Recommended Books: Fr. Laux's "A Course in Religion" series

Fr. Laux's Course in Religion is a rigorous, in-depth, passionate study about our Catholic Faith. Now I'm not going to lie, these books are a struggle.  The writing - and content, in some places - is dull and dry, but the messages and doctrines are unforgettable.  If there is an area of faith that you have questioned or are interested in, these books contain it! Trust me, they have it all.  If you're wondering whether an action is sinful, under what circumstances you have to fast, what fasting entails, what heaven might be like, how the Pope is elected, what the word "virtue" really means, or even if you question the existence of God Himself, the answers are here!!!

Published in the late 1920's, these texts are Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur.  They are logic and scripture-based, frequently providing logical examples, citing scripture, and referencing texts from the early church fathers. These four lovely books are the prized weapons of my Faith-defense arsenal!

This exceptional series can be used as reference material, or read cover-to-cover.  It's very easy to consult the table of contents or index to answer a specific question; however, I do highly recommend reading these books straight on through.  From the very beginning, they provide a thorough overview of our Faith on the whole.  It's overwhelming, an uphill battle, and a lot of information.  The advice I can give you is not to worry about trying to remember it all. Once you've read it, you know an answer is there, even if you cannot remember precisely what that answer is.

Ultimately, these books are like a tough hike.  You feel the struggle, your muscles ache, your lungs burn, you feel like you can't take anymore...you wonder why you're doing this to yourself.  But then, you reach the top of the mountain, and you gaze in wonder out at the clear, crisp, rewarding view.  You feel the cool breeze.  Now, with your strong muscles and your accomplishments, you can clearly see why you chose to hike up that mountain.

Yeah, that's basically how these books are. Reading paragraphs over and over again, squinting at the page, thinking "what the heck is he trying to say?!" falling asleep, only to suddenly reach a flowing fountain of interesting information! Then, you complete a chapter and realize: "I have learned so much about my Faith!"

My favorites of the series were Chief Truths and Catholic Apologetics (Books I and IV).

They piece together a puzzle which I personally believe is the foundation of theological study.  Chief Truths explains things that we need to know as Catholics: foundational doctrines, definition of terms we're familiar with (like Faith, Grace, Virtue, etc.), what we know of Heaven, etc., while Apologetics explains how we got those doctrines.  It starts from the very beginning of how we can reason that there is a God - with logic and scripture!

"Catholic Apologetics" is sort of my source of life.  It is the book that made me confident that the Catholic Faith is the True Faith, and it makes me feel confident in defending it. It starts from the very beginning and proves the existence of God before moving on to anything else.  It proves that the Bible is the Word of God, that Christ is the Messiah, that He founded a Church and that the Catholic Church is the true Church.  Honestly, reading that book made me realize that in 2,000 years of Church history, there's an answer for pretty much everything. Except for the Mysteries. But hey, God's not going to reveal everything to us!

I frequently to "Catholic Morality" and "The Mass and the Sacraments" for reference questions.  Catholic Morality takes you logically through the steps of what makes an act moral or immoral.  Then, it goes into specifics: our duties to God, ourselves, and our neighbor. Mass and the Sacraments provides a summary of all of the sacraments: proof they were instituted by Christ, who may minister the sacrament, how the sacrament is ministered, and all of the details about how the sacrament is conferred.

In short, if you're looking for a reference to answer specific questions regarding Morality, Doctrine, Sacraments, or Apologetics, these books are good ones!  If you're looking to deepen your knowledge of faith by delving into an intricate study, these are definitely the ones for you.

Inspirational Passage: 1 John 5:4-6

"4 For whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. 5 Who is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 

6 This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is one that testifies, and the spirit is truth."

Commentary: 
Ultimately, Christians will win the battle with evil.  For the Prince of Darkness is Satan, but his opposite is Christ, King of Kings and Prince of Peace.  Sometimes this worldly battle seems impossible, but really, its inevitable that righteousness will win.  Truth triumphs, and the Spirit is within us; if the Spirit is Truth, the Truth lies within our hearts.

