The Radical Catholic

Do not fear!

Do not fear, you are not wandering alone some lost and uncertain path. Beyond our mortal years, there is a new life, of which this is only a shadow. On this earth we are only travelers, visiting here for just a short while. Our true home is beyond the stars, past all time and space, our native land is far above and beyond.

Pilgrims and exiles, we now abide in tents. In the world to come the Lord will build us a permanent dwelling.

It is a fool who has no understanding of our destiny and our hope. Where is hope, many ask, why does God allow suffering some ask, they accuse the Creator of injustice, or just ignore everything about God, instead of worshiping their material possessions. They are like someone who on a far-off tropical island, isolated from the modern world and suddenly a construction company arrives on the island to build a resort hotel complex. The construction site, with piles of gravel and sand, holes in the ground, lumber, and steel stacked in haphazard disarray everywhere, men going back and forth in what seems total confusion, looks like total madness, like hell. Yet what he does not see is that this apparent disorder will one day produce a beautiful resort hotel.

This is our current life on this earth, a construction zone. What awaits is the beautiful mansion in heaven. Our true home.

I was just thinking, life, it is all of 70 or 80 years. That is just a moment in eternity. We are eternal beings, and as such we will spend endless ages somewhere after this life is over. The choice of where is up to us.

I will post a poem here that I really like. It drives home the point I am trying to make.

Only One Life
By C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

This is going to be short, but very direct and to the point.

I have three children and two nieces. All are adults or think they are. My wife of 26 years and I are divorced. The failure of our marriage is my fault, and hers. There is plenty of blame to go both ways. If I were the man I am today, I don’t know if I would still be married or not, but I would be fighting with everything I have to preserve my marriage. That failure rests squarely on me.

Now, on reflecting on what is most important in life, I wish I would have discovered this when I was 20, not 60. There is only one thing in life that I need to do to be a success. I need to succeed at doing the Will of God. I need to make sure everyone in my family is on the road to Heaven. This is not easy, nor is it what the world puts out there in front of us men as success. Yet, in eternity, that is all that matters. This life is short, it is just the dress rehearsal for eternity.

As the man, the Spiritual head of the family, it is my responsibility to make sure everyone in my family is on their way to Heaven. And the extent to which I accomplish this is how successful I am. Thus far I am not much of a success. I do pray every day for my wife and children. I pray earnestly and passionately. And I am trying to set the right example for them. I thank God every day that I have reached this point in my life and, even though I have failed thus far, He has shown me what I need to do and I am still able to pray and take the virtuous path.

My example is to live virtuously, pray and rely on God’s promises. Proverbs 22:6

My success in life will depend on how I have prepared myself and my family for Eternity.

Today, Palm Sunday 2018. Holy Week begins today. Jesus enters Jerusalem. Passion week.

What meaning does this week have for you? Anything at all, or is it just another week in the year to get “our own stuff done?”

Two things have helped me move from my “own stuff” to the things of God and eternity this year. Both I discovered somewhat late in my Lenten journey, only finding one last week. Yet both of these, the prayer by St. Bernard, and the discourse by John Henry Cardinal Newman have helped me refocus on what this season truly is. Maybe they will help you.

This is a very passionate prayer:

O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross, which so tore Thy flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee, and give Thee thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen.

Imprimatur: Thomas D. Beven, Bishop of Springfield

It is related in the annals of Clairvaux that St. Bernard asked our Lord which was His greatest unrecorded suffering, and Our Lord answered: “I had on My Shoulder, while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grievous Wound, which was more painful than the others, and which is not recorded by men. Honor this wound with thy devotion, and I will grant thee whatsoever thou dost ask through its virtue and merit. And in regard to all those who shall venerate this Wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no longer remember their mortal sins.”

Blessed John Henry Newman’s Discourse 16. Mental Sufferings of Our Lord in His Passion is an incredibly raw and heart-wrenching read, penetrating the unfiltered agony that Christ experienced during His Passion.

