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What Next?
about God or even to practice your Faith: you must know
God intimately. This is the path of the mystics, but it is
also the path every soul can know and must embrace to
get to Heaven. This path is unfamiliar to many Catholics
because most Catholics do not hear a pronounced or
emphatic call to the constant conversion we all need. But
Jesus frequently offered this call to conversion and even
warnings about Hell to His closest followers. Though
you have been baptized and confirmed, you still must
constantly recognize your need for God and for the conversion
of life that draws you ever closer to Him.
The second foundational element is the most important
support for the yes of the heart, and it consists of the
sacraments of the Eucharist and regular Confession. It
is a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sunday, but beyond the
threat of Hell, if you fail to fulfill your Sunday obligation,
you deny yourself the Eucharist — the most powerful sustenance
of your faith. Rather, you should participate in the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as frequently as possible. The
sacrament of Penance is also necessary to support your yes.
All too often, Catholics underestimate the power of this
sacrament. You might think of it merely as a remedy for
sin, which it is, but it is also a great grace to strengthen
you against falling into sin again. Put another way, the
sacrament of Penance both provides forgiveness of sins
and strengthens you in your efforts to fight sin. It is also
the most significant weapon against Satan in spiritual
warfare in the Church’s arsenal. Regardless, if you are not
reconciled to God and not living in a state of grace, you
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