Faith alone? Don't read out of context...

 Faith alone? Don't read out of context...

Many of you remember that I used to be a Baptist, and most Baptists, especially the Southern Baptists, believe that the Catholic Church is one big Cult. They love “saving Catholics” by explaining that it is by “faith alone” that we are saved. I used to believe this myself and went evangelizing with my church members every Thursday night. The Catholics were the only folks that would let us in, or at least when I was with them, and they were so easy to lead down the "Roman Road".

I have a lot of scripture here, and I have underlined or italicized some verses for emphasizing the point. 
All scripture here is from the New American Bible and I have included the Links to it via the USCCB website. 

The cry of Martin Luther when he led his rebellion against the Catholic Church was “sola fide”, faith alone! He was using his incorrect translation into his native German language, of Romans 3:28. He was saying that we do not need to do anything else to insure we go to Heaven, saying that the “good works” prescribed for us to live by is not necessary that all we need is to believe in Jesus. No more confession, no more doing charitable works, etc. He even went so far as to say “if one commits adultery while in faith, it is not a sin”. This of course called for clarification and a correction by the Church at the Counsel of Trent.

Romans 3:28

For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from “works of the law”.

This verse is talking about the actual book called “the Works of the Law” which the Jews lived by and were taught and judged by. It was based on the Levitical Laws and the “Laws of men” that were added by the Ancient Judges for when specific decisions had to be made to resolve issues that came up with the people.

This book was not actually known to exist until a copy was found in one of the caves at Qumran, one of the” Dead sea scrolls”, in 1947. This book, literally titled “works of the Law” or “precepts of the works of the law”, set the Theological world and Protestant worlds into a spin, as it changed many of their interpretations of these words in scripture.

In that Paul was actually talking about a specific thing, the Laws of the Jews regarding how many sheep they can sacrifice, how long they may keep a slave before releasing them, not admitting the blind and lame into the Temple, no dogs in the city of Jerusalem etc.

Dr. John Bergsma on the Dead Sea Scrolls

So he was telling them that obeying the “works of the law” will not save (justify) them, but by faith in Jesus the Christ will they be saved. He later goes on to explain further in much more detail (and repetition) that we are saved by faith and that grace, that comes with the faith, will naturally lead us to obey the laws or commandments of God and Jesus Christ. The scriptures and notes below will show you that Martin Luther’s claim of “faith alone” was not accurate.

Romans 3:19-20, 21-31

19 Now we know that what the law* says is addressed to those under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world stand accountable to God,

20 since no human being will be justified in his sight by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin.

*Here Paul uses the term “Law” to mean all of the scriptures, Law of Moses.

Justification apart from the Law.

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets,

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction;

23 all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.

24 They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed,

26 through the forbearance of God—to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith.

28  For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from “works of the law”.

29 Does God belong to Jews alone? Does he not belong to Gentiles, too? Yes, also to Gentiles,

30 for God is one and will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

31 Are we then annulling the law by this faith? Of course not! On the contrary, we are supporting the law.

Clearly here, if you follow the context, Paul is talking about the Jews “works of the Law” and whether it is to be forced on the Gentiles, or if not to the Gentiles, does that mean the Jews should ignore the Law? Looking back at Romans Chapter 2, this is an important guide for this reading:

12 All who sin outside the law will also perish without reference to it, and all who sin under the law will be judged in accordance with it.

13 For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified.

14 For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature observe the prescriptions of the law,

  they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the law.

15 They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts, while their conscience

  also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them

16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge people’s hidden works through Christ Jesus.

This conversation and Paul’s explanation continues in Chapter 4 and into Chapter 5. He is explaining how all those that came after Abraham and before the “Law of Moses” were justified in their faith in God’s promise. Then, when the Law came in, the Law made sin and the Law increased sin because of its existence, because if there were no law to tell them that something was a sin, then sin would not exist. But the Law still has its validity for the Jews, but for the gentiles, it is their faith that brings law into their hearts. 

Romans Chapter 5:17-21 

17 For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.

18 In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all.

19 For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.

20 The law entered in so that transgression might increase but, where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,

21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So it is through “grace” that we are justified, and that “grace” comes from our faith in Jesus Christ. After Faith, comes Baptism, and then Obedience to God.
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) has volumes recorded on this topic, like:

1257    The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.⁶⁰ He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them.⁶¹ Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.⁶² The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” 

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Romans Chapter 6: 1-4, 12-17

Freedom from Sin; Life in God.

