Spiritual Food for a Searching Soul

By JCD Fr. Joseph Bellerive

In an era when we are encouraged to make decisions based on feelings, it is important to know that feelings can push us to make many mistakes in our lives, harm ourselves and hurt others. They can be the cause of our misery especially if we are particularly sensitive and a suspicious person. The difficult

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Regency Publishers
• Release date: May 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781961096622

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Beth Enos, Maria Parlak, Anna Alastra, Sarah and Patrick Vedepo, Linda Butcher, Delma Santiago, Barbara Fidler and Patrice Robitaille for their support and help in reviewing the texts regarding the publication of this book. I would also like to thank Lori and Sean Heaney for their solidarity and for being the operating minds who, profoundly, influenced me to make these texts public. Sean has been a tremendous supporter who, after reading these articles, encouraged me to make a book for his children. He wants them to have these writings as a strong basis for their faith in today’s society, a society filled with many ideologies, even inside the Catholic Church. Relativism has infected the Catholic faith in some parishes where people entered the Church pretending to serve but with an agenda: to change. They want the Church to change its policy on same sex unions, abortion and divorced/remarried people who are not supposed to have access to Holy Communion. They want the Church to be modernized in a world where, today, anything goes. They want the authority of the Church to be transferred to them. In other terms, they want to control their own destiny and not serve the Lord following the path of the apostles and early Christians. However, the truth is that there is only one Lord, one baptism, one faith and one Church. There is one message for all Catholics no matter where they are. The Church is not and has never been a democracy; it is a hierarchy. Jesus is the one who started the Church with a group of twelve apostles chosen by Him. After conferring the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, Jesus asked them to be fishers of men, to go around the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He did not start the Church with the multitude because of special training and willingness on the part of these individuals, because they had to give up something before they could join the Church. Those who are baptized become members of the Church who can work in harmony with the apostles and their successors and not form contrary beliefs which are against the Church and from within. So, whoever thinks that he or she can promote his/her illusions within parishes by working with other people to form a defiant entity that pushes for changes is greatly mistaken. These pages will definitely lead the reader to the knowledge of a greater Church, an international and divine organization that is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and governed here on Earth by the pope and bishops.

Fr. Joseph Bellerive, J.C.D.

Prelude

First and foremost, I would like to thank Fr. Joseph for allowing me to present his book to the public. Each Sunday, my wife Lori and I look forward to hearing the inspiring and profound sermons he delivers to the congregation. Fr. Joseph has a remarkable gift of making the teachings of the Gospel applicable to the trials and tribulations of our daily lives. His deep knowledge of our Catholic religion and his ability to explain the mysteries of our faith makes each Sunday an enjoyable journey. Our children share our sentiments and appreciate his keen sense of relating to the young people growing up in this turbulent society. Our spiritual growth as a family has dramatically risen because of our relationship with Fr. Joseph and the spiritual food he feeds us with. He has taught us to be more in tune with the Lord and His Church in order to give a sense to our life particularly in the area concerning our identity. It is a privilege for us to be exposed to such a challenge which calls us to a higher level of faith with its values, its principles and its beliefs. Indeed, through his messages, Fr. Joseph has challenged us to be more kind and patient with each other and for that we are deeply grateful. It is our wish that every person would have the opportunity to be impacted by his broad intellect and wisdom. In addition, with the help of his instructions on the Catechism, we have realized that we are members of an important organization that is divine and international. When we go to Church on Sunday, it is encouraging to know that we are not alone and many millions of Catholics around the world are doing the same thing. We are all fed with the Body of Christ which gives us light to look at our life and strength to carry our individual crosses. It means that we are all in it together and we have the responsibility to contribute to the spreading of the faith until the return of the Lord. This is what compelled me to introduce you to this book where, I am confident, you will find answers to the many questions you may have regarding your relationship with God, with yourself and with others.

