Courageous Truth Follow-up

Friends in Christ:

It seems everyone wants to make everything be a "political" statement these days and then when we try to remain politically correct we forget that speaking God's truth isn't political at all. And that God is the one who gives us life, real liberty and true freedom.

So I've been having difficulty finding the RIGHT words to explain what it means to be an informed Christian-Catholic voter to other Christians who have different viewpoints than I do, but yet who are what I would call very faithful Christians. In that search I was sent this link to an awesome sermon -- Homily starts at 18:26, lasts about 20 minutes. I think it is the best I have heard on which issues should be and are of greatest importance in determining our vote.I pray that each of you are courageous enough to watch the entire message and to share it with others. 

My hope is that all Christians will be moved to vote to protect the most innocent, so that instead of being divided by politics, we and this country will be united in the only way possible-- for, in and by Christ. If you listen to the end you will also hear that the message is not just this priests own but comes from his bishop, so I forward it to you so that possibly you might be able to propose the same to others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881aDDE5qFY This is the youtube link to only the homily.

Please go here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlenviZKuBw to hear Fr. John Lankeit speak at Mass on October 2, 2016.  Advance the video to 18:26 to begin his sermon. It takes about 20 minutes.

In light of this week's gospel 2 Tim3:14-4:2 Do NOT be afraid to speak the truth and remain faithful. Please find it in your heart not to be swayed by the secular press and the secular culture which has confused their law on "freedom" with God's law of love and life. 

Beloved:
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

Blessings, 

Charlotte

Time to Change the World

Friends of Faith:

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for everything under the heavens. ….a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecc 3: 1-11 (beginning)

Would you like to change the world, but feel like it is impossible? It is not a time to be silent, it is a time to speak. It is always a time to love, unfortunately there is a lot of hate. And we are in a time of war: against the devil in who is tearing down our Christian moral values, taking away our religious freedom and imposing Islamic terrorism, but God reminds us that if we speak to promote his truth it should give us peace.

But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.  Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see.  To him be honor and eternal power. Amen. 1 Tm: 6: 11-16

Just as I was ready to turn off the politics these were the readings I heard and then I heard a homily which I hope you’ll take the time to listen to as hopefully it will give you peace as it did me:  Daily Catholic Mass - 2016-09-20 - Fr. Miguel.

Simply put God asks us to speak as our religious liberties allow – by voting –while making our decision as to how to vote using our faithful Christian conscience in making a just decision. We must not be discouraged and irritated by personalities or the current state of the morals in our nation. Instead, we are to use due diligence and form our conscience based on the Five non- negotiable Christian values -abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and same-sex “so called marriage". More at http://www.catholic.com/ . 

Focus on the Family also reminded me that voting isn’t just about choosing a personality or the lesser of two evils in the presidential race, but rather it is about determining policies at all levels of society: local, state and national – because probably as important as the presidential race are races for our state representatives and the nomination of the judges made at every level, especially for the Supreme and District courts. www.Commit2vote2016.com

If you don’t know where to start here is the direct link to a simple comparative chart on the party platforms. How Do The Party Platforms Compare? We Break It Down. And if you want to verify the comparison copy and paste these direct links to the full platform verbiage. The democratic platform at https://www.demconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Democratic-Party-Platform-7.21.16-no-lines.pdf (in particular pg 19 & 37); and the republican platform at https://prod-static-ngop-pbl.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL[1]-ben_1468872234.pdf (in particular pg 31-32 & 36)

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for everything under the heavens. ……What advantage has the worker from his toil? He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without man’s ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done. Ecc 3: 1-11 (conclusion)

Heavenly Father, bless our nations people and help them to wisely choose our elected officials. Guide our elected officials to uphold Christian moral values as they have been designed by God. Thank you for the gift of life at all stages from natural conception to natural death. Help us to trust in your timeless power and respect your design even when we cannot fully see it. Amen.

This is our appointed time to speak. It is our time to vote a well formed Christian conscience. May we as Christians do our part to change the world.

Blessings, 

Charlotte