The Betrayal

The Betrayal


When watchmen seek the approval

Of cafeteria charter members

Thinking they have to appease

With tongues split by wavering

And minds distorted by worldly deception

Regarding truths handed on by the One

Crowned in Glory and Majesty

Who suffered for their salvation,

Gave them care of His flock

To guide them in His Ways,

Provide warnings to turn

From evil and walk in righteous paths,

Interruptions occur when they

Think the thoughts of dubious pc’s and

Fear offending deluded souls, it

Results in disastrous darkness for those

Without knowledge of the Light and

Confused by needless sophistries

Speaking euphemisms crowned with the delight

And purpose of supposed enlightened thinking

Forged by making their own way into The Way,

Public sin is transformed into public discretion

Of choices determining the beginning and end of life

Losing the right to live by the decision of the one

Created to love and nurture them

Along with those given the task to protect and serve

The most least and weakest

While smiling faces move in line

And open their mouths

To receive the One tortured that all might live

While the excuse of self-righteousness calms the qualms

Of those choosing death for innocents

And those encouraging them

While making the sign of the cross.

Why do only a few say the obvious?

Why have the warnings been kept silent?

Why have the sheep been left to wander?

Why do jackals wear sheep’s clothing

Pretending faithfulness while

Watchmen approve in silence

Or worse, neglect from fear?

Why do watchmen feast with the enemy?

Why is sin conquering in the name of righteousness?

Why are these questions frowned upon

And rejected as extreme?

The time will come

When truth will triumph.

Conviction of sin will come forth

Along with Mercy’s gift.

Those who repent shall live,

And those who resist, shall die.

Who, then, is the righteous watchman?

Who is to judge the heart?

Only the One who paid the price

Who bore the burden which gained the Glory.

He, alone, hears the unspoken,

Sees the hidden heart,

And renders justice.

But, how shall we know the faithful servants,

Those who walk the path of Light

And speak the Words of Everlasting Life

From those who speak feebly and falsely?

By their fruits, you shall know them.

Life begets Life.

Love begets Love.

Truth begets truth.

Ask and you shall receive.

Seek and you shall find:

If you have doubts, ask.

If you lack discernment, seek.

If you hear deception, speak the truth.

If you find betrayal, resist

But, also, pray for a turning.

No one will conquer the Conqueror.

No one escapes their due-

Even those who walk the corridors

Of cathedrals built in minds of new horizons.

The masqueraders posing as

Faithful walking government halls

Shall, too, lose their souls if they persist in death-

Though Love is always offered and

Forgiveness awaits a different choice.

Remember who you are.

Listen to the One who loved you to the end.

Seek the truth that is eternal.

Follow the One whose wounded hands bore your weakness.

Listen to the One who deserves your allegiance.

Your salvation depends on your decisions.

Mercy is yours for the asking.

Faithfulness is not a given,

Especially for those who have the burden of watchmen.

Woe to those who betray the truth.

Woe to those who follow their lead.

Woe to those who seek their own end,

Or who disregard the innocent’s life

No matter the motivation and rationale

Because the truth is not hidden

And the Way is evident

To all who look for reality.

Mercy to all who are faithful ’till death,

Lifting up in prayer their fellow servants and

Remembering to obey their Lord

While we encourage

And intercede that they

Correct the ways of

Those who betray the trust

Of He who gave them

Their call to be

Watchmen.

.

( [c] gene firn 2008)

The Holy Spirit-Where'd He go?

The promised New Pentecost seems to have come and gone. During its heyday, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal was a world-wide phenomenon that brought more that a million Catholics in the United States to a renewed faith experience. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit filled people's lives with a heightened sense of the Lord's Presence and introduced them to the charisms of the Spirit.

The experience of conversion was real for the most part but how long it lasted depended, of course, on the person's faithful response to the Spirit's inner workings. The discipline of personal prayer, Scripture reading/study, reception of the Sacraments, fellowship and service all added up to continued fruit in the faithful Charismatic Catholic's life. The weekly prayer meeting was a welcomed lift with the opportunity to hear testimonies of the Lord's working in people's lives, worship in the Spirit, and express the Gifts of the Spirit. Monthly/yearly regional/national meetings brought together large numbers of people for encouragement, teaching, fellowship and worship. It was good, very good.

