Love of Self or Love of God

Many times we can disguise our motives from ourselves and others, but, never from God. We can at times think our motives holy when in fact they are self centred, and self focussed.

When in the company of others, does your conversation revolve around your Faith, or the welfare of others? Or is your entire dialogue about your gifts, your talents, or even your hurts, pain and anguish?

An outward looking person will think of others before themselves, they will endeavour to make all those they come in contact with feel loved and appreciated. By their solicitous attitude they will without realising it, be reflections of Christ to all they meet. This is because the majority of outward looking people, are humble and give all glory and honour to God, rather than proclaim themselves great.

The inward looking person is the exact reverse, but many will use subterfuge in order to side track those they come into contact with away from the Lord and onto themselves. Some may endeavour to proclaim God's glory with the intent of suggesting that others have not been as blessed as themselves. Others will console another, but, then go on at length about their own hurts and heartaches as if their suffering were greater than anyone else’s. Some may even recount the hardships of their childhood in order to once again become the centre of attention.

The difference between the outward and inward centred peoples is where they place their focus. The outward person draws attention to God and proclaims his Majesty, by their unselfish service towards others. They, by their faith filled lives, try to alleviate the sufferings of others by listening, and giving their full attention to the suffering person whilst remaining silent about their own. Whereas the inward person will draw attention to itself constantly either by hijacking the conversation or by insisting that everyone must agree with their ideas or they will be classified as 'bad Christians'. Many of these inward centred people will also insist that everyone must notice them or they will feel unloved and unwanted, this is attention seeking behaviour based solely on pride!

At all times the people that truly love God and wish to serve Him do so by serving the less fortunate in society. They also place the needs of their families over and above themselves, as they go about their daily tasks. But at the core of their lives is a deep and abiding prayer life, which helps them reflect the fruits of the spirit, which are, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Whereas in contrast the self centred person, will try and avoid their responsibilities, even to raising their children by making the television the central focus for their family rather than loving dialogue and spending quality time with their families. They may even prefer to spend little or no time with their children or spouses as they choose other alternatives such as the internet to fulfil the emptiness they feel within themselves. It is these unhappy people who spend little or no time in prayer, and when they do it is out of a sense of duty rather than love.

God does not seek rituals from us, but He does seek relationship, and the only way to grow in a relationship is through dialogue. This is why prayer is integral to a healthy spirituality, for it centres a person and strengthens them to avoid the pitfalls of pride and selfishness.

For Satan is forever prowling around looking for the ritualistic Christians who though they say 'Lord, Lord', then make grand statements proclaiming their greatness to all who will listen to them. But the one who listens intently to these impostors is Satan himself, for a proud heart makes a nice nest for Satan and his hordes of demons to make their homes.

This is why our Lord stressed over and over the need for all to pray with sincerity and humility, for we are all weak and we all full short of the glory of God. It is also why Our Blessed Mother provides another perfect example of living a prayerful life, without always knowing the reasons why things happen but in all conditions to lift up our hearts and give thanks to God above!

So when people meet us do they see the working fruits of the spirit, or the disabling fruits of spite and malice, which draws attention to self and NOT God! For it is the disabling fruits which allows Satan the foot hold he needs to cause destruction and desolation to so many.

The cure for all these harmful thoughts and feelings is prayer, for that is the key to the Heart of our Father, who then pours His Love into our hearts through the indwelling Spirit, for all good things proceed from the Triune Spirit.

What we reflect therefore is the Spirit we follow, whether it is unselfish love or self based pride, the knowledge is the fruits which can be seen by all.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

We Are Called To Be Overcomers

Even though we live in a world where temptation seems to accost us at every glance, still we must hold to the Truth that we have been made over comers by the death and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour.

We must not behave as if the war had been lost and we are at the mercy of the evil one, though Satan will tempt us on each step of our journey. In order to be over comers we must look with Confidence at our Lord, and unlike Peter we must not take our eyes away from our Lord and to place all Trust in God's Goodness.

And unlike Peter we must not rely on our own strength but to acknowledge that all the good we possess comes from a Loving God and not from within our own power. So in order to defeat the enemy which stalks us at every turn, we must keep a strong prayer life, and to be and remain obedient to what the Scriptures teach us and also the Traditions of our Church. We must also avail ourselves of the Sacraments most especially the Sacrament of Penance where what has been broken through sin, God can restore, for we all fall short of the Glory of God!

This is why Scripture warns us to beware of receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord in an unworthy manner, lest we eat and drink condemnation upon our souls. Scripture also warns us to examine our souls before receiving our Lord, and so the Church emphasises the importance of Confession and the gaining of Absolution before receiving the Eucharist!

