Saving Our Own Souls

Saving Our Own Souls

Submitted by Thomas Stidl

         Saving our own souls is a tremendous responsibility.  There are many ways to commit grievous sins in our society today that it looks impossible to get to Heaven by our own power.  Through personal weakness we can go to hell by our own power.  We must use our free will to allow the Grace of God to work within us.  We must rely on the shed blood of Jesus to wash us clean and the actual graces to avoid sin.  How do we apply that shed blood of Jesus?

         One way is to simply ask Our Lord for help to avoid all sin.  Remember, “ask and you shall receive”.  Another way is to pray for each other.  We especially pray for those people who live in constant sin that the Holy Spirit would instruct them and all of us including ourselves to learn to cry out “Abba, Father” to please help us that all of us are weak vessels and need help to avoid sins.  We make a perfect act of contrition.  It is as follows:  O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins totally because I love Thee so deeply.  This prayer puts the soul immediately into the state of grace.  We must also make the firm amendment to go to confession and receive absolution from our grievous sins.

         We all have mouths.  Start asking.  You can be miles away.  The Forgiving Father will see that you have made the slightest movement away from sinful living.  He will run to you and clothe you with a pure white robe and will say to all around him, “Rejoice, the son or daughter once dead through sin has repented and found new life”.  This is the lesson of parable of the Prodigal Son.

         Depending on the stubbornness of the human mind, to do what I have outlined, may take months or years.  It may take an illness, which brings the body near death, or be on your deathbed to awaken the soul’s need for repentance.

         As I said previously, our job is to continually pray for living or deceased.  I believe Mary said it best to the children at Fatima.  She said that many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray for them.  We, as Catholics, must become prayer warriors.  Please do not judge other people’s actions and give up praying for them.  Let God do the judging.  Let us always keep asking for mercy for all people including our nation.

         You must also take into consideration what Jesus said when asked, “Who can be saved?”  His response was that for humans it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.  So continue to use the ordinary prayers said extraordinarily well for everyone.  This helps all of us become saints.

         Until next time, Laus Tibi, Christe.  Deo Gratias.  Praise be to God.  See you in Paradise.