In a recent Harvard study, researchers discovered that U.S. Christianity is growing stronger. We are, after all, still “one nation under God.” With all the divisions and confusion, we are remaining steadfast in our beliefs. If you attend church more than once a week, believe in the Word of God, “The Bible,” and pray, you develop an unwavering strength. According to this study, our country enjoys “persistent and exceptional intensity” with religion.

God gave us a intellect to discern and search for truth. Attending church helps families because Jesus is in the ministry of keeping families together. This includes single parents, who can also experience the same benefits when the family is ingrafted into a solid Bible-based church. If God blessed you with children, it is your responsibility before God to give your children the gift of understanding the positive benefits of being raised with a belief in God. In order for a child to experience a balance in life, he must be taught early on how to pray. Children must be taught that they have a family in God. As parents it is your duty to instill these golden nuggets early on in life. Whatever you share about God stays in their little spirits. If a child is lacks teaching about God, statistics clearly state that he will walk away because his  faith is weak. How can we expect children to hold on to things that they were never taught?

Do you want your children to be happier and healthier? In another Harvard study from the T.H.Chan School of Public Health, researchers found that people in their 20’s attending religious services or praying daily in their youth reported greater satisfaction and positivity in life. This report followed 5,000 youth in a span between 8-14 years. This study analyzed variables such as   maternal health, socioeconomic status, and a history of substance abuse or depressive symptoms. People (ages 23-30) who attended regular church services at least once a week in childhood and adolescence,  reported 18% higher happiness as young adults than those who did not attend religious services. They were 33% less likely to use illicit drugs, and 29 % were more likely to volunteer. These statistics are not surprising to me because when you put others before yourself, you understand the Christian role of servanthood. You are too busy serving God and doing God’s work to get caught up in drug abuse and the problems that come with not serving God.

Psalms 119:9 (NKJV ) How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your word.

Those who prayed or meditated on a daily basis were 16% more likely  to report being happier as young adults. When there is a balance of God in the lives of our youth, they are 30% less prone to having sex at a young age. Forty percent of young adults who pray regularly  did not suffer sexually transmitted diseases.They do not suffer from low self-esteem or cave into peer pressure, because they are equipped with the Spirit of God as their guide.

When I taught Release Time Christian Education (a Bible-based program for public schools) I was amazed that more parents did not take advantage of the program. It was important for me to instill into the fourth-grade and fifth-grade students that they could get through life better with prayer. From my twelve years of teaching, I know that their little lives were altered for the better, because the Word of God was etched in their souls.

Junior was a fifth grader who had recently lost his mother. When I was walking the children back to class, Junior pulled me aside to tell me that he was having suicidal thoughts. I prayed with him and reported the incident to the principal of the school. I thank God for this program that made such a difference in Junior’s life. In another instance, the Lord revealed to me that a fourth-grade student was being emotionally abused, and she requested special prayer. Other students shared personal accounts with me, and I directed them to God and prayed for their needs. Some students had mothers with cancer, some had close relatives in prison, and they were operating in fear of the unknown. God’s comforting words guided all their uncertainties. Programs like Release Time have been around for over 60 years, and they remain focused on training children the way they should go.

Isaiah  40: 30-31 (NKJV)

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

My Prayer:

Dear Lord, help all parents understand the importance of Your teaching in the lives of their children. Allow them to see that only You, Lord, who can make a difference. Be the light for all families seeking direction. May Your divine mercy fall on all those who are struggling in raising rebellious children. Be their guide in their hour of darkness, and bring all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of Your mercy. Amen.

There is something unusual about my gardening. Mike does all the planting and most of the watering, but  I love to weed. I can get lost in this task because it’s therapeutic for me.

When Mike is too busy to water, I step in. As I was watering the other day, I noticed crabgrass taking over our beautiful Bermuda lawn. Maybe because of my ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), I stopped watering and started pulling out the militant grass. Crabgrass has a powerful undergound support system because when it spreads, its roots go in all directions. The roots from crabgrass have  finger- like extensions, taking hold of the ground with a strong grip. Digitaria is the proper terminology for crabgrass; digitus is the Latin word for “finger.” In order for this type of grass to be eradicated, the roots must be pulled out.

As I was bent over struggling to get the main part of one the roots, my index finger was hooked to a long root; but because the root was too strong to be yanked out, I had to get a screwdriver to help pull it out!   My fingernails were embedded with  dirt, but I did manage to clear a small patch in ridding the grass of the intruder.  I noticed an area of exposed dirt in  place of the crabgrass and thought that soon the good grass would fill the void.

Crabgrass and Bermuda grass are the same shade of green; after it’s mowed it all blends in together. But it’s when it starts to grow, that’s when the crabgrass is most noticeable. If the crabgrass is not controlled, it will eventually take over the lawn.

