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| | Don't confuse believing what you want to believe with the power to make it be so.
Anyone is free to use the word "Catholic," but if you oppose what the Church teaches, you're not Catholic. If Catholicism is whatever anyone wants it to mean, it means everything. Which is to say, nothing.
More importantly, and urgently, if you are acting against truth revealed in Jesus Christ (demonstrated biblically, historically and logically), your soul is in danger. Not because I said it. Because it's true. And truth is not something any of us can presume to create. Truth is Someone who created us.
Here's the epic eternity-determining reality each of us is free to choose: Either FOR Truth or AGAINST Truth. Each of us is either an ADVOCATE or an ADVERSARY (literally, "Satan").
Specifically, this Truth who entered our world that we might be saved, warns of grave sin (literally, "separation") including abortion, all extramarital sexual activity (including homosexual activity), contraception and the like.
Why? Not because of some conspiracy of a sexually frustrated and sublimated class! (Do the research. The most sexually satisfied in terms of experience, longevity, and frequency are those who follow God's way; or, to the contrary, just look at the Hollywood class.)
Does anyone think law-makers hate us because a highway is paved, lined and subject to rules of the road? You can only go so fast. You have to stay between the lines. At times you have to start and stop. Does anyone think all that infringement on "freedom" has the purpose of taking away our fun?
Similarly, the Church's teaching on sexuality is a road to intimacy. It is paved and lined so that we don't crash into the berms. They're not there because God hates us. They're there because He desires great intimacy with us. Because we are sacred. Because our bodies are sacred.
Because sexuality is not just a capricious plaything predicated of feeling and desire. Because every time anyone has ever tried to reduce their sexuality in such a way, it has led to ruin (sociologically, psychologically, physically, relationally).
The amazing, awesome, attainable gift of God-designed sexuality is the capacity to image the Trinity. To make God, who is love, known.
God is love and life. When we choose to be adversaries to God, we become party to alienation and death.
Practically, Dads and Moms:
- When you use contraception (literally, "against life"), you contribute to an unseen but toxic atmosphere of selfishness, cut off from the Author of Life, that will be "contracted" by your children,
- When you put your daughters on the pill you pronounce them ignoble slaves to their desires, objects to be used, incapable of self-possession that is necessary for self-gift, and laden with an unseen, heavy psychological and emotional burden, a path of insecurity, inadequacy, self-contempt, and regret, the epitome of dehumanization,
- When you are silent or, worse, become an adversary to God's design of man and woman by equating homosexual activity with "tolerance" or "acceptance" -- you gravely confuse a sacred means God designed for our intimacy with Him.
Don't be confused with secular culture's very selective (and weaponized) use of "tolerance" and "acceptance." Don't allow yourself to be at the service of the Adversary. Logically, irrefutably, we can't have it both ways: tolerance/acceptance of falsehood and sin is intolerance/rejection of truth and virtue.
Into such a world, for this world, for us... Love has come. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Jesus Christ. Messiah. Savior. To reveal the Path and be the Path. From our death into His life. This is difficult. It does demand that we see with eyes of faith. (2 Cor. 5:7) That we deny our very (sinful) selves, take up our crosses and follow. (Matt. 16:24) It does demand that we see the world not as we might have it, but as it is.
It is Advent. Jesus Christ has come, and He is coming again very soon. In thought, word and deed, let us prepare the way of the Lord.
Greg Schlueter
CEO / President of Image Trinity | Mass Impact
Greg@MassImpact.us | ILoveMyFamily.us
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| | FR. RICH TOOHEY: PREPARING THE WAY |
| | CELEBRATING TEN YEARS
OUR FIRST PRESENCE FOR CHRISTMAS took place December 2009 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It was our first regional use of the "Burning Bush." We brought it to Toledo in 2013. Thousands have been blessed by this "great adventure deeper into the heart of Christ's Mass." CLICK to view a particularly impactful message from Fr. Rich Toohey at a Presence for Christmas in 2011.
A neat connection: A dynamic, young priest preached at Fr. Rich Toohey's first mass in Erie, Pennsylvania. Many now know him as Bishop Daniel Thomas.
