Truth, Not Justification

Friends of Faith:

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”” Mt 16:18-19

If you find yourself trying to justify your beliefs and you haven’t sought God’s design thru the Church teachings to reveal the truth then your truth may not really be the truth, because there is never a real truth from God that needs justification. And although we might be called upon to explain God’s truth, God’s truth will always stand. He will prevail.

Brothers and sisters: Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. So do not be associated with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Eph 4:32 – 5:8

Over the last 4 years in study with Stan for his formation in the churches diaconate program I have been challenged many times as to why my faith is real, as to why what I believe is true, and if I am going to trust what is being revealed to me. And the more I choose to pray, to read Scripture and Church documents, and to seek good quality Church approved education the more of His truth I have had revealed to me. And the more truth I have had revealed to me, the more I realize God still has yet more to reveal to me. I am not yet complete and I have much to learn.

And then, too, and more importantly, it also becomes my choice whether I believe; or whether I justify my beliefs by what is convenient for me or what I have always believed or what I have always been led to believe.

God gives us many gifts – life itself –the miracle of birth in creation (Genesis), constant and unfailing forgiveness (through his death on the cross), our daily bread (the Eucharist), and a promise of eternal happiness. Yet I am constantly put in a position to justify these truths by choices which require me to pick between eternal happiness and what secularly seem to be “good” cultural norms – freedom to choose, equality for everyone, tolerance and economic wealth.

St. Thomas Aquinas said, “He who is of God has everything which is best.”

I can justify my decision to pray for the elderly while failing to visit them; I can justify my desire to help someone in my expertise/career while failing to see the loneliness of a client who sits across from me; I can justify choosing to honestly pay taxes while failing to give money or shelter to the homeless person on the corner by saying the government will take care of them; and I can justify believing everything I am told by the government because it is “allowed,” or is lawful, while hearing the gospel tell me that power is not in principalities but in Christ.

Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them. But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time.” Rev 12: 7-12

Our way is not God’s way. No matter what happens, God will always prevail. That is his promise to us.

Our responsibility then is to act on the truth by seeking it, by listening to it and by defending it when it is revealed to us. And never to be afraid – of being tested, of our friends ridicule, or even of denying an unjust law.

I can think of hundreds of times when I have been tested or ridiculed for my beliefs. When I have been challenged that my belief is skewed, misinformed or of my own desire. And each one of these times it is my challenge to become further educated, to pray, to ask God if what I am defending is from Him or from the culture or even to educate and kindly share what God has revealed to me to 

others. (Like this video --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881aDDE5qFY

God has a unique way of revealing Himself to us – in today’s Scripture, in an encounter with a stranger, or in an answered or unanswered prayer. Our only true “choice” is the choice to believe or not to believe in His Truth.  Truth is revealed in Sacred Scripture and Scripture, “the word” became flesh in Jesus. (John 1:1-14)

When Pilot spoke to Jesus:  Pilot said to him; “What is truth?” (John 18: 38) It is interesting how Pilot was staring into the eyes of the author of truth Himself and Pilot still didn’t recognize its very existence.

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, All Powerful Creator. You are my strength and courage. You are the Truth. Help me never to deny Your gift of Life; Your gift of grace; Your unfailing gift forgiveness and mercy. Help me to be open to the truth that is revealed to me and to follow You without fear. Amen.

The only justification that is important is our faith In God – and the only one that we will be asked to justify this to is God himself on our judgment day.

God is testing us now. Will I pass the test? Or will I justify something less than the truth?

Blessings, 
Charlotte

God's Turntable

Friends of Faith:

I find it interesting how “all roads lead” to a destination, and while some weeks it feels like I am on a turntable, I find that with God’s gift of grace no matter which road I decide to take, God keeps pointing me to the same destination. Call it coincidence or God’s providence, in either way I believe God’s hand is definitely at work if I choose to pay attention to Him.

I know though that I can let obstacles get in the way and get tired out by being on a turntable which is spinning uncontrollably or I can make the choice to realize God’s hand and allow Him to steer me to the destination of His desire.

And I believe this to be the case not just for those of us who actively know and listen to him, but for those who either only have some knowledge of him or for those who have never even heard of him because for them he asks us (His faithful) to be His missionaries and guides.

I started the morning with a quote sent to me regarding the Synod of Families taking place in Rome this week to formulate the Church’s formal response to issues facing families today. And then I went to today’s first reading which is from Galatians.

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Gal 1: 11-12

"If we assume His way of thinking, of living and of relating to others, we will not tire of translating the Synodal works into guidelines and courses for the pastoral on the person and on the family." (Pope Francis homily 10/4/14 to open the Synod of Families in Rome)

“Brothers and sisters: I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!” Gal 1: 6-8

Stan and I often talk about the ruts we get in, how we can be led astray, where like the movie “Ground Hog’s Day” the same problems and stumbling blocks seem to keep getting in the way day after day. And like the turntable we don’t seem to be able to change enough to get off.

And that what seems to put one person into an unchangeable “awful” situation with the turntable spinning faster and faster out of control, for another person with a very similar situation there becomes an opportunity and a change which converts their life overnight spinning them off of the turntable and directly into God’s waiting hands.

Life is a turntable of choices, opportunities and obstacles. How fast or hard or even how difficult the turntable spins depends on whether we recognize God’s presence and intentions for us, and whether we allow God to join us on our journey. It depends on our willingness to allow Him to steer and our readiness to make a leap of faith by jumping off into His waiting arms.

It means that we must choose to think, live and relate to others not in human standards but in the untiring standards set by God: for His way is not our way.

Heavenly Father, you have chosen us as your people. Help us to choose You as our God and to push aside those who try to pervert Your word and Christ’s deed which are meant to guide us. Help us to see only You when the turntable is spinning out of control. Thank you for giving me the perseverance not to tire of searching for Your heavenly destination. Amen.

If we choose to make our turntable God’s then His hand will guide it, slow it, even stop it on occasion. You will not tire if you assume His way of thinking, of living and of relating to others.

Blessings,

Charlotte