Day 26 – 2.5 hours     471.5 to go

Paul’s correction of the Galatians in chapters 2: & 3 (first reading in OOR) is very basic to our witness as people of faith in a world that does not really know Catholicism and what our theology teaches related to our salvation –

the evangelicals believe that we must publicly accept Christ as our Savior and be born again of the Spirit – they don’t have very good answers as to what “born again” looks like except that we must have answered an altar call and attend Wednesday and Sunday praise and worship services – on the other hand, there seems to be lots of Catholics that still believe that your place in heaven is tied to observance of the ten commandments, confession if we break the rules, and then repeating the cycle of sinning and confessing; & as long as we have confessed any mortal sins and only have venial sins on our souls; we have a “chance” to go to heaven

the answer, I believe, lies smack dab in the middle of the two common beliefs – first and foremost, we must believe as evangelicals do in the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus; but then as Catholics add Mary’s favor as immaculately conceived, assumed into heaven, and soon to be stressed, Mary’s role as co-redeemer.  we believe that we are saved by faith but we also believe that we have to do something about it – we believe, as I have been spouting about, that we are called to accept this salvation by living as Christ  did – He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life & we believe that “we must put on the new man” (Eph 4:24) – we will hear soon on Ash Wednesday, “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” – it’s time I personally took this to heart and hold myself to a higher standard – it can be done – our Savior continually pours grace from his open side and I must let myself be bathed in it & stop justifying my weakness and get a grip – Michael; it’s about trust, it’s about humility, it’s about detachment - it’s about continuing to pray & LISTEN & SEE what God is trying to tell me and show me – Please pray for me –

yesterdays first psalm during morning prayer was 119, “They are happy whose life is blameless, who follow God’s law!  They are happy who do His will, seeking Him with all their hearts, who NEVER do anything evil; but walk in His ways. – Mark’s gospel yesterday @ Mass reaffirmed all of this, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”

I read two chapters in Divine Intimacy, Voluntary Poverty & The Spirit of Poverty.  They addressed a sin that I struggled with for a long, long time; detachment from material things and a sad belief that “making it” was about importance in the world and having a big car and a big house, and a Rolex, and a timeshare in Aruba, and ...… - what a silly boy I was – thank you Lord for changing my values, thank you Lord for the peace of knowing that I must accumulate things for holiness and not things related to my bank account

My chaplet was for the people of Haiti and my rosary was for the Men’s ACTS team who met for the first time last evening to prepare for our May retreat.

Peace