It is sobering to realize there are people in hell who have committed fewer and less-grave sins than us. #GoToConfession

If a man of God anoints someone and the person is healed, it's not the minister who healed the person; he was just God's instrument. Every Christian understands this. But many non-Catholics cannot comprehend the idea of receiving forgiveness of sins from a priest. They CAN believe in restoring sight, cleansing leprosy, or raising the dead at the hands of a minister -- but NO WAY the invisible forgiveness of sin (because only God can do that!). Yet it was the resurrected Jesus who delegated his apostles with this authority: * * * * * Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23)

The Church celebrates feast days that highlight plainly the realities of salvation in Christ, which could only be foreshadowed by the feasts of pre-Christian Israel in hidden, shadowy figures. Christ has come! Christ is here! Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is the Bread from Heaven. He has begun the harvest of souls. He is the Judge. He is our High Priest and atonement. He tabernacles with us yet today. Celebrate like a believer, not as one still waiting for the Messiah! #COG

#Hell includes, but is not merely, the absence of perfect happiness in God. It is a place of despair and hopelessness, reserved for those who reject God's love even in his last breath. But some people (many?) genuinely don't want the beatific vision in the next life. They insist they'd be happy enough without it. That's a good reason God also provides, for good measure, the fires of hell -- external flames that cause forever-pain in both soul and body. And even then you're getting off easier than you deserve, considering you're offending your literal Creator, who is infinitely good. While you're still drawing breath, choose wisely.

"No Kings"? Christ is King. All knees, whether in heaven or hell, will bend to him.

About three nights ago I received a phone call lasting 2-1/2 hours from someone with whom I grew up in the quasi-Christian, anti-Catholic Worldwide Church of God. Of course it's going to be a long conversation when the person begins with, "I'm running out of reasons not to become Catholic." I talked to him again last evening. He says he's starting OCIA next Wednesday. Praise God for his mercy.

I would like to ask the Catholic bishops who desire to shut down the traditional Latin Mass a question: Is there anything about the prayers or rubriks of the TLM that is either (1) contrary to the historic Catholic Faith or its Tradition, or (2) inherently misleading -- drawing Catholics away from the beliefs or practices of the Church's greatest saints? And if so, get specific. Let's address it openly through dialogue.

This is my conversion story. And it explains my moniker "The COG Catholic."

Catholic Answers

My Path to the Worldwide Church that Jesus Built

As a young adult, I walked to a nearby schoolyard and sat on a bench overlooking the empty playground where I had spent countless childhood hours p...

It is normal and OK for a Christian to simultaneously be... (1) happy and joyful, looking forward to the afterlife, and... (2) dissatisfied and feeling uneasy about his own spiritual progress, because nothing but perfect love is owed to our Lord. We don't have to always be giddy with a Joker-sized smile on our face, and neither must we be always be focused on our imperfections and weaknesses. Two things we should NEVER do: (1) Presume God's mercy. (2) Despair of God's mercy.

This is one wall of our "prayer room," where I do my morning prayers. Years ago, I would have been horrified at the sight of all these trinkets, pictures, and "dumb idols." That's how I would have characterized it. But no, Catholics use images to help raise their minds and imaginations to that which is heavenly. Think how an athlete may be inspired by taking a tour through a sports hall of fame, with all kinds of legendary sports imagery surrounding him. Or maybe a patriot visiting the memorials, statues, buildings, and other historical reminders in Washington, D.C., or Boston, or NYC, etc. Meditative prayer involves the imagination, and when our eyes behold heavenly images, it helps burn the realities they represent into our minds and hearts.

I know it's probably just me, but I have a difficult time following through with so many various daily devotionals other than the Rosary. There are so many, and frankly, they don't seem to "do it" for me somehow in the long run. They seem to me either too fluffy or too many words. This prayer regimen, however, is an exception. I've been using Divine Intimacy regularly for about a year now. It has enriched my prayer life tremendously. Following the old liturgical calendar, it offers a reflective meditation that's very deep yet not too long and not overly academic (just academic enough). It's just right for me. And then I have something meaningful to pray about afterward. It makes mental prayer easier, giving me something to engage with. It's how I start my mornings, and I wouldn't start them as well without this book. (No, this is not an affiliate link! It is just to show the book. I recommend people get it from a local Catholic bookstore if possible. They are expensive, but worth the money. You could find the ebook too. Maybe for free, since it is old.)

