesus at some point in our life. We betray Jesus and His teachings when we don't love our neighbor, when we lack humility, when we allow people to starve, when we fail to forgive and have a hardened vengeful heart, when we treasure worldly things above our Father, etc.

And we betray Jesus's teachings when we fail to love our enemies...

Jesus Still Called Him Friend

Just like us, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him. Shortly before Jesus was arrested, Judas told the authorities that he would signal who Jesus was by a kiss on the cheek. What did Jesus say to Judas?

Matthew 26:50: Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."

Judas Repented and Returned The Silver

Judas was a sinner just like us, but most importantly he was remorseful and repented:

Matthew 27:3-4: When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."

This is why it makes perfect sense that Judas was this unknown disciple who was at the foot of the cross. Jesus's death was something he freely accepted. Judas was merely an instrument in a divine plan. Jesus died on the cross for our salvation, so that sins could be forgiven. And so He could understand the humiliation, pain, agony and suffering we have to go through in life.

Sadly, we have all been somewhat like Judas Iscariot yet...

Jesus still calls us friend

And when we turn our back on Christ, and move away from his open-stretched arms, we all become "The Disciple Whom He Loved"

Join Jesus at the foot of the cross every day.

Repent your sins and feel the power of His Love and His Forgiveness.

Peace be with you,

How do I become a better Christian?

2009-06-23T20:00:00.033-05:00

If you believe in Christ, you have probably asked yourself: How can I become a better Christian? I have asked myself this question many times during my life. I am still seeking everyday how I can become a better servant. I don't claim to have all the answers and I welcome input from others because it is tough being Christlike every minute of the day. But remember, God isn't finished with any of us yet. I will share what has helped me and the simple answer is being Holy. The key to being Holy is cultivating and growing the third person of the Trinity that dwells within us--The Holy Spirit.

So how do I become more Holy you ask?

1) Go to Church - As Americans, we are all getting physically fed quite well, but are you getting spiritually fed? This is important so that you don't drift off into fallen world we live in as it is easy to do when we lose our focus in life. In our Give-Me-Now culture, don't expect to be spoonfed because serving God requires passion, patience and participation on our part.

Remember what Jesus said was the first and greatest commandment?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)

Going to church is part of remembering the Sabbath day, loving God and keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8). And also remember...

Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing." -- St. Clare of Assisi

2) Read the Bible - If you want to be a better Christian, we have a book--the Word of God-- the Holy Bible. It is a book of love. If you want to BE the book, you first have to read and then know the book well. As St. Jerome said "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ." The Bible wasn't intended to gather dust on your shelf, it wasn't intended to be used solely in life's crises and it wasn't supposed to be a Do-It-Yourself manual (See Acts 8:30-31). You need all the help you can get and that is why #1 above is important.

3) Pray More - In our busy lives, we forget to pray. Prayer establishes a friendship with God. And if you really need to get in touch with your Holy Spirit during trying times, try praying the Rosary. The meditation on the Rosary beads will help connect you with your Holy Spirit and the Rosary is praying the Gospel. I was once skeptical about this from Protestant criticism of repetitious prayer but Christ himself prayed the same prayer three times (See: Matthew 26:39-44).

In Revelations 4:8, the Angels in heaven kept saying night and day "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Which brings up another point about praying, prayer shouldn't always be about our own selfish requests. Pray for others and remember to thank God for the many ways He has blessed your life. And He has when you really take time to think about it.

And when do you know when you are praying enough?

"He prays best who does not know that he is praying." -- Saint Anthony of Padua

4) Be Humble - Humility is something that is generally lacking in American culture. Just turn on the TV and see how athletes carry on after they score. Pride, arrogance and greed are all opposites of humility and are sin. God gives grace and lifts up those who are humble.

1 Peter 5:5: ...All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

"Attribute to God every good that you have received. If you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft." -- St. Anthony of Padua

5) Fellowship with other Christians - It is important to have people around us that will help build us up. You are the company who you keep as the old saying goes. If you are a Christian, you need a circle of friends who are trying to follow the Lord. Otherwise, you may be prone to stumble due to improper influences in the world we live in.

