My Duty, My Salvation

I subscribe to many blogs.  Mostly priest, bishops, or religious, but I do have a few that are of non-secular kind, that make me laugh(my sister's).  I would imagine that most people that follow my blog realize it is more towards the spiritual, because that is what I mostly write about. And today is no different.

I am going to step out on a HUGE limb here and discuss religion and politics.  My goal is not to offend or anger, which seems to be the way it has gone, so close to the presidential election.  It is simply to explain my personal conversion/change of thinking.  It might seem that I am wandering, or skipping around, so I apologize if I confuse you.

Recently, I heard a speech from a friend of mine.  Fr. John Hollowell spoke at a Catholic Men's Conference titled, Lion's Breathing Fire.  Please go to his blog, www.on-this-rock.blogspot.com, and look for the the blog titled, It's Our Duty and Salvation.  It has totally changed my thinking, both in Mass participation, and my voting(bet he never thought of that).

Briefly, though, Fr. Hollowell, spoke of our duty and our salvation.  Maybe you have heard that line in Mass.  He does a great job explaining how something can be both a duty and salvation.  The one thing I took out of this is, as a father, it is my duty and salvation to get my children to Mass.  I will not lie, I go to Mass, every weekend, yet, I go on my schedule, so sometimes, I go alone.  NOT ANYMORE!!  It is my duty to get my children and wife to Mass so they can be saved. 

Fr. John also talks about the common excuses of not attending Mass.  In my instance, I was thinking about me and my schedule.  If my family schedule did not match, I went alone.  Some other excuses used were: I did not like the music, I do not like the priest, Mass is boring, I let my children decide(he went to town on this excuse).  Fr. John did not disagree with any of those things, with exception of the "children decide" excuse.  But the one thing he brought home to me is, "IT IS MY DUTY AND MY SALVATION!!!"  There are many duties in my job, that I do not like, but yet I still do them.  So the excuses given as to why we do not attend Mass cannot be argued with, but we cannot skip Mass because of it.

Now the political part.  I am sure we have all been taught the basic workings of Goverment.  For example, if I am going to run for political office, I share my thoughts and view points with my constituency, and if I am lucky to get elected, I now represent those that vote for me.  Pretty simple concept, but not sure it is an easy one, especially if my constituency and I have a different disblief. 

Let me give you an example.  One hot button topic in this political election is HHS.  This mandate goes against my beliefs.  However, what if it does not go against my constituency's beliefs.  What do I do now?  Well, before a lengthy conversation with my pastor, I would have voted along the lines of my constituency.  But now, after the aforementioned long talk, and listening to Fr. Hollowell discuss my Duty and Salvation, my thought process has changed.

My thought process has changed because now I am going to focus on my Duty and Salvation, which is what I should have done in the first place.  Everything seems easier now that I am focused on my Duty and my Salvation.  And I must say, what a huge relief.  There is a sort of calmness being obedient to God.  It certainly can take some of the "hard" out of a hard decision.  Now don't get me wrong, it is not all mums and roses.  Being obedient to God as my duty and salvation will mean coming across some struggles with the world beliefs, whatever those may be.  But putting complete and total faith in God, no matter how hard the struggle, He will get me through it.

I have been through a struggle, the last couple of weeks, because I was doing my duty.  The issue that has created this struggle comes up about every other week.  Just about the time I think I am through it, the struggle rises back to the surface.  It has gotten to the point that I have even thought, "God, why are you putting this on me, again?"  It has not been easy to overcome this struggle, but knowing it is my duty and salvation, has certainly made it easier to handle.

So I encourage you all, as you wake up in the morning and go throughout the day, to focus on your duty to God.  No matter the circumstances, the politico, the world we live in, focus on your duty to God.  For it is only God that can give you salvation.