catholic living – Walk in Trust

Piety

2816 In the New Testament, the word basileia can be translated by “kingship” (abstract noun), “kingdom” (concrete noun) or “reign” (action noun). The Kingdom of God lies ahead of us. It is brought near in the Word incarnate, it is proclaimed throughout the whole Gospel, and it has come in Christ’s death and Resurrection. The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper and, in the Eucharist, it is in our midst.

The kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to his Father:
It may even be . . . that the Kingdom of God means Christ himself, whom we daily desire to come, and whose coming we wish to be manifested quickly to us. For as he is our resurrection, since in him we rise, so he can also be understood as the Kingdom of God, for in him we shall reign.86

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Through pious eyes, we can glimpse at the kingdom that is already at hand, and see the holiness that already exists right here and now, even if sometimes those same eyes are filled with tears due to all of the decay that has been brought about by man’s sinfulness, and yet we still proceed with a heart filled with hope. We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!

“But piety is not naiveté, and impiety sees wrongly. As the pious walk along the valley floor, they see evil but know the dawn will appear and be triumphant. Their penetrating glance of faith captures luminous rays hidden from the human retina. The impious see evil and now that goodness does not always win. They contemplate how by late afternoon the sky will darken, and soon the night’s firmament will be void of star.” –Mary’s Mantle Consecration.

Discipline

The Illumination of Conscience

1776 “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”47

… 1779 It is important for every person to be sufficiently present to himself in order to hear and follow the voice of his conscience. This requirement of interiority is all the more necessary as life often distracts us from any reflection, self-examination or introspection:

Return to your conscience, question it. . . . Turn inward, brethren, and in everything you do, see God as your witness.5
Catechism of the Catholic Church

We’ve been hearing a lot about an ‘illumination of conscience’, this is what the Lord wants for us, whether it’s coming in one fell swoop over society, we gradually come upon it, or we merely happen on to it as we draw our last breath. It will happen. This illumination like a lamp that is lit in a dark room, not only shows us the true beauty that we have been surrounded by, but will also show the dust that we’ve allowed to accumulate.

The more dust and dirt in our little room, the more anxiety and sadness we’ll experience at seeing how much has stood in our way of seeing things clearly. But God is a loving and forgiving God…He will not only show us the true beauty in our midst, He will help us clean up the messes that we’ve allowed to grow. This my friends is why we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation…Confession. We need to be willing to part with the dust (our sins) in order to embrace the true beauty before us (the Kingdom of Heaven).

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 3:2

Please watch the following video about “What You Don’t Know but Need to Know about Confession and Joy”

Constancy

2045 Because they are members of the Body whose Head is Christ,⁸⁹ Christians contribute to building up the Church by the constancy of their convictions and their moral lives. The Church increases, grows, and develops through the holiness of her faithful, until “we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”⁹⁰ (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

It’s not the things that you do once in a while that make the biggest impact, but those that you do continuously and even sacrificially at times. If God puts something in Your heart, just put your blinders on and work at it with determination. Don’t look to the world for support, it’s more than likely that you won’t get it. It’s ok. God has given you everything you need to accomplish anything that He asks of you. Work at it, leave the results to Him.

Fortitude

1808 Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to
overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer
fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to
renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause. "The Lord is my strength
and my song."⁷⁰ "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world."⁷¹ (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

This special virtue is given to us to combat ‘vice’. In Portuguese the word ‘viceo’, means a habit or an addiction, while the English word has taken a more dire twist. But let’s aim to combat all ‘vices’. Even the little things that we hardly ever give a second thought to, can eventually trap us. Luckily we have Fortitude which is a gift of the Holy Spirit to see us through all of it.

Since we are starting our steps with the SELF, begin by listening to your body. What things do you know are causing you harm but you just can’t seem to quit. Ask the Holy Spirit for an extra portion of fortitude.

Please watch the following video by Christine Watkins from Queen of Peace Media.