Some thoughts ..

Here's one of my favourite Psalms.

It's a psalm written by King David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had sinned with Bethsabee.

Psalm 50.

Miserere. The repentance and confession of David after his sin. The fourth penitential psalm.

1 Unto the end, a psalm of David,

2 When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bethsabee.

3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.

4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

5 For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.

6 To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged.

7 For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me.

8 For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.

9 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

10 To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.

11 Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

12 Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

13 Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

14 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

15 I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.

16 Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice.

17 O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

18 For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.

19 A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

20 Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

21 Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.

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Here's the Latin translation of this Psalm. I like the latin words because they are so beautiful, so subtle.

3. miserere mei Deus secundum magnam; misericordiam tuam et; secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam

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Why is it so difficult for some to understand what being a Catholic means?

Is it because it's relatively 'easy' to be a Catholic? With all the rules and regulations?

(But the road to heaven is in the shape of the cross, after all, Jesus died on the Cross, to redeem us.)

See, King David, great man tho' he sincerely was, he sinned, just like any of us.

A great part of why he was such a great man, in my own little opinion, was because he understood so perfectly what he had done wrong, as evident from the psalm, and that he was truly a repentant sinner.

One of the greatest saints in the church, is Saint Mary Magdalene, the former great sinner too, who converted and wept at the feet of Jesus at a wedding feast. She used her hair to wipe the most precious feet of dearest Jesus. (Luke 7) She is the first woman saint to be mentioned in the whole litany of saints! indicating her greatness.

Coming back to the question: Why is it so difficult for some to understand what being a Catholic means?

It's a little hard for people to understand the Catholic worldview, but with the grace of God, they will know. In time to come. =)

Ecce crucem domine, fugite partes adversae, vicit leo de tribu Juda, Radix David Alleluia. And when finally this day comes, (Apocalypse 20), the Last Judgement, in God's time, everything will be made right!

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In manus tuas domine, commendo spiritum meum!

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And here's also another very good psalm: Psalm 135. It's almost like a treatise on God's infinite mercy. Read it if you want =).

GodBless. In Christo et Maria!