What does this civilization look like? It's a society and culture that is the most humane, just, and compassionate possible, and one which is the most conducive to the flourishing of human life. To make all of this possible, the Catholic Church also administers
the seven sacraments (Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation,
Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick).
The sacraments literally contain the power, the energy and the
love of God (grace). For example, when you get baptized, the same energy that powered
Christ’s Resurrection becomes infused in you. That power and energy is what
lifts you up from being a mere biological human to a child of God that can
attain the fullest possible relationship with God Himself.
When you receive the Holy Eucharist at Mass, the actual
body, blood, soul and divine nature of God penetrates your biological body in a
unique way, unlike all of the other sacraments. The Eucharist is “the sacrament
of sacraments” and, if you are predisposed to receive the power and energy
contained in the Eucharist, your life will be transformed and raised to a more
God-like level every time you receive it worthily. (Isn’t that a great reason
to go to daily Mass?!)
The sacrament of Marriage gives you the power and energy of
God you need to truly love your spouse (to put the needs of your spouse
before your own needs). When you see so many Catholic marriages falling apart,
that’s because one or both spouses are not keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit
kindled in their Marriage.
Maybe someone stopped going to Mass every Sunday and on Holy
Days of Obligation. Maybe someone stopped going to Reconciliation (Confession)
even though they really need it. And maybe someone just “fell away” from the
Catholic Church because they were never properly educated (catechized) about
the immense beauty, wonder and power available within the Catholic Church. If
that sounds like you, well it’s time to come back! Visit CatholicsComeHome.org
to learn more!
Building a civilization of love is also about helping poor
people get the basic things they need to survive and even thrive. It’s about
reaching out to people who are disabled or who are sick and need your help to
get along in life. And most importantly, it’s about protecting the lives of the
unborn and the lives of elderly people who are in jeopardy of being killed because
their rights aren't recognized by the government’s laws.
When you actively participate in the Catholic Church and actively
embrace the official teachings of the Catholic Church, you are playing a huge
role in building a civilization of love. If you consciously reject any part of
the official teachings of the Catholic Church you’re at big disadvantage in
your ability to grow as a Catholic Christian. Your growth is stunted. You’re
like a physicist who studies subatomic particles but doesn’t agree with
Einstein’s famous equation E = MC2 because it doesn’t “make sense” to you.
If some official teachings of the Catholic Church don’t “make
sense” to you, it’s because you haven’t fully explored them. Really.
For example, if you don’t understand E = MC2, you should try
to understand it because that “learning process” will help educate you – help
catechize you – about how and why the truth about reality isn’t always so obvious or so easily understood.
You can watch a movie called Einstein’s Big Idea or read an easy-to-understand book called E=MC2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation – and then start to think about the Catechism of the Catholic Church as the spiritual equivalent to E = MC2 (that is, if you find it difficult to agree with the official teachings of the Catholic Church).
If E = MC2 is too mundane for you, then just apply the same
process to String Theory while reading a great little book called The Elegant Universe.
No comments:
Post a Comment