The Greatest Gift You Can Give For Christmas

Christmas is kind of funny because it is the only birthday where the person whose birthday we are celebrating doesn't get gifts. Are far as friends and relatives are concerned some people go into debt to get someone the ultimate gift.

But what is the greatest gift that you can give anyone ever? Consider that whatever you buy at the corner store, Walmart, or the BMW store will satisfy a person only for so long. That LEGO that you son NEEDS will only be pleasing for days or years. Is there anything that you can give someone that will help them forever. Yes.

WHAT MAKES SOMETHING THE ULTIMATE GIFT?

That which brings about the greatest happiness, even if it hurts. Let me give you an example: A person has a terrible disease and you pay for them to fly to a country where they can treat the problem and undergo multiple painful surgeries with the hope of being cured. YOU are the one who paid for the doctor to cut on them, and I bet they would thank you for the opportunity with the final result of being cured in mind. YET, you would hurt financially from the expenses, they would hurt physically and yet both would be rewarded; you with the satisfaction that helped your friend and they with the healing and the comfort of having such a good friend.

THE ULTIMATE GIFT!!!

That is you, being in a right relationship with God, and being a channel of grace for that person to help them get to heaven.

WHY IS THIS THE BEST GIFT?

Not only will you have a sure hope for heaven, but you will be a good example for whomever you meet and a place where people can come in contact with God. uncle Frank might have bought them a car, yes, but you with your prayers, good example, and counsel helped get them to see the face of God forever. I am not saying that Uncle Frank's car isn't important. It is important and thanks be to  God for that, but the car will probably need replacing someday. The blessing that you can be to someone can pave the road to eternity which will last forever.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

#1 Believe what God says. God went through the trouble of becoming man, dying for our sins, rising, and sending the Holy Spirit to start the Catholic Church to help you get to heaven. If you have trouble believing - beg God for the grace to believe. "God help me believe!"
#2 Get right with God. Go to Confession often (once a month at least, or every two weeks to be in line for any indulgence). Saying you are sorry is the first step in fixing any relationship.
#3 Do what God says - be concerned with pleasing God first. Your new girlfriend isn't the one who decides if you get into heaven or not. The world and world governments change laws all the time. Follow God's laws, those are the ones that matter first.
#4 Pray and talk to God. Don't have time? Prioritise. Put God before all else. Don't know what to say? Learn how to pray by praying the Psalms in the Bible or other good Catholic prayer books, or just talk to God like I am talking to you now. Just talk. But make sure you have some time for a little silence so you can listen as well.

HEY - My 4 points are like the 4 parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Creed, Sacraments, Commandments, Prayer.

Then you will be a blessing to everyone, especially to those whom you love; through your prayers, works, and joys.

Merry Christmas!

Gluttony Part 1

(A summary of Adolphe Tanquerey's section on gluttony in his book, The Spiritual Life) 

St. Gregory Said:

Unless we first tame the enemy dwelling within us (gluttony) we have not even stood up to engage in the spiritual combat. 

St. Paul said:

For many walk…that are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction and whose god is their belly. Philippians 3:18, 19

A simple definition of gluttony is - eating for its own sake

Delight to excess in 4 ways

Eating when there is no need

Seeking delicacies

Gorging oneself with food

Eating with eagerness or greed (like an animal)

Gluttony is malicious because it makes:

The soul a slave to the body

Man like a brute animal

His intellectual life weak

His moral life weak

A path to voluptuous pleasure

Gluttony is grievous when:

A) we can’t fulfill our duties

Injury to health

Cause of useless expenses

Can’t provide for the family

Violate laws of fast and abstinence

B) the cause other grievous faults

Lust of other senses

Intemperance of speech

Gluttony is venial when you:

Overeat but not gravely

Overeating to show a friend you enjoy their food.

It is an obstacle to perfection because it causes:

A spirit of immortification

Weakened will

A development for love for sensual pleasure

A source of being too talkative

Some Remedies to overcome Gluttony

Principle – the pleasure of eating is not an end in itself but a means to an end.