1 John 1:7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

6) Fill the portals of your soul with Holy things. When you travel, be sure to visit Holy places. I make a point of visiting the most beautiful church wherever I travel. You can also see God in the wilderness. Listen to Christian music (some of my favorites are listed on the Music section of this blog) and watch and read spiritually-based book, movies or documentaries. I recommend new movies like Fireproof, classics like Lilies of the Field, Steve Ray's Footprints of God series documentaries or any of Father John Corapi's talks, especially his series titled Immortal Combat. Which leads me to my next point...

7) Learn the lives of the Saints - We spend a lot of time watching garbage on television and at the movie theatres. Some of us read books on politicians, celebrities and the Bill Gates of the world. They may be interesting stories but why are you really reading them? Do you fantasize about becoming rich, powerful or famous? None of these are important to God. As Father Corapi says, "The only real failure in life is the failure to reach heaven at the end of it."

If you want to become a better Christian, try reading or watching movies about the lives of Saints--even if you are Protestant. The Saints are filled with great wisdom and character. Christ gave us an example to follow on earth but reading about mortal people who sacrificed their lives for the Lord can help us and give us hope.

Proverbs 24:14: Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

8) Make your home a Domestic Church - The early Christians had to practice their faith underground due to fears of persecution. Many practiced their faith in their homes. So treat your home as a Domestic Church. Start off small if you need to, dedicate a room or two as a pure place free from swear words, arguments and other sin. Fill it with crosses, religious pictures/articles to serve as reminders. Dedicate other rooms over time until your whole house is incorporated.

9) Love Thy Neighbor - I put this last, not because it is the least, because it needs to make a lasting impression. Jesus said Loving Thy Neighbor was the second greatest commandment and like the first (Loving God Matthew 22:37):

Matthew 22:39: And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

"What is the mark of love for your neighbor? Not to seek what is for your own benefit, but what is for the benefit of the one loved, both in body and in soul." -- St. Basil the Great

St. Therese of Lisieux, the patron saint of Mother Theresa, was a Carmelite nun who knew that is was impossible for her to perform heroic acts or great deeds. So she approached life, as she called it, in her "little way" by being committed with love to the tasks and people she met in her everyday life. And having the humbleness and simplicity of a little child, who is trusting and expects all things from its father.

Conclusion

God is Holy (Psalm 99:9) and The Holy Spirit is a gift of God's love (Romans 5:5). In the grand scheme of things, as Christians, we should approach life like that of the Honey Bee. The Honey Bee goes from flower to flower collecting nectar, all the while pollen collects on its body and cross-pollinates other flowers, plants and trees. The end result is beautification of the world. The Honey Bee cross-pollinates cotton used to make clothes, many sweet fruits and vegetables. Of course, the end product of the nectar the Honey Bee collects is sweet.

And in Loving Thy Neighbor, remember this with those who are close to you:

“A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.” -St. Francis de Sales

God is patient with us, so be patient with Thy Neighbor.

"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving." - St. Francis de Sales

See with your heart, not your eyes, and may your words be sweeter than honey.

The Greatest Love Story Ever Written

2009-05-20T14:57:00.083-05:00

What is the greatest love story of all-time? If you were to ask this question on the streets, you probably would get a variety of answers like Romeo & Juliet or Gone With The Wind. These are great stories filled with romance but all pale in comparison to the greatest love story of all-time: The Holy Bible.

Why is the Holy Bible the greatest love story ever written? Just read it. God is love (1 John 4:8). Every scripture of the bible, if it were broken down like a molecular structure into atoms, the atoms would all reveal love.

But what makes The Holy Bible the greatest love story is that it is non-fiction and contains the greatest and highest examples of love: philia love (brotherly love, the love between friends as Jesus had with His Apostles) and agape love (the unconditional, selfless type of true love).

And if you like steamy romance novels...

"My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him."
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine.”

“How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves.”

These quotes didn’t come from Romeo & Juliet or some Harlequin romance novel, they are found in your very own Holy Bible in Song of Songs/Song of Solomon.

Song of Solomon 1:13: “My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.”

Song of Solomon 4:5: “Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.

