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Standing up for God (Dwelling on the Word of God)
| Posted on November 11, 2016 at 5:47 PM |
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 From Sunday's Gospel: “But before all this
happens, men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the
synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors
because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep
this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself
shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be
able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and
brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will
be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be
lost. Your endurance will win you your lives” Jesus warns us time and again through the gospels that we
will be persecuted for believing in him.
We are perhaps tempted to brush over this, given the relative comfort
and freedom we enjoy as Catholics in the Western world of the 21 Century. And indeed it is unlikely that any of us will
be martyred for the faith, imprisoned or seized and brought before governors
and kings. So can we happily skip these
passages of scriptures, confident that they are not relevant to us, needed
perhaps for another time and place, but not now? I would suggest that we would do this at our
peril. Christians remain the most
persecuted people in the world today. But even in our apparently “tolerant”
society, Christian beliefs are scoffed at and looked upon scornfully. It is worth meditating upon in prayer: in what ways does your Christian faith
disadvantage you in the world? Do colleagues
laugh or look at you askance when you mention you went to Mass at the weekend? Do family members dismiss some of your views,
as they are based on faith and therefore are somehow less important? Do disbelieving friends aggressively try to engage
you in debate to point out the flaws in your theology? Do people stare if you say grace in a
restaurant before meals? To help us to consider this further, it is perhaps
worth pondering the times when we fail to stand up for Jesus for fear of
ridicule. Do we stay quiet when others
discuss ‘hot topics’ like abortion or same-sex marriage? Do we bite our tongue when we overhear someone
taking the Lord’s name in vain? Do we
agree with the relativist position “that’s true for you but not for me” when
challenged? These might seem like small
points, compared to the crown of martyrdom.
But these are the persecutions of our time, put in our path to lead us
to holiness. These are the “opportunities”
talked about in today’s gospel passage. We
must “keep this carefully in mind” and pray about these things, asking Jesus to
give us the grace to be bold and confident in his love and help. And we must look on any ridicule or challenge
as a blessing, ever keeping our eye on the prize of eternal life. In staying true in these small persecutions,
our souls will be prepared, with God’s grace, for martyrdom, should we ever be
called to that. |
Speaking about matters of faith
| Posted on May 6, 2016 at 12:32 PM |
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 Sunday’s First Reading (Acts 7: 55-60)‘Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven
thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At
this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with
their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned
him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called
Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this
sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep.’ While sitting at my desk at work earlier this week a
conversation about religion was struck up among my colleagues. Religious chat is generally taboo these days
and where it does exist it tends to take the form of an attack on whatever
religion happens to be in the spotlight.
This time it was the Catholic faith; my faith. I was asked to explain the Catholic Church’s
belief in the Eucharist. No easy task in
a very secular environment I can assure you.
But I tried my best to explain it in terms acceptable to the ears of my
audience. My colleagues listened to what I had to say and once I had
finished a stony silence followed. This
was followed soon thereafter by a change of subject, diverting away from the ridiculous
notion that a piece of bread and a cup of wine could be turned into the body
and blood of a two thousand year old Jew.
The truth is, my colleagues probably felt not only confused but also a little
uncomfortable by all the body and blood chat.
And I can assure you that I most certainly felt uncomfortable with
having to explain it to a cynical crowd.
Yet our discomfort at explaining our faith can never match
the discomfort that must have been experienced by the Christian martyrs. In today’s first reading St Stephen shows
incredible courage as he stands before a cynical crowd and tells them that he
has seen ‘heaven thrown open’ and that he has also seen ‘the Son of Man sitting
at the right hand of God’. Despite
knowing that such words would likely lead to his death he was still not afraid
to speak them. And he even echoed the
words of Christ on the Cross when he begged God to forgive those who were
killing him. Like any human being in
that situation he would have been absolutely terrified, but he never once
denied his faith in order to save his earthly life. It’s not easy to talk about our faith to others. We can feel embarrassed, afraid, and even
silly. But thankfully the UK is not like
the world St Stephen lived in. It is a
place where, despite some arguments to the contrary, people are generally free
to talk openly about their faith. We
must not be afraid to use this freedom, but to do it sensibly and
proportionately. Our world needs a
message of love, mercy and peace; a message that was so profoundly illustrated
in the words and actions of St Stephen just before his death. We can give the world hope with our message;
a message that comes in the shape of one man….Jesus Christ. |
Do you love Jesus?
| Posted on April 29, 2016 at 10:11 AM |
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 Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone loves me, he will
keep my word.’ This very short excerpt from Sunday’s Gospel is so simple, yet
it is jam packed with significance. Read over Jesus’ quote ten times. Do you love Jesus? |
Pope Francis: Church needs consistent witness
| Posted on April 8, 2016 at 8:44 AM |
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 Pope Francis has urged people to more consistent in their
faith, even to the point of martyrdom. During
his morning homily at Casa Santa Marta on Thursday the pope described the true
Christian witness as someone who is “consistent” in what he says, what he does,
and what he has received, namely the Holy Spirit. He continued: “It is the witness of our martyrs today – so many!
