Prologue: Contraception, Overpopulation, and the Aftermath

Prologue: Contraception, Overpopulation, and the Aftermath

            There is a multitude of people with the modernist “tolerant” agenda who believe that freedom, especially concerning the female body, is derived by the ability to choose over any and all aspects of their lives. This is more so true when the topic of contraception and abortion arise. The problem with such views is that they are blinded to the blatant affect these decisions have on the environment, the people, and the following generations that surround them.

            It is said that the choice of the male or female regarding whether or not they want to conceive, or when they conceive whether or not to keep the human fetus is the sole concern of the individual(s) because it does not affect anyone else, thus it is no one else’s business but theirs.

            Over the next couple of installations, we will be tackling the points made by the majority of “freedom fighters”. We will be hitting points on the futility of the liberal and conservative labels, the points and counterpoints of contraceptives (especially in the lives of Christians), the argument of overpopulation, and the aftermath of all these decisions, including abortion.

Engaging in Joy

Engaging in Joy

            The Mass has started, the hymns are being recited, and the liturgical automatic response is all but engaged. The lay are half aware of which portion of the liturgy they are reacting to. In their, mostly inconvenienced tone, they mumble through the creeds and confessions and proclamations. The monotone, unemotional communion of lay people and clergy –yes, even clergy- seem to be strictly paying their weekly dues.

            Understand that if you are Christian then you are striving to be able to sing to God 24/7, to praise Him day in and day out, and that mass, in its purest form, will be for eternity.

            Joy can be perceived as knowing that you are saved by the blood, that you are adopted by the Father, and that, regardless of your faults and mistakes, He loves you. Despite your failures and weaknesses He forgives you, and He will never forsake you. Joy can be perceived this way because of the freedom that you are granted by knowing that, no matter the peak you ascend to or the valley you struggle through, God –not only- knows your heart, knows your needs, but has gone before you to defeat your battles and deliver you. Then and only then can we understand that the true measure of our deliverance is based solely on our submission and obedience to the Father.

            It begins with shouting Alleluia in church. It starts when we accept it into our lives as a fundamental truth and break the monotone rhetoric. It reveals itself when we take hold of our faith and apply it. We see it only after we know the creeds and proclamations and confessions by heart. We discover it after we learn why we proclaim and confess all that we do. It manifests itself when we take it home, to work, and continue it through our day to day lives. Solely focusing our lives around the Eucharist allows us to accept His gift of joy as a part of ourselves no matter the situation we find ourselves in, where we journeyed from, or where we may head.

            Shout for joy and proclaim the one true faith.

Standing in Awe

Standing in Awe

            With the “global village effect” of the 21^st century, with the ever growing grasp that Hollywood has on our senses, and with the media exposing all of the world’s devastation in full view it is hard to find a genuine response of awe or sincere shock in any given individual. With each passing generation it seems that it is increasingly more difficult to stir an earth shattering response in the general onlooker.

            After the World Trade Center fell, those who would move along the bustling streets of New York City and find themselves at Ground Zero would fall silent. The awestruck reverence was natural and even, in many cases, involuntary.

            That is the tone, in which, we need to take, the state we need to reside in as we draw closer to an intimate relationship with God. When we draw near to Him, to His house, or approach His presence in the Eucharist we should find a naturally involuntary response of a silent and humble reverence.

            It is our purpose to draw near to Him. It should be our intention to find comfort in and thirst for His presence. However, it is equally imperative that we maintain a level of respect and awe for where we are and who we are with.

The Mass

The Mass

            The attitude of most American lay people within the Church is exceptionally dismal. In a shocking display, people stroll in Sunday after Sunday with a clear disposition that they have put themselves above the needs, wants, and instruction of their supposed Lord and Savior.

            That is not to say that the people themselves are particularly or intentionally evil. It IS to say that by not committing or truly participating in the mass or the instructions of the Church they are choosing to set their preferences and comforts above the needs and wants of their Creator. Knowing that God only wants the best for all of His children, that He brings good out of all situations, and that He has taken every measure, offered every tool by which we are able to succeed in righteousness and faith, it is dumbfounding that many American participants still choose to ignore the true nature of the mass.

