Articles of the Month

The  Coming  Resurrection  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  at Easter  and  What  That  Means For  All  of  Us

     Soon it will be Easter Sunday and we are gloriously awaiting the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  His triumph over death, sin and his sacrifice for us for the salvation of all of us is what makes Easter very special to all of us, especially for us Catholics.  We glorify and praise Him for everything He has done for the world and Who gave up everything for us.  How wonderful Jesus is and mighty is His Name!  We can show our appreciation for the Lord Jesus in many ways. 
     First, we can show Jesus our appreciation and love for Him by doing everything we can do to merit Heaven which is our ultimate goal for now on.  He patiently waits for us to be united with Him in many ways--on earth and in the afterlife.  We can show that we are united with Jesus on earth by obeying God's commandments and Our Lord's commandment to love one another as He has loved us and by obeying the teachings of Our Catholic faith.  We must also take care of the poor, the aged, the young, the forgotten, the weak and infirmed because when we do so, we are really caring for Our Lord Jesus Himself.  Jesus said, "Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you are really doing it for Me."  We are not to be selfish, arrogant or sinful in this life.  We are to be ambassadors of faith and love.  We are to model the life that Jesus led while He was on earth.  We are to show compassion for others and be humble as Our Lord was humble.   He was born under humble circumstances and died with humility under the weight of the cross.
     Secondly, we can show our appreciation and love for Jesus by carrying on His ministry on earth.  All Catholics must evangelize to others wherever they may be--in their homes, in their jobs, in their neighborhoods, in their city, in their country and in the Catholic Church.  We must not be afraid to evangelize and minister to others because that is what Jesus passed on to us.  We are to pass on the faith and teachings of the holy Catholic Church.  We do not necessarily have to leave the country to do missionary work, although that may be a calling, but we can do missionary work where we live--in our own towns and in the communities around us.   We have to speak the truth of salvation and for the need of repentance from sins.  Our Blessed Mother has countless times said that there is a real need of repentance for today.  Currently, we live in a time where there is reluctance to live by God's laws and Commandments and many people, even Catholics, disregard the teachings of Our Lord Jesus and the Holy Catholic Church.  It is time to amend our lives toward God and to make sure that whatever we do, we do it for the love of Our Savior.
     The Resurrection of Our Lord shows us that we await our own life after death--a life with Jesus and all of Heaven, if we have merited it.  Everything we do should be with the intent to please God, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother so that we will surely gain heavenly salvation.   People cannot afford to lose their salvation for anyone or anything that comes along in life.   Let this Easter season remind us of our own mortality and our life after death--a time when we hope to be with the Lord.  Let us all do everything in our power to go through this life with holiness, love, faith, patience and strength to do the things that Our Lord and Our Lady asks us to do.  May you and your family have a Happy Easter Season. 

What  should  we  do  when  we are  faced  with  adversity, suffering, trials  and tribulations?

     Everyone is at sometime in their lives faced with the cross, whether it is in adversity in life, pain/suffering, an illness, loss of a job, death of a loved one or life's trials and tribulations.  No one escapes it.  It comes to one and all.  Jesus said that we are supposed to carry our crosses because it is a sign that we are His own and if we carry them with dignity, humility, patience, love, and strength, we show Jesus that we truly love Him and embrace the cross of our salvation. 
     It is never easy to carry our cross.  No one ever said that it would be easy.  It's easy to complain, become bitter and resentful, to argue with others, to become despondent, etc. but we all must try our very best to live up to the task of following Christ.  Let's face it, everyone complains when something bad happens but Jesus Himself gives us a wonderful example on how to bear the cross.  He never complained, fled, argued and was not a coward in the face of His painful cross.  He showed us that we too can carry our crosses with an uplifted spirit, with a sense of quiet resolution and with a feeling that God is with us in spite of everything that we are going through.  Jesus said that He would be with us forever, in this life and in the next.  
     Sometimes, people create their own crosses either by the mistakes they have made themselves or by not obeying God and following His Commandments.  Other times, our crosses come from outside our control.  We should be doing our best, at all times, to follow God's Laws/Commandments, continue going to confession, going to Mass every week, receiving Holy Communion and receiving the Sacraments of the Church.  We should also stay close to the Catholic Church at all times, especially when we are facing our own personal trials.  Sometimes, Catholics leave the Church out of frustration that they feel that their prayers are not being answered fast enough. 
     Our Almighty Father, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother should not be treated like short-order cooks, having to immediately deliver our requests whenever we ask for them.  Prayer takes patience and obedience for God's, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother's answers.  We should humbly ask and with that, we must be prepared to accept whatever God chooses to give us.  It does no good to get angry, make demands, to threaten or to punish God.  He is beyond all of that.  When people do those types of things, they should realize that they are only hurting themselves.  Part of being a Catholic is in choosing to live our faith with obedience to God and to Our Lord Jesus, with love for Them and one another and with a spirit of hope for the future.
     As Catholics, we are never to despair or give up in the face of hardships.  We can strive for a better way of life, full of faith that God, Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother will see us through and never forsake us.  They love us very much and we are precious in Their eyes.  Let us strive to be better Catholics and never lose sight of God, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother.  Let us continue to pray and ask for endurance, patience, strength, humility and hope for whatever losses and crosses we come across in the future.  May God bless you and your families.