These are very strong words, and to ignore them would be to imperil our own souls, in that to all sinners who met Jesus, upon healing them, his words were 'go and sin NO more'. Therefore to those who falsely believe that they may do as they wish and 'use' the Sacraments to cover their evil intent best re-think this faulty thinking lest it cost them their soul!

This is why Jesus many times teaches us to pray as He did, in order to gain the strength we need to resist the promptings and urgings of the evil one. To ignore prayer or think that we are strong in our own right is to give Satan the foothold he needs to corrupt willing souls away from the Love of God and into a love of evil!

Soon the souls who portray outward 'Christian lives' while leading inner lives of sin and corruption will soon find their consciences deadened to that still small voice of the indwelling Spirit. For the person who thinks they can 'get away' with sinful behaviour may fool their fellow man but they do not fool God!

It is this arrogance of thinking that Satan will inflame, so as to hinder any attempts made by God to once again return His beloved child from this destructive course of action. But God will not infringe upon our free will, for those who choose to do evil will suffer the consequences, if they do not repent of their sins with all sincerity!

There is no right to sin, but there is a right to eternal life, and the only thing that can stop us from spending our eternal life with our Lord is ourselves! For God has provided us with everything we need to live a Holy and unblemished life, and at times when we fail Him we have the Sacrament of Penance to once again restore us back to God, as His beloved children.

So how we live our lives on this earth, and the choices we make, will define where we will spend our eternity.

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Who is The Head of Your Home

There are many things in today's world which is not so much Heaven sent, as Satan sent, but, nothing that is invented is evil, in that a gun itself is not evil, but, it can be used for evil purposes. So it is with everything we buy or use, in and of itself it is not evil, but, if we use these tools unwisely it can become an evil and imperil our families.

The computer is a wonderful instrument to gain information and also to learn about our Faith. The Vatican itself maintains its own website, so use of the internet is not an evil, but, in the wrong hands it can lead to evil.

For in every marriage there are obstacles to overcome, where every couple can go through difficult periods, but, instead of working through these difficulties many spouses choose to access the internet. And it can be through this most vulnerable of times, that one spouse may feel inclined to either visit sleazy chat rooms, or involve themselves in pornographic sites, which will lead to a marriage breakdown as trust becomes an issue when one partner strays from the other.

Some can even try and excuse this infidelity by believing that the internet is just 'cyber space' and 'sin doesn’t count'. If this is so, then one can also say that the Bible is just a book. Such beliefs do not stand up to closer scrutiny!

We will be held accountable for every word we utter and every deed we do, including our behaviour whilst on the internet. So there is no excuse to offer God when we think our behaviour whilst using the internet does not matter, it most assuredly does!

It is also not helpful when as one spouse discusses another in an internet environment to then not disclose such a 'friendship' is a betrayal to ones partner. Every couple needs to understand that by discussing one's intimate relations with an 'internet friend' may adversely effect the Sanctity of their marriage Vows!

This is why it is best for both couples to use the internet for personal growth in their Faith and in their developing spirituality as they peruse faith filled sites in order to benefit and edify their marriage and to grow together as a couple. For the internet can be used as a healing tool, as couples learn together through various sites that communication is the key to a successful marriage and that PRAYER is integral in all they do.

There are many temptations in the cyber world and this does not mean one should never use the internet, but, it does mean that one should be very cautious when embarking on involvement in chat room forums, or other entertainments which may conflict with their Faith. For Satan can only tempt us, he cannot force us to do anything outside of our own will. This is why a grounded prayer life is essential as a couple.

For a couple must build their relationship not just between themselves, but, also as a Covenant with God. And by praying together as a family, one is strengthened to resist the temptations of the evil one, for Satan flee's from a soul in prayer.

Through every invention, be it the phone, the internet, the TV one must be cautious, as to how we are using it and why. Are we using these instruments to grow in our Faith, to share good news with neighbours and friends or is it being used for gossip, slander, infidelity? All of which will imperil the unwitting soul into the abyss of negating our finer senses so that one can no longer tell between good acts and evil acts.

In order for each of us to enjoy a wholesome marriage, God must be at the centre of the relationship, and prayer must be an integral part of the marriage. For it is through lack of a deep prayer life that unwholesome activities will tempt the person away from God and away from their beloved spouse.

In short whatever we use must be for a good purpose, and with prudence to always be aware of the inherent dangers that lay waiting for the easily corrupted and the easily led. For Satan is always tempting us, but God is also Powerful if we choose to listen to that still small voice and remove ourselves from instances of temptation immediately!

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Marriages under Threat

There is no doubt that society impacts us all, and most especially the family unit, this should make us wary of following the crowd simply to 'get along'.

