Losing Faith in Humanity

[PelagiathePenit]

It sounds bad. I always expect the worse from people and myself. How can you be self-reflective with being self-absorbed? Care about others, without becoming a mother to me. Some people say the beauty of life, is our imperfections. But I for one do not like them. Sometimes I feel like praying, going to church, believing in God is all pointless. People will do what they want. Nothing in life is equal, fair, etc. I am afraid if I follow Christ I will become super churchy, boring and self-righteous. Humans are so flawed how does God love us all? We make the same mistakes. Sometimes it is difficult for me believe certain things are sins because others can get away with it. Some people do not even care about. If God loves us so much, why does it matter if we choose to follow him or not?
I always think of that super tough, rough around the edges type person. They can handle anything. They are very independent. They are moderate in their sinning. Not every fornicator becomes a sex addict. Not every thief graduates onto armed robbery. Some people are petty thieves throughout their lives. some people in life seem completely invincible. It seems like God is for those who are weak, pathetic, cannot handle the nature of their own sins or can not find peace within themselves? I want to believe in God not because I am scared of sinning or scared of punishment. What does God have to offer people who have a good life already?

 

[tonyrey]

What does God have to offer people who have a good life already?

Far more than a “good” life in this world… The parable of Dives answers your question.

A warm welcome to the forum!

 

[mrsjennymulhall]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

I suppose that looking for the worst in oneself and in others becomes a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. You will surely find what you are looking for!

As to what Gid has to offer someone with a good life: everything!! We are all called to bring the love of God to each other and I believe this means; in practical terms; to seek out those who need my help and to give it in anonymity and humility. If a poor man can give of his tiny store; how wonderful to be so blessed as to have the health to give of my labour; the wealth to give of my fortune! In this way God has SO much to offer the fortunate. He offers them all that their good fortune would take from them; awareness of the less fortunate and, by Grace, the opportunity to find those in most need of their help.

Self deflection is a good thing until it becomes what my father calls ‘navel gazing’. If reflection tells you that you are impatient; find something to do which helps others and which requires patience. You’ll find very quickly that you NEED God! Conquer your heart in practical ways. You will struggle, I promise; but that struggle will bring you closer to God and His grace will make everything real and possible.

Lovely to meet you; see you around the forum! x

 

[josh987654321]

.

I believe these words could only come from someone who has forgotten Christ’s passion, who has forgotten God’s love and mercy, who has forgotten (or who has never known) what it means to love and be loved.

Jesus to St Margaret-Mary Alacoque -

**“Behold this Heart which has loved men so much that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself in order to testify to them it’s love.” **

The Sacred Heart Image (St Margaret-Mary Alacoque)

http://s7.postimg.org/4jx43bm1n/Christ_7.jpg
Jesus to Catalina:

I Have Given My Life for You - loveandmercy.org/Eng-IHG-Reg.pdf

**9) Those who do not meditate on My sufferings, who do not compare them with their own, do not extract from the treasure chest of My Passion, the treasures that I have stored up for each one of you.

1. I assure you that those who meditate on My sorrowful Passion will derive many Graces, because it is a treasure chest of infinitely enormous benefits. By the same token, those who have paid no attention or have forgotten My sufferings will always find emptiness and spiritual poverty.**

Jesus to Catalina:

I Have Given My Life for You - loveandmercy.org/Eng-IHG-Reg.pdf

7) My Passion is a compendium of Holy Love and supernatural Wisdom itself. Everything can be found during My hours of the Passion: every evil in the world transformed into good for eternity, and all the supernatural goodness of present mankind, united to the promise of the good that they may attain if they die protected by My Passion.