No, those weren’t references to the Bosom of Abraham. As Pope Benedict XVI states in his 1st Encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (Latin for "God is Love") and something every Christian should read:

“According to the interpretation generally held today, the poems contained in this book were originally love-songs, perhaps intended for a Jewish wedding feast and meant to exalt conjugal love.’

God’s Love For Us

More importantly than romantic love, is God's love for us. God sent his son Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins and so that he could understand our pain and suffering. As sinners we are not worthy, but this is proof of God's love. grace and mercy:

1 John 4:7 : You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 2:4-5: But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Love Is A Choice, Be Pro-Love

Whether is it loving our spouses, loving God or loving our neighbor as ourselves, they are all the same in God's eyes and Love is a choice. God gave us free will. We choose to love our spouses as Christ loves us and be committed to them until death do us part or we dishonor God's commands "I hate divorce."

In loving our neighbors, we choose to help our friends and the less fortunate or we ignore Jesus’s teaching and life on earth. In our relationship with God, we choose either good or evil, lightness over darkness, or eternal life vs. death.

I can't help but think of the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice issue here. As Christians, Jesus calls us very clearly to be Pro-Love. Love the unborn by voting in leaders who will end this needless homicide and love those who were troubled and misled into having an abortion.

Jesus said to his disciples John 15:11-19:

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

Jesus didn't say to love one another only if they think like you, look like you, dress like you, or only if they are a nice person or if you know them well.

In fact, Jesus even tells us to love our enemies:

Luke 6:27-28: But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:32-33: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.

Our goal and purpose in Life

God is love and he wants us to have an eyelash-to-eyelash relationship with him. We can only achieve this through faith plus love. We must love & forgive again, and again, and again… as God loves us and as Jesus Christ demonstrated for us.

As Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “How can you love the one you cannot see, if you don’t love the one you can see?”

If you don’t know what your purpose in life is, it is to love God and all in his Kingdom on earth and to strive for eternal life.

As Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said: “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

As for those who subscribe to Sola Scriptura, remember that Jesus Christ never wrote a book while on this earth. He taught orally, yet he authored the greatest love story through His actions. We need to read the book, know the book, but most importantly, we need to live the book—the book of love. As the old saying goes, "You may be the only bible someone ever reads or the only Jesus someone sees."

Unlike Clark Gable’s Gone With The Wind character, the line in the script of our life should be “Frankly, my dear, I do give a damn.”

So, it should be quite clear, our challenge—every day—while on this earth... is to author our own great love story.

I love you

The Real Presence of Christ

2009-05-01T09:00:00.047-05:00

Do you believe in the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion (aka The Eucharist)? For most of my adult life, I thought this was hokey midevil nonsense because I couldn't understand it. I just couldn't rationalize how bread and wine got turned into the body and blood of Christ.

As a clinical pharmacist who grew up in the "Show Me" state of Missouri, I feel that am much more skeptical about things than the average person. I have to be skeptical because I am exposed to bogus claims from Over-The-Counter drug and herb manufacturers who put a lot of money into poorly designed drug studies to show that their product is beneficial for specific health issues/diseases for the sole purpose of selling more of their product.

With all of this in mind, I can understand why some Christians don't believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I also realize that nothing I could write here will convince a non-believer because belief comes through the power of the Holy Spirit. However, I will show you how I rationalized my way towards having an open mind on the issue--and what a wonderful and powerful sacramental gift I have received.

Three important scriptures to note beforehand:

1) Remember that as Christians, we live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

2) Wherever two or more come together in Christ's name, Christ says he will be there (Matthew 18:20). Having Christ's presence inside of us through the Eucharist is even more spiritually powerful than around us as I will testify about later.

3) The concept of Real Presence should be easier to understand than it is because Jesus tells us that whatever we ask in his name, he will do (John 14:13-14)

"This is my body"-- Jesus Christ

Jesus told us very plainly in three of the four Gospels:

Matthew 26:26: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Mark 14:22: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."Luke 22:19: "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

Note: Jesus did not say "This is a symbol of my body"

The Gospel of John is considered by most scholars to be the last of the four Gospels written (completed around 90-100AD) and the ushering in a new covenant of Jesus's body and blood is noticeably absent. It is believed by the time that The Gospel of John was written, the Church was already practicing Holy Communion (proof in Paul's writings below) and John instead chose to write about the humbleness of Jesus washing Peter's feet the night of the Last Supper.

