Are you "Saved"?

Having been raised in a Protestant environment, I am often times asked by my friends, "Tracy, are you saved?" My answer: "Of course!" "I have been saved, I am being saved and I hope to be saved when I die." What does it mean to be "saved"? That question is looked upon differently from one denomination to another. However, this question is answered in three stages or levels corresponding to the different meanings of the word "Saved" and "Salvation" which are found in scripture.

Yes, I have been saved. This response acknowledges the very first meaning of "saved" and "salvation" in the Bible, Jesus Christ, Savior, by whose very act of salvation we are objectively saved. He died, rose from death and saved us from sin. In 2nd Cor 5:17 we read "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation." Therefore, I AM being saved according to the second meaning of those words in scripture -- the present experience, God's power delivering constantly from the bondage of sin.

In 1st Cor 15:2 we understand that we are also "being saved" if we hold fast to the Word that Jesus preached to men, unless we believe in vain. Further, I have hope and confidence that God will give me the grace of perseverance, and that I will respond to it and accept His gift of salvation until I die. This acknowledges the third meaning of the words "Saved" and "Salvation" from the Bible -- the future deliverance of believers at the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter 5 verse 9, we are told then "How much more then, since we are now justified by His blood, will be saved through Him from the wrath."

Accepting Christ in our lives, and believing that he died on the cross for our salvation will make us "saved" but there's a lot more to it than that. We must live the life of a true child of God and always look to the cross. Friends, I would like to invite you to join me Sunday morning at Holy Trinity Church on the bypass in Harlan at 9:45 AM. If you have been looking for a Church that will embrace you and make you feel at home, you can look no further than Holy Trinity. We have members who will make you feel at home and experience the love and joy our Savior has for ALL His children.

What's the Biggest Issue Facing Fathers Today?

Having raised two sons and very proud of both of them, I was pondering the other day on the number one challenge facing fathers today. This is not an easy area to explore for several reasons. Families are different, with different issues and problems. Yet, I tend to think that some issues and problems are common with most fathers in today's age. 

Some of the issues that come to mind right away are: 

How does a father begin to discuss sex with his children in today's sex filled world? 

How much needs to be censored when his children are online or watching television? 

How does a father impart Catholic values and other elements of his faith to his children in a world that has quickly become very secular?

 After pondering these three questions, I decided to choose neither one. Instead, I think the number one issue facing fathers is more less the father himself, or rather his own inclination to lose his sense of self. I'll explain what I mean. It's no big secret that the American workforce is drastically overworked. I know this from experience. I often find myself with hardly the time to sit down to a meal. Studies have shown that approximately one third of today’s workforce is overworked. To make matters worse, thirty-one percent of working fathers say they would stop working if their spouse could support the family, and another thirty percent say they would be willing to take a cut in pay to spend more time with their children. Three in ten fathers will miss a significant event in their child's life due to having to work. This clearly impacts the relationship they have with their families. 

 In all these observations, I think what has been overlooked is whether or not these overworked Dads are getting enough “me” time. Being a father, we are expected to provide for our families as much as is within our means. However, if we do not take enough leisure time for ourselves, time to do those things that help de-stress us, we will quickly find ourselves burned out to the max.

 I would urge you, if you find yourself in this situation, to take some time in your busy life to slow down and allow yourself to relax. This will give you the energy that is needed to be even better at what you already do. Take time to go fishing. Get out and do some hiking or camping. Any activity that brings enjoyment to you and gives you a chance to recoup. It's a difficult task, I know.

 Do you think that this issue of burnt-out fathers is as big an issue as I do? How would you add leisure to your life? I'd love to hear from you.

Priests Ordered Not to Perform Religious Duties while Government is Shutdown

In the words of JACKIE GLEASON(as Buford Justice) what in the world is this country coming too? 

 First, the WWII vets had to struggle to get a decent outdoor memorial erected in their honor. A memorial that is erected on public land, but is supported with private funds. This week, with our big government shutdown, there was more security around this memorial, just to keep elderly veterans out, than there was at our embassy in Benghazi the night it was attacked. And the reason? In my humble opinion to inflict as much pain as humanly possible through this shutdown. It's a political theater! 