– chased out of their homeland, driven away, having their throats cut,
persecuted: they have the courage to confess Jesus even to the point of
death. It is the witness of those
Christians who live their life seriously, and who say: ‘I can’t do this; I
cannot do evil to another; I cannot cheat; I cannot lead life halfway, I have
to give my witness’. And the witness
consists in saying what has been seen and heard in faith, namely the Risen
Jesus, with the Holy Spirit that has been received as a gift.”
The pope then went on to say that the Church today
“needs witnesses, martyrs. These are the
witnesses, that is, the saints, the saints of everyday, of ordinary life, but
life [lived with] consistency; and also the witness ‘to the end’, even to
death. These are the lifeblood of the
Church; these are the ones that carry the Church forward, the witnesses who
attest that Jesus is risen, that Jesus is alive, and they bear witness through
the consistency of their life, with the Holy Spirit they received as a gift.” |
Should I Evangelise?
| Posted on March 4, 2016 at 12:02 PM |
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 Do you speak openly about your faith to others? Are you not afraid to be frank about how your
religion shapes your moral code? Do you
even go as far as to try to bring others round to your way of thinking on
social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter? In the New Evangelisation just a few years back, Pope
Benedict XVI encouraged us to get out into the world to preach the Good News of
Jesus Christ. And he wanted us to use
every available platform at our disposal in order to do this. He used the humble but powerful image of a mustard seed from the Gospel, suggesting that if used effectively a small seed of faith has the potential to bring people to God. His words were: "I have a mustard seed, and I'm not afraid to use it". In today’s age we are blessed to have social
media forums like Facebook to speak more openly about our faith and to tap into
a seemingly infinite knowledge base.
While social media can often be a curse there is no doubt it has opened
up new avenues of opportunity for spreading the Gospel. Yet, while some people seem content to do this, many more
are not. In today’s secular relativist
world it is undoubtedly a big challenge for people to spread their faith by
means of social media. There is fear of
criticism and mocking. There is also
fear of offending people or of compromising long-held friendships. It is a significant problem for our faith and
our Church. And it is an even bigger
problem for Jesus. While new age beliefs are thrust onto social media at an
astounding rate, somehow managing to gather almost unanimous support in the
process, Jesus is left to feed off the few scraps that are left. People would rather post and read quotes
about being true to oneself and looking after number one rather than the
horrific thought of making love of God and neighbour our priority. Quotes from famous authors or even the Dalai
Lama have the potential to be of untold worth, but their value often pales in
comparison to the Word of God or quotes from the Saints. The Christian message is a tough one because it asks us to
put ourselves in third place, behind God and all those around us. It also asks us to take up our cross on a
daily basis and follow Jesus, accepting the suffering that this will inevitably
bring. It also expects us to toe the
line on controversial issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. It is, in all respects, a challenge of great
proportions. But it is not without its
rewards. And as if this challenge wasn’t difficult enough we are also
expected to take Jesus’ message of love and mercy to all people. Not just one or
two, but to everyone. Had Jesus not called
the Disciples to his side and taught them his message, what hope would there be? Had the Disciples not then taken that message
of Jesus to others, what hope would we have today? You see our faith is a faith of action, full of energy and
enthusiasm, drenched in positivity and hope.
We can’t just settle for our own evangelisation or the evangelisation of
those closest to us. This is not the
Christian way. We must be prepared to carry
Jesus and his Gospel message to as many people as we possibly can through our life. We need to put Christ at the centre and be
his voice to all nations, all peoples.
To be truly Christian we must do as the disciples did and carry Jesus
and his message to all people, be it on social media, the internet, on the
phone, or in person. Had the disciples
failed to do this we would have no Jesus in our lives. Imagine how empty that life would be? Remember, your duty to spread the message of Jesus Christ is
not just limited to the people close to you.
