The reason for, the whole ‘raison d’etre’ of this website is to accomplish what the title says: Strive for Heaven now!
‘Strive for Heaven now!’ will always be the mindset, the heart and soul of all that is said here because God has created each of us human beings with an ‘eternal soul’. The Catholic Church is the Shepherd of these souls and does her utmost to seek out that which is lost.
In his apostolic letter ‘Porta Fidei’ (the Door of Faith) published on Oct 11, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI announced the promulgation of a Year of Faith, which began Oct 11, 2012 and will end on Nov 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Christ the King. This ‘Year of Faith’ will have as points of reference the Second Vatican Council (50th Anniversary) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (20th Anniversary) (cf: MICHAEL Journal, # 371, Aug/Sept, 2012, pg 4.)
With this in mind, as a lay Catholic evangelist I felt it was very timely and a propose to launch my new website www.striveforheavennow.ca in support of “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.” (cf: Synod of Bishops, General Assembly, Oct/12.)
Also this ‘Year of Faith’ will be a perfect occasion for the faithful to understand more profoundly that the foundation of Christian faith is “the encounter with an event, a person, (emphasis mine) which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” Founded on the encounter with the risen Christ, faith can be rediscovered in its wholeness and all its splendour. (cf: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; “Note: with pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith, Jan 6/12)
God, in His great love for us has given us the greatest gift, which is the freedom to choose, to choose to spend eternity in Heaven or to be damned for eternity in Hell. We need to be reminded that our life on Planet Earth could terminate now!
“Have in mind therefore in what manner thou hast received and heard: and observe and do penance: If then thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a thief: and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come to thee.” (Revelation 3:3)
What comes after our death? Are you ready? Hence, the purpose of this website will be to speak forth the ‘Truth in Love’ to whoever is sincerely seeking out the ‘Truth’ among the thousands of false truths in the world today.
There is only one Messiah, one Saviour. His name is ‘Jesus Christ’. He states in John 14:6: “I amthe wayand the truthand the life.No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This ‘Truth’ is based on God’s Holy Word as interpreted and taught by the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.
In the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church we read what the Church states about Truth:
“Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.” (2505)
(Note: duplicity means ‘deception, hypocrisy’; and dissimulation means ‘to disguise’.)
As Catholics, we are called to defend the ‘Truth’ of our faith, even to the point of death and the shedding of our blood.
“Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity. He bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He endures death through an act of fortitude. “Let one become the food of the beasts, through whom it will be given to me to reach God.” (2473)
The website www.striveforheavennow.ca will encourage you and challenge you to answer two vital questions: (1) Do you know Jesus Christ? (2) Are you willing to give a witness to the Truth of your faith in Jesus Christ and the Christian doctrine? The world is
In dire need of ‘prophets of Truth in Love’. Will you be one of them?
Yes, we must be troubadours of the Truth, we must not, we must not be silent, because we live in very evil times. We live in a ‘sex-obsessed’ society.
Everyday we witness this obvious presence of the ‘Culture of Death’ found in ‘contraception, abortion, invitro fertilization, embryonic stem cell research, adultery, fornication, pornography, promiscuity, sex-education, divorce, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, etc’. (cf: www.aborterrorism.ca ) These are the sins of the flesh. In regards to these sins Our Lady of Fatima said in 1917: “More souls go to Hell because of sins
Of the flesh than for any other reason.” (cf: www.fatima.org ))
The Church teaches us that Mary, as the model of faith and virtues has a very special role in the mystery of salvation. As a continuation of Mary’s appearances and messages atFatima,Portugalin 1917, we have Mary warning the world since 1981 inMedjugorje,Bosniato repent and turn to her son, Jesus Christ.
Her latest message, Oct 25/12 is:
“Dear children! Today I call you to pray for my intentions. Renew fasting and prayer because satan is cunning and attracts many hearts to sin and perdition. I call you, little children, to holiness and to live in grace. Adore my Son so that He may fill you with His peace and love for which you yearn. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (cf: www.medjugorje.com)
As Mary asks of us in her recent message of Oct 25th in Medjugorje, we must do much prayer and fasting because in most parts of the world, ‘personal freedom to choose’ to live out the whims of one’s sexual desires ‘trumps’ morality as taught by the Church and the Word of God and the Ten Commandments.
This year, while I was participating in a ‘Show The Truth’ (cf:www.unmaskingchoice.ca)
In order to show graphic images of aborted babies, a passerby said to me:
“We live in a very cold and selfish society”.
He described in a few words the major lifestyle trend of our world today.
Thank God there is still a ‘remnant’ speaking and living out the Truth. God’s Word describes this ‘loving, gentle remnant’ in I Corinthians 13: 4-13:
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Yes, the greatest of these is ‘love’ and love never fails. And the Good News is that you can experience God’s awesome love and mercy as you earnestly seek out the ‘truth’ found only in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. “
One such person who sought the Truth was Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. She was canonized only ten days after Pope Benedict XVI declared ‘The Year of Faith’ (Oct 11, 2012 to Nov 24, 2013). In his homily at Saint Kateri’s canonization Pope Benedict XVI referred to her ‘faithfulness’ in loving Jesus. He declared her ‘The Protectress of Canada’ and as the first native American saint entrusted to Saint Kateri the ‘renewal of the faith’ in the first nations and in all North America. Her last words as she died on April 17, 1680, were: “Jesus, Mary, I love you.” Let us pray to her for the renewal of the faith in Canadaand the courage to be great witnesses to our faith as she did so well.(cf: www.katerishrine.com and www.vatican.va/benedict/homilies )
Jesus says:
Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)
Please don’t wait, don’t delay any longer. Strive for Heaven now!
Donald Andre Bruneau.
