“Ah! sinful nation, people laden with wickedness,
evil race, corrupt children!
They have forsaken the Lord, spurned the Holy One.
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord:
Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow.”
(Isaiah 1:4, 16-18)
Dear Friends –
Amazing, that those words above were said around 760 B.C. and not yesterday, for they certainly seem so apropos to our time, don’t they. While the prophet Isaiah often chastised on behalf of God Almighty, he also preached the necessity of a Savior, and that too is very much needed for our time. Devilish evil dominates everyday life, as well as a very wrong belief that science leaves no room for faith gives growth to secularism, all of which diminish a majority belief in Almighty God, and that halts the existence of good, safe, and happy life. What is important today is not to continue pointing out all the wrongs of our society, for the vile and evil conduct is made evident in the daily news, but rather that Christians bring forth immediately
the image of Christ to save this world from its path of destruction. Yes, there were the “good old days” when the majority of peoples believed in God… neighborhoods were safe, the traditional family was sacrosanct, and virtue, not vice, was apparent by a plentitude of role models in all disciplines. Without the goodness of God prevailing, all other forms of wrong and evil move in to take over and dominate, and that’s why Christ is urgently needed to be imaged by us His followers, to show the way to God The Father once again.
To image Christ, God knows, is a most difficult thing to do. To believe in God The Father is easy for some of us, but the part about preaching, enduring ridicule and suffering humiliation and crucifixion is the worst, but a most prevalent need in these days when Christianity is under attack like no other time in history. Preaching to someone you know who has “forsaken the Lord, spurned the Holy One” is a good starting point; find an opening with God’s help, to discuss their considering His real possibility; talk with them, answer questions, pray with them, take them to church, make evident to 
them that Baptism is the way to “wash yourselves clean” and puts you on the road to “cease doing evil and learn to do good.” Encourage them often and form a group of like-minded if possible for there is strength in numbers. You may know someone close in family, friends or community who is suffering in health, material loss or paying the consequences of their wrongdoing… see them through it, help them pray for God’s graces to endure, to find hope, and even to recover if possible, all the while teaching they can lean on God for anything… share your faith and watch belief and trust in Almighty God grow.
When the Lord says: “Come now, let us set things right,” that is to declare to your convert that repentance and forgiveness is the start to their new way of life. As Christians, we know God doesn’t want to lose a single one of us… explain to your novitiate how The Shepherd left the ninety-nine to go after one lost sheep… 
how “The Father” ran to greet and celebrate the prodigal son’s return… and the joy of the mother who found her lost treasure. But just like the prodigal son’s expressed remorse to his Father, so must your convert realize the need for repentance; to promise God with sincerity to try one's very best to sin no more and then, only then is forgiveness granted. Remind your new believer that God is very patient and regardless of how many times we backslide, His grace for perseverance is available. Relate the time that Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me” Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!” (Matt 18:21-22) Stress that unlimited forgiveness and love is available from Almighty God as exemplified by Christ’s crucifixion because our scarlet sins put Him there; however, because He freely chose to sacrifice Himself for us and paid the debt of sin, we children of God are redeemed and made pure as the driven snow… maintaining that purity is what get’s us into heaven. The righteous who know The Father because the image of Christ has matured in their spiritual being, must be the ones in present day who spread His seed to overcome evil… pull a few weeds here and there… and by all means, work for your Heavenly Father to set things right.
SHAME ON YOU, BETO O'ROURKE
Democratic presidential contenders are so numerous that each one says or does whatever is necessary to keep his or her image constantly in the public's face. Often that behavior is vulgar, crude and downright nasty to another for self-promotion, because that seems to be the only way to get publicity these days. One of the worst bad-mouthed candidates is Beto O'Rourke who thinks nothing of cursing in public and dropping f-bombs like it's part of his everyday speech appealing to some common people who do speak like that. Beto is a forty-something ex-congressman who lost his re-election in El Paso, but used the mass shooting there to label President Trump atrocious and hateful names as well as his being responsible for inciting that violence! Of course, gun control is Beto's big thing now after that occurrence, and his greatest error in judgment was to proclaim that, "Thoughts and prayers has done nothing to stop the epidemic of gun violence." What a stupid, stupid fool this 
shallow nothing of a man truly is… how does he know that prayers haven't reached God and that God's powers weren't used to avert other occurrences? This loathsome excuse for a human being has no idea how God works and he uses empty words to appeal to empty minds, of which there are, sad to say, all too many in a growing secular society. Almighty God doesn't put His signature on Divine Providence, because He uses His sons and daughters and whoever He wishes to accomplish His desires. When He gets prayers for intercession He sends an intermediary or two, or three, to accomplish what is needed. Who is to say that when a gun-hoarding neighbor is revealed it wasn't God behind the process that brought the discovery forth? Or a gun jams… or strangers find courage to stop a tragedy… or a relative gets the nerve with a little nudge from God to report a family member's questionable behavior… or, any number of possible things that might occur to stop disaster that never make the headlines, all because The Miracle Maker prefers to remain anonymous! Yes, a miracle is most definitely the work of God's hands, and something that never occurs by human capability alone, but often with their participation because God instigates it, and yet, most often hardly recognized, promoted or thanked as His effort, except by His children who are the only ones that recognize Divine Intervention. Thousands and thousands of prayers go up to Almighty God constantly, and thousands and thousands of people have gotten His answer and there is no way in the world you could convince them that "prayer does nothing!" Prayer is talking to God… Prayer is what God wants to hear… Prayer is power, because the answer comes from God! Beto is an ignorant fool to the ways of God and the worst part of that is that he was raised Catholic! He admitted that at an event when he said: "My mom who raised me, and whose single greatest disappointment in life is that I'm not a better Catholic, and I am not in mass right now." He's not Catholic at all I'm sorry to say to his mom when he doesn't believe in the power of prayer, and curses left and right publicly… not a speck of Jesus is apparent in Beto's words or actions. When politicians lack moral fiber, is that who we really want in office? His abysmal character alongside inappropriate education for a U.S. President, (a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature!) alongside less than stellar teen years or worthwhile experience in business or politics will hardly enable him to get the nomination for his party I'm sure. In the meantime, he will tread water, keep his name out there in public view as long as possible and probably get back into Texas politics eventually… pity them. Scrutinize your politicians carefully… question their pie-in-the-sky promises… make sure they truly know God!