If we feel lost in this world, or lost within ourselves, the light of Truth is always there.  The Spirit is within us at Baptism, and as Catholics, His place is secured at our Confirmation. 

"God's Not Dead" Movie Review [Spoiler Free]

My friend Rebecca and I decided to kick off Holy Week by going to see God's Not Dead.  Though I wasn't sure what to expect of the movie, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was uplifting and hopeful, and also real.  It was a great feel-good movie without being cliché, preachy, or sappy by any means.  Highly recommended movie!

So here are some of my observations about Harold Cronk's God's Not Dead!

Character of Josh.  For perhaps the "main character" or protagonist of the story, I found it fascinating that he didn't have much of a backstory -- but I liked it.  All you really know about Josh is that he's a freshman, an aspiring lawyer, a courageous soul, a good speaker, and most importantly a devoted Christian.  I sincerely felt that his lack of backstory and screentime really reflected a proper Christian attitude: focus on those who need your attention.  Though Josh was the protagonist of the overall situation (defending his faith) the movie, as a whole, lended more time to developing the backstories of the people around him, those who were touched by the message he was spreading.  It was a very interesting perspective, and it only stands out in retrospect.

Also can we take a moment to appreciate Shane Harper for all that he is.  In an interview he said, "I've always been interested in apologetics," and, "...Educate yourself, read and study. God is sovereign over everything so we shouldn't be afraid to be educated."
And then I mean just look at him.

I would say "God Bless him," but it looks like He already has...

Ahem, moving forward.

Josh and his girlfriend.  I was a fan of the fact that, when the movie started, Josh had a very pretty girlfriend.  It's a message to Christian guys everywhere: Yes, you can be a faithful Christian and have a pretty girl! (Trust me, I know at least five of them. I can set you up.) It also showed that you can have a romantic relationship that is chaste.  Beyond those points...yeah, their relationship was kind of pointless, fruitless and awful. I'm glad it ended fast. (Sorry for the spoiler, but it's really predictable.) 
I did find it an interesting turn of events that things ended because of the female pressuring the male to deny his Faith.  The stereotype is that guys pressure girls to deny their faith in one form or another, but this was the other way around.  Even though it was kind of stupid and corny that their relationship of "six years" ended over such a petty thing, it was good to get it out of the way, and I think it very well highlighted one of the temptations that we, as young Christians face: picking up the cross of heartbreak to follow God properly.  Bottom line, I was happy they didn't get back together, but pleased with the message of chastity the relationship portrayed, and love for Christ the denial of it portrayed. (albeit the relationship was super unstable. ugh. *vomits*)

The background characters / extras! Usually you watch television shows and movies and all of the people walking around in the background are your typical clean-cut, perfect-figure hollywood actors.  But in this movie, they had people of every sort -- not everyone in the background had a perfect body or a flawless complexion -- so it accurately depicted college students.  Some dressed in style, some had flawless hair, some had t-shirts and bedhead, some wore a lot of makeup, some wore none, some guys had their pants sagging, some guys had polos and khakis...they were all different, and it stood out.  It seemed real, and was a reminder that everyone, whether they know it or not, is made in the image and likeness of God.

Professor Radisson.  I feel like every Christian who goes to a public university encounters a Professor Radisson.  And every Professor Radisson encounters an audacious Freshman... I loved the fact that Professor Radisson was not particularly dislikable.  From the very beginning, you roll your eyes at him, you groan, you grin, "here we go."  At no point in time did I dislike him.  He acted like a jerk, but he wasn't explicitly bad....he was an oddly likeable sort of bad guy! I just rather enjoyed him, and Kevin Sorbo's portrayal of him was brilliant.