Blessed John Henry Newman does an amazing job of helping the reader empathize, truly understand, piece-by-piece, the agony Jesus endured during His Passion and the depth of His sacrificial love.

If you are looking for a powerful way to connect with Our Lord during this time, I encourage you to take 30 minutes to read this. Let it sink in. Really feel it.

This is not an easy read. It is one of the most painful reflections of Christ’s passion I have ever read but it will be well worth the effort.

Your brother in Christ,

The Radical Catholic

 

 

So here it is, the fourth week of Lent, and this is the first blog post I have managed to write in a month. Don’t assume that I have nothing to say, or that lent 2018 is a bust. It’s not! At least not yet. I won’t say what I am doing for my Lenten penance, but I take great inspiration from the Saints and some of their Lenten practices.

So if you are yet to get started on a serious Lenten journey, fear not, there is some time left. I would like to encourage you to take seriously Stations of the Cross. This is one devotion that could kick-start your Lent. And if you are having a really good and penitential lent, this could be a very good addition.

For me, Stations of the Cross is something that I didn’t even have on my radar for the first five to ten years I was a Catholic. I didn’t even really know what they were. If you’re not sure, you can look at Stations of the Cross on the net to get some idea what goes on and how the service is run.

From the first time I attended I was aware that there was something there, something I was missing before.

Of course, this is like most anything else, you will get out of it what you put in. Maybe even more so that most things. Just focus on the prayers, pay really close attention to what is said. This service will have much more meaning if you stay focused. This is hard, I know, but it is so worth paying attention, for God is in the details.

I am only going to say one other thing about Stations of the Cross and that is the more times you go, the more meaningful it will be. Not just this year during Lent, but over several years. Discovering this took a long time, but now this is a Lenten practice for me that I don’t want to miss.

May God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty Name.

I have just finished a book, The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, by Father Charles Arminjon. This is a book I feel every Christian should read.

The nonchristian or the casual Christian may well think this is a book meant to “scare” or “put the fear of God” into the reader. Many may well find the book disturbing. Yet ignoring hell, Divine Judgement, and the next life in general, do not in anyway diminish the importance of considering these things. In fact, it can be argued that these are the most important things of life. Ignoring these things; we risk Eternal Damnation.

The first quarter of the book deals with the end times, the Antichrist, and tribulation. And these things are discussed in great detail. Then there is a chapter on Hell. It is short but graphic.

If this were all, the whole thing could be dismissed. For, it would be nothing but scare theology. Yet, this is not half of what Father Arminjon has to say. More than anything it discusses hope and the assurance of God’s Love and Divine Plan. This is what I find so compelling.

The entire book is based on Scripture. In addition, many Saints are quoted. Yet the thing that caught me was the quote on the cover by St. Therese of Lisieux, who said: “Reading this book was one of the greatest graces of my life.”

Saturday, December 8, 2017

I am a poser (the word Bear Woznick used to described men who try to pretend to be something there not). I feel like that anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been called a Catholic zealot. But I don’t think I am. Not after hearing the story of Mary Wagner yesterday. Now she is a real Christian.

Hearing about Mary Wagner reminds me of a quote: “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!” -St. Catherine of Sienna

So why isn’t the world ablaze?

If just 100 good church going Catholic men and women went out today, Saturday, December 9, 2017, and sat down in the waiting rooms of abortion death mills all over the United States and offered the women there a red rose and told them there was an alternative to killing there child? What would happen? Could we find 100 people in all the parishes in the country to do this?

What about 1000?

Let’s really stretch that, 10,000 good Catholics. What would happen? Do you think this would get the attention of the national media? Who cares about that, would it save any children?

I am as guilty, myself, for thinking that “someone else will do this.” Lots of other people are involved in the pro life movement, right? They don’t need me, what can I do anyway? Well, if we as Catholics are going to take our faith seriously, and live our faith, why don’t we stand up for the unborn?