In fact, it isn’t just limited to the entire human population of our world
in your lifetime. Like the disciples,
your witness will hopefully carry the message of Christ well into the future so
that another 2000 years from now people are talking about the great disciples
of this time and how without their powerful witness the faith would be dead. Jesus told the apostles to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature". We need to be disciples for Christ in today's world. Let the future generations rave about your
willingness to speak up for Jesus and how you never shied away from openness
and honesty about his loving and merciful message. Let your children and grandchildren see you
stand up for something that will bring eternal life to millions and millions of
people! And remember, you don't need to be a great orator or writer to evangelise. As Pope Francis has said: “We evangelise not with grand words, or complicated concepts, but with the joy of the Gospel, which fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus". So don't worry, let the joy of the Gospel speak for itself! The phrase ‘do not be afraid’ appears often scripture. It is a strong, powerful message from God
about how we must feel when it comes to our faith. In doing Christ’s work and spreading his
message we have no need to be afraid. He
is on our side! Here’s the challenge: let your life be a life of evangelisation. Don’t be afraid to share Christ’s message
with other people. Let your work
reverberate down through the generations where it has the potential to bring
millions of lives to eternity with God.
Don’t keep good news to yourself. Use your mustard seed.
Evangelise.  |
Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality: The Truth.
| Posted on February 4, 2016 at 12:37 PM |
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 Following a recent discussion on our Facebook page I
thought it might be useful to draft up a short note on our Catholic faith and
homosexuality. It is intentionally
brief. For a more in-depth article on the matter please click
this link. Our Catholic faith tells us that homosexual acts are
wrong. I think it's hard for us to hear this in such an abrupt way in today's
world but this is what we are taught by faith. The reason such acts are wrong
is that God has ordered us male and female for the authentic union that is
marriage between man and woman and to be completely open to the precious gift
of new life. Homosexual acts are not ordered in this way and are thus sinful.
There are many sinful acts so this isn't necessarily a singling out of
homosexual people. Consider sex outside marriage between a man and a woman,
which is also wrong, as is the use of contraception. It’s absolutely critical to also bear in mind that having
same-sex attraction is different to homosexual acts. Mere attraction is not of
itself sinful. It is only when these feelings are acted upon where it is deemed
to be wrong. This is something that many
people get confused about. I think it's also important to see the positive side of
the Church's teaching on homosexuality. It seeks to protect humanity by
promoting the love between a man and a woman for the sake of giving new life to
the world and raising this new life in marriage, which throughout history has
been the best place for kids to thrive. The Church doesn't say a man can't love
a man or a woman can't love a woman. Indeed, such a notion is completely
contrary to Church teaching. It simply states that it is wrong to interfere
with God's clear and natural plan for humanity. It's not about hating homosexuals as many people wrongly
think. It's actually about loving everyone and calling them all to live in
accordance with God's plan. That too is a form of love though it is often hard
for this society to see it in this modern age of relativism. In my time running the Scots Catholic website
and social media accounts I have often been corrected for straying out of line
with respect to Church teaching. I have
learned so much in terms of my faith and I am grateful to those who have
offered their generous help. For me,
they are simply doing God’s work. They
are doing what Jesus did and are challenging me, and I shouldn’t be afraid to
be challenged. In fairness to anyone who abides by the teaching of
Christ and his Church on this matter, they are simply trying to live out their
lives as God intended and they are well within their rights to stay true to God
no matter what the world may tell them. Jesus and the Apostles were ridiculed and even
put to death for going against the tide and remaining faithful to God's
teaching. But they remained faithful. And we are called to do the same. It is also very important to note that there are many,
many gay people living out their Catholic faith chastely in the Church. Their
call to chastity is no different to the call to chastity of single people in
the Church. And we must remember, the Church is open to all people
and she loves all people, especially those of us who sin. That's why I'm a
member. Many people query whether the Church might change its
stance with respect to homosexual acts. This is highly unlikely given the wrongs
of homosexual acts is contained in scripture, the Word of God. It's also
entrenched in nature itself and the ability of man and woman to procreate
(something the Church wants to protect for the sake of the family). I appreciate
this is a difficult teaching for some, especially in today's society, but the
Church can't fit around the whims of society. First and foremost, the Church
can't stray from the Truth it has protected for 2000 years. And secondly, it
would be impossible to satisfy everyone all of the time. The Church, like Jesus, is here to challenge
us with the Truth. It is not here so
that we can abuse it for our own ends. The Church is also here to bring God’s mercy to us
through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
There is no sin we can commit that is too great that we can’t reconcile
ourselves to God. He loves us like no other.
