An article from Catholic Online:
http://www.catholic.org/news/blog/story.php?id=53070
Yes, it's a strange world we live in. Is it possible for you to look for good role models other places than in the secular media? I hope you will think about it and start (or continuing) to look for good catholic role models either among the living or by the saints. I try the best I can. It's much more difficult to live one's faith today than it was before, but Jesus has said: "But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Mt 24:13).
That doesn't
mean to be perfect. God has left his "Mercy Seat" with us, the confessional. So
there is always a way back if we want it when we have missed the sight of our end goal, to be with God, the angels and the saints forever.
God bless!
mandag 11. november 2013
tirsdag 5. november 2013
# 26 – After such a long time we will have to repeat. IV
Continued
from blogpost 25:
After
thinking a bit about the beauty God has laid down in you (if you
are a former reader to the blog), I think it is wise to take a quick
look at blogpost # 10 and #11 to see if anything has changed in
you regarding the question: «Is
it difficult to believe because there are so many religions and you
don't know what to believe anymore?» That
was the first question I presented to you in the beginning (#3).
In
blogpost # 10 I tried to show that there might be positive aspects in other religions, but that they lack the redemption of Christ:
The
next post is called: #
11 – Why Catholic? (continuation from # 10).
In
the posts #13 and #14 I try to give some thoughts to this question
from blogpost #3: «Is
it because others have pointed out to you that they don't like the
«cruel god» in the OT?»
Blogpost
#13:
Blogpost
#14:
Now, when
the repetition has come so far, there are no more old questions to
repeat (if you have felt the need for a repetition).
That
means that both you and me can continue with the next questions
I advised you to think about in the beginning. (And new readers begin at the beginning, blogpost # 1 or there about).
Let's
continue with fresh eyes and thoughts. (No more repetitions). I feel
that I have built a bridge between my former posts and my new
entrances. I hope the readers feel the same. At least I feel that I
can let you have some time to get used to the blog again. See you
later (days or a week or two).
Here
I want to post a prayer:
+Dear
God, you know that I write this blog
to
try to help those who need to think
about
some important questions
in
a simple way before they
move
on ...
Oh,
Lord my God,
Please
help both reader
and
writer to
be
able to do this
in a way that is beneficial.
AMEN+
# 25 – After such a long time we will have to repeat. III
Continued
from blogpost #24:
That
post ended like this: «The
question that we always have to ask ourselves (either if we are
studying, working, parenting, doing sports and so on ) is: Am I doing
this only for myself? How can I include God in this?»
If
we don't ask these questions there are sure somebody who wants us to be still and not ask them. In blogpost #7 I break all modern
norms by talking about the Devil and referring to a book written
by Father Fanzaga: «The Deceiver – Our Daily Struggle With Satan».
The
fallen angel is a catholic dogma which we are supposed to
believe if we are not to be called heretics. Dogma 62 says: «Our
first parents became subject to death and to the dominion of the
Devil». Scary isn't it? Well it would be if we hadn't had the good
angels to protect us. That they are her to protect us is stated in
dogma 69.
There
are priests that think that the youth are so full of anxiety that
they have to spared from hearing the truth about the devil. This is pure foolishness and it is to underestimate
the youth. The devil cannot do anything without our free will to
follow his lead, but if people don't know about the devils existence
or think he is some ridiculous figure from a fairytale,
they have no ways to prevent themselves from his bites. To not
know of this evil spirit is much more dangerous. My experience with
the youth is that they appreciate honesty. Well, the devil is
part
of the catholic dogmas!
Link
to blogpost # 7 about the Fallen angel:
After
talking about the devil, I asked a very important question in
blogpost #8. I asked: «What is the most beautiful about you?» May
be it's wise to think about your beautiful traits? They are laid down
in you from God from your beginning in your mothers womb, and they
are developed more by you after you were born and grow up. It might
happen that there are more beauty in you then you are aware of.
I think I will link to blogpost #8 too:
Well,
if you are going to think about the beauty that is laid down in
you, I suppose you have a little (big) job to do.
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I
don't know if you are an "old reader" here or just a person who found this blog
now. If you are new I advice you to go to blogpost #1 and take it
slowly from there as if the blog is a book. If you are only
repeating, I suppose you have your old notes and can jump in and take
it from here.
To
be continued.
# 24 – After such a long time we will have to repeat. II
Continued
from the first part ...
So
far we have summed up that if one wants to give faith a chance after
leaving it or when one is in deep doubt, it would be wise to picture
oneself as a trusting child (dwell for some moments in that feeling),
then to reflect of what has happened between then and now (how
one has come to this stage of doubt or unbelief if one are there). I
presented a row of questions to answer (if it was this or that that
eventually had caused the doubt or loss of faith).
In
blogpost #4 I tried to present my point with humor. I had
forgotten to put my name on the blog, and the posts came out signed
«About me». This led me to think about that this is really
the collective shouting from the Western World to day. Everything
is centered around us. That's what the world teach us. The
anti-God world is wrong. We are supposed to be centered about
God. The question is: What does God want from me, not how much can I
get from God.
To
understand how important this is we have to see that those who don't
believe in God, don't need to question what the purpose of life is
either. But we who, even if we doubt, deep within have faith in God,
need to ask that question.