Reason alone tells us that we should only eat what is necessary for the body but Faith tells us – pleasure of eating and drinking must be sanctified by three things:

1. Purity of intention
2. Moderation
3. Mortification

A) Intention

Gratitude - we should give thanks for what we have received

Humility – we don’t deserve it because of our sins

Love – we renew our strength at the service of God and our neighbor's soul.

Whether you eat or drink…do all to the glory of God. – St. Paul

B) Moderation

Acquire strength needed to fulfill our duties in life

Avoid excess that might compromise health

Leave the table with sprightliness and vigor

C) Mortification

Eating something we dislike

Taking no meal without the element of mortification

Forego certain foods we like

NOTE - These are just little notes that I have started carrying with me to help avoid this sin.

The Root of Every Heresy

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme." said Wittreich.

Reading Genesis 1-3, implied is the first heresy proposed by the devil, taught convincingly by Eve, and obeyed by Adam.

How did this come about and how does every heresy follow this pattern.

We begin with Adam who created first by God in Genesis 2 and given the commandment. 

Genesis 2:16 And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat:17 But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death.

Only after this does God make eve from Adam's side. 

When we hear this commandment spoken by Eve to the serpent she says Genesis 3:3 "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God hath commanded us that we should not eat; and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we die."

Now GOING BY THE TEXT ALONE (yet not sola scriptura), Adam was the only one who heard the commandment so it must have been he that spoke it to her. Adam is the first prophet. Yet, there is that added part "don't touch it even." Now here is not the place to get into the legitimacy of Adam adding to the rules that God set down. He very well may have had the authority to do that. Jesus told us to fast, but the Church says what days, how, and for how long and She can do that because Jesus gave her that authority. So let's say that Adam has that authority to put a type of (verbal) wall around the tree so as to ensure the safety. 

But look what happens, Eve begins listening to another voice (the devil's) and believes that the NEW message she is now receiving is true and the old one is false. She then becomes a prophet for the devil and begins preaching his message. We know this because Genesis 3:17 "And to Adam he[God] said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife," 

When was that? When did he listen to his wife? There is some conversation that is lost to us.

She does this because she thinks that the message is good. But by believing this message and rejecting the original one she is suggesting that Adam is in fact a false prophet who represents a false god. 

ALL OF THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME SOMEONE LEAVES THE CHURCH.
The Church is the legitimate authority given to us by Jesus through the Apostles and passed on by apostolic succession until our day. The members believe the message that the Church proposes for belief. Yet one day an outside voice suggests to someone. "the church is holding you back with xyz, if you follow me I will really free you and teach you the truth." 

So they leave and we can see by the fruit that it produces that it only leads to ruin and division.

Ecclesiastes says as much when it says there is nothing new under the sun.

Cool NEW Product! Church History Timeline Banner!!!

I have produced a HUGE banner of Catholic Church History. It is 5ft X 17ft. That is HUGE! Why would I want such a thing? The only reason you ask that question is because you have yet to see it.

I have it officially advertised here: catholictimelinebanner

So here is my schpeal, my talk, so to speak

What happens when you requestion the high school students to
"go stand in front of it."

How can you visibly represent that the Catholic Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic? A Catholic History Timeline Banner - that is how.

• It is neatly divided into 13 sections for easy memorization of major time periods. 
• It has all the major characters from every age and is appropriate to follow along with any Church history text. 
• One of the problems with studying History is that you get lost in the details and forget the big picture. This is your solution to that problem. 
• Each century includes an inspirational quote from someone from that time period.
• Big beautiful pictures attract the eye from afar beckoning you to come closer and immerse yourself in the story of the Body of Christ; the Church. 

  

  Students actually looking at it.

So check out the website, give me a call, if you are local or afar we will make arrangements to get a better look at it. Then consider getting one for your home, school, church, library, or seminary. It is guaranteed to attract attention.

God love you.