Parents need to be leaders in the family and the parental roles should be respected as God defined husband and wife. The husband IS the head of the home as well as the provider, and the wife is the support and nurturer of the family unit. It is when these lines are blurred that confusion enters the picture and sadly the parents also allow the outside world to impact their home, to the detriment of their families’ wellbeing.

Once the husband's role has been negated within the family unit it opens up many problems for the entire family. And when the wife’s role is not given the validation that she needs, this may lead to both husband and wife trying to sabotage the other's role in a power play.

And it is this type of relationship that play's right into Satan's hands, for he loves nothing better than marital discord, which then effects the children and what was once a loving family environment quickly disintegrates into a dysfunctional family unit.

Often times it is the unknowingness of each partner's role that helps bring about this confusion, and it is also this that Satan will use to bring disruption and chaos into the roles of husband and wife.

The husband is the head of the home in that he provides for the livelihood of his family and it is the husband’s strength of character and also his protective instincts which compels him to provide the best for his family. It is also the wife’s role to help foster a nurturing and loving environment for the needs of her family. So in affect both the role of husband and wife should compliment one another and never devolve into competition!

We find the most perfect example of marriage when we look at the example left to us by both Joseph and Mary, this Holy couple truly leads the way in how we should comport ourselves when dealing with each other. It is also what God stipulated in that once Joseph and Mary were espoused, the Angels that were sent to warn of imminent danger, appeared to Joseph solely and not Mary. This is not disrespectful but it reinforces and validates, man being the Head of the Home!

Nowhere in Scripture does Mary ever contradict Joseph, even when having to flee into Egypt, Mary truly is our perfect example of a wife and mother. It would be wise for couples to study in depth the relationship shared between the Most Holy Marriage of Joseph and his beloved Mary.

It is when we compare the marriage between Joseph and Mary that we can see how far society has devalued the family unit and how integral it is to God's plan and God's Holy Order of the marital union. For God ordained marriage as a Sacrament which must not be taken lightly, but must be entered upon as in a Holy Covenant between the couple and God.

We can also see the terrible destruction in which Satan has imperilled the family unit, by using various and nefarious means, to subtly introduce pride as the main ingredient to destabilising the family as a whole. For when the roles that both husband and wife should incorporate into their daily lives is blurred, the 'ME first at all costs' raises its ugly head.

Satan also uses other tools as his weapon which he wields with force at those who are susceptible. There is the pornography industry, which in some area's is now accepted as an 'art form', there is also the TV which gives the message of promiscuity and the ever increasing need for more 'things', and is now becoming the new 'nanny' to many children from overworked mothers and fathers.

We are living in a consumer age, where the gaining of 'things' has become a necessity, where conversation has given way to text messages, and children almost need to make an appointment to talk to their parents. Yet where does God say we must grab the best in order to be the best? It is this very thought that is the undoing of the family unit, in that both parents are overworked, overstressed and unappreciated in their attempts to achieve the best for their families yet it is this very striving for the best 'things in life' that is their undoing.

Satan must be gleeful as many couples focus on the wrong things in order to bring happiness into their relationship, when the key to happiness lay not in acquiring yet more things but in a giving of themselves to each other.

Instead of sighing over the 'good ole days' it is time instead to start practicing the example shown by our parents and grandparents. And also by reading and being obedient to what Scripture and the Church teaches us, that marriage is a Sacrament and should not be entered into lightly but to be embraced in a loving Covenant between two couples as they begin their lives together.

But life is not always perfect especially for those who enter into the Sacrament of Marriage only to find themselves at the receiving end of abuse either physical or verbal from their spouse. In cases such as this, the Church after due process can annul a marriage, after all avenues to save the marriage have been exhausted.

This is why our Faith is essential for a wholesome marriage and a happy and fulfilling life spent in providing not only for the physical but also for the spiritual elements of our existence. For if our focus is spent entirely on the physical comforts of this world at the cost of the spiritual, then will the price be your contentment? Your happiness? Your equanimity? Is it worth gaining all the riches of this world at such a high price?

When one considers the divorce rate, should we also not be asking ourselves, when did we forget God? For in forgetting God, we then enter the slippery slope of negating our spouse's finer qualities, and instead pay inordinate attention to the defects of ones partner. This is what Satan plays on and it needs to be countered with by a loving and thriving relationship with God, which teaches us to respect each other and to validate each Spouse as they compliment each other with their different but much needed gifts.

In short a good marriage takes work, it doesn’t just 'happen' but in working through issues with God at the centre and our Faith as the cornerstone, then it truly becomes a Covenant enjoyed between both spouses and God. And Satan is once again left impotent at such a Holy alliance, for this entity can only tempt us he cannot infringe upon man's free will. The health of the marriage will depend upon the amount both husband and wife spends in prayer with their Heavenly Father.

