Day 36
Saving Grace: (30 Seconds) If you accept the challenge of becoming a saint, the enemy will attack you. Ask for help and protection.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
Athletics: (3 minutes) We will use the acronym S.P.O.R.T.S to focus on 6 virtues that will keep you focused all 40 days. Virtue of the day: Repetition...
Questions of the day: Why is it an obligation to go to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days? Why is it a mortal sin to miss Mass? I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says it is./ . I am a spiritual person, I talk to God all the time I feel that I am a Good Person and not going to Mass is not going to stop me from going to Heaven. There are plenty of good people that are not Catholic ~ I don't believe because they do not have the same beliefs as Catholics do they will not go to heaven. There is but ONE God. So guess this is not a question ~ just my confusion.
These are great questions. Just because the bible doesn't mention "missing Mass is a grave sin" doesn't mean it isn't true. The bible doesn't mention the Trinity, but we still believe in the Trinity. We have scripture and Tradition to guide us. The bible clearly states that Jesus gave authority to the Church he established. The bible describes the Mass in many places, including the book of Revelation. (See Scott Hahn's "The Lamb's Supper") The bible is very clear about keeping the Sabbath, and the New Testament fulfills a great deal of what we read about in the Old Testament, and the Mass comes from Old testament traditions. The Jews worshiped every Sabbath. As mentioned previously, for a sin to be mortal, the sin must be grave, the person must know it is grave, and they must freely act on it. We can say missing Mass is a grave sin, but to determine whether it is a mortal sin is difficult because we don't know the person's knowledge and will. Just because a person is not "Catholic" by name doesn't mean they wont go to heaven. They may just be missing out on a lot of graces through no fault of their own. So why is it a mortal sin for an informed and educated Catholic to miss Mass? It is not because it is an arbitrary rule to follow. The Church wants us to be saints, her goal is to get us to heaven. Why is attendance required at school? Is it because teachers are mean and want to collect a paycheck or is it because they want their students to learn and know what they need to know? Why is practice mandatory for someone who joins the basketball team? Is it to make the coaches feel high and mighty...or is it because the coaches want their team to be successful and be the best basketball team they can be? Going to Mass doesn't help God, it helps us. When people offered sacrifices in the Old Testament, it wasn't because God had this thirst for blood and it made him mightier every time an animal was slaughtered. Sacrifice doesn't help God, it helps us. You can't get a proper education by just showing up to class when you feel like it...you can't become a great athlete by just showing up to practice when you feel like it...and you can't become the saint God created you to be without worshiping God as a community, keeping Holy the Sabbath, and soaking in the power of the sacramental grace...most especially the Eucharist. The Mass is the source and summit of our entire faith. Holy mother Church wants you to be a saint. That is why Sunday Mass is mandatory. It is not just a Sunday obligation....it is a Sunday opportunity. Your life should revolve around it. It is our human nature to worship God in the way he requests, not just any way we make up. Praying at home is good, but it doesn't compare to what takes place at Mass. The Mass is literally Heaven on earth, a foretaste of the Kingdom to come. If you don't have time for Sunday Mass, then you don't have time for heaven. You quickly can get too busy worshiping the things of this world. Sometimes I am afraid to tell people that it is considered a grave sin to purposely miss Mass on Sunday. It just seems like ignorance is bliss, and as long as they don't know it is a serious sin then they can't be held accountable. However, that is like refusing to tell a new driver that their car needs gas because you know they aren't going to want to fill it up and pay for the gas. Ignorance is not bliss. If they don't put gas in their car, eventually it will die...and if you were responsible for telling them but didn't out of fear or convenience....then you will be held accountable for that. If you are a parent, your children need to know it is a grave sin to miss Sunday Mass (and they need to know why..."because I said so" is not the right reason). They must make their own choice when they go out into the world, but it needs to be an informed choice. They should know it is something they spiritually need, like they need air to breathe. The Church is a family. A family that prays together stays together. It is not just me and Jesus. We are in this together.
If you struggle to understand how God sees Sunday Mass, go back and read the story on Day 13 under Need to Know Him. http://www.saintsinthemaking.com/day-13.html Or read about the lives of the countless martyrs, such as St Margaret Clitherow, who gave their life simply so they could go to Mass. They preferred death over being denied Mass.
INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL (56 Minutes) Watch session 7 of the Great Adventure Bible Study: The Return and The Maccabean Revolt....the story continues. https://www.youtube.com/enhance?video_referrer=watch&v=f_o64a0m3_Y
Need to Know Him: (10 Seconds) This prayer is powerful and timeless. Say it often.
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
.
Theology of the Body: (30 seconds) Love is a choice...not just a feeling. Jesus never said, "If you love me, feel all warm and fuzzy inside." He said, "If you love me, feed my sheep." He said, "If you love me, obey my commandments." He said, "What you did for the least of my people, you did it for me." He didn't just tell us how to love, he showed us. On Good Friday, you will see what love is. In your life, choose to love.
Sacrifice and Service: (3 minutes) Story of the Day
The Three Trees
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing
their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be
a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems.
I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see
the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship.
I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of
the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my
hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and
straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I Should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he Knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed Box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it. The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. (author unknown)
To become a saint, you might have to give up some of your plans to do God's plans....sometimes you might even have to give up your plan on how to become a saint.
