It’s been 45 years, but I still remember it. My friend, Joe, and I were
as close as two friends in their 20s could be – even though we had a couple of
differences.
I was single, Joe was married and had two of the most precious
daughters I’d ever known. One child was four or five, the other a year or two
older. Joe was a Baptist. I was an agnostic Jew. Once in a while he invited me
to visit his church. I never attended. I’ll tell you why in a moment.
Joe and I met at the taxicab company where we’d both found employment.
But after hours, we routinely partied together at bars to pick up on women. We were
often successful – if for nothing else than a one-night-stand in the back of
our cars or at my apartment.
Oh, did I mention Joe was married and had two wonderful, precious daughters?
Although I claimed to not believe in God, I still knew right from
wrong. I also knew that God – if He existed – did not approve in the least of what
Joe was doing as he cheated again and again against his wife and children.
I never said to him what I was thinking each time he invited me to attend his church. I didn't tell him I would never darken the door of his
church since he obviously didn’t believe what his church taught. Why should I be like him, not only in sexual
sin, but in religious hypocrisy as well?
And so, Christian: What’s my point? Be holy. To the best of your
ability, be holy. People who know of our Christian label – whether Catholic or
Protestant – people know a serial hypocrite when they see one.
I’m not talking about the occasional fall into sin. I am talking about
a lifestyle.
Our friends and neighbors are not fooled.
And neither is God.
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel,
chapter 7: “Not everyone
who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does
the will of My Father who is in heaven will
enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your
name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
3 comments:
If you wear the scapular of Carmel, holy Mary helps you to be holy... I am sorry, my english is poor, but I know haw to quote:
.
"...Wear on your breast the holy scapular of Carmel. There are many excellent Marian devotions, but few are so deep— rooted among the faithful, and have received so many blessings from the Popes. Besides, how maternal this SABBATINE PRIVILEGE is!..."
Saint José María Escrivá. The way. Point 500.
.
"...I too have worn the Scapular of Carmel over my heart for a long time!..." pope Saint John Paul the Second. from this text:
.
MESSAGE OF JOHN PAUL II TO THE CARMELITE FAMILY:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/2001/march/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20010326_ordine-carmelo.html
PostScript: my english is poor. I have to say to you something important, but I don´t know enough english: el escapulario de la Virgen del Carmen te lo tiene que imponer un sacerdote católico con unas oraciones especiales para que las promesas de la Virgen María tengan validez. Las promesas de la Virgen María sobre el escapulario son verdaderas, lo sé de buena tinta.
.
MESSAGE OF JOHN PAUL II
TO THE CARMELITE FAMILY, two quotes:
.
"...This intense Marian life, which is expressed in trusting prayer, enthusiastic praise and diligent imitation, enables us to understand how the most genuine form of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, expressed by the humble sign of the Scapular, is consecration to her Immaculate Heart (cf. Pius XII, Letter Neminem profecto latet [11 February 1950: AAS 42, 1950, pp. 390-391];..."
.
"...Therefore two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: on the one hand, THE CONSTANT PROTECTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; on the other, the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honour on certain occasions, but must become a "habit", that is, a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy..."
Thank you, Francisco!
Post a Comment