Philippians 4:8 New King James Version (NKJV)

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

This is one of my favorite passages from the Bible. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians while he was in prison in Rome. These are simple instructions on how to grow spiritually with a foundation of love. Paul uses Jesus as the model for humility and selfless love. Paul also uses himself as an example of how to endure through trials and challenges.

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Paul’s words are a perfect recipe for living a loving Christian life. He starts with whatever is true. In this world of deception, we must always look for truth. Truth is the first ingredient because we must all operate in truth.

The word truth appears in the Bible approximately 237 times, depending on what Bible you use.

Whatever things are noble. There is no substitute to Christ, this is a lifestyle that Paul is trying to get across. To be noble is to recognize the dignity of being part of God’s creation. To be a child of God is of great nobility. if we do not recognize the nobility of ourselves and others, we are falling short on how to treat others.

“But we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

 Whatever things are just is relying on your conscience to filter out thoughts that are not Christlike. Self-discipline includes choosing words that are seasoned with love.

Whoever things are pure is to see people through the eyes of Christ. We must put into practice moral virtue, to understand how Jesus lived his life, as a perfect example of virtue. Jesus was the first liberator of women, always respecting their positions in life and giving them honor, and restoring their faith without question.

Whatever things are lovely is to find the beauty that God sees in every area of creation, especially human beings, because we are made in his image.

Whatever things are of good report is to share the Good News of the Word of God. To encourage those who are hurting with loving words. Do not attend pity parties, because the celebration is meant to bring you down too. You should instead become the friend that brings good news.

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It does not matter how bad things may appear; if we learn to meditate on this passage, the circumstances will change for the better.

Purge yourself of all that is not of God; all negative things must go. Press through, and slowly the Holy Spirit will manifest. We must clear our minds to make room for God. It is there where He will meet you. Go into the Holy of Holies in your prayer closet. What do I mean by this? In the Old Testament only the Jewish high priests were allowed to enter the most holy place. When Jesus died on the Cross the curtains from the Holy of Holies were torn in two, and now we have access to these holy things.

Ask God to lead you there, and don’t stay in the outer courts, where you can only receive a partial blessing. Seek Him until you feel His holy presence.

This is a powerful experience, but it takes discipline and perseverance. This type of growth is developed when the Lord recognizes that you are ready to eat this holy meat.

Whenever the Lord opens a new door, the enemy is right there, to distract us from going further. It could be an argument with a loved one, an illness, or anything to take your eyes off God. Remember what Peter experienced when he took his eyes off God. Peter fell into the water, in a instant, a thought of distrust took him down, and yet he was an apostle. If Peter can be distracted where does that leave us?

²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:29-30 NKJ

This Valentine’s Day I pray for Jesus to fill your heart with the true love that is noble, just, pure and lovely…give your heart to Jesus, He will never break it!

Every Democrat voted against Sen. Rand Paul’s amendment to end federal funding of Planned Parenthood, Sen. Paul explains that Plan Parenthood’s abortion business “ends the lives of 320,000 babies every year. That’s about 900 babies every day.” (Article from the Washington Examiner, April 23, 2018)

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LifeSiteNews.com reported that Planned Parenthood received more than $543 million in fiscal year 2016-2017. The site added, “It is forbidden from spending that money directly on most abortions, but pro-lifers warn that subsidies earmarked for non-abortion purposes ultimately enable abortion groups to commit more abortions by freeing up money from their other revenue services. Duke University healthcare analyst Chris Conover estimates that taxpayers end up covering almost 25 percent of all abortion costs.”

How did we get here? New York’s 2019 Reproductive Health Act doesn’t just permit abortion — it removed protections for infants born alive during an abortion attempt. And we watched it happen. How, in God’s name, does a politician who champions such a law keep getting elected? And how many Catholics and Christians handed him that victory at the ballot box?

Clichés are a coward’s exit from hard conversations. “To each his own” sounds tolerant — but tolerance of evil isn’t a virtue. It’s cowardice dressed up as charity. The Catechism is not ambiguous: since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion, and that teaching has not changed and will not change. Ignorance of that truth doesn’t just hurt the person who holds it — it shapes votes, forms culture, and costs innocent lives.

Abortion is not a political issue to me — it’s a matter of personal passion rooted in faith. Every election, I vote pro-life. The rest I leave to God. But the numbers are hard to ignore: there are very few Democratic politicians who are pro-life, yet nearly half of Catholics continue to vote for the ones who aren’t. And many Christians do the same. That is a scandal — and we should name it as one.

Some will say, “But what about the poor?” Serving the poor is not only good — it’s obligatory. Solidarity is a pillar of Catholic social teaching, and no one disputes that. But solidarity with the poor cannot justify abandoning the most defenseless human being of all: the child in the womb. You cannot claim to defend the vulnerable while voting to leave the most vulnerable of all without a voice or a chance.

The Book of Revelation warns that God will spit out the lukewarm (Rev. 3:16). Making the Sign of the Cross and receiving Holy Communion are gifts from God — but they are not a substitute for a formed conscience. No Catholic can take a “pro-choice” stand when the choice in question is the taking of an innocent life. Catholic politicians who campaign against the very teaching of the Church on human life are not just in error — they risk leading others into serious sin, and they will answer for it.

