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Showing 1241 - 1260 of 1911
An honourable man is patient and compassionate. A person of honour is one who is kind, steadfast in doing good, with a love of justice and mercy, and a horror of violence, wrong doing and vengeful acts and attitudes. In the house of an honourable man there is no thought of acts of revenge being waged upon people judged to have brought disrepute upon the household.
A man with a spirit of violence is rarely still, but rushes here and there, seeking pleasure in his greed, and his lust for revenge. Yet unless he repents before he dies he will one day slide down into Hell, calling out to God, in terror, but too late. That man will experience, at last, what he had mercilessly inflicted upon his victims, and will suffer with those cruel demons forever, in Hell.
In Christ's sight, teachers of the faith ought to embody it. It is not enough for teachers to believe in the articles of the Faith, if they do not show out the virtues, including chastity, for example. Women, especially, should pay attention to their clothing and avoid immodest garments or styles which tempt other people to have unchaste thoughts.
It is not wise for any artist to paint naked figures, or figures with revealing or immodest clothing, which will incite or increase lustful thoughts in the minds of those who gaze at them. Even though attempts to cover up the genitalia on a famous painting have been mocked, Christ looks on with gladness when crude art works or obscene materials are taken out of sight, or covered up.
All who love and serve Christ and their neighbour with sincere hearts, and who persevere in love and purity and gratitude until they die, can be sure of being drawn across the great Abyss, after death, as if on an express train which is supported by the upstretched arms of Christ, Who Himself is the bridge to Heaven.
There are good people of other religions who have never heard of Christ, or learned of His true nature. When they die, it's as if they will be shown that only through His mercy can they cross the bridge He has made, which takes people from earthly life, across the Abyss to Heaven. Those who see and accept him will be saved.
Whenever we pray in the name of Christ to our Heavenly Father, we are wise to keep in mind that Heaven should be our final destination. Christ has made possible our contact with Heaven, and the promise of Eternal joy for the faithful. If we could peer through a little window into Heaven, without being dazzled by Divine glory, we would see the wonders prepared for all of Christ's true friends.
Many people today look upon a baby as a commodity: one to be ordered if wanted, or to be rejected if arriving unexpectedly, just as people might reject an unwanted parcel at the front door. They no longer accept the truth: that each child - even before birth - is a gift from God, through the union of the man and woman, and deserves to be loved, not killed.
A brave politician who is willing to defend innocent life by protesting against the misguided Government's provision of abortion 'services' is of the same mind as God on this issue, even if he is mistaken about less important matters in everyday life, and unclear about other matters of justice.
The smoke of Satan has entered the Church, causing many Catholics to approve of various types of immorality, to practice forbidden acts, to protest about legitimate discipline and constant teachings on faith and morals, to demand Papal approval of heresy, to water down the truth when catechising others, and to show little reverence for Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
A person who enjoys an intimate relationship with Christ, in the heights of the spiritual life, must not feel ashamed if she is not feeling as awe-struck and astonished as in the earlier years. If her heart has grown even more grateful to Christ, and even more glad about opportunities to share Good News, she can enjoy His blessed, quiet friendship in peace
Even when family members are plainly affectionate and helpful to one another, they are capable of doing terrible things if they live in ignorance of God's laws, without the life of grace, in disbelief of God's existence, and with their minds unable to understand God's wishes or to carry them out. They need the grace of God, and conversion. People are not saved by good humour or optimism, if they lead utterly Godless lives.
It is tragic that so many people have not been baptised. A family which is affectionate but which ignores or disbelieves in God, and has no respect for the Commandments, cannot be saved by qualities of optimism or human warmth - but only by the grace of Christ accepted. They need the prayers of the faithful, that they will open their eyes to the truth which they have never encountered, or have half-heard, and dismissed.
The Mass is far more than a sacred meal. The Sacrifice which Christ once offered on the Cross, as He prayed for sinners to be forgiven, and gave up His life without complaint to conquer sin and death, is available for every generation. Christ has marvellously arranged that He is Really Present in every Mass, in every era, praying for sinners just as He prayed from the Cross, though He no longer suffers. It is the same Sacrifice, however, since the same Victim offers Himself, on the altar as on the Cross; and His true friends attend, and adore Him, and receive Him in Holy Communion, and receive the graces He won.
Just before Christ ascended in triumph to Heaven, after His Resurrection, He sent out His disciples, so that they would tell the world the truth about Christ. He asked them to say: "He who believes and is baptised will be saved, but he who refuses to believe is condemned", which means, condemns himself through refusing the Eternal Life which is given with Baptism. To say 'no' to God, and His Son, brings terrible consequences, through one's own fault.
Christ is pleased when a mother imitates Him by giving thoughtful, unconditional love to her children, and being close to them, helping them at each new stage, whether basics like washing and dressing, or giving them confidence when they go to school, teaching them good manners, and encouraging love amongst relations - and love for God, shown by reverence in church.
Many people search for the way into Heaven. Catholics who offer to enquirers a watered-down version of the Catholic Faith, failing to speak truthfully about sin and repentance, make it harder for those people to achieve Eternal Life. They brick up the door to Heaven, so to speak, as surely as bricking up an entrance to a church, our threshold to Heaven, if they allow people to continue in those sins which are, objectively, mortal sins, yet receive them into full Communion, or baptise them.
Christ looks on with sadness when He sees people being received into the Church who have not been encouraged towards a radical conversion, but who enter the Church to receive the sacraments while persevering in behaviour which is, objectively speaking, gravely sinful, for example, co-habitation and contraceptive use.
The Catholic Faith should make Saints of us, people baptised, forgiven, transformed, enlightened, and worthy to worship on the threshold of Heaven, before the altar, until the time God calls us home to Heaven. The watered-down Faith sometimes offered today, which minimises the supernatural and even fails to request that candidates and catechumens give up their sins, is almost on a level with a Boy-Scout manual which requests good deeds but not faith or contrition.
Those members of the Clergy or Religious Life who mislead the faithful by direct dissent from Church teaching or by subtle suggestions that she is wrong on matters of faith or morals, are offending God, endangering souls, and indeed propelling themselves towards Hell by their behaviour. Unlike some heretics who have the virtue of honesty, even if mistaken, these dissenters corrupt the Church from within, whilst claiming to be orthodox.
Showing 1241 - 1260 of 1911