No matter what you think of Whitney Houston, you have to agree that her voice has to be a gift from God. I really felt sorry for her last night as I watched an interview she was doing. I really felt her sincerity when she talked about staying with her self-destructive and abusive husband because she took her wedding vows seriously. She shared how she was brought up in a Christian house and that she had pledged her commitment before God in church and that meant she had to endure no matter what. I can remember the time when she sang the National Anthem before the Superbowl. Is there a more beautiful or heartfelt rendition out there? The voice is so pure. What about her remake of I Will Always Love You? God certainly gave her a gift. I hope that her return to God will prove to be permanent. I have missed her voice. The reading today is from Colossians. St. Paul is confronted with new Christians who are still confused about who Jesus is and their old cultic practices. Paul asks them, "If you died with Christ to the elemental powers of the world, why do you submit to regulations as if you were still living in the world?" I will never know why God sent me to this passage but it does relate to Whitney Houston. She admitted to being seduced by the money and power that she amassed by becoming a star. She also admits how she came to realize that it all meant nothing because she lost herself in the process and she found her way back through the Bible. I think Paul is referencing the exact types of things that seduced Whitney Houston. We are frequently dazzled by the lifestyles of the rich and famous but when we are exposed to the truth about their lives, we frequently think we would be different. Why is that? I have firmly set my sights on enjoying my rewards in heaven. If that means I have to live a more aesthetic and austere life, then that is fine. God is working in me now to move to this new goal. I hope He is happy with the end result.
Jesus Came to End Death and to Build a Church
The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus formed the bedrock of the early Church , and their Catholic identity is deeply rooted in their direct relationship with Christ and the mission He entrusted to them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights this foundational role, stating that Jesus "instituted the Twelve as 'the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy'" ( CCC 860 ). These men were not simply followers; they were handpicked by Jesus, lived intimately with Him, witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand, and were specifically commissioned to preach the Gospel to all nations ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Their unique position as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and their reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established them as the authoritative leaders of the nascent Church, a reality echoed in the writings of early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch, who emphasized the apostles' authority as repre...
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