Apostle Paul

Apostle Paul also wrote his testimony of the Last Supper in First Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 11:23-25: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Holy Communion Purely Symbolic?

Apostle Paul died somewhere around 67AD. Here is Paul's clarification that Holy Communion was not symbolic and proof that Holy Communion was part of the very early Church:

1 Corinthians 10:16: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 11:27-30: Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

Would partaking in a symbolic act cast judgment on oneself if it was purely symbolic? Paul says only if we do so without recognizing the body of the Lord and says that is why many of the members of the Corinth Church were weak and sick.

The Church after Christ's Ascension

Many Christians were persecuted for their beliefs until Roman Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan that legalized Christianity in 313 AD. In the early stages of Christianity, Christians church services were conducted in homes and secret caves. Proof of the celebration of the Eucharist can be found in the book of Acts:

Acts 2:42: They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:46: Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

Early Church Fathers

Whether you are Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant, these 1st and 2nd Century church fathers below are your church fathers as well. Why? They are key figures in the advancement of Christianity because they had to practice Christianity underground until Roman Emperor Constantine and most were brutally killed for our faith. Some were accused of cannibalism for the belief in Holy Communion and Real Presence.

What They Said

Ignatius of Antioch (ca 35-110 AD) Also known as Theophorus. Third Bishop of Antioch behind St Peter and Evodius. Sentenced to die by Roman Authorities due to his Christian faith. He was sent to the Colosseum where he was eaten by lions.

"They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes." (Source: Letter to the Smyrnaeans 7:1 [A.D. 110]).

Justin Martyr (ca 100-165 AD) Also known as Justin The Philosopher. A pagan who converted to Christianity. He suffered death by beheading with six of his students due to practicing an illegal religion (Christianity) under Roman Prefect Rusticus.

"And this food is called among us the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh." (Source: First Apology 66 [A.D. 151])

Irenaeus of Lyons (ca 115-202 A.D.) A disciple of Polycarp, who was said to be a disciple of John the Evangelist.

Then, again, how can they say that the flesh, which is nourished with the body of the Lord and with His blood, goes to corruption, and does not partake of life? Let them, therefore, either alter their opinion, or cease from offering the things just mentioned.But our opinion is in accordance with the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn establishes our opinion. For we offer to Him His own, announcing consistently the fellowship and union of the flesh and Spirit. For as the bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly; so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity. (Source: Against Heresies Book 4 Chapter 18:5 Circa 180 A.D.)

Tracing Real Presence Through History

If you look at the history of Christianity (Click HERE to see chart), the belief of Real Presence followed churches which split off from the Catholic Church.

5th Century Splits

The Assyrian Church's confirmation of the belief in the Real Presence:

"The baptized faithful receive the body and blood of Christ under both species of bread and wine, and the "real presence" of Christ is understood in the elements." Source: Link

The Oriental Orthodox churches belief in the Real Presence:

"I believe, I believe, I believe and profess to the last breath that this is the body and the blood of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which he took from our Lady, the holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of God." Source: Link

11th Century Schism

The Eastern Orthodox Church, which spilt off from the Catholic Church in 1054 over an issue regarding the Nicene Creed (the Filioque Clause), believes in Real Presence:

"The eucharist is always given to all members of the Church, including infants who are baptized and confirmed. It is always given in both forms -- bread and wine. It is strictly understood as being the real presence of Christ, his true Body and Blood mystically present in the bread and wine which are offered to the Father in his name and consecrated by the divine Spirit of God. Source: Link

16th Century Reformation

Martin Luther, the "Father of Protestantism" and founder of the Lutheran Church was well-known for having his disagreements with the Catholic Church. However, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist wasn't one of them.

In Martin Luther's Small Catechism (1529) Part 6 (English Translation) it states this about Holy Communion:

"It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under bread and wine for us Christians to eat and to drink, established by Christ Himself." Source: Link

My Personal Testimony

Overall, the following research demonstrated to me that there was a preponderance of evidence in the belief of Real Presence and that Holy Communion was something that was a part of the early church. It also convinced me that Jesus was to be taken literally when he said:

John 6:53-56 "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him."

