Receive the Sacraments often

 

 The Luke 11:9 series: Receive the sacraments, often

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Two of the most common excuses for disbelief in the Church are

• I am a good person or I'm spiritual, so I don't need to go to Church or believe in religion.
• The Church is full of hypocrites, why should I go to Church?

       Let's examine each one through the lens of the Sacraments.

       Catholic Faith teaches us that God created everything. All humans are created equal in the image of God and endowed with free will and differing talents.  There is also a randomness in life where we make choices that impact not only ourselves but others, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. 

Act 1 Scene 1: Life is untidy - we all need TLC

       So yes, we all try to live with the best of intentions until our ego convinces us to act with selfish rather than altruistic motives. No surprise then that humans are capable of great magnanimity and horrendous evils, with our brain providing justifications for our actions. 

       We all can see the flaws in the other person while being largely oblivious to our own shortcomings. Christ has this to say about being too quick to judge others; "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First, remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." [Matthew 7.1-5]

       To our propensity to fall off the straight and narrow, add the devilish plans of Satan to despoil God's wonderful creation by leading people into sin. And now you can see how the odds are stacked if you try to go it alone - the sheer wear and tear of peccadillos and foibles leaves the soul beaten and scarred. 

       Let me use the analogy of a car - we know that a well-maintained car will perform better and retain its function given the constant wear and tear. We can do so much by ourselves: fill in gas, wash the car and even change the oil. But there is something that authorised dealers and qualified mechanics can do, that we cannot. 

       It does you and your car no good, to avoid periodic maintenance. You can have the best mechanic in the world and the best of intentions, but unless you take the car to the mechanic and let him do his thing, you will not reap the benefits.

       Same case with human souls. Being spiritual is a good thing as it shows that you understand there is more to life than the materialistic world, but it also needs nourishment. The Church is a sanctuary to refresh your soul by receiving sacraments fervently and often. 

 

Act 1 Scene 2: Aren't they scandals in the Church?

       Yes, sadly there are and unfortunately, they have been and as long as humans are prone to sin, there will be. This is the direct result of the devilish plans of Satan to despoil God's wonderful creation by leading people into sin.

       The Church, as well as all institutions of Governance, Education, Health and Entertainment, are staffed by humans. All have one thing in common: none of these organisations is perfect but it does not mean we should get rid of them. 

       Think about it for a moment, if you are sick, you don't hesitate to go to the Hospital, knowing fully well that many people who go to the Hospital, die, right? 

       You also send your children to schools and colleges, sometimes at great cost, knowing fully well that just getting a degree does not make them knowledable, intelligent or prepare them to live in this world let alone make them successful in life. You get my drift.

       So rather than dismiss the Church as a whole institution because of the problems, understand that it was founded by Christ whose teachings are carried to this day by a lot of very dedicated professional people who can help you on your path to salvation.

       The Church was founded by Jesus, who said to the Apostle Simon Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood, has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." [Matthew 16:17-18]

Act 2 Scene 1: Receive the Sacraments often to be in communion with God

Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

       There is no purer way to be in total communion with Our Lord Jesus than to receive the Holy Eucharistic reverently when in a state of grace.

       Just like our physical bodies constantly need nourishment in the form of food and water, so also our souls need nourishment in the form of the Holy Eucharist, which contains the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

       The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life - the closest we can invite Christ into our lives. The term “Eucharist” originates from the Greek word 'eucharistia', meaning thanksgiving. 

       The Institution of the Eucharist is written down in the four Gospels: Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:14-20 and John 6:22-59

       Our Lord Jesus, on the night before he suffered on the cross, shared one last meal with his disciples. During this meal, our Savior instituted the sacrament of his Body and Blood. 

       He did this to perpetuate the reliving of his ultimate sacrifice on the Cross throughout the ages and to entrust a memorial of his death and resurrection to the Church. 

       In the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the powers invested in the priest. The whole Christ is truly present -- body, blood, soul, and divinity -- under the appearances of bread and wine, the glorified Christ who rose from the dead. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation

       One of the unsung treasures of the Catholic Faith is the Sacrament of Reconciliation where the sins of a repentant person confessed to a priest are forgiven by the power of Jesus Christ, who after his death and resurrection told this to his Apostles, ""Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." [John 20:21-23]

       Sin is the result of the disobedience of God’s laws resulting in pride of power, possession and titles with the allure of fleeting glamour and intoxication that fails to satisfy. Also the wanton exploitation and destruction of creation out of selfishness and greed, which darkens the mind, weakens our will and corrupts the soul. All this separates us from God.

       Should you fall into sin, remember that our Lord and Redeemer is ready to embrace a repentant sinner - that's when the powerful Sacrament of Reconciliation, frees us from sinful patterns of behavior and calls us to complete our conversion to Christ. Reconciliation heals our sins and repairs our relationships. Contrition and conversion lead us to ask forgiveness for our sins and to repair damaged relationships with God, self, and others. 

      St Padre Pio once said: “Confession is the soul’s bath. You must go at least once a week. I do not want souls to stay away from confession for more than a week. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week, and you will see that it needs dusting again!”

Footnote

This series of posts, which I call, 'The Luke 11:9 Series', is an attempt to verbalise various aspects of my Catholic faith as revealed in Scripture; topics include Destination Heaven; Golden ticket; God's Grace; Seeds of Love; Mary, did you know?; Feel the love of God; Love your neighbour as yourself, The Good Shepherd; Receive the Sacraments often; Eucharistic Adoration; Communion of Saints; How to pray; Role-playing Scripture; Mary, Help of Christians; Understanding suffering; Forgiveness; Gratitude, the life-changing attitude; Life after death; One Body of Christ; and Hearts ablaze. I sincerely hope it helps you in your faith journey. Always turn to the Holy Spirit when you search for answers to your questions, because Luke 11:9 says, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."