Destroyng the Empire of Self » Society

“Whisper”: a new song

Bob Nicholas — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:28:48 +0000

This is something I recently wrote that we are making into a song. Not sure what purpose it has to inspire or draw anyone deeper into faith, just wanted to share. It’s called “Whisper”. -bob

It seems to me these people

Are lost in their own suicide

Singing in church on Sunday’s

And livin life by their rules on the off days

But I can’t make do with this mask

It’s too fake, is it too late, I need to get out of this place

Cause everybody’s looking for signs,

A cross in the clouds, A stain on the wall,

Something to know your there

But I’m just waiting, waiting for the whisper

It seems to me this world

Is lost in it’s own internal war

Nothing is sacred in society

Cause everyone’s so caught in their own hypocrisy

Bu I won’t do with that mask

It’s too fake, not to late, I need to get out of this place

Cause everybody’s looking for signs,

A cross in the clouds, A stain on the wall,

Something to know your there

But I’m just waiting, waiting for the whisper

Baby Snatchers

Bob Nicholas — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:11:56 +0000

Lately I’ve been challenged to increase my charity and love for a specific group of people. Since we have welcomed our 4^th child, Elijah, a dynamic change has taken place in our status in culture.

People find it acceptable, and have the audacity, to make very judgmental comments about our family, my wife, or our choice of lifestyle. Some common examples of what people say:

- “Don’t you know what causes that?”

- “So you are done right?

- “Wow, really trying for that girl aren’t ya?”

- “She better not get pregnant again!”

I used to respond to the first statement with ‘yeah and we are getting pretty darn good at it’. This has scandalized many a persons.

Well I guess I’ve had enough of this. I once read a study that says Christians are more judgmental than non-Christians. I’m beginning to agree. What is most funny is most of these responses come from Catholics!!!! People who took a vow to be open to life, and who say every Sunday, “Thy Will be done.”

Normally I just let this stuff go, and I’ve even been an advocate of ignoring such ignorance. Lately however I am more and more frustrated by it. It’s sick. How can a culture that is so much oriented toward protecting the rights of self, be okay with these comments which seek to restrict my “freedom”????

I know this post is somewhat of a rant, but I’m upset and I’m tired of being judged by people who claim to believe. I’m fine being persecuted by heathens who know no better, but I’m sick and tired of Christians who proclaim to desire the Will of God telling me I’m ignorant for following the Will of God.

I think it’s time I buy some bumper stickers…

’This Car Parks Frequently, I’m Catholic with lots of kids.’

Or maybe…

‘SLEEP NAKED’

Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you.

Bob Nicholas — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:43:36 +0000

Last Sunday at Mass the Priest said in his homily, “We need to increase our expectation of the Eucharist.” This has captivated me all week. This statement is very profound. His statement is in consideration of the fact that the only restriction on our experience of Christ in our lives….is us.

Now this is a pretty common concept, but the way in which he stated it has stuck with me. The Magnificat’s reflection for yesterday’s readings was on a similar track.

According to Saint Thomas, Christ bestows upon each individual person the same life of grace which he brought to the world by his visible coming. Indeed, if we had but faith as then, the miracles of the Gospel could again become daily occurrences.

And then it ends with…

Christ, the source of live, addressed his clear call to all generations: “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink.” Only one condition is laid down: to thirst.

So consider that you and I are given all we need to cast out demons, heal the sick, help the lame walk and the blind see…but our faith lacks.

I love that yesterday’s first reading was from the first book of Kings Chapter 19. We read of Elijah saying to the Lord that his life should be taken, almost like he failed the mission God gave him. Rather God sends His angel to Elijah and gives him the food he needs for the journey. “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you,” the angel says.

I am overwhelmingly encouraged to increase my expectation of Christ in my life.

To open my eyes to His will and His life in me.

I thirst for you o Lord.

Let us increase our faith that we might live in Him who is victorious over sin and shame.

Let us be fed through Mass, the Eucharist, and each other…else the journey of faith be too long for us.

Let us be living examples of His Grace and Mercy and light up the darkness.

I will be praying that all of you increase your expectation, and ask that you pray for me as well.

Que est Veritas

Bob Nicholas — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:41:31 +0000

So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring (against) this man?” They answered and said to him, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” The Jews answered him, “We do not have the right to execute anyone,” in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he said indicating the kind of death he would die. So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants (would) be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” – John 18:29-39

This scene in the Bible in which Pilot questions Christ our Lord has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been stuck on the fact that our wonderful gift of free will is something that has to be chosen. We choose to be slaves of sin, or to be free from sin. Christ does the work of redemption and salvation, but it is our choice that he honors.