The argument for God's case. Josh's argument was well-presented and logical; he showed that human reason is important for faith.  Sure, he could sign the paper saying "God is dead." After all, it's only words! It's only for that class... But he reminded me of St. Thomas More.  Thomas More refused to take the oath that King Henry VIII of England had authority over the Church.  His family pleaded with him, saying "It's just an oath! Just words!" Just like Josh's girlfriend did when asked to sign the "God is Dead" pledge...I mean, Josh faced a breakup and a bad grade, while Thomas More faced the guillotine. But the principle stands: words aren't "just words" -- they mean something.  As they quoted from Matthew 10:32 "Therefore everyone who confesses me before men, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven."  It was a good message.

Science.  In his argument in favor of God, Josh never directly denied science or philosophy.  His apologetic argument was definitely a good one; he utilized the quotes of renowned philosophers and scientists.  He mentioned the big bang in his argument.  He did not deny evolution in his argument, or discredit science.  He highlighted that reason, logic, science, and philosophy are all a part of faith, rather than separate from it.  "When you admit the existence of God, you do not commit intellectual suicide." 


Use of Scripture.  It was just the right amount.  They used it, they cited it, they referenced it, but it wasn't excessive or preachy by any means.



It was non-denominational without being anti-Catholic!!!! (Or anti-any-denomination for that matter!)

Reverend Dave was not perfect.  He got a little angry, a little flustered, a little burnt-out from working as a pastor.  The struggles he talked about were struggles that real pastors AND everyone else face.  He wasn't preachy, larger-than-life, or flashy, like reverends are in some movies, but rather down-to-earth, real, and imperfect.

Their struggles were real.  The struggles the characters faced were real...and raw.  They were tear-jerking and gut-wrenching, but without being overly dramatic, unrealistic, or sappy.  It was such a great balance and dynamic of characters.  The conversion of certain characters was gradual, while for others it was sudden; a few of the characters' stances were left open-ended, like our own questions and doubts.



Overall! The feeling after the movie was one of joy.  I felt uplifted, happy, joyful, knowing that God is NOT dead! The ending was perfect; it wasn't too happy.  Some loose ends were not tied up, some reactions were not shown, and yet the feeling was one of satisfaction and hope.  And it ended with a worship concert! Ahh. Gotta love praise music. #musicministryswag
Overall, it was just a brilliant movie.  Not too preachy, not sappy, well-acted...none of the messages felt forced. It was an excellent way to prepare for Holy Week; it highlighted struggles that we all face, had characters on all points of the road in their Faith, never highlighted any character as a "bad" character.  In the end, though not everyone was happy, everyone was content. Everyone was fulfilled with God's love, as I imagine the entire audience was.



**Photos not mine; found on Google Images.**

The Looking Glass [Jesus the Window Washer]

"I just want a clean slate."

How many times have you said that to yourself?
How often do you think to yourself: "I want to start over"?
How many times do you face the reality that people know you.  They have seen your little mistakes, like that time you accidentally said a bad word when you shouldn't have, the time you nicked a car in the parking lot with your front fender, the time when you tripped over your words while speaking in front of a crowd, or the other day when you dropped that entire stack of papers. Yep. They saw it. No turning back now.

Doesn't it just make you want to crawl under a rock?! Hopefully, you have good friends who appreciate your little quirks and see the beauty in your mishaps.

But what if they've seen your bigger mistakes?
Maybe they saw you wayyyyy drunk, loaned you money when you had spent your own on drugs, drove you for a few months after you got your license suspended for your second DUI, bailed you out of jail, or picked you up off the ground when you got in a pretty bad tussle.

Sometimes, you want to start over altogether; to go to a new place where no one knows your past, everyone knows the goodness of your heart, no one can see the smudges on your soul, and everyone sees you as you long to be seen.


Now, jumping to a seemingly unrelated topic because I couldn't think of a decent transition from one thought to the next:

"Looking Glass" is a suave, sophisticated term for "mirror."

I thought that entitling this post "The Looking Glass" would be more compelling than titling it "The Mirror." It's got some connotation of mystique that "mirror" has lost.  Like, when you think, looking glass, you think "Mirror, mirror, on the wall."  When you think "mirror" you think of a bathroom.  "Looking Glass" perhaps inspires you to think of a powder room.