For more information on reconciling our Catholic
faith with same-sex attraction, click this link to go to the Courage RC website. |
Petitioner seeks to legalise incest between consenting adults in Scotland
| Posted on January 26, 2016 at 4:10 AM |
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 The petition will be debated in HolyroodScottish MSPs will today discuss a petition calling on the
government to make incest legal between consenting adults over the age of
21. The petition, by Richard Morris, claims that the existing
law is “inappropriate, unfair, ineffective and discriminatory” and suggests
that public “prejudice and bigotry” about incest was caused by ignorance. He has also apparently likened the issue to
historical treatment of homosexuals. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear on the matter
of incest and states the following: ‘2388Incest
designates intimate relations between relatives or in-laws within a degree
that prohibits marriage between them. St. Paul stigmatizes this especially grave
offense: "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you
. . . for a man is living with his father's wife. . . . In
the name of the Lord Jesus . . . you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of the flesh. . . . " Incest corrupts family relationships and marks
a regression toward animality.’ We are left in no doubt by St Paul’s
words. Incest is destruction of the
flesh and is mortal sin. Indeed all
instances of sexual relations outside of marriage are sinful and must be
avoided. And look how St Paul uses the
name of Jesus to hit home the severity of incest. It is not in St Paul’s name that an
individual guilty of incest is to be delivered to the devil, but in the name of
Jesus. It’s interesting that the petitioner Mr Morris cites the
treatment of homosexuals to support his case.
The Catholic Church’s stance on homosexual acts is clear, and many
people in the Church and indeed others who believe such acts to be wrong, have
stated their concern that increased liberalism with respect to homosexuality
will open wider the floodgates of a deeply disturbing and increasingly
sickening new sexual revolution in our society.
I believe Mr Morris’s petition is evidence of this. Our Blessed Mother Mary, when she appeared to the children
in Fatima in the early twentieth century, stated that more people go to hell
for sins of the flesh than for any other sin.
That’s the Mother of God speaking.
It’s not the view of some radical religious nut, or priest, or bishop. It’s not even a pope speaking. It’s Mary, the Mother of our God and Queen of
Heaven.
So let us pray that Mary’s voice will be heard
and that our MSPs decide to reject this petition and retain existing laws on
incest in our country. |
Is it possible to be faithful to the Truth whilst also being humble and compassionate?
| Posted on January 11, 2016 at 8:39 AM |
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 Jesus was compassionate but firm in the Truth Pope Francis, during his Sunday Angelus, has spoken about the
importance of Baptism and the role it plays in our lives. Having earlier baptised 26 baby girls and boys at
morning Mass, the pope was keen to impress upon the gathered faithful the
critical nature of this sacrament. The
pope said that in Baptism the Holy Spirit "burns and destroys original sin, returning
to baptism the beauty of divine grace.” The
pope then stressed the importance of following Jesus and being obedient to the
Truth whilst remaining true to Christ’s qualities of tenderness and humility. And here, I think, is the critical issue for
us Christians today. While we must speak
the Truth we must do it in a spirit of tenderness and humility. But similarly, while we must be tender and
humble in our approach, we can never stray from the Truth. It's not a balancing act because that would
suggest compromising one or both aspects.
Instead we are called to deliver the Truth in its fullness and to do
this in a fully humble and completely tender way. In my experience
people tend to be more inclined to do one more than the other. For
example, some people may reject certain elements of Christ’s teaching with the aim of showing more compassion and tenderness to
people. This is because some elements of
teaching are difficult to accept, especially set against the backdrop of an
increasingly liberal and relativist society.
Others
may be more determined to stick rigidly to the Truth but seem to lack that
tenderness and humility, especially when they see a threat to Christ's
teaching. Ultimately we
need to be firm in both elements. We need
to be firm in our faith, in the same way that Christ was and in the way that
God calls us to be. Jesus’
disciples died unimaginable deaths because they were firm in their faith and didn’t go
along with the popular views of society.
They stuck to their beliefs even though everybody mocked them and
thought they were talking nonsense. They
refused to reject the truth of Christ and the Church he established, preferring
to invest their lives in being the men Jesus called them to be with the sure
and certain hope of an eternal reward.
Similarly, we need to be firm in our tenderness and humility. Jesus had an uncanny knack of being firm but
also loving, gentle and kind.
