Catholics In Name Only
THEY ARE LIKE WOLVES IN THE MIDST OF SHEEP! THEY ARE DEVIL´S INSTRUMENTS, THEY ARE BAPTIZED TO BE PROPHETS, PRIESTS AND KINGS BUT THEY ARE ALL FALSE! FALSE KINGS! FALSE PRIESTS! FALSE PROPHETS! AND THEY ARE IN THE MIDST OF US!
"Beware of false prophets who come to you DISGUISED AS SHEEP BUT UNDERNEATH ARE RAVENOUS WOLVES. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits." (Mathew 7:15-20)
Some of us are exactly the way Saint Augustine used to talk about, 'If you only believe in what you like in the Gospel and reject what you don´t like, it is not the Gospel you believe in, but yourself.'
People like to call themselves Catholics but they don´t follow and do not respect the 10 commandments, the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Tradition or the Holy Magisterium. They are against the Holy Pope, against the teaching of the Holy Church who is Mother and Master, against the spiritual life, against the sacraments, against the Catechism of the Catholic Churc, against the saints, against the millennial doctrine of salvation...
They believe in a false god who is only mercy but forget about his justice and that this god will send no one to Hell for his mercy is endless and everlasting; they believe nothing is sin anymore and since we are not going to have anything like a judgement or such, we need to enjoy our life on earth, here an now. They make changes and adapt whatever is needed within the Bible or the Church so they can keep enjoying their earthly pleasures to the full with no consequences.
They are among us, they talk like one of us, they use our vocabulary, they dress like us, they are in the same places we are, they are inside our houses, in our workplaces, in our neighborhood, in and out everywhere we can think of. But they are only of name!!
Summing up, we can call them a sort of anti Christ, if not the actual Antichrists! Saint John very well prevented us about it writing about them on his first letter. Let´s see what he says:
"Children, this is the final hour; you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and now many Antichrists have already come; from this we know that it is the final hour. They have gone from among us, but they never really belonged to us; if they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us. But this was to prove that not one of them belonged to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and have all received knowledge. I have written to you not because you are ignorant of the truth, but because you are WELL AWARE OF IT, and because no lie can come from the truth. Who is the liar, if not one who claims that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son cannot have the Father either; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father too. Let what you heard in the beginning remain in you; as long as what you heard in the beginning remains in you, you will remain in the Son and in the Father." (1 John 2:18-24)
Being only on the husk, on the hull and on the bark they end up being example to others, that are examples to others and that keep going on. So what we see nowadays are a complete generation of false Christians: selfish people who only seek God when is convenient and do not measure any efforts to sin and promote sin and they do not give any attention to their faith, but only kick the can down the road.
There lives the big danger: we cannot be like them! We should observe and see the way people like that live in order for us to do and live the absolute opposite, the other way round. We are not saying here that they are a complete piece of garbage but that they should not be imitated. Their bad examples should die with them and not be passed by to others.
On the other hand, we should be example for these bad Catholics in everything we are and do. We ought to be irrepressible, so they will see our good example and maybe get back to the real God, repent, confess their sins and became truly people of faith. That is the responsibility Jesus himself conferred to us: be salt and light for the earth. He did not say we would become salt and become light, but if we are real Catholics, we are salt and light already.
"You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under people´s feet. You are light for the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way YOUR LIGHT MUST SHINE IN PEOPLE´S SIGHT, SO THAT, SEEING YOUR GOOD WORKS, THEY MAY GIVE PRAISE TO YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN." (Mathew 5:13-16)
Maybe the worst type of these Catholics of name are not even those who deny and are against everything the Mother Church teaches but those who don´t know anything about it and don´t care and can´t be bothered about acquiring any knowledge.
That´s the reason why the prophet had said the words God told him:
"My people perish for want of knowledge. Since you yourself have rejected knowledge, so I shall reject you from my priesthood; since you have forgotten the teaching of your God, I in my turn shall forget your children." (Hosea 4:6)
The same and terrible mistake was done on the time of prophet Baruch, but not only that. It had been so long ago that the people of God forgot where and how to seek wisdom.