1 What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not!

2 How can we who died to sin yet live in it?

3 Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

12 Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires.

13 And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness.

14 For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.

Here Paul is telling us that just because we have been justified by faith and not the Law, we should not continue to sin. So don't think that you can say you love Jesus today, and tomorrow go rob a bank and not have to pay for it.

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not!

16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

17 But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.

Paul again says that since we no longer are slaves to the sin we had before Christ, in our hearts, we have become obedient to what we have been taught.

We are saved by the faith we have in Jesus as our Christ and Savior, and if He is truly in our hearts, we will obey his commandments by the grace that comes with our Baptism into his death. Because the commandments are in our hearts, we will obey Jesus and God and live according to Christ’s example.

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CCC:

1276    “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20).

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Another example that Baptists and other Protestants like to use is the example of the sinner on the cross with Jesus. They say his faith saved him; he didn’t have time to do any “good works”.

But thanks to Dr. Scott Hahn and the Lighthouse Catholic Media CD, “The Seven Last Sayings of Christ” I am better able to explain what really happened in this short discussion with Christ and the other sinner on the third cross.

Luke 23:39-43

39 Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.”

40 The other, however, * rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?

(* The sinner rebukes the other criminal.)

41 And indeed,* we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.”

(*The sinner accepts responsibility for his own sins, confessed his guilt)

42 Then he said, “*Jesus, remember me when you come into** your kingdom.”

(*The sinner confesses that Jesus is the King, and ** asks Jesus for forgiveness and shows his faith in asking for Jesus to remember him when He comes into His Kingdom.)

43 He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

I cheated and added notes between the scriptures, but let’s look at this as if you had never read them.

Look at what the sinner did in verse 40, he rebukes the other guy, saying Have you no fear of God? Have you rebuked anyone, for taking the Lord’s name in vain, lately? Then in verse 41, he accepts responsibility for his crimes, “we have been condemned justly”, and he is confessing that he is guilty in front of the soldiers and all the others within earshot.

Then he turns to Jesus and does two things, 1) He professes that Jesus is the King and has a Kingdom, and 2) he asks for Jesus to remember him, to forgive him, when He comes into His Kingdom.

So in this short exchange, the sinner does all this:

1)    Publicly rebukes another sinner

2)    Confesses his sins

3)    Professes his faith in Jesus

4)    Asks Jesus for forgiveness

Here are “good works” in the most unlikely of places, while hanging on a cross! Here is an outline for us, a simplified example, of what we need for salvation; have faith and believe in Jesus Christ, profess your faith to others, and defend the helpless and innocent, confess your sins and mistakes, and ask for forgiveness.
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CCC:

1270    “Reborn as sons of God, [the baptized] must profess before men the faith they have received from God through the Church” and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God.⁸⁰

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In conclusion, here is the answer to why we teach people to have faith in God first, and to follow his teachings. You can not buy your way into Heaven by acting like a Christian one day and behaving like a heathen the next day, no, only if you have Christ in your heart and be Baptized in the faith, and receive the Holy Spirit will you be justified with God.

 In Jesus' own words:

Matthew 6:24

24 “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (wealth)

Matthew 7:21-23

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’

23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

Thank you for reading! If you like what you see here, please share it with your friends and in social media. I’m happy to say that since October, over seven hundred folks in seven countries have read my blog! God Bless you! To God be all the Glory!

Blessings,

The Catholic Lady©

Lent, give up or add?

Lent, give up or add?

I'm a bit late posting this month, as it appears that the Lord had other plans for my Lenten Penance, and that is for me to deal with electronics issues from computers to phones. Electronics has widened our world and expanded our reach, and is making it nearly impossible to have any peace and quiet time.

Lent is celebrated by many denominations in honor of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his ministry leading to his Passion. It was a time for purification, prayer, fasting, and resisting temptation. Jesus was our best and most excellent example of how we should behave; he prayed, he shared and taught the word of God to others through the scriptures and his actions, he loved and blessed the children, the infirm, the poor, and the tormented.

The Temptation of Jesus.

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.

