FORETHOUGHT #1: Holiness, not Self-righteousness!

FORETHOUGHT: What can Apologetics do if you are not really disposed?

You see me lately as a critic of something which, I think, is more of self-righteousness rather than fraternal correction. It's very nice to see a few good people defend what they believe in, especially now that the world needs them to defend God's majesty over the reigns of secularization.

But hey! You may have the knowledge, you may know every single word or punctuation mark of every verse in the Bible or Sacred Tradition which sheds the truth behind what we do, BUT DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND IT BY LIVING A HOLY AND FAITHFUL LIFE? 

Let's face it. We can say that we are eloquent in giving out rants or criticisms, we can even be proud that we defended the faith which led to a conversion of a blinded sheep. But are we able to see ourselves fully in what we do - not just by words but more importantly by action?

The Saints are truly a manifestation of this. While they defended the faith against the many heresies of their time, they were still humble and kept a low stature, knowing that they are nothing but God's instruments of love and truth. They do not take pride, nor do they show lots and lots of achievements just to say they are "HOLY."

Rather, they stayed as they are, simple and true to their commitment of bringing Jesus to those who do not know him. Their example is easy to read, but hard to do. 

While everyone just keeps on zealously crashing the dignity of others because of their errors, we pray that we would still stand as one Church undivided, pure yet poor in spirit, that the Kingdom of God may be ours, like the Saints.

JEM@Blogger Specials: In Honor of All the Saints...

(We would not have a LIT-tie Monday Post for this week, to give way to this special post in celebration of the Solemnity of All the Saints. In Honor of all the Saints, whose solemnity we celebrate today, we altogether pray this prayer of invocation and intercession. Like them, we are called to be Holy. Dare to be One. As I said in Facebook, Saints have a past, sinners have a future. DARE TO BE HOLY!)

Today, dear friends in heaven,
we celebrate your feast.
We celebrate again the feasts of all the saints we know,
and whom we honor day by day through the year.
But we also honor today all the saints in heaven
whom we do not know.
We can not help thinking,
on this day,
that no one of us lacks a model to follow in one of you.
We look around us at the familiar persons and things
and activities that fill our every day lives,
and we find that they are little different from the persons,
things, and activities that filled your lives.
We have the same human nature,
wounded by the sin of Adam and Eve,
but strengthened marvelously by grace,
and fed and sanctified by the sacraments and prayer.
We have exactly the same sacraments that you had,
we have the same Christ,
the same Blessed Mother,
the same trials,
sickness, pain, temptation,
the same joys, pleasures,
and happiness that crowded your lives.
Then it must be true that,
with the same means,
we should be able to work out our lives
in the same holiness and sanctity as yours, dear saints.
Help us to do this.
Help us to see the opportunities for holiness
that fill our everyday lives.
Obtain for us, by your prayers,
the deep understanding and appreciation
of spiritual things that were yours.
Help us to see, too,
in the beauty of the world in which we live,
some slight mirroring of the eternal beauty
which you now see,
as you gaze on God.
But let us not be deceived into thinking that this earthly beauty,
this worldly pleasure,
is an end in itself.
Let us use it wisely and moderately,
our hearts always yearning to come at last
to the final beauty and joy,
the possession of God Himself,
with you, in heaven.

Amen.

Saints of God, Pray for us!

”The more a person loves God, the more reason he has to hope in Him. This hope produces in the Saints an unutterable peace, which they preserve even in adversity, because as they love God, and know how beautiful He is to those who love Him, they place all their confidence and find all their repose in Him alone.”
--Saint Alphonsus Liguori