When you look in the mirror, you see yourself.  (No duh.)
If you don't clean your mirror from time to time, dirt, grime, and dust gather on it, which distort the image of yourself that is reflected back to you.  In a freshly clean mirror, you see yourself fully: you look dang good!  In a mirror that is dirty, you cannot see yourself fully: do you have something on your face? Are those stray eyebrow hairs? You can't tell!
Perhaps your mirror even breaks, distorting that image even more.

But from someone looking at you across the room, they see you clearly: through their eyes, you are seen as beautifully-crafted, unique, crystal-clear image.



"Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Cor 5:17)
In God, all things are made new.  The moment you offer all of that dirt and grime and sin up to God, you know that you can be made new and cleansed!

The fact is, Jesus died once for all.  From the outside looking in, God sees us how we are: he sees the goodness in our hearts, the mistakes we have made, and our desire for recompense.  He sees our good deeds, the times we have made Him proud.
When we sin, it does not distort the image that God sees of us, but the image we see of ourselves.
In the mirror, we see a being crafted in the image of God.  The dust on the mirror distorts it.

It's not that we are bad, dirty, or unclean; for we know that we are good, clean, and holy from Jesus' sacrifice.  But rather, our sinful actions have blurred that image of God within us; they must be acknowledged and washed away to allow our true selves -- God's children -- shine through.

Thus, we know that the moment we feel sorry for our sin, we acknowledge the smudges.  When we try to do better and pray for forgiveness, we begin to rub them away.  Finally, when we receive Sanctifying Grace in Reconciliation, our mirror is completely repaired and cleaned.  We can clearly see God within ourselves, and we know that we have been made a new creation in Christ!


When others see our sin, it is as if we stand before a window -- I am on one side, you on the other.  You see a distorted image of me, for my side of the window is not clean.  When I take a step forward and wipe away the grime, you see me more clearly.  Perhaps it takes time to properly wash away the grime, and maybe you need to wipe the dirt from your own side - the dirt of rumors and harsh judgements - in order for us to see each other properly.


Just know this:
Hope is never lost -- it's never too late; whether you are fifteen, twenty, forty-five, sixty, or ninety-two, you are young and can be made new.  You as a being, as a soul, are true - God sees who you are.  Your actions do not define you or your worth, but they prevent both you and others from properly seeing the True you, that is, God within you.

Take courage! You can have a new slate, and you can start over. You just have to get to work; grab a chisel, a rag, some Windex.  Then, grab a window washer to help!

Your Bible, repentance, your Faith...
I don't know if Jesus ever washed a window,
But I do know that He can cleanse your soul.

"Roll Away Your Stone" - Mumford & Son's

The Broken Ones of Earth (A Solemn Prayer)

Lord,
It seems that you have taken away
Much more than you have given,
As of late

There were some that I loved,
Held in my arms,
Tried my best to heal
And yet --
It was out of my control.

Their hearts ached
With hurt,
With sin,
With misunderstanding
Of who You truly are.

I thought that you had given them to me,
So that I might help them,
But in the end,
I was hurt.

Souls cry out around me,
Having lost their loved ones,
Their faith in You,
Or the one thing they had left-
Themselves.

And as I tried to carefully,
Slowly,
Pick up the pieces if their shattered lives
My own life shattered.

What reason is there for love in this world,
If all love seems to lead to destruction?


You.


For the day will come,
When those who hurt will be healed,
Those who are broken will be fixed,
Those who misunderstand will be enlightened,
And those who have lost themselves
Will find themselves in You.

That day is judgement day,
And on that day my soul will sing-
For hopefully,
You have found me a worthy one,
To serve You in Your Kingdom

With those whom I loved and lost,

Those who have hurt me will laugh with me,
Those who have broken me will dwell with me with You,
Those who misunderstand me and those whom I misunderstand will learn to love each other,
Those who have lost me
Will find me once again,
As I, too
Will find myself
In You.

Sola Scriptura - Say What?

The other day I had a conversation.
But no, not just a conversation -- THE conversation.

You know ... the Bible Alone.

