The Grace Of Baptism

Dear Readers,

If your comment is not shown, it is deleted for a reason.  I do not want my blogsite to turn into another jungle.  The first jungle is already full of chaos and disorder.  Those comments with derogatory and insulting words were not published.  To the brothers walking in the Way, I cannot stop you from going into the jungle.  However, you already know, that going there can bring out terrible emotions in you (such as anger), so why continue to go there?

For those of you who find some of the Catholic brothers offensive, that should come as no surprise.  The Church, after all, was built for sinners, not for righteous people.  However, as Catholics we need to follow and imitate Christ.  This is what the Church teaches us. 

In my blogsite, I just recently published an inspiring story I found on the Internet about the Japanese Christians who survived persecution and without a priest for almost 250 years.  Even without a priest, the Catholic Church survived in Japan.  You see....how strong the faith of these Japanese Catholics?  If you leave the Catholic Church, your faith is built on sand and can easily debilitate. 

     
One purpose of the Neocatechumenal Way is to strengthen our faith by living out our baptism.  We received a grace during our baptism.  The Holy Spirit planted the seed of faith in us as we were baptized, but this seed of faith needs to grow in us.....to mature into an adult faith that is unshakeable.  Read the story of the Japanese Christians.  Despite a lack of priest and persecution, the faith of these Japanese Catholics remained unshakeable.  It was only through the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism that they survived on.   As Pope Francis said of these Japanese Catholics:   "When, after about two and a half centuries - 250 years later - the missionaries returned to Japan, thousands of Christians came out of hiding and the church could flourish. It had survived by the grace of their Baptism: but this is great! God's people transmit the faith, baptizing children and moving on."