The liberal media has done its work well. It has cozied a lie deep into the spirits of too many Catholics and Christians, making them believe that caring for the poor and caring for the unborn are in competition. They are not. They are both demands of the same Gospel of Life.

The Church does not need louder voices. She needs bolder ones — Catholics formed in prayer, grounded in doctrine, and unwilling to go silent when the innocent have no one else to speak for them. Unity on this is not optional. It never was.

The call is not to rage. It is to clarity. Not to condemn persons, but to defend truth — without apology, without excuse, and without retreat.

How can the Church unite when half of her own seem lost — and when some of the shepherds themselves have lost their way? It is almost unfathomable, yet it must be said: there are priests, bishops, and even pastors who have either gone silent on abortion or actively given cover to those who promote it. How can the lay faithful be led when the leaders won’t lead? We are called to win souls — but division within the Church makes that mission nearly impossible.

And then there is the question that demands an answer: how do Catholic politicians who publicly champion abortion get away with presenting themselves for Holy Communion, Sunday after Sunday, as though nothing is wrong?

The Catechism is clear that anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before approaching Communion. Canon 915 is equally clear — those who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion. This is not a judgment about the state of a person’s soul. Only God knows that. But the public act of a Catholic politician advancing laws that permit the killing of unborn children is a public scandal, and the Church has both the right and the responsibility to respond to it publicly.

That is why Cardinal Dolan’s refusal to act on Governor Cuomo demands a response — not out of anger, but out of love for the truth and for the faithful who are watching.

Canon law is not the obstacle here — it is the framework for action. Canon 915 exists precisely for situations like this. The argument that canonical stipulations prevent any response is not a reading of the law — it is a retreat from it. And when a shepherd retreats, the flock notices. When a prince of the Church declines to act in the face of public, persistent, grave moral scandal, it does not project mercy — it projects confusion. And confusion about the sanctity of human life has a body count.

This is not about personal condemnation. It is about clarity. The Church does not excommunicate to punish — she excommunicates to correct, to protect the faithful from scandal, and to call the sinner back. Withholding that correction is not pastoral charity. It is a failure of it.

The faithful deserve shepherds who shepherd. They deserve leaders who lead — not leaders who manage optics while the most defenseless members of the human family are destroyed without consequence. Dear God, help us raise up such shepherds. And in the meantime, help the lay faithful to hold the line when the leaders will not.

To the 40% of Catholics who continue to support politicians that champion abortion: the question must be asked directly — if your faith is not about life and love, then what is it about? How do you bow your head in prayer knowing your vote gave power to those who permit the killing of the innocent? How do you receive the Body of Christ on Sunday and then, on Tuesday, cast a vote that contradicts everything He taught about the dignity of human life?

Abortion is not one issue among many. It is the preeminent moral issue of our time — the words are not mine alone, but those of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. When a candidate supports the destruction of innocent life, no other policy position — not immigration, not healthcare, not poverty relief — can morally offset that support. This is not political opinion. It is Catholic moral teaching.

And yet here is where the challenge must be honest: supporting a pro-life candidate does not mean pretending that candidate is without sin or without fault. No politician is. No person is. But the Church has always taught that a candidate’s position on intrinsic evils — acts that are always and everywhere wrong, regardless of circumstance — must weigh more heavily than any other consideration when forming a conscience for voting.

That is why, in good conscience and with clear eyes about his flaws, supporting a pro-life president is defensible — not because he is a saint, but because he has used the office to defend the lives of the unborn. That matters. It matters enormously. And any Catholic who wishes to debate his personal sins is welcome to do so — but those sins do not erase the lives that were protected because of where he stood on the most fundamental question of human rights.

As for this Catholic — the faith is not going anywhere. The fight to clean up the Church, to call her back to clarity, and to defend the most defenseless members of the human family will not stop. That is not stubbornness. That is faithfulness.

I wrote and copyrighted this song a few years ago:

The Door

I still quite don’t understand. The mother of all nature cries out because she can. Who will hear the thunder of the voices not allowed to speak? Who will rise up for all the strong, the young, and old, and weak?

They are all abandoned to the ways of not. What was good was soon to be forgot. They look the wrong direction seeking trust. Where can they turn in a world of lust?

Pound the doors of Heaven when you sin, Then you go back and do it all again. What do people tell you when you look for good advice? Does it really matter in this place unsupervised?

Oh, the lost soul, the lost hope — Pound the doors of Heaven when you sin, Then you go back and do it all again.

The innocent delight in the attention of the present light. Who will hold you to it when you cannot even fight?

Pound the doors of Heaven when you sin, Then you go back and do it all again.

In the world of plenty, much is given to the lost. Who will they remember when looking in despair? What a world we live in, in need of great repair!

Pound the doors of Heaven when you sin, Then you go back and do it all again.