The fruit of it all is still with us. Many of the most active in our parishes have a history in the Charismatic Renewal. Vocations to the priesthood, religious life and the deaconate flowed out the the Renewal. Ministries continue to bring fruit to the Church. Some parishes visibly drip of the Spirit's anointing. Marriages were saved and now flourish. Many individuals, though no longer active in prayer groups, continue to bear witness by their lives to the reality of the Spirit.

The Renewal goes on still but not with the same intensity or evangelistic fervor. Pentecost brings a yearly advocacy of the Spirit's role in our lives and in the Church's missionary calling. The Holy Spirit is, of course, still with us and active in the Church. For those aware, He still surprises us even when we least expect it. New stirrings spring up around the world. The Fire glows in some places more than others. He is still faithful to all who open the door of their heart. For those unaware, He doesn't get the credit He deserves. All in all, the fruit continues but it dissipates.

What happened? Could it have been different? Can it still be different? Where do we go from here?

Despite the encouragement from Pope John Paul 11, Pope Benedict 16, Vatican Council 11 and numerous Bishops and Cardinals that the Catholic Charismatic Renewal was meant for the entire Church, that all come and be filled, only 1 in 60 have opened the door. Why not all? Or, at least, ten percent! Two of many answers come to mind besides the obvious that we each could have done more: the lack of clergy response and the pastoral approach taken to the Renewal.

Bishops and priests did not respond to the call to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit. Many did, most did not. It was easier to let the Charismatics have a prayer meeting on Thursday night than to bring them into the parish as a whole. It was easier to approach them as just another parish organization like the Knights of Columbus or the Altar Society than seek to bring the Baptism of the Holy Spirit into the entire parish. It was easier to "support" the group by opening the gym for prayer meetings and having a liaison than by personally responding to the invitation to be filled with the Spirit and leading the group as Pastor.

If the anointing of the Spirit is for all; if the charisms are for the entire Church to build up the Body and I am the Pastor or Bishop, why am I not being open to what the Lord has for me and His People? What kind of example is this? In response we could easily say: "Maybe it isn't for everyone. Maybe if my Pastor or Bishop doesn't respond, then I don't need to look into it. If it is so important or essential, wouldn't we be hearing about it regularly from the pulpit? Wouldn't Father or Bishop have responded themselves?

But, actually, they did respond, didn't they? They just said "no" or ignored it. And because it was kind of strange and easy to marginalize, easy to make it just another organization, it did not grow the way the Lord wanted it to grow. It did not fulfill its outward calling for inward conversion and renewal for all. It stayed a Thursday night prayer meeting. Maybe it eventually died out and then it didn't have to be dealt with anymore. Could it have been different? Can it still be different? What can we do?

Revivein5. Commit to interceding at least 5 minutes a day for Revival, and do whatever He tells you. We need an intervention by the Holy Spirit. We need the Lord to "Rend the heavens and come down that the mountains would tremble at your Presence". We need an anointing. We need to see His Presence among us, to experience His Power in our midst, to move among us in a visible way, to change our hearts, our minds, to break into our lives and smash the barriers we have erected to keep Him out.

We need our priests and Bishops to respond positively to the movement of the Spirit. We need anointed leaders. We need charismatic leaders to stand up and lead. If the Spirit is for all, then He is for ALL. We don't need wishy/washy leaders. What good are they? We've seen enough of that kind of response in the scandals, and we have enough lukewarmness in our own lives. We need a Revival. We need Power. We need an intervention. We need anointed leaders. We need the Lord to ACT, and we need it NOW! Will YOU respond to the call?

Pray. Pray for the Lord to call charismatic priests and bishops to minister to other priests and bishops. We need anointed preachers and teachers. We need to hear the prophetic call proclaimed. We all need continual conversion. We all need to "take the next step" in our relationship with the Lord. We all need to listen to the Spirit's call in our lives. In times of greatest need in the Church, renewal of the clergy was of paramount importance. St. Vincent de Paul began to minister to the clergy when the Church needed renewal in the 16th century. Francis, Ignatius, John of the Cross and more than I can remember right now saw the need and responded to the Spirit, and renewal happened.

How can it be different in parishes? Being Baptized in the Spirit must be promoted. It can't mean just being part of another group, because that's not what it means. What it means is conversion, a change of life, a reorientation and ordering of my life and relationships around the throne. Learning to yield myself to the movement of the Spirit. Being confirmed in the charisms given to me and using them for building up of the Body-in my family, parish, work and wherever else I am called to serve. It is not just another thing to maybe be part of. We're talking about the very heart of the Church. Promotion is not just making an announcement once in a while, or putting something in the bulletin. It is the Pastor and staff themselves being filled with the Spirit and seeking His guidance in spreading the Word, in bringing all into the fullness of what the Lord so fundamentally has for each of us.

