A Diary of Intentions

Daisy was ten. Passionate, attentive, loyal and deeply spiritual. Her loves were soccer, friends, her bike, her rosary and her diary.

Soccer and bicycling were the things that connected her to her peers. One was to be perfected; the other transportation. They each kept her childlike and her enthusiasm was evident in her dedication to sharing them with her friends.

Her pink rosary was well used with chain and medals turned golden. Nightly she prayed a litany of intentions which were kept meticulously documented in her diary. After offering her intentions she blessed herself and began, “I believe in God….”

Writing today for Thin Spiral Notebook’s 100 Word Challenge where this week’s word is “Diary”.
I’ve been on a long hiatus (dry spell) and after completing a seven day photo challenge I decided to challenge myself to writing something for seven days in a row. I’m on day three and decided to visit Tara at Thin Spiral Notebook and here 100 Word Challenge which I have participated in often in the past. Feels good to stretch those writing muscles.

Incorrupt, Valiant, Passionate CATHOLIC

I am Catholic.

Unapologetic, born and raised, devout, vigilant, Catholic. I’m ready to defend the faith that was given to me, and to every Catholic, more than two thousand years ago.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth;

This is the opening salvo of the Catholic Church, and my declaration of faith. Without God and His creation, my day to day life seems pointless. It’s just drudgery that eventually leads to the vast, dark, nothingness of death. There is no hope. There is no reason.

and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son Our Lord,

To be among the original Christians, it is requisite to believe in Jesus and His Sonship to God. For Catholics, who carried the truth given to the Apostles and first Christians, it goes much further, much deeper than simply believing that Jesus is the Son of God.

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,

I know this and I believe this. I hold Mother Mary in high esteem as the new Ark of the Covenant with God. A pure vessel who carried our beloved Savior in her holy womb. The old testament Ark of the Covenant was made of pure, perfect gold designed by God Himself. I believe He created Mary from the moment of her conception as that unblemished vessel for His Son. He waited for her “Yes” to be the Mother of Jesus and she remained a virgin forever pure.

suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell;

Jesus suffered for me. He suffered for all of us to redeem us from our sins. Jesus Christ, Our God made Man, suffered the depth of the pain and consequence of our sins and in my own suffering, no matter what it is, physical, emotional, psychological I know Jesus suffered His Passion for me. There’s a place for my suffering.

the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father almighty;

God raised His beloved Son as the beacon in my life giving me the hope for Heaven which I have already declared my belief in. Like the sun rising in the East, we have hope for the New Day of Heaven after our Earthly life. Jesus preceded us to show us the way! “..everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (From John 3:16)

from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

So believing in my salvation does not come without a price. I cannot coast along in life solely on my belief in the Heavenly Kingdom Jesus’ death promises. I have a job. Jesus gave us the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy as part of our job description, namely,

1. To feed the hungry: Mt. 25:35
2. To give drink to the thirsty: Mt. 25:35
3. To clothe the naked: Mt. 25:36
4. To visit the imprisoned: Mt. 25:36
5. To shelter the homeless: Mt. 25:35
6. To visit the sick: Mt. 25:36
7. To bury the dead: Mt. 25:40

But, I’m also tasked with striving to practice the Seven Capital Virtues in order to overcome the Seven Deadly Sins.

1. Humility (overcoming pride)
2. Generosity (Overcoming greed)
3. Chastity (Overcoming Lust)
4. Meekness (Overcoming Anger)
5. Temperance (Overcoming Gluttony)
6. Brotherly Love (Overcoming Envy)
7. Diligence (Overcoming Sloth)

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.

The Holy Spirit enflames me with passion and God’s love. He brings me the knowledge and truth of God’s teachings which have been carried down across time through the doctrines, dogmas, the teaching of the Catholic Church. These doctrines, dogmas and teachings have been preserved unblemished and unchanged from Jesus’ time.

As a Catholic I have the Sacrament of Confession where my sins can be forgiven. After Jesus arose from the dead, He breathed the gift of the Holy Spirit onto his Disciples and said, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” (John 20:23) I know when I leave Confession, I am free of the sins I’ve confessed, and depart feeling lighter, and freed from the oppression and weight of those sins.

My belief, my faith infuses me with confidence in the truth and in the promise of eternal life in Heaven. if I am a good and faithful servant, and with a little time in purgatory to fully cleanse my soul and prepare me to see the Face of God, I know heaven awaits my arrival. I cannot wait to join the Communion of Saints in Heaven where, I will rejoice in God and continue to pray for friends, family and all on earth and in purgatory. The reward is priceless-one I will ceaselessly strive to achieve.

Amen.

And I finish where I started. My Amen is my declaration, “Yes Lord! I believe!”

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I will stand before you and fight and defend these beliefs and what they mean to me.

I will fight with doctrine. I will fight with dogma. I will fight with two millennium of teaching.

I will fight with the truth.

I stand firm and I stand strongly a Catholic.