Today we have very many opportunities of professing our Faith and many times don't because we do not realize the opportunity. It might be there for just a minute or two, or even a day or week or two and we let it slip though our
fingers. And we do not know what is at stake.
When the Apostles were forbidden to continue the exposition of the Faith they did not back down. They resisted the commands of the Sanhedrin because that group was ordering something contrary to what Jesus would have them do.
They were staunch in their denial. They did not back down
The conviction of the first Christians is what Christ is asking of us today when we are in an environment of indifference or a veiled attack on Christian principles. A well formed Christian conscience person will be able to stand up to such attacks, especially against natural law. It is an obligation of such a Christian to influence thoughts and practices by objecting in conscience to activities or decisions that go contrary to some precept of Christian morality.
We have seen protection for fundamental individual rights evaporate before out eyes in the last couple of decades- the right to life from the moment of conception, the protection of marriage by gay rights, equalities of living because of race or color, freedom of speech, freedom of religion - are things for which the Christian should fight to protect
Passivity is a dangerous thing to experience - the feeling that we can't do much because we are only one. Among the sins of omission we will be judged by the sin of omission regarding all the above. They will be against us. We, in our environment, either of professional or not, can do something to help with the defense of the Faith.
Part 2
Throughout the centuries there have been differences of opinions. Some say this, some say that and if you study Scripture mundanely you will find that they all go on individual interpretation of the word of God. Differences of opinion crop up regarding the beginnings of the human race, some will still adhere to the 4000 year of the creation of the world, even though science and anthology have given good evidence of the contrary. We have scientists who think we are grown like carrots or radishes and so after germination we don't amount to much. Recently the Holy Father lamented the massacre of 100 Armenians on Easter Sunday because they were Christians. We actually need something to help us form a direct and truthful discernment of what is right and what is wrong, a discernment that we can use because we trust the person who gives us that discernment, namely God. When we study Him learn from Him we can get the correct discernment of what is right and wrong and lie the complete Christian life. With Faith we can follow the precepts of God and have a good idea of people and what is good and what is bad - only a good faith in God will give us that.
Again, look at St Peter and the other Apostles - they did not have a problem of what they should do, they went ahead and did it. True it cost them their lives, but they knew they were doing what the Lord would have them do
Think how absurd it is to leave your Catholic Faith aside when you go to a public university, although some of the Catholic Universities also have that problem. To go to a godless place of learning, to be presented ideology that is in conflict with our Faith is just asking for problems, and shortly after the start of the university knowledge the student and even the family of the student have problems of Faith because there is no word of God in their instruction. It just seems that in such environments we say, "Yes when I am there God does matter. But when I am at home all of the sudden I look for Him. That is a strange way of dealing with the Person who has our live etc. in His hands.
This does not mean that every home should be a rectory or a convent but where the presence of God is made open to the family, but we should in our lives always be in touch with God and not be willing to trade something our life for something in heaven.
Part 3
What has been said about higher places of learning can also be said about the companions and friends we have. According to the Church, if you are a professional, for example a doctor, you should be an inspiration to the rest of the Christian community. The person might be a splendid Doctor but if his practices are against the rules of God, we have to stand up against him. That is what Peter did.
If the world of art praises a work of art that is against the law of God, we should not also praise it but be willing to criticize it as being against the law of the Creator, and so on. In the beginning of these talks I mentioned that there are times we just forgot to go against the grain, or maybe our Faith was not as strong as we think it is. We have to have the Faith of Peter and Paul and be willing to stand up for what we KNOW to be good. Today we have people in the rest of the world that are doing that and we stand back in wonder as what they are doing, whether we would have the strength to profess our Faith and to show the world that we believe Christ and what He stands for.
Publically we have the same option, or rather don't have an option to go with the flow. We must vote, stand up for what is correct and honest and not pay attention to everything we are told. We have one choice actually in this world, to do what Christ wants us to do and be a good Christian and Catholic and specifically as members of the Legion be willing with all our might to uphold what Mary and her some would want us to do.
Do you matter? YES !
