Wolves in Wolves' Clothing

Since the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut last month, I have not offered much here with the exception of my desire to keep my youngest children isolated from knowledge of the incident. I'm still not ready to break much from that yet.

You know, as a parent, I think the families deserve better than what we have put out there.

Back in August, I lamented that "Most of the issues currently being debated in our country are being done so within the realm of politics." Sadly, the same holds true even in this instance. I'm not even going to get into the "sides" of the argument. They're so much "in your face" that you know exactly what I'm talking about.

What I will say is that everyone is claiming to want that which would bring about "peace". But I don't believe they think of peace the same way the Church does. And I KNOW they have much different ideas than the Church on how to pursue peace.

Saddest of all is that we used to have to be wary of wolves in sheep's clothing. Today, the wolves don't even have to dress up anymore. There are plenty of sheep that have learned how to become wolves themselves. They think they are safe and in "like company".

*Respect for and development of human life require peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is "the tranquillity of order." Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity

*Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ, the messianic "Prince of Peace." By the blood of his Cross, "in his own person he killed the hostility," he reconciled men with God and made his Church the sacrament of the unity of the human race and of its union with God. "He is our peace." He has declared: "Blessed are the peacemakers." 

*Those who renounce violence and bloodshed and, in order to safeguard human rights, make use of those means of defense available to the weakest, bear witness to evangelical charity, provided they do so without harming the rights and obligations of other men and societies. They bear legitimate witness to the gravity of the physical and moral risks of recourse to violence, with all its destruction and death. -  Catechism 2304 - 2306

Guest Blog: The Truth about Christmas

- by L. Cowell

Christmas is not about joy, peace, love, or happiness; best wishes, dreams or hope, family love, friendship or any other squishy feeling. I love all those things, but if that was all it was about, I could much easier get all that from hugging a teddy bear. It's also not about trees, bells, tinsel or other sparkly things. Material things are wonderful and have their place, but they don't define Christmas.

And most of all, Christmas definitely is not about making it mean whatever we want. Christmas is about one thing only, the birth of Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity; born out of the love for all mankind. He came to teach us how to be fully human, how to be what we were created to be. Only when we embrace the Truth that He is, will we then know true joy, peace, love, and happiness. Only then will our best wishes, dreams and hope have meaning.

Only then will family love and friendship be aright in our lives. If we allow Him to define us, we then truly will be whole. In giving up ourselves, we gain all.

This Christmas, lose yourself in Jesus Christ the Person. And know True Love.
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L. Cowell is a Catholic wife and mother. She writes from Pittsburgh, PA.