St. Michael and the Scales

There is no excel spreadsheet in heaven of all the prayers or good works that you must do to be granted access to heaven.  We can do no action that benefits God in any way, because He is God, He is eternal, already complete and if we could do an action that benefited Him, then in some way He would be found to be lacking in something.  This is why the gift of the sacrifice of God's son, Jesus is completely, free and unmerited, because if all the human beings that have ever lived prayed constantly from their conception to their death could still not open the gates of Heaven and save us from the eternal suffering of hell they way that the blood of Jesus did.  

Yet, God gives us an 'action' plan of salvation.  We are not to just stay in our Churches and 'check the box' of Sunday Mass or Church service and think we are 'done' with God stuff for that week.  Have we basically gone up to God after a week of living the way WE choose and not the way GOD chooses and saying, "So God, are we good?"  These are the lukewarm most in danger of eternal fire because they seek only something for themselves and nothing for their brother or sister. 

This action that God seeks of us is an action of love for another that is completely hidden, between you and God alone.  If you are seeking notoriety, or to tell someone of the good works you do, then your audience is your God, not Jesus.  In being hidden we communicate more effectively  with God and He begins our path of purification.  But what action are we to do if we can do nothing for God?  What did God himself do?  He went forth from the Temple (Church), and preached the word of salvation, healing the sick, not only for their healing and wholeness but to show the truth of God.  But you would say that He was not hidden at these times, and you would be correct.  However, there were far more times that Jesus was hidden and spoke the truth of God and healed the sick that are not written in scripture.   Jesus wasn't doing anything for God, He is God,  Jesus was showing the truth of God and how we are supposed to respond to His word by His love and action for another.   

This is what Jesus is telling us...YOU ARE FOR THE OTHER, serve, pray, teach, heal, raise the dead.   Yes...MIRACLES are possible, but you must be COMPLETELY FOR THE OTHER, seeking NOTHING for yourself but the salvation of the soul that God has put in your path. 

There is a Jesus that you don't know, that can only be revealed through praying and studying the path of the Passion.  Jesus felt the sins of those around Him, and this sin was painful.  Jesus was fully God and His heart suffered feeling the sins of those around Him.   He then offered this pain back to the Father for them.  This was before the Passion.  Jesus was hurting for those in sin long before the Passion, but it is not recorded in scripture.   This is the hidden POURING OUT OF SELF FOR YOUR BRETHREN that Jesus is calling each of us to do.  

It is in this pouring out of self for another in a hidden way that is between you and God alone that our hearts begin the path of purification.  God shapes our hearts to be like either His Son's Sacred Heart, or the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Mother's especially are put on the path of purification toward the Immaculate Heart.  

It is not what we do that merits us heaven, for what we do shall not be weighed on the scales of infinite justice, but WHAT WE DO WITH THE INTENTION IN OUR HEART AT THE TIME OF OUR ACTION, WORD OR THOUGHT. 

The mystery of being hidden, is that right now, you have a hidden heart that only you know.  If you think that God does not see, or know what is deep in your heart, think again.  What is hidden on Earth will be revealed for all to see in Eternity.  

Right now, your hidden heart is either striving for heaven, or striving for hell, you can't straddle the fence with God.    So even if you donate to charity, or volunteer at a homeless shelter, but are in an adulterous relationship, God knows it all.  Don't' think that you can commit adultery and then do 'something for God' to make up for it like charity.  You are still on the road to hell.   God remembers everything we do, say and our intention for our actions FOR ALL ETERNITY.. REPENT while there is still time and return back to God, completely, with thought, word, action...and in the secret of our hearts. 

When you die and face the Judgement, it is your actions, WITH YOUR HEART that will be weighed against the Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Will your heart be weighed against this eternal and perfect pouring out of the holy blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and found to be lacking?  Does the devil have his finger on your side of the scale, pulling you to him?

This is also why those that lay their life down for another, the martyrs who offer their life for the reason of love alone go straight to heaven and do not suffer Purgatory because their offering of their very lives for love alone mirrors Christ's offering on the cross.

