When I was a young boy growing up, I attended St. Joseph's Elementary School where I was taught by the Holy Union Sisters. The Sisters had all the wonderful attributes of the religious, they were kind, generous, thoughtful, intelligent, and devout in the love for Christ. Catholicism encompassed most nearly every thing in my life. I was an altar boy and I loved the liturgy and the priesthood. We were taught from the old Baltimore Catechism and I can recall these words over and over:
Why were you born? To know, love, and serve God in this life so as to spend eternity with Him in the next. The Church has wisely developed a better catechism, that encompasses a much deeper understanding. If you have not read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, go purchase a copy, it is a marvelous reading, and will greatly assist in understanding your faith. As I have grown older I have come to appreciate what the the sisters taught me. I have written many times in this blog the fact that
"your life is not about you." I firmly believe that Catholicism is the best way to live your life universally as a Christian. Christianity is not, and
I repeat, not a competing philosophy or way of living. To many it looks likes a another way of living albeit, a silly or difficult way.
The reason is because the divided and fragmented form of Christianity has blended in with secular thinking. Its menu of beliefs that one can hand pick, appears as a competing philosophy of life, like a new age philosophy or Wiccans. The Catholic faith lived as it should be encompasses everything in your life. All wisdom in the universe originates from God. We seek the truth and the Truth is a person: Jesus Christ.
The modern world has spent a great deal of time and thought diminishing God. It has also attempted to define and compartmentalize Jesus, making Him out to be some kind of guru or philosopher, a nice guy with some good and practical ideas. Here is what St. Paul thought about Jesus Christ:
- "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross (through him), whether those on earth or those in heaven."
- We were created for Him. That is the purpose of your life, so the truth is your life is not about you.
- "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
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- You cannot lose your life by following the values of the secular world. You cannot take Christ and divide Him into palatable pieces, not if you truly desire to follow Him.
When I was a young boy growing up, I attended St. Joseph's Elementary School where I was taught by the Holy Union Sisters. The Sisters had all the wonderful attributes of the religious, they were kind, generous, thoughtful, intelligent, and devout in the love for Christ. Catholicism encompassed most nearly every thing in my life. I was an altar boy and I loved the liturgy and the priesthood. We were taught from the old Baltimore Catechism and I can recall these words over and over: Why were you born? To know, love, and serve God in this life so as to spend eternity with Him in the next. The Church has wisely developed a better catechism, that encompasses a much deeper understanding. If you have not read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, go purchase a copy, it is a marvelous reading, and will greatly assist in understanding your faith. As I have grown older I have come to appreciate what the the sisters taught me. I have written many times in this blog the fact that "your life is not about you." I firmly believe that Catholicism is the best way to live your life universally as a Christian. Christianity is not, and I repeat, not a competing philosophy or way of living. To many it looks likes a another way of living albeit, a silly or difficult way. The reason is because the divided and fragmented form of Christianity has blended in with secular thinking. Its menu of beliefs that one can hand pick, appears as a competing philosophy of life, like a new age philosophy or Wiccans. The Catholic faith lived as it should be encompasses everything in your life. All wisdom in the universe originates from God. We seek the truth and the Truth is a person: Jesus Christ. The modern world has spent a great deal of time and thought diminishing God. It has also attempted to define and compartmentalize Jesus, making Him out to be some kind of guru or philosopher, a nice guy with some good and practical ideas. Here is what St. Paul thought about Jesus Christ:
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