LifeSaving: Aquatic in this world and eternal in the next. An article inspired by a teenager that I recognized myself in! I earned my Bronze Cross from The Lifesaving Society (LS) - B.C. & Yukon Branch on Sunday, Aug. 3rd, 2014, and my daughter, Emily, and I both earned Bronze Medallions a few weeks earlier. I am so happy that we could take these courses and be taught so well by our instructors, Brooke and Cailin, respectively. Its LSs 50th anniversary and they gifted all with 1964 prices - $50/class vs normally $300+! After having taken many short First Aid courses over my 50 years, I finally feel confident that I really know how to save lives if, G-d forbid, somebody needs help and I am called upon to do so. I still pray for G-d to prevent the need from ever arising but know that I could help if needed! I respect the knowledge and training of our Lifeguards a lot more now too. I didnt realize all that was involved! I may go on and become a Lifeguard - only two more courses required. But no matter what I do, it has been a very positive and valuable experience to take these LS courses. Our lives are a precious gift from G-d, and He gives us so many other wonderful gifts, including our families and friends. We protect and cherish our lives and we try our best to protect and cherish the lives of others as well. The motto of the Lifesaving Society is: Whomsoever you see in distress, recognize in them a fellow human being. All G-d asks in return for the gift of our lives is that we set aside one day per week to honor Him and go to church/synagogue/temple/etc. Sunday Holy Mass is G-ds First Aid for Eternal Lifesaving of Christians. Going to Catholic Holy Mass once a week gives us His Oxygen (the Holy Eucharist) - to Breathe and Live. His other sacramental gifts prevent us from drowning eternally. We may not understand all of His mysteries but if He asks us to go to church once a week, we should understand that by us going it also brings His Oxygen to other souls because were all interconnected. If we neglect to do as He asks us, then we must recognize that were being supremely selfish - there is no two ways about it. Not to go to church is just like saying to G-d, thanks for the gift of my life and all of the other treasures that Ive received in my life, but I dont want to do the one thing that You have asked of me in return. Not giving up this mere one hour per week is like saying to G-d, our Creator, no, I dont want to share my gifts with all of suffering humanity and pray for them in the way that You know is best and most effective because You Know Everything. If we really love G-d, our Heavenly Father, then wed love to go and be with Him for this mere hour - indulge Him to give us His weekly dinner and pep talk that can save our lives in this world and the next! But still, many say No, Id rather go play...Im just doing what I want and its my life, isnt it? But where do people with this kind of selfish attitude expect to go after they die?! In Canada, were so blessed that we take many things for granted. Take an example, if an orphan grows up in a warm family home and is treated well and taken care of but then grows up to complain and criticize the family and the good people who cared for him or her, would that not be seen as extremely selfish and unloving? Would that not be detestable? Of course, it would be. We prize dogs for their loyalty and love - and people need to be loving and loyal too. Well, to receive life and grow up and receive so many blessings from God and then to decide that you dont want to go to church, isnt that a terrible way to treat God? Isnt it behaving like a completely ungrateful spoiled brat, an overly-pampered kid who takes everything for granted and doesnt care to give anything back not even thanks in appreciation? Think about it. Where do people expect to go after death? Our souls are eternal - and require eternal lifesaving to prevent us from drowning eternally in sin and unloving bad attitude. God gave us church for our sakes not only His. He cares about everybody! Saving eternal lives is our most important responsibility to our fellow human beings because although its a terrible and totally horrible tragedy for somebody to drown in this world, and we try our best to prevent that and rescue anybody whos drowning before its too late, what matters even more is that you dont drown in the next life for eternity because of failing to love and draw near to God in this life compounded by feeling eternally badly for sins, failings and regrets that we can do little if nothing about after our death. We could have, if we had cared and acted upon it, done something about them through prayer and atonement while we were still alive if we had drawn near to G-d so that the Holy Spirit could guide us in what we urgently needed to do. If somebody feels badly after they die, because of something that they have done or not done, no matter how much G-d loves them, its not going to help them if they didnt do what He asked in this life and receive His Sacraments that act like a LifeLine so that God can pull them Up. Its like drowning way way out from shore where nobody knows where you are and youve purposely sent away all the lifeguards, thrown away all the rescue tools and then gone swimming by yourself expecting to be fine... Its so Tragic. G-d tries... God loves us all so much - all He asks is for us to go to Sunday Catholic Holy Mass so that we have the Best Chance to stay afloat in this life and the next. He wants us to try our best to be loving and kind and humble with our fellow human beings - not selfish - and realize that when we help others not to drown eternally by going to church and encouraging others to go to church we actually help ourselves not to drown eternally - because it means that we care - weve got our Eternal Life Jacket on and are giving out the same Help to others for the great boat ride with G-d into eternity. Help G-d to save your eternal soul by doing as He asks. Be obedient to G-d so that when death comes and your life flashes before you, youll be protected by all of G-ds Armour - especially against despairing from your own sins and failures to love and the accusations of the devil. Eternal Lifesaving is available to all and is brought to you by Jesus and His Catholic (which means universal or for everybody) Church that He created and appointed St. Peter as the first Pope and now Pope Francis is the 266th Pope. Other religions and Christian churches may be Great and do fabulous work and may be fine for some who are very Pure of Heart and filled with the Holy Spirit but if you feel anxiety or uneasiness then that is not the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Think of it, how the saints could be tortured and never give up their Catholic Faith and even go to their martyrdom singing or even, for instance, joking while being slowly roasted alive on a grill you can turn me over, Im done on that side! like St. Lawrence*. And consider how many Catholic Saints have remained incorrupt for hundreds of years like St. Bernadette who conversed with St. Mary, Our Heavenly Mother, and brought us messages from Our Lady of Lourdes; and St. Catherine who rested her head upon the lap of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and brought us the Miraculous Medal. The bottom line is, for the Maximum Eternal Life Salvation Insurance Protection for sinners, the Catholic Church is what G-d created and highly recommends. *Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. When a persecution broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, Father, where are you going without your deacon? he said. I am not leaving you, my son, answered the Pope. in three days you will follow me. Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels to have more to give away. The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Churchs treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: This is the Churchs treasure! In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked. Turn me over, he said to the judge. Im done on this side! And just before he died, he said, Its cooked enough now. Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyrs reward. Saint Lawrences feast day is August 10th.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 07:23:07 +0000
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