When Jesus says, "Take and eat, this is my body", it has broader implications than human flesh and especially to Jews at the time. Jesus's body is EVERYTHING: His body, His teachings, His spirit and His soul.

This is why the Eucharist is so powerful. Every time I have taken Holy Communion, I have felt a tingly warm sensation in my body, sometimes across my back, other times in my chest. But this share in divine life is only for true believers. Unfortunately, we as humans have a finite capability of understanding an infinite God.

As Father John Corapi says, the sacraments work so long as we don't put an obstacle in the way. That obstacle for many is faith. Even if you have faith, things are received according to the disposition of the receiver. Overall, I feel blessed that I have finally found my way to the fullness of Christ every Sunday. I hope the Holy Spirit leads you there as well.

Peace be with you

Vacation

2009-04-22T00:41:00.009-05:00

If you are the average American, you are probably thinking about what you are going to do with your vacation time this year. A part of living the American dream is taking the family away somewhere each summer. You work hard, grind it out each year, endure a lot of stress but the carrot-on-the-stick is always the summer vacation. Whether it’s a trip to the beach, the majestic mountains, an ocean cruise, a journey to a beautiful tropical island resort or driving across America with the kids in the backseat (another reason to love the seatbelt law). We all look forward to the vacation.

It is kind of ironic how this parallels life. The purpose of the vacation is to replenish our energy banks for another year, go to some beautiful destination and to have happy times around our family. In life, we are in pursuit of happiness with the hope of eternal life with our family in the real paradise called heaven. How great is heaven?

Matthew 13:44: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

Jesus Christ is our travel agent & guide in the Big Picture.

You can try to get to navigate to heaven without Christ but you will fail. You may have some good times and see some beautiful scenery. And in our life on this earth, just like in the National Lampoon movie Vacation, you'll see some underwhelming things along the way like the World's Largest Ball of Twine. You'll experience some unfortune like having your hubcaps stolen in East St Louis, sadness and bad timing with Aunt Edna dieing, financial hardship like Cousin Eddie, temptation by the Blonde in the red Ferrari, and the fear and agony of being stranded in the desert like the Griswolds.

John 1:2-3: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

But in the end, this WallyWorld called heaven won't be closed to believers.

"Good God, Morning!"

If you are in search of happiness, never underestimate the importance of refilling your spiritual bank with the Holy Spirit on a weekly basis by attending church. You should strive to refill it daily.

As Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, do you wake up and say "Good God, Morning!"? Try waking up and saying "Good Morning God" and thanking him for the many ways he has blessed your life--and he has when you take time to think about it. Pray more as praying establishes a friendship with God and Christ.

We can achieve gratification and happiness from things of the world but they are temporary. Why? Ultimately, sustained happiness comes through our Lord.

Ecclesiastes 2:26: To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Are we there yet?

Are you happy? What is happiness? Being at peace with yourself. Saint Augustine said it best:

"Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord" -- St. Augustine

When we finally arrive at our end destination in this life on earth, we all hope to hear: 'Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master's happiness!'

Until then...

Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you

Freedom in the "Land of the Free"

2009-04-04T12:51:00.040-05:00

One of the sad ironies of being a Christian living in the "Land of the Free", is that our "freedom" has resulted in a decay of our society and has enslaved many.

As Father John Corapi said, we live under a false premise in society that Freedom is the ability to do whatever you want to do. That is license and we have become a very licentious society. Freedom is supposed to be a good thing but there is a fine line here. God gave us free will, but freedom also gives us the ability to choose good or evil. And unfortunately, our lawmakers have given us too much "freedom".

As Father Corapi points out, "the more you abuse Freedom, the more you lose Freedom." Under the pretext of Freedom, many people today have become prisoners of sin or worldly things: materialism, drug addictions, alcohol abuse, pornography and a host of selfish pursuits that take away from our spouses and children.

