HOW TO WIN A WAR

 

What is the best way to get over a chronic sin?

 

A)    Stop going to confession until you have it handled?

B)    Skip confessing the particular sin because it is an addiction?

C)    Confess it regularly over and over and over?

 

I think intellectually Catholics would say “C” but in practice choose “A”.  It can be embarrassing and humbling to confess the same sin regularly.  It dents our self-esteem.  It bursts the bubble of our self-mastery.  But you don’t get over a toothache by avoiding the faulty tooth.  You don’t mend a relationship by taking time apart.  And healing from sin comes through the Church with touch and prayer – the interaction of persons in community with God.

 

I had a chiropractor for a spell that I would go to see when my back hurt.  I would tell him that I had some big work to do and that I didn’t come to see him until after it was done so he could fix my back.  He chided me and said that the time to come to see him was BEFORE I did the “back breaking” work so that I could do the work more healthily. 

 

Do you have a problem with sin “A”?  Go to confession at least once a month even if you don’t “need” it.  Have the graces to see you through the temptation to come.  Pray for strength when you are strong.  Don’t wait until you are lonely, angry, hungry, or tired – don’t wait until temptation is pulling on your arm and whispering in your ear.  Don’t get caught at battle time naked.  Be prepared!

 

And don’t despair the lost battle.  It is not about the battle, it is about the war.  Go to confession.  Confess boldly.  Receive your new breastplate, new sword, new helmet, and charge out into battle.  If your sword is broken or your helmet dented, come back and get a new one.  Employ what you learned in battle.  Try a new strategy.  Nerve your arms and head back out into battle.  Do so bravely, confidently, prayerfully, dutifully.  Your opponent is counting on your discouragement.  Laugh at him as you stand in the confessional line.

 

N.B.  This weekend is Divine Mercy Sunday!  Check out your parish’s confession schedule!

GUEST BLOGGER: MERCY!

One of my favorite online shops is called Etsy. All of the products are handmade by the seller and you can find everything from jewelry to art to Kleenex cozies. Every once in a while I will stumble across someone selling an occult item, and usually I am relieved to see they have almost no sales, but last week my stomach dropped when I saw that one particular seller had made over 5,000 sales. Unconvinced that there was that big a demand for spell books, I looked at buyers’ comments somewhat relieved to find statements like, “your incense makes my room smell so good” or “your candles are so romantic” instead of more sinister uses.

One of the things that convinces me so much of the truth and uniqueness of the Catholic Church is how universally her trappings, like candles and incense and altars, are used to evoke the otherworldly and supernatural, particularly by those who serve evil. Like Frodo said in the Lord of the Rings, evil cannot make, it can only mock.

I encountered a young man recently who really knew his Catholic faith. He was such an apologist that I could not help but ask how he knew his faith so well. I guessed that he was raised in a solid Catholic household or he went to some unique school where authentic catechesis had survived. Imagine my surprise when he said he used to worship the devil! He told me briefly what it was like and I was struck by the Catholic symbols they used, including a sacrifice on an altar (they used cats *shudder*). It seems that evil is more than happy to use our signs and symbols, our vestments and sacred silence. (I’ll bet Satanists never need to be told to stop chit chatting and shut off their cell phones for their sacrifices.)

I encountered this young man again in line for confession the day before Divine Mercy Sunday. I asked him how his Easter was and he smiled glowingly and said it was fabulous. He fidgeted nervously in line and said that he’s always nervous the priest will say, “No, you’re too bad. I can’t forgive you”. I know he knows better. When I made my confession, our new priest absolved me in Latin and I was struck by how mystical the words sounded and felt – the kind of feeling I imagine young people are looking for when they buy a “spell book” full of strange incantations . I thought of that young man and how I hoped that he would find his appetite for ritual authentically satisfied now that he is back home.

I also thought of the power of Divine Mercy. I know God can forgive anything, but standing next to that young man in the confession line made it real for me. I will admit a bit of discomfort and fear standing next to him and fighting my doubt that God can really forgive him. But when Divine Mercy Sunday came and I saw him go to Communion with such joy, genuflecting before the tabernacle as he re-entered his pew, it dawned on me that, in the eyes of God, both of our slates were wiped clean. The ex-Satanist and I, presuming we both made good confessions, were now equals in the merciful sight of God. I stood in joyful awe of God’s liberality and love on this special feast. I imagine that this young man will realize that call he has that we all do: to lead those dabbling in the occult to the Merciful Heart of God, the only place where they will find peace and have their hungers truly satisfied.

JESUS SAVES (BUT APPARENTLY I DON'T)

Somehow I lost today's post. Fortunately there are a couple of guest blogs on deck! Today's guest blogger (C) has written a good number of times for Adam's Ale and never fails to satisfy! Thank goodness she was in the mood to send something in! Enjoy!

When I was in my early twenties I had a favorite rock band, and through a weird twist of circumstances I met them. They came to Cleveland frequently during their tour, and I was always their guest when they were in town. I loved the attention - the lead singer sang to me at one of his shows and my friends thought I was too cool for words. But eventually the tour ended, and frankly all I ever did was drink their liquor and smoke their cigarettes (I was certainly no groupie) so I'm sure their interest in me was waning.

I went through a horrible spiritual darkness shortly after that. One of the questions I was trying to answer was, "When I'm 50, what am I going to say my life was about?" I finally decided I want only one thing: to get myself to heaven, and get as many people as possible to go with me. I had a special devotion to Divine Mercy, so I decided that every day at 3:00 PM I would pray for someone different. The list got very long, and I was running out of ideas of who to pray for, and I thought, hey, what about the guys in that band? At first I objected because in my mind they were somehow not really people, and they were probably hopeless (a heavy metal band - some of their lyrics would curl your hair). But they made the list.

Some commenters on this blog have pointed out their sympathy for rock stars who have died tragic deaths. Their stories ARE tragic! Kurt Cobain was a sweet happy child until his parents divorced, and his bitterness ended in suicide. Anthony Kedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a drug dealer for a dad who bought Anthony hookers when he was 12 years old. Good and evil effect everyone. I think we neglect certain souls because they seem non-human somehow. Did you ever notice how it seems OK for people to lust over a celebrity, even if they're married, because somehow we think, well they're not really a PERSON. Maybe that crazy YouTube guy with the eyeliner was on to something, crying over Britney Spears, "She's a HUMAN BEING!" (OK, maybe he's just a freak, but you get my point.)

We delude ourselves that there are people beyond prayer. I think part of the reason why people loved Ozzy Osborne's reality show is because you got to see glimmers of humanity, weakness, and even kindness in someone that we all assume was evil at worst and inhuman at best. A friend of mine had a short-lived relationship years ago with a charming guy who manipulated her, lied to her, and played with her head. He called her recently to tell her that he had quit drugs and alcohol and that he just wanted to say he was sorry. I asked her, didn't you think he was just a hopelessly evil person, and she emphatically answered yes! I suppose on the flip side of that, priests and nuns don't get prayed for because they are thought to be untarnishably good.

I was watching PBS a couple of years ago. It was December and they were playing a concert of Christmas music by a rock band. I was looking at the guys playing and suddenly I said "John? Chris? Hey, these are my guys from that metal band! They do CHRISTMAS music now!?" Now I know that doesn't make them saints, but compared to the stuff they USED to do, it is a VAST improvement.