By Eric Swenson
American Chronicle
July 22, 2008
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/69166
The Catholic youth conference in Australia has once again become a focus for the sexual misconduct scandals that have distracted the Catholic Church from performing its mission to spread the gospel of our LORD, JESUS CHRIST. Until the Catholic Church hierarchy fully comprehends the full measure of what it has done to the victims, the church's own purpose and the purpose of the victims will be denied. To understand what the church, the Pope, the priests and the victims need to do is clearly stated in the Biblical Scriptures, which makes it so disturbing that the Catholic Church has not healed these wounds.
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The very first thing they need to do is personally heal the victims. CHRIST was the ultimate healer. He is the embodiment of the compassion that we all need to be healed. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 7 states: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." For the Catholic Church to deny the victims their healing is a complete abandonment of their mission purpose and of CHRIST. For the Pope, who is the Catholic Church's conduit to GOD, not to cleanse his house, is a sin of damnable proportions, because it keeps all the victims from fulfilling GOD'S purpose and denies their healing.
According to the scriptures, our purpose on earth is defined by GOD before we are even born. This is revealed in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 4 and 5: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." This is expanded upon in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Anytime we are distracted from our purpose, it is the work of Satan and contrary to GOD'S purpose for us on earth. The victims of the sexual abuse have not been freed from the abuse, which was visited upon them by their own church; the major entity in their lives that should be bringing them closer to CHRIST. The Pope himself should personally minister to each and every one of the victims, so they can achieve GOD'S purpose, which, again is disclosed in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 3and 4: " Blessed be GOD, even the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the FATHER of mercies, and the GOD of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of GOD." Our purpose is to be CHRIST like, do good unto each other and help each other.
How should the victims be healed? They need to be counseled and consoled by the Catholic Church itself. The victims have to see and believe that the church is acknowledging its sins and rectifying the problem. As simply stated in Luke chapter 4 verse 23: "physician, heal thyself." The Catholic Church needs to cleanse itself, of its sins, so that the victims may be healed, forgive and move on.
When King David's child was sick and dying, King David was consumed with the reality of the situation. It paralyzed him. However, as soon as the baby died, he moved on to fulfill his purpose. This is shown to us in 2 Samuel chapter 12 verses 21-23: "Thou didst afast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. He said, "while the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." He understood that to live in the prison of the past would do him more evil than the trauma that paralyzed him.
Interestingly, we have our own modern day example of this. Nelson Mandela was unjustly imprisoned for 27 years. Yet, when he was released from Victor-Verster Prison, he walked away with a renewed heart and spirit. When asked about this, he proclaimed that he locked his pain, suffering and bitterness in the prison cell he just left, so, that evil did not continue to imprison him in the present! Have you ever seen Nelson Mandela's face? Does he live like a victim? Who on earth more exemplifies the good will of all mankind? Is it any wonder that Nelson Mandela is so respected and beloved!
The moral here is that we are all imprisoned by things in our past which keep us from our purpose. We ourselves are our own jailers. We ourselves have the power to live renewed or to stay imprisoned. GOD through his son JESUS CHRIST has given us the power as defined through 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." His strength helps us all move forward in our journey to GOD.
This is GOD'S prayer for us: that we live renewed in CHRIST, that we serve our purpose of doing good towards each other. The Catholic Church hierarchy must repent and become renewed to regain its trust among its parishioners. The victims must be helped, but they also have to let go of the past that imprisons their purpose and ultimately their own path to to GOD and happiness.
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