© Fr. Louis Schlangen 2015
fingers. And we do not know what is at stake.
- movies
- books
- magazines
- songs
- medical professions
When the Apostles were forbidden to continue the exposition of the Faith they did not back down. They resisted the commands of the Sanhedrin because that group was ordering something contrary to what Jesus would have them do.
They were staunch in their denial. They did not back down
The conviction of the first Christians is what Christ is asking of us today when we are in an environment of indifference or a veiled attack on Christian principles. A well formed Christian conscience person will be able to stand up to such attacks, especially against natural law. It is an obligation of such a Christian to influence thoughts and practices by objecting in conscience to activities or decisions that go contrary to some precept of Christian morality.
We have seen protection for fundamental individual rights evaporate before out eyes in the last couple of decades- the right to life from the moment of conception, the protection of marriage by gay rights, equalities of living because of race or color, freedom of speech, freedom of religion - are things for which the Christian should fight to protect
Passivity is a dangerous thing to experience - the feeling that we can't do much because we are only one. Among the sins of omission we will be judged by the sin of omission regarding all the above. They will be against us. We, in our environment, either of professional or not, can do something to help with the defense of the Faith.
Part 2
Throughout the centuries there have been differences of opinions. Some say this, some say that and if you study Scripture mundanely you will find that they all go on individual interpretation of the word of God. Differences of opinion crop up regarding the beginnings of the human race, some will still adhere to the 4000 year of the creation of the world, even though science and anthology have given good evidence of the contrary. We have scientists who think we are grown like carrots or radishes and so after germination we don't amount to much. Recently the Holy Father lamented the massacre of 100 Armenians on Easter Sunday because they were Christians. We actually need something to help us form a direct and truthful discernment of what is right and what is wrong, a discernment that we can use because we trust the person who gives us that discernment, namely God. When we study Him learn from Him we can get the correct discernment of what is right and wrong and lie the complete Christian life. With Faith we can follow the precepts of God and have a good idea of people and what is good and what is bad - only a good faith in God will give us that.
Again, look at St Peter and the other Apostles - they did not have a problem of what they should do, they went ahead and did it. True it cost them their lives, but they knew they were doing what the Lord would have them do
Think how absurd it is to leave your Catholic Faith aside when you go to a public university, although some of the Catholic Universities also have that problem. To go to a godless place of learning, to be presented ideology that is in conflict with our Faith is just asking for problems, and shortly after the start of the university knowledge the student and even the family of the student have problems of Faith because there is no word of God in their instruction. It just seems that in such environments we say, "Yes when I am there God does matter. But when I am at home all of the sudden I look for Him. That is a strange way of dealing with the Person who has our live etc. in His hands.
This does not mean that every home should be a rectory or a convent but where the presence of God is made open to the family, but we should in our lives always be in touch with God and not be willing to trade something our life for something in heaven.
Part 3
What has been said about higher places of learning can also be said about the companions and friends we have. According to the Church, if you are a professional, for example a doctor, you should be an inspiration to the rest of the Christian community. The person might be a splendid Doctor but if his practices are against the rules of God, we have to stand up against him. That is what Peter did.
If the world of art praises a work of art that is against the law of God, we should not also praise it but be willing to criticize it as being against the law of the Creator, and so on. In the beginning of these talks I mentioned that there are times we just forgot to go against the grain, or maybe our Faith was not as strong as we think it is. We have to have the Faith of Peter and Paul and be willing to stand up for what we KNOW to be good. Today we have people in the rest of the world that are doing that and we stand back in wonder as what they are doing, whether we would have the strength to profess our Faith and to show the world that we believe Christ and what He stands for.
Publically we have the same option, or rather don't have an option to go with the flow. We must vote, stand up for what is correct and honest and not pay attention to everything we are told. We have one choice actually in this world, to do what Christ wants us to do and be a good Christian and Catholic and specifically as members of the Legion be willing with all our might to uphold what Mary and her some would want us to do.
Do you matter? YES !
© Fr. Louis Schlangen 2015