Thin Blue Papist

 This post was born out of a comment I was originally going to make on @cool_catholic 's reel regarding the purpose and meaning of the Mass.  Using the funeral example, sadly I think we see the most secular incursions on the Holy Mass happening at funerals.  There's not enough emphasis put on the fact that at a funeral Mass we are praying for the repose of the departed's soul.  We're not "celebrating life," and we don't "know X is among the angels."  Consciously of subconsciously there is a tendency to make the funerals about and for the grieving, not the deceased. I blame most of this on bad catechesis and a poor grasping of theology by the laity, and its not their fault.  But there's also little Christian charity exercised by those who do know and understand with those who don't.  I'll admit, I'm guilty of it too, but I strive to be better. I recall a story of a priest who, having the option of purple or white for funeral Masses...

I started what I’ve now deemed a “Meme Based Apostolate” in early January of this year. Something told me, “just do it,” so I did, and here I am, a little more than 6 months later. My first Instagram post said, “Just a Catholic cop trying to get to heaven and help others on the road there. We’ll see where the Holy Spirit takes this journey. God bless and stay safe!” I’ve had a few good thoughts since then, had more than a few positive reactions and interactions and intend to keep going. Unfortunately Instagram holds you back from putting a lot of text info out there and some of the things I want to talk about require more than just a meme and a couple of small paragraphs. I’ve done some longer form writing over the years without an outlet beyond a teahcer, priest or spiritual advisor. This will be able to give me, hopefully, a bigger audience and a wider sounding board for my thoughts, ideas, opinions and the like. Thanks for being here, and thanks for coming on this journey with me...

You will never be alone.  We know that God is omnipresent, and that nowhere in His creation can we escape Him.  “ The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good ,” (Proverbs 15:3).  From the start of creation, God’s presence is in everything as its creator, we can marvel at the wonders of the world at how God has graced us with such beauty and splendor.  So much, even beyond our own world that we know, all created by God shows us the reach and expanse of His creation.  With all the knowledge we have in the present day, the heavens above us are still an endless marvel we know so little about.  “ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have established ,” (Psalms 8:3).  Just think at how similarly man has sat in awe looking at the night sky in its expanse for age upon age and yet God’s brilliance in that one mere aspect of creation continues to draw us in.  ...

Authority is service to one another for the good of the other.  A good authority has the best interests and well being of those they have authority over as their primary concern.  Whether elected, appointed or anointed, authority is a call to service.  Authority can be defined as, “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.”  In Matthew’s Gospel, Christ is asked by local authority figures, “By what authority are you doing these things?  And who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23).  An interesting internal dialogue among the chief priests and elders ensues weighing their options of response to Jesus’ rebuttal.  Ultimately they admit that they do not know.  This questioning of authority, particularly of Jesus, during his ministry was not uncommon.  Questioning authority existed before Christ and exists up through the present day.  Accountability of authorities to the governed or ruled or most importantl...

We as followers of Christ know in our hearts what we believe as Christians, and the faith that has been passed on to us over the last two millennia.  It has been easier to know faith in your heart than it has been to articulate in through a formal means.  So great has the difficulty been, that it took nearly three centuries after Christ’s resurrection to put it in to words for the first time.  The venerable bishops of the early church convened at the behest of Constantine I in Nicea in the year 325.  From this council, came the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, known simply as the Nicene Creed.  While its deeper origins are up to debate, its truths came from the heart of our early church fathers, guided by the teachings of Jesus passed down by the Apostles and guided by the Holy Spirit.  Its text would be altered over time, even within short time of its inception, and as recently as this very century, but the message remains true.  This creed is such a ...

Our reasons are a lie.  We act on impulses and instinct with a false sense of purpose.  We believe we act for ourselves, for our families, for our neighbors or for our fellow man.  We believe we act for people.  We believe we act to please individual human beings to make them proud, to show them respect, or for reward.  To act on these reasons is not the truth behind our human actions.  We act for God. We have all been given this precious gift of life not so that we may please one another and leave behind a lasting presence, but so that we may leave this life knowing that we have pleased our creator.  Our purpose is in God’s trust and confidence in us as his children.  We are all stewards of this creation and God gives us the gift of free will to make better both this gift of the earth, but also this gift of life.  All of God’s children receive different callings in our lifetimes.  Though two may be called to the same profession or v...

At the time I wrote this I was heavily discerning vocation and had really gotten into JPII.