Time is short...turn your heart fully to God while there is time. 

Catholics and Protestants

There is no room in the new economy of God for Arrogant Catholics.

We are arrogant about our faith with Protestants, and even arrogant among our selves as we have the Latin Mass click who thinks there's is the only Holy Mass.  Somehow their Mass is 'better' than any other.  

Catholics who are arrogant have no clue what it means to truly be a Catholic.  

The demon LOVES to see these squabbles!    

The Catholic is for the OTHER, not for themselves, that mean's everyone.  There is no Holy Mass greater than another, for it is the same Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and the same Jesus offered to God.    Is the Latin Mass beautiful, yes.  Is it awesome to kneel and receive Holy Communion, yes, but these are gifts, we have no "rights" to them. 

I had a friend of mine see that I wear a chapel veil to Holy Mass, (New Mass, not in Latin), and she said, "Oh, I wear one of those when I go to Latin Mass."   I truly wondered if she knew why a woman wore a chapel veil.  A woman in this life has been given so many graces by God, sometimes a chapel veil is needed to place over the head in submission and say to God, "I submit to you my God and my King."  The chapel veil is not a uniform, it is an act of love and submission before God, no matter if the Holy Mass is in Latin or in the vernacular. 

The Holy Mass, Latin or New, is an opportunity for the Catholic to plead before the throne of God for the salvation of our brethren.   Also, this is a unique opportunity to even take Holy Communion for those who are not in attendance.  

If our hearts truly love, than we know what wonderful gift we have in the Holy Eucharist, and want to share it with others.  But how do we share this with our Protestant brethren?  

The answer is Mary.  Like the Virgin Mary, the graces that a Catholic has are to pass through them to those who would never receive such graces in this life.  

If we receive the Holy Eucharist, the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ at Mass, then the piece of the Sacred Heart we have received longs to not only purify us but to be poured out through us for others.  

I have been to many Churches of my Protestant brethren,  and at all of them I felt unwelcome, or somehow 'dirty' for being Catholic.  Some of this is obvious demeaning statements, sometimes it is a look or other subtle means of communication.   In all of these Churches the message was obvious, that I needed conversion from my faith to theirs and quick.  I kept silent and endured this, but I came to realize that in very few Protestant Churches is the overt Catholic (I wear a Rosary and a Miraculous Medal) going to be welcomed.  

We should go anyway.  

A Catholic, confessed, having gone to Holy Mass and taken Holy Communion for the Protestants they are visiting are then called to take the Jesus they received to the midst of their Protestant brethren.  Not in competition, but in love and service.   

We are Catholic, we are responsible for our brothers, and we are called to go get them.  Not even overtly, but sometimes silently.  Sometimes wearing the Rosary and Miraculous Medal is all I needed to do to be the witness that He wanted me to be.  

Now is the time for them to come home.  

St. Stephen and the Holy Mass

A man that takes the role of a Deacon is showing by his submission, sacrifice and love to extol all the gifts that are given to him by God.    Donning vestments, whether Priest or Deacon is the ultimate witness of manliness. 

It is no coincidence that the first Christian Martyr was a Deacon.  By God’s grace, through a Deacon, God let open the heavens to let St. Stephen see the rewards of all those who die for the faith.  The grace of martyrdom is a joy of the will of God being fulfilled, for if we love God, we love Him and those He loves to our last breath and our last drop of blood. 

Those that are chosen for this gift are very few, and it is only by the love in their heart for others that they are chosen.  The martyr is prepared for death by the knowledge that their blood feeds the Church, and by the shedding of their blood, within God's will, they are given the greatest gift while still in the flesh; the assurance of heaven.

Is there any suffering that we cannot endure if we know we shall have heaven for all eternity?  St. Stephen saw what he most desired, and it’s fulfillment is so great that anything he would suffer caused him no ill will to those who were killing him, and by asking mercy he was praying that they should be in the same heaven as he was about to attain.   He lived a life poured out for others with no thought for himself.

