Skittles Taste Good but are Unhealthy

Skittles - "taste the rainbow."

Most of us are familiar with with this slogan from the candy "Skittles." However, this post is not about candy, but about the LGBT movement that uses the rainbow symbol.

In light of the recent ruling on Proposition 8 and DOMA, it is obvious that the Catholic Church has a big battle ahead if she wishes to protect marriage from perversion and exist in society.

Unfortunately, some Catholics have "tasted the rainbow" and have become addicted to its apparent sweetness.  There are Catholics who believe that homosexual behavior is just and that homosexuals should be allowed to get married.

These Catholics even go to Mass every Sunday, pray, receive Communion and may even participate in certain ministries of the Church.  Some are ordained clergy and professed religious brothers or sisters!  This is unfortunate indeed and shows cognitive dissonance.  One cannot be Catholic and support homosexual behavior and same-sex marriage.  It is like a Muslim believing that eating pork is bad while having a pork chop for dinner.  A Catholic who adopts the LGBT agenda is only being a hypocrite and offending God.  It is one of the gravest of sins that cry out to God for vengeance. (Genesis 18:20-21)

Our Church is clear on the matter.

Chastity and homosexuality
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Jesus will never condone same sex unions of any kind, nor homosexual behavior.  This goes against  the nature and dignity of the human being.  I have heard some Catholics claim that Jesus was silent on what constitutes a marriage and that "God is love" so homosexuals should be allowed to "love" each other.  Well Jesus is clear on marriage:

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” - Matthew 19:4-6

While God is indeed love, this does not mean that all love is the same.  We cannot love our parents the same way we love our siblings, wives/husbands and even friends.  Each relationship is unique and a variation of love is given within them.

If you are Catholic and you support the LGBT agenda, then you are not Catholic.  You are only deluding yourself.  Catholics are called to be faithful to God and the teachings He left us which are taught by the Catholic Church.

I understand the emotion behind joining a self-proclaimed "civil rights" movement; however, 'For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?" (Mark 8:36)  You are not helping homosexuals by aid and abetting their dangerous immoral lifestyle.

The rainbow looks nice and skittles can be tasty; however, the rainbow is an illusion caused by the bending of natural light and skittles are unhealthy.

Don't fall for an illusion and bending of the natural law, and don't eat unhealthy things.    



 

Prayer to St. Joseph

To you, blessed Joseph, we come in our tribulation and after pleading for assistance to your Most Holy Spouse, we implore your help, too. In the charity that kept you united to the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God and in the paternal love you embrace the Child Jesus, we humbly beg of you to turn benignly your eyes to the heirs that with His blood bought Jesus Christ and that with your power and help assist them in their needs. 

Protect, provident guardian of the Divine family, the chosen descendants of Jesus Christ; remove from us all mark of error and corruption, assist us propitiously from heaven, mighty liberator, in this fighting against the power of darkness; and as in other times you liberated the Child Jesus from the impending danger of His life, defend God's holy Church from the lurking of its enemies and from all adversity, and protect each one of us with your continuous help so that, taking example from you and sustained by your aid we could live saintly, die piously and reach in heaven the eternal bliss. Amen.  (Pope Leo XIII)

Catholic Witness

In this Year of Faith, Catholic witness is important.  Not only are we called to grow in faith; we are also called to be witnesses of Christ in the world.  We must show the world via our lives why it is worth it to be Catholic.  In today's world where doubt is growing; citing Scripture, Church dogmas etc, will not do much to sway harden hearts and minds.  When the Christian life is lived publicly, then this will sway many.

Human beings are wired to learn visually.  This is why it is important for children to use blocks and other objects that stimulate tactile and visual experience.  It is by this that we learn about the external world.  In child psychology, we learn that from about ages 2-4, children become "scientists."  They study everything and do their own experiments by testing how things work.  It is by this exploration that children begin to learn about the world and how they relate to it.

