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Single  Catholics  Must  Remain Strong  in  Faith  Despite  Ridicule or  Outside  Sources

     How many of you have been ridiculed because of your Catholic beliefs? Raise your hands.  Probably a whole bunch of you have experienced ridicule because of your Catholic faith from acquaintances, boyfriends/girlfriends, or other people from time to time.   If you have, it's nothing new.  Catholics have been ridiculed for centuries.  But, our present century's society and its occupants today are particularly known to be one of the most anti-Catholic, anti-Christian societies that have existed.  There are many sources that outwardly express anti-Catholic sentiment, opinions and lifestyle.  Plus, some of our television programs, films, music and most atheists are trying everything to try to convert us to their anti-Catholic lifestyles and hedonistic ways.  With all of the anti-Catholic bombardment, unfortunately many single Catholics choose the "if you can't beat them, might as well join them" approach, moving away from God and Our Lord Jesus, much to their own detriment.
     Unfortunately, also, many single Catholics were not catechized properly by their parents so they do not know much about their Catholic faith at all and their parents probably did not take them to Church either.  Even though, perhaps, single Catholics have not been taught about their Catholic faith, every practicing single Catholic must try to teach these poorly catechized single Catholics that there is a different way to live, that there is a future life that is possible with Jesus in Heaven.  Imagine what kind of society we would be if we all practiced our Catholic faith?  It would be amazing.  Single Catholics have to be strong to be able to resist the evil temptations of this world and of the devil because it is possible to defeat evil with good.  Instead of taking the easy way out and joining in on the degradation of society, we need to become a beacon of light in the darkness of today.
     With so much conflict and war happening all around us in the world, we must make sure that we live out our life following Christ and making sure that our eternal life will not be compromised by all of the external noise, temptations, and evil followers that presently exist today.  So, what do you do when someone pokes fun at you and your Catholic faith?  The easiest thing to do is say, "Yes, I'm a proud Catholic.  I follow Jesus Christ and I will continue to follow Him until He takes me home.  I refuse to do the things that the devil or society thinks I should do."  That's it.  Then, if they continue ridiculing you, walk away and don't look back.  But, what's most important to remember is that single Catholics should not follow evil actions or people that do not follow or believe in God or Our Lord Jesus, thinking that that person will eventually change.  The person that will end up changing is you and probably not for the better if you continue to surround yourself with non-practicing Catholic/Christians who deliberately go against God and Our Lord Jesus.
     It's important that we as single Catholics fight the good fight for our faith.  It means that we have to stand up for what Jesus stands for and for our Catholic faith.  There will always be bullies out there in this world who will ridicule you from time to time and ask, "How can you follow such strict rules?"  Well, our Catholic faith is strict but it is for the best.  Our Heavenly Father, Jesus and Our Blessed Mother knows what is good for us and it is better to be in the Catholic faith than to be separated from it.  You will be a much happier and joyful person if you choose to follow your Catholic faith and Our Lord Jesus.  Plus, if you follow your Catholic faith until death, you are promised the salvation of Heaven.  What more do we need?  May God, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother help you during those times when people question your faith or try to bully you into following their non-Catholic ways.
     It's important that every single Catholic continue praying on a daily basis for help in counteracting moral and personal ridicule, temptation that may come our way in life and to avoid committing sin.  Wearing the Brown Scapular, praying the Rosary, reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the St. Michael Chaplet daily will help us to remain strong Catholics all of our lives.  We must be persistent Catholics and not waiver when the going gets tough.  We must follow the determination of the saints to love Jesus, His Church and Our Catholic faith until the end. 

What  Can  You  Do  When  You  Get  Temptations?