One of my grandmother's friends came over to see our new house and sit outside despite the wind.  This friend of hers is an absolutely delightful woman. She's kind, vivacious, outgoing, and loves to laugh! One of her most admirable qualities is her relationship with God.  She trusts in Him so much, and there have definitely been some miracles that have occurred by the grace of God as the fruit of her prayers.  Her immense trust in the Almighty Father results in some great things, surely.

She came inside as I was making some waffles for dinner (because who doesn't want waffles for dinner?!) and I heard her talk about a Bible Study class.  I shared that I'm taking Bible Study for school this year, and we discussed our favorite passages and favorite books. It was really a lovely discussion.

But then ... I got daring.
She presented an ideal that was rather anti-Catholic - that is, that merely believing in Jesus achieves salvation, anyone who doesn't believe cannot be saved, and one is saved by the works of God and not by their own actions.  (Clarification on Catholic standpoint from my understanding: everyone is saved through Jesus and by His death and resurrection. Without that, we could not achieve heaven. But it is up to us to follow His ways so that we might earn that Salvation which He has secured for us so graciously. [To the best of our ability, that is; we're never fully worthy and never will be, and that's where God's mercy and His Son's sacrifice come in.] In addition, even if one does not believe, if it is by no fault of their own, they may be saved; ultimately, it's in the hands of God.)

"No," she said politely, "We are saved by Jesus' sacrifice. You cannot give yourself credit for something that our God has done for us!"

Valid point, I thought to myself. Definitely food for thought there. 

Finally, after a few minutes, I stumped her when she said: "You achieve salvation when you believe in Jesus, not by your own actions," to which I responded:

"Is not believing an action which God, by giving us our Free Will and Reason, has allowed us to achieve?"

"...who says?"

I don't know, I thought to myself. The dictionary. "Believe" is a verb. But I kept my mouth shut as she continued on an unrelated tangent.

So I politely continued debating a few of her points a bit by asking questions.  She was elated, under the impression that I was asking her expertise and knowledge, and I politely smiled and nodded as she proceeded to present all sorts of lovely philosophies and revelations she had discovered from reading the Bible.

I asked her for her sources and where she had attained her knowledge from. Of course, the answer was Sacred Scripture -- the Bible. I shared that most of my philosophy came mainly from the Bible and from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  "I don't do denominations," she said. "As Christians, we're supposed to be together, and not divided."
"Precisely," I agreed wholeheartedly (with perhaps a bit of a smug smirk..hopefully it didn't show.) "For all of the denominations have that one, main, sole thing in common: Jesus Christ, the heart of our salvation, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, through whom we are saved. 'No one comes to the Father, except through Me.'"

And then, the statement to rule all statements - and of course, FINALLY the point of this post.
"It's wrong to follow tradition of man," she stated. "No where in the Bible does it say, 'Scripture and tradition.'"
(It does, but I couldn't remember where.)
"Can you tell me where in the Bible it says 'The Bible Alone'?"

Silence.

Because the Bible does not say, "The Bible Alone." The Bible says:.

 "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter." 

2 Thessalonians 2:15

Really, that's all there is to say! 

But being as I like to talk a lot, I have more.

It is logical that the only accurate interpreter of a written work is the author himself.  Take, for instance, a children's novel about a puppy who gets lost because it was left in a wagon that rolled down the street, but in the end the wagon was found...literary analysis could provide all sorts of convoluted explanations for the author's motivation of writing such a thing; that the puppy was the soul, the wagon represented the world, the hill represented the fall of man, the boy who found the dog was God. 

Wow. Deep.

Only the author could shake his head and clarify, "It was a story about a puppy in a wagon. That's it." 

And so, we know that the author of the Bible to be Holy Spirit Himself, using man as His divine instrument.  The wording, the creative liberties, the artistic language is that of man, but the message is that of the Holy Spirit.  Through countless translations and many years of the Bible being passed on, it needs an interpreter.  Also just because there's just some pretty weird stuff in there. ("What do you MEAN my hair is like a flock of goats?!" Song of Solomon 4:1) 

The only accurate interpreter of the Bible is the Holy Spirit. 