Pray that the Lord calls and that those called respond. Pray and get others to pray also. What you say in the quiet of your prayer space reverberates in the glory of heaven and in the hearts of those struggling with grace and flesh, with the old and the new. Your response, though only seeing with eyes of faith, brings hope to the cause of Christ and may be the last necessary act of love that causes one priest or bishop to step forward and receive more of what the Lord has for him.

Take the step to faithful intercession. Do not let the trials of life interfere with your call to bring Revival to the Church. Take the time each day to pray. Find a prayer supporter and hold one another to the commitment to intercede. In these times of darkness, much depends on your response. There is more for you-more than you realize.

Neither cold nor hot

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Rev. 3:14-16

Lukewarm. Marian-Webster defines it as not just warm, but "moderately" warm. "Tepid" and "halfhearted" are synonyms for it. "Lacking in passion, force or zest and marked by an absence of enthusiasm or conviction" is a definition of tepid. You get the idea, don't you? Like sour milk, it turns your stomach as it does to the "ruler of God's creation", the Lord.

One good thing in the passage above, however, is that we still have a chance to change before the Lord reacts. "Am about to..." can mean "not yet, but getting close to..." We still have the opportunity to be "hot or cold", to be wholehearted or coldhearted, to be passionate for Christ or for the world, flesh and thus the devil. We have a chance to change. That's comforting.

But another way of looking at it is that two out of three-cold and tepid-get the eternal buzzer, only hot or "wholehearted" devotion gets the prize of eternal life. Yet the cold and lukewarm are all around us. 70% of Catholics don't attend Mass regularly. Over 90% use contraception. Over 50% don't believe in the Real Presence. Abortion is as prevalent among Catholics as non-Catholics. "Catholic" and "evangelism" don't usually go together in the same sentence. And although the Lord is really and truly present at the Eucharist, and Calvary is re-presented with eternal consequences, and communion occurs with everyone attending, and the Word of God is read and somewhat preached, the question remains: why is there so much coldness and lukewarmness-even among those of us in the 30% who attend Mass regularly?

There seems to be a disconnect between the objective and subjective. The objective reality of grace is real and always present at Mass. The truth of the Gospel is real. What Jesus has accomplished is redeeming and life changing and eternal. But we are free to accept, reject or not care about any or all of it.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Is. 53:5. The words can thrill and humble us, or they can make us yawn indifferently. What will be the difference maker-not just in us-for none of us respond perfectly-but for all those far away in the cold slavery of sin or in the indifference of the tepid self?

Intervention. Pentecost. The action of the Holy Spirit disrupting our lives. A Power outside of us intervening in our lives. We need our eyes to be opened. Our ears unplugged. Our hearts changed. The dry bones breathed upon. The Spirit to hover over the waters. The tongues of fire to enflame us. One who will dispense "broken and contrite hearts". One who will cause us to "know my transgressions" and that it is against Him alone that we have sinned. One who can create a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us.

Intervention: to come between, to interfere. Not business as usual but new business. That is what we need to pray for, but not just now and then, it must be our mission because it is our calling. In the midst of everyday life and trials, eternity calls. Eternal life and death are at war, and we are in the middle of it all. Grace. Abundant grace. Revival. That is the answer.

Come, Holy Spirit. Break into our lives anew. In our weakness we call to you. Intervene in our lives, in the Church, in the clergy. Burn away our dross. Break down our barriers. Show us your face, your reality. Let us see our need for you, our sins, our weaknesses. Don't let us be indifferent to you. Open our ears to your Word. Do what you have to to reach us. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. Hear our cry. Your Bride needs rescue. Sheep are scattered, easy prey to roaring lions. Look upon us as you looked into the eyes of Peter across the courtyard and pierced his heart. Do it now for we are desperate for your love.

"Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble at your presence" Is. 64:1

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chron. 7:14

Sin-it's sooo personal.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1Jn. 8

Sin. The forgotten word. We Catholics used to sin- a lot. We used to go to the Sacrament of Penance. There used to be lines like waiting to get into the newest movie every Saturday. They even talked about sin back then. Mortal. Venial. People used to go to hell when they didn't repent of serious sin, now everybody goes to heaven. Sort of, like, just showing up is all it takes! The only serious sins seems to be like murder or adultery but even then you don't want to be too judgmental. Our self-esteem would really get messed up if we talked about being sinners. We can't have that happen.

