All my nothingness is drowned in the sea of your mercy. With the confidence of a child, I throw myself into your arms, O Father of mercy, to make up for the unbelief of so many souls who are afraid to trust in you.
Saint Faustina Kowalska
Real love stories never have endings.
Richard Bach
Anonymous asked:
Hi Father, I am a 17 year old girl and I am wondering will I go to hell because Ive had sex before marriage? Thank you Father
When we choose something we know God doesn't want (what we call "sin"), it damages our relationship with him. Any friendship is like that! In fact, when we do it in something really important, that relationship can be shattered.
He gave you your sexuality as a gift to you, for you to give away freely, but only in marriage. That's what it's for. So sure, your relationship with him has suffered the consequences of your choice.
But... God is a God of mercy! There will be things that you won't forgive yourself for, and others will never forgive you for... but God will always forgive. Always. And no human friendship is like that!
So it's a matter of reaching out to him. We "choose" hell through our actions when we shatter our relationship with God and choose not to look back towards him with humility for his mercy, but he chooses Heaven for us every time we come back to him the way he has asked.
If you're Catholic, the best way to get the healing you want and the peace of soul you deeply need is to bring it up with a priest in Confession and get it washed away... and your relationship with God will be just as intact as before! Like they say, "Our God is a God of second chances." (Don't worry: The priest won't want to know about the details of what you've done, or who you are, or who the other person was... he'll just be desiring to grant you God's forgiveness and peace.)
May God bless you abundantly!
- Father Shane
Confession Question
Here's another question for everyone, since the responses to the poll the other day were so fascinating.
What's the bit of advice that you've received from a priest in Confession that has most stuck with you?
Fr Donald Calloway: surfing, hunting, drugs and a "divine 2x4".
I was like a stone lying in the deep mire; and He that is might came, and in His mercy lifted me up, and verily raised me aloft and placed me on top of the wall.
Saint Patrick (420s - 492/493)
It's the feast day of St. Faustina Kowalska, the messenger of Christ's message of Divine Mercy!
Will she soon become the 4th woman Doctor of the Church? (If you don't know who the other three are, you really need to click on that!)
Anonymous asked:
Hi Fr. Shane,I just read one of the posts dated July 2nd regarding God's love, the Bible and heaven and hell, which your reponse raised a few questions in my mind. What happens when a person (laity, priest or religious) refuses/rejects the love of God continously through the presence of God in their neighbor? Through history God has used his own children to reach out to others, especially the prophets, and yet they have been rejected, stoned and killed. In our pride, we have rejected the Love of God instead of accepting His love in humility. Why can we not accept the Love of God when it is right in front of us through our neighbor? Is it pride? Is it due to hate for ourselves? Is it because we do not believe that God loves us? Do we think that we are not lovable? Yes, He gave us the free will to choose but God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our salvation and because of His love for each and everyone of us. Jesus spread his arms on the cross out of love for the Father and us. Why can we not humble ourselves and ask God to touch our hearts so that we can accept His love? Because God will continue his search for His lost sheeps, which is all of us. We are all in need of God's Love, Mercy and Compassion. The question is what are we doing to bring the Love of God to our neighbor?
Yes, I think all of what you say is true when you ask how someone can choose not to love God by not loving their neighbor. We're all very familiar with Matthew 25:31-46, right? I would perhaps just add that we're wounded by original sin and its consequences, so that makes it extra-tough for us to act in a charitable Christian way. We have this tendency to be selfish instead.
It's very important to humble ourselves, as you say! May God bless you and all of us.
- Father Shane
fathershane reblogged
Piero della Francesca. Madonna della Misericordia. 1460-1462.
Oil and tempera on panel.
Pinacoteca Comunale. Sansepolcro, Italia.
"Our Lady of Mercy"... Divine Mercy Sunday is just 2 days away!
A full-size replica of a blue whale's heart. Wow.
We talk a lot about the "heart of God" or the mercy of the Sacred Heart... and this photo just begins to show the disproportion that there is between the mercy that our feeble little hearts can manage, and what His can do...
Source: reddit.com
I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy.
Our Lady to Saint Faustina