3 The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”

4 He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, (6) and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’”

8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, (9) and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”

10 At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Today, most Catholics begin thinking of what they will give up during Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing through Holy Week until Easter. Many give up luxuries like sweets, candy, cake, ice cream, etc. Some give up smoking, and like one woman I know, light up again on Easter Sunday. Some give up doing things they enjoy like eating out, or movies. And more recently, because of our "WWW."lifestyles, some have started giving up Facebook, or other social media, television, or cellphones.

But what good are you doing for yourself, giving up these trivial things, if you go right back to them on Easter? Things like smoking especially? If you can quit for forty days, why not quit completely?

How about giving up your time spent on television or movies, and spend it instead in prayer? Or perhaps reading a good Catholic book? Or, listen to inspiring talks on faith and scripture? Or going to daily Mass? Or saying a rosary every day? Forty days is a good length of time to develop a new habit that can help you become a "better version of yourself", as Matthew Kelly says.

It is hard, sometimes you may choose something that turns out to be difficult to achieve, but don't beat yourself up if you don't manage to do it every day. Just start again the next day and keep trying! The Lord sees your honest efforts, and you are still blessed for trying.

Blessings,

The Catholic Lady©

Retiring in Prayer, Pope Benedict XVI

Retiring in Prayer, Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict is the second Pope in office since I became a Catholic. And though he was only in the Chair of Peter for eight years, I feel I know him as well or more than Blessed Pope John Paul the Great.
Both of them were great leaders, both were great teachers, and both were great Popes.

Pope John Paul II, was relatively young when he began his Papacy, at 58 years of age he became the second longest serving Pope in history, and one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. Pope Benedict on the other hand, I personally have seen him as a great influence on the youth of our church, with more Priests being ordained every year, and seminaries at record capacity. We actually have a young man from our church, he went to school, a year behind my youngest son, and will be ordained this May as Priest. I'm so proud, you'd think he was my son, but I have watched him grow up and it will be strange to call him "Father", but wonderful too.

For non-catholic readers, the Papacy is something that has been contested since Luther first rebelled against the Pope in the late 1400's. One man's rebellion turned into an entire religion, christian but separate from the Church.

The first Pope was Simon, whom Jesus named Peter, or Kepha, the Rock.
Matthew 18:

13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

20 Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.

Peregino

 No one had ever been named that prior to this, and his name became a symbol of foundation. Today the name Peter is considered strong, immovable, sturdy, steadfast.

It is agreed, with most Theologians, that Jesus was speaking Aramaic that day, and therefore, the only word that He would have used is Kepha, or Cephas, so it would have read, "your are Kepha, and on this Kepha, I will build my church".
Early translations from Aramaic to Greek, came out as two different words, Petros, meaning Peter, and petra, meaning rock. this was because the greek used feminine and masculine words, and the word for rock was feminine so they couldn't very well give a feminine name to a man so they changed it to the masculine version.

And where were they when He said this? Cesarea Phillipi has a mountainous rock, huge white rock, on which had been built a Temple to Cesar. He was making a comparison against the false church built on earthen rock, and His Holy Church, built on a man, Simon ben Jonah. Upon Simon would his church be built, and he gave him the "Keys of the Kingdom" which was a ancient practice in the Jewish history, that one man in the kingdom would be chosen who would be given Keys to important offices of the kingdom and the powers to loose and bind, everything from business to prisoners. In the Temple, a High Priest would be chosen, by casting lots within the qualified members of the tribe of Levi, and that priest would serve for life or until infirm and another would be chosen. His seat was called the Chair of Moses, since Moses established the first Temple after the Exodus from Egypt and there had been built a chair for Moses to sit on when in the Temple. See the similarity?
God is speaking in this reading:

Isaiah 22:

21 I will clothe him with your robe, gird him with your sash, confer on him your authority.

He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22 I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut,

what he shuts, no one will open.

23 I will fix him as a peg in a firm place, a seat of honor for his ancestral house;

The"chair of Moses" became the symbol of the teaching authority of the Jewish high priest. The "chair of Peter", once established by Jesus' new covenant, is the symbol of the teaching authority of the Church.

It is recorded in the Midrash Rabbah:

They made for him (Moses) a chair like that of the advocates, in which one sits and yet seems to be standing.  (Exodus Rabbah 43:4)

So, herein lies the roots of the Papacy, "the chair of Moses" which carried the "keys of the Kingdom of David" became the "Chair of Peter", with the "keys of the Kingdom" of Heaven. And with that power, Jesus bestowed on the apostles and their successors, as each Bishop or Episcopate, would be replaced by drawing lots, the power to 'bind & loose', to hold accountable or to forgive sins.