1 Corinthians 8:9: Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
Galatians 5:13: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

What is the result our "freedom" as Americans? Unhappiness, depression and guilt later in life, the degradation of our society, broken families from the above problems and "No-fault divorce" laws that easily split families and make a mockery out of the "Until death do us part" sacrament of marriage. Want proof of the state of our nation? Anti-depressants are the most prescribed drugs in America today. (link)

Everything on earth is of God but the spirit of this world is not--we live in a fallen world. Just turn on the television and see shows like "Sex and The City" which glorifies promiscuity and all the sex, drug use and violence in the movies. On the political front, liberalism and radical feminism has pushed for abortion on demand, No-Fault Divorce (aka divorce on demand), and Gay/Lesbian marriage. The Domestic Church (The Family Unit) and building block our society is under attack and endanger.

Three out of four Americans are Christians: WE are the majority. We have to take control of our lives, our country and help those around us to keep them on the path of God. As Christian parents, we need to care about what our children are watching on television, the music they are listening to and the computer games they are playing. If their eyes are filled with things that glorify sex, drugs and violence, don't be shocked later with the output. As Father Corapi says, its GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out). Put Godly things into the portals of our souls and Godly things will come out.

As a loving parent, remember discipline is needed. It is OK to be soft-hearted but dont be soft-headed. Most importantly, don't follow the standard of what other parents allow their kids to do. You should aspire for your children to be of good moral character, to be leaders and hopefully model citizens prepared for the world when they become adults. You aren't going to get this following the ways and norms of the secular world on childrearing.

In marriage, God has a divine plan for the Domestic Church. Husbands need to be spiritual leaders of the home and love their wives as themselves like Christ loves the Church. Wives need to submit and respect their husbands. The latter goes contrary to American culture and radical feminism which preaches women to be independent and that men are immaterial. Every woman needs to be financially independent but independence and doing whatever you want goes against the grain of marriage when two become one flesh.

In the current culture, is it any surprise that two out of every three divorces are initiated by women? Is it any surprise the U.S. has one of the highest divorce rates of any industrialized nation in the world? Is it any surprise that behavorial disorders and criminal behavior is strongly linked to fatherless homes? (link) The breakdown of our society is largely due to the breakdown of the Dometic Church.

Women's Lib/Men's Lib

We must realize that real Liberation and Freedom is found in Christ and that real authentic human freedom cannot exist apart from the truth. It is no better stated than in the Catechism of The Catholic Church:

Liberation and salvation. By his glorious Cross Christ has won salvation for all men. He redeemed them from the sin that held them in bondage. "For freedom Christ has set us free." In him we have communion with the "truth that makes us free." The Holy Spirit has been given to us and, as the Apostle teaches, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Already we glory in the "liberty of the children of God." CCC 1741

A couple of scriptures that support this:

John 8:31-36: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
Romans 8:1-2: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Galatians 5:1: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Why we have failed

We Christians have failed because we have been complacent, weak, spineless and silent. We have been silent by failing to vote, silent by not writing our politicians on key moral issues. We have been silent with family and friends who stumble in their daily lives. We have adapted the philosophy that if it doesn't hurt or affect me, it doesn't matter. As Father Corapi said: "How else can you participate in the sin of another, BY SILENCE! And we have had a deafening silence for too many years." (link)

CCC 1868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them: 1) by participating directly and voluntarily in them; 2) by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them; 3) by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so; 4) by protecting evil-doers.

Ultimately, we all are paying for the silence of sin.

Why have we been silent? Because we don't want to take a stand for God. Jesus wasn't afraid to take a stand.

Matthew 21:12-13: Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"

As Christians, we have been misguided into silence by the thinking "He who is free of sin, cast the first stone." It is important to note here that Jesus made this comment to a woman caught in the act of adultery, at a time when adulterers were stoned to death. If we take the viewpoint that we are sinners and should remain silent because we too sin, then we are a doomed society. Who then, will be eligible to raise us up on earth and steer us down the right path towards God? Because every pastor, preacher, or priest is a sinner as well.

It is also important to note that Jesus did not condemn the adulterous women but he did say "Go and sin no more!" As Christians, we have to be an instrument of Christ, we have to raise eachother up and not condemn those who sin: love the sinner, hate the sin. If we truly love our family and friends, we have to will the very best thing for them: heaven and eternal life.

James 5:19-20: Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

And as Christians, the best way to lead a brother or sister down the right path is being a living example of scripture ourselves.

