Unearned Luck

Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash The following is a guest post from Michael Einterz , a husband, father, attorney, and a very involved member of St. Alphonsus  Liguori  Catholic Church in Zionsville, IN. One of his many volunteer roles at the parish is as the director of RCIA and adult education. The Catholic Church in America has a problem. This seems to be a universally accepted truth, but the agreement ceases there. The Catholic Blogosphere, including the number of priests and bishops who participate in the discussions, can’t agree on a solution to the problem – and it’s not for a lack of trying.  Although we could drag out volumes of Church History, in my opinion, a review of the attempts to solve the problem can start back in 2012 when Sherry Weddell published her blockbuster Forming Intentional Disciples. Although not the first of its kind, it combined several elements and rightfully became a hit among parishes and Catholic ministers...

Why do you call me "Lord, Lord," and not do what I tell you?     -St. Luke 6:46 Not every one who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?"  And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you evil doers."  -St. Matthew 7:21-23 The manner in which Our Lord ends his statement is chilling or should be.  Here Christ is telling us that even the doing of great works in His Name does not warrant eternal life with Him.  It's more than that, too.  People who consider themselves to be His faithful followers and who are performing great works in His Name, Our Lord is calling evil doers. I cast out demons in your name.  I never knew you, evil doer. I prophesy in your name.  I never knew you,...

I've wasted so much of my life running away from God. It's not that I don't love Him.  I do so, so much. But see, when I was very young, we'd go to church and on those Sundays when we would get there before Mass had started, we would kneel down to pray and prepare ourselves for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, this most beautiful re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross from which flows all of God's grace and mercy.  I never knew what to say, so I would pray, "Dear God, let me serve  you."  I prayed that for the longest time before each Mass I ever attended. I wasn't really aware of what I was asking until He started taking me up on my petition.  In so many ways and at so many different times, God has asked me to do something for Him and I'm pretty sure that I've declined every offer. Except it wasn't an offer.  God wasn't asking me to do something like wash the car or take out the trash.  Those kinds of things I d...