Let us be the first to congratulate you - you make us all proud! I'm sure you'll set many hearts on fire. Yes we will need to pull together like never before and recognize that all is in vain unless we keep our eyes on the 'pearl of great price'... that's what keeps us going. Now we also need to put this into action and become soldiers in the army of Christ (not unlike the nuns with the guns drawn). It may be worthwhile to publish excerpts from Fr.Corappi's (sp ??)dissertation on arming oursleves for an increasingly difficult battle for the soul of our children, family and nation. I have hope, trust and Faith that God will prevail but we need to be his visible instruments.

Thanks Eric ... God Bless You (love Mom and Dad)

It has never been said, following in the steps of Jesus Christ's life on this earth would be easy. We are told, if we obey our Lord's commandments, which includes love our neighbor's as ourselves, and take up our cross every day for the Glory of God, we will share eternal life with God in heaven. We do not know the time or the place of our death, so we need to live each day as if it could be our last day on earth. Once our earthly life has ended, we personally can no longer do anything to influence whether we spend our eternal life in heaven, or in hell. Jesus came to earth for the poor and the weak. So as Catholics, and Christians, we are here for the poor and the weak too. As Eric said, we need to double up our efforts to do the right thing for our mothers and our brothers. As Jesus is quoted in the Gospel of Mark, 3: 31-35: “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.” I think it is safe to say, all His mothers and brothers will spend eternity with him. Let's do all we can within our calling in life, to be His mothers and brothers.