There are 17,651 Catholic parishes in the United States in 196 geographical dioceses. What if just one person from each parish was arrested today for witnessing the Gospel at an abortion clinic. What would happen, if every Saturday, in 2018, one person for every parish in the United States was arrested at an abortion facility? What would that say to our culture of death?

Here I am, sitting an writing this today. Let’s put words into action, will you meet me next week at the local abortion clinic and pray the rosary for the women, unborn children, and staff of the clinic?

Let’s set the world ablaze!

Detroit-Saturday, November 18, 2017

Joy, yes, really the only way to describe everything:

So, it has been over a week, and I still can’t figure out what to say. I was there, I experienced something which I have never experienced before. I have reflected and prayed about this, but how to describe it? Surreal, joyful. Those are the only words I can really find. You can read about what happened lots of places on the web, like here or here.

There are lots of facts, but you can read those other places, what really happened? Well, honestly, the Holy Spirit is the main thing that happened. Joy, starting several hours and miles from Mass at Ford Field on Saturday, and lasting well into the next week. That is it, and that is everything. I am so glad I attended and I just pray that I can spread that gladness and joy to everyone I meet everyday. I know I fail at this, but I pray that I can do better.

To the world this Joy, happiness, this peace, is completely out of place and seems stupid and silly. I know, I have been told as much by many people. They ask “why are you so happy?” Well, sometimes, no matter what happens, yes, no matter what, you just can’t keep from smiling. This reminds me of 1 Peter 3:15 …..Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.

That is just about all I have to say, but this is enough, the more I write about this, the less I say. This was awesome and I am so glad I went.

May God bless you in Jesus Christ,

Your brother

Mark

Who are Radical Catholics?

From: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radical

Definition of radical

1 :of, relating to, or proceeding from a root: such as a (1) :of or growing from the root of a plant radical tubers (2) :growing from the base of a stem, from a rootlike stem, or from a stem that does not rise above the ground radical leaves

b :of, relating to, or constituting a linguistic root

c :of or relating to a mathematical root

d :designed to remove the root of a disease or all diseased and potentially diseased tissue radical surgery radical mastectomy

2 :of or relating to the origin :fundamental

3 a :very different from the usual or traditional :extreme

b :favoring extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutions

c :associated with political views, practices, and policies of extreme change

d :advocating extreme measures to retain or restore a political state of affairs the radical right

4 slang :excellent, cool

— radicalness noun

Radical Christianity, radical Catholics, yes that is me. I am a radical Catholic. Or, at least I am trying to be. Work in progress you might say.

Ok, I first heard about this the other day while listing to the radio. “Do something radical brothers and sisters, we need to shake up and startle the world; pray, fast, go to Adoration, celebrate Reconciliation, ……” You get the picture.

Well, that didn’t do much to start me on this path, no, not until I heard, the very next day, when I was listing to Deep Adventure Radio with  Bear Woznick. He talked with Jason Jones, one of the authors of a new book: The World on Fire, a Whole life Reader, by by Jason Jones,‎ John Zmirak.

Bear challenges men to gritty and deep masculine christianity. I agree with him when he says, “The most radical thing you can do in life is abandon yourself to the wild adventure of God’s Will”. It is a wild adventure, in fact, when I decided God’s Will was way more important than my will (yes I still have to work on this everyday) it has become, “good morning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, how are you going to surprise me today.”

So, what will I do that is radical this week? I am going to Reconciliation this afternoon at 3 pm. I am going to daily Mass everyday this week. I will spend a hour tomorrow in Adoration. And, I guess most of all I will be going to Detroit this weekend for the  beatification of Father Solanus Casey at Ford Field. To me, none of this seems radical. But to my non Catholic friends and especially my friends who don’t attend any kind of church, all this seems at best a colossal wast of time and at worst signs that my mental health may be in question.

Finally, read the second definition above. Doses it remind you or anything from scripture?. What about  John 15: 5  where Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches. Jesus is radical! The Saints are radical, I am going to be radical too.

And, yes, at least for me, starting this blog is radical.