John 20:

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21 [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the holy Spirit.

23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

And succession because there were only eleven of the original twelve remaining:

The Choice of Judas’s Successor.

Acts 1:

15 During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said,

16 “My brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.

17 He was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry.

18 He bought a parcel of land with the wages of his iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out.

19 This became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem, so that the parcel of land was called in their language ‘Akeldama,’ that is, Field of Blood.

20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms(109): ‘Let his encampment become desolate, and may no one dwell in it.’ And: ‘May another take his office.’

21 Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,

22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.

24 Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen

25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”

26 Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

 Today we are without a leader as Pope Benedict XVI retires, the first Pope to do so in over 600 years.

The conclave will begin soon to choose a new Pope from the qualified members.

You can learn more from reading the Catechism, or listening to CD's by Dr. Scott Hahn, or Stephen Ray, or many more excellent Theologians and Priests. Click on the Store page to see books and Cd's that are available from Lighthouse Catholic Media, they will instruct and inspire you, they for did me!

Blessings,

The Catholic Lady©

Working through the pain, part 2

Working through the pain, continued

     I have found as a sufferer of Fibromyalgia, that those that suffer are rarely understood. No one that has not suffered can ever TRUELY understand what it is to suffer with pain twenty four hours a day. And knowing this, how can we understand the pain and suffering of those that suffer death from torture and injury? Can we truly understand the pain and suffering that Jesus endured at the hands of the Romans?

 I can't imagine, even with the worst days of my flareups, or remembering the pain of a broken ankle and childbirth, all rolled into one, could not equal the suffering that He endured for me in just five minutes of his Passion. I shiver at the thought!

I would have fainted with the first strike of the cat-o-nine tails on my back! The Jews would never have punished anyone the way Jesus was punished that day. The maximum lashes to be given were never to exceed forty, so to ensure no accidental miss-counts, they would stop at thirty nine lashes.

The Shroud of Turin in reverse photography shows the lash mark blood stains.

But the Romans, who had perfected the methods of torture, had no compunction to stop so soon. If the Shroud of Turin is as real as I believe it is, our Lord was struck over 100 times!

How can we, as pampered Americans, who have outlawed all methods of corporal punishment, who have actually made the death penalty as painless as a needle in the arm, ever understand that kind of pain and suffering?
 Simple. We can't.
With that understanding, we should be humbled, and with great humility, surrender ourselves to Christ's love. Anyone that would endure the unendurable for my sorry butt, deserves my un-dying love and gratitude. For myself, I am not a person to let pain stop me from living my life. I decided after a time of feeling sorry for myself, that I would not let it stop me from enjoying life, but it took a while.

1 Peter : 6-10

6 So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 

7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

8 Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.

10 The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.

I remember crying in my husbands arms shortly after my diagnosis, thinking that I would never be able to enjoy long walks on the beach, again, or playing with my children, and my grandchildren. I was seeing way into the future and crying about things that had not happened yet.

Fibromyalgia is one of those hard to diagnose problems, as the symptoms are similar to so many other conditions. Joint pain is similar to Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis. The Chronic Fatigue is similar to RA and Lupus, and Hyper-Thyroidism, heart conditions, etc. First they must test for all the things they have tests for, and then make a conclusion when everything else has been eliminated.

In time, I learned more and found that a person can have FMS for their whole life and it finally manifests itself fully after a stressful event or trauma. The doctor started me out on medications, pain relievers, muscle relaxers, anti-depressants, and because my Blood pressure was raging high, Blood pressure medicine. Yikes! I was feeling older by the minute! Eventually, I had to find ways to reduce my stress, changing jobs, changing meds, but the pain was always there. The fatigue never left me. I trying swimming in warm water, I got a little better. I heard about an alkaline diet but I blew it off for over two years as hokum. Then one year, after meeting my son's Chinese in-laws, they made me see that eating right may be the answer. And I had six months to try it before my son's wedding.

 After two months of eating stir-fry veggies, cutting out meat, and eating more fruit, I was feeling so good I began to wean myself off the meds. I flipped out my rheumatologist, eventually leaving and never going back. God answered my prayers when I got out of my own way. (And I got to dance at my son's wedding!) I could have been off the meds years ago if I had listened to the people He kept sending to me.