Saving Grace: (30 Seconds) If you accept the challenge of becoming a saint, the enemy will attack you. Ask for help and protection.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
Athletics: (3 minutes) We will use the acronym S.P.O.R.T.S to focus on 6 virtues that will keep you focused all 40 days. Virtue of the day: Repetition...
Questions of the day: Why is it an obligation to go to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days? Why is it a mortal sin to miss Mass? I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says it is./ . I am a spiritual person, I talk to God all the time I feel that I am a Good Person and not going to Mass is not going to stop me from going to Heaven. There are plenty of good people that are not Catholic ~ I don't believe because they do not have the same beliefs as Catholics do they will not go to heaven. There is but ONE God. So guess this is not a question ~ just my confusion.
These are great questions. Just because the bible doesn't mention "missing Mass is a grave sin" doesn't mean it isn't true. The bible doesn't mention the Trinity, but we still believe in the Trinity. We have scripture and Tradition to guide us. The bible clearly states that Jesus gave authority to the Church he established. The bible describes the Mass in many places, including the book of Revelation. (See Scott Hahn's "The Lamb's Supper") The bible is very clear about keeping the Sabbath, and the New Testament fulfills a great deal of what we read about in the Old Testament, and the Mass comes from Old testament traditions. The Jews worshiped every Sabbath. As mentioned previously, for a sin to be mortal, the sin must be grave, the person must know it is grave, and they must freely act on it. We can say missing Mass is a grave sin, but to determine whether it is a mortal sin is difficult because we don't know the person's knowledge and will. Just because a person is not "Catholic" by name doesn't mean they wont go to heaven. They may just be missing out on a lot of graces through no fault of their own. So why is it a mortal sin for an informed and educated Catholic to miss Mass? It is not because it is an arbitrary rule to follow. The Church wants us to be saints, her goal is to get us to heaven. Why is attendance required at school? Is it because teachers are mean and want to collect a paycheck or is it because they want their students to learn and know what they need to know? Why is practice mandatory for someone who joins the basketball team? Is it to make the coaches feel high and mighty...or is it because the coaches want their team to be successful and be the best basketball team they can be? Going to Mass doesn't help God, it helps us. When people offered sacrifices in the Old Testament, it wasn't because God had this thirst for blood and it made him mightier every time an animal was slaughtered. Sacrifice doesn't help God, it helps us. You can't get a proper education by just showing up to class when you feel like it...you can't become a great athlete by just showing up to practice when you feel like it...and you can't become the saint God created you to be without worshiping God as a community, keeping Holy the Sabbath, and soaking in the power of the sacramental grace...most especially the Eucharist. The Mass is the source and summit of our entire faith. Holy mother Church wants you to be a saint. That is why Sunday Mass is mandatory. It is not just a Sunday obligation....it is a Sunday opportunity. Your life should revolve around it. It is our human nature to worship God in the way he requests, not just any way we make up. Praying at home is good, but it doesn't compare to what takes place at Mass. The Mass is literally Heaven on earth, a foretaste of the Kingdom to come. If you don't have time for Sunday Mass, then you don't have time for heaven. You quickly can get too busy worshiping the things of this world. Sometimes I am afraid to tell people that it is considered a grave sin to purposely miss Mass on Sunday. It just seems like ignorance is bliss, and as long as they don't know it is a serious sin then they can't be held accountable. However, that is like refusing to tell a new driver that their car needs gas because you know they aren't going to want to fill it up and pay for the gas. Ignorance is not bliss. If they don't put gas in their car, eventually it will die...and if you were responsible for telling them but didn't out of fear or convenience....then you will be held accountable for that. If you are a parent, your children need to know it is a grave sin to miss Sunday Mass (and they need to know why..."because I said so" is not the right reason). They must make their own choice when they go out into the world, but it needs to be an informed choice. They should know it is something they spiritually need, like they need air to breathe. The Church is a family. A family that prays together stays together. It is not just me and Jesus. We are in this together.
If you struggle to understand how God sees Sunday Mass, go back and read the story on Day 13 under Need to Know Him. http://www.saintsinthemaking.com/day-13.html Or read about the lives of the countless martyrs, such as St Margaret Clitherow, who gave their life simply so they could go to Mass. They preferred death over being denied Mass.
INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL (56 Minutes) Watch session 7 of the Great Adventure Bible Study: The Return and The Maccabean Revolt....the story continues. https://www.youtube.com/enhance?video_referrer=watch&v=f_o64a0m3_Y
Need to Know Him: (10 Seconds) This prayer is powerful and timeless. Say it often.
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
.
Theology of the Body: (30 seconds) Love is a choice...not just a feeling. Jesus never said, "If you love me, feel all warm and fuzzy inside." He said, "If you love me, feed my sheep." He said, "If you love me, obey my commandments." He said, "What you did for the least of my people, you did it for me." He didn't just tell us how to love, he showed us. On Good Friday, you will see what love is. In your life, choose to love.
Sacrifice and Service: (3 minutes) Story of the Day
The Three Trees
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing
their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be
a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems.
I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see
the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship.
I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of
the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my
hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and
straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I Should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he Knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed Box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it. The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. (author unknown)
To become a saint, you might have to give up some of your plans to do God's plans....sometimes you might even have to give up your plan on how to become a saint.