1 Timothy 4:12: Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Titus 2:7-8: In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
Romans 8:9: You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

In the battle between good and evil, between God and Satan, we all know who is victorious in the end from Revelations. Don't you want to be apart of the winning team? Don't you want your family and friends to be on the winning side as well? Do you care enough about the world our children will inherit?

Then stop being a silent spectator!

Ephesians 2:1-2: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Don't give into sin and the ways of the world, free the Holy Spirit inside of you and let it make a difference to those around us and in the world.

The Benefits of Confession

2009-03-10T06:00:00.010-05:00

The recent Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino made me understand why some cradle Catholics become lapsed Catholics. I highly recommend the movie despite its language and violence because Gran Torino does contain a very central Christian theme in the movie. I won't give too much details as not to reveal spoilers but Eastwood portrays a lapsed Catholic widower named "Walt Kowalski." Kowalski is a stubborn Korean War veteran who wasn't fond of the idea of confession and especially to the young priest in the movie Father Jankovich.

I feel that the confession part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is something that keeps many away from Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy. We all are embarrassed by our sins and we don't like talking about them. Some Christians feel that our sins are between God and ourselves and they don't feel that they need to confess their sins to anyone. However, scripture shows us that confession is good and that Jesus gave the apostles the ability to forgive sin:

James 5:16: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

John 20:21-23: Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
2 Corinthians 2:10: "If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake."

Confession Requires Humility

I feel that Confession is something keeps many away from the Catholic church. Does anyone really like to confess their sins to someone else? I know that I don't but we have to remember the importance of humbling ourselves before God:

Peter 5:6: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

James 4:6: "...'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

Jesus tells us of the importance of being humble like a child:

Matthew 18:3-4: ..."I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Why Confession is Good

It is often said that churches are the hospitals of the emotionally wounded. Many Christians carry around lot of "junk in the trunk" emotionally from their past. It is often easier for us to forgive someone else's sin against us than our own sin sometimes. However, for others it is not. If we hang on to sins committed against us, it is against God's will and the Devil loves a vengeful hard heart. Satan is an opportunist and he loves to enter these emotional wounds and inflict more damage. Remember the power and importance of forgiving:

Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Matthew 18:21-22: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Confession helps keep us on the right path spiritually and helps us unload the unnecessary emotional baggage we carry around. Whether you think that your sin is personal in nature, chances are that it still affects somebody or is a sin against building God's Kingdom on earth. One can confess their sins to a member of church, but confessing your sins to one central figure like a priest prevents your sin from being spread and distorted through gossip (another sin).

Whether or not that you believe a priest can forgive sins through the power of the Holy Spirit, confessing your sins to a priest does allow a well-educated spiritual man to give you advice if you continue to stumble.

Here is where my own life experience comes in. I was a casual friend of the late Darrell Porter (1982 World Series MVP). Before I came to know Darrell, he fought his own battles with drug and alcohol addiction when he played baseball in the 1970s. It was with the Kansas City Royals that he got his life together and became a born-again Christian. He wrote a book about his journey titled: "Snap Me Perfect: The Darrell Porter Story. "

Darrell was one of the most beautiful Christian men you would ever hope to meet. A devout family man and Christian that had a radiant personality. Darrell was always smiling and doing work for the Lord and telling his story. He was a very active member in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Friends said he led bible studies at his Baptist church. He always signed his autograph with a scripture. The autographed baseball I have, he signed it with Proverbs 3:5-6.

Well, one Monday afternoon in August 2002, sadly Darrell was found dead at a local park. Dead at age 50. Shockingly, an autopsy revealed that he had died from effects of cocaine use. Like so many, I just couldn't believe it and thought he had gotten his life together for good. I cried at the loss of such a good man and especially the thought of how devastating his loss had to be his wife and children.

Many times since his death, I often wondered if Darrell had ever confessed to anyone that his personal demons had resurfaced and that he was stumbling again. I also wonder if he had been Catholic and had to confess his sins, that he might still be alive today.