So, long story short, I am in control of my pain. It is my decision if I do not follow the proper diet, it is my fault if I let myself get stressed out to the point of causing a flareup. God didn't do it to me, He showed me how to manage it myself. Today, when I find myself unable to stick to my diet, for reasons not important here, I "offer it up" for Jesus. I offer my pain and suffering to him, to accept and use for good. I offer my pain for others needs, for my husband, for my friends, for my own time in purgatory.

    1 Corinthians 10:13 No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it. 

Somehow, in knowing that my pain is accepted by Jesus, I find the strength to endure my flareups. I go on with my life, my church and job. I will never lie in bed and surrender to the pain, because to me, that is like surrendering to the evil one. The greatest gift we can give to God, is our suffering; and by putting on a smile and continuing to serve the Lord and loving others even when we hurt, we will receive our reward, if not in this mortal life, in the next life awaiting us in Heaven.

Finding strength in prayer is not always easy, but Jesus is always there, waiting for us to ask Him for His Grace to endure. He is there for you. All you have to do is ask, and it shall be given you, knock and the door shall be opened. Open your heart and mind and allow him to come in.

Have you experienced pain and suffering? Has it caused you to doubt your faith? Have you left church and feel alone? Come home, come back, we will welcome you with open arms, and we will pray for you. Life can be good again, you just have to get out of your own way.

Blessings,

The Catholic Lady©

a message from Dr. Scott Hahn...

I'm sharing a message from Dr. Scott Hahn's Facebook page regarding Pope Benedict the XVI.

Scott Hahn

Back on April 29, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI did something rather striking, but which went largely unnoticed.

He stopped off in Aquila, Italy, and visited the tomb of an obscure medieval Pope named St. Celestine V (1215-1296). After a brief prayer, he left his pallium, the symbol of his own episcopal authority as Bishop of Rome, on top of Celestine's tomb!

Fifteen months later, on July 4, 2010, Benedict went out of his way again, this time to visit and pray in the cathedral of Sulmona, near Rome, before the relics of this same saint, Celestine V.

Few people, however, noticed at the time.

Only now, we may be gaining a better understanding of what it meant. These actions were probably more than pious acts. More likely, they were profound and symbolic gestures of a very personal nature, which conveyed a message that a Pope can hardly deliver any other way.

In the year 1294, this man (Fr. Pietro Angelerio), known by all as a devout and holy priest, was elected Pope, somewhat against his will, shortly before his 80th birthday (Ratzinger was 78 when he was elected Pope in 2005). Just five months later, after issuing a formal decree allowing popes to resign (or abdicate, like other rulers), Pope Celestine V exercised that right. And now Pope Benedict XVI has chosen to follow in the footsteps of this venerable model.

Our Dear PaPa, we will miss you! 

Thank you Dr. Hahn for sharing this message, I hope to see you in Florida again soon!

Blessings,

The Catholic Lady©

Working through the pain

Working through the pain 

 I don’t know about you, but I always think the trainer is crazy when they try to tell you to “work through the pain”. I mean, hey, if your body is telling you that something hurts, isn’t that supposed to tell you that you need to stop what you’re doing? That was always my thought; until I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. 
Working through the pain became working with the pain. Up until that point, I always thought that everyone felt the way I did. Until the flare up that sent me to a Rheumatologist. I have always lived with fatigue, believing that I was just a weakling and that was why I had always been poor in sports. I was one of those children that were always picked last for teams. It was humiliating and embarrassing being the last one to finish track. I was a healthy teenager, not over weight, so why did I have trouble keeping up? Pain. 

 But we’re talking about physical pain. Many of us also deal with emotional pain. They can be one in the same at times. I’ve had both in my life as have you and everyone. We’re all human, we all have the same problems. But time and again, people convince themselves that their problem is unique, and no one else has suffered like they are suffering. 
 We are the ultimate masters of our pain, in that we can choose how it will affect us. Either it can be a Blessing or it can a curse that claims our health and our happiness. It is our decision how we deal with the pain, not God. If we choose to be unhappy, we will be unhappy and spread that unhappiness to others in the way that we look and behave. Have you ever known someone, that every time you ask them how they are, you get a diatribe of complaints? Have you ever been that person? If you are honest with yourself, you will know that you have indeed been that person at some point in your life. 