 If you think this stinks, wait until you hear this. Our military has forbid the celebration of Mass by contract priests (who are being paid by the federal government as independent contractors), even on a volunteer basis. They have been told that if they violate this restriction, they can face arrest...FOR CELEBRATING MASS. With roughly 275,000 Catholic men and women in uniform, they are served by only 234 active-duty priests. Thus, the government provides contract and GS priests to take up the slack. 

 So, here's the thing. Say for instance a Catholic family has a Baptism scheduled at the base chapel this weekend. If they can not locate a priest who is not a GS or contract priest, they should consider the event cancelled. Likewise, a Marine who attends Sunday Mass at the base chapel will have to go elsewhere this weekend. Our military is considering alternative sources for funding of sporting events at the service academies, but no one seems to be searching for alternative funding to ensure the Free Exercise rights of Catholics in uniform. Wonder why? This seems to me to be a straight up prohibition of the free exercise of religion. When a priest is ordered under penalty of arrest to not perform their religious duties to the faithful, it is an outrage! 

 I along with thousands of other Catholics in the United States will remember this day come election time.

God's Help Comes in all Denominations

Life gets busy. It sure has been for me these last few days. I suppose some of you may have noticed that a few of my recent articles are gone. The system had a hiccup and I was forced to use a backup of the database which unfortunately did not contain my most recent posts. One post in particular that I regretted losing was called “God's Help Comes in all Denominations”.
A few weeks back my wife and I had the misfortune of having our vehicle break down on us while out for an evening in Kingsport Tennessee. We had just had our meal at Cheddar's and as we started to pull from the parking spot, the car sputtered, coughed and quit. We had no idea what the problem could be, so I took out the trusty Iphone and started looking for garages in the area. It was after 5 p.m and I knew we would be charged a huge sum to get help. One of the first ads I noticed was for a place called Bill's Garage and it was tagged at the end with something to the effect of “God Bless You! And Jesus Saves.” I told my wife I think we maybe should call this place first. I got an after hours recording and left a message.

Before I could dial the second number, I had a call from Bill's. He asked what the problem was and said that he and his wife had made plans for an evening out, but if she had not reservations, he would be on his way over to us. A few minutes later, he called and said his wife had told him to “Go help the people first.” A little while later, Bill pulled up and introduced himself. He got his tools out and started probing around. He later diagnosed the problem as a faulty fuel pump.

He then started checking prices on fuel pumps in the area. When I told him that I would probably have to call a wrecker from my hometown to come and pick it up, he informed me that I could probably save some money by renting a U-Haul car dolly and taking the vehicle back to Harlan myself. He was correct on that assumption. I called our son to come get us and before Bill left, he offered to pray for our safe return to our home and help with fixing our vehicle. How often does that happen in today's world. You break down, a mechanic comes over, diagnoses your problem, offers advice and assistance and then doesn't want to hear of payment? Not very often.

 We were able to come back the next morning with a truck and rent the dolly and brought our vehicle back home where we took it to…”Bill's Garage” to have a fuel pump installed. How's that for coincidence? Yes, we have a Bill's Garage in Harlan too and the Harlan Bill, just like the Kingsport Bill takes care of his customers the old fashioned way. He treats them right, gets the job done and doesn't charge an arm and a leg. Reflecting on our experience I was brought to an understanding that God provides help for his children in all forms and fashions.

While Bill (of Kingsport) and I do not share the same denomination, we are serving the same God. It mattered not to Bill that I was Catholic, Methodist, Baptist or Presbyterian. He knows that God wants us to render aid where we can to ALL His children. If only more people could look beyond that denominational barrier, I think this would be a better world. Friends, if you are ever in Kingsport Tennessee and have the kind of luck that I did that day, write this phone number down. 423-247-8200 ….tell Bill Tracy recommended him.

