In the World, But Not Of The World

Such scene of Mary’s holiness can be forgotten when in the contemporary adult world there are household bills to pay, home, condo, or apartment to maintain, one or more children yelling ‘I wanna, I wanna,’ the responsibilities of job or career, and hundreds; if not thousands, of distractions that entice the eyes to have ‘ease,’ ‘comfort’ and ‘social status’ popularity.
 
The ‘Body of Christ’ aka ‘church’ on earth is Holy because the Holy Spirit formed it. All who say YES, to partaking in Acts of Faith of the sanctifying Sacraments, where Jesus is lay hidden from natural eyes, are also being transformed to the same holiness as God provided to Mary. To be holy is the reason for obedience to the Sacramental life of the church.
 
One, Holy, Apostolic, and Catholic Judeo-Christian faithful!
 
Those within any branch of the Judeo Christian church of Christ can be as ‘catholic’ as those officially praying in the ‘official’ faith ‘in practice.’  As per those words said at weddings: ‘what God has brought together, let no man attempt to separate.’ True indeed, the Christian church is not simply built by brick and mortar. The church was built on ‘rock and a spiritual mother.’ The church is composed of human authority, which began with Peter, and a ministerial priesthood that originated with 12 apostles, and has a spiritual mother, Mary, who was not just mother of God incarnate, but the first disciple of Christ’s church, and whom Christ gave to all His followers as their spiritual mother. The essence of ‘the Christian church’ is the gift of faith flowing from Mary, aided by the fullness of God's grace found within Mary.

There is no earthly door that will hinder God's graced presence coming to those who are 'wholly' devoted to serving God after the initial cleansing waters of Baptism — of soul! All who are wholly devoted to God are a priestly people, priestly meaning being a servant of God.  Those good souls, who identify as Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian — or whatever hyphenated Christian name is in the world are sometimes more catholic then in the earthly moment they are able to completely understand and are just as much part of Christ’s church on earth and priestly servants of God. Christians of the Catholic tradition of faith do and should always pray for them, no matter the physical building they sit in.
 
One, Holy, Apostolic, and Catholic Judeo-Christian faithful souls!

God is God, and there are truths that all of faith must accept and understand despite any 'hyphenated' Christian group name. These fundamental truths of the Christian 'body' are universal! That of God being 'born' incarnate to a girl named Mary. (Merry Christmas) God is One God in '3' divine 'persons. To know there is the necessity of being baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To understand the need of obedience to God’s Ten Commandments. Such basic truth provides universal and mutual faith in the Supreme 'spiritual being' called God.  The word catholic means universal!
 
In faith, God is God. God is omniscient aka all knowing, and omnipresent, present everywhere where sin is not. God can raise anyone to knowledge, understanding, counsel, and wisdom of God who sincerely want Him to be Lord of their daily duties. The virtue of humility is the key to attaining those gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are knowledge, understanding, counsel, and wisdom.

All the above understood of being ‘in the world, but not of the world’ — to speak of faith learned in Sunday School classroom, the faith put to practice in taking the Real Presence of Christ in Sacraments, which is the religion of following our Savior, and living the Christian faith in a diverse human world where all persons in ‘the circle’ are not in ‘one place’ of ‘one understanding of mind, of the ONE TRUTH’ whispered by ONE GOD incarnate. This provides to all of faith their personal 'cross carrying' experience, as ‘in and through God’ one must speak objective God truth.

The job of being Christian is not to just enjoy the many graces and blessings we receive as a follower of God. As with any earthly job, there are responsibilities to the common Go(o)d whom we of faith serve. We do not work only for dollars, pensions, and prestigious human titles and praise. We are ‘in but not of this material world.’ Be aware that if ‘meek’ or ‘shy,’ there will be those who interpret such as being ‘easy’ to manipulate, to control, and to ignore the good we are about as a mutual adult. They will attempt to make us believe we are immature for not being assertive. If we do get rightly angry and rightly assert, ‘the world’ will throw out such words as ‘why do you harbor anger.’ I heard this word ‘harbor anger’ spoken once, and it immediately brought thought of a ‘docked’ boat, not a boat that is freely moving. It is when we can speak of what angers us to those whom are more or less as us but unaware of their disrespect, WE can all sail better on the sea as One Body of Christ. Other words heard by some souls when justified anger is expressed: just move forward! I reiterate — ONE BODY in God cannot move forward individually. When something is not right, we need to bring awareness. Ignore also those who say ‘let’s just agree to disagree.’  This too is mere human words to avoid the truth they do not wish to think about.

Do not get pulled down by nice sounding phrases that ‘sound like’ unity but is not.
 
It is essential to remember the following when living the faith daily:
 
·    Expect to be poked, provoked, mocked, and have faith tested by humans as ourselves when sincerely attending to the teachings of the One, Holy, Apostolic, and Judeo-Christian Church of Jesus Christ. Be grateful for one or two or four special friends, two being the loving parents who ‘raised you up in the way you are to go.’ Popularity is not an essential to entering the narrow road upward to those Pearly Gates.
 
·    Be aware of the trait that makes us all human: our emotions, also called our feelings. The temptation will be there to be angry when disrespect of our God values is blatant. Not, per se, our personhood of fleshly nature. The disrespect of our God values is cause for justified anger. This brings us the personal 'cross' of choosing battles carefully, yet not being 'a doormat' for 'the world' to wipe their discontent, misery, anger, and envy upon.
 
·    While a Christian is called to be humble and meek, a Christian must not be weak. We are God's voice 'in the world' and have an obligation as His disciples to speak up and give reason why an idea, or action, is wrong action as stated in the Spiritual Works Of Mercy. We should remain humble in knowing we are human and are not going to change the ways of anyone, but we do need to bring otherwise good souls to an awareness of their ways and words. Admonitions are not just for young children. Admonitions are for all, because while in the material world, there are hundreds of distractions to mind and eyes that take the focus from the reason for the earthly journey. A false message once circulated that ‘we are not our brother’s keeper.’ This is half true. While our brothers and sisters do have free will, so too do the faithful have the free will to say NO to what dishonors God, and disrespects the values of God and our peace In Christ.  
 
·    Once the words are spoken to the offender of go(o)d actions, it is then for the faithful to God to not be consumed by the anger expressed, but to be consumed by the ways of love, which is prayer. We now 'offer up' the offender and our being offended to God by prayer. Praying may not bring 'immediate results' or an immediate reconciliation with our spiritual brothers and sisters. Still, we of faith must have the attitude of Christ: Mercy! Real Christians never slam any doors on those who were disrespectful to us, or block email, or slam a phone receiver down. We humbly continue 'as always,' understanding that life is eternal and trust God has heard and has initiated the change asked for this person. If we don’t see the change in our life on earth, we will see it in the world to come, because life is eternal — and patience is a virtue. Persevere in prayer!
 
·    Through our continuing prayer, while our 'other self' may not immediately change as we asked — we will be changed, at the least, by being given the grace of strength to deal with any difficult soul.
 
In a diverse fleshly world where all are not as yet ‘together in spirit’ of The Way, The Truth, The Life, i.e., it isn’t the full heaven yet — it is essential to remain humble, ‘keep the faith,’ and pick up ‘the cross’ and follow the way of Jesus: pray, speak THE truth when truth needs to be stated, bringing awareness to ‘busy souls’ ‘distracted souls.’  Remember to ‘offer up’ the good we are about at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the unity of the body of Christ.
 
This is to be ‘in the world, but NOT of the world!