June 2018 SPECIAL EDITION September 2015 Issue | Page 8

September, 2015
(continued from page 1)

Jesus was telling the rich young man he should put God, not things, first in his life. And, of course,
Jesus tells us the same. So, one of the spiritual questions upon which eternity depends is, “Do we put God
first in our lives?” Unfortunately, too many of us do not.
Here’s a modern parable. Peter considers himself an American success story. He was first in
his family to go to college. He was also first to own his own business, Bumper Sticker Paradise. Father Pat asked Peter to tell him his secret of success. Peter said, “The seven deadly sins.” Father Pat
said, “I don’t understand. Please explain.” Peter said, “I sell bumper stickers. So, I took the seven
deadly sins and found that enough Americans live those sins that I could become a millionaire by having them brag about it on their bumpers. Peter went on, “Father, look at how the seven deadly sins
compare to my seven best sellers.”

Seven Deadly Sins
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Greed
Anger
Sloth

Bumper Sticker Paradise’s Best Sellers
1. I’m Number One And You’re Not
2. I Want To Be The American Idol
3. I Ate The Whole Thing
4. Sex Sells And I Sell It
5. If You have It, I Want It
6. I Crush Those Who Bug Me
7. Do As Little as You Can

So, how about us? Do we follow God’s commandments? Are we sufficiently detached from
our stuff? Do we give sacrificially to Church and charity? Do we put God first in our lives? Unsure?
Well, let’s ask ourselves how many of Bumper Sticker Paradise’s best sellers apply to us.
The rich young man went away sad when Jesus told him to live God’s values, not the world’s
values. The ultimate question of our lives is the following. Read the question several times. The right
answer is essential if we want to get into heaven. Will we go away sad from the Pearly Gates when Jesus asks, “Down there, did you live God’s values or the world’s values?”

Confession

Even
The Pope
goes to
CONFESSION

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