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf

**"Contemplate My wounds and see if there is anyone who has suffered as much as I, to show their love…

"Contemplate for a moment these bloodstained hands and feet… This naked body, covered with wounds, with urine, and blood. Dirty… This head punctured by sharp thorns, soaked in sweat, full of dust, and covered in Blood…

"Contemplate your Jesus, hanging on the Cross, without being able to make the slightest movement… naked, without fame, without honor, without liberty…

"Contemplate Me in the image of the Christ that weeps and bleeds. There and in this way the world has Me**

http://s15.postimg.org/s9fu5lkbv/Crucifixion.jpg
Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf

**1) …Look at Me, My beloved ones. Letting Myself be led with the meekness of a lamb to the terrible torture of the scourging. On My Body, already covered with blows and overwhelmed with fatigue, the executioners cruelly discharge terrible lashes with braided rope, with rods. They punish Me so violently that there was no part of Me which was not prey to the most terrible pain… The blows and the kicks caused Me countless wounds… The rods tore away pieces of My skin and flesh. Blood flowed from all My limbs. Time after time I fell because of the pain caused by the blows to My manliness. My Body was in such a state that I resembled a monster more than a man. The features of My face had lost their shape; it was all swollen.

1. The thought of so many souls, who would later be inspired to follow My footsteps, consumed Me with Love.**

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf

**5) The fatigue that I feel is so great and the Cross so heavy that halfway along the path, I fall from weakness. See how those inhuman men lift Me up in the most brutal manner. One grabs My arm, another pulls My clothes that are stuck to My wounds, tearing them open again… This one grabs Me by the neck, another by the hair; others discharge dreadful blows to My whole Body, with their fists, and even with their feet. The Cross falls upon Me and with its weight causes new wounds. My face is scraped by the stones in the road and the blood which runs down My face sticks to My eyes that are almost closed because of the blows they have received. The dust and the mud mingle with the blood and I am turned into the most repugnant of objects.

1. My Father sends Angels to help support Me so that My Body does not lose consciousness when it falls, so that the battle may not be won before its time and all My souls are lost.
2. I walk over the stones that destroy My feet. I stumble and fall time and time again. I look at both sides of the road, searching for the slightest look of love, of surrender, of union with My pain, but… I do not see anyone.
3. My children, you who follow in My footsteps, do not let go of your cross no matter how heavy it seems to you. Do it for Me because by carrying your cross, you will help Me carry Mine, and on the difficult path, you will find My Mother and the holy souls who will give you encouragement and comfort.**

Jesus to Catalina:

I Have Given My Life for You - loveandmercy.org/Eng-IHG-Reg.pdf

**To redeem all of mankind, a child’s cry, a moan, a single tear of Mine would have been enough… Would you have understood My Love in the same way? If with so many great proofs you still take so long to accept it, what would have caused you to believe in My Love, if I had limited Myself to what seemed paltry? …

It is because of all this that you must believe in Love, principally, in My Love …

Only by going beyond the limit of “what is necessary” would many eyes be opened to My Love.**

Please continue to next post -

 

[josh987654321]

Continued from above post -
Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf

**11) For love of souls, I remain a prisoner in the Holy Eucharist, so that in their sorrow and grief they are being consoled by the most tender of Hearts, by the best of Fathers, by the most loyal friend. But that Love, which is consumed for the good of mankind, is not going to be returned.

1. I live amongst sinners to be their salvation and their life, their doctor and medicine; yet they, in return, in spite of their sick nature, distance themselves from Me. They offend Me and scorn Me.
2. My children, poor sinners! Do not distance yourselves from Me. I wait for you night and day at the Tabernacle. I will not reproach you for your crimes; I will not throw your sins in your face. What I will do is to wash you with the Blood of My wounds. Do not be afraid; come to Me. You do not know how much I love you.
3. And you, dear souls, why are you cold and indifferent to My love? I know you have to attend to the needs of your family, your home, and of the world that constantly demands of you. But, can it be that you do not have a moment to come and give Me proof of your love and gratitude? Do not allow yourselves to be carried away by so many useless worries; reserve a moment of your time to visit the Prisoner of Love. If your body is sick, can you not find a few minutes to seek the Doctor who must cure you? Come to He who can restore strength and health of the soul. Give alms of love to this Divine Beggar, who calls you, wants you, and waits for you.**

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf

**6) On the other hand, there are souls, and not few, who, moved by their desire for salvation but above all, by the love inspired in them by the vision of what I have suffered for them, decide to follow Me on the path to Calvary. They embrace the perfect life and give themselves to My service, not to help Me carry just a part of the Cross but all of it. Their only desire is to give Me rest and to console Me. For that purpose, they volunteer for everything that My Will asks of them, searching for how they can please Me. They do not think about the merits or the reward that awaits them, or the tiredness or the suffering that will result for them. The only thing that they have in mind is the love that they can show Me, and the comfort they give Me…

