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by Doug Lawrence
The biblical account of the creation of man duly records the fact that the entire human race is derived from a single, original couple … and when that first couple united in one flesh… the first child was conceived.
Like every child ever since, there was never any real doubt as to precisely who or what a child is. It is a newly minted human life … begotten of 100% human stuff … stuff that was originally derived from Adam and Eve … according to the God-given power of procreation.
Thousands of years later, nothing has really changed. Most importantly, neither has the character and consistency of human life. Every new life bridges the gap between one generation and the next … extending the human race … and every new life explicitly begins at the moment of conception … no matter how some people, in order to suit their own ends … might attempt to redefine the terms involved.
The Bible also clearly records God’s main purpose for humanity:
“So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that move upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creep upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:27-31)
So … God blessed man by giving him the ability to bear offspring (procreate) … and by giving him dominion over all of the substantial resources to be found on the earth … in order to nourish, shelter, and otherwise accommodate all who would eventually come to be.
The plan was a good one, and it still is. Unfortunately, many have other ideas about how things should be done, and they prefer instead, for whatever reasons, to pursue disordered and sinful lifestyles that are in direct opposition to God’s will.
World governments also used to be guided by God’s express instructions, as clearly stated in the Bible, and faithfully interpreted by the Catholic Church. But those days too, are long gone.
Today, the secular courts make government policy, while increasingly embattled and divided legislatures are unable (or unwilling) to come together and stand on their own, in order to meet judicial challenges.
The result is a literal death spiral … with governments going financially bankrupt, while their citizens are increasingly lulled into the spiritual bankruptcy of godless lifestyles … all under the guise of expanded personal freedom and liberty.
The process of corruption greatly accelerated in the aftermath of Vatican II, when wholesale apostasy within the church unfortunately coincided with a similarly undisciplined social revolution taking place in the world’s great institutions … and on the streets.
The Catholic Church, which was supposed to be the divine bulwark that kept the forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil, at bay … instead turned out to be “missing in action” for one of the most important spiritual battles in the history of the world!
The combined death toll from abortion and AIDS can easily be counted. It is absolutely staggering … and still mounting …. yet the Catholic Church continues to speak with a weak voice, split almost down the middle between the protestantized “social justice” types and traditional, sacramental Catholics.
Worse yet is that both sides together (if such a thing is actually possible) based on their visible participation at Sunday Mass, make up only about ten percent of those who are actually counted today as Catholic … perhaps 100 million out of an estimated 1.1 billion.
The rest are AWOL (absent without leave), MIA (missing in action), or they have simply left the church without telling anyone.
The bottom line: We no longer have enough active, properly trained, fully informed and equipped Catholics in the world, to get the job done.
And the devil knows it!
So … faced with 39 years of generally unrestricted world-wide abortion deaths, numbering in the hundreds of millions … and 50 years of general apostasy and corruption so widespread that few even care anymore … what are faithful Catholics to do?
Here’s a plan that can’t fail:
1) Start by making a good confession, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If it has been so long that you no longer remember how, simply tell that to the priest and he’ll walk you through the various steps. This will “clear the decks” and permit you to cast off any and every type of past sin. It will also fill your soul with God’s grace, in order to give the Holy Spirit some “room” to work.
2) Get to Mass. The Sunday Mass obligation has never been rescinded. And there’s absolutely nothing to prevent your attendance at a weekday mass, or two.
The Mass is the universal prayer of the whole Church, and it is also a solemn renewal of the one time, once for all, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, on the cross. Our participation at Mass confirms our distinct identity as Catholics, and it also serves as a major channel of God’s grace, which typically helps empower us to discern … and then (hopefully) carry out … God’s will … according to his plan. Successfully accomplishing that is about as good as it gets … this side of Heaven!
3) If there’s any impediment to your receiving Holy Communion … do whatever is necessary to remove it. You are what you eat, and without the right spiritual food, you’re likely to be quickly vanquished by the enemy. Additionally, the Holy Eucharist … worthily received … remains the only known antidote to eternal death and hell.
4) Pray several times a day, every day. Pray at regular, set times. Pray at regular, specific places. Pray for specific purposes. Pray for the people and institutions you love. Pray for the conversion of your enemies. Pray in order to give thanks and praise to God. Pray to ask God for favors. Pray to ask God for forgiveness (but be sure to get to confession promptly, in the event of mortal sin.)
Prayer is the way we officially give God permission
to interfere in our lives … for good.
5) Team up with other like-minded Catholics. The Church is the communion of all believers in Jesus Christ, but today’s church, as an institution, along with many associated apostolates and religious orders, is highly dysfunctional, in many ways.
Don’t let that stop you. Instead, accomplish whatever you can, in and through your own little group … but always in complete conformity with Catholic doctrine and tradition (which may not be easy, since it’s still quite difficult to get a firm and accurate opinion on things, from most Catholic priests and bishops.)
Remember: In the first century, twelve well disciplined, highly dedicated men, by the power of God’s grace, and against all odds, successfully established the Catholic Church throughout the known world.
Today’s Catholics still worship the same God, and we still operate according to the same grace. The mission has never changed. Only the results seem to be lacking. And that’s a real shame, since:
“… we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestine to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestine, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:28-31)
Time to get busy!
January 20, 2012
Categories: Books & Publications, Events, history, Human Rights, Inspirational, Politics . Tags: catholic, church, corruption, devil, flesh, god, grace, love, mission, sin, world . Author: Hosted by Doug Lawrence . Comments: Leave a comment
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