"Listen, Israel, to commands that bring life; hear, and learn what knowledge means. Why, Israel, why are you in the country of your enemies, growing older and older in an alien land, defiling yourselves with the dead, reckoned with those who go to Sheol? IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE FORSAKEN THE FOUNTAIN OF WISDOM!" (Baruch 3:9-12)
And he keeps insisting on the same idea for us to seek this knowledge:
"Learn where knowledge is, where strength, where understanding, and so learn where length of days is, where life, where the light of the eyes and where peace. But who has found out where she lives, who has entered her treasure house? Where now are the leaders of the nations and those who ruled even the beasts of earth, those who sported with the birds of heaven, those who accumulated silver and gold on which all people rely, and whose possessions had no end, those who worked so carefully in silver -but of whose works no trace is to be found? They have vanished, gone down to Sheol. Others have risen to their places, more recent generations have seen the day and peopled the earth in their turn, but the way of knowledge they have not found; they have not recognized the paths she treads. Nor have their children had any grasp of her, remaining far from her way. Nothing has been heard of her in Canaan, nothing has been seen of her in Teman; the children of Hagar in search of worldly wisdom, the merchants of Midian and Teman, the tale-spinners and the philosophers have none of them found the way to wisdom or remembered the paths she treads." (Baruch 3:14-23)
There is still hope though we seem to be on a point that is irreversible! But let´s remind ourselves of what Saint Gabriel, the archangel said to Our Blessed Mother on the Annunciation:
"For nothing is impossible to God." (Luke 1:37)
The author of the book of The Proverbs teach us where to find wisdom and where this knowledge sits on:
"The first principle of wisdom is the fear of Yahweh, What God´s holy ones know -- this is understanding." (The Proverbs 9:10)
We need to put ourselves down by the fount of wisdom, fearing God our Lord and ask the Holy Spirit for his grace, for his outpouring of knowledge of God and his gifts. In that way we will end up giving praise and glory to the Lord of the Catholic Church, the Lord of our lives, the Lord of the Universe, for everything is beneath his feet: Our big Lord and God Jesus Christ! To him praise, honor, adoration, blessings and glory! Alleluia!
Some of those who call themselves Catholics go to Holy Mass only when there is a special event, a Christening, a First Communion, a Confirmation or Matrimony. Others go when it is convenient to go. Others go on Saturday night or Sundays. Others go every Sunday. Others go with more frequency and the minimum go on a daily basis.
THE HOLY MASS IS HEAVEN ON EARTH AND THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST POWERFUL PRAYER THAT EXISTS, in accordance with our beloved and missed pope Saint John Paul II.
The question we should ask and be able to answer is 'How many of those who do participate of the Holy Mass, receive Jesus and get into communion with him, do have an idea they are receiving the real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ?'
It is not a mere symbolism like on the protestant churches, for that´s what they believe in there. But that is not the teaching of the Catholic Church, for after the consecration that happens on every Holy Mass, the bread and the wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. It is the biggest miracle on the face of the Earth! And it happens 365 days of the year (the only exception is on the Good Friday, where there is no Holy Mass, only the celebration of the death of the Lord and the communion).
Saint Paul reminded this important teaching of Christ that was essential for the growth of the community in his letter to the Corinthians. This is not a symbolism or representation of something sacred, but it is truly the renovation of the one and only sacrifice Christ did on the altar of the cross.
"For the tradition I received from the Lord and also handed on to you is that on the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and after he had given thanks, he broke it, and he said, "THIS IS MY BODY, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' And in the same way, with the cup after supper, saying, 'THIS CUP IS THE NEW COVENENT IN MY BLOOD. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.' Whenever you eat this bread, then, and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the Lord´s death until he comes. Therefore anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily is answerable for the BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD. Everyone is to examine himself and only then eat of the bread or drink from the cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognising the body is eating and drinking his own condemnation. THAT IS WHY MANY OF YOU ARE WEAK AND ILL AND A GOOD NUMBER HAVE DIED." (1Corinthians 11:23-30)
People think it is a joke, it is a party, it is a gathering, it is a moment of prayer and mere meeting of friends and family whenever they head towards the Holy Mass. They go to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but they are clueless about what is happening on the altar and they just have no time within their busy agenda to study and get to know about this which is the biggest richness of the Church and that sustains the Holy Church.
It is not only by going with the body while the heart and mind are far away we can say we are participating on the mystery that happens in front of our eyes. That is why Jesus said in the Gospel that this outside husk of Catholic is not enough to grant salvation. The doors of Heaven will be closed to those who think this is enough.
"It is not anyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?' Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, all evil doers! 'Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!" (Mathew 7:21-27)
Many of us have been a life of outside, on the bark, very much superficial, pleasing the world and the evil one, not getting into conflict with those who are pagans. Our life is equal to anyone else who is not christian, who is not Catholic. What is the difference if we are Catholics or not, for our life does not make justice for what we say we believe!
Our hearts are on earthly things and outside! We are too worried about our own pleasure, we are looking very well after our jobs, our house, our future, but we are forgetting about our salvation. Why God´s things always occupies the last place and the last thoughts?
That is why Jesus explained so beautifully about our heart and our treasure. Our treasure is where our heart is. That means where our biggest effort, our mind and soul are drowned to.
"For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be too." (Mathew 6:21)
If we are Catholics we should come to know that the Eucharist is the sun, the biggest treasure of the Church, the most important thing in the life of the Church, the start and the end of our christian life, the hugest mystery of our faith, the deepest and greatest point of the covenant Christ left to us, when he died on the cross.
Let us finish this point with some teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1324-1327):
"The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch. The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God´s action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit. Finally, by the Eucharist celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all. In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."
"Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary´s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Luke 1:41-42)
Many of us did not know that the Hail Mary we do pray many times were in the Bible. The first part of it is absolute biblical! This should be enough to shut those protestants who keep asking where this prayer came from. There you go: show them Luke´s Gospel, on chapter one.