Even Blessed Mother Teresa  wrote, that at times she felt that God had abandoned her. But she kept these feelings to herself and continued to do the work that she was called by God to do, to serve the poorest of the poor with love. In her later years she suffered from many ailments including heart attacks, but she continued her work until six months before her death in 1997. 

 I have found myself in this situation from time to time. It kind of sneaks up on me, and one day I hear myself complaining to someone and I am mortified at myself. I turn red when I am embarrassed, I mean hot red , and can feel it out to my ears. 

 What is pain? 
 Webster’s Dictionary says this:
               1 a : localized physical suffering associated with bodily disorder
                        (as a disease or an injury)
                         b :  acute mental or emotional distress or suffering : grief 
                      2 a : one that irks or annoys or is otherwise troublesome —often used in such phrases 
                         as pain in the neck 
                      OR: punishment- a : suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution 
                                                  b : a penalty inflicted  on an offender through judicial procedure 

 We have our physical pain and suffering from our illnesses, diseases, broken or damaged bodies. We ask God “why is this happening?” St. Teresa of Avila once wrote: “If this is the way You treat Your friends, no wonder You have so few!" St. Teresa suffered from many issues from Malaria to Paralysis during her life, but she discovered the power of prayer and shared this with others and wrote prolifically. 

Most of the great Saints suffered for years before their final calling to Heaven, but the key to their becoming a Saint was in how they entrusted themselves to God and shared in the Redemption of the world through their suffering.

A Saint might be described as someone who has suffered long, but suffered well. I mean they took their suffering and used it to Glorify God. 

One example of suffering is the pain that comes from being wrongly accused. Kitty Cleveland, the singing missionary with the voice of an Angel, tells of her father Carl, who was accused and convicted, wrongly, of political corruption in the state of Louisiana. A reading from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
played a part in their 10 year struggle to clear her fathers name.

   Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.

Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.

Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Lighthouse Catholic Media has her story on a CD, God will Provide

Kitty's story touched my soul and her music soothes my soul.

Also Jeff Cavins, a renowned Catholic Author, and star of EWTN, tells a story of his suffering when he had neck surgery on his C67 vertebrae, on a CD titled "15 Things to Do in the Midst of Suffering" and he talks about ways to deal with your pain, rather than surrender to it. 

He asks us what does it mean to "Offer it up?" People say "just offer it up" all the time but what does it truly mean to "offer it up?"

For me, it was surrendering to Jesus, and telling him "I trust in you." The peace of mind that comes from surrendering your will to God's Will, is wonderful. When we truly turn over our suffering to Christ, we are releasing that pain and giving it to Him. We are offering our pain to Jesus to share in His suffering on the Cross. We become purified in our pain! 

1 Peter 2:21-23

22 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

23 When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.

Pain is different for everyone, and we must find ways to get through it.  If we learn to call on Christ and give him our pain in order that he may make good from it, we can also learn to smile through that pain. It isn't easy, we all are not like Job, who suffered through so many losses and never lost his faith.

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the Name of the Lord!"(Job 1:21)

So wash your face, ladies put on some makeup, put on nice clothes, and most importantly, put on your smile. For Jesus told us:

16 “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.

17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."Matthew 6:16-18

We will talk more on this topic at a later date. 

Blessings!

The Catholic Lady©

Married for life...

Married for life...

Marriage in the Catholic Church is a sacrament, a Holy institution designed by God. I believe this and take Jesus' words seriously, when He said, "what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

I am married to my 2nd husband, but he is my first husband in the eyes of the Church, thanks to a process called an Annulment, but I have jumped ahead. Let me back up a bit.

I as well as most Americans, have grown up during the "Age of Aquarius", the so called "baby boomers". From our generation came Rock & Roll, the "Hippie" movement, and "free love".
Our generation has seen the results of unprotected, unmarried sex, with the onslaught of STD's and AIDS. We wanted to go against the grain, fight against the conventions of our parents. We wanted to free our minds, and tried using drugs of every sort, to experience euphoria. The women burned their bras, refused the "gentlemanly" gestures of our parents, and began to put ourselves beyond the norm, reaching to break the barriers that had been in place; "womens Lib"and Helen Reddy's "I am Woman"became our theme song, and we made ourselves into "Career" women. We wanted it all, to manage corporations, have a husband,( but not necessarily on paper) and family.
Women turned to "uppers & downers" to get through their day. Stress and heart attacks became the new killers of women. 

