Salvation

How does one get 'salvation?'
As Christians we believe we have our salvation because of Christ's death on a cross for us. Some people think you must accept Jesus as your personal savior and say a certain prayer to be "saved" while others believe it is Baptism when you reach an age where you can make the decision yourself.
As Catholics we believe that at our Baptism we are incorporated into the mystical body of Christ; baptized prophet, priest, and king; and are radically configured to Christ. We become members of the Church and as such salvation is ours.
Can we refuse salvation? I believe we can. Salvation is a gift, like mercy and grace. While we are here on earth we can opt to live in way that is incompatible with our Baptism and so in a sense, reject salvation. Once we die, and meet God we can also reject salvation. Our free will does not leave us. Though God has infinite mercy and wants us to be with Him, would He not let us choose hell as opposed to eternal life with Him? Of course, how could one not choose eternal life in heaven when in the presence of God.

Receiving Communion

We had an interesting digression during our Great Adventure study this week. Someone brought up receiving communion in other Christian churches, such as Lutheran and if it was permissible for Catholics to do so. Our group is all women, and range in age from late 20's to 60's. The upper reaches of the age group recalled that in their younger days, it was considered a sin to even enter a church of a protestant denomination. The younger of course did not believe this but were unclear as to why they should not receive. Actually, so were the older ladies. I explained that since we believe that Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist, and others do not share that belief, it is wrong to receive since it implies that you believe whatever they believe and you do not. It saddened that people are so unfamiliar with the teachings of our Church. And these are not people who are not searching, it just seems that no one gives clear answers any more. We talked for about 20 minutes on this topic and I did not even get into the validity of other denomination's holy orders.
I know the Holy Spirit was with us as we had our discussion. I pray the Spirit continues to lead all of us to seek the truth.

God of Second Chances

Sunday's Gospel reading, Luke 13:1-9, reminds us so beautifully that God is always willing to allow us to try again. Lent is about changing our hearts, it is our second chance to grow closer to Him and become more like Jesus in all that we do and say. It is often very difficult to remember that just as God wants us to try again, we must give that same opportunity to others.
That is what every day I try to do, to love as God does, lay down my life as Jesus did, and fill others with the desire to serve. Prayer is what allows me to continually move forward in my journey of faith. Lent is a time to recall that we must always strive to move closer to our Lord by thought, word, and action.

Church Visit

Last week , during our religious education classes the first grade classes came to the church for what we call a "church search." Parents were also invited to join in as we took a behind the scene tour of our church and told the children interesting and unique information. We went into the sacristy and showed the vestments and explained the liturgical colors used during each season. Our baptismal font was also explained along with the Paschal Candle. We actually have three stones from the Jordan River buried in our font. Then we went into the sanctuary to learn about the sacred vessel used at Mass, and to reverence the relic of Padre Pio in our altar. Many of the children wanted to know what bone of his it was and why it was black. A slight cause for concern was the response to the question, "what day did Jesus die on?"; Christmas was frequently mentioned. Our catechists work so hard, but if parents do not support our efforts with Sunday Mass, prayers at home, and teaching about God it is difficult to explain it to children in the little time we have in class. Overall, though, it was a very positive experience for all, including the parents who participated. I suppose it will become an annual event.

Second Sunday of Lent

The Gospel today was the Transfiguration. What struck me the most is that when Jesus is praying He is changed, transformed, and we too are called to be transformed when we pray. As C.S. Lewis said, ( I am paraphrasing): prayer doesn't change God, prayer changes me. If our encounters with the Holy Trinity do not transform us, what are we doing? Each time we pray, receive the Eucharist, go to confession, or any other time we receive grace we are called to change. We need to become more like the One who calls us to Him and less like Peter. Peter's response is so human, he wants to stay on the mountain top and have the peace that it offers, but Jesus is determined to go to Jerusalem. If we stay on the mountain top we cannot bring Jesus to others. The mountain offers security and comfort, while leaving it brings struggles and pain. Those struggles and pain then, lead us back up the mountain as we are filled with God's grace and are transformed.
During this Lenten season, let us welcome the struggles so they may make us ready to receive the message of the resurrection.