1. If My Cross is presented as an illness, if it is hidden under a job contrary to their inclinations and of little agreement with their abilities, if it comes accompanied by the thoughtlessness of people surround them, they accept it with total submission.
2. Oh! These are the souls that truly carry My Cross; they adore it. They make use of it for obtaining My Glory with no interest or payment other than My love. They are the ones that consider Me and glorify Me.
3. If you do not see the result of your sufferings, of your self-denial, or if you see it later, be certain that they have not been in vain and fruitless but, on the contrary, the fruit will be abundant.
4. The soul who truly loves, does not keep count of how much it has suffered or labored, nor does it expect this or that reward, but it seeks only that which it believes glorifies its God… For Him it spares neither labors nor weariness. It does not become agitated or restless, far from it, for it does not lose its peace if it finds itself thwarted or humiliated, because the only motive for its actions is love, and love abandons the consequences and the results. Therein lies the purpose of souls who do not seek rewards. The only thing that they hope for is My Glory, My comfort, My rest, and, for that reason they have taken My Cross and all the weight that My Will desires to place upon them.
5. My children, call Me by My name, for Jesus means everything. I will wash your feet, those feet that have trodden a slippery path and are now wounded by the blows against the rocks. I will wipe away your tears, cure you, kiss you, and you will remain healthy and know no other path but the one that leads you to Me.
6. We are now at Calvary! The mob is excited because the dreadful moment is near… Exhausted by fatigue, I can hardly walk. My feet bleed because of the stones on the way… Three times I have fallen along the way: once to give sinners used to sinning the strength to convert; another to give encouragement to souls who fall because of being frail and to souls who are blinded by sadness and restlessness, encouraging them to rise and embark with courage upon the path of virtue; and the third time, to help souls depart from sin at the hour of their death.**

Please continue to next post -

 

[josh987654321]

Continued from above post -

http://s28.postimg.org/6bvy5pai5/Prodigal_Son.jpg
Jesus to Catalina:

The Great Crusade of Love - loveandmercy.org/Eng-CL-Reg.pdf

**I would like to be presented like the prodigal son’s father who, aged by the pain of his son’s absence, keeps watch from a window with a small light of hope for the return of his beloved son. I live among all of you in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the bread you eat, with all the grandiose work of creation that never ceases. In this manner I am among you all, alive, real, with the perpetual sacrifice of the Cross and the glory of the resurrection in each Eucharist.

I want the world to know that God is unchanging, that He never lessens His love for men; I need for man to know that I never set limits to my forgiveness and that I do not ask the prodigal son how he has squandered my estate, nor do I ask for an account of his wickedness.**

Jesus to Catalina:

The Passion - loveandmercy.org/Eng-TP-Reg.pdf

I want to teach sinners that because they have sinned, they should not distance themselves from Me thinking that they no longer have recourse and that they will never be loved as before they sinned. Poor souls! These are not the feelings of a God who has shed all His Blood for you. Come to Me all of you and fear not, because I love you. I will cleanse you with My Blood and you will be as white as snow. I will drown your sins in the water of My Mercy and nothing will be able to snatch from My Heart the Love that I have for you.

Divine Mercy Image (St Faustina)

http://s8.postimg.org/422f1cyxh/Christ_9.jpg

Jesus to St. Faustina -

"My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain…" (Diary, 1777).

"My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces." (Diary, 367).

"My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy" (Diary, 1485).

"Oh, if sinners knew My mercy, they would not perish in such great numbers. Tell sinful souls not to be afraid to approach Me; speak to them of My great mercy" (Diary, 1396).

"Come and confide in your God, who is love and mercy…My child, listen to the voice of your merciful Father" (Diary, 1486).
Jesus to Catalina:

The Great Crusade of Mercy - loveandmercy.org/Eng-CM-Reg.pdf

11) Mercy is love, My child. It is union with God and union with God is the certitude of victory and an everlasting abundance of virtues. Mercy is the unquestionable proof of love for Me.

I hope these words have touched your heart as they have mine.

God Bless

Thank you for reading
Josh

 

[celtspirit]

We adore you and we thank you O Christ

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world+

 

[petra22]

What does God have to offer people who have a good life already?