The Catholic Church Celebrates 100 Years in Harlan County

On Sunday, September 8th, 2013 we celebrated 100 years of the Catholic Church in Harlan County Kentucky. The Celebration Mass began shortly after 11:00 A.M. at Church of the Resurrection in Lynch with the Most Reverend Ronald W. Gainer, Bishop of Lexington as our Principal Celebrant. He was joined on the alter with his Con-celebrants, Rev. Mani George, MC; Rev. Jay Von Handorf; Rev. Edward Brienz; Rev. Santosh Madanu, HGN and Rev. Steve Roberts. Deacon Marco Rajkovich assisted and proclaimed the gospel. 

 In his homily, Bishop Gainer reminded us of the importance of “family” and gave a brief history of how the Catholic Church came to be in Harlan County. The first Catholic Church in Harlan County, St. Mary Mission, was built in 1913 on the left bank of the Maggard Creek in Benham. At that time, Harlan County was the scene of great coal mining activity. The boom in the coal industry brought many Catholic immigrants, mostly Hungarian, Italian and Slavic, to the Tri-City area and the need for a Catholic Church was evident. The Wisconsin Steel Company, located at the end of the Black Mountain Railroad in Benham, donated a church lot and erected a 20′x40′ frame church. The Catholic Church Extension Society donated the altar. The seating capacity was approximately 100. On October 30, 1913, Bishop Maes, Bishop of Covington, visited Harlan County and blessed the new church under the patronage of the Blessed Mother. St. Mary Mission was attached to the Jellico Mission Center, which served Whitley County KY, and Campbell County Tennessee. 

These missions were under the care of the Benedictine Fathers of Cullman, Alabama. Mass was offered at St. Mary’s once a month. Later, Father Celestine, OSB, a Benedictine serving in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, took charge of the Mission. In 1917, St. Mary Mission received its first resident pastor, Father Jerome Lawrence. It remained open through 1919. The Mission stood empty until being torn down to make way for a coal sluice in the mid 1930′s. Catholic immigrants continued to arrive in the Tri-City area with the opening of the Lynch coal camp in 1917. Plans to build a larger church in Lynch, KY, began immediately. Holy Trinity Church was established in 1948. Stay tuned. Later this month, I will be providing a history of the the three Catholic Churches in Harlan. I’ve posted several photos of the Celebration Mass on our church website at www.harlan.cdlex.org 

Do Catholics Worship Statues?

One of my favorite radio channels on Sirius XM is the "Catholic Channel" on 129. I love listening to Cardinal Timothy Dolan when he's around and another favorite is Gus Lloyd and "Seize the Day". Gus is one evangelist who pulls no punches. He lays it on the line and explains things in language we all can understand. One question that is often asked of Catholics is "Why do you worship statues?" I think Gus has the explanation we need to listen to.

Feeling Like the Prodigal Son

The Pope’s recent interview has brought up an interesting way of looking at his actions. When I first heard of his interview on national news, I was like “The Pope said what?” I admit that I am a morally conservative convert to Catholicism and the way mainstream media interprets the Holy Father at times causes me to raise an eyebrow. I’ve learned to go to Catholic sources for clarification. But here’s the thing –

I’ve started to get a little fearful. I’m starting to look at myself sorta like the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here I have been trying most of my adult life to live as close to Catholic teaching as possible and when I hear the Pope backing away from strict enforcement, I start to fear that the rules that I have defended all these years will not be enforced for some. It seems as though the Holy Father is somewhat like that father in the parable. He’s looking for ways to get to those prodigal sons and daughters back in the fold. Do I need to feel put out and afraid? Or should I join in the celebration?

I’m sure I am not alone in my perception. It’s a spiritual test of sorts. I do know deep down that I should not be fearful and I do agree with the Pope in that we should attempt to embrace the sinner when at all possible. I do however think that moral issues such as homosexuality and abortion should not be shrugged off to the point that we are turning a blind eye to it. The Church has stood solid all these years because of its rock solid foundation. Let us pray that nothing will ever start to chip away at that foundation and weaken it.