Then there's that whole thing of admitting, you know, admitting I did something, gulp, wrong. Shoot, that's humiliating. I don't like that. They don't talk about it so it mustn't be much of a problem anymore. It's not the "in" word to use. Other words like flaw, or mistake, or whoops, or character weakness-though that's a little on the personal side-are used. I'm good. You good? We're all good. Ahh. Nice. That's what's important, being nice. If you're nice, you get to go to heaven. They're all nice there.

All that is a caricaturist way of saying "we've lost our sense of sin". When we lose our sense of sin, we lose our sense of being saved from something really evil. We lose our sense of needing to be saved. We get a false identity, a false security. We don't see ourselves as we really are. We lose our sense of humanity and our call to glory. Couple that with the lost sense of the holiness of God, and you have confusion, a false sense of independence, and a downward spiral of degradation-a truly fallen humanity with no hope. Without sin, there is no salvation nor need of redemption. Without a sinner, there is no need of a Savior. Without a sense of sin, there is only pride: the self-proclamation that I am the One. Without a sense of sin, the "world, the flesh and the devil" have full reign, and, in the end, we lose everything we sought to save. Without a sense of sin, the death of Christ is just another crucifixion, and the eternal love of the Father, another myth.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." What truth? God Himself! The Word made flesh! The truth of who we are and who we are called to be. The reality of Sonship. The unbelievable truth of sacrificial love for ME. Undeserved, unmerited grace. The lavish love of God for broken humanity. The humility of being personally loved, chosen and forgiven after personally rejecting the One who created me then washed me in His Blood. "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Mk. 1:21 Make no mistake. Sin is not only Original, not only social. It is personal, very personal. THAT truth.

Sin is costly. "Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and Yahweh burdened him with the sins of all of us...By his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself."Is. 53: 5-6

Sin has a few other qualities: it has power: "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." Jn. 8:34 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness."(Ro.6:20) It pays a just wage: "For the wages of sin is death..." (Ro. 6:23). It establishes a master over us: "He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning." 1Jn. 3:5 It separates us from God: "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." 1Jn. 3: 6 It leads to eternal punishment: "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matt. 25: 46

So, what is sin? Jesus said that in order to remain in Him, to remain in His love, we need to obey His commands, especially to love one another as He loves us. If we do, we remain his friends. Jn. 15. Sin is not doing that-choosing not to obey His commands. It is always a choice not to love as He has told us. That is the mark we miss when we choose to sin. Faith, love and obedience are forever wedded in the way of life given to us by the Lord and faithfully handed down and taught by His Church. It is choosing self instead of Him.

Ps. 51 clearly shows us the nature of sin and its seriousness. David's repentance was very personal because his sin was personal. "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight."(4) He chose to do what God had said was evil. The seriousness of the sin depends on how evil God considers the sin, not how evil we consider the sin. He is God, we are not. David's choice of adultery was a personal offense against God Himself because love and obedience are one. To David, loving God meant obeying Him, honoring His Word, respecting His Sovereignty over himself, acknowledging God's right to his obedience.

In today's society and in the confusion after the Vatican Council, obedience has had some negative connotations like legalism, do's and don'ts, simplistic theology. While there may have been a lack of communicating the love aspect of obedience in the past, today the obedience aspect to loving God is not emphasized enough. Loving God can be reduced to fuzzy feelings. For David, there was nothing fuzzy or confused about it. It was very clear and to the point for him: "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity." (4,9) He knew who he was-"a sinner from birth"-who God was-"the God of 'unfailing love' who saves me"- and what he did wrong-"what was evil in your sight". May we too have this clarity.

Sin is either mortal-grave, deadly- or venial, less grave but which can pave the way to more serious sin. How do you know which is which? A sin is grave if God considers it grave-"...what is evil in your sight". We also have to know that He considers it grave, that He forbids it. Lastly, we have to do it anyway. It doesn't matter what the reason is for doing it. If all three conditions are met, it is a mortal sin, and we have chosen to do something that the Lord considers relationship breaking. He still loves us, but we have freely rejected Him in a very serious way, like Adam and Eve, and David.