Sean M. Heaney

Foreword

Many men and women in our modern society conduct their lives as if they were their own creators and choose not to believe in someone greater than themselves as their creator and the creator of the universe. They profess to be atheists while they appreciate the multiplicity of God’s creation to be enjoyed here on Earth. In good judgment, it is logical and wise to believe in someone superior to us, one who has created a so well organized place where you find air, water, fire and a nature with the right flora and fauna. It does not make sense to advocate such a behavior that goes against natural law deposited in the heart of every man. If there is no God, why can’t the atheists justify the reality of suffering and death in the world? Man can only exist by having a creator. Without this logical reality, it is an illusion to believe that there is no God. If there is not someone who is there as the source of unity in which every man finds his identity and his origin, then there cannot be brotherhood or harmony between citizens. There would not be any purpose for a person to be kind to others or promote justice. The existence of God is the only motivation for man to treat others as brothers since they have one common origin. It might appear very cool to say that there is no God; however, no one has the authority to spread it around because there are consequences in relationship with one’s attitude and behavior. It is a dangerous philosophy for the freedom of mankind. With such a belief, those who have power in this world may decide to control other people’s lives and treat them according to their unbalanced ideologies. It is the same situation that has caused the slavery of many citizens in those countries where everything is controlled and dictated by a tyrant. For many decades, communism, with its refusal to accept God’s existence, has ravaged the freedom of millions in Eastern Europe, China, Cuba and other parts of the world, thus causing misery, pain and even death, contrary to God’s will.

Man is created from the love of God. God is love, and every human generation from the time of conception has to be understood in this reality of love. Therefore, if there is no God, then there cannot be the existence of man because no man can give life to himself. Logically, he has to be created by someone superior to him. In addition, a person would not know how to love, because one can only love others by learning from the source of love which is God. We can be somewhere in the world, but values have no significance for us and for others. A world without God is a horrendous world where you cannot experience bliss. The reality of hell is similar to a place without God. That is the reason why in a culture that denies the existence of God, abortion can be justified because there can be no love where one will give his/her life for the other. Do those who claim to be atheists choose not to see the Hands of God in the world? Or is it a political belief just to be different? The social atmosphere in which we are functioning in today’s world invites a need for spiritual guidance in order to respond positively to the questions regarding the last day. Indeed, there is a beginning, and there is also an end to everything. Every human person will know this reality of the last day whether you are a believer or not. The challenge for those who are disturbed about the existence of God is that they are denying their own existence. Without God, a human being cannot be man because he does not have this power to create. God is the only Supreme

Being in Heaven and Earth who can create something. He is the Alpha and the Omega. So, those who say that there is no God, do they believe that they are themselves their own beginnings and no one has ever preceded them in this world? If that is the case, they should not be living in this world created by God. They should go somewhere else where they belong. On the other hand, they may decide to call it whatever they want; however, there must be someone who is the author of life and who is also the creator of humankind.

In order for anyone to appreciate this book, the reader must be willing to be curious with the purpose of learning something different and spiritual for his personal growth. The contents might appear to be a dialogue or a message directed to a particular person who is not living his/her life properly, but its purpose is to provoke a conversion of the heart. There is always a better way. Indeed, it will take humility to ponder upon these simple words that are full of meaning for the one who wants to walk in the path of righteousness. They are words of wisdom that can help anyone reforming his way of thinking for a better cause: the Glory of God. However, if the reader is already a savvy person who has all the answers and knows everything or who chooses to close his mind in his small world of ideology, there is no need for him/ her to waste his/her time.

The following recommendations are keys for a better encounter with the Lord but in a very practical way. It is a way to meet the Lord. It is the Lord’s presence that helps us in our daily activities. It is not a complicated message where one needs to take a dictionary or a lexicon to understand the meaning of what is being said. It is important not to run away from this meeting already set by the Lord for the benefit of the reader. Through these pages filled with spiritual guidance in many aspects of life, one has to perceive the message as if the Lord is using this means of communication to talk to us, and the reader is invited to listen. Do not resist Him. Once we make room in our hearts to receive Him, then we will use the contents of this book as a basis for prayer in which we will praise the Lord for His marvels in our lives, we will ask Him to help us transform something within us, and finally, we will ask Him for the strength to carry the crosses of life and to spread the Words. We will not only be transformed by this experience; we will bring peace to those we have betrayed or hurt us. We will become messengers for the Lord because it is our duty.