This does not end at childhood.  We still continue to learn in this manner.  Children learn the abc's and 123's faster with instruments that present these visually than by simply verbalizing them.  If I tell a child "A" or "1," my doing this will not guarantee that the child will learn what these are.  However, if I show them the letter A and number 1, then these images will remain in his/her brain and from there, he/she will be able to achieve mapping and encoding with them. 

Similarly, preaching the Word of God can only go so far unless we present it to people in a visual and tangible way. If I preach about love, then that message will come alive when those I preach to see me loving others.  If I preach about truth, then that message will come alive when people that I preach to see me telling the truth always.  If I preach about poverty and helping others, then this will come alive if people I preach to see me detached from material goods and see me provide for those in need.

This is why Pope Francis chose the name "Francis."  He wanted to imitate St. Francis who preached the Gospel not only with words, but through action.  Pope Francis has made it a mission to speak nearly daily on Christian behavior.  From saying not to be hypocritical, to having "funeral faces;" to recently stating that we must watch our tongues and how we talk about others; Pope Francis is reminding us the important of Christian witness.

As St. Francis is believed to have said: "Wherever you go, preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words."      

For God and Country

The phrase, "For God and Country" is often found inscribed on the corner stones of Catholic schools in the United States of America and perhaps other nations.  Its origin is found in Johan Salla, a commander in the Royal Forces of Alfonso the Chaste. 

As I was walking by a school, I noticed this phrase and began to think.  What does "For God and Country" really mean? 

In today's America where some polls claim that the majority of Catholics are for contraception, gay marriage and abortion when the mother's life is in danger; this got me thinking.  If these polls are indeed accurate, then this only means that American Catholics are losing their vision.  They are becoming blind to secular matters and have forgotten God.  They are focusing on the country part and setting aside God.

The nation is being placed before God.  The saying places God first and rightfully so.  Catholics cannot support secular rhetoric that opposes the Church's teaching.  One cannot be Catholic and be for contraception, abortion and/or gay marriage.  One of the most important factors of being Catholic is being counter-cultural.  Being a Catholic does not mean that a Catholic must obey all the social norms of the society he/she lives in especially when they are contrary to the Church's teachings.  We are called to transform nations into the image of Christ.  We are called to evangelize our nations, not conform to their ideas, especially when those ideas are contrary to God and His Church's teachings. 

While patriotism is fine and dandy, it should not become idolatrous.  It is OK to be proud of one's nationality; however, our nation of birth is just land and nothing more.  The people make the nation.  As Catholics, our true country - our true nation is Heaven. (Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:16) 

Nations will come and go, but God's Word will always remain.  Greece and Rome fell, Egypt fell, the empires of Spain and Britain fell, eventually the United States will fall.  We must not rely on man-made nations, but focus on our true nation: Heaven.  In order to make our current nations better, we must be faithful to Christ and His Church by promoting the teachings and defending life, marriage and the true meaning of sexual relations as a channel to bring new life to the world. 

Catholics wake up!  You cannot be Catholic and support abortion, contraception and gay marriage.

In His Presence

We have just celebrated the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Pope Francis had the first ever global Eucharistic adoration. 

Adoration is an act that all believers in God must do.  Our Lord awaits us in the Blessed Sacrament.  He is present in the Blessed Sacrament Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  There is no better gift that to have direct access to the Creator in every Catholic Church and chapel throughout the world.

There is no reason why Catholics should skip spending time before the Blessed Sacrament.  Jesus asked His Apostles if they could watch for one hour. (Mark 14:37-38 )  They fell asleep instead of praying.  Our faith should not be asleep.  Every Catholic should try to make time to spend before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  Most parishes have separate adoration chapels where Catholics can come and visit Our Lord and spend time in adoration.

I'm sure Catholics can relate to this:  When I go to adoration, this sensation of peace and tranquility enters my heart.  The stresses of the day disappear.  Sometimes time seems to be suspended and I may find myself spending more than an hour before the Blessed Sacrament.

Jesus is truly there!  I invite you to go visit Him daily or as often as you can.  The Eucharist is a gift that our separated brothers and sisters in the Protestant faith deprive themselves of.  Catholics have it easy - God is among us in our Churches.