During this time, marriage became something that was no longer permanent, but convenient. We get to have a fancy wedding, we were the center of attention for a whole day, romantic notions that we would be happy, but if we didn't like it, we could always get a divorce, a once frowned upon resolution to marital discourse.

        Genesis 1:27-28 
27 God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.

People used to work through their problems, with love and prayer, and sometimes the help of a pastor.
Our children were sometimes the glue that worked out those problems. But during the "Baby Boomer" rage, and then beyond to our children's generation, single moms with children growing up with one parent, we spawned the "Latch key" kids. Children coming home after school to an empty house and left to their own devices, lead to more and more gangs, under age crimes, and seriously messed up kids!
The "family unit" and the strengths it provided for our children was gone for the majority of our country.

    Matthew 19:3-9

3 Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?”

4 He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’

5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

Now I'm not saying that all the single parents, and parent-less kids were messed up, but you have to admit that there were a lot of them. Just look at the self-help section of a bookstore or library. The increase in psycho analysts, counselors. Children going into schools and shooting other children and teachers, shooting their parent, robbing stores, stealing cars; there are more children on death row and life in prison today than at any other time in our history!

Marriage is a blessing and should never be entered into lightly, but with love and consideration.
The Catholic Church requires couples seeking marriage in the church to go through a series of counseling with clergy and then with a married couple. They are encouraged to discuss their goals in life, their openness to children, their faith, finances and in general, how they feel about everything that they may face as a married couple. Usually, this is about a year, a good long engagement, to make sure that the person you want to marry is the right one. The USCCB website has a page just for Marriage.  You can find out more specifics there, and you'll see that marriage is indeed a very important matter.

Matthew 19:7-9

7 They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss [her]?”

8 He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

9 I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.”

When I first met my husband, he was a wounded puppy, so lovable, I couldn't help but fall in love with him. I was a single divorced mom, who had been married to the wrong man for nearly ten years and finally divorced and returned home to Florida. I had entered into the marriage under the wrong reasons, and stayed to provide a stable home for my son. My Ex had been married previously, in a Catholic Church, and divorced his wife and four kids, "because she got fat". I was young and should have seen this as a warning, but no, I was naive.

     Colossians 3: 19

Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.

Anyway, when my new love and I decided we wanted to marry, we found that it wasn't possible to marry in the Catholic Church when we wanted, much to my frustration as a Baptist protestant at the time, I was indignant! My new sweety had been born and raised Catholic but was not married in the church but in a civil union. Needless to say, I was getting married when I wanted, and we found a protestant pastor to marry us in our outdoor wedding. So began our future together.

As time passed, and I continued to attend Mass with my new hubby, and our Catholic friends I had made when we met, (in a previous post I talked about the CYL games as his son was in a Catholic School) I started Inquiry and my sweety talked about how his mother had wanted him to marry in the Church.
So I did what I thought was only practical, I wanted his wish to come true and we went to the church to see what we had to do. As it turned out, the Church didn't recognize our marriages to our previous spouses, mine because my Ex was married in the Church to his first wife, and he because they were married by a notary public. I also had not received my Sacraments. I was Baptized when I was twelve and was able to produce documentation during the annulment process, so it was accepted as my first Sacrament.

        1 Peter 3:1-4

1 Likewise, you wives should be subordinate to your husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct

2 when they observe your reverent and chaste behavior.

3 Your adornment should not be an external one: braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes,

4 but rather the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition, which is precious in the sight of God. 

Long story short, we completed our instruction as required by the church, I became a Catholic as well and we are now married forever in our eyes, as well as the churches. 
It will be twenty years together this fall, since our first marriage by the protestant pastor, and the vows of "through sickness and health, for richer and for poorer", has taken on new meaning, but we have held on to each other for strength and courage through the bad times. I do not regret the decision I made over twenty years ago, and only wish that we had met sooner so that we could have had a house full of kids of our own. 

Our love is still strong, although taxed at times, neither of us will ever leave the other, and we find great comfort in knowing that commitment is ours.

We can also count on support from our church, should we need it, for the Catholic Church has many programs for counseling to help couples who may have hit a bump in the road and need help paving it smooth again. 

If you are in need of help, turn first to your Pastor, your church, for help, before heading to a lawyer. God wants us to be one in him, and with God, your marriage is a Holy Trinity.

Blessings, 

The Catholic Lady©