Articles of the Month

Should  Catholics  be  viewing rated-R,  rated-X  or TV-14 movies  on  TV, cable or  in theatres  or  listening  to provocative, sexual  or violent music?

     The answer is "No" and we will discuss why this is so.  All Catholics have a responsibility to their souls to view media and listen to music that Jesus wouldn't mind looking at or listening to.  Therefore, if Jesus would feel offended by watching rated-R, rated-X or TV-14 movies or listening to rated-R music, it is a very clear reminder that we should not be watching or listening to these types of movies, programs or music either.  We should always keep this idea in mind when we are trying to discern what is appropriate and inappropriate to view and listen to, not only for ourselves but especially when young children or young people will also be viewing the same media or music we will be watching and listening to.  
     Anything that shows a person to do or act out in various ways against God's commandments does not represent a holy and decent way of life and represents evil in every way, shape and form.  It is also considered an occasion of sin and we are to avoid it at all costs.  It is our obligation to be responsible, mature Catholics and refrain from viewing or listening to these types of morally unhealthy and sinful media and music. Rated-R, rated-X and TV-14 movies and rated-R music should not be viewed or listened to at all because it usually means that there is alot of obscene/foul language, sexual overtones/situations and/or violence in them.  These characteristics are in direct opposition to what our Catholic religion and faith teaches us to do and what Christ means when He says that we must be holy and perfect as Our Heavenly Father is holy and perfect.   
     When we watch or listen to these types of movies or music, it will inevitably have some affect on us whether we want to believe it or not.  Many people who view or listen to sexual or violent material, many times will act out some of those situations in their own lives.  This is of great concern for single Catholics, no matter what age they are, especially because they are already constantly bombarded by bad media and music on a daily basis.  If Catholics do not avoid this occasion of sin, then they must go to confession to confess this sinful behavior which ultimately affects the life of their soul.  Also, it should also be our utmost concern that the children, teenagers and young people in our families do not view morally unhealthy movies or listen to morally unhealthy music.  If this becomes a problem in our families, adult Catholics should make an appointment with a priest right away so that the priest can talk with the young person to discuss the reasons why sexual, foul and violent movies are morally unhealthy and can insidiously erode the life of our souls.
     We as Catholics should all be on the same road which leads to Heaven.  Our ultimate goal is to become a saint and we all should be doing everything in our power to attain Heaven and that means changing our choices in movies and music.  G-rated and PG-rated movies and music are fine to watch and listen to because they will not erode our Catholic morals and do not go against God's commandments.   Even some PG-13 movies can also have morally unhealthy material in it, so it is best that children and teenagers do not watch these types of movies either.  Jesus Himself promised us that "Happy are the clean of heart for they shall see God."  Jesus also warned that "unless you go through this life like a child, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God."
     Our Heavenly Father, Our Lord Jesus, Our Blessed Mother and the Holy Angels are probably very happy when Catholics, especially single Catholics, refrain from watching degrading, unhealthy and evil movies and music.  They have our best interests at heart.  It is a sacrifice on our part to do the right thing and follow our Catholic faith.  Everyone who follows God's way and Our Lord's teachings will be rewarded handsomely, perhaps in this life and definitely in the next, if we make changes that will enhance and contribute to our holiness.  Let us Catholics show love for Our Heavenly Father, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother by living holy lives and refrain from participating in things that only hurt our own souls.  May God bless you in your endeavor to become holy Catholics in order to attain your heavenly salvation.

Advent  &  Christmas--A  Time for  Thanksgiving,  Change  and Honor  of  the  Holy  Family

     It is Advent and Christmas-time again and we have much to be grateful for.  Many of us are blessed with the basic necessities of life, family and good friends.  We also have our wonderful Heavenly Father, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Mother, the Angels, saints, Our Catholic Church and our Catholic faith to also be grateful for.  We thank God for the gifts that He has given us throughout the years and we thank Our Lord Jesus for the salvation that He offers to us each and every day of our lives.  We thank Our Blessed Mother for saying "yes" to God in giving us Our Lord Jesus to us on earth.  The Heavenly Angels and saints are always there for us to pray to also whenever we are in need and during the times when we may feel all alone in this life.
     We must always understand that God, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother, the Heavenly Angels and saints will never abandon us when we need them most.  Even though we may not see them, they are nevertheless always with us if we pray for their intercession.  They are alive in spirit.  Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother, the Heavenly Angels and saints are as alive in Heaven as the people we come in contact with are here on earth.
     We as Catholics have the beauty of our Catholic Church and faith.  When times are difficult, we can always turn to them for help.  We sometimes cannot do it all alone.  Sometimes, we need to rely on our Catholic Church and faith to carry us through the most troubling times in our lives.  We can always be sure that when we pray our prayers are always heard.  We may not see immediate answers to our prayers but Heaven will determine what is good and not good for us to have.  We must never stop praying because we can all grow more holy, humble and become saints in the process, not only by praying but also in patiently enduring the trials in our lives.
     Advent is also a time for change.  We need to look at our present lives with an objective view.  Do we love God, Our Lord Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, and our neighbors as ourselves?  Are we doing everything that we should be doing to become closer to Them or are we becoming more proud, self-centered, angry and less faithful in our duties toward God, Our Lord Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, our neighbors and Our Catholic Church?  Are we obeying the Ten Commandments faithfully, following the teachings of the Catholic Church everyday and making sure that we are doing all that we can do to attain Heaven at the end of our lives? 
     These are the kinds of things that we all should be asking ourselves throughout the years and especially during Advent.  If we haven't been devoting ourselves to our Catholic responsibilities, now is the time to change all of that and to turn over a new leaf in our lives.  There is time to change all of our sinful ways and to repent and turn our lives over to God and Our Lord Jesus now that we still have a chance to do so.  Our Heavenly Father is giving us all the opportunity to turn to Him while there is still time in our lives.  When we turn our lives over to God, to Our Lord Jesus and to Our Blessed Mother, we will never be disappointed.  They will keep us close to Them all of our lives and, best of all, They will be there for us on our last day, ready to greet us into Heaven if we have been faithful to Them and to the Catholic Church in this life.
     We should prepare for Christmas and for the New Year by going to confession as soon as possible and go to Church and receive Holy Communion faithfully every week during the Advent season and in the coming New Year.  This is a wonderful way to show Our Heavenly Father and Our Lord Jesus that we are serious and indeed want to amend our lives and want Them to be in our lives from that point onwards.  We need to make the commitment to never let sin in our lives again.   
     Advent is also a time to honor the Holy Family.  We should thank Our Blessed Mother for Her devotion to God and to Our Lord Jesus.  Our Blessed Mother, Jesus and St. Joseph are also models for us to follow in this life.  Their love of mankind and for sinners are truly exemplary and it shows us the way in which we are to care, treat and love our neighbors, strangers, sinners, family, relatives, acquaintances and even ourselves.  Our utmost concern should be for the salvation of all people in this world, especially for those who are near and dear to us and even for ourselves. 
     We should be careful that we treat others as well as we would treat Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother if They were here with us.  Many times, we take people for granted and we shouldn't.  We never know when loved ones or friends will be called from this life.  If we have any differences or harsh words for anyone in our lives, we should make amends with them immediately and not wait for another day before we reconcile with those people. 
     So, while Advent is here, let us all show our thanks, obedience and honor to Our Heavenly Father, Our Lord Jesus and to Our Blessed Mother by repenting our lives, following the teachings of our Catholic Church, receiving the Sacraments and preparing our lives for our Heavenly reward.  May God bless you and your family during the holidays and in the New Year.