Pick Your Parents Wisely!

September 5th, 2008 by Mark Shea ·Print This Article Print This Article ·

John 1:12

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.

In the early 1980s, Cary Grant was in his 80s and was still healthy as a horse.  A reporter asked him the secret of his longevity and he replied: “First, you have to pick your parents wisely.”  Unfortunately, in our biological birth we don’t tend to have that option.  However, in our spiritual birth we really do have a say in who our parents will be.  To be sure, it is always God who initiates our relationship with him.  His grace is always prior to our decision and is, in fact, the only thing that makes our decision possible.  But we still really do have free will.  And so, in an amazing act of humility, God permits us to “receive” his gift of Trinitarian life or not.  If we do (and if we persist and abide in that life) we receive from him “power to become children of God.”  We receive not only God as our Father and Jesus as our brother, we receive Mary as our Mother and the saints as our brothers and sisters.  Today, receive him and receive all he cherishes.  It is all your birthright in Christ.

Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange and a weekly columnist for the National Catholic Register. You may visit his website at www.mark-shea.com check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.

Get Mark Shea's 3-CD set of talks, An Evangelical Discovers the Catholic Faith. Contents include:

"By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition"

"This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence."

"Behold Your Mother: An Evangelical Discovers the Blessed Virgin Mary

Only $30 for the 3-CD set, shipping and handling included. (Also available on cassette tape.) Email Mark at chez.ami@verizon.net to order or click here.




2 Comments For This Post

  1. Cooky642 says:

    For an only child whose deepest desire was for a brother or sister, God has made me rich indeed!

  2. JimAroo says:

    How about an update??? Today is the 15th….. 10 days without any Words of Encouragement is too long!

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