Faith is a commitment to love the Lord above all and is expressed in obedience. This fundamental option is rooted in our freedom. Individual actions either reflect that option or negate it. Mortal sin negates it, and we must freely repent of that sin in the Sacrament of Penance for our relationship with the Lord to be restored. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation..." (12).

Venial sin harms our relationship with the Lord, but it doesn't break it. However, habitual venial sin opens us up to greater temptations. We especially need to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to become aware of the roots of our sins, whether mortal or venial, so we can cooperate more fully with the Spirit in rooting out sin in our lives. It is all part of the continual conversion to holiness we are called to at Baptism.

The Holy Spirit is our Counselor. Part of His given role is to convict us of sin, ie. convince or show us the sin we have committed, not to condemn but to bring us to repentance. It is the most loving of actions. We should pray to be convicted of sin, for along with it comes the grace of sorrow for sin, restoration/increase of intimacy, and "the joy of of your salvation" (12). We should pray for others to be convicted of their sin also. What could be a more loving request than the movement of the Holy Spirit to bring a person's life into union with their Savior and Lord?

Lastly, let us pray for a "humble and contrite heart". (17) With such a heart, we shall have a profound sense of sin, a knowledge of who we are as forgiven Sons and Daughters of the Father, and be overwhelmed in the Presence of the living and thrice Holy God. "Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise."(14-15)

Reflections:

-Do I have a sense of sin?
-Do I have a sense of the Holiness of God?
-Am I open to the Holy Spirit showing me my sins?
-Am I willing to do what it takes to be holy?
-Do I experience my need of a Savior?
-Do I want more of the Power of the Holy Spirit?
-Do I make good use of the Sacrament of Penance?

"Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened." Matt. 7:7

Build on Rock

So, how do we do it? Can we, with confidence, figure out right from wrong? In a time of confusion and multiple choice answers, are we left to our own devices to know what God wants of us in a particular circumstance? On the great public moral questions of the day, as well as in the personal no-one-will-know-but-me decisions, how do I form my conscience?

The Lord provides us all the means necessary to grow in the knowledge and power of living His way of self-donating love. First and foremost, though, we must be willing to seek His Wisdom and Truth, and be open to His Word-especially when it challenges us by requiring sacrifice. " My son, if you take my words to heart, if you set store by my commandments, tuning your ear to wisdom, and applying your heart to truth: yes, if your plea is for clear perception, if you cry out for discernment, if you look for it as if it were silver, and search for it as for buried treasure, you will then understand what the fear (reverence) of the Lord is, and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord Himself is giver of wisdom, from his mouth issue knowledge and discernment." Prov. 2: 1-6

Seeking the truth and acting on the truth ("Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth." Jn. 17: 17) is like, as Jesus said in Matt. 4: 24-27, a sensible man building his house on rock, it will stand the test. The foolish man who does not act on His words, builds his house on sand and it fails the test. By building our house- forming our conscience- on the foundation of Jesus' Word and using the tools of the underlying principles from the last post, we can raise the 4 walls
of our house with confidence for the tests to come. All 4 walls must be level and in sinc for the house to be well-built and sturdy. So it is with the formation of our conscience. Let us examine the 4 walls that the Lord provides us:

1. The Holy Spirit. "I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now, but when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt, and he will tell you of the things to come." Jn. 16:13. We can have confidence that the Spirit will lead us to the truth; we just need to ask, seek and listen.

It is our dispositions-our willingness to seek and openness to the Spirit-that determine the benefits of this Gift: "Therefore we teach, not in the way philosophy is taught, but in the way the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man, on the other hand, is able to judge the value of everything and his own value is not to be judged by other men. As scripture says: Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ." 1Corin. 2:13-16

2. Sacred Scripture provides us with teaching, examples and wisdom to learn what is right and wrong-all from God Himself! "All scripture is inspired by God and can be profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work." 2 Tim 3: 16-17.

Caution should be taken, however, since Scripture can be misused and misinterpreted when verses are taken by themselves, that is, unrelated to the rest of Scripture, or out of context. Even Satan quoted scripture when he tempted Jesus in the desert. But we do not need to be a scripture scholar to hear the Lord speak to us through His revealed Word. Scripture is clear and straightforward especially where morality is concerned, but if we have questions, "walls 3 & 4" below, will help us.

Watch out for the Scripture train wreck though: the opinion to ignore or denigrate God's Word as something dated and out of touch with modern society. This opinion and teaching opens the door to rejecting what Sacred Scripture says about a particular moral issue. Proving Scripture wrong, outdated or too "culturally confining" should cause us to question the author's agenda and move us to look elsewhere as we shall see below.