Pilot says to Christ, “Then you are a king?” (in some translations it says, “Are you the king of the Jews?” in both places). So basically we have man asking God, are you in charge here? Are you the king? Christ’s response is often overlooked and I think it is absolutely critical. Christ responds, “You Say I am a king.” Or in some translations, “You say so.” So what has captured my thoughts lately is this idea of “you say so”. Do you? Do I? Do we really say so? Do we honestly say to Christ You Are My King and I Will Follow You! I don’t think we do. I think for most people the response is more like this.

Man: Are you the king to the Jews?
Jesus: You say so.
Man: You’re right. I do. So yeah sure you are the king, but only on Sunday’s from 10:30-11:30 unless Mass lets out early, then your reign ends concurrently with the end of the communion line. Should Mass go long, your reign as king ends when I decide to read the bulletin. And the rest of the week you are a convenient aside, not a king. Just remember your place Jesus.

This is of course a dramatization and no animals were harmed in the making of this manuscript (PITA stop sending me letters. The fly was asking for it.).

Where I think the Lord has been guiding me is to more firmly and clearly say that He is my king, everywhere and all the time.

The other piece of this is: Que Est Veritas? That means: What is Truth?

Pilot asks Christ, What is Truth? To me this is prophesy of what is to come. Doesn’t our whole ipod iphone blackberry dell LG flatscreen HD ESPN CNN CSPN NBC ABC CBS FOX Wallstreet porn invested society ask this question and search for the answer constantly? How many churches are there again? Why do we have over 33,000 dif Protestant Denominations? Why are there over 150 recognized world religions? Why are there 100’s of TV Preachers claiming to know the Truth of the Bible? How is it that each one of them seems to have it right?

Here are the hard questions….not suitable for readers with weak constitutions…..

How is it that within the Catholic Church, which is supposed to be universal we can have Priests and people believing such a wide range of theological and political ideals that contradict each other? Or worse, how can people like Nancy Pelosi say she is pro-choice and Catholic? How can Priests, who claim to be obedient to the Bishop who is in communion with the Holy See, preach ideas and teachings that are off the reservation?

Well my dear Watson, the answer is simple. We suck at finding truth. And in the absence of someone to make it easy, we just make it up. Yes, it IS that simple. I’ve heard Priests and Protestant preachers say things that just aren’t right. How do I know? Well, let me explain.

I have inside of me a very precise and much calibrated sensor. This sensor is something of a prototype as not many people seem to have it, or rather, turn it on. This sensor is something like the laugh-o-meter and other old game show scales used to measure the audiences approval of something. I like to call this particular instrument, The Heresy Meter.

Heresy is a scary word. “Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief, especially a religion, that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief.”

Sooooo, when I hear something that doesn’t keep with the Canon, that is the Bible, and the other foundation documents of the Magisterial Teaching of the Church (and YES that does include Vatican II for my a la cart friends) my Heresy Meter goes off.

So, Que Est Veritas is a simple question with a simple answer that we seem to constantly miss. And when missed, we often attempt to fill the void with junk that isn’t truth.

Christ is Truth. The Word of God is Truth. Those are our foundations. This pondering of these biblical scenes has caused me to discern and pray intently to God seeking my own freedom to proclaim Christ King of Me, and to seek His Truth in my life.

I know it may seem simplistic, but isn’t that the best way? When we complicate things they get muddy. The simply truth is that when we as a people place the King in His Throne, Truth becomes easy, and then so does everything else. Because when the King is in place and we follow His Truth, sin becomes undesirable, prayer becomes natural, and our worship of His Body and Blood becomes real.

Today I encourage you to pray and find those areas in your life where Christ isn’t the King. Kick the devil out of God’s chair and offer it to Christ. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you Free, and all will know you are HIS. Jn 8:31-38

God bless.

Caritas in Veritate

Bob Nicholas — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:39:47 +0000

Friends,

Yesterday, if you haven’t heard, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI issued a new Encyclical. As the successor to Peter and Bishop of Rome our Holy Father delivers this wonderful documents for our reading, study and development.

I receive a daily email from Zenit a news agency in the Vatican. Many of you may use this service as well. I was pleased to see almost the entire day devoted to articles on the new encyclical.

The new Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), is a great document that will go down as one of our Holy Father’s great works. In our current world, with economic issues, divided politics, and a divided Church, this new document is a wonderful road map to unity in social issues.

I particularly liked this article on Zenit’s home page http://www.zenit.org/article-26401?l=english

I hope you will join me in reading this new Encyclical and in studying it for some time to come.

The new Encyclical: Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) can be found in full on the Vatican website here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html

You can read all of the Zenit articles here:
http://www.zenit.org/index.php?l=english