            The mass is there for God’s people to offer their praise, thanksgiving, and worship to Him. It is focused around the Eucharist, being the marriage of the Church (the Bride) and our Savior (Jesus Christ) in communion with God the father and the Holy Spirit. By fully engaging the mass we are truly reverent and thankful of the many blessings and redeeming sacrifices which Jesus continually offers for our sake.

There are several questions that we Catholics need to ask ourselves as we enter into the mass;
            Are we truly singing the praises unto our Father? Are we repentant for the sins we have committed which separate us from the Creator? Are we sincerely thankful for the many blessings He has given us, both known and unknown? If not, what are some events or situations from our past that we are glad to be rid of, and how can we turn those thoughts into thanks? When we are saying the liturgy (like the Confession of Faith or Holy, Holy, Holy) are we reciting it or are we exclaiming it? When we hear “Alleluia” are we responding in monotone or are we shouting it with joy? When we take the Eucharist, are we truly reverent and joyful? Or are we placing our comforts, our preferences, and our intentions of how it all should be, as well as, what we should be expected to do above that which God has called us to?

            Before we walk through those doors for mass, before we decide NOT to try to attend daily mass, before we decide that the Eucharist Adoration is something that CAN be put off or delegated to others, and before we DARE take Jesus for ourselves we must, must, MUST examine ourselves. Are we truly striving to meet the calling that God our father has for us?

The Eucharist

The Eucharist

  Imagine, if you will, that you are walking into a castle as a humble guest. You have no real right to be there. You did nothing deserving of the invitation. Yet, you find yourself walking down the aisle of the majestic throne room to see the king face to face. Not only this, but very soon a lowly hand servant to the king will be taking a piece from his majesty himself and bestowing it to you.
Sounds a bit peculiar. It even sounds a tad bizarre. No matter how strange this sounds, it is what Catholics believe happen every time the Eucharist is offered. No one there, whether they are lay or clergy, deserve what is being bestowed upon them, not really. The sheer magnitude of the continual sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption that is offered each and every time the Eucharist is given is baffling. 
Yet, what is even more vexing and befuddling, is the attitude and lack of reverence in which the clergy and lay people par take in this blessed and holy ceremony. Clearly, even with an understanding of the concept of the Eucharist, the people who go to mass, accept the Eucharist, and go about their daily lives seem to ignore the acknowledgement of the true presence of their Creator. 
Let us imagine still, that we are at mass one Sunday morning. A procession emerges midway through the service. In walks a foreign dignitary. Let us say that he is a king of a sovereign nation in Europe. Think of the amount of respect that each person would give those officials, without having any personal ties to them. Consider the reverence the people would show the man due to his office. Imagine what YOU would say to such a man if you were to be able to meet him face to face during service.
Considering all of this, the clergy and the lay people during each mass continue to choose personal preference and exception abuse to the true reverence of the very REAL presence of the Creator of heaven and earth. 
The preferred method consists of the person bowing upon approach, kneeling, and the priest offering the Host. The person then replies, “Amen”, accepts the Host on their tongue, and motions the sign of the cross as they rise to move toward their seat where they will kneel in prayer and give thanks until the Host is completely removed from the altar. 
There remains no excuse, save for the truly physically disabled, for any person to elevate themselves, their preferences, and their comfort level above the desired response that God has called them to give. 
In tandem with the actual desired response of the recipients, those who are about to receive Jesus should be enlightened, alleviated, and ecstatic. The joy of this precious gift, the gift of not only being in the true presence of Jesus but also of accepting His continual sacrifice, should emanate from their faces. 
It is the purpose of our existence to draw closer to God, to strive to know Him, and love Him with all of our being. Everything to do with mass is focused around the Eucharist, the actual presence of Jesus who is continually sacrificing Himself for our sake. 
The next time you are about to receive the Eucharist, examine yourself. Call to mind your demeanor, your state of reverence, and what it is that you are TRULY engaging in.