Hope does not disappoint.
Romans 5:5
Do not be afraid; just have faith.
Mark 5:36
Faith draws the future into the present, so that it is no longer simply a “not yet”. The fact that this future exists changes the present; the present is touched by the future reality, and thus the things of the future spill over into those of the present and those of the present into those of the future.
Pope Benedict XVI (Spe Salvi, 7)
Source: vatican.va
Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all... As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.
G.K. Chesterton
Anonymous asked:
Dear Father, I've been having suicidal thought and I have been trying overcome my battle with self-harm. My choir director, who is also Catholic, told me that if I am that depressed that I should kill myself. I am 16 years old and I know that this is all apart of God's plan for me but is there an easier way for me to accept this?
Basically you're being lied to.
Wherever the voices are coming from that tell you you're not good enough or pretty enough or smart enough... that you're not lovable and no one really likes you... that there's no point to suffering anymore... that God wants you to suffer... They. Are. All. Lying.
God is holding you right now and whispering in your ear how much he loves you... can you tell those voices to quiet down so you can hear him? That he created you and loves you and will never let go of you... can you hear him? That he loves you the way he made you and that his only desire is that you be happy with him forever in heaven... you can hear that, right?
Just because you're suffering all this doesn't mean that God desired it for you exactly that way, but it does mean that he has permitted it and that he is giving you the strength and the grace to bear this cross. If you can believe this, things will start to make sense, little by little.
So don't believe the lies! What you really need is to be able to reach out to someone who can genuinely understand you and help you. Surely there must be somebody close, right? The other thing you need is to be able to reach out to Somebody above who genuinely understands you and wants to help you... you need to believe he's close and open your heart to him in prayer, even if that prayer is mostly sobbing. Don't worry, he's used to it. When you're done crying, pick up Psalm 139...
I'll be praying for you tonight at Adoration. Be strong! And may it be Christ's strength in you.
- Father Shane
Hi Father Shane! I have a question. I have a (Catholic) friend who enjoys horror - whether it's movies/TV shows or books. It's his number one hobby. Is that a sin? I felt somehow that it was contradictory to our Catholic faith, but I didn't know how and what to tell him. Thank you! :)
No, it's not necessarily a sin, but it's not a good sign either.
The horror genre often includes heavy doses of graphic violence and sexual content; a lot of viewing can be itself sinful and lead to diminished sensitivity to others and therefore create occasions of sin. But let's just focus on the horror part.
You're right that the message of horror (fear, despair) is diametrically opposed to what our Catholic faith offers us (hope, victory). Let's assume that your friend is just seeking the emotional catharsis that can come from this type of experience, sort of like a roller coaster. In that case, it can be okay, but only if someone is emotionally stable.
An addiction to horror could be twisting his idea of reality (and certainly of relationships) imperceptibly, to the point where he may eventually become incapable of normal entertainment... and perhaps even insensitive to the Gospel message of love, hope and trust.
I'm not a psychology expert, so don't take this as anything more than an amateur opinion, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a sign that he's repressing something from his past or is unable to deal with something in the present.
So... let's pray for him! God bless you.
- Father Shane
fathershane reblogged
melloknee-deactivated20170618
I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.
Mother Teresa (via melloknee)
Hi Father. Lately I have been very curious as to what the Church's teaching is on Catholic interaction (through prayer and Bible study) with other Christian denominations (most directly Protestants). I understand the major differences, and clearly I don't agree with their disbelief and belittlement of people that we revere so much such as Mother Mary and the Saints. I also know that our Bibles vary in some ways. But is ok for us to pray and listen to their biblical interpretations? or should we
Sorry to take forever to get back to you!!!!!!!!!
The rest of your question, for the record, was "stick with just us Catholics? I feel like no matter what, we should praise the Lord with anyone we can, but to what extent should Catholics be involved with non Catholics? Thank you for your time and may God bless you."
Sure, we definitely all have a lot to gain from hanging around each other. There's no way we can all work to make Jesus' desire for unity a reality!
If you're confident about your Catholic faith, then you believe that you bring a lot to your Protestant friends: namely, gifts like the Eucharist and Confession that they haven't received in their tradition. And you know as well that they can often teach you a whole lot about enthusiasm for your faith as well as -- of course -- love for the Scriptures and knowledge of them. As the YouCat puts it, "All of the gifts present there, for example, Sacred Scripture, sacraments, faith, hope, love, and other charisms, come originally from Christ. Where the Spirit of Christ lives, there is an inner dynamic leading toward 'reunion,' because what belongs together wants to grow together" (#130).
They have gifts you need, and you have gifts they need. You have to believe that. It's not about just "convincing" them of something or trying to ward off those who convince you of things. It's not about the head or even the heart... it's about God's desires for all of us.