A beautiful, wonderful eternal life after we die to this one… ?

 

[tawny]

It sounds bad. I always expect the worse from people and myself. How can you be self-reflective with being self-absorbed? Care about others, without becoming a mother to me. Some people say the beauty of life, is our imperfections. But I for one do not like them. Sometimes I feel like praying, going to church, believing in God is all pointless. People will do what they want. Nothing in life is equal, fair, etc. I am afraid if I follow Christ I will become super churchy, boring and self-righteous. Humans are so flawed how does God love us all? We make the same mistakes. Sometimes it is difficult for me believe certain things are sins because others can get away with it. Some people do not even care about. If God loves us so much, why does it matter if we choose to follow him or not?
I always think of that super tough, rough around the edges type person. They can handle anything. They are very independent. They are moderate in their sinning. Not every fornicator becomes a sex addict. Not every thief graduates onto armed robbery. Some people are petty thieves throughout their lives. some people in life seem completely invincible. It seems like God is for those who are weak, pathetic, cannot handle the nature of their own sins or can not find peace within themselves? I want to believe in God not because I am scared of sinning or scared of punishment. What does God have to offer people who have a good life already?

Welcome to CAF. Praying for your intentions.

 

[edarlitrix]

It sounds like you’re saying that no matter what people do, whether good or evil, what happens to them is random. Good will happen to the evil people; they go unpunished. Evil happens to the good people; they go unrewarded. Correct me if that’s not what you meant. But, supposing Christianity is true, then there is an afterlife in which people receive their final reward or punishment, as explained in Luke 16.19-31 in the story of the rich and poor man.

 

[oldcelt]

While I understand your feelings of desperation, having been there myself, I am optimistic overall. There will always be cruel, self-serving people in our lives, but I have come to the realization that the generally good people far outnumber them, and hopefully always will.

I look for those decent people and try to make them a part of my life. If we all seek to improve our little corner of the world,it can’t help but make life better.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[fred_conty]

It sounds bad. I always expect the worse from people and myself. How can you be self-reflective with being self-absorbed? Care about others, without becoming a mother to me. Some people say the beauty of life, is our imperfections. But I for one do not like them. Sometimes I feel like praying, going to church, believing in God is all pointless. People will do what they want. Nothing in life is equal, fair, etc. I am afraid if I follow Christ I will become super churchy, boring and self-righteous. Humans are so flawed how does God love us all? We make the same mistakes. Sometimes it is difficult for me believe certain things are sins because others can get away with it. Some people do not even care about. If God loves us so much, why does it matter if we choose to follow him or not?
I always think of that super tough, rough around the edges type person. They can handle anything. They are very independent. They are moderate in their sinning. Not every fornicator becomes a sex addict. Not every thief graduates onto armed robbery. Some people are petty thieves throughout their lives. some people in life seem completely invincible. It seems like God is for those who are weak, pathetic, cannot handle the nature of their own sins or can not find peace within themselves? I want to believe in God not because I am scared of sinning or scared of punishment. What does God have to offer people who have a good life already?

From your post I believe you answered your own question. I see a lot of nervous doubt and a troubled spirit.

Jesus said it himself, “Peace I bring you, my peace I give to you.”

It isn’t found anywhere else but in your lord and mine, Jesus. Being at peace inside and out is inexpressable at times. There is nothing to compare to it, and certainly not the worldly and bodily pleasures.

Give yourself to him wholeheartedly and put yourself in his care and then observe his words, “come to me all you who are labored and burdened and I will refresh you.”

You sound tired…go to him.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.

 

[Nihilist]

. It seems like God is for those who are weak, pathetic, cannot handle the nature of their own sins or can not find peace within themselves?

That’s pretty much everyone, if we’re honest, isn’t it?

. I want to believe in God not because I am scared of sinning or scared of punishment.

They seem like adequate reasons to me. Fear of Hell is perhaps the sanest, most reasonable motivation anyone can have. An eternity of fire? No thanks…

. What does God have to offer people who have a good life already?

Here’s a secret I’ll share- There’s NO ONE who has a good life.

I’ve never met one. Some people like to pretend. We’re all basically wretched. Look into your heart- you know it’s true.