Episode 1790: Take Christ to Costco

A friend of mine sent me a quote from Bishop Sheen that is a great introduction to this episode.

Now you have heard me say in previous episodes that our very underpinnings of the United States in the declaration of independence is the right of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. I have said that although that is our understanding in our civil society does it line up with our understanding of our Catholic Faith?
Now why is that question even more important in our culture today? Well we hear people say things like
“Well you know they have a right to happiness when referring to homosexual unions or divorced Catholics.”
But do these same people explain where all our rights come from?
If your happiness aligns with the moral civil law in otherwards if it would make you happy to steal something or kill someone will our civil law support that? No of course not. Why? Because our society would fall into chaos and cease to exist if everyone who desire happiness at the expense of another were allowed to do so.
Well lets stop a minute and ask the obvious question. Are we born to seek happiness for ourselves or Happiness for God?
If homosexual unions defy the natural law of God we can summarize it does not make him happy. If a man or a woman leave their spouse for their own sake, but it does not make God happy is that true happiness.
If we honestly believe that we were born to love, to serve, to obey our god with our whole heart our whole mind and our whole soul so that we can be with him in heaven why are we so concerned with our happiness on this earth?
For one especially important reason. Today the civil moral code usurped the law of God and when we stay on that path long enough God pulls his graces from us and people eventually abandoned the civil law or civil code. Nothing really matters and so why not seek happiness in any way we want. Why not burn down or cancel people we disagree with because after all my view is all that matters, and it makes me happy.
We no longer are concerned with the destruction of a family as long as the couples are happy, we are no longer concerned with corrupting our children’s faith and morals as long as a couple whether homosexual or heterosexual are happy. We no longer worry about the killing of innocence with abortion as long as the man and women involved are happy they will not be tied down with their responsibility when performing a sexual act. We must be happy!

Matthew 16:26
"For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?"

Now this verse is usually associated with worldly possession, but it can also refer to the pursuit of happiness here on earth verses pursuit of happiness in heaven.
You will hear people protesting for a certain cause like homosexuality or abortion carrying signs that read
“I stand for Roe v Wade or I stand for Homosexual Marriages”
Do they realize that what they stand for is meaningless? Who cares what you stand for if it has no basis in the truth and there is only one truth and that is God’s truth.
See we live in a time of the greatest heresy and that is the heresy of modernism. Now why would it be the greatest? Because it encompasses all the heresy in one. The heresy that Man is in charge and that Mans happiness is all that matters what need do we have of God?
The modern heresy we experience today actually got its start from the American Experience and then spread through out the world. Have you noticed that the entire world is watching American elections? Why? Do you ever follow foreign elections to the point your life depends on them? No! Why? Because America sets the standard.
So lets look at this American influence through the eyes of the Church of old and the Church of Now.
Pope Leo XIII addressed the issue of “Americanism” in the late 19th century. In 1899, he issued an apostolic letter called "Testem benevolentiae nostrae," (Witness to our Benevolence) which was a response to certain trends and ideas that were perceived as problematic within the American Catholic Church. The letter did express concerns about what the Pope saw as excessive adaptation of American Catholics to the broader culture, particularly in areas such as religious indifferentism and an emphasis on individualism. The letter was addressed to the Archbishop of Baltimore, James Cardinal Gibbons, and it was written to address concerns and clarify certain points related to what the Pope perceived as issues with Americanism within the Catholic Church in the United States. The letter aimed to foster understanding and correct any potential misunderstandings regarding certain practices and ideas within the American Catholic community at that time.
concerns raised by Pope Leo XIII include:
Religious Indifferentism: The Pope cautioned against a form of religious indifferentism, which is the idea that all religions are equally valid, and that one can choose any religious beliefs without consequences. Pope Leo XIII stressed the importance of maintaining and promoting the true teachings of the Catholic Church.

Individualism: The letter addressed concerns about an excessive emphasis on individualism, where personal opinions and preferences might take precedence over the teachings and authority of the Church. The Pope emphasized the importance of unity and adherence to the universal teachings of the Catholic Church.

Adaptation to Secular Culture: Pope Leo XIII was concerned about a perceived adaptation of American Catholics to the broader secular culture, potentially leading to a dilution of religious principles and values. He encouraged the preservation of Catholic identity and fidelity to traditional teachings.
How does our Modern Catholic Church feel today?
Well Pope Francis supports Religious Indifferentism by stating we as Catholics do not need to convert people to the Church they are fine where they are at and even celebrates the anniversary of Martin Luther by bringing a bust of him in the Vatican.
Well Pope Francis supports Individualism by supporting those matters that bring happiness to homosexual couples and divorced Catholics and that the magisterium of the church needs to change to the modern times due to the individual understanding of the faithful. Just look at the liturgy of the novus ordo mass and it has become and individualistic mess.
Pope Francis supports Adaptation to Secular Culture as did the entire V2 council. Out with the old traditions and in with the new. Global Warming is more destructive to man than sin is to their soul.
What all this points out is that we as Americans started down that slippery slope of Individualistic Modernism of Happiness at all costs and Christ allows us to go there and as we slide deeper and deeper into the pit he starts pulling his graces away from us the further we slide until there are no graces at all which leaves us defenseless against the author of all this happiness and individualist heresy SATAN!
So what are we to do? We did not start all this! My gosh if Pope Leo was warning about it in the late 1800’s our grandparents were either being born or about to be born. Its rooted in our DNA isn’t it? Nope!
You have to do the hard work and the work that many saints of old pointed to as the greatest time in Church history. They actually envied our times because they said because so few will be following the mystical body of Christ the graces Christ will pour out on us in these times will be the greatest. These saints so wished to be around to experience that abundance of faith. So there you have it.
First have eyes to see and ears to hear. Know what is going on in our modern culture is of man and not Christ.
Return the teachings and precepts of the Church. Turn your back on this culture and take Jesus everywhere with you. Show everyone what it means to be a Catholic by
Increasing Additionally, Catholics engage in various forms of prayer, including personal prayer, liturgical prayer, and devotions, to foster a continuous awareness of Christ's presence in their lives. The Church teaches that Christ is present not only in the Eucharist but also in the community, in the Word of God, and in the actions of love and service.

Overall, the Catholic understanding of having Christ with you every day involves both the sacramental aspect of the Eucharist and the spiritual practices that help individuals maintain a conscious connection with Christ in their daily lives.
Form a community of believers that support each other for the happiness of Christ the King.

Why does the Catholic Church place a significant emphasis on the concept of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. According to Catholic doctrine, during the celebration of the Mass, the bread and wine used in the sacrament of the Eucharist are believed to undergo a transformation called transubstantiation. This transformation is understood as a change in substance, where the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ while retaining the appearances of bread and wine.

For Catholics, receiving the Eucharist is a way of having Christ present with them in a very real and tangible manner. It is considered a source of spiritual nourishment and a means of deepening one's connection with Christ. The idea is that by partaking in the Eucharist regularly, Catholics carry the presence of Christ with them in their daily lives.
Take Christ everywhere with you so those around you see that your true Happiness is Christ and not this modern world. Demonstrate your faith by interacting with each other as Christ interacted. Take Christ to Costco with you and go out and convert somebody. Good day.