Who do we worship?

Do we really worship God?  Do we give Him his dues?  Or do we just roll around on Sundays, shut the alarm clocks, sleep "five more minutes" and then realize we are so late for Church and just have breakfast/brunch and watch a rerun on Keeping up with the Kardashians?

I know, it is so tempting to sleep in on Sundays, especially when Mass is offered so early in the USA.*  Especially when it seems to be the only day we can sleep in.  Or when it seems to be the one day we can really rest after spending Saturday catching up with everything else we didn't do during our busy weekdays.  I know.  I have been there.  I have missed Holy Sunday Day of Obligation because I was so busy just... catching up on some really needed zzzz's.

But who do we really worship?  It's one thing to miss Mass one day for whatever reason, and another to miss Mass because we're binge watching THAT show one Netflix or Keeping up with whomever!

Piggybacking on my post from 6/20/2016, Of Clutter and the Kingdom of God, are we really putting God first?  Just a thought to put out there in your mind.  I am not talking about clutter and stuff now.  I am talking about people you put above God.  You know, that TV show you follow.  Or that artist you just can't get enough of.

Are you putting them above God?  Are you missing Mass, not saying your usual prayers, looking at sinful stuff (yes, I am looking at you, 50 Shades of Grey fans and others) because you just think that Mass is boring?

Just remember that Mass is practice for Heaven.  Can we at least dedicate one hour a week to God?  That's all He asks from us, and He still doesn't usually get as much, but those soap operas, oh My Word, we are not missing them.  Oh my Lord.  We are not missing that opportunity to binge watch Game of Thrones (or whatever other show you binge watch)??

Just something to think about.  Most parishes offer several opportunities to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist in the Mass several times a weekend (with Saturday Vigil(s) included), and we still somehow just not plan accordingly.


*In Mexico, there used to be Sunday Masses as late as 1800h.

7-day challenge in June.

Inspired by Fr. Dave Dwyer's 30-day challenge of the Busted Halo Show, I decided to do my own 7 day challenge.  I unfortunately only caught the tail end of it, and as much as I love the Busted Halo Show, I will be perfectly honest, I am probably not going to have the time to look for the podcast and listen to it.  It would probably serve me well to do so, but I likely won't.  Since their 30-day challenge starts on June 20, I am pretty sure they will talk about it again, so I will probably talk about it again when I hear about it next.

But for now, from today to June 13, I will have my very own challenge.  You can join me, and I highly encourage you to join me.  I will give up meat and soda.  I will become ovo-lacto-vegetarian for those 7 days.  I will offer this sacrifice for Christians persecuted around the world, especially in China and the Middle East, as well as for the religious education of children who are not being educated in the Faith, but that otherwise have no reason to not be catechized, especially my son, who lives with his agnostic father.

Divine Mercy

Jesus will grant many graces to those who trust in His mercy.  The more we trust, the more we receive.  Even if hardened sinners were to recite this Chaplet only once, with trust, humility, and deep sorrow for their sins, they would obtain mercy, graces, and peace.

Whoever recites the Chaplet will receive great mercy at the hour of death.  When it is said for the dying, whether in their presence or from a distance, Jesus will stand between the Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge, but as the Merciful Savior.  He will grant great mercy and graces to souls as their last hope of salvation.

How to pray the Chaplet.

The Christian Faith Is So Rich.

I have a few other blogs on WordPress where the scope of what I write is so narrow, that it is sometimes hard to come up with a new topic to talk about.  This one is about my faith musings, which is admittedly broader, and at the same time narrow - it is about my faith, my Church.  But I am having very much the opposite effect with this blog.

There is so much richness, so much material about the Church, the Faith, Catholicism, that it is very hard for me to actually narrow down the topic enough to be effective.  First of all, at the macro level, while the Bible is not infinite, it is definitely a collection of many many books - Old and New Testament.  Then there is the Catechism, while based on Scripture, it also includes reflections on the lives of saints and Tradition.  Then, of course, the lives of each of the saints, the Mass, prayers, interior life (and so much more!)...

In addition, we have then what I like to call the micro-level topics - which are nothing small in and of themselves.  A specific passage in the Bible.  A specific aspect on the life of a saint.  A specific part of the Mass.

I thought that by giving myself leeway on the scope of things, it would be easier to write, but it is not.  So, in light of all of this, how does one effectively evangelize?  How does one approach someone outside the Church (or inside who needs reversion!) without overwhelming them?  I am a cradle Catholic and I sometimes feel overwhelmed!  There's just so much richness to our Christian Faith.