Being Catholic is not your ‘Ticket to Heaven’
By Rita Davidson
Sometimes being Catholic gives someone a license to abandon sanity and risk their salvation.
We see this often in those that call themselves Catholic, but live as pagans or worse. Politicians who approve of abortion, yet go to Mass and Holy Communion on Sunday. Bishops that fight against the traditional Mass, in their diocese, yet still hold their authority as Bishop.
But let’s not look just there, what about those of us who just lead smaller lives. Hidden lives. What about the family in Church, that stopped arguing with their daughter about her mini skirt and crop top, because they were tired of the fight?
What about the father who doesn’t care that his son is staying out late with girls and poor companions?
What about those that stir up hatred and confusion about Catholics, when they instead should be holding their tongue?
What about those that look at others and see the log in their eye, but neglect to see the tree in their own?
Being Catholic is not our ticket to heaven. Catholics are nortorious for having the most scandalous lives. I know, I grew up in one (a story for another day) Being Catholic means it will be harder to get to heaven. Why you ask ?
Well, being Catholic means we have the fullness of the faith. We have the faith entire. We have the traditions of the Church and the Magisterium to ensure that the faith never changes. That means we have a responsibility about our faith. We cannot get to heaven by happenstance. It isn’t going to happen if we don’t work at it.
The devil is in an all out battle for our souls. He hates all Christians, but he has a special hatred for faithful Catholics. The key word here is “faithful’ Catholics. His hatred for us is real. He gives no quarter in this battle he has started. He wishes to drag every soul he can down into the abyss. You included.
Catholics are at risk for this increase in warfare, as the devil pulls out all out warfare to tempt a soul. Whether it is personal failure in virtue, to family strife, to heavy crosses of illness, disease and more. All are sent our way, with God’s permissions, to test our faith, increase our temptations and hopefully break down our hope. Can you see your ticket to heaven getting soiled here ?
A special marker of the devil is: confusion. Diabolical confusion. And that is exactly what we see in the Church today, as one Catholic is pitted against another Catholic.
Catholics continue to ask ourselves, why ? Why has God done this to me? Why does my life have to be like this? Why?
We do not realize that it is God that is holding our hand. All while we feel the lashings of the devil it is God that is right there, waiting for us to reach out to Him.
God is waiting for us to ask Him for faith, strength and hope. We cannot fight this battle alone. It is when we feel we can fight alone we find ourselves out of our element. Not able to cope.
As Catholics, we are bound to practice the whole faith. We cannot choose what we want to believe and pick what we want to practice. The faith comes to us from a long history of saints and martyrs that died for this faith. The real ticket to heaven comes from practicing the whole faith.
In 1917, Our Lady of Fatima confirmed, “The Church has no fashions; Our Lord is always the same.”
Today we see a widespread lack of faith. We see Catholics that are Catholics in name only. We see Catholics that do not know their faith, do not know the fasting laws, do not know what a St. Benedict medal is, nor understand what a rosary is. Massive confusion, how can this be ?
The victims from this widespread falling away from the faith, are casualties of the changes in the Church. You see, the devil has not been at rest. He has put an all out effort to strip souls of their faith. We could almost think he has won.
So what does this have to do with getting to heaven?
Well, for one thing, we must realize that it is our duty to find out about the faith. Our “ticket to heaven”, rests in the ability to know what our faith is so we can practice our faith. That means study, reading and from reputable sources to get the ‘right’ education.
Once you know about your faith, then you will know your responsibility. But until you take the time to learn about it, you are at risk, like a soldier without a gun. Without a ‘ticket to heaven’.
Here is three things you can do today, for your “ticket to heaven”:
1. Learn. To keep your faith today, you must teach yourself the faith. You must read, you must study, you must listen to good sermons. “Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Frances de Sales” is a good book to start with. There is so much to know and understand about the faith, it should be a lifelong hobby. Online sources are abundant today, but be aware the devil sows confusion in many online sources. It is hard to find truth in the confusion out there. But there comes your second tip:
2. Prayer. Both morning and evening prayers are the least you can do. The Rosary is a must. But what about mental prayer? Talking to God as you go about your day, telling Him all your troubles, thanking Him for your joys. That is the secret to growing in virtue. Staying connected with God. Ask Him to find the truth for you. Ask Him to guide you to the true faith. Ask Him to weed through the confusion today and direct you to what He wants you to know. Which brings us to tip number three:
3. Sacrifice. If you are to become a good and faithful Catholic, it is going to take sacrifice. As you learn and grow you will find friends distance themselves from you. As you invest in your faith more you will find you can no longer go here and there, as your eyes have now been opened to the truth. It will be like a blinder being taken off you and the truth will shine brightly in your life. But, this will also mean you will have to keep moving forward in your faith towards God, and leaving some things, some people behind. Here begins your cross. Come what may, sometimes those crosses might come so fast and heavy we feel as if we cannot breathe. Just coming up for air can be a chore. We must realize that God does not test us beyond our means. He does not make our cross heavier than we can handle. We must go to Him and offer up our crosses in union with His, so that we might bring down the graces this world needs to break this diabolical confusion.
If you truly want to get to heaven. Start with these three daily tips. Do them everyday. Make them a habit in your life and with your family. Start your lifelong hobby of learning. Soon you will see glimpses of heaven on the horizon. And it is that horizon you have to keep focused on, as you travel this journey to win your “ticket to heaven”.
Tell me what you think ? I want to see you all in heaven with me? Are you coming ? 🙂
©Copyright 2012 Rita Davidson All Rights Reserved
Rita is a Catholic wife and mother of seven children. She reverted back to the faith when her oldest was making her First Communion. By then, she had completed degrees in Hairdressing and Make up artistry. She went on to receive a degree in Natural Health and another degree in Art. At age 26, Rita suffered a minor stroke. With no lasting effects, this dramatically changed her outlook on life. In 1996, Rita began ‘Little Flowers Family Apostolates’ to reach out to other families with her new found faith, by creating unique Catholic books and resources.. In 1999, she wrote the bestselling, ‘Immodesty; Satan’s Virtue’. She was editor of ‘The Catholic Health Letter’ for 7 years. She has been a homeschooling mom for 20+ years, and has written for various magazines. She is honored that families have trusted her with their questions, needs and concerns over the years. She continues to write and reach out to Catholic families with her husband, Mark and their 4 boys through http://www.LittleFlowersFamilyPress.com
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