We traded the truth for a lie.

We traded love for lust.

We traded masculinity for weakness.

We traded femininity for masculinity.

We traded humility for pride.

We traded grace for evil.

We traded chastity for perversion.

We traded kindness for anger.

We traded serving for being served.

We traded happiness for anxiety.

We traded trust for fear.

We traded charity for selfishness.

We traded hope for despair.

We traded faith for self-reliance.

We traded family for loneliness.

No doubt, we are a product of our generation–we were poorly catechized, and have witnessed more than enough reasons to abandon the faith. Broken churches and broken families lay all around us.

The saints have been warning for years, decades, centuries that these days would come. Days full of despair. Yet we persist in our pursuit of happiness away from God. What will it take for us to turn back? What will it take for us to recognize our own sinfulness?

What if today, we took a step back?  What if today, we started walking with Jesus? We started anew and refused to look back?

Have you convinced yourself you are too sinful for this? That God can’t forgive? Have you convinced yourself not even Jesus can heal you? That it is too painful to be holy…that not even Jesus can free you from your demons?

If you have, those are lies. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! Your life was bought with a price, the price of the Cross. Your sins can’t be held against you unless you refuse to confess them. So today, let go. Let go of the pain, the fear, and the lies. Confess your sins and receive forgiveness.

Or have you forgotten the crucifixion? Have you forgotten that the world needs you to be a saint? Have you forgotten God has a plan for your life and made you especially to fulfill it?

This is your reminder. It is a reminder to follow Jesus, who loves you so very much.

Maybe you don’t know how much Jesus loves you. The fact is, He loves you so much He died an agonizing death to free you from your sins. God loves you so much He made you–you!–a beautiful and good creation. The Holy Spirit loves you enough to help you on this journey. Most parishes have RCIA classes yearly for anyone who has questions about our great faith, including Catholics in the pew. For those outside the Church who are interested in the faith, there is never an obligation to commit to the faith. These inquiry classes are open to anyone who wishes to learn more. 

We were made on purpose and for a reason. The Baltimore Catechism tells us the truth so succinctly: “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven. It also tells us what we need to do to get to heaven: “To save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity; that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our heart.”

Don’t be too hard on yourself when you fall, because you will. To think otherwise is prideful, and could cause serious damage to your soul and your self-esteem. We must remember that Jesus will do the healing and Jesus will do the purifying. We simply must respond to His call. It is the same call it has always been: “Follow Me.”

God has a plan for every single one of us! It is insane to exchange His plan for anything else. Today, the world needs saints and you are called to be a saint. The worst sinners have become the greatest saints. Study the life of Jesus; study the lives of the saints. Let’s become more like Our Lord and the saints and help each other turn this world around!