What we once fought for, we now give away.

   I remember a story of a Catholic in China that endured great tortures to keep his faith.  He was truly willing to die for Jesus.  And when he made it to America, he enjoyed the freedoms and joyfully went to Mass daily.  However, he found a new God in money and started to distance himself from Jesus, eventually only go to Mass on Easter and Christmas.

   Comforts in life often make us soft for the fight for Heaven.  It is indeed a fight.  And when we refuse to take up the fight, we have lost.  Just like a soldier that stops training and becomes obese sitting on the couch while eating and watching television is no longer able to fight, so are we if we do not spiritually train.

   What is our training for the spiritual fight?  Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  Just like during Lent when we go through spiritual boot camp, we must continually train.  We intensify our spiritual training during Lent, but we must still keep our souls in shape during the rest of the year.  We are fighting for too great of a prize to allow our souls to get out of shape.  Eternal happiness or eternal tortures?

   Pray especially the Rosary.  Mary, our Mother, came down from Heaven multiple times in Marian apparitions to advocate for us to pray it daily.  And why?  Because if we go to our Heavenly Mother, she will nurture us so that we are fit spiritually for the fight.  She will nurture us into the spiritual soldiers we need to be to reach Heaven.

  Do not neglect the ultimate prayer of the Mass, especially on Sundays and holy days of obligation.  Doing so puts you in mortal sin.  Mortal sin breaks your relationship with God and prevents you from reaching Heaven.  If you neglect God and His obligation, then you are like the China man in the story.  You have found a new God in your comforts.

   Mary, as our Mother, please nurture us spiritually so that we are always ready to fight the evil spirits that seek our eternal destruction.  Amen.