When he
prevented the prostitute from being stoned by the scribes and the Pharisees he
was careful to tell her to “go and sin no more”. But he did this while telling her that he
didn't condemn her. He wanted her to stop sinning, to stick to
the Truth. But he also wanted her to
know that she was loved and that mercy would be shown to her. It's important
for us to remain true to both aspects when it comes to our faith. We must be true to Christ and his teaching
and we must be tender and humble in remaining faithful to that teaching. The
Truth is what it is and it doesn’t change. It can be found in your copy of the Catechism
of the Catholic Church. And the
tenderness and humility we need in order to take that Truth to others can be found in
the loving person of Jesus Christ. So, is it possible to be both faithful to the Truth
and be tender and humble? Yes. Just look to the example of Jesus and in him
you will find the perfection of fulfilling both aspects. |
Calling Catholic Men
| Posted on October 19, 2015 at 10:50 AM |
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 Guys: don't be afraid to pick up your Rosary beads In our mixed up world of today we are frightfully obsessed with pitting men against women and women against men. For some strange reason the idea of men and women teaming up and complimenting each other has been lost in a society obsessed with competing with one another and forgetting our most basic call to love. The Catholic Church is a great believer in the complimentary of the sexes and the need for man and woman to come together as one flesh. And why wouldn't it be? The whole of humanity hinges on it after all! First we had Paul VI and his encyclical Humanae Vitae, then we had John Paul II and his talks on Theology of the Body. And now we have Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix giving his view on the matter, as he focuses on challenging Catholic men to be real men for the woman in their life. Too many Catholic husbands forget their marital obligation and fall into the trap of thinking that they are more important than their wife. Listen up guys....you are not more important than your wife. She is far more important than you! The temptations of the world are put there by the devil to lure men away from the commitment they have made to their wives. He desperately prowls around laying traps to seduce men and take their gaze and attention away from their beloved. And if he succeeds he will not only have lured those men from their wives, he will also have lured them away from God. And that is his main aim. The sexual act is at the very centre of God’s plan for humanity. His first instruction to mankind was to “be fruitful and multiply”. Why do you think sex has become so distorted? Because it’s critical to God’s divine plan and is thus the devil’s favourite point of attack! With this in mind the call of Bishop Olmsted is one that is most timely and it is a call that all men would do well to take on board. While it may be hard to believe, the future of our society depends so much on strong men, especially strong Christian men rooted in Christ. The Bishop suggests all Catholic men do the following on a daily basis: pray, go to Mass (where possible), read the Bible, and examine your conscience before bed. He also suggests that men go to Confession on a monthly basis. All of this coupled with an unconditional and dedicated commitment to our wives would put the evil one well and truly on the back-foot. There is nothing satan hates more than a committed Catholic man, dedicated to his wife and family, who has every intention of sticking to God’s divine plan. The priority of every Catholic husband must be to ensure his wife and children get to Heaven. Everything else must take second place. And so, in the words of St Paul, let us “put on the armour of God [and] stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” If you would like to read Bishop Olmsted’s letter to Catholic men, click this link: http://www.intothebreach.net/into-the-breach/ |
Pope Francis Urges the World to Follow Christ’s Commandment to Love
| Posted on September 24, 2015 at 11:37 AM |
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 The pope received several standing ovations in Congress Pope Francis, in his historic address to US Congress, has urged the world to follow Christ’s Commandment of love. The pope used the opportunity to tackle critical issues such as the dignity of human life, the death penalty and the refugee crisis. He also addressed recent attacks on marriage and family life, and his concerns that the very basis of the family and marriage is being called into question. Here are the main quotes from the pope’s address to USC ongress this afternoon: Pope Francis on the golden rule: “Let us remember the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” On the dignity of human life: We must “protect by means of the law, the image and likeness fashioned by God in every human life.” We must recognise the “transcendent dignity of the human being”. “The golden rule [to do unto others as you would have done unto you] also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” On the family: “The family should be a recurrent theme….how essential the family has been to the building of this country. I cannot hide my concern for the family which is threatened, perhaps as never before from within and without. The very basis of the family and marriage is being called into question.” “I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.” “I would like to call attention to those family members who are most vulnerable, the young. Their problems are our problems. Our young people are precious.” “We live in a culture that threatens young people not to start a family.” On the death penalty: “Let’s abolish the death penalty here and everywhere. No punishment should exclude hope or the possibility of conversion.” On politics and society: “Preserve and defend the dignity of your fellow citizens in pursuit of the common good.” “We are all worried by the disturbing social and political situation of the world today.” “It can be no more us vs them. We must confront every kind of polarisation. Our response must be hope and healing, peace and justice.” “Safeguard religious freedom, intellectual freedom, and individual freedom. We must be specially attentive to every type of fundamentalism.” “Politics must be used to build the common good.” “It’s my duty to build bridges and help all men and women to do the same.” “We have to ask ourselves: why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society?” “It is our duty to confront the problem and stop the arms trade.” On the elderly: The elderly are the “storehouse of wisdom”. On the refugee crisis: “We must view them as persons, seeing their faces, listening to their stories, and try to respond as best we can.” On poverty: “The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes.” On business: “Business is a noble vocation, especially in its creation of jobs to the common good.” On the environment: “I’m convinced that we can make a difference, I’m sure.” “We have an obligation to our future generations. The time is now.” |