God
created us because he wanted us. Our destiny is to be with HIM. All
that we do should be centered around that. It is not about me, but
about God and how we can do our best to follow His will!
We
have to take a lot of decisions in our lives, from how to do our
homework in school, - how to prepare for our Confirmation, - how to
chose how we want to earn our living (what education) - how to chose
the one we are to marry, - how to raise our children, - how to do
this and how to do that ....
Of
course it is about us when we want to find out if we want to be a
dentist or a doctor, a salesperson or a carpenter. But we are
supposed to pray for God's help while trying to find out were we
think we can do our best. Later on, when we have found a job, we have
to do that job as good as we can, because that is what God wants of
us.
The
question that we always have to ask ourselves (either if we are
studying, working, parenting, doing sports and so on ) is: Am I doing
this only for myself? How can I include God in this?
To
be continued ...
mandag 4. november 2013
# 23 – After such a long time we will have to repeat. I
In
blogpost # 2 I asked you to find a picture of yourself as a
child and to try to remember how it was to trust God.
I
wrote: «(This
blogpost was meant for those who have fallen away or who have come
into a period of doubting. If you never was thought to believe you
can still think back trying to remember some episodes in your
life with complete trust in someone. It is how it feels to trust I
want you to reflect on, not on good or bad consequences of your
trust).»
This
is important because Jesus himself has said: «Amen,
I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not
enter the kingdom of heaven» (Mt
18:3).
In
the next blogpost (# 3) I asked this question: «What is your problem
with faith?» and gave you these options:
- Is it difficult to believe because there are so many religions and you don't know what to believe anymore?
- Is it because others have pointed out to you that they don't like the «cruel god» in the OT?
- Is it because you feel ashamed of being a believer among atheists (No valid proof)?
- Is it because of all the scandals in the Church that have been uncovered in the last years?
- Do you feel that the Bible is outdated and was written for people of another time?
- You don't believe in authority?
- Are you angry at God because He took something from you (your friend, your job or something else)?
- Private reasons?
I
asked you to write down your reasons: «When
you have written it down, please try to think about what has changed
since you were a strong believer as a child (if
you were that. It might also happen that nobody thought you to
believe and that your problem is if it's worth trying to believe in
God).»
The reason for writing down your answers and think about the difference between now and then was because it could be good to have something written down to look back to and to have an opportunity to reflect upon what happened in between that had (for the time being) ended in doubt or non-belief.
I
said: «...
to remember how it was before your faith was covered with clouds».
To
be continued ...
søndag 3. november 2013
# 22 - I'm sorry!
I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to follow up my blog. There are more than one reason for that, but the one who perhaps counts most is that I have been sick for parts of the time that has gone and have had very little energy to my disposition. My energy is still not at the top, but I hope to continue my blog in the nearest future.
For new readers: This blog is not to be read as blogs usually are read. It is a blog I write as some form of "Thank You" to the Lord for calling me home to the Catholic Church. I'm Norwegian and raised in what was often called The Norwegian State's Church. It's a Lutheran church and it is no longer a State Church. It's official name is "Den norske kirke" (The Norwegian Church).
I was a God believing person since I was a little child. I used to take God seriously. Still I lost my faith when I came in contact with those who claim that God doesn't exist. If losing faith could happen to me, it can happen to everybody if they are not careful enough. God, however is love and seek out his children like Jesus told us in the parable of the lost sheep (Lk 15:4-7).
I answered yes to Gods call when I was called back and prayed for being led on the right path. That resulted in being led to become a member of the Catholic Church after some years.
Since I know how easy it is to be led away from Christ, I have wanted to help others to not leave God or to find back to God's path. In some sense I felt that was what God was calling me to do after I had been received into the Church. It was so strong feelings and thoughts that came up inside me, that it was difficult to explain it in other ways then that this was what God wanted me to do .As a matter of fact I protested and asked for something else to do. These thoughts didn't stop until I agreed to do so when I would be ready to do it. I think we all have our purpose in life and may be this is one of mine. If God really wants me to write He will help. When writing this I have been catholic for more then eleven years, have done a lot of reading and been through some Bible studies and more. I'm educated as a Psychologist. I have prepared children for their first communion for about 7 school years. So that's me, an ordinary catholic who like to read and have been enrolled in some Bible studies as I suppose many others have been too. I cannot guarantee that my English writing will be perfect (after all it's not my first language), but I hope that it is not so awful that it will scare you away ...
I hope I can be of some help and look forward to continue the writing as soon as possible. I will not write every day, but posts will come ....
While waiting for me to continue, may be it's an idea that you repeat the topics?
(This presentation was for new readers who have not read the "About me" (Om meg). It is also meant to remind old readers about what this is all about).
God bless you all!
onsdag 13. mars 2013
# 21 - HABEMUS PAPAM!
HABEMUS PAPAM.
I'm so happy that we have got pope Francis from Argentina as our new pope (cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio).
He is conservative in his view upon theology at the same time as he cares very much for the poor. This combination and his choice of name might be seen as a signal to the world: Don't look so much to the secular world. Be Christ like instead!
Glory to God in the Highest!
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