If this blog hits too close to home for you, I hope that do something about it. Don't be too proud or stubborn like Walt Kowalski to humble yourself and make a confession. Humility is one of our weapons against Satan. Remember too, humility is Christlike because Jesus gave us the most ultimate example of humility:

Philippians 2:8: And being found in appearance as a man, he (Jesus) humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

“Do This In Remembrance Of Me”

2009-03-05T13:11:00.044-06:00

One of the first truths I uncovered in my spiritual journey was the need for Holy Communion (aka The Eucharist or Lord’s Supper). My mother was Catholic and my father came from a Protestant background and later became Assembly of God. Consequently, I was never baptised as an infant so that I could decide my faith when I got older. One of the Catholic beliefs that I struggled with growing up was the belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Some Christian denominations believe Holy Communion is only a symbolic act. Well, as the bible tells us, all scripture is God inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). You can’t believe some parts of the bible and not all of it. And scripture shows the importance of the Eucharist and supports the real presence of Christ in it as I will demonstrate below.

If we are all followers of Jesus our eyes and ears should perk up whenever he is quoted in the bible. And it should be important on how we remember him. So how does Jesus Christ really want us to remember him? With a special holiday for his birth? By wearing a crucifix around our neck? By putting up a nativity scene at Christmas? With a “Honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker? All of these are good things but in Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25, Jesus was extremely clear on how he wanted us to remember him.

Luke 22:19: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

1 Corinthians 11:24: “and gave thanks to God for it (bread). Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25: In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it."

So it should be obvious how Jesus wanted us to remember him. He doesn’t say how often we should “remember him” but I feel that this distinguishes the difference between gathering together in his name for fellowship, prayer, hymns and learning (as he says whenever two or more gather in his name, he will be there) versus attending a church service that fully honors Christ.

As followers of Jesus, I feel that an integral part of a church service should be remembering Christ (as he asked to be remembered) everytime because Jesus Christ is the head of the church. If we are the Body of Christ, we should desire the fullness of His body.

Symbolic Act or Real Presence?

So now comes this issue of whether Holy Communion is a symbolic act or one with the real presence of Christ. Jesus tells us:

John 6:53-56, Jesus says "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”

Some Christian denominations believe that Jesus was talking in parables here and they believe that Jesus’s teachings are the flesh and blood. They point out scriptures in John Chapter 6 (6:35 and 6:48) when Jesus says “I am the bread of life.” It is important to note that John was the only one of the four Gospels that did not write a personal testimony about the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (link).

Proof of Real Presence

Apostle Paul gives us the insight that Holy Communion has the real presence of Christ to the members in church in Corinth with the following scripture:

1 Corinthians 10:16: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

If Holy Communion was just a symbolic act with no real presence, why does Paul indicate the seriousness of eating the bread and drinking from the cup when he says we should examine ourselves before doing so? Read below:

1 Corinthians 11:27-30: Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

A beautiful contemporary Christian song I recommend everyone listen to is "Upper Room" found at this link. It is the third song on the picklist: http://www.catholicmusicnetwork.com/cmn_cd_detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=50559

Please note my May 1st, 2009 blog on Real Presence

__Faith Plus Love__

The Lost Sheep

Understanding the Holy Trinity

Father Corapi

Anxiety and Fear

Seeing Jesus In Others

Good Friday

Valentine's Day

Riding The Storm Out

Peace

I Remember

There's Something About Mary

The Real Gift of Christmas

"How Do You Read It?"

Understanding Catholicism

Prayers of the Saints

Thanks Be To God

A Case For The Sign of the Cross

The Will of God

The Way

Faith, Hope and Love

How We Know Love

Our Daily Battle and Having a Heart of God

Anger and Blame

Authentic Love

Does God Really Exist?

Gone Fishing

Marriage, Depression & New Year's Resolutions

Is there going to be a Christmas this year?

2012

A Halloween To Be Remembered

Once Saved, Always Saved?

Important Questions Jesus Asked About Himself

Take Thou: Faith

"Be Holy! For I Am Holy"

The Sacrament of Marriage

Alcohol, Drugs and Happiness

What are Angels?

The Mystery of The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

How do I become a better Christian?

The Greatest Love Story Ever Written

The Real Presence of Christ

Vacation

Freedom in the "Land of the Free"

The Benefits of Confession

“Do This In Remembrance Of Me”

Faith Plus Love