St. Stephen is the first witness of what happens at each and every Holy Mass.  At each Holy Mass, the heavens open and we have access to the throne of God, just what St. Stephen's saw.  He, saw Jesus in the face, we see Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.  During Mass we can plead before God's throne for mercy for ourselves and for our brethren, whether they can see what we see or not.  St Stephen saw the heavens open and saw the judgement seat of God and pleaded for those killing him.  We have access to the judgement seat of God when the Body and Blood of Jesus is offered to the Father, and we too should plead for those around us.    

St. Stephen saw the wounds of our Lord in his hands as he looked into heaven, and was given fortification to accept the will of the Father.  In the wounds of Christ are the perfection desired of every martyr of the Catholic Church, for in them is the perfect will of God.  

Deacon Jeff Powell, and Father Eric Johnson, OLPH

The Holy Mass is truly heaven on Earth!  How I wish people understood what this truly is.   What would you give to attain heaven?  What would you lay down to see God in the face?  The Catholic has the gift of heaven at every Holy Mass.  For at each Mass the angels and the Saints are in attendance, happy that such a grace is given to us.    But we with our dim eyes do not see what is really happening.  If we truly understood how the heavens open and how the throne of God is available to us at each and every Holy Mass, we would be willing to give up everything we have to go to just one.  

What joy is to go to Holy Mass, the prelude of heaven!

And if you love others, knowing the heavens are open to you as they are at each Holy Mass, what would you plead before the throne of God for those around you?  If you love as the Sacred Heart loves, there is no part of your heart that you will deny God to lay on the altar for someone else. 

Only the Priest can give us Jesus, but it was a Deacon who gave us the first glimpse of what truly happens in the Mass.    

St. Stephen pray for us!

===========

The Mark

Every Catholic Priest that walks the Earth had a mark placed on him at his conception for the Priesthood.   This is a gift by God as a reflection for what God did for Mary in her womb, because every Priest is her son.  The Priest is not immaculate, but only marked as one chosen for the Priesthood.  This is not a guarantee that he will become a Priest, it is up to God whether or not he is called later.

I am sure that there are a few Priests walking the earth that were not called, although they are very few.  But the Priest, whether called or not will always carry this mark as being chosen to the Priesthood from conception.

Some of us are chosen to be the protector, parent and instructor of such children, and what you see is amazing.  How can you tell them what you know?  They don't understand why people, complete strangers want to engage him, talk to him, get to know him.  But I know.  Eternity truly is in our hearts, and somewhere deep inside, these people know that the young man they want so much to speak can provide them a path to heaven.  They don't understand how, but somewhere deep inside, they know.

I have also seen the look of hatred on a face looking at my son.  I knew what this was too.  There is a look of evil on the face of one that is either pure evil or possessed by the same that can not be duplicated in human form.  They hate him for what damage he could potentially do to them, but they are not allowed to touch him.

As always, I am curious.  "God why did you let me see that?"  Knowledge is always given for a reason.  I was made aware of the real danger that we both face, and by God's grace are protected from.  

This is not the first time I had encountered this either.  I met with a young sweet faced Deacon who was soon to be a Priest in the church at OLPH.  (Now Father Doug Marcotte at Sacred Heart, Jeffersonville, IN) I gave him a copy of the vision of the Eucharist, I'll never forget the smile on his face!  He talked about his journey to the Priesthood and how much he had to study, etc.  I told him, "Oh don't worry, you will be a Priest, it is imprinted on your soul."  (My Mother always said I told everything I knew...so what I know I will say.)

I also encountered another young man about my son's age, that has this gift from God.  I also gave him a copy of the picture of the Eucharist saying, "You know only a Priest can do that!"  (Hint, Hint!) But the most memorable was being with my son and for just a moment feeling the power of God come from his hands.  

Will my son be a Priest? I don't know, whatever path he takes is between him and God.   I love him no matter what he becomes.  Whether he is called or not, I am thankful to be be his Mother and pray that I teach and guide him well.  

The Devil's Heartbeat

One day a new demon was asking questions of his demonic mentor, the elder demon assigned to show him the ropes so to speak. 

"Why does the illustrious evil one hate humans so?" asked the new demon.