It was human hardness of heart that drove us apart: that's the only way that books of the Bible could be jettisoned in the Reformation (God's inspired Word!) and that Catholics of the time could be so turned against reconciliation. None of us nowadays were responsible for what happened, but we all live with the consequences.
That's where contemporary attitudes come from too: Hardness of heart and of mind is still with us, so that's something to keep in mind and to be realistic about. Sure, you can listen in on other Biblical interpretations, but make sure you know what Catholicism says first. After all, if we really believe that the Biblical interpretation of Popes and Councils down through the centuries have the Spirit's action as the guarantee of their accuracy, then we can't not be loyal to them.
So to be brief: We're all in this together. Catholics need to be involved for Protestants' sake, and Protestants need to be involved for Catholics' sake. Anyone who says otherwise is living in secret fear of the Truth. And we all need to be friends and fellow Christians and missionaries to this world, or we're not really worthy of the names we call ourselves.
God bless you!
- Father Shane
fathershane reblogged
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"It's All About You." By Erica Lenhoff.
It's you that are the true meaning of Love.
It's the want to know what its truly like to live, to break free from skin and bone.
It's you that watches me from above.
It's the signs you’ve given that assure me I’m not alone.
It's the nightmares that you chased away,
It's in the calming breeze of today.
It's the sound of the perfect melody.
It's moments like this I want to stay on my knees.
It's the realization that you are the one perfect remedy.
It's the way you love me. The way you love me.
It's me who is ashamed for all my somethings.
It's me who has trouble telling you all my sufferings.
It's me who isn’t worthy. I’m not worthy.
It's me who wonders who is He? I want to know you more.
It's me, this is me…screaming from my souls very core.
God help, I’m so sore.
It's me who wounded you. I feel bad to complain.
It's me this is me trying to understand the power of your reign.
It's me oh God that needs protection.
It's me my Dear God that is in need of your divine direction.
It's me that loves you.
It's you that knows me.
It's the wonders you do.
It's the miracles we see.
It's you that owns the very life of me.
It's all about you.
It's all about you God.
It's all about you. You made me.
It's all about the mission you want me to fulfill in my life time.
It's all about your plan and what you want, guidance is my only plea.
It's that my sin is what keeps me from you, its my crime.
It's your peace that sets me free.
It's your daughter calling out to you.
It's that I know you care…
It's this that I speak…my prayer.
It's in hope that some how you’ll hear me and reply.
It's all in you God. It's just me again.
It's that I’m open and I’m willing to try.
Amen.
With great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.
Pope Benedict XVI
Source: vatican.va
Anonymous asked:
Hi Father Shane! I ran across your blog a couple weeks ago and I've been meaning to ask you something that's been on my mind. I'm scared of death. I believe in Heaven and everything, but sometimes I have little panic attacks about eternity and not living on Earth anymore. Whenever I panic, I pray and it helps me a little bit, but I guess I just want to hear from a priest some reassuring words about life after death. Is there anything you can tell me that will help me stop from panicking about death? I hope this question makes sense and is not too scatterbrained. Thank you!
Hey, you're normal! If you weren't scared of death, there would be something wrong with you...
As Christians, when we talk about "hope," what we mean is trusting in God's promises, here in this life but especially in eternity. So ask our Lord for that gift! Because it is a gift... The nature of hope is to hope in what we haven't seen, not what we have. So that takes trust.
But what you say made me think immediately of Pope Benedict's Spe Salvi, a letter he wrote in 2007 about hope. There's a part where he talks specifically about how the word eternal "frightens us." Sound familiar? That passage is in paragraph #12, but you would want to start reading at #10 or so and then continue on past #12 a bit. Of course if you want to read the whole thing it might be helpful.
God bless you, and see you in heaven, God willing, if not before!
- Father Shane
fathershane reblogged
Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in confession. In confession there is a chance for mercy. Believe it firmly. Do not doubt, do not hesitate, never despair of the mercy of God. Hope and have confidence in confession.
St. Isidore of Seville (via catholicapologetics)
Those who fall alone remain alone in their fall, and they value their souls little since they entrust it to themselves alone.
Saint John of the Cross (Sayings #8)
How can we take the path to holiness, in order to respond to this call? Can I do this on my own initiative? The answer is clear. A holy life is not primarily the result of our efforts, of our actions, because it is God, the three times Holy (cf. Is 6:3) who sanctifies us, it is the Holy Spirit’s action that enlivens us from within, it is the very life of the Risen Christ that is communicated to us and that transforms us.
Pope Benedict XVI (April 13, 2011)
Source: vatican.va