Today at Holy Mass in the second readings St Paul tells us the following….”For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”…….What does this mean? - All of mankind lives in the “flesh” - Right?……St Paul is telling us very clearly that due to the sinful nature of mankind, if we do not actively engage with the Holy Spirit - We will die - Meaning we will go to hell - Yes - Hell is real!….There is a distorted idea in the Christian world about heaven and hell….Many people falsely believe we can embrace all the “things” of the world - And embrace them on “our terms” and still go to heaven when our life comes to an end - This is a fallacy and a lie!…Jesus and the saints are very clear that the road to heaven is a narrow road - That we must “pick up our cross” daily and follow the ways of Christ - That is the ONLY way to heaven…But how do we do this? - St Paul tells us today - We must live by the Holy Spirit - But how do we do that?…….Mankind due to our sinful nature needs grace in order to live as Christ requires of us - Without God’s grace and due to our sinful nature, mankind destroys itself…..This is why Jesus walked the earth among us and this is why Jesus established a Church…The Catholic Church gives us the Sacraments, which are instruments of grace that elevate our fallen human nature…We CAN NOT simply read the Bible and live as Christ commanded…Why? - Because “the spirit is willing and the flesh is WEAK” - We need Sacramental grace and frankly without it, there is NO WAY we will live as Jesus commanded…This is why salvation is found through our Baptism, which wipes away original sin, as well living as a practicing Catholic utilizing the Sacraments regularly…We need to go to confession, especially if we sin mortally…We also need to receive the Eucharist, which is Christ himself (Body; Blood; Soul & Divinity)…The Blessed Sacrament is “food for the journey” back to God…..To “think” humanity can live as God commanded us without the Catholic Church is a fools errand! - Our human nature will not permit it.
“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom”
All adults know that temptation is VERY real…How do we conquer our temptations? - How do we grow in virtue?…..The world gives us all kinds of answers to those questions - But ask yourself honestly - How has the secular world’s solutions worked? - You tell a “tree by the fruit it bears” and all you have to do is look out your window - Our world has turned its back on God and because of that - The world is a mess!……In America 55% of ALL marriages end in divorce - A startling statistic! - That is reality and that number should concern everyone…..Were you aware that if a married couple simply goes to Church together on Sunday, the divorce rate is only 25%…..Let’s go further….If Catholic couples do not use contraception and practice Natural Family Planning (NFP) - The divorce rate for those couples is only 3%….What do these statistics tell us? - That God’s way works!!!!…..Jesus tell us very clearly……”Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” - Our world today does not take Jesus at his word - Human beings still want to do it “their way” as opposed to God’s way - And that is why the world is a mess!…..The “solution” to many of humanity’s problems are very simple - Our Lady tells us the way forward and the solution - Remember at the Wedding Feast of Cana when the guests ran out of wine? - What did Our Lady tell them?…..“Do whatever he tells you.” - Well, she is telling us the same thing today - “Do whatever he tells you.” - It’s really as simple as that!
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light"
Today St Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds them - He also reminds us - That if we live in the “flesh” - We die!…..That is a very clear warning…But St Paul also gives us the solution to mankind’s “sin problem” - That we MUST live in the Holy Spirit in order to LIVE……We do that by utilizing the gifts given to us by the one and only Church founded by Christ himself - The Catholic Church…Many people will read this reflection and strongly disagree with what was written….Many people still want to do it “their way” - Again, a fools errand!…Human nature being what it is does not equip us to follow Christ to the degree he commands us to…We need “supernatural assistance” - And that supernatural assistance comes in the form of the Sacraments….For this who have ears - Let them hear!….”Self Help” books are no help!…..We can not self manufacture grace - We must avail ourselves to God’s grace…..The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are the “medicine” for a sick world…….We ALL need that “medicine” and without it - We die!…..JMJ
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