Elizabeth only said 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb' because she was FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT! And the same Holy Spirit inspired the Catholic Church to make the second and beautiful part of the prayer: 'Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death, amen'.
WHILE THE HOLY MASS IS THE FIRST AND MOST POWERFUL PRAYER, THE HOLY ROSARY IS THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL AND IT IS ALSO OUR WEAPON, in accordance with our beloved and missed mystic priest Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
Catholics don´t know much about the power of the Hail Mary, about the history of the rosary (that was given to Saint-Domingue by Our Lady), nor about the wonderful and Holy Mother of God: the Blessed and wonderful Virgin Mary! She is alive and from heaven look after these ungrateful children of God and of her.
There is a big abyss between the grace of God and us, there is a huge space between the miracles and us, there is a great distance between us and the power of Christ; and the very own God chose Our Lady to be in this midst. Christ is the body of the Catholic Church and we are the members, but Our Blessed Mother is the neck who unites both Head and Members.
As Catholics we still didn´t discover the great wonder and grace that is to have a Mother, mother of Faith, mother of Grace, mother of Christians. It is so important to have a mother that even God wanted to have one. We still need to fulfill what we were supposed to do with Our Lady in our life and in our house, for she is the second point of the covenant Christ gave to us, from the cross.
"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother´s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son.' Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." (John 19:25-27)
Obviously many of us have no relationship, not even far away, with our Holy Mother. We still don´t even know how to pray the prayers dedicated to her as the Magnificat, the Memorare, the Office of the Imaculate, the Laudate, the Crown of Mary, the Rosary, etc.
Even though many know the Hail Mary, they say it for they were taught as children and unfortunately until the very advanced age know nothing about the Holy and Blessed Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church and Mother of the Christians. They are able to pray the rosary with no much enthusiasm, knowing by heart how to do it, but they are never meditating on the mysteries and never saying wholehearted for their minds and hearts are always miles away thinking about what they are having for dinner, what they are going to buy and stuff.
It is a pity! It is a reason to cry for we do not grow in knowledge of Mary! She is the Mediatrix of all graces, and if we don´t receive many graces from God or lose it, it is because we don´t entrust to her everything we are and have. There is a wonderful saint from France called Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort who wrote the biggest book of devotion to Mary called "True devotion to Mary".
FROM MY OWN LIFE AND STORY, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST AND ONE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO MY LIFE: CONSECRATING MYSELF ENTIRELY TO MARY! THAT´S WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN WITH THAT WONDERFUL BOOK. LOOK FOR IT, READ, PRAY AND DO THE SAME YOURSELF; AND YOU ALSO WILL SAY 'TOTUS TUUS'.
In the midst of us, who want to be holy and do God´s will there are others who are inside the Church, calling themselves as Catholics but do not have anything with holiness or living a life that pleases God: they are only looking their own well and pleasure.Don´t worry about them, for their destiny is right. Jesus said all the darnel in our midst will be collected in the harvest to be burned. So open your eyes and heart, take out that husk and ask the Lord to become a truth wheat in the field of the Lord and his Church, and you will have the chance to be gathered into the barn of Heaven.
"He put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner´s laborers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the laborers said. "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundle to be burn, then gather the wheat into my barn." (Mathew 13:24-30)
THE MAIN THING WE DO NEED AS CATHOLICS IS AN EXPERIENCE WITH THAT WONDERFUL MAN WHO WALKED ON THE WATER. WE NEED TO FIND AND LET OURSELVES BE FOUND BY THAT MAN WHO GAVE HIS BODY AND BLOOD AS FOOD FOR OUR SALVATION. WE NEED TO MEET THAT MAN WHO GAVE HIS VERY OWN MOTHER TO BE OUR MOTHER ALSO AND LOOK AFTER OUR STEPS. WE NEED TO HAVE A DEEP ENCOUNTER WITH THAT MAN WHO STARTED THE CHURCH FROM HIS HEART OPENED ON THE CROSS WHEN HE DIED FOR OUR SINS...
Jesus is willing to have this meeting with me and with you! He is thirsty of me and you! On the cross he said he was thirsty... More than water, more wine or vinegar they gave to him; from the cross Jesus was thirsting for me and you! Let´s open our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him to give us a genuine and profound encounter with him. And our lives will never be the same anymore...
The same thing Jesus say to me and to you today, 'COME TO A NEW LIFE! COME TO EXPERIENCE MY LOVE! OPEN YOUR HEART AND HAVE COURAGE FOR IT´S I WHO CALL YOU, DON´T BE AFRAID! COME TO MEET ME! I AM WAITING FOR YOU'.
May this invitation of Jesus Christ touch our hearts and souls and put in us a big desire to meet him and let he meet us in the very occasion of life we are the moment. God has the better for us!
God bless us and call us closer to him to become real Catholics, filled with love for the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary!
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