Sacred Scripture came out of the lived experience of the Body of Christ which was then passed on by word of mouth by the apostles. This is another revealed form of the Word of God: Sacred Tradition. Thus it is both Scripture and Tradition that has been given to us by the Lord Himself to, authoritatively, guide and teach the Body of Christ.

3. Church Teaching. Jesus has given us- His Body- a visible head- the Holy Father- anointed by His Spirit, and given the authority to guide and teach us the way of righteousness. "So now I say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven." Matt. 16:18-19

The Pope, united with the Bishops, provides authoritative teaching on doctrine and morality. We clearly see this in the Book of Acts, chapter 15, when Peter, James and the other apostles and elders dealt with a major controversy in the New Testament Church. Some wanted the newly converted pagans to be circumcised and follow other Jewish laws in order to become followers of Jesus. They came together, solved the problem, and sent letters and delegates to the churches explaining the settlement. We, too, have this benefit.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides an invaluable reference for Catholic Teaching on both doctrine and morality. It is a resource we should use as we continue in the learning process of forming our conscience.

4.Wise and learned teachers. The last "wall" of our house is the counsel of wise men and women who are faithful to Scripture and Church Teaching, and whose personal lives are examples of following the Lord. "If there are any wise or learned men among you, let them show it by their good lives, with humility and wisdom in their actions." James 3;1-3 It is very helpful to get objective counsel and teaching from trustworthy men and women of God who can bring clarity and peace to confusing situations.

Caution should be taken, however, to choose "true" not "false" teachers. Jesus describes false teachers (prophets) in Matt. 7:15-20. They are wolves in sheep's clothing. As Paul describes them in Col. 2:8: "Make sure that no one traps you and deprives you of your freedom by some secondhand, empty, rational philosophy based on the principles of this world instead of on Christ." Jesus says that we will be able to tell them by their fruits, ie. by their personal lives or by the results of their teaching. We seek the truth, not the latest and greatest theological opinion which seems to go against Scripture or Church Teaching. Theological opinions can come from anywhere-the world, flesh, devil or the Holy Spirit.

We should also be aware of our own motivation and goals. "The time is sure to come when, far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth they will turn to myths. Be careful always to choose the right course." 2 Tim 4:3-5 It is very easy to deceive ourselves by the continually seeking guidance until we hear what we want to hear. Obviously, if this is the case, we are seeking our own will and not God's will.

The 4 walls go together and should be seen in harmony- each, in different ways, saying essentially the same truth. Truth is one, and should therefore confirm itself. The Spirit works through Scripture, Church Teaching and wise counsel to help us form our conscience. The Spirit will also strengthen us to live out the truth we arrive at in our search, especially when this truth involves the cross. Knowing and living the truth will bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, truthfulness, gentleness and self-control: Gal. 5:22. On the other hand, the distorted formation of our conscience will have the opposite fruits in our lives: confusion, self-seeking, pride, guilt, and behavior that enslaves-sin.

Some questions to guide us:

-Truth is one. Do all the means of formation line up? If not, why not?
-What does Scripture say about the subject?
-What is the Church's teaching on the matter?
-Is my chosen counselor someone who is faithful to Church teaching?
-Will my decision bring me closer or further away from the Lord?
-What would Jesus do?
-Am I open to not getting my way?
-Am I willing to obey God's revealed truth even if I don't want to?- many times it is not a question of what is the truth here, but rather, I don't like the truth.
Am i looking for ways to get around Scripture or Church teaching?`

Eye of the Storm

These days, appealing to conscience trumps everything-Church teaching, Scripture, Pope, Bishops, everybody. Say what you will, if I say my conscience is ok with abortion, sex outside of marriage, name your own tune, then it's ok. You don't have anything to say to me. After all, we're supposed to follow our conscience, right? That's it; end of story.

Who addresses this issue? When was the last time you heard any teaching on the proper formation of conscience? It is a scandal that Catholic public officials flaunt Church teaching which. as we know. is based on Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterial Authority. Public lines in the sand demand to be addressed publicly.

But that is not the case today. Supposedly, public officials are addressed privately by their Bishop. In over 30 years, has any Catholic politician publicly repented for their pro-abortion stand? So, therefore, either they are: a. not bright enough to understand Church teaching b. No one is telling them the truth c. they are rebellious d. they don't care because there are no consequences e. they find a priest or bishop to support them. Whatever the reason, the result is that the laity are, at least, confused, or, at worst, confirmed in their own faulty conscience.