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

The Battle for Souls Rages

We have been warned that the devil roams the earth like a roaring lion that never rests. Why then are so many Christians asleep to this threat which attacks from within and without?

Could it be that too many are counting on Jesus Merciful Love therefore they can make merry in the mean time? Yet they have no sorrow or remorse for their wrong doings, and instead spend eons of time making excuses for their bad behaviour, as if bad behaviour were not a Sin!

Some have a constant need to become the centre of attention and if this need is not met, then these very people will create a need by making 'scenes', in order to gain the sympathy of people regardless of their bad intent.

These are the people who live by 'ritual' while God is far from their hearts, as was the case with the Pharisees, though they make pretences of following God, yet their hearts are a black pool of hate! Yet Scripture reminds us that a Christian cannot say they love God but hate their brother/sister, for that makes them liars, and who is the father of all lies?

Has it reached a stage where Sin is no more, in that none wish to be seen as politically incorrect, so every kind of lifestyle is now acceptable and at times even encouraged as 'wise' or a 'lifestyle choice'? In that many of our youth are encouraged to live together without the benefit of marriage, and Christians also support this choice as viable?

We are not here to make friends nor influence people, we are here to speak the Truth, the Truth that many of our Saints died for, and that we so glibly toss aside as 'blasé'!

There are also the 'two hatted' Christians, those who say they love God, yet their own behaviour and language is often profane and slanderous. Do they think they fool God?

Some will also abuse the Sacraments in that they will behave badly, then say with no sincerity that they will go to Confession, as if that excuses them. There is no excuse for trying to 'use' a Sacrament and reduce that Sacrament as a tool to try and manipulate God, as if that could be done!

Many explain away sin as the fault of another, as they try to absolve themselves from any responsibility. Do they think God is blind?

For in the end, who are they putting first, a love of God or a love for themselves which far exceeds any love of God or any love for their neighbour? Have we reached a stage where many consciences have become deadened to the still small voice of God? That voice which rebukes, corrects and instils holiness into our souls through the Indwelling Spirit of God.

When Jesus stood before Herod, why did our Lord remain silent upon Herods mocking questions? Could it be that Jesus knew that Herod's conscience was dead, therefore NO words would have gotten through to such a black heart?

For those who embrace the devils ways will themselves become living demons, as they wreak havoc upon any they perceive as pious.

Have they become the devils tools or the devils fools? Perhaps they have become both!

Peace of Christ to you ALL.

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

The Battle For Souls

As many look towards the Heavens for signs of 'the end of the world' in a climatic thunder and lightening scenario, much like a Hollywood production, they miss the main intent and the biggest battle which is for the souls of the children of God.

As Jesus did not specify a time nor a place for the end of the world, in that only our Father in Heaven knows this, why are so many speculating on times and dates. By this speculation we are missing the most dangerous aspect, and that is Satan’s plan to lull and then seduce individual souls away from God and into his kingdom of sin!

One of Satan’s weapons will be to instil fear into the trusting hearts of God's children, so that he can engender feelings of hysteria and insecurity. As Christians become enveloped and overwhelmed, as many run on their 'feelings' rather than simply trusting our Heavenly Father and His Word!

For the 'end times' began at the birth, death and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, two thousand years ago. We have been living in the 'end times' since then, and as we can see during this two thousand year period, the world has not come to an end, even though the Catholic Church has suffered difficulties, and there have been persecutions and Martyrdoms, still our Church is The Rock!

In His Word the Lord warns us of the fact that there will be wars, and rumours of wars, that kingdom will fight against kingdom, and nations too will rise up against one another, there will be earthquakes and famines. And as many focus on these words they fail to take heed of the MOST important part of this Revealed Truth, "but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come".

If so many take to heart the cataclysmic elements, why then do so many people, do what Jesus specifically prompts us NOT to do and that is to foster feelings of panic and fear, which then creates mass hysteria with NO foundation in Truth!

By focussing on the 'spectacular' we miss the underlying tactics of the evil one which like a vapour creeps into the individual soul by tempting them to distrust God's Omnipotent Power. And as the focus shifts from Trusting in God's Power with confidence, and instead looks at the apocalyptic aspects, with the outcome being that many behave as if all were already lost!

What a victory this way of thinking is for Satan as many study the skies and elements for 'signs and wonders', as Satan cunningly weaves his way into individual souls, and chips away at their trust, replacing it with fear, he then replaces their confidence in God's Power and turns that into hysteria of the unknown!

And as Christians race around trying to find out the day and the hour, Satan rejoices at such chaos amongst God's own children for it is indeed a major lack of filial trust and a major coup for Satan. For if Christians lose their peace of heart, if they disregard Jesus own Words not to become alarmed, who then have they placed their belief in? And who have God's children placed in control?

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.