     For many single Catholics, temptations come in many forms.  For some, it is a temptation to follow society's ways of living such as having sex before marriage, living with a boyfriend/girlfriend and/or taking birth control.  Another temptation is to not go to Mass on Sunday's by citing the terrible lie, "It takes too long" and "I don't get anything out of it anyway".   Perhaps, the temptation is to wear very revealing clothes to attract the opposite sex, even in Church.   Perhaps, the temptation is for money and power.  Whatever the temptations are, we must know that they do not come from God.  The devil is very active in our world and he will try every enticement to lure you into sin and to drive you away from the Catholic Church.  His goal is to keep you from attaining salvation and a future life in Heaven.  The devil laughs at us when we turn away from God and Our Lord Jesus.
     Single Catholics and, for that matter, every Catholic must be vigilant in driving away temptations as soon as they come by asking Our Lord Jesus, Our Heavenly Father, Our Blessed Mother and St. Michael to help rid temptations by keeping you strong, mentally and spiritually, so that you can withstand the assaults of the devil.  Also, it is very important that you maintain an active prayer life by actively scheduling your prayers when you have time during the day and early evening hours.  Many times, it is not good to pray in the late evening because one is usually very sleepy and it is very easy to fall asleep during one's prayers.  So, it is important that you say prayers in the morning, afternoon and early evening hours.
     A good way to stave off temptation is by praying the Liturgy of the Hours which are prayers that can be said throughout the day.  You can buy the Liturgy of the Hours online in any Catholic bookstore or on Amazon.  Also, every good Catholic must be reading the Bible, saying the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet every day as well.   "Well", you may be saying to yourself, "I don't have that much time to pray and when I get home from work, I'm exhausted."  Everyone can set at least an hour everyday for prayer.  In order to have that hour, it may mean not putting on the T.V. when you get home.  It may mean not talking on the phone with your friends for an hour or listening to music on your iPod for an hour.  In order to set time aside for prayer, it takes some sacrifice on our part to set prayer time for God, for Our Lord and for Our Blessed Mother.  Perhaps, you can put on a Rosary and/or Divine Mercy Chaplet CD in your car radio so that you can pray the Rosary and/or Chaplet on your way to work.  However you wish to plan your time for prayer, it will definitely be worth your time because you are telling God, Our Lord Jesus and Our Blessed Mother, that They are worth everything to you and that you wish to live with them in eternity after death.
     It is extremely important that you make the habit of going to Confession and attending Mass every week and if you can, even attend daily Mass because it is crucial that we receive the Eucharist every week as well.  When we go to Church and receive Christ's Body and Blood, He become part of us and He will help to strengthen us, especially during times of trial and temptation.  Jesus promised that when we eat His Body and drink His Blood, we will have life within us and we live forever with Him in Heaven.   Heaven is brought down to earth every day during Mass and Catholics should take every opportunity to attend Mass.  Also, it would be great if every single Catholic could spend some time adoring Christ in the Eucharist in the Blessed Sacrament during Eucharistic Adoration.   You can talk with Jesus and ask Him to help you during times of temptation and ask Him to be with you throughout your life.    
     It would also be great if you could say The Chaplet to St. Michael too.  By reciting this Chaplet, you are asking St. Michael and all of the angels in Heaven, for their help in getting rid of temptations in your life and prevent the devil from tempting you.  You are also asking Our Lord, Our Blessed Mother and Our Almighty Father, to keep St. Michael and all of the angels in Heaven close to you during life and even after death.  You are requesting that St. Michael and the angels bring you straight to Heaven after death and to prevent the devil from tempting you or bothering you during life and at the hour of death as well.  This is a very powerful Chaplet as well which can be a regular devotion to St. Michael. 
     If temptations get too strong to handle, you can always make an appointment to speak with a priest and he can help you sort out deep-rooted temptations and sins  and may be able to  give you insight as to what you can do to take care of them.  Also, you can also go to see a reputable Catholic psychologist.  Make sure, though, that the Catholic psychologist follows the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.  You may be able to find a Catholic counselor or psychologist in many Catholic Charities  throughout the U.S.  Many Catholic Charities offer counseling on a sliding scale fee according to your salary.
     Also, our Bless Single Catholics Worldwide website contains the Daily Morning Offering Prayer, the online Rosary, the online Divine Mercy Chaplet, daily scripture readings and reflections and St. Michael's Chaplet as well.  You can achieve your supplemental daily prayer routine by watching the online prayer videos on our site.  May God keep you pure and blameless in His sight so that you will be able to attain your Heavenly reward.  God bless.