Welcome Home Newsleter

The Catholic Christian Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 1

Welcome Home!

December 2008

Inside this issue:

Economic Woes Starts Some People On The Road Home The state of the world economy, coupled with personal economic woes has become the catalyst that is starting some people back on the road to the Jesus and the Roman Catholic Church. For the longest time Americans have thought of themselves as immune to the strife of the modern economic system. The stock market crash and the credit crunch has now affected the average family in ways that seemed impossible even a year ago.

John 3:16 and You

2

The Our Father

2

The Act of Contrition

2

Carrying the Cross

3

I Am Angry at the Church

3

The simple fact is that Jesus is waiting for you to come back to Him. He cares about YOU and your family and your problems. He is never more then arms length away, just call to Him and He will come. Will he be able to solve all of your problems? We have to remember that God looks at us from the perspective of heaven and He is more concerned with our eternity and the salvation of our souls. But, He also is a loving God and wants you to talk to Him as a friend, no fancy prayers are needed, just speak to him. This newsletter contains several articles that you will find helpful to guide you on the road back to Jesus.

Calling us home

PRAYER— THE FIRST STEP ON THE JOURNEY

Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have in this world. We have to make an appointment to speak to a doctor or the president of the United States but we have instant access to the ruler or the universe through the process called prayer. Prayer is the

lifting up of our hearts and minds to God. He hears each one of us individually and always answers prayers. The answers are not always what we want to hear. There are 3 basic answers, Yes (we love this one), No (we don't like this one so much) and Wait—the hard-

est one of all. But prayer does not have to be fancy or formal. Just talk to the Lord as if He were your friend, because He is. His answers may surprise you!

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 2

What’s With John 3:16 “For

God so loved the world that He sent His only beloved Son…”

These few simple words capture the whole of the Spirit of God. God’s response to us is always love. Un-love is the only thing God chooses to be incapable of, because it is completely foreign to his nature. His love for us is independent of any response on our part. It is not like the love between spouses. The love between spouses, no matter how long it lasts on this earth, had a beginning, a point in time where we can point to and say; “This is when I fell in love with her (him).” God’s love on the other hand can never end because it never had a point in time where we can make the statement; “This is where God’s love began.” God’s love, was, is, and will be forever. Think back now to the day in your life when sin was your master, the day you were farthest away from God. Think back to that day when you sinned and did not care that you sinned. Think back to the day when you made your will superior to God’s. On that day, your soul was as far away from God as it ever could get. Yet, God’s love for you had not changed one iota! God loves you the same on the day of darkness as he does on the days when you do his will. He loved you even when you did not love Him. His response to us does not depend on our actions towards him. God is love. Then what is the point of doing what is right if God’s love for us never changes? Is it so we can enter heaven? No, heaven is a free gift, purchased for us by the obedience of God’s Son. No, we should do what is right because it is right and we know that it will please God. We are called to respond to others as God responds to us. Our response must be love. Our loving response will also help us to become whole people. A person in sin is a divided person. A person that is following the will of God is a whole person. This is where we get the word holy. A holy person is one whose loyalties are not divided between heaven and earth. We are all called to holiness because we are called to be whole, to be undivided as God is. So the simple fact is that God is waiting on YOU. The first step to coming home is to want to come home, to want to be friends with God. Take that first step today and acknowledge that you are dependant on Him and that you want to be His friend. Then contact your local Catholic Church, make an appointment to speak with the pastor or another priest. The main thing is, now that you have started on your journey, do not turn your back. Keep moving forward. Pray, pray and pray some more. Read your Bible, not whole books, just a passage here and there, let them sink in and let Jesus speak to you through his Word.

For God so loved me that He sent His only beloved

The Our Father Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, Amen. Act of Contrition Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. And I detest all of my sins because of thy just punishments. But most of all because they offend they my God who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

Welcome Home!

Page 3

Carrying The Cross In modern life we have many cares and worries. We worry about our finances, about our health, about our jobs and ten thousand other things. Each of these worries and concerns are crosses we are to bear and to join our sufferings with those of Christ who died on the cross for us and for the sins we committed. Carrying a cross is never easy, especially for those of us used to comfort and ease. But, the crosses are there and we have to bear them so we have a

choice. We can bear them willproblems that you cannot solve ingly or not, but we will have to on your own, contact your parbear them. If we cannot bear ish. They have access to many them cheerfully then different resources we need to bear them that can help in cerbravely. We need not tain situations. At bear them alone. Jethe very least, sharsus is there to help ing the burden will us. He has provided help you cope with it. prayer and His Church But no matter if it is to help us. Prayer a spiritual or physical may not change the need, help can be as situation we find ourclose as the phone or selves in, but it may a visit to your Cathochange how we look The Cross of Christ lic parish. Peace be at it. If you have to you!

I’ve Been Away A Long Time Very often a person will want have been waiting for you! to come back to When you were baptiz ed a the Church but he Catholic it was or she will say forever. So that they have I have been away 20, 30, 40 even though been away 20, 30 years, This is okay...remember the Prodigal Son? you have been or 40 years. That away, you have is okay. Come not lost your home anyway, we

citizenship. Come back and claim your inheritance, for you are a child of the King. Remember the Prodigal Son? The Father spent his time watching for the wayward one to come home and welcomed him with open arms. The Church is ready to welcome you home.

But I am Angry At The Church It is a sad fact that some people have had bad experiences with the Church. It could be that they were a victim of abuse, or a priest that just did not understand a situation or a marriage problem, a misunderstanding. No matter what, isn’t it time that the matter be set straight? Not all problems can be made to go away but they can be discussed and you can come to a better understanding of why something is the way it is. Often times what keeps people away from the church is misunderstanding of what church teaching

and doctrine is. Contact your parish and make an appointment to sit down and talk about your circumstances. Do not let pride stand in the way of your homecoming. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven except the one that is not confessed and repented of. The Church is a place where love is preached and hopefully practiced. If you are angry with the Vatican City—Headquarters of God’s Church on Earth church, you owe it to yourself to attempt to reconcile with her. The first step is up to you. Contact your parish today and make that first step.,

Welcome Home Newsletter

This newsletter is NOT an official publication of the Roman Catholic Church. All opinions expressed are those of the writer We are NOT affiliated with the website shown below be we heartily recommend it

http://www.catholicscomehome.org Come Home We Miss You!