7th Step--Persistence in the Catholic Faith,
Prayer and Doing Acts of Mercy
And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him, and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Luke 11:5-13
It is important that Catholics, whether they are cradle Catholics or converts to the Catholic faith, persist in their Catholic faith despite tribulation, difficulties and trials that may come up in their lives. Sometimes, Catholics stop going to Church, leave the Catholic faith or just forget about the Church altogether whenever they experience difficulties in their lives and/or question their faith. For example, a person may stop going to the Catholic Church because their husband, wife or loved one dies and they are depressed, angry or questioning their faith. When these types of incidents happen in one's life, it is important to rely on God, Our Lord Jesus, Our Blessed Mother and the Church as well as friends, relatives and other close loved ones. Jesus never said that life would be easy for those who follow Him. In fact, Jesus said that those who want to follow Him must take up their cross and follow Him. Whether we choose to follow Jesus or not, people will always have tribulations and trials at times and they must accept that fact. Wouldn't we rather live for Jesus than live alone through life's struggles? Many of the saints and martyrs died for their faith, rather than give up on eternal life with God. We as Catholics should also prepare ourselves to be persistent in our faith, even until death.
Jesus also makes the promise that if we live for Him and Our Almighty Father throughout our life, we will share in eternal glory in Heaven. Therefore, even though life may bring us illness, death in the family, heartbreak, financial difficulties, loneliness, and other tribulations, it is imperative that Catholics maintain their strong belief in God, in Our Lord Jesus and in Our Blessed Mother. In many of my personal experiences, I was, more or less, shown that God was looking out for me in life even though I was not aware of it.
Our Blessed Mother, the angels and the saints hear our prayers whenever we pray, even though they may not grant them all right away. On the other hand, some prayers may be granted right away as was the case for my desperate car situation. We must be persistent with our prayers because God, Our Lord Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, the angels and saints listen and love persistent prayers. Persistence in prayer and belief in God brings Heaven closer to us and to those we love by helping to bestow on us special blessings and heavenly favors. God will bless us for our persistence despite the trials that come our way.
It is also necessary that Catholics do acts of charity for the Catholic Church, for their fellow man, for those suffering poverty, for the elderly, for the homeless, and for those less fortunate than ourselves. We must remember that when we do things to help others, we are doing them for Jesus Himself. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are great ways in which we can do acts of mercy and charity toward others. They are:
Corporal Works of Mercy
1. Feed the hungry.
2. Give drink to the thirsty.
3. Clothe the naked.
4. Visit and ransom captives.
5. Shelter the homeless.
6. Visit the sick.
7. Bury the dead.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
1. Correct sinners.
2. Instruct the ignorant.
3. Counsel the doubtful.
4. Comfort the sorrowful.
5. Bear wrongs patiently.
6. Forgive all injuries.
7. Pray for the living and the dead.
Go to Step 8--Penance and Sharing of Your Catholic Faith With Others>>
It is important that Catholics, whether they are cradle Catholics or converts to the Catholic faith, persist in their Catholic faith despite tribulation, difficulties and trials that may come up in their lives. Sometimes, Catholics stop going to Church, leave the Catholic faith or just forget about the Church altogether whenever they experience difficulties in their lives and/or question their faith. For example, a person may stop going to the Catholic Church because their husband, wife or loved one dies and they are depressed, angry or questioning their faith. When these types of incidents happen in one's life, it is important to rely on God, Our Lord Jesus, Our Blessed Mother and the Church as well as friends, relatives and other close loved ones. Jesus never said that life would be easy for those who follow Him. In fact, Jesus said that those who want to follow Him must take up their cross and follow Him. Whether we choose to follow Jesus or not, people will always have tribulations and trials at times and they must accept that fact. Wouldn't we rather live for Jesus than live alone through life's struggles? Many of the saints and martyrs died for their faith, rather than give up on eternal life with God. We as Catholics should also prepare ourselves to be persistent in our faith, even until death.
Jesus also makes the promise that if we live for Him and Our Almighty Father throughout our life, we will share in eternal glory in Heaven. Therefore, even though life may bring us illness, death in the family, heartbreak, financial difficulties, loneliness, and other tribulations, it is imperative that Catholics maintain their strong belief in God, in Our Lord Jesus and in Our Blessed Mother. In many of my personal experiences, I was, more or less, shown that God was looking out for me in life even though I was not aware of it.
Our Blessed Mother, the angels and the saints hear our prayers whenever we pray, even though they may not grant them all right away. On the other hand, some prayers may be granted right away as was the case for my desperate car situation. We must be persistent with our prayers because God, Our Lord Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, the angels and saints listen and love persistent prayers. Persistence in prayer and belief in God brings Heaven closer to us and to those we love by helping to bestow on us special blessings and heavenly favors. God will bless us for our persistence despite the trials that come our way.
It is also necessary that Catholics do acts of charity for the Catholic Church, for their fellow man, for those suffering poverty, for the elderly, for the homeless, and for those less fortunate than ourselves. We must remember that when we do things to help others, we are doing them for Jesus Himself. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are great ways in which we can do acts of mercy and charity toward others. They are:
Corporal Works of Mercy
1. Feed the hungry.
2. Give drink to the thirsty.
3. Clothe the naked.
4. Visit and ransom captives.
5. Shelter the homeless.
6. Visit the sick.
7. Bury the dead.
Spiritual Works of Mercy
1. Correct sinners.
2. Instruct the ignorant.
3. Counsel the doubtful.
4. Comfort the sorrowful.
5. Bear wrongs patiently.
6. Forgive all injuries.
7. Pray for the living and the dead.
Go to Step 8--Penance and Sharing of Your Catholic Faith With Others>>
