ICEMANforChrist

  JUNE Wildlife fills our life with joy and refreshment. Songbirds and birds of prey, squirrels and rabbits, butterflies and lightning bugs all carry a message worth discovering in early summer. Do we see and hear them, or do we overlook them, even despise them? Are they simply an annoyance, or do we come to know, love, and even serve these fellow creatures by providing protection and habitat?   June: The Sacred Heart of Jesus – The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the revelation of God’s immense love for us. It is often depicted as a fiery furnace, pierced and broken, but beating with love. The Sacred Heart is also a profound reminder of the humanity of our Lord, for his heart is not a mere symbol, but a true physical reality.   Overview of June [1]   Following Pentecost, the Church begins her slow descent from the great peaks of the Easter Season to the verdant pastures of Ordinary Time, the longest of the liturgical seasons. Like the lush June growth all around us, the g...

  🜁 Summary  1. Evil is real, personal, and permitted only within God’s providence The CCC teaches that the devil is a fallen angel who became evil by his own free choice (CCC 391). His power is finite , creaturely, and always subordinate to God’s sovereignty (CCC 395). Evil exists, but it is never an equal rival to God. Catechist Magazine 2. The scandal of evil is answered by the Cross CCC 309 states that every part of the Christian message is, in some way, an answer to the problem of evil. God brings a greater good from evil — supremely in the crucifixion, where Christ’s sacrifice overthrows the devil’s envy and restores what sin destroyed (CCC 412). Catechist Magazine 3. Evil originates in the misuse of freedom CCC 385 explains that evil cannot be understood apart from sin. Angels and humans were created good, with freedom ordered toward love. Evil entered history when that freedom was misused — first by Lucifer, then by Adam and Eve. This rupture introduced dis...

  Summary & Reflection on Confronting Evil 1. Evil is real, personal, and resisted through Christ’s authority The Catechism teaches that evil is not merely psychological or symbolic; it is a real, personal force acting through fallen angels (CCC 391–395). Christ’s victory over Satan is definitive, but not yet fully manifested, which means the Christian life is lived in combat (CCC 409). This frames every spiritual exhortation—whether prayer, deliverance, or moral vigilance—as participation in Christ’s own authority. 2. The Christian confronts evil first by obedience of faith The CCC roots spiritual warfare not in dramatic gestures but in obedience (CCC 144–149). Evil is confronted when a man submits his intellect and will to God’s revelation. This is the opposite of the devil’s rebellion. Where Satan says, “I will not serve,” the Christian says, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” 3. The ordinary means of grace are the primary weapons The Church insists that ...

Smoke in This Life and Not the Next The drink burns a little, and the cigar leaves its rough edge on the tongue—small reminders that purification always costs something. Ember Friday exists to bring that truth to the surface. Every sin leaves a debt, and Infinite Justice settles every account. Some men owe ten‑thousand talents; others only a few farthings. But no one enters heaven carrying what God has already condemned. The saints teach that the pains of Purgatory differ because the sins differ. That is not cruelty; it is precision. A man who refuses the small burn of repentance now will face the full furnace later. The same flame purifies the saved and torments the damned—the difference is destination, not temperature. So let tonight’s smoke be a mercy. A small sting to remind you of the greater fire that waits for whatever in you still clings to pride, resentment, impurity, or unfinished obedience. Let this be the burn you choose, not the one you inherit. Reflection Question: ...