Pass It On

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Pass It On

“What would be the most valuable item that I could pass on to you,” inquired the father of his children. As they hesitated to answer, he encouraged them to make suggestions. “Would giving each of you a million dollars be the thing that you would find to be the most valuable,” he suggested as they still seemed hesitant to provide an answer to his question. Finally one of his children offered, “Yes, lots of money would be the best gift for us. It would ensure that we could live without financial worries.” The other children concurred with this suggestion. Sufficient money that would enable them to meet their financial needs during their lifetime seemed to be the most valued legacy. The father pondered their inputs and suggestions for a few moments and then replied, “Well, I do not have the amount of money to meet the financial needs of just one of you much less than all of you,” the father announced to their disappointment. They wondered why he had asked the question in the first place.

“Each person must ask the basic question, “What is one’s legacy?” and face the answer to that question in his or her own way,” the father ventured. “Your mother and I asked ourselves the same question when each of you was born. “What can we provide each child that will stand the test of time and would be the highest value as each of you grew and faced life on your own? If we had the money to insure your financial welfare, you could misuse the money or spend it on unimportant things or simply lose it,” he continued. “We finally came to the conclusion that there were two things that would be valuable for you through your entire life.” The children straightened up in their chairs, peering intently at their father hoping to hear the answer each wanted to hear. He responded by advising that money could be lost, stolen, or frittered away. So money was not the most valuable thing they could receive. The items which no one could take away from each one of them and would last forever were the items that should be passed on to the children.

The two most valuable and lasting items are:1. A strong set of values and  2. A quality education; together these two extremely valuable gifts would sustain their children for their entire lives. The set of values would be provided by their Catholic faith and the example of the parents. The Catholic faith is directed to two things: (1) the love of God, and (2) directing man to the help God provides us as we follow his instructions in our journey towards union with him in heaven. What can be more important than eternal happiness! On the secular level, a quality education would enable the children to challenge the world and recover when difficulties entered their lives. Oh yes, they could discard the set of values and the Catholic faith and they could waste their educations. But the set of values and the education could always be used when they were needed and accepted for their true value. Once money is wasted or lost, it is difficult, if not impossible, to regain it and even if  it is regained, it provides little lasting value.

As each of us contemplates that which we would like to pass on to others, such as family members, friends, and to the society at large, as Catholics should not we first concentrate on passing on the truths of the Catholic faith, the truths that guide us to eternal life with God –true happiness?  What is more valuable and lasting than the truths of God as provided by Jesus Christ and his church – the Catholic Faith? Secondly, a quality education provides the training that enables a person to think his or her way through each obstacle in life.

What do you want to pass on to your loved ones and to society??? Remember that which you emphasize is passed on? Make certain that you emphasize the truly important and valuable items. Nothing is more valuable than the love of God. Follow the direction of Jesus when he instructed his disciples to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Pass it on!

Sin and Forgiveness

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Sin and forgiveness

Oh how his knee hurt!!! Unable to walk without a pronounced limp, he felt the sharp pain as he lumbered to his favorite chair, moving even with the limp was painfully difficult. Since he was scheduled, in a few days, to consult with an orthopedic specialist, he barely took notice of the decline of his overall health, thinking that any general decline of his health was  related to the knee problem. There was no need to see another doctor. Oh how wrong he was! As his overall health began a rapid decline, he was finally persuaded by family members to allow himself to be taken to a hospital emergency room. That decision probably saved his life, as a deeper and more dangerous infection than the painful knee threatened his life. Death was close at hand and was only prevented from reaching its destiny by actions that resulted in a correct diagnosis and quick treatment for the life threatening disease. It was a close call for him. If one does not recognize the problem, then one will succumb to its consequence.

As human beings sin; it is very easy to disregard sins as only minor issues, or, no problem at all. Few people focus on the accumulated harm that sin does to one’s soul. All too few people fail to concentrate on the urgent need to find the remedy for sin, not willing to recognize the ultimate danger in which they are placing their souls. Fortunately there is a cure, a remedy, for sin and a relief from its fatal consequences. However, the cure is frequently ignored, in part because many do not acknowledge the problems or consequences of sin. People do not want to admit the danger that sin presents. In fact, many deny the existence of sin or deny that certain actions are sinful; often they do not want to face the very serious and often fatal danger of sin.

Similar to the sick man with the deadly infection, if the sinful person does not seek a remedy for his sin, then he could face a deadly consequence – in the case of sin, the most deadly consequence of all — hell and an eternal agony. Fortunately, God so loves mankind that He provides a remedy for sin – His forgiveness. Additionally, through His church he established the mechanism for the reception of forgiveness – the sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation). It is the choice of each individual to access the sacrament Penance or not….to be reconciled with God or not. The clergy should be screaming to all Catholics, “Seek reconciliation with God, Go to Confession regularly.” Then the clergy should make the sacrament readily available to all. The man with the injured knee sought relief from his pain and deteriorating health….just in time. Will Catholics acknowledge and seek remedy for their sins before it is too late? It is their choice. Choose well!

Catholics be cured of your spiritual illness before it is too late!!

St. Ambrose wisely noted,” It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled”

If you return to the Lord, then he will not hide his face from you. Psalm 43