God Came To Save Us Together

And Not Individually

Prayer is something which is part of our nature and prayer is important in a person’s life. It is like breathing. Indeed, we need to pray every day, but it is while praying constantly and together that we can become Christians. What would a man be if he breathed only once a year? What would a Christian be if he would go with his brothers only once a year to pray? Today, let us all say: Thank you to the Lord for all the marvels He has produced in our lives. He is our Lord and our Savior. Today, let us make the decision to make our world, the world the Lord has so loved, a place where we love each other, a place where we can all be honest with each other, a place where we want to make others happy. Let it be a place where we can communicate with each other, a place where we put our differences aside in order to give glory and praise to God with one heart. Why are we living in this world if not to love? God is the only one who can teach us how to love. Under the terms of the mystery of the incarnated Verb, which was made flesh according to the testimony of St. John (1: 14), all men are entrusted to the maternal solicitude of the Church. Any threat against the dignity of man and his life can only touch the Heart of the Church. It can only reach it in the center of its faith in the Incarnation of the Son of God and his mission of announcing the Gospel of life. In a time when one solemnly proclaims the inviolable rights of the person and where one affirms publicly the value of life, the right to life itself is practically denied and violated, especially at these most significant moments of existence, which are birth and death. To assert the right to abortion or euthanasia and recognize them legally gives human freedom a perverse and unjust direction, an absolute capacity of some groups against other groups. But it is the death of true freedom: "In truth, I say it to you, whoever commits sin is slave of sin (John. 8: 34).

One Cannot Serve Two Masters

At The Same Time

The call of Jesus always implies to give up something, and worse, most of the time it is something essential: father, mother, brother, sister, family, home, etc.[…]. It is a very difficult thing to do, because as human beings, we tend to cling onto earthly possessions very easily. We get quickly attached to habits and customs with which we are familiar to the point of being intolerant to ways that are different from ours. The reality is that one cannot want to follow Christ while clinging to something which does not conform to part of his program of holiness. This may be something in the religious life or in the parochial ministry. Christ asks each one of us to break these multiple attachments, which prevent us from being completely free to achieve our mission. The question is: do we know what attachments are necessary to break and what nets entangle us? Just as Jesus did not retain jealously, its divine dignity to be put at our service, in the same way, we should not hang onto jealously, it will stop us from following Jesus. It is never easy to leave anything. There are always excuses which we consider being right, but to follow Christ, each one must carry out the ultimate rupture according to the will of the Spirit. Certain people will leave all: a boyfriend, girlfriend or even a future wife to become a Carmelite nun, a regular nun, a priest or a monk. Others will give up pursuing careers either in medicine or in engineering while others will devote themselves to the sacerdotal, religious or missionary life. In the same way, the divorced/remarried person or the one who lives in a relationship not approved by the sixth commandment and who wants to have access to the Eucharist, must either give up his/her partner or get married in the Catholic Church. However, for the realization of such a work, it is necessary to start by dying to oneself while recognizing that it is the will of God which fills our heart and directs our lives.

Obedience And Fidelity:

Two Virtues Required From A Prophet

When God chooses someone to be a prophet, that person must speak God’s word in the sense that he should open the hearts of his listeners, not only to the love of God but also to His commandments. He should not add anything nor withdraw a comma from what is given to him to proclaim. In a world where some listeners feel that they have the freedom and the right to make false accusations as a way for them to fight with the prophet who is challenging them, that might appear to be a very difficult task. However, both the prophet and the listeners are supposed to be obedient and faithful servants in their own area of responsibility. This is the reason why the Church is consistently reminding us of our duty to remain faithful to God and redirect our lives if we are to know God. Our commitment with the Lord demands sorrow for sin and fidelity to His message. If we have drifted away from the word of God and the sacraments thinking that we no longer need to go to Church because we can communicate with God wherever we are, we must repent and reform our lives. Indeed, God is everywhere, but He expects us to express gratitude toward Him particularly throughout the Eucharist which is our daily bread. To keep the day of the Lord holy means to go and feed our souls on this particular day with the Eucharist. Without this food, we will always have the temptation to run away from the faith and from everything that is essential for our true happiness. Without the Eucharist, we will not have the strength to face the many challenges of life. How many people have fallen into the trap of not going to Mass because of bad Catechism and stubbornness from their part? It is the Church that has the mission to prepare our hearts for a greater cause: to represent God’s image here on Earth and to have access to His Kingdom. We should always trust the Church and its prophetic message which is destined to our own salvation. That is exactly what the Lord God, through the book of Deuteronomy, is trying to convey to every one of us: The one who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name shall be answerable to me for it. But the prophet who presumes to say in my name a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods that prophet shall die (Dt. 18: 19-20). If today we hear this message, we should not harden our hearts. Instead, it means that we must pay attention to it by changing our hearts and be another Christ in our community, slow to judge and ready to forgive.

The Church Is The Place Where

We Fill Our Tanks

Indeed, the Church is similar to our gas stations where we come to get gas for our spiritual journey here on Earth. It is also the place where we come to show our gratitude to the Lord. When we are grateful to the Lord, we receive in return several spiritual goodies, important for the different trips of our lives in this world. Without these gifts from the Lord, we would be lost. With a particular obviousness, the community which meets in the Church on the day of the Lord is really the family of God. It did not realize from its own initiatives that it is rather the fruit of the love of God who calls and gathers us around the table of his Word and Bread to give us this daily bread, which we all need to live. And yes, it is this bread met in the liturgy of the Word and that of the Eucharist which will enable us to hold firm when we are confronted by various miseries: miseries of hunger, job loss, disease, violence and incomprehension of others, difficulty to love and forgive, and finally, the lack of faith and the relativism which makes us lose the direction of the truth completely. God created the world and all that He created is good, but all that is invented by man cannot be regarded as good. The majority of man’s creations, instead of relieving and helping us to be instruments of reconciliation and peace, can wound the Heart and oblige us to be rather agents of division. It is important for us to pray in order to know how to forgive, how to love and how to carry the cross. We have to pray not only in the vocal manner but also in the meditative way where we analyze our behavior in relation with God. We have to pray in the contemplative way where we develop a habit of prayer. We take the time to pray in every moment of the day, whether we are eating, working or cooking. Pray before we start our day, and pray before we go to bed. Indeed, being in communion with the word of Christ can enormously help us to pose courageous acts of compassion and hospitality. To make the choice between the will of God and the immaturity of man, it is necessary to allow the self to be conquered by the love of Christ who will invite each one of us to make an internal conversion. Without this internal conversion, one cannot be another Christ’s presence in a parish nor in this world.

The Lord Gives Us Always Strength To Face Our Diseases

Often, we inherit bodily diseases that we are not responsible for but these belong to the human condition. Genes, which are at the source of our physical and personal constitution and come from several factors and even several generations before our birth, carry those diseases within us, and we are condemned to face them for the rest of our lives. If we do not accept this reality, we live in a constant state of revolt and frustration, and life will become complicated not only for ourselves but also for those who surround us. When we are in this kind of situation, it is important for us to turn to the Lord who will quietly lead us toward the path of internal peace by associating our disease with His sufferings and death on the cross. In this atmosphere of acceptance, which is encouraged by the Christian faith, we will have the wisdom to seek God constantly. Through prayer, the Eucharist and readings of the Bible, He will give us the strength to live with sickness and go forward. On His behalf, we will take our medication as a way of taking part in the construction of our own peace and fulfillment here on Earth. By doing so, our life will be more joyful, and the life we share with others will be