Who's got the Holy Spirit?
Them Apostles got the Holy Spirit! I'd like to think that they chanted, "We've got Spirit!" on Pentecost. (Acts chapters 1 and 2; 11:15) 

As Christ built his church on St. Peter the Apostle (Matt 16:18) and He conferred His Spirit upon them on Pentecost, the Apostles then had the ability to allow the Spirit to work through them in a way that most people could not.  This included interpreting scripture.

At the first Council of Hippo (I think that's what it was, anyway...) the Catholic Church discussed the credibility of each written work regarding the Jewish Law and regarding the Life of Christ. It was at that council that they pieced together the Old and New Testaments and we have the Bible we have today.

In short, when someone says: "By the Bible Alone," ask them where they got the Bible in the first place...Then ask where it says, "By the Bible Alone." The Bible sure doesn't! 

My conversation with my grandmother's friend ended pleasantly. We discussed our favorite books once again, smiled, talked about how much we had enjoyed our discussion...And I nonchalantly added: "I love the book of John! ... Chapter 6 is my favorite!" 

Love your neighbor? But he's a sinner!

"You shouldn't hang around with me," an acquaintance said to me recently.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Well..." they responded hesitantly.

After proceeding to run through their list of wrongs, they seemed surprised by my response.
Perhaps they expected me to gasp in horror, start chanting in Latin, sprinkle them with Holy Water, hit them over the head with the Bible, scream "YOU NEED JESUS" and storm out of the room.
Instead, I merely said: "You're a good person, and don't ever think otherwise."
"No I'm not," the individual responded, "I'm going to hell."
I joked that if I met them there, we could party.  They chuckled a bit, but my statement didn't help their cause much. "You have poor judgement if you say I'm good."

What I thought to myself was, but Jesus made you good. That's the fact, and it's the truth...the fact that you acknowledge that your actions are wrong means you are good. The fact that you desire to be good, though it doesn't make you virtuous, means that you are, in essence, a being created for good. Don't sell yourself short of that. 

But I didn't.  I continued to joke around, talk with them, share my own shortcomings, help them to realize that their actions do not define them.


So that proposes a question:
Surely, the Bible talks about smiting the wicked, refusing to advocate their actions, and standing firmly against evil.  Isaiah prophesied that even Jesus would "Slay the wicked with the breath of His lips." (Isaiah 11:4) and Ezekiel had several spiels on alerting the unrighteous of His sinfulness. But didn't Jesus also say, "Do not judge, that you too may be judged." (Matt 7:1)? What do we do?

As Christians, we are called to avoid the near occasion of sin by avoiding people or things that could lead us to it.  If you're a recovering alcoholic, it's your responsibility to evaluate whether you are in a fit state to spend time with people who drink and when to spend that time with them.

But if you're faced with a person whose actions are wrong, do you avoid friendship with them? Do you hit them with a Bible? Do you lecture them? Do you keep your mouth shut?

Well, as always with questions such as these, there's no easy answer. I personally believe that the solution lies ultimately in leading by example, and opening your heart to allow God to do so.  By acting like Jesus as much as we are able, we show love, we show assertion, and we show holiness.  Instead of focusing on being "too good" or "too bad" in hopes of fitting in or giving off the right impression, focus on being you.  Keep one foot firmly planted in the world and the other firmly planted in heaven.  Strive to heaven, but enjoy the good things of the world.

In this manner, you seem real and grounded.  You're not perfect, but people see a light in you where perhaps, in their own hearts, they see only darkness.  Like a lamp on a stand, they will flock to you like moths in the light. (Then it's kind of a freak show and you start to wonder "why the heck are all the creeps here?" ... Trust me, it happened to me. But it's for the best, they'll be introduced to Jesus.)

That's when the problem begins.  People tell you their wrongs; they share their loss, their brokenness, their pain with you.  And you stand there feeling confused, angry, concerned...and a bit lost yourself.
You want to preach at your friends. Say, "No! You're wrong! That's evil!"
You want to love your friends and agree with them completely. "You're right, that's okay, it's justified."