In this and the next post, I will address some of these issues in the hope that each of us will grow in our understanding of how a right conscience is formed as well as understanding the place of conscience in the eye of the storm that rages in our Church and culture. This is an issue that affects the very life of the Church, it's reason for existing, and the eternal destination of the People of God. May our understanding lead us deeper into the truth, guide our actions and move us to intercede for Revival.

"Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? What do you read there?' He replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself'. 'You have answered right,' said Jesus, 'do this and life is yours." Lk: 10:25-28.

Conscience guides us to accomplish these goals. Conscience is the means whereby we judge the rightness or wrongness of an action. A simple definition, but what makes it challenging is that we live in a culture hostile to God's laws, with little respect for His ways. We have "darkened
intellects, weakened wills, emotions in disorder and a tendency towards evil" which are the consequences of original sin. CCC 2515. We also have an enemy in Satan, the deceiver and father of lies to entrap and tempt us to choose or neglect actions which are against loving God or one another. These negative influences tempt us to prefer our own way instead of God's way as well as influence the formation of our conscience.

However, the Lord has given us all the means necessary to know right from wrong, as well as the Power of the Holy Spirit to live out our decisions. The key to conscience is that it must be properly formed. This education is an ongoing task which, nevertheless, has established guidelines to aid us. We will discuss these in the next post.

Conscience has spiritual presuppositions which underlie the process of discerning right from wrong. These spiritual presuppositions happen to be the same ones that underlie Christian living, seeking God's will and growing in holiness. If these are not present, one is hindered in the proper formation of conscience, and runs the grave risk of error in serious matters. Our words and deeds have consequences- eternal consequences. So, let us look at some of these presuppositions:

1. Submission of one's life to the Lordship of Jesus. "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:9-11

2. Truth is objective and can be learned. "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. " Jn. 8: 31-32

3. Surrender the outcome of our decisions. "My Father, he said, if it is possible, let this cup be taken away. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matt. 26:39

4. Desire to seek good and avoid evil. "Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways." Ps. 119:2-3

5. Reverence the Lord above all. "Those who fear (reverence) the Lord do not disdain His words and those who love Him keep His ways. Those who fear (reverence) the Lord do their best to please Him and those who love Him find satisfaction in His Law." Eccl. 2: 17-18

Taken together, these principles assist us in seeking the Lord's will regarding our lives and in particular, forming our consciences so as to make morally right decisions. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matt. 7: 13-14

Serious sin, if unrepented, leaves us separated from God now and, if we die separated, for eternity. But, in addition, growing in holiness, following Jesus, taking up our mission in His Kingdom, also depend on knowing what to do or not do in sometimes emotionally complicated moral situations. Thus, again, pointing to the need for the ongoing formation of our consciences.

But what happens if these presuppositions are imperfectly present in a person's life-like in all of us? Though it will be more difficult, we are still responsible to properly form our conscience. These are all areas we need to grow in. The Lord knows our hearts, our thoughts before we even speak them. His grace is active in us. He constantly reaches out to us. He longs to save us- that's who He is. Even before we seek Him, He is seeking us. So, we can be confident that His Spirit will help us in our weakness. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, we grow in our ability to "see" more clearly. We grow in humility and docility to the Holy Spirit. In the end, we know the truth and are set free to live it.

On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the Shepherds to teach the flock. It is the proclaiming of the Gospel that brings people to the place whereby they come to the knowledge of our Saving God. Underlying spiritual principles need to be taught and caught, just as how to properly form one's conscience needs to be taught and caught.

Woe to those called to be "watchmen" who do not warn those who do evil, or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways, that person will suffer the consequences for their evil deed, but the "watchmen" will be held accountable for that person's demise. Ezekiel 3: 16-21. A grave responsibility, an even graver consequence if not fulfilled.

Let us pray for our Shepherds. Revival is for them as well as for us. Repentance and conversion are for us all. Presuppositions are for us all. Original Sin affects us all. The world is hostile to us all. Satan wants us dead, but he's especially after our Shepherds. Let us hold them up before the Lord that they may grow in their relationship with Him and fulfill the mission given to them. Let us call them on and provide support in prayer and deed. May they be courageous and humble in their service. Brothers, don't let us down, but, especially, don't let Jesus down. He has paid the price, may we be willing to do likewise.

