Brilliant, Powerful, Almighty God sent us Himself in the form of a man.  Jesus Christ established a Church when He gave Simon Peter “the keys”.  Saint Peter was ordained the first priest and pope.  Each apostle was also a priest or bishop.  Every man who was ordained a priest by the successors of the apostles is an authentic priest.  The Church has seven Sacraments:  Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick.  God gives us grace through these Sacraments so that we can cultivate virtue.  As we mature in Christianity, we attempt to minimize vices and appetites until the hour of our death.  At the hour of our death, the evil one, knowing our every weakness, will try hard to lure us into Hell.  He knows exactly how to tempt each one of us.  That temptation will have lost its power, because we will have worked all our lives on overcoming our weak tendencies toward Pride, Vanity, Lust, Anger, Sloth, Gluttony, and Greed.  If we have prideful anger toward one of our brothers, for example, the evil one will definitely tempt us at the hour of our death to exercise in our hearts that unwillingness to forgive.  If we have some sick lustful weakness, the evil one will surely tempt us in the disguise of whatever weakness that is.  While we sleep at night, the devil could be tempting us in our dreams with whatever movie we recently watched.  As we discipline our eyes, ears, and senses, for instance, we practice behavior that makes us mature human Christians.  While we live our daily lives, if we are often angry with a daughter, then we pray the Rosary, well, in our prayer we only are obedient by the letter of the law rather than disciples in the spirit of the law. because we live our day without love.  God says, if you can do a variety of amazing acts but you do them without love you gain nothing.  We must try every day to work on ourselves.  The Sacraments are important because through them we get God’s Grace to work on ourselves, cultivate virtue, and try and try and try again to become friends of Jesus.  The lures of this world are only obstacles.  We must learn to strengthen ourselves so that we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  I know how to say it, but it’s very hard to do it.  I know I can but I’m so stubborn and full of pride.  God please help me! Amen.

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