Where's the middle ground?
"We all make mistakes.  What you're doing is wrong and if you continue along this path, I cannot walk with you; but I will pray for you.  I love you.  And I will always, always be here for you when you come back.  Even though I cannot approve of your choices, I will still be your friend."

What? A NON-JUDGMENTAL Christian? They'll be stupefied!

By acting like Jesus, we love the sinner but condemn the sin; we do not define a person by their sin.  We do not define a criminal by a crime.  We do not define a person's worth by shortcomings or their choices; because their worth is firmly grounded in God, whether they know it or not.  God made them Good, and the world has crudely broken them.  But the Hands of God are there to restore, to build up, to make new.

For Jesus has made them new. All they need to do is turn their hearts toward Him.

YOU are the Hands of God in this world.  God will restore, build up, and make new through YOU. "To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. See, I place my words in your mouth; this day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build ant to plant." (Jeremiah 1:7-10)

We need just allow Him into our hearts, and be willing to convey His message, trusting that the Holy Spirit will use us as He sees fit.

Ultimately,
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." (John 8:7)

Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want...But God will tell you what I need.

What is happiness?
Of what does it consist?

We find glimpses of it in justice, financial security, confidence, relaxation, marriage, friendship, and nourishment.  But somehow, indulging even in the good, wholesome, righteous things in this world leads to our own destruction -
Wrath, greed, pride, sloth, lust, envy, gluttony.  
Wherever we turn, those things can be found twisted within the good.
Senseless,
Easy,
Fulfilling,
a trap.

It seems that happiness lies within sin.  Fortunately, these seven deadly sins, also called the Cardinal Sins have virtuous counterparts: the four cardinal virtues -- justice, temperance, prudence, and fortitude [courage], -- and the three theological virtues -- faith, hope, and charity.

As humans, what we want and what we think we want are two entirely different things.

This seems merely like a standard religion lesson thus far, and the post title is misleading. How does Heaven fit into all this?!

Here, I'll show you.
What do you want from your life?
Justice...Financial security...Confidence...Relaxation...Marriage...Friendship...Nourishment.

Very good. The fact that you desire these things are no coincidence, for within each of these things is found a virtue, or may be directed toward a virtue.

But now, wait a minute...
Each one of the cardinal sins may be found in these, too.
Quite the predicament...So, then, is it a question of motivation? Is it a question of the action taken to achieve these goals? Quite the predicament, indeed!

As humans, what we want and what we think we want are two different things.

Ever feel like you're in heaven on earth? There will be times when our sinful actions will be misleading and give us that feeling, that high for only but a moment.  But our good actions water the seed of virtue within our souls.


When we sin we feel a burst of life, but then death.
When we do something virtuous, we feel a struggle --
then a burst of life. 

The burst of life inside you is heaven on earth.  When you spend time with your friends, volunteer for a cause you're passionate about, or feel a joy in your heart during Mass, that is heaven on earth.
Heaven is joy.

Can you still be virtuous if you are happy? Absolutely!

Being virtuous is practicing all the virtues, and within the virtues there is a balance.  You may indulge in worldly things, because God has made the world good.  But the virtues allow you to be wary and vigilant, on the lookout for the cardinal sins within the worldly things.  This is definitely a struggle, especially if you constantly think of all the virtues. Essentially, Christ is the personification of all virtues; so try to follow him, and you're on the right track.

Can you still be joyful while unhappy? Absolutely! 

If you're like me, being virtuous often means letting go of worldly things, and it's so easy to allow unhappiness to dam up the joy.  The trick, which I have yet to master, is realizing that joy and happiness are not synonymous; that is, in the sense that you are only joyful when you are happy.  If you can be joyful when you are unhappy, you have achieved what many Christians (including myself) have yet to experience.


Ultimately, our bodies desire sin, while our souls desire virtue.
In our bodies, we think we want happiness,
but in our souls,
we know we want joy.