Unearned Luck

"There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  -Psalm 18:24 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."  -Psalm 17:17 If you are trying to turn your life around and get into a relationship with Jesus, the best thing you can do at the outset is to find a circle of people who share your pursuit of holiness and will support you in your journey. This will not be easy. It is very difficult to leave old friends and even more difficult to find new friends, but even one or two very good, dedicated people will make it much easier to grow closer to God. Of course, they will help you with accountability, but they will be people on whom you may rely in the valleys and the peaks, both of which are inevitable. Avoid getting all down on the state of the world, though. It is very easy for your conversations to turn to that, but avoid such depressing discussions at all costs. Yes. Things are wor...

There are six things which the L ORD hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers . - Proverbs 6:16-19 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.  For he that is not against us is for us." - St. Mark 9:38-40 It is already so easy for the average Catholic in the pew to feel isolated.  Most parishioners relate through the parish school and the extra-curricular activities surrounding the school.  Catholics without children in the parish school are out of luck.  Most Catholics are so harried and exhausted that they pass...