Taking Off Our Masks

To a certain extent we all wear masks. Some of us wish to be perceived as 'nice and charming' while others long to be admired for their 'strength of character' and still more long to be congratulated for their 'intelligence and toughness' there are very few who can truly see themselves with a ruthless eye.

We do not wish to recognise the fact that we are vulnerable and open to hurt and that the opinion of others does matter to each of us. Very few can view themselves with the objectiveness that is needed in order to be fully whole to ourselves and to each other.

It takes a ruthless honesty and a savage courage that can stare at our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and also our potential to sin and harm others as well as ourselves. Until we can do this we will remain disconnected from ourselves and those we love and remain in emotional isolation.

It is only through God that we are transformed into 'little christ's' and it is only through God that we become the promise of who we were meant to be.

This has nothing to do with the 'self esteem express' but is in fact self forgetfulness.

Authentic self esteem is to see ourselves as we are; imperfect faulty human beings who understand that any good thing we do has it's Source in the Triune Spirit. Nothing is ours. It is all Gift. We hope that God may turn our imperfections to His Greater Glory despite our resistance to the Divine Physician as He moulds us so that we become reflections of His Divine Person.

You are not perfect for a reason. If you were perfect then you would have no need of God the Source of all Love. This is not to state that we should revel in our imperfections but rather that God can turn a humble and contrite heart into one that reflects His own Divine Heart.

Rejoice therefore and live lives that reflect the inner joy that springs from being so well loved without deserving it, nor without ever being able to return it in equal measure.

Remember love will cost you all you have got. Spare nothing. Give all. Your Reward awaits you...

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)

Written by Marie.

A Special Gift

I wanted to give the Lord a gift.
But, what had I for him?
Money was scarce at my house.
Christmas was looking grim.

I went to the store to look for
What I could give my Lord.
It had to be something special,
Something I knew I could afford.

I stood, looking in the window,
When I heard a pitiful sob.
"What's wrong," I asked the woman.
She said, "My husband lost his job.

I can't afford to buy him a gift.
I wish Christmas would never come."
I smiled, as I opened my wallet,
And, from my Christmas money, gave her some,

Now, my money was even less.
But, it's alright, I thought.
I still had enough to pay for
The gift of love I sought.

Then, I saw it, the perfect gift.
But, I, also, saw a child in tears.
I knelt down and took his hand.
Somehow, I had to calm his fears.

"We just don't have any money,"
He said, as he wiped his eyes.
"I wanted to give Mommy a present,
Because I know how hard she tries."

Once again, I opened my wallet
And my last few dollars were given.
Now, I couldn't buy that special gift.
My heart sank as I looked toward Heaven.

"Lord, I wanted to give to you
A gift that came from my heart.
Now, I'm the one with no money."
Then, I felt the teardrops start.

"My Child," the Lord whispered,
"You gave, not one but, two gifts
That came from your heart
And given with love by you."

Purity… Chastity- Forgotten ?? Out The Window ??

How often do we hear about “chastity”, “modesty”, “purity” and “virginity”? Do we think about these things? It seems as if people have gotten too lethargic about these things. It’s as if it’s a disease, talk about chastity and abstinence and its like people break out in a rash and seizures. They must be some sort of foreign language we have never heard because people seldom hear it anymore.


These are the beautiful gifts of self giving worth saving for the one we are going to marry. The world may not think it’s important or has any value but God thinks they are. He has told us exactly what He expects of us because He loves us and only wants what is best for us. These are not always easy but with God’s help, He gives us the grace we need to do it and can strive to live these out in our daily lives.


Chastity is a gift from God for people in every state of life. It is an extremely powerful virtue and the foundation for REAL intimacy. It involves purity of the body, mind and soul. It’s a denial of self, I am going to deny myself for the love of you. It’s the freedom to love. Chastity means more than just abstinence. Chastity means asking God to help us make the right decisions. Chastity means asking God to guide our thoughts, our words and our actions.


Parents and the Church need to clearly teach these truths and be in sync. If we don’t hear these truths from our parents and the Church, we will never hear or understand God’s truth on these things. The influence that movies, music and television have on us cannot be underestimated. The worldly view is not about seeking our best interest but one that promotes and encourages most everything that is contradictory to God’s word. Too many young persons have lost their virginity and self respect because they believed the lies of the world. But all is not lost, there is hope and freedom. We need the encouragement and opportunity to know that we can change with God’s grace and mercy. We can ask for forgiveness and know that we are forgiven. We are given a second chance, we make a commitment to remain chaste until our wedding day.


We have to be conscious of the company we keep. Many temptations and difficult situations can be avoided by not putting oneself in certain scenarios. Mom and dad are out of town and it’s after 10pm. The boyfriend or girlfriend come over. First mistake. So to set the mood we turn the lights down low and light a couple scented candles. We turn on the slow, passionate music. Mistakes two, three and four. So we sit close to each other on the couch, we embrace, we start the petting, then the kissing then sex. When it’s over we wonder how did it happen? I wanted to keep this precious gift for my spouse but now it’s gone. You set yourself up. There have to be some sort of boundaries we have where physical contact is concerned when courting. The “petting”, the kissing, the kind of touching that evokes certain emotions and feelings, it’s like making a deposit in a bank knowing that it can lead to the kind of “withdrawal” one should not be able to take out.


Marriage is a sacred part of God’s plan for us. It is so sacred that He often uses marriage to illustrate the love that He has for us through the church. Conjugal love is a part of marriage between a man and a woman. Once we recognize this we can understand the importance of chastity. Chastity protects us, it strengthens us, it nurtures self control, guards against selfishness and it inspires reverence. Chastity reaffirms that marriage and the sexual relationship between husband and wife is holy and very special and indeed good. God loves us so much that we are able to cooperate in His creation of a new human life. This is an awesome and precious gift that God intended to be shared between husband and wife in the security of a committed, generous and loving marriage relationship.


The most precious gift you can give to your spouse on your wedding night is the gift of your virginity. This gift is so special that it is more precious than jewels, a one of a kind diamond. Is this not something you would want to protect and cherish with all of your being? It’s a one time gift and should be given to your spouse with such joy.


The earlier we as young people make the decision to remain chaste until and during marriage the less likely we will be faced with ‘spur of the moment’ decisions of having sex outside marriage. It’s a decision made out of so much love and respect for your future spouse, I love you so much that I am going to deny myself and save this precious gift for the love of you. Being chaste allows us to be free to grow and mature and discover God's wonderful plan for our lives. We would not have to worry about "late" periods, pregnancy, "birth control", STD’s, AIDS and all the other physical, spiritual, psychological and emotional consequences of premarital sexual intercourse. By practicing self-control we would have real respect for ourselves and others recognizing that you could be courting your future spouse or someone else’s spouse. We would protect and save ourselves for only that special person that God has chosen for our lifelong married partner.


Chastity protects us. This is God's way, and it is worth practicing because the total, complete gift of pure love that the bride and groom give to each other on their wedding day is truly a precious gift. Chastity is good for me, good for the people I love and good for my soul. It teaches me self control in all aspects of my life. It isn’t always easy but it’s worth it because I’m worth it and so is my spouse.