Amazon

Amazon

I've heard from cradle Catholics that they can envy the enthusiasm and knowledge of Catholic converts. But I envy the holy lives and knowledge of traditional Catholics -- those who have lived life the right way from babyhood! We should rejoice in the diverse ways God has led us into his family. Don't envy. Rejoice!

If for some reason, as a Protestant, you object to praying the #Rosary, what is your alternative? Do you spend 15-20 minutes a day meditating on scenes from the Gospels? How many times each week do you prayerfully remember Jesus carrying his cross, helped by Simon of Cyrene? How often each week do you intentionally imagine the agony Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane -- and pray about it? Depending on how you count it, there are 15 or 20 such important moments from the Gospels we pray over in the Rosary. This kind of regular recitation is not a "vain repetition," but a sweet and holy immersion using our words, our body, our imagination, our soul. Before I became Catholic, most often my prayers were merely "Lord, help me..." or "Lord, bless so-and-so" or "Heavenly Father, we just ask...." (They were certainly not without repetition.) The Rosary, if prayed well, will kick your prayer level up many, many precious notches. And that's the kind of practice you want to repeat, to make habitual. Give it a try. 🙏 📿

These recent murders remind us that (1) hell is not empty and there are plenty more vacant spots to be filled, and (2) our time here is short; it can end at any moment, and we must be ready always -- every day -- to meet our Maker and Judge.

This weekend has been a working weekend. But last weekend was a kayaking weekend with my wife. Perfect weather for a rosary on the lake.

With regard to sex, it's been rightly said that our problem is not that we think about it too much, but that we think about it too little. If we take time to think clearly and honestly about it, we can better understand what is right and wrong, moral and immoral. Living in accord with the origin, design, and purpose of sex makes our lives (married or single) happier and more prosperous. We do not thrive when we are selfish addicts -- when we love things and use people. Rather, we thrive when we are generous and properly ordered -- when we use things and love people.

A Christian in the state of grace does not need to be terrified at the idea of death. In the moment, he can be assured of salvation. But even a Christian will tremble as his personal judgment draws near, because he will be forced to confront his own sins -- the many times he offended God in this life through sin and selfishness, carelessness and laziness, etc., especially after baptism. Sinning against an infinitely loving and holy God is serious stuff. It becomes more serious, not less, after becoming a Christian, when ignorance is not an excuse. God's mercy does not erase his justice. The once-saved-always-saved doctrine -- the idea that Jesus has already forgiven you of every consequence of your *future* sins -- is evil. It leads to the presumption that you're good to go. Rather than believing it's already "mission accomplished," we need to put on the "whole armor of God," because whether we know it or acknowledge it, we are in a spiritual battle for our eternal lives. Arm yourself with the graces God gives us. He knows we need them. He knows of our weak frame. He is compassionate. He's not mad at us; he wants us to fight through our challenges and setbacks. His Spirit will equip us with everything we need. We just need to cooperate with his grace. We need to Just Do It. Don't be distracted. Put your phone down and pray with me. And for me. And for yourself. And for those who don't yet know God. "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

No one can "earn" his way into heaven by good works. But as you understand it, would you say your good works can earn "rewards and position in heaven"? I would say no if someone asked me the question, because everything is by God's grace (not just admittance into heaven). I wonder how you would explain it.

It's important to remember that the divine Person we know as Jesus did not stop being God so he could become a man instead. What he did was become a man also, so that he is now not only God, but the God-Man. That is to say, as a divine Person, he now has two natures: (1) his divine nature from eternity, and (2) his newly aquired human nature (i.e., body and soul), which he assumed from Mary. He never became God. Nor can he ever cease being God. But he did begin to be man -- just 2000 years ago. And he will henceforth always be a man. #Christmas -- which I'm already looking forward to -- is not a party for us to shout, "Happy birthday, Jesus! 🎂" It's a joyful celebration of this mindboggling mystery of the Incarnation, the central mystery of our Faith.

As Christians, we understand that "Christ died for our sins." But we should also meditate on the fact that he suffered for our sins as well. We should be willing to die for our brother, yes. But that includes suffering for him. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to take a bullet for your brother than to suffer for him. It may not be "fun," but suffering is good if we join it to the sufferings of Christ.