"You don't know?"  

"No, I don't.  It doesn't make much sense to keep offending the Almighty, we are already condemned for all eternity, and we know that the Almighty, no matter what our sentence, can and will increase our suffering in proportion to the damage we try to inflict on those He loves..the humans I mean."

"Yes, I know what you mean." The elder demon looked uncomfortable at the turn of the conversation, but knew if he wanted the junior demon to survive the illustrious evil one's wrath, he had better tell him.  "The reason the supreme evil one hates humanity so is because of what beats in their chest, their heartbeats. "

"What? I don't understand."

"Well you see, God is eternal, He always was, and always will be.  And before the *Blessed Trinity *", he said with a curse under his breath, for no demon can deny the reality of God,  "...took on the flesh as the Lamb, God conceived in His heart, the heartbeat of Man and the heartbeat of His Son.   So before man's flesh was formed the heartbeat of man began to beat, but only in God's heart. " 

"We the angels before the throne of God where allowed to hear the future heartbeat of man that God loves so much, for it wasn't of flesh, for man was not yet made, but of love alone that the heart beat.  So throughout heaven the heartbeat of man, formed from the love of God alone beat in heaven.   It made a very distinctive sound, you can hear it now."

"So that is what that is?" Thats the 'thump thump' I hear constantly in the background?" 

"Grrrr.....YES!  That is the heart of man beating on the Earth!  The heart of the fleshy one's that the Eternal One loves so much that He, can you imagine, HE, the Holy One, the One that formed every star in heaven, even HE lowered Himself and took on this atrocious flesh and heartbeat."

"But why would this bother the illustrious evil one?  The fleshy one's will die and many will come to our kingdom." 

"You don't get it do you.  WE DON'T HAVE HEARTBEATS!!  Because we were once before the throne of God and had all knowledge of what God Is and His Holiness, we, who are eternal, are eternally damned.  WE CAN NEVER REPENT TO THE ETERNAL ONE AND GO BACK...not ever.  Every time the illustrious evil one hears one of those heartbeats he is constantly reminded of what he can NEVER have, but what the fleshy ones always can, while they are in the flesh that is.  They can repent and return to the Holy One, but every one of their heartbeats is like being thrown out of heaven all over again.  

"Oh I think I am beginning to see.  This makes sense now, so the illustrious evil one will do anything to stop that heartbeat on the earth, and ideally, make it stop when the soul is in such sin that he or she will come directly to our kingdom, correct?"  

"Yes."

"Um....hmm.  So that is why the illustrious evil one tries to tell people how good it is to commit suicide?"  

"Yes, but there is more too it than just wanting the heartbeat to stop."

"Well, you see, if the illustrious evil one can get those that are terminally ill to commit suicide, take the 'easy' way out, then they will totally miss the purification of suffering and by breaking the Holy Ones' commandment that says, 'Thou shalt not kill.' , it is very likely that he or she will end up with us.  Not 100% guaranteed, but the odds are in our favor so to speak.  

"Why isn't it 100%?  The Holy One is perfectly just right? Why wouldn't we get them." 

Frustrated, the senior demon snorted, "It is the warriors that the Holy One has sent upon the earth."  

"Warrior angels?"

"No, the prayer warriors that intercede and plead before the throne of God for those with the blackest of hearts, the ones that should be ours, but these Warriors snatch them from us constantly.  If these warriors love God and love those that God loves then their heart beats for God and for the conversion of sinners, these souls the Holy One protects, we have very little we are allowed to do to them, and even if we are allowed, it just usually makes them more in line with the Holy One, and gets them closer to heaven.....We lose either way."

"This is part of our eternal punishment, to constantly hear and be reminded of what we lost for all time by forever hearing the heartbeat of man.  It will never cease, for even when all is completed as the Holy One deems, we will still the heartbeat of the Son, for all eternity."

The realization was beginning to sink in.  All the demons and the damned in Hell will always hear the beating of the Sacred Heart, and know it cannot and never will beat for them.  Truly the loss of the love of God was and is the greatest suffering in Hell.

=================================