The Luck of the Irish Channel

The distinctive individual to my left is my priest. A source of great comfort to myself and my family. Your priests serve as far more than mouthpieces for the gospel, they live it. They are celibate as a sacrifice so that they can focus on others instead of themselves as Jesus did. Father has my admiration, my love, and my compassion, it was that one dark night in ICU that my soul was delivered from the bowels of hell and the demons chased back to the darkness - only to peek out or howl to me on occasion, but now keeping their distance from me. I have made a huge leap in my faith as well. I have gone from just being scared about the punishment from my sins in purgatory, to now being very concerned about the effect that they have on separating my guardian angel and my lord from my person. Once you know that purgatory is true, and that the sacrament of Last Rites is efficacious - you are stuck in a moral quandary. If the Catholic Church is telling the truth and their solutions are surely effective (I know we all don't get a test drive) then what do you do...? I signed back up, and renewed my membership in the universal church by accepting Jesus's selection of me as a member. Especially after I found that all the sacraments brought the intended relief, and that they mystery of the Catholic Church was surmounted only by it's majesty and unbroken succession to Jesus Christ himself through Peter - the rock on which Jesus has stated he would build his church. If you see this priest or any other, you need to throw your arms around them and than them for the sacrifices that they make for you everyday in their lives. Remember, that the Catholic church is universal - if you are in a low place and not getting the help or relief you need - you can always still call a "real priest".

Your Catholic Priest - Don't Leave Earth without his Blessing!

Protestant's Explained for Me

Not one to miss anything blatantly obvious, I was reading another persons blog because they were flagged as someone else who enjoyed The Little World of Don Camillo (which I talk about earlier in this blog). To make a long story short or a short story long - I'll at least speed things up by starting with the clip that caught my attention...

Preaching about what our faith meant to us at Saint Matthias’ day, I recalled the American writer Garrison Keillor, who every week broadcasts a story from the fictional town of Lake Wobegon. About twenty years ago, Father Emil, who was the Catholic priest in lake Wobegon was retiring and a member of the town’s Lutheran Church said to Father Emil that if he was ever looking for work, he would make a very good Lutheran pastor.

Father Emil replies, very gently, "Lutheranism is my idea of a holiday. To take those truths we find difficult, and bend them a little to make life easier. Yes, Luther was a great man all right"

Normally, I would not be able to agree more with the sentiment expressed therein - but what threw me for a loop was it's use by a protestant cleric in his sermon. Protestants, who eschew the basic tenets of the Church yet expect all rewards - and he a member of a sect that broke with the Mother Church in order to allow England's king to divorce his wife (again - and not for the second time either). Click Here to Go There

Jesus is all too clear about divorce:

Luke 16:18 'Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery, and the man who marries a woman divorced by her husband commits adultery.

Mark 10:11 and he said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her.

Matthew 19:9 Now I say this to you: anyone who divorces his wife -- I am not speaking of an illicit marriage -- and marries another, is guilty of adultery.'

Which leads to the annulment process which frustrates so many because the marriage must have been invalid for it to be annulled, and it is purposely painful and drawn out in order to ensure that such a declaration is not pursued without real basis in canon law.

To make matters worse, other groups broke away over the authority of the Pope (Bishop of Rome) because they disagreed - but whether or not they agreed was irrelevant, the good lord left the church in the hands of Peter and his assigns - it not left to people who decided to split off because they didn't get their way.

One might also consider a quote from Cardinal Ratzenberger BEFORE he was elected Pope. "Truth is not determined by a majority vote." This simple and true statement is an affirmation that our modern society often leads us astray from the intentions of God. The very thought that they should be able to have it set up their way is no less than Lucifer's crime and will lead to a similar fate.

Simple Obedience is the key to pleasing the Lord. The church of Jesus Christ (The Catholic Church) does not ask anything of any member that would endanger themselves or their families. In fact, following his laws will bring you the peace your modern life cannot and will not ever be capable of.

My Little World

Speaking of classic literature, I think we should all start with the stories about a priest in a small town in Italy, and his very interactive relationships with both Jesus Christ and the local Communist. These stories are set shortly after World War II in an Italy undergoing reconstruction. The Little World of Don Camillo is actually out of print. Occasionally, you will find a copy in a library or possibly on amazon. Realistically though, the great thing about old books is that the copyrights have been allowed to expire and this ensures that future generations will be able to enjoy them for free - if they can find a copy to read. Fortunately for you, the sole reader of this rudderless and derelict diatribe - I have located a copy you may read on the web. It even includes the wonderful illustrations as found in my well loved yet dilapidated original copy. You can read the humorous drivel here:

http://www.meaning-of-life.info/DonCamillo.html

As the protagonist is a Catholic priest, I think Catholics will find it particularly humorous. Other religions will benefit from a comedic insight into the workings of a small parish of the church founded by Peter the Apostle.
In the end, if you have questions about Catholicism you can die - which will provide you with the answers you need, just a tad too late for them to be relevant or you can go to CatholicAnswers.com - where you can post a question about the most misunderstood faith on the planet or read through already posted questions. This can save you some embarrasment if you're not globally recognized for your ability to formulate intelligent questions. Keep in mind the words of Mr. Garrision who famously said "Now Kyle! There are no stupid questions, just stupid people."