|
Books available at our aStore
Build a Catholic articles web site and web logs with Yahoo! Web Hosting. Learn how through downloading our free Catholic eBook. Table of contents of our Catholic eBook
|
Daily Feed The Call to Conversion Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, 'What must we do, brothers?' 'You must repent,' Peter answered 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.' He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, 'Save yourselves from this perverse generation'. They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number. (Acts 2:37-41) "Whatever Became of Sin?" In 1973, Karl Menninger, M.D., wrote a book entitled, 'Whatever Became of Sin?' The book tells us of how some psychological thinking can blur a sense of sin in ourselves and blind us to the reality of moral responsibility for our actions. It is not uncommon to say, "it's because of some personality defect or because it's his defense mechanism that's acting out or it's because of his compulsions and obsessions and mania or depression. It is true that peoples' psyches are not perfect and that the psychological constitution of people are wounded by the experiences and traumas experienced since birth. Although this is part of the reality of the imperfections many peoples' psyches, Karl Menninger reminds us that it is important to consider the moral responsibility that goes into every action flowing from the use of the free will - whether it be freely made or influenced by one's sinful environment. Awareness of One's Sinfulness When people become aware of their moral responsibility and how certain actions that have been made in the past are a result of one's sinfulness, then the journey of conversion of the self moving in the direction of God's will, the gift of His forgiveness and mercy, and the restoration of people's relationship with Him can begin. Peter tells us in the Acts of the Apostles the way to be directed towards the Lord's will: to repent and save ourselves from the perverse generations influencing us. It can mean simply having a vigilant spirit to discern what is good in the world and to avoid realities that may tempt people and lead people to the sinfulness they have turned away from. With this new direction towards God that is created by the gift of repentance, we receive the gift of new life: a life called to spread God's love and mercy in the circumstances of everyday life: acting with gestures of kindness, politeness, goodness, civility, generosity, gratitude, and blessing. "To Do as Jesus Did and Continues To Do through His Spirit in the Church" This spiritual aim can express what people can do after a conversion experience from a sinfulness that has taken them away from God's love and mercy. When people turn away from sin and do as Christ teaches, they follow Him in discipleship by a personal calling and vocation. The journey to wholeness (from wounded and broken psyches) begins and people's spiritual lives are renewed towards a life of holiness (to union with God in a life of prayer and service to Him and His Church). Many saints in the Catholic tradition have been asked, "What will you do when you know that you are to die soon?" All of them said, "I will continue to do what I am doing now." We can see how much they have already resolved to journey towards a God-directed life and depart from a sinful self. The Call to Mission All Catholics are called to the mission to spread the gospel of Christ. Many have the time to spare, and the resources to share, and the energy to work for the propagation of the Catholic faith. Those who are officially consecrated have this work full time: clergy, religious and lay missionaries who leave their families and workplaces for years of mission work. Others who are engaged in the world because of family, business, and professional lives can still take part in the propagation of the Catholic faith. One simple way to do so is through the parochial lay ministries or through charity institutions headed by the Catholic church. A novel way to do so today, in this Internet-literate world, is to use this medium for the evangelization purposes of the Catholic faith. One can start a web log and witness to others the great goodness and mercy of Christ in one's life. |