Come Home

For many Catholics, religion is all about rules and what you have to do and what you mustn't do. And if you don't follow these rules perfectly, you will go to hell. That is what many of us believe these days, even though it is very far from the truth.

The Catholic faith is not about doing everything perfectly and never making a mistake, it's about falling down and receiving from God the grace and strength to stand up and try again. It's not about being perfect and flawless, it's about recognizing our own weaknesses and overcoming them with God's mercy and love. It's not about fighting and hating our human nature, it's about realizing that we are weak creatures and we are nothing without God. It's not about blind and heartless obedience, it's about knowing and loving and serving God, doing His will, and giving Him glory in our every day lives, so that we may be happy with Him forever in heaven.

Even if you follow the rules perfectly, it doesn't guarantee salvation. We have to do all things with great love. Like it says in the Bible, "If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)."

Following Christ isn't about rules and regulations and doing meaningless things. From the very beginning, it has been the greatest and truest love story you will ever experience.

There's a beautiful song I would like to share called "Come Home" by the Christian band Luminate. Its lyrics are very powerful. Every time I hear this song, I begin to look at things differently. 

Here are the lyrics to this song:

You're best friends with the word regret
Your afraid that your life's been wasted
So why hope if it's only gonna let you down?
You don't think people really change
You're a mess and you'll always be the same
And you doubt if you'll ever get it turned around

So you've been running, searching for something
But you're looking in a place you don't belong
But it's never too late, you can't outrun grace
No, Mercy doesn't care what you've done 

Come home

Come home

You can try to fix your broken empire
Put bricks on a cracked foundation
But you'll be building castles on the sand
There's power in the blood of Jesus
Your father's screaming Just Come Home!
He's reaching out His hands

From the shadows, From the wrong roads
From the darkness, From the unknown
To redemption, Something beautiful
To a new love, to new home

I know you've been running, searching for something

But you're looking in a place you don't belong

But it's never too late, you can't outrun grace

His Mercy doesn't care what you've done

Come home

Come home

So if you feel like you're far away from God and you feel far from His love, know that He loves you still. Know that He just wants you to come home and share in His happiness and peace.

Come home.