One more thing about our Shepherds: let us pray that the Lord raise up prophets, teachers and preachers-Shepherds for our Shepherds- to minister God's Word to them. That is a special calling-like St. Vincent de Paul, patron saint of clergy. I believe He is making this call. May those He calls, respond. Ok, another one: that brother priests and bishops may minister and speak God's Word to their brothers. That may be their most difficult and courageous task.

Awake, O Dreamer!

Who are you?

I am so and so. I live here or there. I do this or that for a living. My spouse is whoever, and my kids names are these and in this order. I go to this parish. Sometimes I help out at school or Church. I'm pretty busy what with the kids and all. I try to keep up with things in the news and read the bulletin to keep up with Church news. I try to pray when I can squeeze it in. I was raised in such and such. Good family, though it had its ups and downs. I did ok in school. I wanted a career making good money and I'm relatively happy in it

Friends and family are important to us and so we make the effort to keep in contact. We try to eat together as a family when we can but sometimes there's just too many things going on. We do say grace before meals and make sure the kids go to CCD. We made sure we went to Church together as a family, but when the kids got older, well, you know how it is, they have a mind of their own.

We've heard the news stories about the problems in the Church, but, thank God, we haven't had those problems in our parish. We had problems with the last Bishop not keeping a close watch on some guys and they're paying for it now-I guess we all are. They say things are different now, let's hope so, but these days, you just never know. Maybe we should let priests marry, Protestant Churches do and they seem to do ok. Why not? We need more priests. Lots of parishes closing, something's got to change. We had to close the school because it got too expensive-too many nuns leaving and not enough replacements. Everybody seems to be cutting back. You know how it is: you can only do what you can do. What's next? Maybe our parish will be combined with St so and so. We only have the pastor now. We used to have 2 other priests to help. Who knows what's going to happen? Yeah, and with the war and all, you never know. I just hope nothing big happens in the States again, but it's bound to happen. Scary stuff.

And the LORD says:

"Awake, O Dreamer! Awake, O Man! Awake, O Woman! Your Light has come. O Son of God, O Daughter of the Lord, look at yourself as I see you and have created you to be. You are dressed in white linen, washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Chosen for eternal Glory. Called to see My Face, to walk in My Presence. Take up your mantel of Sonship. Put on the veil of My Bride. For I have called you by name and you belong to Me.

Awake O Dreamer! Listen to My call. Take your place with the Chosen who have gone before you. Come into My Presence. Freely I give Myself to you. Freely receive My offer. See what Love I have for you. My Love poured out in the Blood of the Cross-all for you. Do you not see? Can you not hear? Awake from your sleep! Come and drink from the water of Life. Drink deeply of My Spirit. Drink freely and to the full

Choose to follow Me. I do not force you. You are free to choose. I desire you to be with Me but I leave you free. My offer stands. I do not take it back even when you choose to follow another. I bid you to Come. Come after Me. Pursue Me. Leave all behind. Let it all go for I am the Pearl of great price, and all that I have I offer to you. I will be Faithful to you. Even in times of great trial and darkness, I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Come, follow Me.

Take up your cross with Me. Put on the armor of life. Take your place next to Me. It is ready for you, reserved in your name. Take up your sword and shield. Mount up! Mount your white horse. Ride with Me into battle, for the enemy has advanced, and is within the gates. Awake from your sleep for the time is at hand. The trumpet sounds. Ride to the breech and there STAND! Lift up the Body of the Lamb. Be my prayer warrior, for the battle is on. Do you not see it? It is all around you and in you. It will be even more fierce in the days to come. Fight! Stand firm! Be faithful! I will strengthen you. I will be with you. Seek Me first. Keep your eyes on Me. Seek Me for all you need for My Spirit is with you.

My Bride is weary of Me. My sheep have been scattered. My shepherds sleep when they should be watching. Staffs have been broken and sheep ravaged. Many sheep have followed the call of false shepherds and have gone astray. Lost. The false hope of slavery-called by another name-is a pitfall for many. Delectable enticements ever lure and many naively grasp them. I call them back but they do not listen.

Awake, O Dreamer! I call you to STAND with Me. Take up the Call. Open your eyes to MY PRESENCE. Ask for My Spirit, My Anointing. It is your birthright. See yourself as I have made you and created you to be. Look with new eyes. Hear with new ears. Receive my Love and Life. Take it. Freely I give, freely receive, then STAND with Me." says the LORD.