It's a GREAT Time to be Catholic!

Say what?

You Crazy, Girl!

Yep, I said it and I'll say it again. IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE CATHOLIC!

My turn to chime in on the recent scandals.

Mama Bear

Thanks be to God the scandals are being revealed, people are coming out to tell of their abuse, and Bishops are being called out.  The laity are mad.  I am sickened by the creepy priests that preyed upon innocent children. I am sickened by the hierarchy that abused their power.  I can't help if it were one of my sons that was violated, WOE to that man.  I would attack him like a mama bear gauging his eyes out, shredding his skin, and roaring so loud he would no longer be able to hear.  Don't mess with the innocent, shame on you.

Papa Bears

Thanks to those faithful priests and bishops who are speaking up. Be LOUD. Be NOISY.  Growl like you are a Papa Bear protecting it's family.  Help us laity restore our faith in you, faith in the Church, the hierarchy Jesus established.  These are historical times.  The Catholic Church is called to be in this world, but not of this world.  God has called us out, bringing forth the evil because we needed intervention.  We were becoming too worldly, following the culture too closely, and accepting sin.  My dear Papa Bears, help us travel back to the other world, the Kingdom of Jesus.

Gone are the days...

I love this story my husband tells.  Growing up his grandma lived a few doors down from St. Mary's.  He was an altar server.  One day he was walking along the street towards grandma's house.  The dear Father was driving by.  He rolled down his window and said "Wanna grab a burger? Go ask your grandma."  So, they drove down the street and ate together.  No evil intentions, just a wonderful man offering a meal.  How many more vocations there would be if this could happen?! There's no way a priest could or should put himself in that situation these days.  How sad.

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen and Every 500 Years

Oh, if Bishop Sheen were alive today!  If you haven't read any of his books, are you in for  a treat. The man was a prophet.  I recently read an article where he talked about every 500 years the church renews itself.  It was written in 1974.  Guess what folks, it's about that time.

First 500 years-Heresies, persecutions
Second 500 years- Schisms
Third 500 years-Protestant Reformation
Now-"The Spirit of the World."  I think it's a result of the sexual revolution.

You can read the article here: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/fulton-sheen-answers-for-a-christendom-crisis

I'm Catholic because I'm Catholic, not because of a Priest.

Too long the laity have relied on priests.  Shame on us.  We have a responsibility more than just to attend Mass on Sunday.  We are the ones in the world. We are the ones who impact culture. We are the majority.  I have been Catholic for 18 years now. Something I have learned and often say "I'm Catholic because I'm Catholic, not because of a Priest." No one can have your faith for you.  If you leave a church because of a priest, your faith needs a little work.  The priest didn't die on the cross. 

Our parish is small, 45 or so families.  Our laity MUST do the work if we want our parish to survive. We are a mission parish and do not have a residential priest.  No one can hide behind the pew.  Are you hiding behind the pew?  Too long we have just taken from the Church on Sunday, what will we give back on Monday?

Fatima Again

Fatima, i'll say it, is just eerie.   What Our Lady told those children; Jacinta, Lucia, and Francisco back in 1917 has come to fruition.  We think 'oh that was so long ago' but God doesn't know time. Our Blessed Mother, warns us, like a good mother would.  We think communism is a thing of the past.  We are still 'reaping it's benefits' today.  Another article here:   http://romancatholicheroes.blogspot.com/2009/03/bella-dodd.html
Bella Dodd,  a former communist and revert to Catholicism, said she was responsible for recruiting more than a 1000 gay men into the priesthood.  She planted a seed.  The idea was to take down the Catholic Church.  Priests are called to be celibate.  The temptation would be too strong to be faithful to their celibacy.  We see how successful this has become.  Once again, Our Lady warned us the last battle will be on the family, but no worries, she comforts us and says all will be well.  But there's still the battle to be fought, we are in the midst of it.

The time of being lukewarm is over.

C.S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters" is not something to read before you go to bed.  I had nightmares.  I read this many years ago and what I remember most from that book is what Screwtape said to Wormwood is 'try to keep them lukewarm'.  The devil revels in lukewarm water.  Indifference.  Are you lukewarm in your faith?  It's time to turn up the heat.  Revelation 3:15,16 warns:

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

This is where I see it's a great time to be Catholic.  We are going to see the water turned to scalding hot for our faith.  We have taken it for granted, bathed in the lukewarm for too long.  What's your faith temperature?

Christian Unity

God speaks through all Christian churches.  I think he speaks loudest through the Catholic Church simply because it is the biggest throughout the world.  Maybe His voice can be heard throughout the world because of the organization Catholics can provide.  I believe the Holy Spirit is calling all Christians to conversion.  This scandal of sexual abuse in the Church is not simply limited to just Catholics.  It's in other denominations, Hollywood, schools, families.  Our society is so sexual. Is this a wake up call for all Christians?  The time of tit for tat, your faith is wrong because of this Bible verse or that Bible verse has got to end.  We need to unite, not necessarily on Sunday mornings, but truly unite if we are to build up the Kingdom of God.  We are all in this together. 

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

I'm a gardener but this year's garden got away from me.  It's awful.  I admit, I just gave up.  God doesn't give up.   We are experiencing an historical shift in our Church.  God is weeding his garden. God is nicer than me, he doesn't pull the weed by the root, he only cuts it back giving it a chance to grow.  Last year I learned how to forage in my yard. There's plenty of 'weeds' God gives us to eat in our yard, dandelions for example.   We see it as a nuisance  but God sees it as a purpose.  The beauty of our faith is the garden is full of variety, sinners and saints together.  The sinners, who recognize their sin, admit their faults, grow into plants that will either nourish or provide beauty to the world.

My weedy garden.

Those faithful and repentant that are left are going to rebuild a more beautiful garden.

It IS a great time to be Catholic. A time to renew your faith, water it, watch it grow.  Pray, fast, read, learn, grow into the magnificent soul you were created to be to help build up His Church, His Kingdom on Earth.

Weeds that blossom into flowers.

How does your garden grow?