Seeking Divine Mercy
For a very long period of time, approximately
25 years, this writer sought after all the rewards this world has to offer just
as most others do. With self pride and ego, the professional goal often comes
first with the aspiration to attain as much financial wealth and materialistic
gain as possible. This is what modern society teaches us to hold most dearly;
Self gratification. Our priorities determine the goals we chase, often at the
expense of our own family. But 25 years of distancing myself from God to avoid
facing any feelings of guilt in my obsession to attain satisfaction through
“success”, suddenly came to an end one day on a gravel mountain road in March
2003. I came to the blessed enlightenment that nothing, no matter how much I
attained, would ever be enough. Satisfaction was always smothered by
competitiveness with others. In contrast
to my own adopted belief that I controlled a great deal in my life and at times
in others, I realized we as human beings control nothing in our lives, only the
ability to choose one way from the other. Although we can choose direction, we
can not choose the outcome from taking one road as opposed to another. When 
looking deeply into the past, the occurrences we have experienced
will take on the attributes of an intentional course but not one we controlled,
although it becomes obvious someone has had a hand in our journey. If our
choices are based on our turning our backs on God we suffer the consequences.
What we see as accomplishments are nothing more than that which we believe to
be goal oriented successes. Yet we routinely discover for ourselves that once
we have reached these “successes”, they are not satisfying but only lead to
further desires. It was with that realization this writer chose to take the
accumulated experience of 25 years in professional investigations and research
to begin seeking the truth about Faith, God and Christianity.
There are many reasons we begin to seek
answers to questions in regard to Christianity and Faith regardless of what
particular system of beliefs (denomination) we may belong to. With hope, you
may have come across this website in search of answers or the direction to
finding those answers. Some find it uncomfortable discussing these things with
those whom we know personally for whatever reasons, this is not uncommon. Others
may be for the first time seeking direction to learn about Faith in Jesus
Christ. Frequently one is already of a Christian faith but have been recently
awakened to a renewed interest and desire; the desire to strengthen his or her
relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ. Some may even believe they have
fallen too far into sin or away from their Faith for too long for our Lord to
extend to them His Divine Mercy and forgiveness or to accept them back into His
arms. Know this… No Sin is more powerful than the power of our Lord’s mercy for
those sincere of heart.
First one has to recognize that he or she is human and as such
subject to human weaknesses and temptations. Some of us do not want to hear it.
The reality is, disbelieving or refusing to accept it doesn’t change anything
and to exalt oneself as free of sin or unconditionally saved is self
righteousness at its core. As
Gospel
Lk 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this
parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised
everyone else.
“Two people
went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax
collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I
thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity greedy, dishonest, adulterous
or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my
whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even
raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to
me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself
will be exalted.” Gospel (Lk 18:9-14)
Our purpose here is simple;
we wish to share our experience and what we have learned with those seeking to
understand their faith in Catholicism and to help correct misconceptions of
those who never knew Catholicism. We offer assistance and direction to all who
sincerely hold their devotion to Christ in seeking the truth more important
than learning they may have been wrong in what they initially believed. The
first step is to commit to seeking that truth.
