EWTN - The Eternal Word Television Network

Today within our Catholic Church, there is much confusion and misunderstanding. This unfortunate situation has been brought on by a myriad of causes. Some blame seminary training which has often strayed from the basics of our faith and concentrated more on social issues. Others blame liberal clerics and professors in seminaries, colleges, religious houses of formation and even in high places within the ranks of the prelates. There seems to be a division between what is truly Catholic and what some think constitutes being Catholic. What is a Catholic who is trying to live his or her faith to believe?

The answer is really quite simple. First and foremost a true Catholic strictly adheres to the teachings of the Church as promulgated by Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI and the Magisterium of the Church. Christ empowered Peter with the care and administration of His Church and to him, gave the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. With the words, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it" Jesus turned over the earthly administration of the Church He Himself had founded when He came to Earth. Before He ascended into Heaven He gave the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven telling Peter, "And to you I give the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven so that whatever you bind on Earth I will bind in Heaven; whatever you loose on Earth, I will loose in Heaven."

Remember that Jesus did not leave His Church an orphan Church. He fully equipped her with power on Earth that had eternal consequences in eternity. He instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, the Eucharist. Who else but an all-loving God could have thought of such a way to remain with us physically while returning to Heaven? He gave the Apostles the power, His power, to forgive sins. Recall that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Apostles and breathed on them saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive mens sins, they are forgiven; if you hold them bound, they are bound."

Jesus instituted the seven sacraments to equip the Church with all the tools necessary for her leaders to wins souls for Christ and spiritually guide them toward their destiny with Jesus in Heaven. The Catholic Church has the Deposit of Faith and she alone does in its fullness.

There are other 'tools' within our reach which help us in our faith journey. First and foremost is the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Every Catholic or at least every Catholic home should have these two books and read and study them. Every answer to all your questions about the faith can be found between their pages and all with Scriptural references.

The Bible, the Holy Scriptures, also needs to be in every Catholic home and it needs to be read and studied as well. There are excellent Biblical helps online such as the one Dr. Scott Hahn founded, The Saint Paul Center for Biblical Studies to help us understand some of the great mysteries of our faith and how it all came about.

Certainly, remain faithful to your personal Catholic devotions. Many older Catholics especially have numerous statues and pictures of Our Lord, Our Lady and the Saints around their homes. This is a worthwhile practice. Most Catholics have a favorite Saint or two. Most certainly every Catholic home needs to have at least one Crucifix and it should be placed over the front entrance to the home. A crucifix in every room is an awesome idea and well worth the small effort.

Holy water is another sacramental that needs to be found and used on every Catholic home. Frequent sprinkings throughout the rooms is a wholesome and good thing to do. Especially at night before bedtime it is a good idea to sprinkle the bedrooms at least and especially those of the little ones. Blessed salt is another sacramental similar to holy water. It can be sprinkled in and outside of the home especially around the perimeter of the property.

No sacramental is as popular among Catholics as the Holy Rosary. This is Our Lady's favorite prayer and she often has mentioned it in her apparitions as an excellent weapon against evil. It should be recited daily at least and more often if possible. When I was growing up, Father Patrick Peyton of the Holy Cross Fathers had a radio program, Family Theater. On it appeared many of the stars from Hollywood at that time - all the big names. The focus of Father's ministry was devotion to Our Lady and her Rosary. He had a saying that is so very true, "The Family that prays together, stays together." Could we not use family unity today. The Rosary stands as the weapon of choice for those seeking Our Lady's help.

Devotions are personal with some Catholics being devoted to the Little Flower, others to Saint Joseph and others to Padre Pio. One thing that use to worry me was if I favored one Saint over another would I offend the others. The answer simply is NO for there is no jealousy in Heaven. I have a long list of Saints, Blesseds and Venerables that I pray to on occasion. I don't get to all of them everyday but I try to stick to some regulars. Our Lady and Saint Joseph rank right up at the top. Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Lawrence the Deacon are my patrons and I am devoted to them both. I am fortunate enough to have a First Class relic of Saint Lawrence. There are no 'relics' of Saint Michael in case someone tells you they have one.

Let me not forget Guardian Angels. I love mine and I am sure if he had hair when God assigned him to be, he must be bald now with some of the things I have done and put him through. Offer a Mass for him; say an extra prayer or two for him and talk to him; he's there although we cannot see him. He loves to go to Mass so when you and I go, the angels go too. Say the old prayer the Nuns taught us in grade school: "Angel of God my guardian dear; to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day (night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide." Close with "I love you dear Guardian angel."

The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is a very favorite of mine as is devotion to the Divine Mercy. Jesus asked for the chaplet to be recited at 3 PM every day - the hour He died on the Cross. Some say it more often which is fine. I have it on a CD in my car as I do the Rosary as well. They are great comforts while driving. The Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Seven Dolors, is another of my favorites and it was actually she herself who prompted me to recite it. I had not heard of it before a few years ago. I also have a large statue of her as Our Lady of Sorrows in my living room. She has the seven swords piercing her heart and all one has to do is look upon that statue to understand the pain she endured.

Catholic homes used to have an altar somewhere in the house, usually a table or the dining room buffet where they kept statues and little votive candles lit for devotions. A table will do as well - someplace in the home that is set aside for us as the domestic church. It can be decorated as the family wishes with flowers and other sacred objects as well. I am fortunate enough to have an extra small bedroom in my apartment which I turned into a chapel. I am blessed to have a First Class relic of the True Cross, Saint John Neuman and Saint John of the Cross. There are other relics as well and they are arranged on an altar. There's a very large Crucifix over the altar and a kneeler and several chairs too. It is quiet place to go.

So, I offer these suggestions to you. Use your imagination but do something other than simply going to Mass on Sunday. Bring your faith into your home and let it be visible. I have an old Army buddy who likes to tease me about all the statues and holy pictures I have throughout the apartment. He said I have more than the Vatican. I have never been to the Vatican so I cannot tell. I also have a grotto of Our Lady of Grace with a spotlight on her on my pation. She looks great and everyone passing along the main road of our complex gets to see her.

So in these tough days, stay faithful to the Church and especially the Holy Father. If some priest or parish upsets you, find another one. I church-shopped for almost a year and a half and was blessed to find one that is a little bit of Heaven on Earth. It has a great and holy young priest who is an awesome confessor and spiritual director. Oh, by the way, when he came there he moved the Most Blessed Sacrament back to the tabernacle in the main altar dead center of the church. That alone spoke volumes to me about this man.

I leave EWTN on 24/7 and never change the channel. It is informative, comforting and loyal to the Holy Father and the Magisterium. EWTN is indeed a network of mircales. Read Raymond Arroyo's first book on Mother Angelica and get the background on how EWTN and the Monastery of Our Lady of Angels came to be. You may not believe it but it is absolutely true. God's hand is all through the foundation and maintenance of this miracle network. Support EWTN and if your cable provider does not carry it, do what me and many of my neighbors did - tell them you want it on. It costs the cable company nothing to carry EWTN - yes, it is free for them so free is a good price and they'll do it if you insist.

Keep the faith my sisters and brothers. I struggle like many Catholics and other Christians sometimes every day. The world is hostile to Jesus and what He stands for, especially life issues. While we may not be able to change things ourselves, although sometimes we can, we can collectively storm Heaven for some assistance and like the man in the Bible who kept banging on his neighbor's door late at night for bread for his guests, eventually we will get our bread too. Be persistent in prayer.