One might question my title on what exercise has to do with being a Christian. Like the body, the mind and soul needs spiritual exercise in order to stay in shape to meet the challengers we are confronted with on a daily basis. Christians need to focus on the fact that we are not just Christians but were supposed to be Christian Soldiers. One can easily observe the high rate of obesity in society today, but not noticeable when it effects the mind and the soul.Christians seem to forget that in order to understand “Truth” one needs more than knowledge. Grace is the second ingredient in our understanding of truth. Pontius Pilate in remarking to Jesus answer said, “What Is Truth?” Had he had the grace he would have know that the TRUTH was standing in front of him.
For the most part, we have the regular means of obtaining Actual and Sanctifying grace. Church attendance, daily prayers and spiritual readings. What I find lacking, (especially in this day and age), is FASTING. I’m not referring to our regular church calendar commitments, but one taking that extra step to fast outside the norm, like picking one day a week, one day every two weeks or even one day a month to go without food for a day until sundown. In suggesting this to a couple of friends, who were a little on the heavy side, the wife exclaimed, all day? I replied that liquids were permissible as long as it wasn’t one of those food drinks, like Ensure, etc.
I can remember an elderly Priest friend of mine who consistently preached,”Sacrifice and Penance.” but this was 35 years ago. How more this is needed in this time in church history. Look at the Obesity problem that’s propped up in these last 35 years. I attribute some of the fault to the new abstinence laws that came out from the Vatican II Church which allows one now to eat meat on Fridays, except for Good Friday? I can remember when 95 % of Catholics and even the Orthodox would routinely eat Fish every Friday. Fish is one of the best food sources for the omega oils which helps us to control cholesterol and fat. Very few people eat fish on a regular basis anymore. Some say because of the mercury but it’s an easy thing to pick out the safest fish to eat today.
In referring to my fasting suggestions again. Fasting also help us with perseverance as well. The mind tells the body or the stomach that, today I’m in control, whether you like it or not.
The first and most important attribute of a Christian is the ability to reason. This comes to us from Charity and the love of the Truth. As Christians we have a moral obligation to reason and search for the facts that confront the Church in this day and age. The we must unite in spreading the truth in preparing the world for Christ’s intimate return. Remember that every disorder in the world is a reflection of MORTAL SIN and that it is sinful to divide the members of the faith, unless it’s caused by the rejection of the truth. And that will be Over my dead body,
Grace be with you, in Christ, Joseph
March 4, 2014 St. Casimir, C.
Then we must unite in spreading the truth in preparing the world for Christ’s intimate return. Remember that every disorder in the world is a reflection of MORTAL SIN and that it is sinful to divide the members of the faith, unless it’s caused by the rejection of the truth. And that will be, over my dead body.