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| | 1. LISTEN: FAMILY ROAD TRIP PODCAST (GO)!You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be moved by the authentic witness of these four courageous couples who have embraced the challenge to "put the flag in the sand." What's that? They're gathering their families together to talk and pray on a weekly basis using the Live IT Gathering Guide.
It's making a huge impact. |
| 2. THEN COMPLETE the 8 Trivia Questions (based upon this episode) for your chance to win free Chick-fil-A for your entire family HERE! Congrats to the Huntebrinkers for winning the Week 2 Challenge!
The Family Road Trip Podcast is an outreach of Mass Impact. We are families engaging other families on the epic adventure of making our homes places of ever-deepening encounter with Jesus Christ.
WE'RE AT 67% GOAL for 2020 | KEEP US GOING
(See our mission update below.)
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| | | JOIN US. Seagate Center. January 2-4, 2020
FEATURING: Neal Lozano, Bob Schuchts, Peter Herbeck, Fr. Mathias Thelen, Mary Healy, Randy Clark and others!
LAST CHANCE FOR 15% DISCOUNT using code "toledo15"
MORE INFO & REGISTER HERE
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| THANKS TO OUR MISSION PARTNERS...
The Kingdom of God is among you... Luke 17:21
STATUS: 67% Goal of $80,000
WE'RE REGULARLY IMPACTING THOUSANDS:
- PRESENCE for CHRISTMAS 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 St. Joan of Arc (GO) - Weekly LIVE IT Gathering Guide / Video (GO) - Weekly IGNITE RADIO LIVE (GO)
- PENTECOST 365 (GO) - "Igniting men in everyday faith" - VIDEO SERIES: "Most Out of Mass" with Fr. Mike Dandurand (GO) - 7 Week LIVE IT SEASONS (GO) (next begins November 1) - 7 Week FAMILY ROAD TRIP PODCAST (GO) - Live IT PARISH BUILDING (GO) - 7 THINGS I'D SAY TO MY 7TH GRADE SELF (GO) - IGNITE's - MISSION ONE RETREATS | CORE COMMUNITY
And extensive evangelization through every form of media.
THE VISION:
Our passion and purpose is to get families on the road of making their homes places of ever-deepening encounter with Jesus Christ.
If God's design for family is revived, we will see a dramatic decline in poverty, homelessness, extramarital sex, divorce, addiction, suicide, and many diseases. There is nothing more important.
HERE'S WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP:
- Fr. Nathan Cromly is lined up for production of a 7-episode series promising to "ignite men in everyday faith." Cost: $7,000
- Presence For Christmas events in December.
All promotion and fulfillment. Cost: $1,000/each
- "Family Road Trip Podcast" 7-episode reality program featuring four families on the journey. Cost: $3,500
- "Mission One" Retreats for couples/families committed to evangelizing other couples/families. Cost: $2,000/each
- "7 Things I'd Say to My Seventh Grade Self" productions targeting 7th graders, parents and teachers. Cost: $500/each
- Live IT Family handouts giving families a simple format for talking and praying on a weekly basis. Cost: $3,500
- Pentecost 365 handouts helping men live everyday faith. Cost: $3,500
HIGH HOPES:- Living IT video series showing individual families on the journey, capturing real challenges and overcoming. $5,000/episode
- Pentecost 365 Conference for men. Cost: $50,000
- The Living Room. A warm and welcoming rental facility enabling ongoing formation and mission. Cost: $5,000/month
- Endowment to form and engage dedicated leadership/interns in the mission. $100,000
WE NEED YOU.
We don't have a development director. We'd rather not have to compromise our limited resources meant for mission on extensive fundraising efforts. We look forward to our "thank you" event in 2020.
STATUS: 67%
MINIMAL NEED: $80,000 | TOTAL PLEDGED/RECEIVED: $53,362
Singular Donations: $39,212 [click]
Pledges: $10,600 (by end of 2019) [email pledge here]
New Monthly Mission Partners: $3,600 (year basis) [click]
Please consider becoming a monthly mission partner.
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