© Lynda Ciriza

 

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Mike and I were married January 25, 1972. After 47 years of marriage, I believe I can offer some helpful advice. These are just four keys that I have used in our marriage:

God first, Husband Second

Mike and I are different in many ways; our diet, our politics, our workout regimens, but yet we manage to find balance in our marriage.

When I left the Catholic Church for a season, Mike had a difficult time accepting my newfound faith. Mike believed that the “Born-again” Protestant faith was too emotional, and that the services were too long. I was so busy growing by leaps and bounds in my newly found faith, and becoming a good Christian, that I lost sight of the fact that we had become unequally yoked.

When the Lord called me back into the Catholic church, Mike decided to made a serious commitment to attend Mass with me as a family. The Catholic Mass is structured, and so is Mike, he understands the status quo of the service and feels comfortable.

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Things were shifting in our lives when we returned to our cradle faith. I now make it a priority to attend Mass every Sunday. My prayers are a personal dialogue with God. I pray before the Blessed Sacrament regularly. We all need special graces to make a marriage work. Both Mike and I understand the importance of God in our lives.

God should always be first in your lives. Many marriages fall into disarray because the spouses fail to follow this order. For example, if a man puts his mother before his wife, this will just cause dissension between the wife and mother-in-law. The husband’s message to his wife is that his mother is more important.

If a wife puts their children before her husband, the husband will feel the void and look elsewhere to nurture his emotional needs.

Roles have changed and marriage is a two-way street. Mutual respect is what is needed to keep that open line of communication. Communication is the main factor in filling your needs in a marriage. Half of our workforce is made up of women, and this changes the household responsibilities. Men need to help more with running the household.

Prayer

Prayer is the bond that firmly holds a marriage together. I cannot go one day without asking God to help with my daily endeavors. Through all of our marital trials, God has always been in the midst. At times, when I do not feel His presence, so my prayers became more intense. The Lord will never leave us, or forsake us. Mike and I pray together, especially for our children and grandchildren.

Mike is a special man that does much for our relationship. He washes my car, fills it with gas, and regularly brings me fresh flowers. Many times Mike cooks for our family, and he helps me clean up our home. Why does Mike do all these wonderful things? Because I am submissive to him as the head of our household, I fuss over him! If you confuse your role in a marriage, as feminists would have you believe, you will have no peace. This is a saying that I have coined: “If you want to be treated like a queen, treat your husband like a king.”

I always thank Mike for all that he does for me. Sometimes I will call him just let him how much I appreciate him. We must always be appreciative of our husbands; we all need affirmation. Showing gratitude toward your husband instills in him his proper godly role. A good man will go above and beyond when he is shown true love.

Never nag; this is the worst display of berating a man, and a sure way of causing great division.

Do Mike and I have arguments? Yes, we are human, but it’s how we learned to resolve our differences that has changed. We try to not let the sun go down on our anger. After an argument with Mike, I ask him something as simple as, “Are you ready to have dinner?” We do not rehash the argument. We move past it by allowing the Holy Spirit to heal the present situation. I occasionally will slam a door, because it does release tension. As wives, we need to know how to handle a difficult situation; picking your battles carefully is the most important advice I can give you, I learned from my friend Helen.

Ephesians 4:26-27 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give ^[a]place to the devil. 

Leave the little things to prayer, and address the big things in a calm manner. A lot of times when things escalate, read the body language, or the tone of voice. Learn how to walk away without causing pain or saying unkind words that you will regret; this works both ways.

Patience

I know that there are a lot of things in my life that need improvement, and we need to take into consideration that our husbands do not come perfect from the marriage factory. My biggest dilemma is patience. I struggle from lack of patience, and in turn I make Mike suffer. Patience is a virtue, and it has taken a lifetime for me to understand, so pray for me. I still toil with the misfortune of being easily irritated by things that are out of my control. I’m a complainer, because I have yet to mastered patience.

Marriage is a daily task that needs special attention. Start your day with prayer. If your husband does not pray with you, read him Scripture, starting with Proverbs.

James 1:4 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be ^[a]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Godly Friends

Sometimes you need to talk to a good friend or trusted family member to help you sort through spousal disagreements. Always go to people who serve God and want the best for you and your husband. Many times just by talking to my sister Norma, or my dear friend Cindy, I feel a cloud is lifted. Spirit filled-friends always offer solid advice, and can quench a fire before it get out of control. My daughter Sonja recently shared with me that I was not being gracious about a concern that I was going through with Mike. She was right, and I took her counsel to heart. If this does not work, go to counseling, which has worked for us. When we are sick we seek the expertise of a doctor, and when our head is not right we need to seek the assistance of a therapist, a Christian therapist. Talk to your priest, or your pastor, go to confession, get rid of the anger.

2 Corinthians 6:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what ^[a]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what ^[b]communion has light with darkness? 

If God hates divorce, guess who loves it? Always be aware that Satan wants you to fail in your marriage and will do anything to cause division. Recognize the signs of the Devil, and fight for your marriage. Become the fascinating woman God created you to be. Be the wife that when your husband walks into a room filled with people, he will scan the crowd until your eyes lock and you both know all is well with the world.