It came to me in prayer that this is what we need to do with our Church. We need to weed out all that is taking over and destroying Her. The weeding is a Parable: the good grass are the holy priests, and the gardeners are the intercessors. The crabgrass represents the sinners.

We must be a united force against all evils, and the fact that the Vatican  has chosen to remain silent is another insult to all of us as believers.

2  Chronicles 7:14  If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We are the intercessors for the Church. Together we can rid ourselves of these damaging weeds that are an assignment from Satan to bring down the Catholic Church.

Matthew 7:25 And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

I praise God for the investigation of the New York Attorney General. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and New Mexico have also called for investigations .  I pray that all states follow suit, and that all evil perpetrators fall like dominoes.  The faithful Catholics in the United States are not going to let this scandal be swept under the rug like the Vatican in Rome. We are the protectors of the Eucharist, and the Holy Catholic Church is our covering.

I follow the newsfeeds from the Vatican on Instagram and am amazed at all the distraction from the truth. But what surprises me most is the blindness of some of  the flock eager to dismiss this abuse by saying “Amen” to all of the Pope’s pronouncements. Are they living under rocks that they would be so passive about these atrocious sins?  I will say “Amen” when all the sin is exposed, and I will not back down because I care for all the innocent victims and want them to have their day of justice.

My Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to You with a broken spirit and ask Your intervention to clean up your Temple. Dear Lord, expose all sin and reclaim our Church. With the help of Your Blessed Mother, remove all ungodliness from the Church. We pray for the protection of the good holy priests as they continue to do their work for Your kingdom. Lord, speak to Pope Francis to do what is right in Your eyes, and order an investigation. Only You, Lord, can come to our aid, strengthen Your lay people and prepare us for this battle, for the victory is Yours.  Amen.

With Archbishop Viganò’s recent allegations of the hierarchy of the Church, we the lay people demand answers. Archbishop Viganò’s letter has disclosed  incriminating information about sexual misconduct, including homosexuality and pedophilia. This sin will not only lead the offenders to Hell, but the fact that their trasgressions have been consistently covered up is what creates this culture of evil within the Catholic Church.

These unspeakable offenses that have been brought to light for the world to see. God will no longer tolerate these heinous acts to take place. I am discouraged with the words of Pope Francis, when he stated, “I will not say a single word on that.” Pope Francis also said, “Read the statement carefully and make your own judgement.”  That is not an acceptable answer from the leader of the Church.

The Church’s teachings are infallible, but it is man that continues to corrupt the true meaning of what Jesus Christ gave us when he instituted the House of God.

^{Matthew 16:18}  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The enemy is alive and well, and living in the crevices of the Church. The pain of these sins goes back many generations because of the cover-up. The children whose lives have been robbed of their innocence and purity, they are a true sacrifice of these evil devils like McCarrick, who never deserved the title of Cardinal, let alone priest. I pray for all victims to get their justice, and that they see God’s hand on the judgement of these criminals. I pray that the statute of limitations be lifted so that every person who sinned against the innocent pays for their egregious fall from grace, even if the offenders are elderly. I also pray for all good and holy priests to be protected, so that they can continue to lead our flock in the example of Jesus, the greatest of  shepherds.

I have written to the bishop of the Orange Diocese with my great disappointment and confusion. I am a catechist at St. Norbert in the city of Orange, and have signed a petition for the Pope to come forth with an explanation of this big mess that the hierarchy has for years covered up. I thank God that every hidden sin will be uncovered once and for all. I remain a steadfast Catholic, believing God’s judgement will prevail.

Matthew 10:26 “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known.”

My letter to Pope Francis:

Your Holiness Pope Francis,

This correspondence is in regards to the allegations of Archbishop Viganò. For years I have admired you and what you have stood for. I was one of those persons that waited in line outside the Vatican for hours to see you, to take a picture of you. I was caught up by your charismatic spirit and was very excited to hear what you had to say.

Now I can only say how confused I am in your response to this matter. We need a directive from you, our Holy Father, and where you stand with all these accusations. Your Holiness, in all due respect, are you going to come forth in the defense of the victims? Where is the mercy that you often speak of? Can you not hear the cries of those in emotional pain cause by men under your leadership?

It takes a lifetime for some of these victims to come to terms with the heinous violations inflicted on them. Your Holiness, you are the chosen of God, and our Lord expects you to do what is right in the eyes of the world. When the Church needs you most, we feel abandoned by your indifference, and how you have avoided the elephant standing in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Though I am just a lay person, I have a voice that can transcend to many because I am a Blogger as well. I pray that our Church rid itself of all malice, and that every offender to be exposed. The victims cry out for justice, and we wait for you to speak on their defense. Save our Church from these evildoers and clean up the house of God once and for all. I implore you to order an independent investigation in this matter so that the truth may be revealed.

In highest respect for your service,

Lynda Ciriza

www.mycatholicrootsareshowing.com