Catholic GPS: Good mother Mary, Prayer, the Sacraments

I was late. The party had started and I was 30 minutes away. I slammed the steering wheel in frustration. I heard the GPS barking at me and it was telling me to take the next exit and then do a U-turn! I ignored it. It kept telling me to turn around until I turned the sound off. 10 minutes later the traffic stopped entirely. A chemical spill had completely shut down the highway. Now, instead of getting there late, I was going to miss the whole party.

If I had listened to my GPS, I would have avoided the traffic jam and reached my destination. What is our destination as a Catholic? It better be Heaven. How do you best get there though? You get there through the Catholic Church, which has left us guide, a GPS you could say, which if you follow, guarantees salvation. These are three guidelines: Good Mother Mary, Prayer, and the Sacraments.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori tells us, “Mary, having cooperated in our redemption with so much glory to God and so much love for us, our Lord ordained that no one shall obtain salvation except through her intercession.” This is a very bold statement! Some might even find it troubling. However, the answer is found in Mary’s title “mediatrix of all graces”. Although not officially dogmatically defined, this title is quite fitting and in line with Catholic teaching. I am not going to go into the apologetics here, but every good Catholic knows that without Mary, salvation is simply not achievable. Without Mary’s yes, Jesus Christ would have never entered the world to free us from sin! The Blessed Virgin Mary is our friend, our helper, our guide, our example, our intercessor; she is a true mother! Always remember this simple truth, and that no matter how bad it gets, she will always be there for you and with you, to help you and guide you along the way. Saint Therese of Lisieux writes, “What a joy to remember that she [Mary] is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?” and the Angelic doctor tells us, “As mariners are guided to port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to Heaven by Mary.”

The necessity of prayer in the life of a Christian who is seeking Heaven cannot be over-emphasized. Blessed Luigi Orione tells us, “Without Prayer nothing good is done. God's works are done with our hands joined, and on our knees.”[i] Why is this so? When you pray, you are spending time with God. Prayer helps us practice the presence of God, which leads us to make better decisions regarding our eternal salvation. According to most saints, the minimum you should pray every day (this is for lay people) is a morning offering, 5 decades of the Rosary, and an examination of conscience at night. You may not think that you have “time” to do this, but ask yourself honestly how much of your time is wasted time? By wasted time, I mean entertainment; listening to music in the car, playing video games, watching television, etc. Unfortunately, American culture is all about entertainment, aka wasting time. I challenge you to take one opportunity every day this week and instead of wasting time, spend that time in prayer. Believe me, it makes a big difference! Saint John Chrysostom writes, “It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life.”

Finally, the Sacraments of the Church, particularly the Holy Eucharist, help us increase our love for God, avoid sin, and improve our attention to the inclinations of grace within us. Saint Maximilian Kolbe writes, "If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” The Holy Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. Of course it is going to help us get closer to Him! Always receive Him in the state of grace and with proper reverence and devotion, and “When you approach the tabernacle, remember that He has been waiting for you for twenty centuries[ii].”

If we are faithful to God and His Church and die in sanctifying grace, we are guaranteed salvation. It is so simple, and yet our human weakness makes it impossible to achieve by ourselves! This simple analogy of the Catholic GPS will hopefully be an aide to you in attaining this grace; in avoiding the major and minor "traffic jams" or roadblocks of advancing in virtue towards our heavenly goal. In today’s world, where sanctity is increasingly mocked and ridiculed, and the most base forms of sin are coming to light with great frequency, we need to practice heroic virtue more than any other time in the history of the world. Today, in the 21st century, you are either for Christ or against Him. There is no middle ground anymore. If you will not receive the Blessed Sacrament with love and devotion, who else will? If you will not implore the Blessed Virgin for the graces necessary to be saved, who else will? If you will not love God, who else will? With God’s help, let us begin today!

i --Blessed Luigi Orione

[ii] Saint Josemaria Escriva