Priests were becoming obedient

Reflection:

Even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith. What’s up with that? Wouldn’t priests already be one with God? During the time period between the Resurrection and Pentecost, a large number of the Jewish priests such as Nicodemus and Gamaliel were being saved. These men who Jewish leaders who were experts in the law of Israel, similar to judges on the US Supreme Court. Thus they were very knowledgeable and wise by societal standards but were lacking a heart like David, known as a man after God’s heart.  A similar analogy would be a catholic priest who has all the knowledge of the church’s teachings and truths but fails to become a man after God’s heart, a man that clings to the cross of Christ. No vast amount of seminary school education can create a man after God’s heart in a priest because it’s not about knowledge but rather a deep personal relationship with Jesus. Therefore, if the devil can be conniving enough to distract and pick off priests by focusing on theological education, he is definitely in battle against all men. The point that many priests were becoming obedient to the faith reminds us how essential and critical it is for us to always pray for our priests. The devil realizes that the priesthood is at the heart of the church so if he can cause these men lack obedience to the faith the damage will be even more catastrophic than a single man. This example applies to the family structure as well in the role of fatherhood because if the devil can pick off the father the wife and children lack Godly leadership and lose faith as well. Thus the realization of the devil’s constant assault on men reminds us how essential it is to man up fight the good fight in obedience to the faith each and every day. So let us keep our priests and all fathers in our prayers this day and always!

Reading (Acts 6: 1- 7):

As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews

because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the Apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Partial-Birth Abortion Supreme Court Case (Gonzales vs Carhart)

The following link provides the Opinion of the Supreme Court on the US Supreme Court case know as Gonzales vs Carhart which upheld the partial-birth abortion act of 2003.  It’s stomach wrenching and beyond words to comprehend how partial-birth abortion could have been upheld after reading the accounts and descriptions of the partial-birth abortion procedures documented in the Opinion of the Supreme Court.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/05-380.ZO.html

So Jesus we pray for mercy and forgiveness upon humanity and an end this great evil!

The question that keeps coming to my mind is where are the men? What man would allow the person he supposedly “loved” go thru such a vicious operation? What man would allow his offspring to be murdered? Where in the world are the men?  It seems to me that the only answer to these questions are that true men and fathers are becoming extinct like dinosaurs. Just because your physically old enough to participate in creating a child means nothing regarding whether you are spiritually, emotionally, and mentally ready. Men are too easily tempted to do nothing with their lives but exist for pleasure whether it be cheering on their favorite sports team, living for the weekend at the bar, flirting with multiple women, etc. This culture we live in today does not honor and motivate “old boys” to be transformed into men. If an “old boy” simply told the woman he created a child with that they should keep it and raise the child; the number of abortions in this country would drop astronomically. Pregnant women are emotional and desperate when contemplating raising their child by themselves because the  primary support group, the “old boy” has yet to be willing to accept responsibility and grow up in manhood.